Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE INFLUENCE OF MATERNAL VAGINAL AEROBIC FLORA ON NEWBORN EARLY INFECTIONS

Objectives: To study cervical colonization in women with premature rupture of membranes and the influence of infection on preterm newborns. Methods: Prospective analysis. Results: 167 (38.66%) from 432 preterm deliveries were complicated with premature prelabour rupture of the membranes (PPROM). Organisms which induce chorioamnionitis and newborns infections mostly belong to group B streptococci (GBS), E. Coli and Staphylococcus aureus. In most cases of congenital neonatal sepsis cases bacteriological cultures from the mother had been negative. Documented sepsis during 72 hours of life was detected in 13.17% of our patients and 55.8% of women received antibiotics. The risk of neonatal mortality rises proportionally and significantly in relation to low birth weight in PRM cases. Conclusions: Further randomised trials with more sensitive methods of bacterial investigation should be conducted in order to reduce the incidence of preterm deliveries and newborn early infection.
Decreased Circulating Leptin Level and Its Association With Body and Bone Mass in Girls With Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Study Design. A prospective study was designed to investigate the circulating leptin level in girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Objective. To determine the circulating leptin levels in AIS girls, and to investigate its associations with body mass and bone mass. Summary of Background Data. Abnormal growth pattern and osteopenia have been well documented in AIS patients throughout the peripubertal growth period. Leptin has been shown to regulate the growth of the whole body and bone particularly during childhood and adolescence. However, the circulating level of leptin, the relationships between leptin and lower body mass, and the relationships between leptin and lower bone mass in AIS patients remain unclear. Methods. One hundred twenty AIS girls and 80 healthy controls were recruited in this study. Measurements of anthropometry and circulating leptin were performed both in AIS and non-AIS girls. Evaluations of curve severity and measurements of bone mineral content/density (BMC/BMD) were performed only in AIS girls. The anthropometric data and circulating leptin levels were compared between older AIS girls and controls. The relationships between leptin and age, menstrual status, body weight, height, body mass index (BMI), Risser sign, curve magnitude, and BMC/BMD were analyzed in AIS girls. Results. Compared with healthy controls, an abnormal growth pattern (higher corrected height, lower weight, and lower BMI), and a marked decrease of circulating leptin were found in AIS girls, even after the adjustment for age and menstrual status. Positive correlations were found between leptin and age, menstrual status, body weight, height, BMI, and Risser sign. No significant correlation was found between leptin and curve magnitude. There was no significant difference in age at menarche between menstruating AIS and non-AIS girls, though an inverse correlation was observed between leptin and the age at menarche. The relationship between leptin and BMC/BMD remained significantly positive after controlling for age and menstrual status, although it was not independent of body weight or BMI. Conclusion. A marked decrease of circulating leptin was observed in the current study. There was an association between leptin and body weight, BMI, other growth parameters, and BMC/BMD. This correlation suggests that leptin might play an important role in the lower body and bone mass in AIS girls.
Persistent infection with human papillomavirus 16 or 18 is strongly linked with high-grade cervical disease

Abstract We investigated the relationship between high-grade cervical disease (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia [CIN] 2, CIN3 or adenocarcinoma in situ) and persistent infection with HPV16 and/or HPV18 (HPV16/18) among 3970 women who received placebo in 3 clinical trials of a quadrivalent HPV vaccine. Statistical analysis (odds ratios, sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values, negative and positive likelihood ratios) showed that patients with a persistent infection with HPV16/18 had a much greater risk of HPV16/18-related high-grade cervical disease. Furthermore, subjects without a persistent infection with HPV16/18 were unlikely to have HPV16/18-related high-grade cervical disease. These results suggest that persistent infection with HPV16/18 meets the criteria for a surrogate endpoint for HPV16/18-related high-grade cervical disease and may be used as such in future clinical studies with prophylactic HPV vaccines and in natural history studies.
Detection of sinkhole attack in wireless sensor networks

Generally wireless sensor networks rely of many-to-one communication approach for data gathering. This approach is extremely susceptible to sinkhole attack, where an intruder attracts surrounding nodes with unfaithful routing information, and subsequently presents selective forwarding or change the data that carry through it. A sinkhole attack causes an important threat to sensor networks and it should be considered that the sensor nodes are mostly spread out in open areas and of weak computation and battery power. In order to detect the intruder in a sinkhole attack this paper suggests an algorithm which firstly finds a group of suspected nodes by analyzing the consistency of data. Then, the intruder is recognized efficiently in the group by checking the network flow information. The proposed algorithm's performance has been evaluated by using numerical analysis and simulations. Therefore, accuracy and efficiency of algorithm would be verified.
Running head : ATTACHMENT AND AMAE Attachment and Amae in Japanese Romantic Relationships

Amae is a Japanese term that refers to an individual‟s inappropriate behavior when he/she presumes indulgence from a significant other. The link between attachment style and amae has been debated, but few studies have examined this link empirically. This study examined the association of attachment style with amae behavior in Japanese dating couples over a two-week period. Results showed that for Japanese men, anxious attachment was positively associated with their amae behavior, and in turn, with their increased relationship quality. Conversely, avoidant attachment was negatively associated with their amae behavior, and in turn, with their decreased relationship quality.
Sport Fields as Potential Catalysts for Physical Activity in the Neighbourhood

Physical activity is associated with access to recreational facilities such as sports fields. Because it is not clear whether objectively- or subjectively-assessed access to facilities exerts a stronger influence on physical activity, we investigated the association between the objective and perceived accessibility of sport fields and the levels of self-reported physical activity among adults in Edmonton, Canada. A sample of 2879 respondents was surveyed regarding their socio-demographics, health status, self-efficacy, levels of physical activity, as well as their perceptions of built environment in relation to physical activity. Neighbourhood-level data were obtained for each respondent based on their residence. Accessibility to facilities was assessed using the enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area method. Geographic Information Systems were employed. A logistic regression was performed to predict physical activity using individual- and neighbourhood-level variables. Women, older individuals, and individuals with higher educational attainment were less likely to be physically active. Also, individuals with higher self-efficacy and higher objectively-assessed access to facilities were more likely to be physically active. Interventions that integrate provision of relevant programs for various population groups and of improved recreational facilities may contribute to sport fields becoming catalysts for physical activity by generating movement both on the site and in the neighbourhood.
Serum fibroblast growth factor-23 levels predict the future refractory hyperparathyroidism in dialysis patients.

BACKGROUND Secondary hyperparathyroidism is a common complication among long-term dialysis patients. The method of predicting future parathyroid function has not yet been established. Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) is a newly found humoral phosphaturic factor. METHODS One hundred and three nondiabetic dialysis patients whose plasma intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were below 300 pg/mL were included in the study. Blood samples were stored at -80 degrees C for 2 years. Meanwhile, each physician in charge decided upon the strategy of medical therapy for maintaining intact PTH levels between 150 and 300 pg/mL. Patients were judged 2 years after the sample collection with regard to whether the hyperparathyroidism responded to the medical therapy. The definition of refractory secondary hyperparathyroidism was either (1) retaining intact PTH levels greater than 300 pg/mL 2 years after sample collection, or (2) having received the parathyroid intervention therapy during the observation period. Serum FGF-23 levels were determined with a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system that detects biologically active human FGF-23. RESULTS Seventeen patients with intact PTH levels greater than 300 pg/mL were judged as having secondary hyperparathyroidism refractory to medical therapy. A stepwise regression analysis revealed that only serum levels of FGF-23 were significantly related to the prognosis of parathyroid function. A receiver-operated characteristic analysis demonstrated that the area under the curves obtained from FGF-23 (7099.9) was significantly greater than that obtained from intact PTH (6306.4, P < .01) and Ca x Pi (5670.3, P <.0001). Although the plasma intact PTH levels at the beginning of the observation period were comparable to each other, the intact PTH levels at 2 years after the sample collection were significantly higher in the patients with FGF-23 >/=7500 ng/L than in those with FGF-23 <7500 ng/L (P < .0001). CONCLUSION Serum FGF-23 level was found to be the most useful factor in predicting future development of refractory secondary hyperparathyroidism in long-term dialysis patients with mild secondary hyperparathyroidism. The measurement of serum FGF-23 levels is a promising laboratory examination that can be applied in the clinical practice of uremic secondary hyperparathyroidism.
Association of sleep disordered breathing and cognitive deficit in APOE ε4 carriers.

STUDY OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to determine whether apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 genotype (APOE4) modifies the association of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) with cognitive function in a middle-aged population. DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis of a community-dwelling cohort. SETTINGS Sleep laboratory at the Clinical Research Unit of the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics. PARTICIPANTS There were 755 adults from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort who provided a total of 1,843 polysomnography and cognitive evaluations (most participants were assessed multiple times at approximately 4-y intervals); 56% males, average age 53.9 years (range 30-81 years). INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENT AND RESULTS In-laboratory overnight polysomnography was used to assess SDB. Cognition was evaluated by a battery of six neurocognitive tests assessing memory and learning, attention, executive function, and psychomotor efficiency. The APOE4 genotype (ε3/ε4 or ε4/ ε4) was identified in 200 participants. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models, accounting for multiple observations per participant. Cognitive test scores were regressed on SDB categories (AHI < 5, 5 ≤ AHI < 15, AHI ≥ 15); APOE4 and their interaction; and age, education, sex, and body mass index. There was no statistically significant association between SDB and cognitive performance among APOE4-negative individuals. However, in APOE4-positive individuals, those with AHI ≥ 15 had significantly worse performance on the Auditory Verbal Learning Test and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test. CONCLUSIONS In APOE4-positive individuals, moderate to severe sleep disordered breathing (AHI ≥ 15) was associated with poorer performance on cognitive tests that require both memory and executive function engagement.
Investigation of self-microemulsifying and microemulsion systems for protection of prednisolone from gamma radiation

Radiation is efficient for terminal sterilization. Unfortunately, its use for liquid pharmaceuticals is difficult. This work investigated the potential radioprotective effect of self-microemulsifying (SMEDDS), microemulsions and their phase transition systems which were reported to enhance ocular drug delivery. Prednisolone solutions were prepared in SMEDDS, W/O microemulsions containing, 5% w/w (ME 5%) or 10% w/w (ME 10%) water, liquid crystalline system with 25% water (LC) and coarse emulsion containing 80% water (EM). These were subjected to gamma irradiation with aqueous solution and suspension being used as control. The physical properties of the formulations were monitored and the chemical potency of the drug was determined using a stability indicating HPLC method. The phase behavior of the formulations was not affected by irradiation but the viscosity of LC was significantly reduced. The SMEDDS, ME 5% and ME 10% showed excellent radiation protection as indicated by no change in the chemical potency. The LC retained 84% and the EM retained 39.8% of the chemical potency after exposure to 20 KGy. The aqueous solution was extensively degraded with the suspension retaining only 73.5% of the potency at 20 KGy. SMEDDS and W/O microemulsion can thus protect prednisolone from degradation by ionizing radiation.
State Anxiety and Coping Strategies Used by Patients with Hepatitis C in Relation to Interferon Therapy

The present study was conducted to examine state anxiety and coping strategies used by hepatitis C patients in relation to Interferon therapy. Hundred patients with hepatitis C were recruited from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad (PIMS). For assessment, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI; Speilberger, 1983) and Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ; Kauser & Munir, 2004) were used. t-test analysis concluded that the level of state anxiety was significantly higher among patients who had received interferon therapy as compared to those who had not received it. The two groups also significantly differed in the use of coping strategies. Degree of anxiety in patients varied in relation to the types of coping strategies they used. Findings have important implications for provision of psychological services for hepatitis patients.
Ship Resistance and Propulsion: Practical Estimation of Ship Propulsive Power

Ship Resistance and Propulsion is dedicated to providing a comprehensive and modern scientific approach to evaluating ship resistance and propulsion. This book, written by experts in the field, includes the latest developments from applied research, including those in experimental and CFD techniques, and provides guidance for the practical estimation of ship propulsive power for a range of ship types. A large number of fully worked examples are included to illustrate applications of the data and powering methodologies; these include cargo and container ships, tankers and bulk carriers, ferries, warships, patrol craft, work boats, planing craft and yachts. The book is aimed at a broad readership including practising naval architects and marine engineers, seagoing officers, small craft designers, undergraduate and postgraduate degree students. It should also appeal to others involved in transportation, transport efficiency and eco-logistics who need to carry out reliable estimates of ship power requirements. Contents 1. Introduction; 2. Propulsive power; 3. Components of ship resistance; 4. Model-ship extrapolation; 5. Model-ship correlation; 6. Restricted water depth and breadth; 7. Measurements of resistance components; 8. Wake and thrust deduction; 9. Numerical estimation of ship resistance; 10. Resistance design data; 11. Propulsor types; 12. Propeller characteristics; 13. Powering process; 14. Hull from design; 15. Numerical methods for propeller analysis; 16. Propulsor design data; 17. Applications.
Performance of the prompt system in identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of clinical isolates

The rapid 3M Prompt inoculation system was compared with the traditional log-phase system for Autoscan identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing (MIC) of 188 recent clinical isolates. The two systems were equally effective for gram-negative rods; the Prompt system was slightly superior for the determination of MICs for gram-positive organisms.
Adenocarcinoma the most common cell type in patients presenting with primary lung cancer in the Western Cape.

2We found that adenocarcinoma is now the most common histological subtype of primary lung cancer diagnosed in the Western Cape and that almost 90% of all patients with non-small cell lung cancer have advanced local or metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. ‘Lung cancer’ denotes cancer arising in the airways and pulmonary parenchyma. Its histopathological designation is based on the World Health Organization classification system, with 4 cell types responsible for most deaths: adenocarcinoma (including bronchoalveolar carcinoma), squamous cell carcinoma, large cell (undifferentiated) carcinoma and small cell carcinoma. 3 Carcinoid tumours and other rare cell types complete the list of cell types. An interesting phenomenon in the developed world over the last two decades has been the relative increase in the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma which has replaced squamous cell carcinoma as the most frequent histological subtype. 4 Many explanations for this well-documented phenomenon have been suggested. There are few current South African data regarding the relative incidence of the various cell types. The latest National Cancer Registry (NCR) report is from 2001, and contains no data on the relative incidence of the lung cancer cell types. 5 Moreover, published and unpublished data from the 1980s suggested that more than 50 - 60% of all lung cancers were squamous cell carcinomas. 6
K+ currents underlying the action of endothelium‐derived hyperpolarizing factor in guinea‐pig, rat and human blood vessels

1 Membrane currents attributed to endothelium‐derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) were recorded in short segments of submucosal arterioles of guinea‐pigs using single microelectrode voltage clamp. The functional responses of arterioles and human subcutaneous, rat hepatic and guinea‐pig coronary arteries were also assessed as changes in membrane potential recorded simultaneously with contractile activity. 2 The current‐voltage (I‐V) relationship for the conductance due to EDHF displayed outward rectification with little voltage dependence. Components of the current were blocked by charybdotoxin (30‐60 nM) and apamin (0.25‐0.50 μM), which also blocked hyperpolarization and prevented EDHF‐induced relaxation. 3 The EDHF‐induced current was insensitive to Ba2+ (20‐100 μM) and/or ouabain (1 μM to 1 mM). 4 In human subcutaneous arteries and guinea‐pig coronary arteries and submucosal arterioles, the EDHF‐induced responses were insensitive to Ba2+ and/or ouabain. Increasing [K+]o to 11‐21 mM evoked depolarization under conditions in which EDHF evoked hyperpolarization. 5 Responses to ACh, sympathetic nerve stimulation and action potentials were indistinguishable between dye‐labelled smooth muscle and endothelial cells in arterioles. Action potentials in identified endothelial cells were always associated with constriction of the arterioles. 6 18β‐Glycyrrhetinic acid (30 μM) and carbenoxolone (100 μM) depolarized endothelial cells by 31 ± 6 mV (n= 7 animals) and 33 ± 4 mV (n= 5), respectively, inhibited action potentials in smooth muscle and endothelial cells and reduced the ACh‐induced hyperpolarization of endothelial cells by 56 and 58 %, respectively. 7 Thus, activation of outwardly rectifying K+ channels underlies the hyperpolarization and relaxation due to EDHF. These channels have properties similar to those of intermediate conductance (IKCa) and small conductance (SKCa) Ca2+‐activated K+ channels. Strong electrical coupling between endothelial and smooth muscle cells implies that these two layers function as a single electrical syncytium. The non‐specific effects of glycyrrhetinic acid precludes its use as an indicator of the involvement of gap junctions in EDHF‐attributed responses. These conclusions are likely to apply to a variety of blood vessels including those of humans.
Reconstitution of bacterial outer membrane TonB-dependent transporters in planar lipid bilayer membranes

Micronutrients such as siderophore-bound iron and vitamin B12 cross the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria through a group of 22-stranded β-barrel proteins. They share the unusual feature that their N-terminal end inserts from the periplasmic side into the β-barrel and plugs the lumen. Transport results from energy-driven movement of TonB protein, which either pulls the plug out of the barrel or causes it to rearrange within the barrel. Attempts to reconstitute native plugged channels in an ion-conducting state in lipid bilayer membranes have so far been unsuccessful. We, however, have discovered that if the cis solution contained 4 M urea, then, with the periplasmic side of the channel facing that solution, macroscopic conductances and single channel events could be observed. These results were obtained with FhuA, Cir, and BtuB; for the former two, the channels were closed by removing the 4 M urea. Channels generated by 4 M urea exposure were not a consequence of general protein denaturation, as their ligand-binding properties were preserved. Thus, with FhuA, addition of ferrichrome (its siderophore) to the trans, extracellular-facing side reversibly inhibited 4 M urea-induced channel opening and blocked the channels. With Cir, addition of colicin Ia (the microbial toxin that targets Cir) to the trans, extracellular-facing side prevented 4 M urea-induced channel opening. We hypothesize that 4 M urea reversibly unfolds the FhuA and Cir plugs, thereby opening an ion-conducting pathway through these channels, and that this mimics to some extent the in vivo action of TonB on these plugs.
Hydrogen sulfide in biochemistry and medicine.

SIGNIFICANCE An abundance of experimental evidence suggests that hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) plays a prominent role in physiology and pathophysiology. Many targets exist for H(2)S therapy. The molecular targets of H(2)S include proteins, enzymes, transcription factors, and membrane ion channels. RECENT ADVANCES Novel H(2)S precursors are being synthesized and discovered that are capable of releasing H(2)S in a slow and sustained manner. This presents a novel and advantageous approach to H(2)S therapy for treatment of chronic conditions associated with a decline in endogenous H(2)S, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. CRITICAL ISSUES While H(2)S is cytoprotective at physiological concentrations, it is not universally cytoprotective, as it appears to have pro-apoptotic actions in cancer cells and is well known to be toxic at supraphysiological concentrations. Many of the pleiotropic effects of H(2)S on health are associated with the inhibition of inflammation and upregulation of prosurvival pathways. The powerful anti-inflammatory, cytoprotective, immunomodulating, and trophic effects of H(2)S on the vast majority of normal cells seem to be mediated mainly by its actions as an extremely versatile direct and indirect antioxidant and free radical scavenger. While the overall effects of H(2)S on transformed (i.e., malignant) cells can be characterized as pro-oxidant and pro-apoptotic, they contrast sharply with the cytoprotective effects on most normal cells. FUTURE DIRECTIONS H(2)S has become a molecule of great interest, and several slow-releasing H(2)S prodrugs are currently under development. We believe that additional agents regulating H(2)S bioavailability will be developed during the next 10 years.