Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association between bone lead concentration and blood pressure among young adults.

BACKGROUND Occupational and environmental exposure to lead has been examined for its effect on blood pressure (BP) in adults with varying results. The present analyses assessed the association between bone lead concentration and BP in early adult life in persons exposed during childhood. METHODS Study participants included young adult members of two cohorts with different past histories of lead exposure. Lead exposure was assessed using noninvasive K-X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to quantify bone lead concentration, an index of long-term lead exposure superior to current blood lead concentration. Systolic and diastolic BP measurements were obtained using conventional clinical methods. Multiple linear regression models were constructed to allow for control of covariates of BP identified a priori. RESULTS Analyses were performed on 508 participants. While controlling for potential confounders, systolic BP was 4.3 mm Hg greater among members of the highest of four bone lead concentration groups (> 10 microg Pb/g bone) when compared with the lowest bone lead concentration group (< 1 microg Pb/g bone; P = 0.004), and diastolic BP was 2.8 mm Hg greater among members of the highest bone lead concentration group when compared with the lowest bone lead concentration group (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that substantial lead exposure during childhood can increase BP during young adulthood.
Suxamethonium myalgia: an ethnic comparison with and without pancuronium pretreatment

The incidence of myalgia after suxamethonium was determined in 200 fit military male dental patients of European, Chinese and Nepalese descent. Half received pancuronium 1 mg and the other half received saline pretreatment on a randomised double‐blind basis. The percentage incidence of postsuxamethonium myalgia after saline or pancuronium was found to be: Europeans 26%, 13%: Chinese 13%, 7%; Nepalese 20%, 14%. Although pancuronium reduced the incidence of myalgia by about 50% overall, these values were not significantly different from each other. The recovery of spontaneous ventilation following suxamethonium was quicker in the Europeans than in the Asians (p < 0.05). Pancuronium pretreatment also delayed the recovery of spontaneous ventilation and recovery from neuromuscular block (p < 0.05) but this was independent of ethnicity. The Europeans recovered from anaesthesia more quickly than the Asians. It was concluded that ethnicity affected recovery from suxamethonium and from anaesthesia but was not of clinical relevance to the incidence of myalgia in male Asians and Europeans.
Detection of SFTS Virus in Ixodes nipponensis and Amblyomma testudinarium (Ixodida: Ixodidae) Collected From Reptiles in the Republic of Korea

Abstract A survey of reptile-associated ticks and their infection status with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus was conducted to determine the relative abundance and distribution among lizards, skinks, and snakes in the Republic of Korea (ROK). In total, 132 reptiles, including 49 lizards (two species), 15 skinks (one species), and 68 snakes (eight species) were collected. In total, 84 ixodid ticks belonging to two genera (Ixodes and Amblyomma) were collected from 28/132 (21.2%) lizards, skinks, and snakes. Ixodes nipponensis Kitaoka & Saito was only collected from lizards and skinks, while Amblyomma testudinarium Koch was only collected from snakes. Takydromus wolteri had the highest tick index (0.7; total number ticks/total number collected hosts) among lizards and skinks, while Rhabdophis tigrinus had the highest tick index (2.2) among the snakes. Ixodes nipponensis larvae and nymphs accounted for 11.1% and 88.9%, respectively, of all ticks collected from lizards and skinks, while only A. testudinarium nymphs were collected from snakes. Nymphs of both species of ticks were collected from lizards and skinks from April to October, while I. nipponensis larvae were collected only from September to October. Ixodes nipponensis larvae and nymphs were preferentially attached to the lateral trunk (83.3%) and the foreleg axillae (16.7%) of lizards and skinks. SFTS virus was detected in both I. nipponensis and A. testudinarium collected from lizards and snakes. Phylogenetic analysis of SFTS viruses of ticks collected from two lizards and one snake demonstrated close relationships with SFTS virus strains observed from humans and ticks in the ROK, China, and Japan. These results implicate lizards and snakes as potential hosts of SFTS virus.
Inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB chemosensitizes non-small cell lung cancer through cytochrome c release and caspase activation.

OBJECTIVE Although we have previously shown that inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB sensitizes non-small cell lung cancer cells to chemotherapy-mediated cell death, the apoptotic pathways mediating this process are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine whether chemosensitivity after the inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB in non-small cell lung cancer cells is a mitochondrial and caspase-mediated process and whether it is dependent on nuclear factor kappaB transcriptional activity. METHODS Previously described H157 non-small cell lung cancer cells were treated with gemcitabine, and DNA fragmentation was determined. Caspase 3, 6, 7, 8, and 9 activity in cytoplasmic extracts was determined fluorometrically. The mitochondrial permeability index and cytosolic cytochrome c levels were also determined. The caspase inhibitor Boc-D, as well as nuclear factor kappaB-regulated gene products A1, c-IAP-2, and Bcl-X(L), were added to H157 cells lacking nuclear factor kappaB and the degree of apoptosis assessed. All experiments were performed in triplicate, and data significance was determined by means of analysis of variance. RESULTS Non-small cell lung cancer cells lacking functional nuclear factor kappaB (H157I) underwent more apoptosis after chemotherapy than vector control cells (H157V). There was an increase in the mitochondrial permeability index and cytochrome c release after chemotherapy in the H157I cells. H157I cells also had more activation of caspases 3 and 9 than control cells. Inhibition of caspase activity or transfection with nuclear factor kappaB-regulated gene products rescued cell death after the inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB. CONCLUSION Chemosensitization by means of inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB in non-small cell lung cancer cells occurs through increased cytochrome c release and caspase 3 and 9 activation. Inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB or its gene products in addition to chemotherapy warrants further study as a treatment strategy in patients with advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer.
Production of monoclonal antibodies for Avian Metapneumovirus (SHS-BR-121) isolated in Brazil

Avian Metapneumovirus (aMPV), also called Turkey Rhinotracheitis Virus (TRTV), is an upper respiratory tract infection of turkeys, chickens and other avian species. Five monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were created against the Brazilian isolate (SHS-BR-121) of aMPV, MAbs 1A5B8; 1C1C4; 2C2E9 and 2A4C3 of IgG1 and MAb 1C1F8 of IgG2a. Four Mabs (1A5B8; 1C1C4; 2C2E9 and 2A4C3) showed neutralizing activity and three (1A5B8; 1C1C4 and 2A4C3) inhibited cellular fusion in vitro. These MAbs were used to investigate antigenic relationship among three strains (SHS-BR-121, STG 854/88 and TRT 1439/91) of aMPV subtypes A and B using cross-neutralization test. The results confirm that the monoclonal antibodies described can be used as a valuable tool in the epizootiological and serological studies, and also for the specific diagnosis of the subtypes in the infection for Avian Metapneumovirus.
THE IMPACT OF SMALL SCALE IRRIGATION SCHEMES ON RURAL LIVELIHOODS: THE CASE OF PANGANAI IRRIGATION SCHEME BIKITA DISTRICT ZIMBABWE.

Although the establishment of Panganai small scale irrigation was in an endeavour to improve the welfare of the people it remains a pressing issue as economic and social problems continue to affect plot holders which results in the scheme being undermined. The purpose of this research is to assess the impact of small scale irrigation scheme on the people’s livelihoods in Panganai Communal area. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies were used in the investigation of the impact of the scheme on rural livelihoods. A sample of fifty respondents out of a total of two hundred plot holders was selected using random sampling. Data was collected using interviews, questionnaires and observation. Analyses were done using descriptive statistics. Tables and graphs were employed in presentation and analysis. Results were that the irrigation scheme has managed to create employment, income generation, supply water throughout the year, acquisition of assets such as scotch carts and livestock by farmers and school fees generation by the community as a whole. However the yields produced have not yet addressed the food security situation of plot holders. This is attributed to prohibitive water pricing and transport costs which negatively affected their desire to produce at maximum capacity. However the intervention by interested stakeholders such as non-governmental organizations and Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) as well as economic recovery programmes like such as farm mechanization are recommended to ensure the viability and sustainability of irrigation on rural livelihoods.
Finite element modelling of the Ilizarov external fixation system

Abstract This study describes a computational method for predicting the mechanical response of any configuration of the Ilizarov external fixation system. Mechanical testing of each of the individual components (ring, threaded rod, and wire) of the Ilizarov system was used to determine the stiffness of each component. Finite element (FE) analysis was then used to model each of the individual components. Each model was tuned to match the mechanical testing. A modular FE modelling system, using a master input file, was then developed where the tuned FE models of the individual components could be generated, positioned, and interconnected to replicate a range of fixator configurations. The results showed that the stiffness predications from the FE modelling of the fixator configurations were consistently 10 per cent higher than the stiffness values obtained from the mechanical testing. The FE modelling system can be used to predict the characteristic response of the fixator configurations and clearly shows the relative changes in that response for variations in the number of components used.
A Better Vision for Development: Eyeglasses and Academic Performance in Rural Primary Schools in China

About 10% of primary school students in developing countries have poor vision, but very few of them wear glasses. Almost no research examines the impact of poor vision on school performance, and simple OLS estimates could be biased because studying harder may adversely affects one's vision. This paper presents results from a randomized trial in Western China that offered free eyeglasses to rural primary school students. Our preferred estimates, which exclude township pairs for which students in the control township were mistakenly provided eyeglasses, indicate that wearing eyeglasses for one academic year increased the average test scores of students with poor vision by 0.16 to 0.22 standard deviations, equivalent to 0.3 to 0.5 additional years of schooling. These estimates are averages across the two counties where the intervention was conducted. We also find that the benefits are greater for under-performing students. A simple cost-benefit analysis suggests very high economic returns to wearing eyeglasses, raising the question of why such investments are not made by most families. We find that girls are more likely to refuse free eyeglasses, and that parental lack of awareness of vision problems, mothers' education, and economic factors (expenditures per capita and price) significantly affect whether children wear eyeglasses in the absence of the intervention.
A Globin in the Nucleus!*

Cytoglobin and neuroglobin are recently discovered members of the globin family. In situ hybridization localized neuroglobin mainly in brain and retina, while cytoglobin was expressed ubiquitously in all analyzed tissues. In the present study, polyclonal antibodies were raised against both proteins and the distribution of them was studied by immunocytochemistry at tissue and subcellular level. Cytoglobin immunoreactivity was uniformly distributed and found in all tissues studied. At the subcellular level, cytoglobin immunoreactivity was exclusively detected in the cell nucleus. In contrast, neuroglobin immunoreactivity was detected in specific brain regions with varying intensities and in the islet of Langerhans in the pancreas. The immunoreactivity was restricted to the cytoplasm of neurons and endocrine beta cells. The nuclear localization of cytoglobin opens new perspectives for possible function(s) of globin-folded proteins as transcriptional regulators.
Interrogativas absolutas: relación entre F0, duración e intensidad

En trabajos anteriores hemos comprobado que la F0 se relaciona, al menos en el prenucleo de las interrogativas canarias analizadas, con la estructura sintagmatica pues se puede comprobar que el PMx contribuye a la delimitacion de fronteras fuertes (entre en SN y el SV) y/o debiles (entre el nucleo y la expansion). En el nucleo entonativo, en cambio, se relaciona mas con la estructura acentual, pues el pico tonal se alinea invariablemente con la silaba tonica, esto es, ultima, penultima o antepenultima segun se trate de finales agudos, llanos o esdrujulos, respectivamente. Nuestra idea es la de verificar si el funcionamiento de la duracion y de la intensidad es el mismo que el de la F0, tanto en el prenucleo como en el nucleo de un corpus de oraciones interrogativas sin expansion y con expansion en los dos sintagmas de frontera (SN y SPrep).
Psychometric Properties of Chen, Gully, and Eden's “New General Self-Efficacy Scale” in a Greek Sample

The aim of the present study was to translate and investigate the psychometric properties of the New General Self-Efficacy Scale with a group of 551 Greek children (269 girls, 282 boys; ages 9 to 12 years, Grades 4, 5, and 6). A confirmatory factor analysis was performed which verified the one-factor model. The reliability, validity, and item analysis appeared to be adequate.
RRT treatment for AKI: is more always better?

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is an increasingly common condition, occurring in up to 25% of critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) [1]. It is associated with significant morbidity and up to 60% in-hospital mortality in its most severe form, necessitating renal replacement therapy (RRT) [2]. In the absence of effective pharmacological therapy, the treatment of patients with AKI is predominantly supportive, managing haemodynamic and volume status, correcting electrolyte and acid–base disturbances, providing adequate nutrition and adjusting drug doses. In patients with sustained, severe renal failure, RRT is indicated for the management of volume overload, hyperkalaemia, acidosis and symptoms of uraemia while awaiting the recovery of kidney function. Most clinicians are convinced that RRT is life saving and not starting RRT will lead to death in severely ill AKI patients, but data are lacking to support this opinion. Conservative treatment for AKI has only been considered as the treatment option for less severe patients. In recent years, several controlled studies [3–7] and metaanalysis [8–10 ]s howed similar benefit with continuous and intermittent dialysis modalities. Critics of the published studies, however, pointed to different shortcomings in these studies [11, 12]. However, hard data remain absent or conflictive regarding when to start dialytic therapy and what constitutes the appropriate dose [13]. In 2011, the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Clinical Practice Guideline for AKI was developed, aiming to assist practitioners caring for adults and children at risk for or with AKI [14]. They recommend to initiate RRT emergently when life-threatening changes in fluid, electrolyte and acid–base balance exist. Continuous RRT (CRRT) and intermittent RRT (IRRT) are considered as complementary therapies, but they suggest using CRRT, rather than standard IRRT, for haemodynamically unstable patients. The dose of RRT to be delivered should be prescribed before starting each session of RRT. KDIGO recommend delivering a Kt/V of 3.9/week when using IRRT or extended RRT and an effluent volume of 20–25 mL/kg/h for CRRT. This will usually require a higher prescription of effluent volume. Numerous modalities of RRT can be used in the treatment of patients with AKI. These include various modalities of intermittent haemodialysis (IHD), of CRRT, ‘hybrid’ modalities such as sustained low-efficiency dialysis (SLED), that combine aspects of both conventional IHD and CRRT, and peritoneal dialysis. Although there are many arguments favouring the use of continuous therapies in critically ill patients with AKI [15], the predominance of current evidence does not support a benefit of CRRT compared with IRRT. Nonetheless, the use of CRRT versus IRRT remains a subject of ongoing controversy, in particular because studies of modality must
High-Risk HPV Genotyping in the Follow-Up of Women Treated Conservatively for Microinvasive Cervical Cancer

Objectives: Conservative management of women with microinvasive cervical cancer (International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians stage IA) has led to prolonged and intensive cytological follow-up. We conducted a retrospective study to assess human papillomavirus status and genotypes at diagnosis and to find out whether there is an association between the persistence of high-risk human papillomavirus during follow-up and the detection of recurrent disease. Study Design: Paraffin-embedded cervical biopsies in the pathology archives were identified from women with an initial large loop excision of the transformation zone or cone specimen diagnostic of microinvasive disease since 1991. Results: We identified 45 women with a diagnosis of microinvasive cervical cancer. Human papillomavirus was detected in 87% of the initial diagnostic specimens. Human papillomavirus testing showed a negative predictive value of 100% for recurrent disease with a sensitivity of 100%. Conclusion: Human papillomavirus testing has an important role in the follow-up of women treated conservatively for stage IA cervical cancer.
Feeding Response of Artogeia rapae (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) and Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to Cabbage Leaf Age

To improve our understanding of factors that affect intraplant distribution of Artogeia rapae (L.) and Trichoplusia ni (Hubner) on cabbage, we exposed larvae to gradients of cabbage leaf age. Excised leaves from field-grown cabbage were arranged in a chamber to form the gradient of leaf age. Larvae in the third-fifth instar were allowed to feed on these leaves for 48 h, and leaf area consumed was measured. Larvae of T. ni showed no preference for leaves of any particular age, eliminating one of a number of factors that were suspected of affecting their distribution on cabbage. Larvae of A. rapae preferred the youngest (head and wrapper) leaves, which helps explain observed intraplant distributions on these larvae in the field and allows us to predict the location of their feeding damage on the plant.
Predicting moisture content from basic density and diameter during air drying of Eucalyptus and corymbia logs

In air drying of Eucalyptus urophylla and Corymbia citriodora logs for the production of charcoal it is necessary to be able to predict when logs have reached the required moisture content of ≤ 35%. This study is aimed to produce models using basic density and diameter to predict the moisture content of Eucalyptus urophylla and Corymbia citriodora logs after 30, 60 and 90 days drying. 1,2 m long logs were taken at three different heights from three C. citriodora trees and three trees each from two E. urophylla clones (VM4 and Mn463). The 27 debarked, end sealed logs were air dried under cover for 90 days during which the change in moisture content was monitored. The relationship between density and drying was analyzed by Pearson’s correlation coefficient and the models for predicting the moisture content based on the basic density and diameter were produced. The density and the drying showed a high correlation coefficient. The coefficient of determination of the models was above 0,89 with a standard error lower than 6%. The use of the density and diameter to estimate the wood moisture content simplifies the production of the models, which can be used for Eucalyptus and Corymbia genetic materials.
The acute anti‐craving effect of acamprosate in alcohol‐preferring rats is associated with modulation of the mesolimbic dopamine system

Acamprosate (Campral ? ) is a drug used clinically for the treatment of alcoholism. In order to examine further the time‐course and mechanism of action of acamprosate, the effect of acute and repeated acamprosate administration was examined on (i) operant ethanol self‐administration and (ii) voluntary home cage ethanol consumption by alcohol‐preferring Fawn‐Hooded, iP and Alko Alcohol (AA) rats. Acutely, acamprosate was shown to cause a significant decrease in operant ethanol self‐administration by Fawn‐Hooded and alcohol‐preferring iP rats in part by decreasing the motivational relevance of a specific ethanol cue; however, repeated injection of acamprosate led to tolerance to this effect. Voluntary alcohol consumption in the home cage in Fawn‐Hooded and AA rats was also reduced by an acute acamprosate injection; however, again tolerance developed to repeated injections. In a separate experiment, the effect of acamprosate on markers of the dopaminergic system was examined. Interestingly, acute acamprosate was also shown to cause increased dopamine transporter density and decreased dopamine D2‐like receptor density within the nucleus accumbens but not in the caudate‐putamen, suggesting a link between the decreased motivational salience of the ethanol cue and altered dopaminergic signalling within the nucleus accumbens. With repeated injections of acamprosate, markers of the dopaminergic system returned to steady state levels with a similar temporal profile to the development of tolerance in the behavioural studies. Along with previous studies, our findings indicate that acamprosate modulates the mesolimbic dopaminergic system and may thereby decrease ethanol reinforcement processes; however, these effects undergo tolerance in alcohol‐preferring rats and may in part explain the fact why some subjects are non‐responders to chronic acamprosate treatment.