Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhibitory effect of TongXie-YaoFang formula on colonic contraction in rats.

AIM To investigate the pharmacological effect of TongXie-YaoFang (TXYF) formula and its underlying mechanisms. METHODS A neonatal maternal separation plus restraint stress (NMS + RS) model of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome was developed by subjecting male Sprague-Dawley rats to daily maternal separation from postnatal days 2 to 21 plus restraint stress from days 50 to 59. Rats were randomly divided into two groups (NMS + RS and TXYF formula), and rats with no handling or separation were used as normal controls. Starting from postnatal day 60, rats were administered TXYF formula (9.84 g/100 g body weight) orally twice daily for 14 consecutive days, while the normal and NMS + RS groups were given distilled water. The distinctions of movement index (MI, area under the curve of contraction intensity/min, mg/min) and contraction frequency (CF, number of contractions/min, times/min) of isolated colonic longitudinal smooth muscle strips (CLSMs) in the three groups before and after treatment were observed with a Power Lab system. Different inhibitors were applied, and then 10(-4) mol/L acetylcholine chloride (Ach) was added to CLSMs to induce muscle contraction. RESULTS Before treatment, the MI of CLSMs in the NMS + RS and TXYF formula groups was similar and both higher than that in the normal group (545.49 ± 73.66 mg/min vs 245.76 ± 34.44 mg/min and 551.09 ± 54.29 mg/min vs 245.76 ± 34.44 mg/min, P < 0.01, respectively). After treatment, the MI in the TXYF formula group was lower than that in the NMS + RS group (261.39 ± 38.59 mg/min vs 533.9 ± 61.63 mg/min, P < 0.01). In the same way, the CF of CLSMs in the NMS + RS and TXYF formula groups was similar and both higher than that in the normal group (3.42 ± 0.25 times/min and 3.31 ± 0.21 vs 1.1 ± 0.17 times/min, P < 0.01) before treatment. After treatment, the CF in the TXYF formula group was lower than that in the NMS + RS group (1.42 ± 0.87 times/min vs 3.11 ± 0.82 times/min, P < 0.01) and similar to that in the normal group (1.42 ± 0.87 times/min vs 1.09 ± 0.13 times/min). When 8-(N,N-diethylamino)octyl 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate hydrochloride and 4-aminopyridine were added to the bath and equilibrated for 30 min, respectively, and 10(-4) mol/L Ach was added to CLSMs to induce muscle contraction, MI of the CLSMs in the TXYF formula group was lower than that in the normal group (666 ± 36.32 mg/min vs 747.77 ± 49.47 mg/min, and 686.53 ± 39.17 mg/min vs 750.45 ± 29.39 mg/min; P < 0.01, respectively). The MI of CLSMs in the TXYF formula group was lower than that in the normal group after treatment with nifedipine (689.48 ± 30.84 mg/min vs 741.65 ± 32.41 mg/min; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION TXYF formula inhibits colon contraction in rats. This may be related to activation of specific potassium channels and inhibition of extracellular calcium internal flow.
Reducing Thrombotic Complications in the Perioperative Setting: An Update on Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia

Heparins are widely used in the perioperative setting. Immune heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a serious, antibody-mediated complication of heparin therapy that occurs in approximately 0.5%–5% of patients treated with heparin for at least 5 days. An extremely prothrombotic disorder, HIT confers significant risks of thrombosis and devastating consequences on affected patients: approximately 38%–76% develop thrombosis, approximately 10% with thrombosis require limb amputation, and approximately 20%–30% die within a month. HIT antibodies are transient and typically disappear within 3 mo. In patients with lingering antibodies, however, re-exposure to heparin can be catastrophic. In the perioperative setting, heightened awareness is important for the prompt recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of HIT. HIT should be considered if the platelet count decreases 50% and/or thrombosis occurs 5–14 days after starting heparin, with other diagnoses excluded. On strong clinical suspicion of HIT, heparin should be discontinued and a parenteral alternative anticoagulant initiated, even before laboratory confirmation of HIT is obtained. Subsequent laboratory test results may help with the decision to continue with nonheparin therapy or switch back to heparin. Heparin avoidance in patients with current or previous HIT is feasible in most clinical situations, except perhaps in cardiovascular surgery. If the surgery cannot be delayed until HIT antibodies have disappeared, intraoperative alternative anticoagulation is recommended.
The Impact of Early Investments in Urban School Systems in the United States

Cities in the United States dramatically expanded spending on public education in the years following World War I, with the average urban school district increasing per pupil expenditures by over 70 percent between 1916 and 1924. We provide the first evaluation of these historically unprecedented investments in public education by compiling a new dataset that links individuals to both the quality of the city school district they attended as a child and their adult outcomes. Using plausibly exogenous growth in school spending generated by anti-German sentiment, we find that school resources significantly increased educational attainment and wages later in life, particularly for the children of unskilled workers. Increases in expenditures can explain about 50 percent of the sizable increase in educational attainment of cohorts born between 1895 and 1915. However, increased spending did not close the gap in educational attainment between the children of skilled and unskilled workers, which remained constant over the period
The preschool repetition test: an evaluation of performance in typically developing and clinically referred children.

PURPOSE To determine the psychometric properties of the Preschool Repetition (PSRep) Test (Roy & Chiat, 2004), to establish the range of performance in typically developing children and variables affecting this performance, and to compare the performance of clinically referred children. METHOD The PSRep Test comprises 18 words and 18 phonologically matched nonwords systematically varied for length and prosodic structure. This test was administered to a typical sample of children aged 2;0-4;0 (n = 315) and a clinic sample of children aged 2;6-4;0 (n = 168), together with language assessments. RESULTS Performance in the typical sample was independent of gender and socioeconomic status but was affected by age, item length, and prosodic structure and was moderately correlated with receptive vocabulary. Performance in the clinic sample was significantly poorer but revealed similar effects of length and prosody and similar relations to language measures overall, with some notable exceptions. Test-retest reliability and interrater reliability were high. CONCLUSION The PSRep Test is a viable and informative test. It differentiates within and between typical and clinic samples of children and reveals some unusual profiles within the clinic sample. These findings lay the foundations for a follow-up study of the clinic sample for investigation of the predictive value of the test.
Sulfur dioxide exposure and other factors affecting age at natural menopause in the Jinchuan cohort

Abstract Objective To describe the associations between occupational exposures and age at natural menopause in the Jinchuan cohort. Methods The Jinchuan cohort consists of all current or retired workers of the Jinchuan Nonferrous Metals Corporation (JNMC) in Jinchang, Gansu, China. Our final study population consisted of 3167 postmenopausal women. The data used for this study were derived from the epidemiological survey and were self-reported. Age at natural menopause (ANM) was defined as the age at the last period prior to 12 months of amenorrhea in women who experienced natural menopause. ANM was related to five commonly reported occupational exposures using bivariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regressions. Results Blue-collar workers have significantly earlier mean ANM (49.0 years) than white-collar workers (49.5 years). Sulfur dioxide exposure was found to be associated with earlier mean ANM in blue-collar workers. After stratifying both blue-collar workers and white-collar workers further by exposure time for each of the exposures, blue-collar workers exposed to sulfur dioxide for 21–25 years had the earliest mean ANM (47.8 years) of any level of any exposure in this study. Conclusion This paper is significant because it is the first report of an association between sulfur dioxide and menopause, and one of few papers to look at the determinants of ANM in an occupational cohort. Blue-collar workers had earlier mean ANM than white-collar workers. Blue-collar workers are more exposed to sulfur dioxide and other occupational exposures than white-collar workers, and blue-collar workers who are more exposed to sulfur dioxide have earlier menopause. Sulfur dioxide may be part of the reason that blue-collar workers experience earlier menopause than white-collar workers.
Risk-related disclosure: a review of the literature and an agenda for future research

ABSTRACT This paper critically examines the literature on risk reporting, largely dominated by the accounting standards for financial instruments (FI) issued by the FASB and the IASB. The analysis is motivated by the increased amount of FI-related research published in recent years, as well as by the conflicting findings that have emerged from these investigations. The increasing usage of risk-related FI, together with the financial collapses that this use has precipitated, provides a need for a review of research in this area. In discussing the key conclusions that emerge from the review, the paper identifies an agenda for future research and points to key omissions and deficiencies in the extant literature on risk reporting.
Functional management of stress fractures in female athletes using a pneumatic leg brace

Thirteen consecutive female athletes complaining of activity-induced lower extremity pain were evaluated. Ten of the 13 athletes had either an x-ray film or bone scan positive for stress fracture of the tibia or fibula. Three athletes with classic signs and symptoms of tibial stress fractures and negative x-ray films refused the bone scan. Three athletes had bilateral tibial stress fractures. The athletes were treated by the application of a pneumatic leg brace to the affected leg or legs. Following this, all 13 athletes were able to return to their sport and participate at a high level of competition with little or no symptoms.
Measurement of immunoreactive angiotensin-(1-7) heptapeptide in human blood.

BACKGROUND The renal enzyme renin cleaves from the hepatic alpha(2)-globulin angiotensinogen angiotensin-(1-10) decapeptide [Ang-(1-10)], which is further metabolized to smaller peptides that help maintain cardiovascular homeostasis. The Ang-(1-7) heptapeptide has been reported to have several physiological effects, including natriuresis, diuresis, vasodilation, and release of vasopressin and prostaglandins. METHODS To investigate Ang-(1-7) in clinical settings, we developed a method to measure immunoreactive (ir-) Ang-(1-7) in 2 mL of human blood and to estimate plasma concentrations by correcting for the hematocrit. A sensitive and specific antiserum against Ang-(1-7) was raised in a rabbit. Human blood was collected in the presence of an inhibitor mixture including a renin inhibitor to prevent peptide generation in vitro. Ang-(1-7) was extracted into ethanol and purified on phenylsilylsilica. The peptide was quantified by radioimmunoassay. Increasing doses of Ang-(1-7) were infused into volunteers, and plasma concentrations of the peptide were measured. RESULTS The detection limit for plasma ir-Ang-(1-7) was 1 pmol/L. CVs for high and low blood concentrations were 4% and 20%, respectively, and between-assay CVs were 8% and 13%, respectively. Reference values for human plasma concentrations of ir-Ang-(1-7) were 1.0-9.5 pmol/L (median, 4.7 pmol/L) and increased linearly during infusion of increasing doses of Ang-(1-7). CONCLUSIONS Reliable measurement of plasma ir-Ang-(1-7) is achieved with efficient inhibition of enzymes that generate or metabolize Ang-(1-7) after blood sampling, extraction in ethanol, and purification on phenylsilylsilica, and by use of a specific antiserum.
Investigating the impact of human activity on the performance of wireless networks — An experimental approach

In this paper, we are interested in evaluating the performance of indoor wireless networks in LOS and NLOS conditions. We first provide a thorough analysis of received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurements obtained in indoor experiments. We aim to better understand the temporal and spatial correlations of RSSI values. Moreover, we analyze in detail the stability of radio links over time. We show that human activity has a significant impact on the performance of wireless networks and that RSSI is not always a robust indicator for the radio link quality. Based on our results, we then propose a time-varying simulation model to reproduce the RSSI variability as observed in our experiments. We argue that this model results in more realistic and accurate RSSI values to be used in simulation.
Relative Spatial Expansion and Contraction within the Müller-Lyer and Judd Illusions

The shaft portions of Müller-Lyer (M-L) figures, one-ended M-L figures, Judd figures, and their respective control (tails-up) figures were divided by subjects into eight equal-appearing intervals by means of successive bisections. For most of the control stimuli the length of the left half of the shaft tended to be overestimated relative to the length of the right side. For the tails-out version of the M-L figure, there was relative overestimation of segments of the shaft adjacent to the tails, while for the tails-in version there was relative underestimation of these segments. These results indicate that the distortion of perceived length in the M-L illusion is not distributed evenly along the shaft. For the one-ended M-L figures the apparent overestimations and underestimations extended further along the shaft than for the standard figures. For the Judd figure perceived length varied systematically along the length of the shaft from underestimation near the tails-in end of the figure to overestimation near the tails-out end. These results are contradictory to the hypothesis that the M-L illusion results from inappropriate size scaling produced through the operation of size-constancy mechanisms, since this conjecture would predict uniform expansion or contraction. The results are compared with findings that localization responses are accurate for M-L figures but biased for one-ended M-L figures and Judd figures.
Psychological Sequelae Following the Gulf War

Background The aim was to study the effect of brief counselling and psychological debriefing following a trauma on subsequent morbidity. Method We investigated psychological morbidity in 62 British soldiers whose duties included the handling and identification of dead bodies of allied and enemy soldiers during the Gulf War. Of these soldiers, 69% received a psychological debriefing on completion of their duties. The subjects completed by post a demographic questionnaire, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the Impact of Events Scale. Results After nine months 50% had evidence of some psychological disturbance suggestive of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); 18% had sought professional help; 26% reported relationship difficulties. Neither prior training nor the psychological intervention appeared to make any difference to subsequent psychiatric morbidity. Morbidity at nine months was more likely in those with a history of psychological problems and those who believed their lives had been in danger in the Gulf. Conclusions These findings show that a psychological debriefing following a series of traumatic events or experiences does not appear to reduce subsequent psychiatric morbidity and highlights the need for further research in military and civilian settings.
Strong Convergence of Hybrid Approximate Proximal-Type Algorithm

Finding zero points for maximal monotone operator is a very active topic in different branches of mathematical and engineering sciences since many physically significant problems can be ultimately converted to it. Considerable research efforts have been devoted to the study of iterative algorithms of zero points for maximal monotone operators in recent years. By now, there already exist some algorithms, but they are not quite enough to deal with problems defined in a more general space. In this paper, a new hybrid approximate proximal-type algorithm is introduced which is proved to be strongly convergent to zero point of maximal monotone operator in Banach space by using some techniques of Lyapunov functional and generalized projection operator, etc. Moreover, the application of the new algorithm is demonstrated
Multi-drug resistant falciparum malaria in Cameroon in 1987-1988. II. Mefloquine resistance confirmed in vivo and in vitro and its correlation with quinine resistance.

To further document the phenomenon of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to mefloquine formerly described in Cameroon, complementary in vivo and in vitro studies were conducted. Two hundred six P. falciparum isolates were studied in vitro using an isotopic microassay with mefloquine solutions prepared daily. Using the cutoff limit of 30 nmol, 26 (20%) of 133 isolates from the northern part of the country were defined as being resistant to mefloquine. In contrast, only one of 73 isolates collected in the southern part of the country was resistant. In vivo 7-day assays were performed in the northern area in 57 asymptomatic P. falciparum carriers (age range 1-10 years) who were given a single 25 mg/kg dose of mefloquine (Lariam). Among 46 cases in which followup was possible, P. falciparum asexual parasites were cleared within five days in 38 cases, by days 6 and 7 in two cases, and remained detectable up to day 7 in six cases. Thus, these latter patients have a RII-RIII level of resistance by in vivo criteria. No resistance was found in 40 additional patients studied similarly in the southern region. These observations were made before any mefloquine drug pressure was exerted in the country, but results of cross-resistance and drug consumption studies support the hypothesis that in the northern region, where a close correlation (r = 0.67) was found between the response to quinine and mefloquine, the more frequent use of quinine may have induced a primary quinine resistance and a secondary mefloquine resistance (without chloroquine resistance). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Remote noninfarcted region dysfunction soon after first anterior myocardial infarction. A magnetic resonance tagging study.

BACKGROUND Previous studies have demonstrated hyperkinetic endocardial motion of noninfarcted myocardium early after myocardial infarction (MI). We wished to substantiate the findings of increased function of remote noninfarcted regions using magnetic resonance (MR) myocardial tagging in patients soon after anterior MI. METHODS AND RESULTS Twenty-eight patients (25 male; mean age, 52 years) were studied on day 5 +/- 2 after first anterior MI. All had single-vessel left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) disease and had received reperfusion therapy but had evidence of regional left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and an ejection fraction (EF) < or = 50%. Breath-hold, segmented k-space, gradient-echo MR tagging was performed with short-axis imaging spanning the LV. Percent circumferential shortening (%S) on a topographic basis, LV mass, and EF were measured. Regional %S was compared with that in 10 normal subjects (7 male; mean age, 43 years). We found reduced intramyocardial %S throughout the LV in the patient group. Percent shortening was lower in patients compared with control subjects at all sites along the long axis of the ventricle (9 +/- 5% versus 23 +/- 3% at the apex, P < .0001; 11 +/- 5% versus 21 +/- 3% at the midventricle, P < .0001; 14 +/- 3% versus 17 +/- 5% at the base, P < .02). The basal lateral and midinferior regions, remote from LAD territory, demonstrated reduced %S and a strong trend toward reduced %S, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Patients on day 5 after first anterior MI with single-vessel disease demonstrate reduced intramyocardial circumferential shortening throughout the LV, including remote noninfarcted regions. Potential mechanisms include altered coronary vasodilatory properties, changes in regional mechanical load, or mechanical tethering to infarcted regions.
Monitoring the Production of Aflatoxin B1 in Wheat by Measuring the Concentration of nor-1 mRNA

ABSTRACT A real-time reverse transcription-PCR system has been used to monitor the expression of an aflatoxin biosynthetic gene of Aspergillus flavus in wheat. Therefore, total RNA was isolated from infected wheat samples, reverse transcribed and subjected to real-time PCR. In parallel all samples were analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography for aflatoxin B1 production. The primer-probe system of the real-time PCR was targeted against nor-1, a gene of the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway. By application of this method the nor-1 transcription was quantified during the course of incubation. After 4 days of incubation nor-1 mRNA could be detected for the first time. The amount of nor-1 mRNA increased rapidly, and the maximum was achieved after 6 days. Then, starting very slowly, the mRNA was degraded until day 8, and this was followed by a very fast degradation, reaching nondetectable levels at days 9 and 10. First traces of aflatoxin B1could be detected between the 5th and 6th day of incubation. The aflatoxin concentration reached its maximum after 9 days of incubation and remained constant for the whole period of observation. To ensure that differences in the nor-1 mRNA concentration were due to different expression levels, the expression of the constitutively expressed β-tubulin gene (benA56) has also been monitored. The expression of benA56 remained constant during the whole incubation time. As a parameter for fungal growth, the number of nor-1 gene copies was determined during the course of incubation. The numbers of nor-1 gene copies increased at the beginning of the incubation and reached a plateau at day 5. They correlate well with the viable counts albeit at a higher level.
General Health and Knee Function Outcomes from 7 Days to 12 Weeks After Spinal Anesthesia and Multimodal Analgesia for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

BACKGROUND: We previously reported that continuous perineural femoral analgesia reduces pain with movement during the first 2 days after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR, n = 270), when compared with multimodal analgesia and placebo perineural femoral infusion. We now report the prospectively collected general health and knee function outcomes in the 7 days to 12 wk after surgery in these same patients. METHODS: At three points during 12 wk after ACLR surgery, patients completed the SF-36 General Health Survey, and the Knee Outcome Survey (KOS). Generalized Estimating Equations were implemented to evaluate the association between patient-reported survey outcomes and (1) preoperative baseline survey scores, (2) time after surgery, and (3) three nerve block treatment groups. RESULTS: Two hundred seventeen patients’ data were complete for analysis. In univariate and multiple regression Generalized Estimating Equations models, nerve block treatment group was not associated with SF-36 and KOS scores after surgery (all with P ≥ 0.05). The models showed that the physical component summary of the SF-36 (P < 0.0001) and the KOS total score (P < 0.0001) increased (improved) over time after surgery and were also influenced by baseline scores. CONCLUSIONS: After spinal anesthesia and multimodal analgesia for ACLR, the nerve block treatment group did not predict SF-36 or knee function outcomes from 7 days to 12 wk after surgery. Further research is needed to determine whether these conclusions also apply to a nonstandardized anesthetic, or one that includes general anesthesia and/or high-dose opioid analgesia.