Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The composition of nucleation and Aitken modes particles during coastal nucleation events: evidence for marine secondary organic contribution

Newly-formed nanometer-sized particles have been observed at coastal and marine environments worldwide. Interestingly, organic species have so far not been detected in those newly-formed nucleation mode particles. In this study, we applied the UFO-TDMA (ultrafine organic tandem differential mobility analyzer) method to study the possible existence of an organic fraction in recently formed coastal nucleation mode particles (d<20 nm) at the Mace Head research station. Furthermore, effects of those nucleation events to potential CCN (cloud condensation nuclei) were studied. The coastal events were typical for the Mace Head region and they occurred at low tide conditions during efficient solar radiation and high biological activity (HBA, i.e. a high mass concentration of chlorophyll a of the ocean) in spring 2002. Additionally, a PHA-UCPC (pulse height analyzer ultrafine condensation particle counter) technique was used to study the composition of newly-formed particles formed in low tide conditions during a lower biological activity (LBA, i.e. a lower mass concentration of chlorophyll a of the ocean) in October 2002. The overall results of the UFO-TDMA and the PHA-UCPC measurements indicate that those coastally/marinely formed nucleation mode particles include a remarkable fraction of secondary organic products, beside iodine oxides, which are likely to be responsible for the nucleation. During clean marine air mass conditions, the origin of those secondary organic oxidation compounds can be related to marine/coastal biota and thus a major fraction of the organics may originate from biosynthetic production of alkenes such as isoprene and their oxidation by iodine, hydroxyl radical, and ozone. During modified marine conditions, also anthropogenic secondary organic compounds may contribute to the nucleation mode organic mass, in addition to biogenic secondary organic compounds. Thus, the UFO-TDMA results suggest that the secondary organic compounds may, in addition to being significant contributors to the nucleation mode processes, accelerate the growth of freshly nucleated particles and increase their survival probability to CCN and even larger radiatively active particle sizes. The results give new insights to the coastal/marine particle formation, growth, and properties. The marine biota driven secondary organic contributions to coastal/marine particle formation and composition can be anticipated in other species specific biologically active oceans and fresh-waters areas around the world and thus, they may be significant also to the global radiative bugdet, atmosphere-biosphere feedbacks, and climate change.
Chondroblastoma of Diaphysis of Radius in a Seven Year Old Child

Introduction: Chondroblastoma is a rare, benign tumor derived from chondroblasts, is almost exclusively an epiphyseal lesion, although it may secondarily extend into metaphysis. It is most commonly found in lower extremity with most common sites being distal femur followed by proximal femur, proximal humerus and proximal tibia. It is the purpose of the report to describe chondroblastoma in a seven year old child in the diaphyseal area of radius which is a rare entity & frequently presents as diagnostic dilemma. Case Report: The authors report a case of chondroblastoma involving the diaphyseal area of radius in a seven year old female child. She presented with pain and swelling around the left distal third forearm for eight months. Wide excision of tumor was performed and the defect was bridged with avascular fibular auto graft, secured to host bone with k-wires and dynamic compression plate to achieve osteosynthesis. Conclusion: Pure metaphyseal and/or diaphyseal chondroblastomas are exceedingly rare. A presumptive diagnosis may be considered in the appropriate age group in the presence of chondroid matrix, perilesional edema, periosteal reaction, and marginal sclerosis. Regardless of all the diagnostic possibilities biopsy may still be required. However, knowledge of this entity will help make the final diagnosis and guide the correct treatment.
Land Use and Climate Variability Amplify Carbon, Nutrient, and Contaminant Pulses: A Review with Management Implications

Nonpoint source pollution from agriculture and urbanization is increasing globally at the same time climate extremes have increased in frequency and intensity. We review >200 studies of hydrologic and gaseous fluxes and show how the interaction between land use and climate variability alters magnitude and frequency of carbon, nutrient, and greenhouse gas pulses in watersheds. Agricultural and urban watersheds respond similarly to climate variability due to headwater alteration and loss of ecosystem services to buffer runoff and temperature changes. Organic carbon concentrations/exports increase and organic carbon quality changes with runoff. Nitrogen and phosphorus exports increase during floods (sometimes by an order of magnitude) and decrease during droughts. Relationships between annual runoff and nitrogen and phosphorus exports differ across land use. CH4 and N2O pulses in riparian zones/floodplains predominantly increase with: flooding, warming, low oxygen, nutrient enrichment, and organic carbon. CH4, N2O, and CO2 pulses in streams/rivers increase due to similar factors but effects of floods are less known compared to base flow/droughts. Emerging questions include: (1) What factors influence lag times of contaminant pulses in response to extreme events? (2) What drives resistance/resilience to hydrologic and gaseous pulses? We conclude with eight recommendations for managing watershed pulses in response to interactive effects of land use and climate change.
Adenovirus-mediated soluble FLT-1 gene therapy for ovarian carcinoma.

PURPOSE We hypothesized that adenovirus-mediated soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase receptor (sFLT-1) gene therapy can inhibit the ovarian tumor growth and increase survival of mice in the context of ovarian carcinoma. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We constructed an infectivity-enhanced recombinant adenovirus (AdRGDGFPsFLT-1) expressing soluble FLT-1 and green fluorescent protein (GFP). An adenovirus AdRGDGFP expressing GFP alone was used as control. The functional validation of adenovirus-mediated sFLT-1 was determined by an in vitro human umbilical vein endothelial cell proliferation inhibition assay. To evaluate the therapeutic potential of adenovirus-expressed sFLT-1 to inhibit the growth of ovarian tumors and to increase the survival duration of mice with ovarian tumors, two tumor models were used. First, SKOV3.ip1 ovarian carcinoma cells were infected ex vivo with either AdRGDGFPsFLT-1 or AdRGDGFP or uninfected and then inoculated s.c. into BALB/c nude mice, and tumor growth was monitored. Second, SKOV3.ip1 cells were inoculated i.p. into CB17 SCID mice and then treated with two doses of either AdRGDGFPsFLT-1 or AdRGDGFP or with PBS on days 1 and 14 after inoculation of cells, and the survival duration was monitored. RESULTS Treatment with adenovirus-expressed sFLT-1 significantly inhibited the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The s.c. tumor nodules in mice derived from cells infected with AdRGDGFPsFLT-1 were significantly smaller than those infected with either AdRGDGFP or uninfected. In addition, i.p. administration of the AdRGDGFPsFLT-1 resulted in a significant increase in the survival times of mice compared with AdRGDGFP- or PBS-treated mice. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that adenovirus-mediated sFLT-1 gene therapy can effectively inhibit ovarian tumor growth and increase survival in a murine model of ovarian carcinoma.
Local Treatment With Alpha-Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone Reduces Corneal Allorejection

Background. Corneal grafting is by far the most common form of transplantation. Many grafts suffer from immune rejection and current therapies are associated with many side effects, requiring more effective and safe therapies. &agr;-Melanocyte stimulating hormone (&agr;-MSH) is a neuropeptide that suppresses host inflammatory defense mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of local therapy with &agr;-MSH on corneal allograft survival, and the mechanisms by which it may influence graft outcome. Methods. Orthotopic corneal transplantation was performed, with recipients receiving subconjunctival &agr;-MSH or sham injections twice weekly. Grafts were followed up for 70 days, and graft inflammation/opacification was compared between the two groups in a masked fashion. Graft infiltration and ocular gene expression of select inflammatory cytokines was evaluated at different timepoints. Additionally, allospecific delayed-type hypersensitivity was compared among the groups 3 weeks posttransplantation. Results. Results showed a significant increase in corneal graft survival in &agr;-MSH-treated recipients compared with controls. Although 75% of allografts in &agr;-MSH-treated hosts survived at 70 days, 43% survived in controls (P=0.04). Graft infiltration studies demonstrated a significant decrease in the number of mononuclear and polymorphonuclear cells in &agr;-MSH-treated mice compared with controls at days 7 and 14 after transplantation. Furthermore, allospecific delayed-type hypersensitivity and gene expression of interferon-&ggr; and interleukin-2 showed a significantly reduced expression in &agr;-MSH-treated mice compared with controls. Conclusions. This study provides for the first time, in vivo evidence that treatment with local &agr;-MSH may significantly reduce allorejection of orthotopic transplants.
Dangerous dining: surface foraging of North Atlantic right whales increases risk of vessel collisions

North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered and, despite international protection from whaling, significant numbers die from collisions with ships. Large groups of right whales migrate to the coastal waters of New England during the late winter and early spring to feed in an area with large numbers of vessels. North Atlantic right whales have the largest per capita record of vessel strikes of any large whale population in the world. Right whale feeding behaviour in Cape Cod Bay (CCB) probably contributes to risk of collisions with ships. In this study, feeding right whales tagged with archival suction cup tags spent the majority of their time just below the water's surface where they cannot be seen but are shallow enough to be vulnerable to ship strike. Habitat surveys show that large patches of right whale prey are common in the upper 5 m of the water column in CCB during spring. These results indicate that the typical spring-time foraging ecology of right whales may contribute to their high level of mortality from vessel collisions. The results of this study suggest that remote acoustic detection of prey aggregations may be a useful supplement to the management and conservation of right whales.
The interaction of stressful life events and a serotonin transporter polymorphism in the prediction of episodes of major depression: a replication.

CONTEXT Prior evidence from twin studies suggested genetic moderation of the depressogenic effects of stressful life events (SLEs). Can the specific genes involved in this effect be identified? OBJECTIVE To replicate and extend a recent study that a functional variant in the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) might in part explain these findings. DESIGN Characterizing risk for major depression and generalized anxiety syndrome in the last year as a function of 5-HTT genotype, sex, and the occurrence of SLEs and ratings of the SLE-associated level of threat. SETTING A population-based sample of adult twins. PARTICIPANTS Five hundred forty-nine male and female twins with a mean age at participation of 34.9 years (SD 9.1). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Episodes of major depression and generalized anxiety syndrome in the last year with onset measured to the nearest month. RESULTS Individuals with 2 short (S) alleles at the 5-HTT locus were more sensitive to the depressogenic effects of all SLEs than were those with 1 or 2 long (L) alleles. When level of SLE-associated threat was examined, the interaction between genotype and SLE resulted from an increased sensitivity of SS individuals to the depressogenic effects of common low-threat events. These events had little impact on risk for those possessing the SL and LL genotypes. The 5-HTT genotype did not modify the effects of SLEs on risk for generalized anxiety syndrome. CONCLUSION Variation at the 5-HTT moderates the sensitivity of individuals to the depressogenic effects of SLEs largely by producing, in SS individuals, an increased sensitivity to the impact of mild stressors. Replication of these intriguing results is needed.
Opportunistic predation in tuna: a size-based approach

To test whether predation is an opportunistic size-based process within a tuna community, analyses were carried out on the size composition of stomach contents of bigeye tuna Thunnus obesus (Lowe, 1839) and yellowfin tuna T. albacares (Bonnaterre, 1788) caught in 1995 to 1997 during longline scientific surveys in the French Polynesian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Prey size distributions were compared with the size distribution of organisms collected by pelagic trawls carried out during the same programme. Relationships between prey size and predator size were studied using quantile regressions, and were related to tuna mouth-gape measurements. The results showed that mean and maximum sizes of prey increased with increasing predator size, and that maximum prey sizes (versus tuna size) were below those predicted by tuna mouth-gape size. Minimum prey size varied little with tuna size, and the size distributions of prey in tuna stomachs were very asymmetrical (lognormal type), confirming that during growth, tunas continue to feed on small prey. Comparison with previous studies on other piscivorous species from different ecosystems underlined that tunas feed on very small prey in relation to their own size. However, comparison of size distributions of prey in stomach contents and prey in pelagic trawls revealed that bigeye tuna select larger prey than yellowfin tuna when such prey are available.
Towards Empirically Validated Ubiquitous Information Systems: Results From A Pretest And Three Empirical Studies

Research on ubiquitous information systems (UIS) has recently gained attention in the IS community. But dedicated empirical instruments that are robust and capture individual characteristics of UIS are still missing. A rather new empirical construct derived from Task-Technology Fit theory was proposed and denoted as Situation-Service Fit (SSF). This paper shows how SSF can be used within the Situational Design Method for IS, a design method tailored to UIS. For this purpose, the SSF instrument is first tested for face validity as well as discriminant and convergent validity. Then, SSF is evaluated as a predictor variable of behavioral intentions to use services that are embedded in UIS. Hereby, also discriminant validity of SSF with regard to perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use is assessed. For this purpose, data from a four-year EU project is used, which includes a pretest and three empirical user studies. Results show that SSF can be a significant predictor of service usage. However, validity issues still exist and thus, further research on the SSF instrument is recommended.
Antidepressants, autonomic function and mortality in patients with coronary heart disease: data from the Heart and Soul Study

Background Antidepressants reduce depressive symptoms in patients with coronary heart disease, but they may be associated with increased mortality. This study aimed to examine whether the use of tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) is associated with mortality in patients with coronary heart disease, and to determine whether this association is mediated by autonomic function. Method A total of 956 patients with coronary heart disease were followed for a mean duration of 7.2 years. Autonomic function was assessed as heart rate variability, and plasma and 24-h urinary norepinephrine. Results Of 956 patients, 44 (4.6%) used TCA, 89 (9.3%) used SSRI, and 823 (86.1%) did not use antidepressants. At baseline, TCA users exhibited lower heart rate variability and higher norepinephrine levels compared with SSRI users and antidepressant non-users. At the end of the observational period, 52.3% of the TCA users had died compared with 38.2% in the SSRI group and 37.3% in the control group. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for TCA use compared with non-use was 1.74 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12–2.69, p = 0.01]. Further adjustment for measures of autonomic function reduced the association between TCA use and mortality (HR = 1.27, 95% CI 0.67–2.43, p = 0.47). SSRI use was not associated with mortality (HR = 1.15, 95% CI 0.81–1.64, p = 0.44). Conclusions The use of TCA was associated with increased mortality. This association was at least partially mediated by differences in autonomic function. Our findings suggest that TCA should be avoided in patients with coronary heart disease.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in a Severely Immunosuppressed HIV Patient with Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia : A Case Report and Review of Literature

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia is a very common opportunistic infection in HIV infected patients. Respiratory failure is a potential complication even with proper treatment. Nowadays, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a rescue therapy in patients with hypoxemia refractory to invasive ventilation. Although there are some concerns about its use in immunosuppressed patients, it could mean the last chance to some of them. We describe a case of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in a severely immunosuppressed patient successfully managed with ECMO.
Screening for Chronic Kidney Disease in a Small Developing Country using the National Kidney Foundation Guidelines

Over the past two decades (1990-2010), deaths from chronic kidney disease (CKD) rose to almost 82% worldwide, the third largest increase among the top 25 causes of death after HIV/AIDS and diabetes. In England £1.45 billion was spent on caring for people with CKD in 2009-10 [1]. The Caribbean has the highest prevalence of chronic non communicable diseases (CNCD) in the region of the Americas, of which CKD is an important contributor [2]. PAHO in its 2008 report stated that deaths due to CNCD were 673 per 100,000 in Trinidad and Tobago [3]. In 2011, the Ministry of Health (MoH) reported 699 patients on dialysis treatment at public and private health facilities throughout Trinidad and Tobago [4, 5]. In 2010, the MoH signed a contract with the British-based company Fresenius Medical Care and Biomedical Technologies for operation of haemodialysis units which were estimated to cost the state $108,675,375.00 (TT) annually [6]. The state is also continuing to subsidised dialysis treatment by paying a monthly grant of $5,000 (TT) to recipients needing dialysis, thus further emphasising the urgent need to reduce the incidence of CKD and its progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) [7]. Several studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between CKD and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension, both of which are the major contributors in our setting [8-11]. Soyibo et al., in 2006 reported that more than 50% of all cases of Stage 5 CKD in Trinidad was associated with DM (28.9%) or hypertension (25.3%) [8]. This is against a background in which the adverse outcomes of CKD including kidney failure and premature death are preventable [12], through screening of at risk, asymptomatic individuals [12-15].
Assessing Cyberloafing Behaviour among University Students : A Validation of the Cyberloafing Scale

With greater prevalence of Internet access, there is an alarming trend in the number of students using the Internet in the classroom for non-class-related purposes. Cyberloafing (defined as personal Internet use at work or during class) has been extensively studied by researchers in workplace settings but not in education settings. Particularly, there is lack of research on developing a valid and reliable scale to measure cyberloafing behaviour among students. Hence, this study aims to examine the prevalence of cyberloafing activities among university students and to validate the cyberloafing scale of Akbulut et al. (2016) in the Malaysian context. A total of 238 usable data was collected from the 30item cyberloafing scale that assessed five dimensions of cyberloafing behaviour namely sharing, shopping, real-time updating, access to online content and gambling / gaming. Descriptive analysis shows that students spend more time on sharingrelated activities and least time on gambling / gaming-related activities in the classroom. Based on exploratory factor analysis, five factors are retained with most of the items loaded on its intended dimension factors, suggesting evidence of construct validity. The analysis also indicates that convergent validity is achieved as the factor loadings of each set of items measuring its intended dimension factors are above 0.5. Given that the correlations between extracted factors are not highly correlated, discriminant validity is warranted. These results support the investigated cyberloafing scale as reliable and valid.
Hostility, Health Behaviors, and Risk of Recurrent Events in Patients With Stable Coronary Heart Disease: Findings From the Heart and Soul Study

Background Hostility is a significant predictor of mortality and cardiovascular events in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), but the mechanisms that explain this association are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate potential mechanisms of association between hostility and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Methods and Results We prospectively examined the association between self‐reported hostility and secondary events (myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, transient ischemic attack, and death) in 1022 outpatients with stable CHD from the Heart and Soul Study. Baseline hostility was assessed using the 8‐item Cynical Distrust scale. Cox proportional hazard models were used to determine the extent to which candidate biological and behavioral mediators changed the strength of association between hostility and secondary events. During an average follow‐up time of 7.4±2.7 years, the age‐adjusted annual rate of secondary events was 9.5% among subjects in the highest quartile of hostility and 5.7% among subjects in the lowest quartile (age‐adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.68, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.30 to 2.17; P<0.0001). After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, participants with hostility scores in the highest quartile had a 58% greater risk of secondary events than those in the lowest quartile (HR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.19 to 2.09; P=0.001). This association was mildly attenuated after adjustment for C‐reactive protein (HR: 1.41, 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.87; P=0.02) and no longer significant after further adjustment for smoking and physical inactivity (HR: 1.25, 95% CI: 0.94 to 1.67; P=0.13). Conclusions Hostility was a significant predictor of secondary events in this sample of outpatients with baseline stable CHD. Much of this association was moderated by poor health behaviors, specifically physical inactivity and smoking.