Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Herbal Medicine as a Cause of Combined Lead and Arsenic Poisoning

1 Combined chronic lead and arsenic poisoning was diagnosed in a 33-year-old Korean woman following consumption of a Korean herbal medicine prescribed for haemorrhoids. 2 The patient had malaise, severe difficulty walking, arthralgia, oedema and abdominal pain with diarrhoea. 3 Investigation showed anaemia with basophilic stippling, fragmentation and a raised reticulocyte count. 4 Raised blood and urine lead levels and urine arsenic levels were found. 5 Analysis of the herbal medicine revealed a high lead and arsenic content. 6 Treatment with the newer chelating agent 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid was successful, with no detectable side-effects.
Crown land management from a volunteer perspective: the Victorian example

ABSTRACT A legion of 8000 volunteer committee members work behind the scenes to manage Crown land reserves across Victoria, also undertaking on-ground works and a multitude of other tasks to safeguard the upkeep of natural and built public assets. These local Committees of Management operate in a largely delegated manner on behalf of the Victorian Government. A number of societal trends appear to be threatening their work. This exploratory study asked a small non-representative sample of committee members, in group interviews, to assess their motives for undertaking this unpaid service and their perceptions of the key challenges associated with volunteering in public land management. The interviews identified four motivations to explain committee participation: (1) community improvement; (2) family legacy; (3) user group representation; and (4) socialising. The implications of these findings for government and communities, in terms of attracting new recruits to Committees of Management and retaining the existing cohort of experienced members, are discussed.
Case report of acute necrotizing pancreatitis associated with combination treatment of sitagliptin and exenatide.

OBJECTIVE To report the first postmarketing case of necrotizing pancreatitis in a patient on combination therapy of sitagliptin and exenatide. METHODS We describe the patient's clinical presentation, laboratory test results, imaging, and autopsy findings. RESULTS A 76-year-old woman with a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus presented with severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and fever requiring hospital admission. She had been treated with exenatide for 3 years to manage her diabetes mellitus. A few weeks before presentation, sitagliptin was added, presumably to further optimize her glycemic control. Acute pancreatitis was diagnosed during hospital admission. At initial presentation, her serum amylase concentration was 1136 U/L (reference range, 10-130 U/L) and her lipase concentration was greater than 3500 U/L (reference range, 0-75 U/L). In addition, computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis demonstrated extensive previous cholecystectomy, reported no alcohol consumption, and had a normal lipid profile. Although she had a long-standing history of diabetes mellitus, she had no history of pancreatitis or other risk factors that would have caused her to develop the underlying condition. After initial brief improvement, her symptoms worsened, and despite aggressive care, her clinical state deteriorated and she died. Autopsy findings demonstrated acute necrotizing pancreatitis with complete digestion of the pancreas. CONCLUSIONS Considering the temporal relationship of her symptoms to the addition of sitagliptin to her existing exenatide regimen, this case strongly suggests a possible causal link between exenatide or sitagliptin (or the combination of the 2 drugs) and the etiology of pancreatitis in this patient.
The intimate and controversial relationship between voltage‐gated proton channels and the phagocyte NADPH oxidase

One of the most fascinating and exciting periods in my scientific career entailed dissecting the symbiotic relationship between two membrane transporters, the Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate reduced form (NADPH) oxidase complex and voltage‐gated proton channels (HV1). By the time I entered this field, there had already been substantial progress toward understanding NADPH oxidase, but HV1 were known only to a tiny handful of cognoscenti around the world. Having identified the first proton currents in mammalian cells in 1991, I needed to find a clear function for these molecules if the work was to become fundable. The then‐recent discoveries of Henderson, Chappell, and colleagues in 1987–1988 that led them to hypothesize interactions of both molecules during the respiratory burst of phagocytes provided an excellent opportunity. In a nutshell, both transporters function by moving electrical charge across the membrane: NADPH oxidase moves electrons and HV1 moves protons. The consequences of electrogenic NADPH oxidase activity on both membrane potential and pH strongly self‐limit this enzyme. Fortunately, both consequences specifically activate HV1, and HV1 activity counteracts both consequences, a kind of yin–yang relationship. Notwithstanding a decade starting in 1995 when many believed the opposite, these are two separate molecules that function independently despite their being functionally interdependent in phagocytes. The relationship between NADPH oxidase and HV1 has become a paradigm that somewhat surprisingly has now extended well beyond the phagocyte NADPH oxidase – an industrial strength producer of reactive oxygen species (ROS) – to myriad other cells that produce orders of magnitude less ROS for signaling purposes. These cells with their seven NADPH oxidase (NOX) isoforms provide a vast realm of mechanistic obscurity that will occupy future studies for years to come.
Immunohistochemical study of the expression of fatty acid synthase and Ki-67 in salivary gland tumors.

BACKGROUND The enzyme fatty acid synthase plays a fundamental role in the biosynthesis of fatty acids. Several recent studies have demonstrated a high fatty acid synthase expression in malignant tumors. Few studies have been conducted in oral and salivary gland tumors describing the fatty acid synthase expression. METHODS This study evaluated and compared, by immunohistochemical reaction, the expression of fatty acid synthase and Ki-67 in salivary gland tumors. The immunohistochemical study used the streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase technique, with antibodies anti-fatty acid synthase and anti-Ki-67. The fatty acid synthase was analyzed by scores, considering the intensity of labeling, quantity of labeled cells and histological component. The Ki-67 was analyzed by counting of one thousand cells, calculating the quantity of positive cells in regions with higher density of labeling. Statistical analysis was performed using the Pearson and Mann-Whitney correlation tests. RESULTS There was greater fatty acid synthase expression in pleomorphic adenoma compared to other tumors, and predominance of Ki-67 in malignant tumors. Among these, the mucoepidermoid carcinoma presented the highest proliferation rate. The expression of fatty acid synthase and Ki-67 did not present correlation between the tumors analyzed, except in pleomorphic adenomas, with statistically significant relationship between them. CONCLUSION It is suggested that the fat metabolism in salivary gland tumors is related to maintenance of cell differentiation. Its expression prevailed in benign tumors, while Ki-67 prevailed in the mucoepidermoid carcinoma, demonstrating its high proliferation rate, followed by the cystic adenoid carcinoma and polymorphous low grade adenocarcinoma.
Cut-off Values of Five-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale in Evaluating Suicidality among Military Recruits

Objectives: Suicide is a big worldwide problem and also a national public health issue. How to screen high-risk soldiers is essential at an early stage of military service. The objectives of this study were to assess prevalences, to investigate the associated role in five-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5), and to determine the cut-off scores of BSRS-5 in each type of suicidality in new military recruits. Methods: We recruited 1,222 soldiers who completed all copies of questionnaire from a military base in northern Taiwan. The subjects completed the copies of questionnaire of BSRS-5 and Adult Self-Report Scale Inventory-4 (the ASRI), and a copy of questionnaire of the optional Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS) was also completed for those who had ever had suicidality. Results: This study revealed high prevalences of suicidal ideation (SI), suicidal attempt (SA), and deliberate self-harm (DSH) of military recruits. While using BSRS-5 as a screening instrument for SI, DSH, and SA, the suggested cut-offs were 7, 8, and 8, respectively and had almost the same magnitudes of area under curves compared with the general cut-offs. In addition, better specificity for military recruits was noted and associated factors for each kind of suicidality were almost similar. Conclusion: The study results suggest that BSRS-5 can be efficiently used to distinguish suicidality from the military recruits and better specificity of new cut-offs. This easily administered tool can help screen high risk suicidal military recruits for suicide prevention.
Algorithm for systolic peak detection of pulse wave

In this paper, a new method for systolic peak detection of pulse wave signals is presented. This method is based on the detection of each peak by the correlation with adaptive Gaussian function template (GFT). The point of maximum correlation is selected as a systolic peak. Its accuracy and noise robustness were evaluated over a set of annotated signals (arterial blood pressure) from CSL database. The GFT method showed an error respect to trained observers less than 5.5 ± 4.2 ms. Furthermore, this method has an error of 8.99 ± 25.09 ms for several noise realization at 9 dB of signal-noise ratio. The results suggest that this method could be used in the measurement of heart rate and pulse transit time, and in the study of autonomic function.
Mentors, role models, and differences in self-efficacy and motivation among construction management students

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . iii TABLE OF CONTENTS . iv LIST OF TABLES . vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 Research Problem . 2 Purpose Statement . 3 Research Questions . 3 Definition of Terms. 3 Significance of the Study . 5 Research Approach . 6 Delimitations . 6 Limitations and Assumptions . 7 Researcher’s Perspective . 8 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE . 10 Self-Efficacy . 11 Motivation . 13 Mentors & Role Models. 14 The Influence of Mentors and Role Models . 17 Types of Influential Relationships . 18 Women in Construction . 20 Summary . 23 CHAPTER 3: METHODS . 24 Introduction . 24 Study Participants . 25 Instrument Selection . 25 Instrument and Survey Item Adaptation . 29 Data Collection . 30 Demographic Survey Items . 33 Data Screening . 36 Addressing Research Question One . 36 Addressing Research Question Two . 37 Supplemental Data Analysis . 38 Conclusion . 39 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS . 4
Early detection of glaucoma by means of a novel 3D computer-automated visual field test

Purpose: A recently devised 3D computer-automated threshold Amsler grid test was used to identify early and distinctive defects in people with suspected glaucoma. Further, the location, shape and depth of these field defects were characterised. Finally, the visual fields were compared with those obtained by standard automated perimetry. Patients and methods: Glaucoma suspects were defined as those having elevated intraocular pressure (>21 mm Hg) or cup-to-disc ratio of >0.5. 33 patients and 66 eyes with risk factors for glaucoma were examined. 15 patients and 23 eyes with no risk factors were tested as controls. The recently developed 3D computer-automated threshold Amsler grid test was used. The test exhibits a grid on a computer screen at a preselected greyscale and angular resolution, and allows patients to trace those areas on the grid that are missing in their visual field using a touch screen. The 5-minute test required that the patients repeatedly outline scotomas on a touch screen with varied displays of contrast while maintaining their gaze on a central fixation marker. A 3D depiction of the visual field defects was then obtained that was further characterised by the location, shape and depth of the scotomas. The exam was repeated three times per eye. The results were compared to Humphrey visual field tests (ie, achromatic standard or SITA standard 30-2 or 24-2). Results: In this pilot study 79% of the eyes tested in the glaucoma-suspect group repeatedly demonstrated visual field loss with the 3D perimetry. The 3D depictions of visual field loss associated with these risk factors were all characteristic of or compatible with glaucoma. 71% of the eyes demonstrated arcuate defects or a nasal step. Constricted visual fields were shown in 29% of the eyes. No visual field changes were detected in the control group. Conclusions: The 3D computer-automated threshold Amsler grid test may demonstrate visual field abnormalities characteristic of glaucoma in glaucoma suspects with normal achromatic Humphrey visual field testing. This test may be used as a screening tool for the early detection of glaucoma.
The perceived influence of school leadership on learner behaviour in a Namibian secondary school

Despite the deeply entrenched belief in and practice of corporal punishment to maintain learner control in schools, a secondary school in Namibia has for a number of years proven to be an exception to this practice. This is an interpretive account of the teachers’ and learners’ experiences and perceptions of the influence of their school principal’s leadership on learner behaviour. In-depth individual and group interviews were held with teachers and learners. Onsite observation was conducted for 14 consecutive school days and school documents were analysed. The data reveal an engaged school leadership that has created a school culture characterized by respect, care, trust, edifying relationships, a sense of belonging, praise, acknowledgement and recognition, and collaboration. By creating a collaborative school culture the school’s leadership is not located in the principal alone but in a ‘web of relationships’. In the view of both teachers and learners these features of the school’s leadership and culture are largely responsible for the positive learner behaviour in the school. This research reaffirms the central role played by school principals in establishing and maintaining their school’s culture. It also illustrates the mediating role of school culture in learner behaviour. It is significant that this occurs in a socio-economically deprived context in a developing nation.
Stem Cell Therapy for Lower Extremity Diabetic Ulcers: Where Do We Stand?

The impairment of wound healing in diabetic patients is an important clinical problem affecting millions of patients worldwide. Various clinical and basic science studies show that stem cell therapy, as a regenerative medical therapy, can be a good solution. In this paper, we begin with an introduction of the cellular mechanism of the diabetic ulcer. We will then discuss the advantages and limitations of various stem cell therapies that have been under extensive recent study.
RETINOID X RECEPTOR &agr; PARTICIPATION IN DEXAMETHASONE-INDUCED RAT BILE ACID COENZYME A-AMINO ACID N-ACYLTRANSFERASE EXPRESSION IN SEPTIC LIVER

To test the hypothesis that dexamethasone (Dex) treatment would restore rat hepatic bile acid coenzyme A-amino acid N-acyltransferase (rBAT) expression in septic rats after cecal ligation and puncture by increasing expression of retinoic acid X receptor &agr; (RXR&agr;), we assessed survival rate and bile and bile salt concentration in the Dex-treated septic group and compared these results with those for a nontreated septic group, a Dex-treated nonseptic group, and a sham group. Dexamethasone treatment (0.01 mg/kg) significantly improved the survival rate and increased the bile and bile salt concentration in the bile ducts of septic rats (P = <0.05). In our assessment of bile salt-related genes, during sepsis, there were decreases in protein and mRNA expression of rBAT and cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase (CYP7A1). Treatment with Dex restored expression of rBAT and RXR&agr; but not CYP7A1, bile salt export pump, or multidrug resistance associated protein 2 (MRP2). Na+-taurocholate cotransport protein and organic anion transporting polypeptide 1 were unchanged. In addition, treatment with Dex also restored the DNA-binding activity of RXR/farnesoid-X receptor to rBAT promoter containing inverted repeat 1 sequence. In an experiment to confirm our findings, RXR&agr; siRNA was found to significantly block Dex-induced increases in expression of rBAT in hepatocytes taken from septic rats (P < 0.01). Conclusion-Dex restored the expression of rBAT in septic rats by enhancing RXR&agr;, a process that might explain the mechanism underlying Dex's anticholestatic effect.
Effect of purpose in life on the relation between Alzheimer disease pathologic changes on cognitive function in advanced age.

CONTEXT Purpose in life is associated with a substantially reduced risk of Alzheimer disease (AD), but the neurobiologic basis of this protective effect remains unknown. OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that purpose in life reduces the deleterious effects of AD pathologic changes on cognition in advanced age. DESIGN A longitudinal, epidemiologic, clinicopathologic study of aging was conducted that included detailed annual clinical evaluations and brain autopsy. PARTICIPANTS Two hundred forty-six community-based older persons from the Rush Memory and Aging Project participated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Purpose in life was assessed via structured interview, and cognitive function was evaluated annually and proximate to death. On postmortem examination, 3 indexes of AD pathologic features were quantified: global AD pathologic changes, amyloid, and tangles. The associations of disease pathologic changes and purpose in life with cognition were examined using linear regression and mixed models. RESULTS Purpose in life modified the association between the global measure of AD pathologic changes and cognition (mean [SE] parameter estimate, 0.532 [0.211]; P = .01), such that participants who reported higher levels of purpose in life exhibited better cognitive function despite the burden of the disease. Purpose in life also reduced the association of tangles with cognition (parameter estimate, 0.042 [0.019]; P = .03), and the protective effect of purpose in life persisted even after controlling for several potentially confounding variables. Furthermore, in analyses examining whether purpose in life modified the association between AD pathologic effects and the rate of cognitive decline, we found that higher levels of purpose in life reduced the effect of AD pathologic changes on cognitive decline (parameter estimate, 0.085 [0.039]; P = .03). CONCLUSION Higher levels of purpose in life reduce the deleterious effects of AD pathologic changes on cognition in advanced age.
Decentralized Multi-Agent Optimization via Dual Decomposition

Abstract We study a distributed multi-agent optimization problem of minimizing the sum of convex objective functions. A new decentralized optimization algorithm is introduced, based on dual decomposition, together with the subgradient method for finding the optimal solution. The iterative algorithm is implemented on a multi-hop network and is designed to handle communication delays. The convergence of the algorithm is proved for communication networks with bounded delays. An explicit bound, which depends on the communication delays, on the convergence rate is given. A numerical comparison with a decentralized primal algorithm shows that the dual algorithm converges faster, and with less communication.
General Equilibrium Measures of Agricultural Policy Bias in Fifteen Developing Countries

A comparative analysis of 15 developing countries shows that, during the 1990s, indirect taxes, tariffs, and exchange rates significantly discriminated against agriculture in only one country (Malawi), was largely neutral in five (Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia, and Zimbabwe), provided a moderate subsidy to agriculture in four (Mexico, Tanzania, Venezuela, and Zambia), and strongly favored agriculture in five (Egypt, Korea, Morocco, Mozambique, and Tunisia). In contrast to earlier partial equilibrium results, our general equilibrium analysis indicates that exchange rate changes can lead to anything between strongly increasing and strongly decreasing relative agriculture/non-agriculture incentives, depending on relative trade shares and relative tradability of agricultural and non-agricultural commodities. Country-specific circumstances greatly affect the relative impact of trade policies on agriculture and the rest of the economy in a general equilibrium setting. Earlier partial equilibrium measures of policy bias could not adequately incorporate country heterogeneity and are therefore likely to have overstated the bias. In any case, from the empirical results with our sample of countries, we conclude that any incentive bias against agriculture in the 1980s had mostly disappeared by the 1990s.
Muscle capillarization O2 diffusion distance, and VO2 kinetics in old and young individuals.

The relationships between muscle capillarization, estimated O2 diffusion distance from capillary to mitochondria, and O2 uptake (VO2) kinetics were studied in 11 young (mean age, 25.9 yr) and 9 old (mean age, 66.0 yr) adults. VO2 kinetics were determined by calculating the time constants (tau) for the phase 2 VO2 adjustment to and recovery from the average of 12 repeats of a 6-min, moderate-intensity plantar flexion exercise. Muscle capillarization was determined from cross sections of biopsy material taken from lateral gastrocnemius. Young and old groups had similar VO2 kinetics (tau VO2-on = 44 vs. 48 s; tau VO2-off = 33 vs. 44 s, for young and old, respectively), muscle capillarization, and estimated O2 diffusion distances. Muscle capillarization, expressed as capillary density or average number of capillary contacts per fiber/average fiber area, and the estimates of diffusion distance were significantly correlated to VO2-off kinetics in the young (r = -0.68 to -0.83; P < 0.05). We conclude that 1) capillarization and VO2 kinetics during exercise of a muscle group accustomed to everyday activity (e.g., walking) are well maintained in old individuals, and 2) in the young, recovery of VO2 after exercise is faster, with a greater capillary supply over a given muscle fiber area or shorter O2 diffusion distances.
Mid-latitude glacial erosion hotspot related to equatorial shifts in southern Westerlies

Glaciation has affected the shape of mountain ranges and has induced a global increase in erosion rates during the past 2 m.y. The observed increase in erosion rates appears to vary with latitude, reaching a maximum at mid-latitudes that is particularly well defined in the Southern Hemisphere. Although it is likely that climate played an important role, the processes responsible for such latitudinal distribution of erosion are unclear. Here we exploit the meridional extent of the Patagonian Andes and identify an erosion hotspot at ∼44°S. Using a glacial erosion model and formally inverting the available thermochronometric and geobarometric data, we show that this hotspot coincides with the location of maximum precipitation that follows the Southern Hemisphere Westerlies during glacial periods. We propose that the increased precipitation rates at ∼44°S led to greater ice sliding velocities and faster glacial erosion. Our results imply that the migration of the westerly wind belt toward the equator since 2–3 Ma may have played an important role in determining the distribution of mountain erosion in the Southern Hemisphere.