Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physical Properties of High-Pressure Plasmas of Hydrogen and Copper in the Temperature Range 5000-60 000 K

Material functions (density, specific heat, enthalpy, sonic velocity, viscosity, and thermal and electrical conductivities) of hydrogen and copper plasmas have been calculated for temperatures ranging from 5000 to 60 000 K and for pressures ranging from 1 to 104 atm (1 atm = 101.3 kPa). The equilibrium concentrations of various species are obtained using the method of minimization of Gibbs free energy, with Debye-Hückel corrections applied to the free energies of ionized species. Transport properties have been calculated using the Chapman-Enskog method.
Crisaborole Topical Ointment, 2% in Adults With Atopic Dermatitis: A Phase 2a, Vehicle-Controlled, Proof-of-Concept Study.

BACKGROUND A novel approach for treating atopic dermatitis (AD) is the inhibition of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), an enzyme involved in the proinflammatory cascade. Crisaborole topical ointment, 2% is a novel, boron-based small-molecule PDE4 inhibitor with anti-inflammatory properties. The objective of this proof-of-concept study was to assess the efficacy and safety of crisaborole topical ointment, 2% in adults with mild to moderate AD. METHODS This phase 2a, randomized, double-blind, bilateral, 6-week study of crisaborole topical ointment, 2% was conducted in adult patients with mild to moderate AD with 2 comparable target AD lesions. Patients were randomly assigned to twice-daily application of crisaborole topical ointment, 2% or vehicle, each to 1 of the 2 target lesions. The primary efficacy endpoint was change from baseline in Atopic Dermatitis Severity Index (ADSI) score at day 28. Safety assessments included local tolerability and incidence of adverse events (AEs). RESULTS A total of 25 enrolled patients received study medication. At day 28, 17 patients (68%) experienced a greater decrease in ADSI score in the active-treated lesion than in the vehicle-treated lesion; 5 patients (20%) had a greater decrease in ADSI score in the vehicle-treated lesion than in the active-treated lesion. Local application-site reactions were reported in 3 patients (12%). A total of 29 AEs were reported in 11 patients; most (90%) were mild in intensity and unrelated to study medication. No serious or severe AEs were reported, and no patient discontinued due to an AE. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide preliminary evidence of the efficacy and safety of treatment with crisaborole topical ointment, 2% in adults with mild to moderate AD. The study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier NCT01301508).
The Current Status of Material Used for Depot Delivery of Drugs

The ideal local antibiotic delivery system has not been created. Antibiotic-laden bone cement has become the gold standard in the treatment of infected orthopaedic implants and there are confirmatory laboratory and clinical data that support the use of these materials. Heat-stable antibiotics elute from antibiotic-laden bone cement and do not have a notable influence on the compressive strengths of bone cement if the antibiotics are used in appropriate amounts. If the proper antibiotic is chosen, placed in the appropriately porous materials in sufficient amounts, and implanted in bone, antibiotic levels in the surrounding bone are many times greater than can be achieved by safe systemic antibiotic doses. Although the materials that have been manufactured commercially have been used for over 30 years in Europe, until recently, they have not been available in the United States. Currently, there are five antibiotic-laden bone cement composites that have been approved by the FDA and that are available for clinical use. Studies are being done to search for biodegradable implants preferable to antibiotic-laden bone cement; however, these studies and the materials are still in early stages and development. Currently, there are no FDA-approved biodegradable materials available for use to treat infected orthopaedic implants. As new materials become available and their elution characteristics are recorded, it is important for surgeons to understand how the data were collected so they can have a clear understanding of the elution characteristics of the material used and how the material acts in different environments. Even with extensive historic, clinical, and research data that prove the effectiveness of antibiotic-laden cement, the ideal drug delivery system is neither agreed on nor available.
Exposure to Passive Smoking: A Test to Predict Endothelial Dysfunction and Atherosclerotic Lesions

Acute exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is considered to adversely influence atherogenesis. The aim of this article was to assess whether brachial ultrasonography in subjects with endothelial dysfunction after ETS exposure is associated with atherosclerotic lesions. Never smoker healthy volunteers (n = 18) and subjects with a previous myocardial infarction (MI; n = 10) were studied. Healthy volunteers were 12 men (66%) and 6 women (34%) with a mean age of 34 ± 9 years. Post-MI subjects were men with a mean age of 53.8 ± 4.8 years. After assessing endothelial function (by brachial ultrasonography) at rest, study subjects underwent brachial ultrasonography twice: in a smoke-free environment and then in the same environment polluted by cigarette combustion (35 ppm carbon monoxide concentration). Carboxyhemoglobin concentration was measured before and after ETS exposure. Baseline brachial-artery diameter, diameter during reactive hyperemia, and diameter after sublingual nitroglycerin (GTN) administration (endothelium-independent vasodilator) were measured at rest and in both smoke-free and smoking environments. Each study subject acted as their own control. No comparison was made between the two groups. A strong correlation between ETS exposure and endothelial dysfunction was observed in both groups. Post-MI subjects also showed endothelium-independent vasodilation worsening, which is usually due to arterial wall alterations. After ETS exposure, mean flow-mediated vasodilation after GTN was significantly (P < .01) reduced only in post-MI subjects (P < .01). Carboxyhemoglobin concentration increased in both groups (P < .01). ETS exposure may be an effective test to identify endothelial dysfunction and arterial wall alterations by using brachial ultrasonography.
B-type Natriuretic Peptide and RISK-PCI Score in the Risk Assessment in Patients with STEMI Treated by Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND RISK-PCI score is a novel score for risk stratification of patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and the RISK-PCI score for early risk assessment in patients with STEMI treated by pPCI. METHODS In 120 patients with STEMI treated by pPCI, BNP was measured on admission before pPCI. The primary end point was 30-day mortality. RESULTS The ROC curve analysis revealed that the most powerful predictive factors of 30-day mortality were the plasma level of BNP ≥ 206.6 pg/mL with the sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 87.5% and the RISK-PCI score ≥ 5.25 with the sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 85.7%. Thirty-day mortality was 6.7%. After multivariate adjustment, admission BNP (≥ 206.6 pg/mL) (OR 2.952, 95% CI 1.072 - 8.133, p = 0.036) and the RISK-PCI score (≥ 5.25) (OR 2.284, 95% CI 1.140-4.578, p = 0.020) were independent predictors of 30-day mortality. The area under the ROC curve using the RISK-PCI score and BNP to detect mortality was 0.828 (p = 0.002) and 0.903 (p < 0.001), respectively. Addition of BNP to RISK-PCI score increased the area under the ROC to 0.949 (p < 0.001), but this increase measured by the c-statistic was not significant (p = 0.107). Furthermore, the significant improvement in risk reclassification (p < 0.001) and the integrated discrimination index (p = 0.042) were observed with the addition of BNP to RISK-PCI score for 30-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS BNP on admission and the RISK-PCI score were the independent predictors of 30-day mortality in patients with the STEMI treated by pPCI. BNP in combination with the RISK-PCI score showed the way to more accurate risk assessment in patients with STEMI treated by pPCI.
Temporal control of rhythmic performance: a comparison between young and old adults.

Young (20-30-year-old) and older (60-76-year-old) adults were tested on two measures of rhythmic performance. The first involved tapping at the subject's own preferred rate, a measure of so-called internal tempo. Over five sessions of testing, tapping rates were consistently and significantly slower on average in the older subjects than the younger ones, but rates were not relatively more variable in older subjects (i.e., coefficients of variation, standard deviation/mean, did not differ between the older and young people). In addition, both old and younger subjects performed on a synchronized-tapping and continuation task of the type used by Wing and Kristofferson (1973, Perception and Psychophysics, 14, 3-12). Target interresponse times were 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 ms, and in all cases interresponse intervals produced by both the old and young adults matched the target times very closely. Wing and Kristofferson's analytical procedure was used to decompose tapping variance into that attributable to timing processes and that resulting from motor implementation of the timing signal. Both sorts of variance increased with increasing target interresponse time (with timer variance increasing most markedly), but no difference was found in either type of variance in comparisons between the old and younger subjects. If the internal tempo measure directly reflects the speed of internal timing processes, the data suggest that such processes are slower, but not relatively more variable, in older than younger subjects (consistent with some previous evidence and speculation), but that the calibration of performance forced by the synchronization task will make such an age-related difference in "internal clock speed" unobservable on synchronized-tapping tasks.
Effect of monensin on the fermentation of basal rations in the Rumen Simulation Technique (Rusitec)

1. A long-term experiment was made with the Rumen Simulation Technique (Rusitec), in which the fermentation of a mixed ration of hay (1Og/d) and bruised barley (5g/d) was compared with the fermentation of the same diet in the presence of 2, 10 and 50 mg monensin/d. 2. Monensin depressed the production of acetic and butyric acids, markedly increased the production of propionic acid and virtually eliminated the production of isovaleric acid. The production of methane was decreased in the presence of monensin, but this decrease could be accounted for entirely by the changes in the production of volatile fatty acids and redistribution of metabolic hydrogen. 3. The digestibility of dry matter (DM) in the rations declined in the presence of monensin. Determinations of the rates of digestion showed that the digestion of the readily-fermented food in the initial stages was not affected by monensin, but that at 24 h digestion had been inhibited by monensin. The inhibition was due entirely to its effect on the digestion of the fibrous components. Digestion of non-fibrous material was not affected. 4. The efficiency of microbial growth, expressed as g dry weight/mol ATP formed (YATP) and in terms of dm digested, tended to be increased by monensin. This however occurred only at high, non-practical doses. 5. Urease (EC 3.5.1.5) was induced by the addition of urea to the fermentation, but monensin had no effect on urease activity. Although monensin increased the activity of protease in washed suspensions, more food protein apparently escaped degradation. This may have been due to decreased deaminative activity. 6. Monensin altered the mircroscopic appearance of the fermentation fluid, and changed the activity of some enzymes in sonicated extracts, including alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1), acetate kinase (EC 2.7.2.1) and succinate dehydrogenase (EC 1.3.9.1). These results are discussed in terms of known sensitivities of rumen microbes to monensin and their contribution to the fermentation as a whole.
The Impact of Cognitive Style on User Preference Based on Usability and Aesthetics for Computer-Based Systems

Understanding target users is a crucial issue in establishing design and marketing strategies for computer-based applications. To contribute to the comprehension of target users, this study examines the effect of cognitive style (imagers vs. verbalizers) on user preference based on perceived usability and perceived aesthetics through an experiment using four simulated systems with different levels of usability and aesthetics. Forty-two imagers and 31 verbalizers participated in the experiment. The results of the analyses of variance indicated that, before actual use, the effect of the aesthetics factor on user preference was significantly different between imagers and verbalizers but that of the usability factor was not. The difference between imagers and verbalizers with respect to the effect of the aesthetics/usability factor on time performance was not sufficiently demonstrated, nor was the difference between the two cognitive styles with regard to the effect of the aesthetics/usability factor on user preference after actual use. For the combined experimental data of users' responses before and after actual use, the interaction effect between cognitive styles and actual use on user preference was not significant. Some possible reasons for these results and the possibilities of an important role of cognitive style in users' preference making are discussed here. Further studies are necessary to better examine the impact of cognitive style.
The investigation of nasal septal perforations and ulcers

This is a retrospective review of 74 consecutive patients who presented with a nasal septal perforation or ulcer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of the investigations used to identify the pathology underlying their septal perforation or ulcer. In the majority of cases there was an anterior (85 per cent) smooth, well-circumscribed septal lesion with an occasional bleeding point. Seventy-seven per cent were less than two cm in diameter. The primary presenting symptom was intermittent epistaxis, with the exception of patients with granulomatous disease, who presented more frequently with nasal obstruction. Thirty-five patients (47 per cent) were idiopathic, 29 (39 per cent) traumatic, eight (11 per cent) inflammatory and two (three per cent) infectious. The nasal septum was biopsied in 71 cases, and histology showed non-specific or non-diagnostic findings in 39 (55 per cent), chronic inflammation in 12 (17 per cent), acute inflammation in six (eight per cent), acute to chronic inflammation in four (six per cent) and histological changes consistent with trauma in nine (13 per cent). The anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody test (ANCA) successfully identified six patients with Wegener's granulomatosis, and the angiotensin converting enzyme test (ACE) supported a clinical diagnosis of sarcoidosis in one patient. The remaining investigation methods (CRP, ESR, chest radiograph, biochemistry and coagulation screen) did not contribute to the diagnosis. In this study, the appearance of a nasal septal perforation or ulcer or its location did not predict the clinical diagnosis. A nasal septal bopsy did not significantly contribute toward the clinical diagnosis. On the basis of these findings, a biopsy of a septal perforation or ulcer is unlikely to contribute to the management of patients unless the supportive tests of ANCA or ACE are abnormal or unless malignancy is suspected. This conclusion is restricted to the management of septal perforations as we have found nasal biopsies of polyps of other lesions to be of value.
Plasma Ascorbate Deficiency Is Associated With Impaired Reduction of Sulfamethoxazole-Nitroso in HIV Infection

Objective:The objective of these studies was to determine the role of ascorbate deficiency in HIV infection in the defective detoxification of sulfamethoxazole-nitroso, the metabolite thought to mediate sulfonamide hypersensitivity reactions. Methods:Fifty-one HIV-infected patients and 26 healthy volunteers were evaluated. Vitamin supplementation histories were obtained, and blood samples were collected for determination of plasma ascorbate, dehydroascorbate, and cysteine concentrations, erythrocyte glutathione concentrations, and plasma reduction of sulfamethoxazole-nitroso in vitro. Results:Plasma ascorbate concentrations were significantly lower in HIV-positive patients not taking vitamin supplements (29.5 ± 22.3 μM) than in healthy subjects (54.8 ± 22.3 μM; P = 0.0005) and patients taking 500–1000 mg of ascorbate daily (82.5 ± 26.3 μM; P < 0.0001). Plasma ascorbate deficiency was strongly correlated with impaired reduction of sulfamethoxazole-nitroso to its hydroxylamine (r = 0.60, P < 0.0001), and during in vitro reduction, the loss of plasma ascorbate was strongly associated with the amount of nitroso reduced (r = 0.70, P < 0.0001). Ascorbate added ex vivo normalized this reduction pathway. Erythrocyte glutathione concentrations were significantly lower in HIV-positive patients (0.98 ± 0.32 mM) than in healthy subjects (1.45 ± 0.49 mM; P = 0.001), but this finding was unrelated to ascorbate supplementation. There was trend toward lower plasma cysteine concentrations in patients (8.4 ± 3.9 μM) than in controls (10.3 ± 4.3 μM), but this trend was similarly unrelated to ascorbate supplementation. Dehydroascorbate concentrations were not significantly higher in HIV-positive patients (7.4 ± 10.5%) than in healthy controls (4.0 ± 6.2%), even in the subset of patients taking ascorbate (8.4 ± 9.4%). Conclusions:Ascorbate deficiency is common in HIV-positive patients and is associated with impaired detoxification of sulfamethoxazole-nitroso, the suspected proximate toxin in sulfonamide hypersensitivity. Patients taking daily ascorbate supplements (500–1000 mg) achieved high plasma ascorbate concentrations and did not show this detoxification defect. Ascorbate deficiency (or supplementation) was not associated with changes in glutathione or cysteine concentrations. These data suggest that ascorbate deficiency, independent of thiol status, may be an important determinant of impaired drug detoxification in HIV infection.
Is bruxism severity a predictor of oral splint efficacy in patients with myofascial face pain?

Both the efficacy and mechanism of any effect of oral splint therapy for patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are a matter of controversy. To address these issues, this study tested the hypothesis that oral splints produce the most marked pain relief for those TMD patients with myofascial face pain (MFP) who also brux (i.e. grind or clench) more than other MFP patients. In a 6-week randomized controlled clinical trial, 52 women with MFP were randomly assigned to receive either a full-coverage hard acrylic splint or a palatal-only splint. Bruxism was assessed both by self-report and by an objective assessment of molar microwear changes over a 2-week period prior to the start of the trial. Tested across multiple outcome measures, results indicated that those receiving the full-coverage splint had marginally better improvement on some pain-related measures than those receiving the palatal splint, but severity of bruxism did not moderate the therapeutic effect of the full-coverage splint. These findings strongly argue against the belief that oral splints reduce MFP by reducing bruxism and raise questions about the importance of bruxism in the maintenance of MFP.
The apparent retention of food in the reticulo-rumen at two levels of feeding by means of an hourly feeding technique

1. Sheep fitted with rumen cannulas were fed at hourly intervals by an automatic feeder in a controlled environment and the contents of the reticulo-rumen were removed at intervals of 6 h, 30 min after the previous feed. 2. No diurnal variation was found in the total contents or in the quantity of dry matter, organic matter and nitrogen. 3. Nine dried pasture herbages containing 0.79–3.69% N in dry matter were given automatically at a high and a low level of feeding. Feeding at the high level increased the total weight of the reticulo-rumen contents, total dry matter, organic matter and N and also the dry-matter percentage. 4. Apparent retention times were calculated by dividing the quantity of organic matter or N in the rumen by the quantity given each hour. Organic matter was retained for 10.2–24.9 h and N for 12.0–61.4 h. 5. The apparent retention times for both organic matter and N were reduced when the level of feeding was raised.
Short-term Antiarrhythmic Drugs After Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

Background: The incidence of recurrent arrhythmia after catheter ablation (CA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) is unacceptable. Short-term antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) treatment following CA was presumed to be effective in reducing recurrent arrhythmia. Objective: To fully evaluate the efficacy of short-term use of AADs following CA for AF in preventing recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmias. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched up until May 1, 2016. We enrolled randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the efficacy of short-term use of AADs following CA for AF in preventing early and/or late recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmias. The statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager Version 5.3. Results: Six RCTs were included in this analysis, involving a total of 2764 patients. The frequency of early recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmias was 39.5% in the AAD group (556 of 1407) and 47.2% (640 of 1357) in the control group. The pooled risk ratio of the AAD group to the control group was 0.78 (95% CI = 0.62-0.98). Regarding late recurrence of AF (LRAF), the incidence in the AAD group and the control group was 32.5% (420 of 1293) and 34.6% (450 of 1300), respectively. No significant difference was identified between the 2 groups (relative risk = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.85-1.05). Conclusions: Short-term use of AADs following CA for AF reduced the incidence of early recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmias but did not prevent LRAF.
Pointwise Lower Bounds for Solutions of Semilinear Elliptic Equations and Applications

Abstract We consider the semilinear elliptic problem −Δu = f (x, u), posed in a smooth bounded domain Ω of ℝN with Dirichiel data u|∂Ω = 0, where f : Ω × [0, αf ) → ℝ+ (0 < αf ≤ +∞) is a function of appropriate regularity which blows up at αf. We give pointwise lower bounds for the supersolutions under some appropriate conditions on f , and apply them to eigenvalue problem −Δu = λ f (x, u), by giving upper and lower bounds for the extremal parameter λ∗ and the extremal solution u∗. To demonstrate the sharpness of our results, we consider the eigenvalue problem −Δu = λ f (up) (p ≥ 1) with Dirichlet boundary condition, and show that for every increasing, convex and superlinear C2 function f: ℝ+→ℝ+ with , where ψΩ is the maximum of the torsion function of Ω. Also, we consider the eigenvalue problem −Δu = λρ(x) f (u), where f is either a regular singularity such as f (u) = eu, or a singular one such as and give explicit estimates on λ∗ and u∗, that improve and extend several results in the literature, by Payne[17], Sperb [21], Brezis-Vasquez [3], Guo-Pan-Ward [11], Ghoussoub-Guo [10], Cowan-Ghoussoub [6], and others.