Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monthly cholecalciferol administration in haemodialysis patients: a simple and efficient strategy for vitamin D supplementation.

BACKGROUND There is growing evidence of the usefulness of vitamin D supplementation in dialysis patients who are most often vitamin D deficient. Due to the long half-life of vitamin D, there is much interest in administering it intermittently for long-term adherence. However, there are no data to indicate which dosage would be most efficient. Objective. The aim was to assess the long-term efficiency and safety of a monthly oral dose of cholecalciferol (100 000 IU) in vitamin D-deficient haemodialysis (HD) patients. METHODS HD patients with a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level <75 nmol/L were enrolled in a 15-month prospective study. The exclusion criteria were as follows: use of any vitamin D derivatives, prescription of cinacalcet and bisphosphonates, uncontrolled hypercalcaemia (>2.55 mmol/L), hyperphosphataemia (>2 mmol/L) and severe secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT; serum PTH >600 pg/mL). Biological data were recorded in the following months: M-3, M0, M1, M3, M9 and M15. We aimed to maintain stable levels of the phosphate binder and oral and dialysate calcium during the course of the study. RESULTS Of the 250 patients screened, 161 were enrolled, and the results from 107 were recorded at the end of the study. Of these 107 patients, 56% were males, and the average age of the patient group was 66.4 +/- 15 years. Diabetics accounted for 36% of the total patients. The dialysis schedule ranged from 3 x 5 to 3 x 8 h, with a mean dialysate calcium concentration of 1.48 +/- 0.6 mmol/L. After 15 months, the mean serum 25(OH)D level increased from 32 +/- 13 to 105.8 +/- 27 nmol/L (P < 0.001) and plateaued after M3. Of the patients, 91% had a level higher than the target level (>75 nmol/L), while none had levels >200 nmol/L. The serum calcitriol (1,25(OH)(2)D) level increased from 13.7 +/- 14 to 45 +/- 13 pmol/L (P < 0.001) and plateaued after M9. The levels of serum PTH (median 295-190 pg/mL, P < 0.001), bone alkaline phosphatase (20.5 +/- 9-17.1 +/- 7 microg/L, P < 0.05) and beta-cross-laps (2.5 +/- 1-2.07 +/- 0.8 microg/L, P < 0.05) decreased significantly. No significant changes were observed in the values of the following: calcaemia, phosphataemia, blood pressure, serum albumin, haemoglobin and C-reactive protein. CONCLUSIONS Long-term monthly administration of oral cholecalciferol (100 000 IU) was a safe, effective, inexpensive and simple method for correcting vitamin D deficiency in almost 90% of the HD patients in this study and led to optimal compliance. The most evident consequences were a slight decrease in the levels of PTH and bone markers and an increase in the level of serum 1,25(OH)(2)D.
Performance analysis of DOA and AODV routing protocols with black hole attack in MANET

The collection of mobile nodes without infrastructure known as the mobile adhoc network has its nodes that moves independently towards all directions in the network thereby changing the network topology frequently. In MANET, whenever the node that is identified as source need to transfer data to the receiving node which resides out of coverage area, source node uses intermediate nodes. We use DOA protocol for the purpose of connectivity in such large scale networks for better data transmission. In such case, if a malicious node enters into the MANET, packet loss occur leading to performance degradation. The secure transfer of information via large scale wireless network is a challenging issue. In this paper we analyzed two routing protocols used in large scale network; the DOA and AODV routing protocols and injected them using black hole attack and evaluated its quality parameters like packet delivery ratio and average end to end delay. The network was simulated using NS2 and the performances of the protocols were compared for its efficiency.
Does cannabis smoking predispose to lung bulla formation?

Objective The data of a consecutive series of habitual marijuana smokers were retrospectively evaluated and compared with that of non-marijuana smokers to assess differences between the 2 groups. Methods 13 consecutive habitual marijuana smokers were referred for treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax. The demographic, clinical, radiological, and pathological findings of these patients were reviewed and compared with 140 non-marijuana smokers treated for the same pathology at the same time. Results Bullae were seen in 8/13 (62%) and 110/140 (78%) of marijuana smokers and non-marijuana smokers, respectively. However, when patients less than 35-years old were considered, the incidence of bulla was higher in marijuana smokers than non-marijuana smokers (7/10 vs. 3/10, p < 0.05). The pathological findings showed a greater presence of inflammatory cells in specimens from marijuana smokers than those of non-marijuana smokers (8/11 vs. 2/42, respectively, p < 0.05). No significant differences in hospital stay and clinical outcome were registered between the 2 groups. Conclusions Despite the fact that we were unable to demonstrate that marijuana had a causal role in the development of emphysema, our study showed that marijuana smokers had a higher incidence of inflammatory cells in pathological specimens, which may favor lung injury, thus predisposing to bulla formation.
Skeletal muscle protein accretion rates and hindlimb growth are reduced in late gestation intrauterine growth‐restricted fetal sheep

Adults who were affected by intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) suffer from reductions in muscle mass, which may contribute to insulin resistance and the development of diabetes. We demonstrate slower hindlimb linear growth and muscle protein synthesis rates that match the reduced hindlimb blood flow and oxygen consumption rates in IUGR fetal sheep. These adaptations resulted in hindlimb blood flow rates in IUGR that were similar to control fetuses on a weight‐specific basis. Net hindlimb glucose uptake and lactate output rates were similar between groups, whereas amino acid uptake was significantly lower in IUGR fetal sheep. Among all fetuses, blood O2 saturation and plasma glucose, insulin and insulin‐like growth factor‐1 were positively associated and norepinephrine was negatively associated with hindlimb weight. These results further our understanding of the metabolic and hormonal adaptations to reduced oxygen and nutrient supply with placental insufficiency that develop to slow hindlimb growth and muscle protein accretion.
VITAL DYES IN OCULAR SURGERY 577 Biochemistry , Pharmacology , and General Information of Vital Dyes Used in Ocular Surgery

2009 by All rights Abstract. Vital dyes have advanced diagnosis and surgical technique in various specialties, including oncology, gastroenterology, and ophthalmology. In ocular surgery vital dyes are widely used in cataract and vitreoretinal surgery. Worldwide, intra-operative use of trypan blue during cataract surgery has enhanced visualization of the anterior capsule during capsulorrhexis, and patent blue has been recently licensed in Europe for cataract surgery. For chromovitrectomy, the vital dyes indocyanine green, infracyanine green, and brilliant blue stain the internal limiting membrane, and trypan blue and triamcinolone acetonide help visualize epiretinal membranes and vitreous, respectively. Intraoperative vital dyes are finding uses in corneal, glaucoma, orbit, strabismus, and conjunctival surgery. We provide a summary of current knowledge of the use of vital dyes in ocular surgery. We review the properties of dyes, techniques of application, indications, and complications in ocular surgery. Vital dyes represent an expanding area of research, and novel dyes deserve further investigation. (Surv Ophthalmol 54:576--617, 2009. 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
Prevalence of Granular Corneal Dystrophy Type 2 (Avellino Corneal Dystrophy) in the Korean Population

Purpose: This study investigates the prevalence of granular corneal dystrophy type 2 (GCD2; Avellino corneal dystrophy) in the Korean population. Methods: GCD2 homozygotes were identified through a collaboration of Korean referral centers for corneal disease. The genetic status of the patients and their immediate families were verified by DNA analysis. A lower bound for the gene prevalence was calculated using a model based on the Hardy-Weinberg principle. A second population-based model was developed to correct for known underestimation in the primary model. The corrected model used population data from the 2005 Korean census and fertility rates from historical Korean census data. Results: We identified 21 individuals homozygous for GCD2 (R124H mutation) from 16 Korean families. From this, we estimate that the overall prevalence (combining heterozygotes and homozygotes) is at least 8.25 affected persons/10,000 persons. Our corrected estimate for overall prevalence is 11.5 affected persons/10,000 persons. Conclusion: We present the first estimate of the prevalence of GCD2. Although uncommon, the prevalence of GCD2 in Korea is greater than anticipated. We believe that our approach could potentially be applied to estimating the prevalence of other rare diseases.
Gender Segregation in Occupational Expectations and in the Labour Market: International Variation and the Role of Education and Training Systems

Abstract Gender-specific segregation of occupations has remained a typical characteristic of contemporary labour markets. From an individual perspective, (gender-)specific positioning in the labour market is the result of longer-term developments over the life course; these may be influenced by specific macro-level conditions. For example, education and training systems may differ in the information they provide for individual educational and occupational decisions and in the biographical consequences of these decisions. This chapter analyses the potential relevance of education and training systems for gender-specific occupational expectations at a comparatively young age. The empirical analyses use data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2000, 2003 and 2006 and from the European Labour Force Survey (ELFS), comparing occupational gender segregation in early individual expectations and in the labour force across 22 European countries. In a multi-level analysis, expectations are related to both individual-level predictors and characteristics of education and training systems. The results show that anticipated choices of gender-specific occupations are loosely related to characteristics of education and training systems. In particular, the degree of vocational enrolment seems to enforce the level of segregation. However, these associations are group-specific and rather small. Education and training systems also tend to have different consequences for the expectations of young women and young men. Gender segregation already exists at early biographical stages, but it is often modified by later adaptation and the selective behaviour of institutions and employers.
ESTABLISHING NORMAL FECAL FLORA IN WILD AUSTRALIAN PASSERINE BIRDS BY USE OF THE FECAL GRAM STAIN

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the normal fecal bacterial and fungal flora and parasite prevalence in wild passerine birds found at the Australian Botanic Garden (Mount Annan, New South Wales). Wild passerine birds (n = 186) from 28 species were captured with mist nets. Fecal Gram stains (n = 155) were made from 26 species and analyzed for bacterial density, Gram stain morphology, and the presence of yeast. Fecal wet preparations (n = 139) were made from 24 passerine species and were analyzed for parasites. Our results showed that 81.9% of passerines sampled had bacteria present in their feces. The bacteria found were entirely Gram positive and consisted predominantly of cocci. Individuals that were caught on multiple occasions were found to have stable bacterial populations, apart from the red-browed finch (Neochmia temporalis). Insectivores had higher bacterial densities and cocci proportions than nectarivores had. Yeasts were rare in most species, with the exception of the bell miner (Manorina melanophrys) and noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala). The yeast, Macrorhabdus ornithogaster, and parasites were not observed in any fecal samples. These results will help practitioners to assess the health of Australian passerine species submitted for care or housed in zoological collections.
Cytotoxic enterotoxin produced by Aeromonas hydrophila: relationship of toxigenic isolates to diarrheal disease

Ninety-six Aeromonas hydrophila isolates were tested for cytotoxin and hemolysin production. Sixty-six (69%) of the isolates were both cytotoxic and hemolytic, whereas the rest produced neither cytotoxin nor hemolysin. No evidence of a separate cytotonic activity could be found in any of the isolates. Cytotoxin activity correlated with enterotoxic activity. Of four cytotoxin-producing strains tested in the isolated rabbit ileal loop, three were definitely positive and one was borderline, whereas two nontoxigenic strains were negative. Cytotoxin activity appeared to be a stable property and could not be assoicated with any common identified plasmid; only 10 of 21 cytotoxin-producing strains could be shown to have any plasmid by agarose gel electrophoresis. Cytotoxin production correlated with a positive lysine decarboxylase phenotype (98%) or a positive Voges-Proskauer phenotype (94%), compared to 27% lysine decarboxylase-positive and 23% Voges-Proskauer-positive, cytotoxin-negative isolates (P less than 0.001 for both). In fecal samples, cytotoxin production correlated with diarrheal disease; of 40 diarrheal isolates, 32 (80%) were toxigenic compared to 9 (41%) of 22 nondiarrheal isolates (P = 0.004). It appears that A. hydrophila can be a cause of diarrhea and that this enteropathogenic potential is mediated by a cytotoxic enterotoxin.
A Reflection and Evaluation Model of Comparative Thinking

This article reviews research on counterfactual, social, and temporal comparisons and proposes a Reflection and Evaluation Model (REM) as an organizing framework. At the heart of the model is the assertion that 2 psychologically distinct modes of mental simulation operate during comparative thinking: reflection, an experiential (“as if”) mode of thinking characterized by vividly simulating that information about the comparison standard is true of, or part of, the self; and evaluation, an evaluative mode of thinking characterized by the use of information about the standard as a reference point against which to evaluate one's present standing. Reflection occurs when information about the standard is included in one's self-construal, and evaluation occurs when such information is excluded. The result of reflection is that standard-consistent cognitions about the self become highly accessible, thereby yielding affective assimilation; whereas the result of evaluation is that comparison information is used as a standard against which one's present standing is evaluated, thereby yielding affective contrast. The resulting affect leads to either an increase or decrease in behavioral persistence as a function of the type of task with which one is engaged, and a combination of comparison-derived causal inferences and regulatory focus strategies direct one toward adopting specific future action plans.
Macular choroidal thicknesses in healthy adults--relationship with ocular and demographic factors.

PURPOSE To determine the differences in choroidal thickness (CT) among different groups of refractive errors and axial lengths, and to describe the rates of change of CT with ocular and demographic factors in various regions of the macula. METHODS Prospective cohort study of 150 healthy volunteers. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography was performed on both eyes using a standardized imaging protocol. Manual grading of the choroidal boundaries was independently performed by trained graders to determine Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) subfield choroidal thickness. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to determine the effects of spherical equivalent, axial length and age on choroidal thickness in each subfield. RESULTS The mean central subfield CT was 324.9 μm (range, 123-566 μm) and varied significantly with both spherical equivalent (P < 0.001) and axial length (P < 0.001), but not age or sex. On multiple linear regression analysis using spherical equivalent, the coefficients were 20.0 for the central subfield, ranged from 16.9 to 19.9 for the inner subfields, and decreased to 13.9 to 16.2 for the outer subfields. Performing regression analysis using axial length, the coefficients were -36.4 for the central subfield, -30.5 to -34.5 for the inner subfields, and -24.6 to -27.3 for the outer subfields. CONCLUSIONS Choroidal thickness varies significantly with spherical equivalent and axial length in all regions of the macula, but exhibits different rates of change among different subfields. The rates of change were greater in the central and inner subfields compared with the outer subfields.
The Road to Rationalization: A History of 'Where the Empirical Lives' (or Has Lived) in Consumer Choice Theory

This paper examines the different ways that economists have characterised the empirical content of modern consumer choice theory. There has been general agreement among economists that each stage in the development of the theory has been associated with an improvement in the theory's empirical content, and yet there has been no agreement about what exactly the empirical content of consumer choice theory is at any stage in the process. I call this the problem of observational ambiguity. The paper historically documents this problem, links it to various theoretical developments, and relates it to debates in contemporary economic theory.
Plasma membrane localization of the μ-opioid receptor controls spatiotemporal signaling

Differences in plasma membrane mobility or clustering of an opioid receptor may underlie the different effects of its agonists. Spatiotemporal opioid receptor signaling The μ-opioid receptor (MOR) is a GPCR that mediates the effects of endogenous opioids and opioid analgesics, such as morphine. Different MOR agonists produce different biological effects, in part by differentially regulating receptor phosphorylation and internalization. In cells transfected with MOR, Halls et al. examined downstream signaling in the absence of receptor internalization. Whereas the synthetic opioid DAMGO stimulated receptor movement within the plasma membrane and transiently increased ERK activity in both the cytosol and nucleus, morphine stimulated a protein kinase C–dependent pathway that restricted MOR movement and produced prolonged cytosolic ERK activity. Similar effects were observed in mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons, suggesting that the differences in plasma membrane mobility or clustering of MOR may underlie the differential effects of its agonists in vivo. Differential regulation of the μ-opioid receptor (MOR), a G protein (heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide–binding protein)–coupled receptor, contributes to the clinically limiting effects of opioid analgesics, such as morphine. We used biophysical approaches to quantify spatiotemporal MOR signaling in response to different ligands. In human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells overexpressing MOR, morphine caused a Gβγ-dependent increase in plasma membrane–localized protein kinase C (PKC) activity, which resulted in a restricted distribution of MOR within the plasma membrane and induced sustained cytosolic extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK) signaling. In contrast, the synthetic opioid peptide DAMGO ([d-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly5-ol]-enkephalin) enabled receptor redistribution within the plasma membrane, resulting in transient increases in cytosolic and nuclear ERK activity, and, subsequently, receptor internalization. When Gβγ subunits or PKCα activity was inhibited or when the carboxyl-terminal phosphorylation sites of MOR were mutated, morphine-activated MOR was released from its restricted plasma membrane localization and stimulated a transient increase in cytosolic and nuclear ERK activity in the absence of receptor internalization. Thus, these data suggest that the ligand-induced redistribution of MOR within the plasma membrane, and not its internalization, controls its spatiotemporal signaling.
Chloroflexi CL500-11 Populations That Predominate Deep-Lake Hypolimnion Bacterioplankton Rely on Nitrogen-Rich Dissolved Organic Matter Metabolism and C1 Compound Oxidation

ABSTRACT The Chloroflexi CL500-11 clade contributes a large proportion of the bacterial biomass in the oxygenated hypolimnia of deep lakes worldwide, including the world's largest freshwater system, the Laurentian Great Lakes. Traits that allow CL500-11 to thrive and its biogeochemical role in these environments are currently unknown. Here, we found that a CL500-11 population was present mostly in offshore waters along a transect in ultraoligotrophic Lake Michigan (a Laurentian Great Lake). It occurred throughout the water column in spring and only in the hypolimnion during summer stratification, contributing up to 18.1% of all cells. Genome reconstruction from metagenomic data suggested an aerobic, motile, heterotrophic lifestyle, with additional energy being gained through carboxidovory and methylovory. Comparisons to other available streamlined freshwater genomes revealed that the CL500-11 genome contained a disproportionate number of cell wall/capsule biosynthesis genes and the most diverse spectrum of genes involved in the uptake of dissolved organic matter (DOM) substrates, particularly peptides. In situ expression patterns indicated the importance of DOM uptake and protein/peptide turnover, as well as type I and type II carbon monoxide dehydrogenase and flagellar motility. Its location in the water column influenced its gene expression patterns the most. We observed increased bacteriorhodopsin gene expression and a response to oxidative stress in surface waters compared to its response in deep waters. While CL500-11 carries multiple adaptations to an oligotrophic lifestyle, its investment in motility, its large cell size, and its distribution in both oligotrophic and mesotrophic lakes indicate its ability to thrive under conditions where resources are more plentiful. Our data indicate that CL500-11 plays an important role in nitrogen-rich DOM mineralization in the extensive deep-lake hypolimnion habitat.
Diagnosis and Management of Late Life Depression: A Guide for the Primary Care Physician

Objective: The purpose of this article is to provide a brief and practical approach for the primary care physician regarding the recognition, diagnosis, and management of depression in elderly patients. Method: Empirical evidence and current recommendations regarding the recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of depression are reviewed as the basis for this approach. Appropriate modifications for geriatric depression are added where indicated. Results: The recommendations are listed by category and briefly explained. Conclusions: It is important to be vigilant for the variety of depressive presentations that occur in older primary care patients. Neurological causes of depression (such as stroke), suicide, and a longer time to recovery are all more frequent concerns in older depressed patients.