Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Employment Contracts and Health Selection: Unhealthy Employees Out and Healthy Employees In?

Objective: The healthy worker effect implies that healthy workers go “up” in employment status whereas less healthy workers go “down” into precarious temporary employment or unemployment. These hypotheses were tested during an economic recession, by predicting various upward and downward contract trajectories, based on workers' health status, work-related well-being, and work ability. Methods: Two waves (2008 and 2009) of the Netherlands Working Conditions Cohort Study (N = 7112) were used and logistic regression analyses were performed to test the hypothesis of this study. Results: Lower general health and higher emotional exhaustion at baseline predicted future unemployment among permanent employees. Various downward trajectories were also predicted by lower work-related well-being and lower work ability, whereas the opposite was true for one of the upward trajectories. Conclusions: Workers with lower health, lower work-related well-being, or lower work ability are at risk for ending up in precarious temporary employment or unemployment.
Sleepiness, fatigue, tiredness, and lack of energy in obstructive sleep apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Sleepiness is a key symptom in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and can be objectively assessed with a multiple sleep latency test (MSLT). We studied the terms that patients prefer to describe their symptoms-sleepiness, fatigue, tiredness, or lack of energy-and how these terms relate to objective findings. DESIGN Observational. SETTING University-based sleep laboratory. PATIENTS Consecutive OSAS patients referred for diagnostic polysomnography and an MSLT. METHODS Data were obtained from sleep studies and questionnaires. RESULTS Subjects included 117 men and 73 women, with a mean (+/- SD) age of 49 +/- 13 years, an apnea and hypopnea rate of 32 +/- 28/h of sleep, and an MSLT mean sleep latency of 7 +/- 5 min. Subjects more frequently reported problems with fatigue, tiredness, and lack of energy than sleepiness (57%, 61%, and 62% vs 47%). When required to select the one most significant symptom, more patients chose lack of energy (about 40%) than any other problem, including sleepiness (about 22%). Objective measures of sleepiness and apnea severity showed little or no association with any symptom, but female gender showed significant associations with each. CONCLUSIONS Complaints of fatigue, tiredness, or lack of energy may be as important as that of sleepiness to OSAS patients, among whom women appear to have all such complaints more frequently than men. The diagnosis of OSAS should not be excluded based only on a person's tendency to emphasize fatigue, tiredness, or lack of energy more than sleepiness.
Antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of Malaysian endophytes

Endophytes, which are receiving increasing attention, have been found to be potential sources of bioactive metabolites following the discovery of paclitaxel producing endophytic fungi. In the present study, a total of 348 endophytes were isolated from different parts of 24 Malaysian medicinal plants. Three selected endophytes (HAB10R12, HAB11R3 and HAB21F25) were investigated for their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. For antimicrobial activity, HAB10R12 and HAB11R3 were found to be most active against bacteria and fungi, respectively. Their antimicrobial effects were comparable to, if not better than, a number of current commercial antibacterial and antifungal agents. Both HAB10R12 and HAB21F25 were found to be potential anticancer drug candidates, having potent activity against MCF‐7 and HCT116 cell lines and warrant further investigation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Circulating surfactant protein-D and the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

AIMS Surfactant protein-D (SP-D) is a lung-specific protein that is detectable in human plasma. We determined the relationship of circulating SP-D to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and total mortality in subjects with and without CVD. METHODS AND RESULTS Plasma SP-D levels were measured in 806 patients who underwent coronary angiography to assess its predictive value for cardiovascular mortality. Serum SP-D levels were also measured in a replication cohort to assess its relationship with CVD events in 4468 ex- and current smokers without a known history of coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients who died during follow-up had significantly higher plasma SP-D levels than those who survived (median 85.4 vs. 64.8 ng/mL; P < 0.0001). Those in the highest quintile of SP-D had 4.4-fold higher risk of CVD mortality than those in the lowest quintile (P < 0.0001) independent of age, sex, and plasma lipid levels. In a group of current and ex-smokers without a known history of CAD, serum SP-D levels were elevated in those who died or were hospitalized for CVD compared with those who did not (median 99.8 vs. 90.6 ng/mL; P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION Circulating SP-D is a good predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and adds prognostic information to well-established risk factors such as age, sex, and plasma lipids and is a promising biomarker to link lung inflammation/injury to CVD.
Physicochemical studies of hemp (Cannabis sativa) seed oil using enzyme‐assisted cold‐pressing

The effects of enzyme-assisted cold-pressing (EACP) on the physicochemical attributes of Cannabis sativa (hemp) seed oil were investigated using five enzyme preparations: Protex 7L, Viscozyme L, Kemzyme, Feedzyme, and Natuzyme. The oil contents (28.4–32.8%) offered by the enzyme-treated hempseeds were found to be significantly (p ,0.05) higher than that determined for the control (26.7%). The protein, fiber, and ash contents of the seeds were unaffected by the enzyme treatment. There were no significant (p .0.05) variations observed for the values of iodine number, refractive index, density, unsaponifiable matter and fatty acid composition between the enzyme-extracted and control hempseed oils. The levels of saponification value, free fatty acids, iodine value and peroxide value were slightly varied between the oils tested. The color intensity of the enzyme-extracted oils was also higher than that of the control oil. A relatively higher level of tocopherols (724.4–788.8 mg/kg) was observed in the enzymeextracted oils compared to the control (691.2 mg/kg), showing an enhancement of ca. 4.8–14.1% in the total tocopherols. The Rancimat profiles and sensory scores of the enzyme-extracted oils were noted to be improved compared to the control. The results of the present analysis (with respect to the control) showed that the enzyme added during the hempseed cold-pressing resulted in considerably higher oil yields, without adversely affecting the quality of the oil.
Length of incubation and hatchling body weight in quail selected for reduced or exaggerated adrenocortical responsiveness to brief restraint

1. While changes in corticosterone (B) during late embryogenesis are thought to play a role in the hatching process, only a scant and controversial literature exists concerning the effects of in ovo B on the length of incubation and chick body weight at hatching. Because female Japanese quail selected for exaggerated (high stress, HS) rather than reduced (low stress, LS) plasma B response to brief mechanical restraint deposit more B into their eggs, these stress lines provide an excellent model to study the relationship between embryonic B and incubation length and hatchling body weight. 2. Differences in the duration of incubation and chick body weight at emergence were assessed using eggs laid by LS and HS quail. 3. On average, eggs from HS hens hatched 3·7 h sooner than did eggs from LS hens while mean body weight at emergence was similar in hatchlings of both lines. Thus, selection for exaggerated adrenocortical responsiveness is associated with a reduction in the length of egg incubation without altering hatchling body weight. 4. This finding is important to the poultry industry because it warns layer, breeder farm and hatchery managers that unless stress in hens during egg formation is avoided, an abbreviated incubation period may result.
Wilms' tumor suppressor gene is involved in the development of disparate kidney forms: Evidence from expression in the Xenopus Pronephros

The Wilms' tumor suppressor gene (WT1) is required for the formation of the mammalian metanephros, or adult kidney, and for the normal development of the mesonephros, the major mammalian embryonic kidney. In this report the isolation of a Xenopus gene closely related to the mammalian WT1 gene in both sequence and splicing pattern is described. Expression of this gene, xWT1, is restricted to the developing nephric system until late tadpole stages, when expression also begins to be observed in the heart. Within the nephric system, expression is observed in the dorsal portion of the splanchnic lateral plate in tailbud embryos, and in the glomus of early tadpoles. No expression is observed in the pronephric tubules or pronephric duct. The WT1 gene is therefore expressed in a similar temporal and spatial pattern in the vascularized portion of the amphibian pronephroi and in the mammalian metanephroi, arguing that it probably plays a similar crucial role in the morphogenesis of these very different kidney forms. The absence of expression in the developing pronephric tubules indicates that xWT1 is not required for the epithelialization of the tubular portion of the pronephros. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Thin–fat insulin-resistant phenotype also present in South Asian neonates born in the Netherlands

Several studies have shown that South Asian neonates have a characteristic thin–fat insulin-resistant phenotype. The aim of our study was to determine whether this phenotype is also present in South Asians who have migrated to a Western country (the Netherlands). South Asian and white Dutch pregnant women were included in our study. After delivery, cord blood was collected and neonatal anthropometry was measured within 72 h. Compared with white Dutch mothers, South Asian mothers were younger (28.5 v. 32.2 years, P<0.001) and had a higher prepregnancy body mass index (25.1 v. 23.0, P=0.001). Gestational age at delivery was on average 4 days shorter in South Asians (274.9 v. 278.8, P=0.001). To compare the two groups of neonates, we calculated sex- and gestation-specific s.d. scores using the values for mean and s.d. obtained from the white Dutch subjects as a reference. All measurements were smaller in South Asian neonates, except for those of the skinfolds. The largest difference was found in abdominal circumference (s.d. score 1.39, 95% CI −1.76 to −1.01). Triceps and subscapular skinfolds were similar in both groups (triceps s.d. score −0.34, 95% CI −0.88 to +0.20 and subscapular s.d. score −0.03, 95% CI −0.31 to +0.25). South Asian neonates had higher cord plasma levels of triglycerides (0.40 v. 0.36, P=0.614), glucose (5.4 v. 4.8, P=0.079) and insulin (6.3 v. 4.0, P=0.051). However, these differences were not statistically significant. After adjustment for birth weight, the difference in insulin became statistically significant (P=0.001). We therefore conclude that the thin–fat insulin-resistant phenotype is also present in South Asian neonates in the Netherlands.
Are Infrared Dark Clouds Really Quiescent

The dense, cold regions where high-mass stars form are poorly characterised, yet they represent an ideal opportunity to learn more about the initial conditions of high-mass star formation (HMSF), since high-mass starless cores (HMSCs) lack the violent feedback seen at later evolutionary stages. We present continuum maps obtained from the Submillimeter Array (SMA) interferometry at 1.1 mm for four infrared dark clouds (IRDCs, G28.34S, IRDC 18530, IRDC 18306, and IRDC 18308). We also present 1 mm/3 mm line surveys using IRAM 30 m single-dish observations. Our results are: (1) At a spatial resolution of 10^4 AU, the 1.1 mm SMA observations resolve each source into several fragments. The mass of each fragment is on average >10 Msun, which exceeds the predicted thermal Jeans mass of the whole clump by a factor of up to 30, indicating that thermal pressure does not dominate the fragmentation process. Our measured velocity dispersions in the 30 m lines imply that non-thermal motions provides the extra support against gravity in the fragments. (2) Both non-detection of high-J transitions and the hyperfine multiplet fit of N2H+(1-0), C2H(1-0), HCN(1-0), and H13CN(1-0) indicate that our sources are cold and young. However, obvious detection of SiO and the asymmetric line profile of HCO+(1-0) in G28.34S indicate a potential protostellar object and probable infall motion. (3) With a large number of N-bearing species, the existence of carbon rings and molecular ions, and the anti-correlated spatial distributions between N2H+/NH2D and CO, our large-scale high-mass clumps exhibit similar chemical features as small-scale low-mass prestellar objects. This study of a small sample of IRDCs illustrates that thermal Jeans instability alone cannot explain the fragmentation of the clump into cold (~15 K), dense (>10^5 cm-3) cores and that these IRDCs are not completely quiescent.
Skin tumors following a single application of methylcholanthrene in C57 brown mice.

Connective tissue tumors have been produced with extremely small amounts of carcinogenic hydrocarbons. ' A few tumors have followed the application of a single drop of hot tar to mouse skin.2 It is generally believed that protracted painting with carcinogenic agents is necessary for the development of skin neoplasms. Fieser states that "in order to produce skin tumors in mice with even a highly potent carcinogen in benzene solution some 30 deliberate applications must be made. " 3 This statement may be true for many strains of mice. Kreyberg 4 and Bonser 5 have established strains by selective breeding whose skin is especially sensitive to the action of carcinogenic substances. In investigating the influence of methylcholanthrene on the development of internal tumors in mice the chemical was applied successively at 9 different sites.6 Papillomas were found at the site of the first painting within 4 to 5 weeks among mice of the C5 7 brown strain. Investigation of this phenomenon seemed warranted. C57 brown mice were obtained from the Roscoe B. Jackson Memorial Laboratory where the strain originated in 1925. They have a relatively high incidence of spontaneous internal tumors and less than 5 per cent of mammary carcinoma. The mice were painted when 4 to 5 weeks old with methylcholanthrene 0.5 per cent in benzene. It was applied to the back, from the occiput to the lumbar region, with 2 strokes of a No. 8 camel's hair brush. The animals were not allowed to breed. Sex distribution was equal. They were kept in glass cages and were fed Purina dog chow, water being available at all times. Forty-four mice were painted with methylcholanthrene. Epilation occurred within io days. Ulceration was rarely found. Six-
Cost‐effectiveness of hydroxyurea in sickle cell anemia

The Multicenter Study of Hydroxyurea in Sickle Cell Anemia (MSH) demonstrated the efficacy of hydroxyurea in reducing the rate of painful crises compared to placebo. We used resource utilization data collected in the MSH to determine the cost‐effectiveness of hydroxyurea. The MSH was a randomized, placebo‐controlled double‐blind clinical trial involving 299 patients at 21 sites. The primary outcome, visit to a medical facility, was one of the criteria to define occurrence of painful crisis. Cost estimates were applied to all outpatient and emergency department visits and inpatient hospital stays that were classified as a crisis. Other resources for which cost estimates were applied included hospitalization for chest syndrome, analgesics received, hydroxyurea dosing, laboratory testing, and clinic visits for management of patient care. Annualized differential costs were calculated between hydroxyurea‐ and placebo‐receiving patients. Hospitalization for painful crisis accounted for the majority of costs in both arms of the study, with an annual mean of $12,160 (95% CI: $9,440, $14,880) for hydroxyurea and $17,290 (95% CI: $13,010, $21,570) for placebo. The difference in means was $5,130 (95% CI: $60, $10,200; P = 0.048). Chest syndrome was the next largest cost with a mean difference of $830 (95% CI: $−340, $2,000; P = 0.16). The hydroxyurea arm was also associated with lower costs for emergency department visits, transfusion, and use of opiate analgesics. In total, the annual average cost per patient receiving hydroxyurea was $16,810 (95% CI: $13,350, $20,270) and the annual average costs per patient receiving placebo was $22,020 (95% CI: $17,340, $26,710). The difference in means was $5,210 (95% CI: $−610, $11,030; P = 0.21). The cost of hydroxyurea with the more intensive monitoring required when using this drug appears to be more than offset by decreased costs for medical care of painful crisis and analgesic use. Although the total cost difference was not significant statistically, these results suggest that hydroxyurea therapy is cost‐effective compared to placebo in the management of adult patients with sickle cell anemia. If hydroxyurea can prevent development of chronic organ damage, long‐term savings may be even greater. Am. J. Hematol. 64:26–31, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Antenatal screening for hepatitis B is medically and economically effective in the prevention of vertical transmission: three years experience in a London hospital.

We describe our experience over a three-year period in the detection of antenatal patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriage, and the successful prevention of vertical transmission in the infants of HBsAg-positive women. Nine of the 26 infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers were considered to be at high risk of infection. Eight of these nine remained HBsAg-negative after passive or passive/active immunization. The majority of infants tested had anti-HBs antibody titres above 10 i.u. /l from the first month. In comparison with the cost of caring for patients with chronic hepatitis B infection and decompensated cirrhosis, non-selective testing of pregnant women for HBsAg is found to be cost effective.
Pediatric Foreign Body Aspiration

Author(s): Yan, Sha; Azubuine, Uchechi | Abstract: ABSTRACT: History of present illness: A 10-month-old male presented after choking on a carrot. Mom reported coughing with perioral cyanosis. On examination, the child had no retractions, but wheezing was heard in the right lung fields particularly when coughing. Significant findings: Chest radiograph showed increased radiolucency (red arrow) and flattening of the diaphragm on the right side (blue arrow) consistent with hyperinflation of the right lung, as well as left mediastinal shift (green arrow), indicating obstruction. Discussion: Foreign body aspiration is a common condition in pediatrics and can be life- threatening. It happens most commonly in children younger than 2 years due to a natural curiosity for putting objects in their mouth and an immature swallowing mechanism.1 Most foreign bodies are located in the right main bronchus due to its wider diameter and more direct extension of the trachea.2 Witnessed choking has the highest sensitivity and specificity for this pathology (sensitivity 75.4% and specificity 92.1%). 3 These children will often present with coughing, wheezing, and/or decreased lung sounds that suggest an aspiration.4Chest radiographs are excellent in detecting radiopaque objects. However, most aspirations are from radiolucent organic matters such as nuts or seeds.3 Radiographs that show focal area of hyperinflation, mediastinal shift, and atelectasis are highly specific for aspiration. Pathological findings on chest radiography showed an 86.1% sensitivity and 63.2% specificity.3 However, it is possible that these finding may not be seen on initial imaging. It is important to keep a high index of suspicion as undiagnosed foreign body aspiration can lead to chronic pulmonary infections, bronchiectasis, pneumothorax, asphyxia, and death.3 This child had both physical and radiographic findings of a foreign body aspiration in addition to a witnessed choking episode. He was taken to the operation room by the pediatric surgery team for bronchoscopy and a piece of carrot was removed from the right mainstem bronchus. Topics: Foreign body aspiration, pediatric foreign body, pediatric pulmonology, respiratory.
Assessing functional status: correlation between performance on tasks conducted in a clinic setting and performance on the same task conducted at home. The Salisbury Eye Evaluation Project Team.

BACKGROUND Many studies of functional status in elderly people use performance-based measures. There is an underlying assumption that these measures reflect, at least for some tasks, functional abilities in everyday tasks carried out at home. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between tasks carried out in the clinic and at home, and the role of visual impairment in performance at either setting. METHODS We compared the performance of 97 participants in the Salisbury Eye Evaluation (SEE) project at the clinic and at home on eight different tasks: semitandem stand, functional reach, stair climb and descend, inserting a plug, looking up and dialing a telephone number, and reading. RESULTS The correlations were good for all tasks, with coefficients ranging from . 52 to . 86. Those with visual impairment were slightly more likely to perform better at home compared to the clinic, although the differences were statistically significant only for the reading task. The most important predictor of performance on any task in the home was performance on the task at the clinic, even after adjusting for age, race, sex, education, and visual impairment. Educational level and visual impairment were consistent predictors of performance in the home for most tests. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that performances on standardized tasks in the clinic setting do correlate with similar tasks performed in the home, although the relationship is complicated in the presence of visual impairment.
Latitudinal and seasonal variability of gravity-wave energy in the South-West Indian Ocean

Vertical temperature profiles obtained by ra- diosonde and Raman lidar measurements are used to inves- tigate a climatology of total energy density of gravity waves (GW) in the Upper Troposphere (UT) and the Lower Strato- sphere (LS) from 1992 to 2004 above Mah´ e (4 S, 55 E), Tromelin (15 S, 54 E) and La R´ (21 S, 55 E) lo- cated in the tropical South-West Indian Ocean. The com- monly used spectral index value (p 5/3) of the intrinsic fre- quency spectrum is used for calculating estimated total en- ergy density in the UT and LS. Estimated total energy den- sity provides good estimation of total energy density in the LS but underestimates total energy density by one half in the UT above Mah´ e and Tromelin probably due to the activity of near-inertial frequency waves. Estimated total energy density reveals a strong seasonal variability as a function of latitude and convection as an evident active source of GW activity in the LS in austral summer. Above La Ra semi-annual GW activity is observed in the LS with the signature of the subtropical barrier in the UT. Moreover, radiosondes and Ra- man lidar provide consistent GW surveys in the UT/LS at heights<23 km above La R´ the broad band scales of GW produced in the lower atmo- sphere, GW are not yet correctly resolved in numerical mod- els. Local and global observations of GW are still needed to improve their parameterization in weather forecast and cli- mate models. To model observed GW patterns in simple models of middle atmosphere, recent investigations focused on the characteristics of GW sources and/or GW spectral pa- rameters near sources in the Upper Troposphere (UT) and the Lower Stratosphere (LS). Hence, daily high-resolution radiosonde data archived by meteorological services reveal to be useful for GW climatologies in the lower atmosphere