Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Documenting Participation in an Employer-Sponsored Disease Management Program: Selection, Exclusion, Attrition, and Active Engagement as Possible Metrics

Objective: The objective of this study was to document participation in a large employer-sponsored disease management program. Methods: This retrospective study tracked participation and attrition rates for asthma, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and congestive heart failure programs over a 4-year period. Results: Across all four illnesses, only 25% of those identified had any participation. Over 12 months, only 7% continued participating. Of the 93% who were lost, 35% were excluded, 15% could not be contacted, 25% declined to participate, and 17% dropped out over time. All groups improved their adherence to recommended treatment guidelines. Nonparticipants showed the greatest absolute improvement in receiving recommended medical services; however, they also had the lowest rate of service use at baseline and remained lowest at follow up. Conclusions: Documenting active engagement and attrition rates may provide useful information for decision-makers.
Morphological responses of Pinus laricio in Corsican island to prescribed burning

The effect of prescribed burning on morphological parameters of Pinus laricio in Corsica was examined over a 3-year period. Morphological responses measured included height and diameter of the trees and shoot length and morphological characteristics of the needles. Variations on Pinus laricio growth between the years are influenced by climate factors, in particular by the rainfall during June, July, August and September and the mean temperature in August. The year following the prescribed burning, an increase of morphological parameters (e.g. shoot and needle length, number of needles) is observed. These observations could be linked with the soil nutriment, in particular with nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P). After two years, there are no differences in the measured parameters. These parameters can be considered as good indicators in the management of the prescribed burning.
Confidence intervals for an effect size measure based on the Mann–Whitney statistic. Part 1: general issues and tail‐area‐based methods

For two random variables X and Y, θ=Pr[Y>X] + ½Pr[Y=X] is advocated as a general measure of effect size to characterize the degree of separation of their distributions. It is estimated by U/mn, a generalization of the Mann–Whitney U statistic, derived by dividing U by the product of the two sample sizes. It is equivalent to the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. It is readily visualized in terms of two Gaussian distributions with appropriately separated peaks. The effect of discretization of a continuous variable is explored. Tail‐area‐based confidence interval methods are developed which can be applied to very small samples or extreme outcomes. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Delayed Neurologic Sequelae Resulting from Epidemic Diethylene Glycol Poisoning

Background. Diethylene glycol (DEG) is a well-known metabolic and renal toxin usually ingested accidentally as an ethanol substitute or as a contaminant in various medicinals. To date, most poisonings have occurred in third-world countries where early death from renal failure is very common. We report a series of seven patients presenting with epidemic DEG poisoning from a correctional facility with varying degrees of metabolic acidemia and acute renal impairment responding to emergent hemodialysis (HD). Significantly, three patients developed delayed neurologic toxicity which has not been well characterized in the past. Case Series. Seven male patients (age range 19–55) presented over a 36 h period following ingestion of varying quantities of DEG. Initially three patients, ingesting the largest quantities of DEG, presented more than 24 h postingestion with severe metabolic acidemia (pH range 6.8–7.1) and anuric acute renal failure requiring HD. All three remained dialysis-dependent and developed significant cranial neuropathies with bulbar palsy in the second week postingestion. One patient died with cerebral oedema and a progressive encephalopathy. Two further patients presented within 24 h of ingestion with normal renal function and a moderate metabolic acidemia (pH range 7.2–7.28) requiring HD. They remained well. Finally, two further patients presented with a history of trivial DEG ingestion and did not require any therapy. Neurologic signs in the two surviving initial presenters improved over 4–6 months although they remained dialysis-dependent. Conclusion. Unrecognized DEG poisoning may present with metabolic acidemia and anuric acute renal failure. Established renal impairment may predict subsequent delayed neurologic toxicity.
Nutrient intake of horses in thoroughbred and standardbred stables.

Twenty-five Thoroughbred (TB) and 25 Standardbred (SB) stables were visited to determine their feeding practices. The ingredients of the main feed of the day for a mature gelding of average size in full training were weighted at each stable. Nutrient content of diets was calculated using published data for the individual ingredients. Results are expressed as mean +/- sd. The estimated body weight of TB horses was 493 +/- 34 kg and 437 +/- 32 kg for SB horses. There was considerable variation in diet composition and nutrient intake between stables. The TB trainers fed 11.0 +/- 2.4 kg and SB trainers 11.8 +/- 2.5 kg per day. The concentrate component of the diet weighed 7.8 +/- 1.6 and 7.7 +/- 2.3 kg for TB and SB stables, respectively, and the roughage component for TB horses 3.3 +/- 1.4 and SB horses 4.1 +/- 1.4 kg per day. The digestible energy intake of horses at TB stables was 129 +/- 29 MJ per day and at SB stables 132 +/- 31 MJ per day. Crude protein intake of TB horses was 1452 +/- 363 g and SB horses 1442 +/- 338 g per day. There were differences in some feeding practices at TB and SB stables. Standardbred trainers fed more roughage than TB trainers. Standardbred trainers fed chaffed lucerne (alfalfa) and cereal hays as the major roughage, whereas TB trainers fed more hay. The major hay type fed by TB trainers was lucerne, whereas many SB trainers preferred clover hay. Both trainers fed oats as the major grain, but TB trainers fed slightly more maize (corn) than SB trainers. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Relationship between Child Abuse and Adult Smoking

Objective: A strong association between a history of child abuse and subsequent psychiatric disorders including substance use has been demonstrated. However, few studies have examined the relationship between child abuse and cigarette smoking in individuals without co-occurring psychiatric disorders. In this study, the relationship between severe childhood abuse and smoking were examined in a group of adults without significant psychopathology. Methods: Participants (N = 57) represent the control group of a larger study of substance dependence. Participants were without major DSM-IV psychopathology, including substance use disorders, major depression, or posttraumatic stress disorder. The Early Trauma Inventory [20] assessed history of exposure to traumatic events prior to age 18. Results: The majority of individuals with, as compared to without, a history of severe child abuse (79% vs. 47%, p = .02) were current cigarette smokers. The odds of smoking was four times as high in participants with versus without a severe childhood abuse history (OR = 4.0, p = 0.04). Conclusions: Although preliminary, the findings demonstrate a strong link between early childhood trauma and later adult cigarette smoking among individuals without significant substance use or other psychopathology.
How plausible is a link between HSV-1 infection and Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a leading cause of dementia with a multifactorial and still barely understood etiology. A growing body of epidemiologic and experimental data support a role for infectious agents in this process; herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), in particular, is a strong suspect. We briefly summarize the data pointing at a pathogenic role for HSV-1 in the development of Alzheimer's disease and review results indicating that antiviral might be beneficial in the therapy of this condition.
Dynamic pressure enhancements as a cause of large‐scale stormtime substorms

[1] Intense substorm disturbances, which typically have an unusually broad auroral enhancement, occur in association with magnetic storms. We have investigated the cause of these intense and broad disturbances using interplanetary observations, global auroral images from the WIC imager on the IMAGE spacecraft, geosynchronous energetic particle observations, and mid/low-latitude dayside ground H observations for 28 large stormtime auroral disturbances. We find evidence that the magnetosphere was impacted by a substantial Pdyn increase at the onset of 19 of these disturbances. For disturbances with evidence of such an impact, we found that auroral brightenings extended over about twice as broad an MLT range as did the auroral brightening of disturbances that did not have evidence for a Pdyn increase at onset. We thus conclude that Pdyn increases at onset offer a feasible explanation for many of the larger-scale aurora disturbances that often occur during magnetic storms. Our results indicate that it is the combination of the global compression response to a Pdyn increase and the nightside substorm response that gives a much broader response for many stormtime disturbances than is seen from the substorm alone. We also found some indications that a substantially shorter than typical growth phase may be sufficient for there to be a triggered substorm onset if the preceding IMF ∣By∣ or negative Bz, and/or a pressure increase at onset, is unusually large.
Reward and Punishment Mechanism in a Vertical Safety Regulation System: A Transferred Prisoner's Dilemma

Under the current system of safety regulation in China, a lower level in the hierarchical system means more regulatory failure. The mechanism of rewards and punishments has been proven to compensate for regulatory failures according to game theory separately. This study analyzed rewards and punishments simultaneously to strengthen the regulatory power and offset the failure of regulation; examples are provided to facilitate a comparison of the failure possibilities for various degrees of rewards and punishments. In addition, this paper describes the transformation of the behavior of coal enterprises, miners and local governments. Doubling the rewards and punishments was determined to reduce the possibility of failure of local government regulation by 27%; in addition, the probability of safe production in coal mining enterprises increased by 87%, and the willingness of miners to disclose information increased by 50%.
ABUNDANT NUCLEAR RODS IN ADULT‐ONSET ROD DISEASE

Abundant, highly organized, rod-shaped particles have been found in skeletal-muscle nuclei of two patients with adult-onset rod disease. They were usually single in affected nuclei. Like myofibrillar rods, the nuclear rods consisted of bundles of long, parallel, apparently cross-linked filaments. On longitudinal section the rods had an axial periodicity and in transverse section a wire-mesh appearance. Average periodicities were 189A (nuclear) and 178A (myofibrillar) axially, 180A (both) transversely between the longitudinal rod-filaments on longitudinal-section and cross-section of the rods. Minor differences were that the nuclear rods were slightly lighter stained after osmium-uranyl acetate-lead citrate, lacked thin filaments protruding from their ends, and often were broader. It is proposed that nuclear rods may have a contractile-protein composition and pathokinesis similar to that of myofibrillar rods. Their formation may reflect an epitomization of a newly recognized general biological capability of exogenous, or perhaps endogenous, nuclear protein alteration.
Gingival bleeding reduction using a carbamide peroxide based tooth paste with lactoperoxidase

Introduction: The combination of carbamide peroxide, thiocyanate or enzymes such as amynoglucosidase or gluco-oxidase is able to reduce gingival inflammation. Objective: To evaluate antiseptic efficacy, in relation to reduced gingival bleeding, of a new dentifrice containing carbamide peroxide and lactorperoxidase. Materials and method: A sample of 32 patients, with periodontal pockets of more than 3mm in the vestibular area and 4 mm at interproximal sites, was divided into two groups of 16 and 17 patients respectively. Group A used a dentifrice containing 3% carbamide peroxide and 5% lactoperoxidase plus 0.022% sodium fluoride for three weeks followed by a control dentifrice with only 0.022% sodium fluoride for another three weeks. Group B used the same dentifrices but in reverse order. Efficacy was assessed by measuring the bleeding sites at the start of the study, and after application of the first and second dentifrices. Results: After applying the toothpaste object of this study, group A showed a significant reduction in bleeding sites (p 0.05). After application of the control toothpaste, group B showed a significant reduction in the average number of bleeding sites and after application of the study toothpaste the group showed a greater reduction in the average number of bleeding sites, which was also significant in relation to the first phase (p<0.05). Conclusions: Reduction of gingival bleeding by the carbamide peroxide based dentifrice with lactoperoxidase was found to be superior to the control fluoride dentifrice.
Full-wave analysis of broad wall slot's Characteristics in rectangular waveguides

A rigorous analysis of the resonant characteristics for a broad wall waveguide slot by using the finite-difference time-domain method is presented. Four types of slots including a radiating longitudinal shunt slot, a longitudinal/transverse coupling slot, a centered-inclined coupling slot and a compound coupling slot are analyzed. Lots of slot characteristics such as the resonant length, scattering parameters and normalized admittance in different offsets, tilt angles or slot sizes are obtained. Because the shape of slots is a rectangle with rounded ends in practical fabrication, an accurate modeling and computation for the slots with rounded ends is implemented, and the resonant lengths calculated coincide well with the Stegen's measured data and method of moments results. From these computed results, it is found that all the resonant characteristics of the slots with rounded ends are significantly different from those with normal rectangular ends.
Demonstration of a Glycoprotein Derived From the Ceacam10 Gene in Mouse Seminal Vesicle Secretions1

Abstract CEACAM10 was purified from mouse seminal vesicle secretions by a series of purification steps that included ion exchange chromatography on a DEAE-Sephacel column and ion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography on a sulfopropyl column. It was shown to be a 36-kDa glycoprotein with an N-linked carbohydrate moiety. The circular dichromoism spectrum of CEACAM10 in 50 mM phosphate buffer at pH 7.4 appeared as one negative band arising from the β form at 217 nm. CEACAM10 was expressed predominantly in seminal vesicles of adult mice. Both CEACAM10 and its mRNA were demonstrated on the luminal epithelium of the mucosal folds in the seminal vesicle. The amount of Ceacam10 mRNA in the seminal vesicle was correlated with the stage of animal maturation. Castration of adult mice resulted in cessation of Ceacam10 expression, while treatment of castrated mice with testosterone propionate in corn oil restored Ceacam10 expression in the seminal vesicle. During the entire course of pregnancy, Ceacam10 might be silent in the embryo. A cytochemical study illustrated the presence of the CEACAM10 binding region on the entire surface of mouse sperm. CEACAM10-sperm binding greatly enhanced sperm motility in vitro.
DNA relaxation‐dependent phase biasing of the fim genetic switch in Escherichia coli depends on the interplay of H‐NS, IHF and LRP

Reversible inversion of the DNA element fimS is responsible for the phase variable expression of type 1 fimbriae in Escherichia coli. The FimB tyrosine integrase site‐specific recombinase inverts fimS in the on‐to‐off and off‐to‐on directions with approximately equal efficiencies. However, when DNA supercoiling is relaxed, fimS adopts predominantly the on orientation. This orientational bias is known to require binding of the nucleoid‐associated protein LRP within fimS. Here we show that binding of the IHF protein to a site immediately adjacent to fimS is also required for phase‐on orientational bias. In the absence of both LRP and IHF binding, fimS adopts the off orientation and the H‐NS protein is required to maintain this alternative orientational bias. Thus, fimS has three Recombination Directionality Factors, H‐NS, IHF and LRP. The relevant H‐NS binding site straddles the left inverted repeat in phase‐off fimS and this site is disrupted when fimS inverts to the on orientation. The inversion of fimS with the associated creation and removal of an H‐NS binding site required for DNA inversion biasing represents a novel mechanism for modulating the interaction of H‐NS with a DNA target and for influencing a site‐specific recombination reaction.
THE VALUE OF SELF-PRACTICE OF COGNITIVE THERAPY TECHNIQUES AND SELF-REFLECTION IN THE TRAINING OF COGNITIVE THERAPISTS

Recent publications have suggested that practising cognitive therapy (CT) techniques on oneself may be valuable in the development of cognitive therapists' clinical skills. The present study asks: Is this useful? If so, in what ways? We report a qualitative study of the experience of trainees undertaking a CT training course, which included an explicit self-practice (SP) and self-reflection (SR) component. Key features of the learning process were: (i) experiencing cognitive techniques from the client's perspective, and (ii) reflecting on this experience that led to (iii) a “deeper sense of knowing” of CT practices. The primary learning outcome was an enhancement of therapeutic understandings, which trainees reported to be both professionally and personally useful. Professionally, they reported deeper understanding of the therapist's role, the cognitive model and change processes. Personally, SP/SR led to greater understanding of themselves, and to the perception of CT as a useful tool for personal change. The data also suggested two other positive learning outcomes: an enhancement of therapist skills and therapist self-concept. We conclude that SP/SR may be a valuable component in CT training. Guidelines and recommendations for inclusion of SP/SR in training courses are discussed.
Climate Effects of Black Carbon Aerosols in China and India

In recent decades, there has been a tendency toward increased summer floods in south China, increased drought in north China, and moderate cooling in China and India while most of the world has been warming. We used a global climate model to investigate possible aerosol contributions to these trends. We found precipitation and temperature changes in the model that were comparable to those observed if the aerosols included a large proportion of absorbing black carbon (“soot”), similar to observed amounts. Absorbing aerosols heat the air, alter regional atmospheric stability and vertical motions, and affect the large-scale circulation and hydrologic cycle with significant regional climate effects.
Inhibition of photosynthesis by carbohydrates in wheat leaves.

The rate of net CO(2) assimilation of mature wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) leaves in ambient air (21% O(2), 340 microbars CO(2)) declined with time of illumination at temperatures lower than 25 degrees C, but not at higher temperatures, and the rate of decline increased when maintained in air with higher CO(2) concentration (700-825 microbars). In this latter case, the decline in the rate of net CO(2) assimilation also occurred at high temperatures. Stomatal conductance also declined with time in some cases and stomata became more sensitive to CO(2), but this was not the primary cause of the decrease in CO(2) assimilation because internal partial pressure of CO(2) remained constant. Treatments which reduced the rate of translocation (e.g. lower temperatures, chilling the base of the leaf) produced a marked decline in CO(2) assimilation of leaves in atmospheric and high CO(2) concentrations. The decreased net CO(2) assimilation was correlated with carbohydrate accumulation in each case, suggesting end product inhibition of photosynthesis. Analysis of CO(2) assimilation in high carbohydrate leaves as a function of intercellular CO(2) partial pressure showed reduction in the upper part of the curve. The initial slope of this curve, however, was not affected. Photosynthetic rates in the upper part of this curve generally recovered after a short period in darkness in which carbohydrates were removed from the leaf. The stimulation of net CO(2) assimilation by 2% O(2) (Warburg effect), and the apparent quantum yield, decreased after several hours of light.
Subgingival microbial profiles as diagnostic markers of destructive periodontal diseases: a clinical epidemiology study.

AIMS To describe the subgingival microbial profiles of the major putative periodontal pathogens and investigate their role as diagnostic markers for destructive periodontal diseases in an untreated and isolated population. MATERIALS AND METHODS The source population consisted of all subjects aged ≥ 12 years in an isolated Brazilian population. An interview and a full-mouth clinical examination were conducted and subgingival plaque samples were obtained from four sites per subject. PCR analyses were used to identify the following micro-organisms: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Prevotella intermedia and Campylobacter rectus. RESULTS Among the 214 clinically examined subjects (81% response), 170 of the 195 dentate subjects provided plaque samples. Two subgingival microbial profiles were identified: absence of all micro-organisms but Campylobacter rectus or co-occurrence of Tannerella forsythia and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Using a combination of microbiological and interview information, the smallest overall misclassification in the diagnosis of extensive clinical attachment loss ≥ 5 mm was 8.8% (4.7% of non-cases and 22% of cases), but this was not different from the 7.6% (2.3% non-cases and 24.4% cases) obtained using clinical and interview information (p = 0.292). CONCLUSION Specific microbial profiles could be identified in this isolated population. They did not result in significant superior diagnostic accuracy when compared to traditional clinical markers.