Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sodium transport across the surface membrane of red blood cells in hereditary spherocytosis.

The erythrocyte of hereditary spherocytosis (HS), compared with the normal human erythrocyte, is characterized by an increased thickness: diameter ratio, a greater tendency to hemolyze in hypotonic solutions of sodium chloride (osmotic fragility), and a higher rate of hemolysis when incubated at body temperature (spontaneous autohemolysis) (1). Evidence of abnormalities in the glycolytic cycle of the HS cell has recently been presented (2) and corroborated (3). The in vitro movement of sodium ion (Na) across the surface membrane of washed erythrocytes from one patient with HS has been quantitated (4): the rate of extrusion was abnormally high both before and after splenectomy. A normally functioning glycolytic cycle has become an experimentally well established requisite for normal cation transport 3 across the surface membrane of erythrocytes (6). Cation transport is required to maintain the low Na and high potassium (K) concentrations in human red cells, as they contrast to plasma Na and K concentrations. Consequently this study was planned to determine:
Characteristics of Children with High and Low Usage of Physician Services

This study examines utilization of physician services using a sample of 17,110 children younger than 18 years from the Child Health Supplement to the 1988 National Health Interview Survey on Child Health. Although children averaged 3 contacts with physicians, 21% of children did not use physician services and 7% had 10 or more contacts and accounted for 37% of all contacts for children during 1988. Age and ethnicity of the child; family income, health insurance status, size, and area of residence; and mother's educational attainment were important sociodemographic correlates of low usage. In contrast, demographic and socioeconomic characteristics were found to be only modest predictors of high usage. Children's health characteristics, especially number of childhood health conditions, were highly predictive of both high and low physician services usage. Compared with children who had no reported conditions, children with multiple conditions were eight times as likely to be high users and were only a fourth as likely to be low users. Implications of these results are discussed.
What can we learn on rodent fearfulness/anxiety from the genetically heterogeneous NIH-HS rat stock?

The “National Institutes of Health” genetically heterogeneous (NIH-HS) rat stock was created in the 1980s through an eight-way cross of as much as possible separate inbred rat strains (i.e. the MR/N, WN/N, WKY/N, M520/N, F344/N, ACI/N, BN/SsN and BUF/N strains) which were readily available at that time. Hansen and Spuhler [1] developed a more naturalistic, genetically heterogeneous rat stock with the aim of optimizing the distribution of genotypic frequencies and recombination and under the hypothesis that the NIH-HS stock could yield a broad-range distribution of responses (broader than commonly used laboratory rat strains) to experimental conditions, and thus serve as a base population for selection studies. Along the last decade, in a series of studies we have phenotypically characterized the NIH-HS rat stock (a colony exists at our laboratory since 2004) for their anxiety/fearfulness profiles (using a battery of both unconditioned and conditioned tests/tasks), as well as regarding their stress-induced hormonal responses, coping style under inescapable stress and spatial learning ability. We have also compared the phenotypic profiles of NIH-HS rats with those of the low anxious RHA-I and the high anxious RLA-I rat strains. The NIH-HS rat stock is, as a population, a rather anxious type of rat, with predominantly reactive/passive coping style in unlearned and learned anxiety/fear tests, and elevated stress hormone responses (as well as enhanced “depressive” symptoms in the forced swimming test). Genetic studies currently under way have thus far revealed that the genetically heterogeneous NIH-HS rat stock constitutes a unique tool for fine mapping of QTL (for multiple behavioural and biological complex traits) to megabase resolution levels, thus enabling candidate gene identification. We give some examples of this in the present paper, while also highlighting that microarray gene expression studies reveal that HPA-axis- and prolactin-related genes (among others) in the amygdala appear to be related with (or associated to) the coping style and anxiety/fearfulness responses of NIH-HS rats.
A clinicopathological study of lesions of spinal cord and its coverings: A tertiary care hospital experience

Background: The human central nervous system is highly evolved and an enormously complex system. Aim of our study was to analyse the clinical and radiological spectrum of spinal cord lesions with histopathological morphology, according to recent WHO classification of tumors of Central Nervous System and to highlight any changing trends in the spinal cord lesions if detected in context of Indian patient’s profile. Methods: Our study comprised of a total 85 surgical resection specimens of lesions of spinal cord and its covering studied over a consecutive period of 12 years in a tertiary care hospital. Primary vertebral tumors and paraspinal soft tissue lesions were excluded. Descriptive cross-sectional study of cases including detailed clinical data of age, sex, duration of disease, type of lesion, and radiological findings of the patients was obtained. All cases were analyzed by examining Hematoxylin and Eosin stained slides with use of special stains and immunohistochemistry, as needed. Result: Male predominance was noted with ratio of 1.3:1 with maximum cases seen in 21-40 years. Pain was the most frequent symptom, followed by paraplegia and sensory dysfunction. Thoracic segment of the spinal cord was most commonly involved, followed by lumbar and cervical . The most common site was extradural , followed by intradural extramedullary and intradural intramedullary lesions. Out of total, we had 69.4% cases of tumors of spinal cord and its covering, 23.5% intraspinal tuberculosis and 7.1% cases of benign cystic lesions. Amongst the tumors,Commonest tumor was Nerve sheath tumors ( 42%) followed by meningioma ( 25% ), astrocytoma (12.5%), metastasis (8%), ependymoma (7%). There were single rare cases of glioblastoma multiforme,paraganglioma, ganglioneuroma, PNET. Conclusion: Tumors of spinal cord are considered to be rare . The management of spinal cord lesions requires proper diagnosis which depends on clinical manifestation, radiography and its correlation with histological type and grade.
Phonological categorization of vowels: A mismatch negativity study

There is electrophysiological evidence that phonological categorization has occurred within 100–200 ms post stimulus onset for the syllables /tae/ and /dae/, which vary in voice onset time. Using a similar paradigm, this study investigated when phonological categorization occurred for the contrast between /I/ and /&egr;/, using synthesized speech tokens that differed in the frequency of the first formant. Here we show that phonological categorization of these tokens has not occurred 100–200 ms after stimulus onset. However, the presence of a late mismatch negativity (350 ms after stimulus onset) indicated that phonological categorization had taken place by this time.
Are We There Yet?

“I called you at home because I wanted to check with you about what Wes thinks he heard in class today. ” This was the start to a phone call I received when I taught junior high school mathematics earlier in my career. I remember this conversation distinctly because as I listened to what Wes told his mother, I remember thinking “Wow—where on earth did he get that idea? ” Wes completely misunderstood an important component for the project demonstrating his understanding of the mathematics concept we were studying. Situations such as this remind us to not neglect the importance of the social aspect of understanding that occurs when dealing with what we might consider commonplace terms or concepts. This incident from my earlier teaching career came to mind after listening to different comments made by colleagues in the college of education where I teach regarding the effective use of technology in our teacher education programs. I began to wonder if we were all operating from the same working definition when we talk about integrating technology into our teacher education program. This article presents one strand of findings from a two-fold descriptive exploratory case study designed to 1) investigate teacher educators’ decisions regarding the use of technology in his or her teacher education courses and 2) determine what the phrase “integrating technology into our teacher education program” means to teacher educators. This article will specifically address the second research purpose of exploring the meaning of the phrase “integrating technology into our teacher education program” and the subsequent production of foundational work for an innovation configuration map regarding the infusion of technology into the teacher education programs at a large, research-oriented university in the southeast.
Do Infant Birth Outcomes Vary Among Mothers With and Without Health Insurance Coverage in Sub-Saharan Africa? Findings from the National Health Insurance and Cash and Carry Eras in Ghana, West Africa

Background: Beginning in the late 1960’s, and accelerating after 1985, a system known as “Cash and Carry” required the people of Ghana to pay for health services out-of-pocket before receiving them. In 2003, Ghana enacted a National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) (fully implemented by 2005) that allowed pregnant women to access antenatal care and hospital delivery services for low annual premiums tied to income. The objective of this study was to compare trends in low birth weight (LBW) among infants born under the NHIS with infants born during the Cash and Carry system when patients paid out-of-pocket for maternal and child health services. Methods: Sampled birth records abstracted from birth folders at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) were examined. Chi-squared tests were performed to determine differences in the prevalence of LBW. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Analyses were conducted for selected variables in each year from 2000 to 2003 (Cash and Carry) and 2008 to 2011(NHIS). Results: Higher birth weights were not observed for deliveries under NHIS compared to those under Cash and Carry. More than one-third of infants in both eras were born to first-time mothers, and they had a significantly higher prevalence of LBW compared to infants born to multiparous mothers. Conclusion and Global Health Implications: Understanding the factors that affect the prevalence of LBW is crucial to public health policy makers in Ghana. LBW is a powerful predictor of infant survival, and therefore, an important factor in determining the country’s progress toward meeting the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of reducing under-five child mortality rates (MDG4) by the end of 2015.
Altered Metabolic Profiles among Older Mothers with a History of Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia has been linked to increased risk for cardiovascular disease and, more recently, to reduced risk for breast cancer later in life. The altered chronic disease risk associated with prior preeclampsia may reflect underlying metabolic differences. In this case-control study, we examined the metabolic profiles of older mothers with and without a history of preeclampsia in their first pregnancies. At the time of the study, subjects were non-pregnant, non-smoking women who completed their first pregnancies at age 30 or older, were pre-menopausal, and were free of serious chronic disease. Cases were 13 women who experienced preeclampsia in their first pregnancies; controls were 13 women with uncomplicated first pregnancies, frequency matched to cases on race/ethnicity, current age, and age at delivery. A fasting blood sample was collected from each subject during the luteal phase (day 19–22) of the menstrual cycle and assayed for specific factors thought to be linked to hypertensive disease or breast cancer. Compared to women with uncomplicated pregnancies, those with a history of preeclampsia had significantly elevated levels of fasting serum triglycerides, insulin and glucose, and a higher fasting insulin resistance index, suggesting that women with prior preeclampsia were relatively insulin resistant. In addition, cases had higher levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and a higher molar ratio of IGFBP-3 to IGF-1 than did controls. Adjustment for obesity and other potential confounders did not appreciably alter the magnitude of these associations. This preliminary study suggests that women with a history of preeclampsia have persistent metabolic abnormalities consistent with their observed excess risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and their apparent reduced risk for breast cancer later in life.
Exploration Feeding and Higher Space Allocation Improve Welfare of Growing-Finishing Pigs

Simple Summary A lack of exploration materials in pig pens can result in damaging behavior towards pen mates. The objective of our study was to reduce skin and tail lesions by frequently providing small amounts of feed on the floor and by providing more space per pig. Both the so-called “exploration feeding” and the additional space resulted in fewer skin lesions. Finally, this can lead to a more welfare-friendly pig husbandry. Abstract Lack of environmental enrichment and high stocking densities in growing-finishing pigs can lead to adverse social behaviors directed to pen mates, resulting in skin lesions, lameness, and tail biting. The objective of the study was to improve animal welfare and prevent biting behavior in an experiment with a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design on exploration feeding, stocking density, and sex. We kept 550 pigs in 69 pens from 63 days to 171 days of life. Pigs were supplemented with or without exploration feeding, kept in groups of seven (1.0 m2/pig) or nine animals (0.8 m2/pig) and separated per sex. Exploration feeding provided small amounts of feed periodically on the solid floor. Skin lesion scores were significantly lower in pens with exploration feeding (p = 0.028, p < 0.001, p < 0.001 for front, middle, and hind body), in pens with high compared to low space allowance (p = 0.005, p = 0.006, p < 0.001 for front, middle and hind body), and in pens with females compared to males (p < 0.001, p = 0.005, p < 0.001 for front, middle and hind body). Males with exploration feeding had fewer front skin lesions than females with exploration feeding (p = 0.022). Pigs with 1.0 m2 compared to 0.8 m2 per pig had a higher daily gain of 27 g per pig per day (p = 0.04) and males compared to females had a higher daily gain of 39 g per pig per day (p = 0.01). These results indicate that exploration feeding might contribute to the development of a more welfare-friendly pig husbandry with intact tails in the near future.
Heritability of the Number of Teeth in Middle-Aged and Older Danish Twins

Tooth loss is a common health concern in older adults. We aimed to estimate the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to the variation in the number of teeth in middle-aged and older populations using a population-based cohort of Danish twins. The study included 5,269 Danish middle-aged or older twins who provided data on the number of teeth at baseline by structured interviews. The data were analyzed using univariate liability threshold modeling, stratified by sex and age, to estimate familial risk of tooth loss as well as estimates of heritability. In the whole cohorts, 23% of participants were edentate and 53% had retained 20 or more teeth. A statistical model including additive genetic factors and environmental factors partly shared by co-twins and partly unique to each individual twin gave the best statistical fit for the number of teeth in both age categories as well as in men and women. Overall, additive genetic factors explained 36% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 23% to 49%), common environmental factors 20% (95% CI: 9% to 31%), and unique environmental factors 44% (95% CI: 40% to 48%) of the total variation of the number of teeth. This study indicates that a substantial part of the variation in tooth loss is explained by genetic as well as environmental factors shared by co-twins. Our results implied that family background importantly affects tooth loss in both the middle-aged and the older populations. Family history is thus an important factor to take into account in dental health care.
Pregnancy Outcomes Following Cervical Conization or Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedures.

Background Conservative excisional measures used to manage cervical dysplasia are often cited as risk factors for preterm labor in subsequent pregnancies. Objective We performed an evidence-based review of the obstetric complications following excisional procedures for cervical dysplasia in women of reproductive age. Evidence Acquisition Between 1993 and 2016, there were 7 published meta-analyses of cohort studies that consistently demonstrated an association between excisional cervical procedures and preterm labor. However, controversy remains as to whether the increased risk is due to the cervical amputation or to the risk factors that underlie the dysplasia. Results Although data suggest an association between excisional procedures and preterm labor, the choice of the control group may either overestimate or underestimate the relative risk. In addition, recent data suggest that depth of excision greater than 10 to 12 mm is associated with increases in risk of preterm birth. Conclusions Women with cervical dysplasia are at an increased baseline risk of preterm birth, and surgical excision confers additional risk. Pregnant patients with advanced cervical dysplasia or a history of surgical excision should be considered high-risk pregnancies.
Estimation of hospital costs for colorectal cancer care in Nova Scotia.

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common invasive cancer in Canada. Estimates of the costs of care allow estimation of the cost effectiveness of screening for premalignant and early disease. OBJECTIVE To estimate, from administrative data, the hospital costs incurred by a population-based cohort of CRC cases over three years from diagnosis. DESIGN All Nova Scotia residents with CRC who were diagnosed in 1990 were identified from the Nova Scotia Cancer Registry. These cases were linked to the administrative files of the Nova Scotia Department of Health, which contain information on diagnosis, procedures and length of stay for all admissions and day surgery visits to Nova Scotia hospitals. MEASUREMENTS The lengths of stay and hospital-specific per diem rates were used as the measures of resource use. The costs were analyzed in terms of the extent of spread at diagnosis; the time period after diagnosis; the time period before death; and, for typical cases, the age and presence of comorbidity identified during the initial surgical admission. RESULTS The estimated three-year hospital cost for the complete cohort of 593 cases was $9.8 million. This cost was significantly less for cases with local spread, highest in the six months around, and after diagnosis and in the final six months of life, and highest in the typical cases (patients who were older and had significant comorbid conditions). CONCLUSIONS Hospital-specific per diem rates and lengths of stay are an approximate measure of hospital resource use.
Pilot surveillance for childhood encephalitis in Australia using the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance (PAEDS) network

SUMMARY We aimed to assess the performance of active surveillance for hospitalized childhood encephalitis in New South Wales (NSW) using the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance (PAEDS) network to inform methodology for the nationwide Australian childhood encephalitis (ACE) study. We piloted active surveillance for suspected encephalitis from May to December 2013 at the Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW. Cases were ascertained using four screening methods: weekday nurse screening of admission records (PAEDS), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) microscopy records, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reports, and pharmacy dispensing records. Comprehensive clinical data were prospectively collected on consented participants and subsequently reviewed by an expert panel. Cases were categorized as confirmed encephalitis or ‘not encephalitis’; encephalitis cases were sub-categorized as infectious, immune-mediated or unknown. We performed an ICD-10 diagnostic code audit of hospitalizations for the pilot period. We compared case ascertainment in the four screening methods and with the ICD code audit. Forty-eight cases of suspected encephalitis were identified by one or more methods. PAEDS was the most efficient mechanism (yield 34%), followed by MRI, CSF, and pharmacy audits (yield 14%, 12%, and 7% respectively). Twenty-five cases met the criteria for confirmed encephalitis. PAEDS was the most sensitive of the mechanisms for confirmed encephalitis (92%) with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 72%. The ICD audit was moderately sensitive (64%) but poorly specific (Sp 9%, PPV 14%). Of the 25 confirmed encephalitis cases, 19 (76%) were sub-categorized as infectious, three (12%) were immune-mediated, and three (12%) were ‘unknown’. We identified encephalitis cases associated with two infectious disease outbreaks (enterovirus 71, parechovirus 3). PAEDS is an efficient, sensitive and accurate surveillance mechanism for detecting cases of childhood encephalitis including those associated with emerging infectious diseases. Active surveillance significantly increases the ascertainment of encephalitis cases compared with passive approaches.
Printable planar lightwave circuits with a high refractive index

We report a novel nanofabrication method to fabricate printable integrated circuits with a high refractive index working in the visible wavelength range. The printable planar ligthwave circuits are directly imprinted by ultra-violet nanoimprinting into functional TiO2-based resist on the top of planar waveguide core films. The printed photonic circuits are composed of several elementary components including ridge waveguides, light splitters and digital planar holograms. Multi-mode ridge waveguides with propagation losses around 40 dB cm−1 at 660 nm wavelength, and, on-chip demultiplexers operated in the visible range with 100 channels and a spectral channel spacing around 0.35 nm are successfully demonstrated.
Pneumatosis intestinalis in the adult: benign to life-threatening causes.

OBJECTIVE The frequency of detection of pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) appears to be increasing. This increase may be the result of increased CT use. New medications and surgical procedures have been reported to be associated with an increase in the incidence of PI. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on the imaging features and clinical conditions associated with PI. CONCLUSION This article illustrates the imaging findings of PI due to benign and life-threatening causes, with emphasis placed on describing newly associated conditions and also the imaging appearance on CT.