Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Toxicology and pathology of deaths related to methadone: retrospective review.

OBJECTIVES To clarify the mechanisms and risk factors of methadone toxicity and to describe the findings of deaths related to methadone use Design Retrospective review of case notes in the records of the San Francisco Medical Examiner comparing the findings in cases where methadone was deemed the cause of death with findings in decedents where methadone was an incidental finding, and with 50 age-matched, disease and drug free, trauma victims. RESULTS 38 cases out of the 3317 processed by our office during 1997-1998 were identified in which methadone had been detected. Cases were mostly male 28/38 (74%) and white, 28/38 (74%). In 17 of 38 cases death was deemed to have been caused by methadone toxicity. For the group the mean blood methadone concentration for all 38 patients, was 957 ng/ml SD = . 681, SE = . 14). The mean blood concentration of the main methadone metabolite (EDDP) was 253 ng/ml, SD = 529 ng/ml, SE = . 089. The mean ratio of methadone in the blood to EDDP in the blood was 13.6:1 Values were not significantly different between cases in which methadone toxicity was the cause of death and in those in which it was an incidental finding. Cocaine, or the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine, was detected in the blood or urine of 16/38 cases (42%); morphine in one-third (13/38) and methamphetamine in only one. Pulmonary edema was evident in all cases, coronary artery disease in 9/38 (24%) and cirrhosis in 7/38 (18%) of the methadone users. Necrotizing fasciitis was the cause of death in 4 of the 38 methadone users (11%). Nationally, a sizeable percent of methadone deaths are from drugs diverted from treatment programs. CONCLUSIONS The presence of methadone is often an incidental finding during postmortem examination which is unrelated to the cause of death. Postmortem measurements of methadone or its metabolite, or both, cannot be used in isolation to identify which deaths are associated with methadone toxicity.
In multiple myeloma, 14q32 translocations are nonrandom chromosomal fusions driving high expression levels of the respective partner genes

In studies of patients with multiple myeloma (MM), gene expression profiling (GEP) of myeloma cells demonstrates substantially higher expression of MMSET, FGFR3, CCND3, CCND1, MAF, and MAFB—the partner genes of 14q32 translocations—than GEP of plasma cells from healthy individuals. Interphase fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to discriminate between chromosomal translocations involving different regions of the immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) genes at 14q32. With special probes designed for the constant region (IGHC) and the variable region (IGHV), IGH translocations were shown to be definite, nonrandom chromosomal fusions of IGHC with the loci of FGFR3, CCND1, CCND3, MAF, and MAFB genes; and IGHV with the locus of MMSET gene. When correlated with GEP results, the IGH translocations were found to drive expression levels of the partner genes to significantly higher levels (spikes) than copy‐number variations. Hence, 42% of IGH translocations were identified among newly diagnosed MM patients (448/1,060). As GEP has become essential for assessing cancer risk, this novel approach is highly consistent with the cytogenetic features of the chromosomal translocations to effectively stratify molecular subgroups of MM on the basis of gene expression profiles of the IGH translocation partner genes in myeloma cells. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Antinuclear antibodies as ancillary markers in primary biliary cirrhosis

Antimitochondrial antibodies are the serological hallmark of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Besides antimitochondrial antibodies, the autoantibody profile of PBC includes antinuclear antibodies (ANA) which are detectable by indirect immunofluorescence in up to 50% of PBC patients. Two immunofluorescence patterns are considered ‘PBC-specific’: the multiple nuclear dots and rim-like/membranous patterns. The target antigens of the multiple nuclear dots pattern have been identified as Sp100 and promyelocytic leukemia protein, whereas the rim-like/membranous pattern is given by autoantibodies recognizing multiple proteins such as gp210, nucleoporin p62 and the lamin B receptor. Other ANA, especially those already known in the rheumatological setting, such as anticentromere, anti-SSA/Ro and anti-dsDNA antibodies, can be frequently found in PBC, often coexisting in the same patient. In this article, we will report on recent progress in the antigenic characterization of ANA in PBC, their detection with both traditional assays and Western blot/ELISA with molecularly defined nuclear antigens, and we will discuss their clinical significance.
User motivations for asking questions in online Q&A services

Online Q&A services are information sources where people identify their information need, formulate the need in natural language, and interact with one another to satisfy their needs. Even though in recent years online Q&A has considerably grown in popularity and impacted information‐seeking behaviors, we still lack knowledge about what motivates people to ask a question in online Q&A environments. Yahoo! Answers and WikiAnswers were selected as the test beds in the study, and a sequential mixed method employing an Internet‐based survey, a diary method, and interviews was used to investigate user motivations for asking a question in online Q&A services. Cognitive needs were found as the most significant motivation, driving people to ask a question. Yet, it was found that other motivational factors (e.g., tension free needs) also played an important role in user motivations for asking a question, depending on asker's contexts and situations. Understanding motivations for asking a question could provide a general framework of conceptualizing different contexts and situations of information needs in online Q&A. The findings have several implications not only for developing better question‐answering processes in online Q&A environments, but also for gaining insights into the broader understanding of online information‐seeking behaviors.
ntersex and reproductive impairment of wild fish exposed to multiple municipal astewater discharges

The Grand River watershed in Ontario, Canada, receives and assimilates the outflow of 29 Municipal Wastewater Effluent (MWWE) discharges which is a mixture of domestic and industrial wastes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cumulative impact of multiple sewage discharges on populations of wild fish. In field studies, responses of fish populations and individual fish responses in terms of growth (condition factor), reproduction (in vitro sex steroid production, gonadosomatic indices, histology [cellular development and intersex]) were assessed upstream and downstream of two municipal discharges. Fish [Greenside Darters Etheostoma blennioides and Rainbow Darters E. caeruleum] collected downstream of two municipal wastewater plants had the potential to have greater growth (longer and heavier) when compared to reference fish collections regardless of sex. Fish were not assimilating additional anthropogenic resources into energy storage (increased condition, liver somatic index). Impacts on ovarian development appeared to be minor with no differences in growth, steroid production or cellular development. Sewage exposed male fish were experiencing impairment in the capacity to produce testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone in vitro, and in cellular development (GSI, intersex). Male darters of both species collected in the upstream agricultural region demonstrated no evidence of intersex whereas our urban reference sites had incidence of intersex of up to 20%. Rates of intersex were elevated downstream of both sewage discharges studied (33% and>60%, respectively). Lower rates of intersex at the intermediate sites, and then increases downstream of second sewage discharge suggests that fish populations have to potential to recover prior to exposure to the second sewage effluent. Pre-spawning darters demonstrated dramatically higher incidence of intersex in the spring at both urban reference sites (33% and 50%, respectively), and increased more so downstream of the near-field and far-field exposure sites (60% and 100%, respectively). These findings suggest that the compounds released in STP effluents have a tendency to act on the male reproductive system. These effects may become more pronounced as projected human poputhe a lation growth will require
How cognitive heuristics can explain social interactions in spatial movement

The movement of pedestrian crowds is a paradigmatic example of collective motion. The precise nature of individual-level behaviours underlying crowd movements has been subject to a lively debate. Here, we propose that pedestrians follow simple heuristics rooted in cognitive psychology, such as ‘stop if another step would lead to a collision’ or ‘follow the person in front’. In other words, our paradigm explicitly models individual-level behaviour as a series of discrete decisions. We show that our cognitive heuristics produce realistic emergent crowd phenomena, such as lane formation and queuing behaviour. Based on our results, we suggest that pedestrians follow different cognitive heuristics that are selected depending on the context. This differs from the widely used approach of capturing changes in behaviour via model parameters and leads to testable hypotheses on changes in crowd behaviour for different motivation levels. For example, we expect that rushed individuals more often evade to the side and thus display distinct emergent queue formations in front of a bottleneck. Our heuristics can be ranked according to the cognitive effort that is required to follow them. Therefore, our model establishes a direct link between behavioural responses and cognitive effort and thus facilitates a novel perspective on collective behaviour.
Passive knee exoskeleton using torsion spring for cycling assistance

In this paper, we introduce a concept of passive knee exoskeleton for cycling assistance. Considering a knee moment and a knee angle varying with a pedal crank angle, the knee extension moment can be supported by a torsion spring storing energy from knee flexion in order to release it as the knee is extended. The reduction of knee extension effort is corresponding to the torsion spring stiffness and activation range. Exoskeleton prototypes were developed for the concept validation. A crossing four-bar mechanism was chosen for the knee joint to provide kinematic compatibility covering extreme knee flexion. Constant power cycling experiment was performed on a cycling trainer by a healthy subject wearing the exoskeletons on both legs. With the torsion spring support, the surface electromyography recorded from some major leg muscles shows the decrease of knee extensor muscle activity as the leg is moving around the pedal crank top dead center. Verifying the reduction of leg muscle fatigue over repetitive contractions in multiple subjects is our future plan of study.
Cytotoxicity evaluation of three resin-based sealers on an L929 cell line

Background: Endodontic sealers usually come in contact with adjacent tissues and their biocompatibility is key in a successful treatment. The purpose of this study was to assess the cytotoxicity of three resin-based sealers, namely AH Plus, EndoREZ, and Epiphany in set and fresh states on an L929 cell line. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro experimental study, the materials were mixed according to the manufacturers’ instructions, and were divided into two groups, fresh and set. The elutes of materials were prepared separately and were incubated with L929 fibroblasts for 1 hour, 24 hours, and 72 hours. Pulp Canal Sealer and Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) served as positive and negative controls respectively. Cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay ([3-4,5-dimethyl thiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide succinate), after 1 hour, 24 hours, and 72 hours. The data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Tukey multiple comparison test. Results: After 1 hour, fresh Epiphany and fresh AH Plus were significantly more cytotoxic than their set samples. No significant difference was perceived between cytotoxicity of fresh state of sealers and positive control, or between set state and negative control. After 24 hours, both fresh and set samples of all materials were significantly more cytotoxic than the negative control group, and were less cytotoxic than the positive control group. After 72 hours, the fresh and set samples of all materials were as cytotoxic as the positive control group. At each time point, no significant difference was perceived among different materials in terms of cell viability. Conclusion: The observed differences among the cytotoxicity of AH Plus, EndoREZ, and Epiphany did not reach a significant level at comparable time points after exposure.
Critical success factors for mutual collaboration with suppliers in IT outsourcing industry: a case study of a top IT outsourcing company in Korea

ABSTRACT Nowadays, information technology (IT) outsourcing companies face enduring demands to reduce cost while increasing productivity. This pressure leads many IT outsourcing companies to rely on outsourcing arrangements with IT personnel suppliers. In order to maximise efficiency, outsourcing companies have focused on fostering high-performing suppliers through improved collaboration and mutual relations. However, it is very difficult to advance to a long-term partnership using the existing outsourcing process because of insufficient collaboration between IT outsourcing companies and their suppliers. Based on collaboration perspective of supply chain management (SCM), this study identifies the critical success factors for collaborative strategic partnerships and presents an evaluation framework for assessing and managing suppliers. We have developed an organisational process model for Supplier relationship management (SRM)-based collaboration which includes some of the key constructs from the previous studies and interviews with the IT outsourcing industry people. In this study, we will identify four types of strategic suppliers and suggest approaches for improving collaborative relationship between an IT outsourcing company and its partner companies. In addition, to validate the feasibility of the proposed model, we applied it to a well-known Korean IT outsourcing company ‘A’.
A General T-Stub Circuit for Decoupling of Two Dual-Band Antennas

This paper presents a novel technique for decoupling of two closely spaced dual-band antennas using T-stub circuits. A decoupling circuit consists of three T-stub elements, each of which provides the required phases and impedances in dual frequency bands independently. A set of general design formulas is derived for determining the electric parameters of required T-stubs. To validate the new decoupling technique, a pair of dual-band inverted-F antennas working in the 2.45- and 5.8-GHz bands and another pair of dual-band monopole antennas working in the 2.4- and 5.2-GHz bands with and without the decoupling circuit are designed, prototyped, and measured. The measured S-parameters correlate with the theoretical designed data very well. With the decoupling circuit, significant improvement in antenna efficiency and data throughput demonstrates that the technique is useful for wireless terminals, where dual-band multiple-input and multiple-output antennas are used.
A Disability Awareness Unit in Physical Education and Attitudes of Elementary School Students

With informed consent 430 students in Grades 2 through 6 from two elementary schools in a large, suburban-rural school district were pretested and post-tested on the Children's Attitudes Toward Handicapped Scale. Students, by grade, rotated among four to seven different locations within the school's gymnasium, each identified by a different disability. There was no control group. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to assess the effect of sex on pre- and postexperimental exposures on the attitudinal scores. A 2 × 5 (school × grade) analysis of variance assessed the main effects of school and grade on attitudinal scores. Significant effects were sex but not school or grade.
Long-term survival is linked to serum LDH and partly to tumour LDH-5 in NSCLC.

BACKGROUND Lactate formation is up-regulated in tumorous cells by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). High serum LDH level is linked to many malignancies with poorer survival, but tumour LDH-5 has not been well investigated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS In 89 patients operated on for NSCLC stage I-III, the serum LDH level was assayed and immunohistochemistry for tumour LDH-5 was performed. Impact on long-term survival and correlation was analysed. RESULTS High serum LDH was associated with poorer survival (p<0.001). No correlation was revealed between serum LDH and the tumour LDH-5. Only in tumours greater than 3 cm were high tumour LDH-5 values associated with higher serum LDH values (p=0.04) and in this subgroup, high tumor LDH-5 was associated with poorer long-term survival (p=0.024). CONCLUSION High serum LDH has a negative impact on long-term survival in NSCLC, whereas for tumour LDH-5, this was seen only in a subgroup of patients with larger tumours.
The neural basis of aphasia rehabilitation: Evidence from neuroimaging and neurostimulation

This article is a selective review of functional imaging investigations and brain stimulation studies addressing the neural mechanisms of recovery of stroke-associated aphasia. The imaging results show that aphasia recovery is associated with a complex pattern of brain reorganisation, involving both ipsilateral and contralateral brain regions, which is modulated by lesion size and site, time post-onset, type of training, and language task. The information provided by the imaging investigations needs to be integrated with the results of brain stimulation studies, in order to specify the most effective protocols in term of modality, locus and timing of stimulation. Further studies, using multiple imaging and neuromodulation approaches, are required to reach sound conclusions about the potential usefulness of brain stimulation approaches as an adjunct to aphasia rehabilitation.
Plants traditionally used in age-related brain disorders (dementia): an ethanopharmacological survey

Context: Epidemiological studies have shown that despite mortality due to communicable diseases, poverty and human conflicts, the incidence of dementia increases in the developing world in tandem with the ageing population. Although some FDA approved drugs are available for the treatment of dementia, the outcomes are often unsatisfactory. In traditional practices of medicine, numerous plants have been used to treat cognitive disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other memory-related disorders. In western medicine most of the drugs used for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders are derived from plant sources. Objective: This article reviews plants and their active constituents that have been used for their reputed cognitive-enhancing and antidementia effects. Methods: A literature survey in Science Direct, Pubmed, and Google Scholar was performed to gather information regarding drug discovery from plants sources for the treatment of congnitive disorders and dementia. Results: More than forty herbal remedies were identified with cholinesterase inhibitory, anti-inflammatory, or antioxidant activities. Bioactive compounds include alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, saponins, terpenoids, and essential oils. About eleven herbal plants with multipotent activity against AD are discussed. Conclusion: Literature surveys show that most of the research has been conducted on herbal remedies effect on cholinesterase inhibitory and antioxidant activities. Studies regarding the effect of herbal drugs on β-secretase inhibitory activity and antiaggregation property are lacking. This review provides leads for identifying potential new drugs from plant sources for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.
Deadbeat-direct torque & flux control motor drive using a single control law to minimize motor losses

This paper presents an implementation of deadbeat-direct torque and flux control (DB-DTFC) for AC induction machine drives that demonstrates nearly ideal properties over a wide range of flux and torque operating conditions and its application to motor loss minimization. A key attribute of DB-DTFC is that the control law is the same over the entire operating space, including steady-state and transient operation at the voltage limits. This DB-DTFC implementation allows for an additional degree of freedom to select a broad range of stator flux linkages at light to medium loads. This paper presents an implementation of DB-DTFC and experimentally demonstrates its performance over a full range of operating conditions and its application to minimizing machine losses.
CARACTERIZAÇÃO DAS GESTANTES PORTADORAS DE HIV NO ESTADO DA PARAIBA, 2008 – 2012

Objetivo: Caracterizar o perfil das gestantes diagnosticadas com HIV notificadas no SINAN PB. Material e Metodos: Estudo epidemiologico descritivo realizado por meio de dados do Sistema de Informacao de Agravos de Notificacao da Secretaria de Estado da Saude da Paraiba. Foram incluidos todos os casos notificados de gestantes infectadas pelo HIV, diagnosticadas entre janeiro de 2008 a dezembro de 2012. Resultados: Foram notificadas 237 gestantes HIV positivas com idade entre 20 a 29 anos; donas de casa; com ensino fundamental incompleto; de cor parda e residente na zona urbana. O pre-natal foi realizado em 89,0% dos casos e a evidencia laboratorial foi obtida antes ou durante o pre-natal em 77,48% das gestantes. Nos municipios paraibanos foram realizados 188 partos. A profilaxia no momento do trabalho de parto foi realizada em 79% dos partos e a quimioprofilaxia nas primeiras 24 horas em 90% dos neonatos. Conclusoes: A infeccao do HIV em gestantes atinge mulheres jovens e com baixo nivel de escolaridade. Observa-se a tendencia de interiorizacao da infeccao pelo HIV, no qual nota-se progressiva, embora incipiente, propagacao da epidemia para municipios distantes das areas metropolitanas. A cobertura pre-natal e o diagnostico sao acessiveis a maioria das mulheres. A oferta de ARV as gestantes no momento do parto e aos recem-nascidos atinge cifra proximas a 80%, que deve ser ampliada no intuito de erradicar a transmissao vertical. DESCRITORES HIV. Gestantes. Transmissao Vertical de Doenca Infecciosa. Epidemiologia.
Commentary on Cognitive Impairment With Toxigenic Fungal Exposure

Recently, Gordon et al. (2004) published an article entitled "Cognitive Impairment Associated with Toxigenic Fungal Exposure: A Replication and Extension of Previous Findings. " That article claims that neurocognitive deficits are pervasive in persons self-diagnosed with "toxic" mold exposure relative to historical norms. Further, Gordon et al. argue exposure to household molds causes brain damage similar to closed head injury. Examination of their methodology reveals unfounded and unreliable conclusions due to deviations from sound epidemiological principles, bias in participant selection, misleading data analysis, and implausible causal reasoning. The purpose of this critique is to outline the specific design and reasoning flaws that, if not addressed, would lead to unwarranted conclusions regarding the effects of mold exposure.
A Novel Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosomal Element, SCCfusC, Carrying fusC and speG in Fusidic Acid-Resistant Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT A high prevalence of fusC (16/46, 59%) was found in fusidic acid-resistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates collected from 2008 to 2010. Nucleotide sequencing of fusC and flanking regions revealed a novel staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCC) structure, SCCfusC, which was integrated into rlmH and located upstream from SCCmec. The SCCfusC element contained speG, which may contribute to the polyamine resistance.