Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of field‐related influences on polychlorinated biphenyl exposures and sorbent amendment using polychaete bioassays and passive sampler measurements

Field‐related influences on polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure were evaluated by employing caged deposit‐feeders, Neanthes arenaceodentata, along with polyoxymethylene (POM) samplers using parallel in situ and ex situ bioassays with homogenized untreated or activated carbon (AC) amended sediment. The AC amendment achieved a remedial efficiency in reducing bioaccumulation by 90% in the laboratory and by 44% in the field transplants. In situ measurements showed that PCB uptake by POM samplers was greater for POM placed in the surface sediment compared with the underlying AC amendment, suggesting that tidal exchange of surrounding material with similar PCB availability as untreated sediment was redeposited in the cages. Polychlorinated biphenyls bioaccumulation with caged polychaetes from untreated sediment was half as large under field conditions compared with laboratory conditions. A biodynamic model was used to confirm and quantify the different processes that could have influenced these results. Three factors appeared most influential in the bioassays: AC amendment significantly reduces bioavailability under laboratory and field conditions; sediment deposition within test cages in the field partially masks the remedial benefit of underlying AC‐amended sediment; and deposit‐feeders exhibit less PCB uptake from untreated sediment when feeding is reduced. Ex situ and in situ experiments inevitably show some differences that are associated with measurement methods and effects of the environment. Parallel ex situ and in situ bioassays, passive sampler measurements, and quantifying important processes with a model can tease apart these field influences. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011;30:173–180. © 2010 SETAC
Early Virologic Failure and the Development of Antiretroviral Drug Resistance Mutations in HIV-Infected Ugandan Children

Background:Without virologic testing, HIV-infected African children starting antiretroviral (ARV) therapy are at risk for undetected virologic failure and the development of ARV resistance. We sought to determine the prevalence of early virologic failure (EVF), to characterize the evolution of ARV-resistance mutations and to predict the impact on second-line therapy. Methods:The prevalence of EVF (HIV RNA >400 copies/mL on sequential visits after 6 months of therapy) was identified among 120 HIV-infected Ugandan children starting ARV therapy. ARV mutations were identified by population sequencing of HIV-1 pol in sequential archived specimens. Composite discrete genotypic susceptibility scores were determined for second-line ARV regimens. Results:EVF occurred in 16 children (13%) and persisted throughout a median (interquartile ratio) 938 (760-1066) days of follow-up. M184V and nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-associated mutations emerged within 6 months of EVF; thymidine-analog-mutations arose after 12 months. Worse discrete genotypic susceptibility scores correlated with increasing duration of failure (Spearman R = −0.47; P = 0.001). Only 1 child met World Health Organization CD4 criteria for ARV failure at the time of EVF or during the follow-up period. Conclusions:A significant portion of HIV-infected African children experience EVF that would be undetected using CD4/clinical monitoring and resulted in the accumulation of ARV mutations that could compromise second-line therapy options.
Role of melatonin in modulation of oxidative stress induced by delta- aminolevulinic acid in adult male albino rats.

Backgrounds: Delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is a heme precursor that accumulates in acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) due to enzymatic deficiencies in the heme biosynthetic pathway, its accumulation has been associated with several symptoms because it works as an endogenous source of reactive oxygen species, which can exert oxidative damage to cell structures. The present work was designed to examine the ability of melatonin, a well known antioxidant and a free radical scavenger secreted from the pineal gland, to revert ALA-promoted damage in brain, liver and kidney of rats. Results: The present data demonstrated that chronically ALA-treated rats (40 mg / kg body wt day after day for 14 days) exhibited very highly significant increases in malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PC) whereas the level of glutathione (GSH) was significantly diminished in the tissue homogenates of all tested organs (brain, kidney & liver). Among antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GSH-Rd), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activities were significantly diminished by ALA treatment. Intraperitoneal injection of melatonin (10 mg / kg body weight, every day for 14 consecutive days) significantly ameliorated all the tested parameters. Melatonin moderately increased SOD, CAT, GSH-Rd and GST activities, thereby counteracting the oxidative stress induced by ALA. Nevertheless, exogenous ALA caused a strong net rise in MDA and PC and a significant decrease in GSH when given together with ALA, melatonin antagonized these effects and largely protected the integrity of tissue structures. From the present data, the protection of melatonin against ALA oxidative stress is obviously, so it is well recommended to use melatonin in patients suffering from symptoms related to ALA accumulation.
Simultaneous evaluation of the effects of RF hyperthermia on the intra‐ and extracellular tumor pH

31P‐magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and a fiberoptic pH meter were used simultaneously to follow the changes in intra‐ (pHi) and extracellular pH (pHe), respectively, of murine RIF‐1 tumors with hyperthermia. Hyperthermia was induced at 34 MHz using the same coil used for MR. The study was carried out until 3.5 hr after hyperthermia. In untreated tumors (n = 29), pHi was always higher than pHe. pHi was reduced after hyperthermia (30 min) at both 42°C and 45°C. pHe registered an increase after 42°C and a decrease after 45°C. The reduction in pHi was larger than the initial differential between pHi and pHe, and the change in pHe was relatively small. Hyperthermia changed the acidity of the intra‐ and extracellular compartments, such that pHe became more alkaline than pHi by 0.15 ± 0.13 units after 42°C [pHe (7.20 ± 0.12) and pHi (7.03 ± 0.05)], and by 0.12 ± 0.14 units after 45°C [pHe (6.84 ± 0.24) and pHi (6.72 ± 0.19)]. Simultaneous measurements of pH from the intra‐ and extracellular compartments demonstrated reversal in the pH gradient after hyperthermic treatment. Magn Reson Med 43:1–8, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
New drugs in the treatment of psoriasis

Psoriasis is one of the most common skin disorders affecting approximately 2% of the population; the disease is recurrent and can be very debilitating. The cause of psoriasis is unknown, although it appears to be an autoimmune disease with a genetic component to its aetiology. Past topical treatments such as emollients, coal tar and dithranol have been messy, cosmetically unacceptable or of low efficacy, while older systemic therapies have suffered from significant side effects. Newer drugs with better therapeutic indexes and new antiproliferative/immunomodulatory therapies based on an increased understanding of the origins of psoriasis have brought us closer to the goal of safely and efficaciously treating the disease. This review will cover the newest topical and systemic drugs currently in use, in clinical trials or preclinical development.
Reference Models for Distributed Cooperative Visualization

In this paper reference models for visualization systems that have appeared in the literature are surveyed and a new reference model for distributed cooperative visualization developed in the MANICORAL project (funded by the EU Telematics Programme) is described. The relationship of earlier models to the new model is discussed. A number of cooperative visualization systems that have been reported in the literature are compared in the framework of the MANICORAL model.
Detection of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli by multiplex PCR.

BACKGROUND Diarrheagenic E.coli (DEC) are an important cause of childhood diarrhea.Identification of DEC strains needs to detect factors that determine the virulence of these organisms. There is not much data regarding the importance of DEC as a cause of diarrhea in children in India.The prevalence of DEC in children below five years with and without diarrhea was studied using two multiplex PCR assays. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two multiplex polymerase chain reaction assays were used to detect genes of five types of DEC.The targets selected for each category were eae and bfpA (bundle-forming pilus) for Enteropathogenic E.coli (EPEC), hlyA for Enterohemorrhagic E.coli (EHEC), elt and stla for Enterotoxigenic E.coli (ETEC), CVD432 for Enteroaggregative E.coli (EAEC) and ial for Enteroinvasive E.coli (EIEC). RESULTS In 200 children with diarrhea 52 (26%) DEC infections were found. Among 100 controls 8 (8%) DEC infections were found. EAEC was the most common DEC by multiplex PCR both in cases (26, 13%)and controls (5,5%), followed by EPEC seen in 16% cases and 3% controls. ETEC and EIEC were found in 7 (3.5%) and 3 (1.5%) of the diarrheal cases. EIEC and ETEC were not detected in the control cases. EHEC was not isolated from either the diarrheal or control cases. CONCLUSION DEC strains are a significant cause of diarrhea in children. The two Multiplex PCR assays can be used for the detection of DEC in routine diagnostic laboratories. These assays are specific and sensitive for the rapid detection of DEC. EAEC was the most frequent pathotype in the population under study.
Osteomyelitis of the Temporal Bone: Terminology, Diagnosis, and Management

Abstract Objectives To review the terminology, clinical features, and management of temporal bone osteomyelitis. Design and Setting Prospective study in a tertiary care center from 2001 to 2008. Participants Twenty patients visiting the outpatient department diagnosed with osteomyelitis of the temporal bone. Main Outcome Measures The age, sex, clinical features, cultured organisms, surgical interventions, and classification were analyzed. Results Of the 20 cases, 2 (10%) were diagnosed as acute otitis media. Eighteen (90%) had chronic otitis media. Nineteen (95%) were classified as medial temporal bone osteomyelitis and one (5%) as lateral temporal osteomyelitis. The most common clinical features were ear discharge (100%), pain (83%), and granulations (100%). Facial nerve palsy was seen in seven cases (35%) and parotid involvement in one case. Ten patients (56%) had diabetes mellitus. The organisms isolated were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (80%) and Staphylococcus aureus (13.33%). Histopathology revealed chronic inflammation in 20 patients (100%) and osteomyelitic bony changes in 14 (70%). Surgical debridement was the most preferred modality of treatment (87%). Conclusion A new classification of temporal bone osteomyelitis has been proposed. Bacterial cultures must be performed in all patients. Antibiotic therapy is the treatment of choice. Surgical intervention is necessary in the presence of severe pain, complications, refractory cases, or the presence of bony sequestra on radiology.
ALTERATIONS IN THE HYPOTHALAMIC‐PITUITARY‐THYROID AXIS AFTER PROLONGED RESIDENCE IN ANTARCTICA

The human population which lives and works in polar environments has been increasing steadily over the last 15 years. Very little is known about how these residents adjust to their environment. Cold adaptation in man is a poorly understood phenomenon. Euthermic mammals maintain body temperature during cold exposure via non‐shivering thermogenesis, a process which is hormonally mediated. We studied prospectively the response of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐thyroid axis in 17 euthyroid men before, during and after assignment to duty in the Antarctic. Serum total and free T4 levels fell slightly but not significantly after very prolonged Antarctic residence. Serum total and free T3 decreased significantly from basal levels of 170 ± 3 ng/dl and 388 ± 19 pg/ dl to 155 ±5 ng/dl and 319±14 pg/dl respectively after Antarctic duty. Serum T3 levels increased after 42 weeks of polar living, the end of the observation period, but the change did not attain statistical significance. The integrated TSH response to TRH administration increased by 50% to 734 ± 58 μIU. min/ml over warm climate basal response levels of 456 ± 33 μIU. min/ml by the end of the study. The daily circadian rhythm of serum Cortisol was maintained throughout the study period. The alterations in thyroid hormones which we describe, are apparently related to the chronic cold exposure which our subjects experienced in this polar environment.
Should we test for tetanus immunity in all emergency department patients with wounds?

Background People who present to the emergency department often do not know their tetanus immunisation status. The Protetanus test can determine whether a person is immune and can guide treatment decisions. Objectives To examine whether testing all patients for immunity is clinically advisable and cost-effective. Methods 200 patients presenting to the emergency department with wounds were asked whether they were covered for tetanus, not covered or did not know. All had their tetanus immunity tested with the Protetanus kit and the result was compared with reported status. The number of unnecessary vaccinations which might have been given based on recall was calculated. The cost of testing and subsequent treatment versus vaccinations based on recall was calculated. Results 136 (68%) tested positive for tetanus immunity; 64 (32%) were negative. Age, sex and nationality were not associated with tetanus immunity. 151 (75.5%) did not know their status. Of these, 101 (66.9%) were positive and 50 (33.1%) negative. 49 (24.5%) were sure of their status. 36 said they were covered of whom 10 (27.8%) were wrong. 13 said they were not covered of whom 9 (69.2%) were wrong. If vaccination were based on recall status 38.8% of patients would receive incorrect treatment. Testing all 200 and treating appropriately would save £984, or £4.92 per patient compared with vaccination based on recall. Conclusion On clinical grounds testing is advisable and it may produce significant cost savings.
Integrating 3D and 2D Representations for View Invariant Object Recognition

This thesis presents representations and corresponding algorithms which learn models to recognize objects in the full continuous view space. Particularly, we propose to integrate the 3D object-centered representations with 2D viewer-centered representations, which fills in the representation gap between the sparse and simple 3D shapes and their view variant appearances observed as image pixels. Towards this goal, this thesis studies the following models and corresponding algorithms: 1. A mixed model and a pursuit algorithm that integrates 3D object primitives and 2D image primitives according to their information contributions measured as information gains. This proposed measure is consistently used in subsequent models, and also provides a numerical answer to the debates over object-centered representation and viewer-centered representation. 2. A 2D compositional image model and a sum-max data structure which groups the 2D image primitives to represent middle level image structures, such as line segments, curves and corners. This middle level image model can be used to find sparse representations of natural images, and connects the low level 2D image representations to 3D object representations. 3. A 3D hierarchical compositional object model and an AND-OR tree structure which represents a huge number of possible 3D object templates using a limited number of nodes. This AND-OR tree hierarchically quantizes the infinite and continuous space of object geometry and appearance, and decomposes the 3D object representation into 3D panels, whose appearance on images are further decomposed into active curves and the 2D primitives. Though with multiple hierarchies, learning and inference can be done efficiently by dynamic programming, which is essentially composed of layers of sum and max operations.
Can interactivity make a difference? Effects of interactivity on the comprehension of and attitudes toward online health content

The Internet is increasingly being recognized for its potential for health communication and education. The perceived relative advantage of the Internet over other media is its cost‐effectiveness and interactivity, which in turn contribute to its persuasive capabilities. Ironically, despite its potential, we are nowhere nearer understanding how interactivity affects processing of health information and its contribution in terms of health outcomes. An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of Web interactivity on comprehension of and attitudes towards two health Web sites, and whether individual differences might moderate such effects. Two sites on skin cancer were designed with different levels of interactivity and randomly assigned to 441 undergraduate students (aged 18–26) at a large southeastern university. The findings suggest that interactivity can significantly affect comprehension as well as attitudes towards health Web sites. The article also discusses insights into the role of interactivity on online health communications, and presents implications for the effective design of online health content.
An efficient algorithm for estimating rotation distance between two binary trees

There are a number of ways of measuring the difference in shape between two rooted binary trees with the same number of leaves. Pallo (Computer Journal, 9, 171–175, 1986) introduced a left weight sequence, which is a sequence of positive integers, to characterize the structure of a binary tree. By applying the AVL tree transformation on binary trees, we develop an algorithm for the efficient transformation of the left weight sequences between two binary trees.
A Dimension Reduction Approach for Modeling Multi-Locus Interaction in Case-Control Studies

Studying one locus or one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at a time may not be sufficient to understand complex diseases because they are unlikely to result from the effect of only one SNP. Each SNP alone may have little or no effect on the risk of the disease, but together they may increase the risk substantially. Analyses focusing on individual SNPs ignore the possibility of interaction among SNPs. In this paper, we propose a parsimonious model to assess the joint effect of a group of SNPs in a case-control study. The model implements a data reduction strategy within a likelihood framework and uses a test to assess the statistical significance of the effect of the group of SNPs on the binary trait. The primary advantage of the proposed approach is that the dimension reduction technique produces a test statistic with degrees of freedom significantly lower than a multiple logistic regression with only main effects of the SNPs, and our parsimonious model can incorporate the possibility of interaction among the SNPs. Moreover, the proposed approach estimates the direction of association of each SNP with the disease and provides an estimate of the average effect of the group of SNPs positively and negatively associated with the disease in the given SNP set. We illustrate the proposed model on simulated and real data, and compare its performance with a few other existing approaches. Our proposed approach appeared to outperform the other approaches for independent SNPs in our simulation studies.
Microglia modulate brainstem serotonergic expression following neonatal sustained hypoxia exposure: implications for sudden infant death syndrome

Neonatal sustained hypoxia exposure modifies brainstem microglia and serotonin expression. The altered brainstem neurochemistry is associated with impaired ventilatory responses to acute hypoxia and mortality. The deleterious effects of sustained hypoxia exposure can be prevented by an inhibitor of activated microglia. These observations demonstrate a potential cause of the brainstem serotonin abnormalities thought to be involved in sudden infant death syndrome.
Assessment of isokinetic muscle strength in women who are obese.

STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional study of isokinetic trunk and knee muscle strength in women who are obese. OBJECTIVE To provide reference values, to identify variables that affect peripheral muscle strength, and to provide recommendations for isokinetic testing of trunk and knee muscles in women who are obese and morbidly obese. BACKGROUND The assessment of peripheral muscle strength is useful for the quantification of possible loss of strength, for exercise prescription, and for the evaluation of the effect of training programs in obese individuals. METHODS AND MEASURES Isokinetic trunk and leg muscle strength was assessed in 241 women who were obese (18-65 years, body mass index (BMI) > or = 30 kg/m2). Trunk flexion and extension peak torque (PT) was measured using the Cybex TEF dynamometer; trunk rotation (TR) PT was measured using the Cybex TORSO dynamometer; and knee flexion/extension (KFE) PT was measured using the Cybex 350 dynamometer. Body composition was assessed using the bioelectrical impedance method; physical activity was assessed using the Baecke questionnaire; and peak VO2 was assessed using an incremental exercise capacity test on a bicycle ergometer. To identify variables related to muscle strength, Pearson correlations were computed and a stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed. RESULTS Pearson correlation coefficients of all strength measurements at 60 degrees/s revealed low-to-moderate negative associations with age and positive associations with mass, height, fat free mass (FFM), and peak VO2 (P < 0.05), except for gravity-uncorrected trunk extension strength, which was not related to mass. The sports index of the Baecke questionnaire was associated with TR PT (r = 0.20, P < 0.01) and KFE PT (r = 0.18, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The weight of the trunk accounts largely for the measured trunk extensor and flexor strength in women who are obese. Contributing variables of isokinetic trunk flexion and extension strength in women who are obese are age, height, and FFM; whereas sports activities and aerobic fitness are contributing factors for trunk rotational and knee extension strength. Recommendations for measuring isokinetic muscle strength in individuals who are obese are provided.
Comparative study of blood volume in representative aquatic and nonaquatic birds.

Plasma volume (T-1824 dye method), hematocrit value, hemoglobin concentration and erythrocyte count were measured in several species of aquatic and nonaquatic birds, and from these data total blood and erythrocyte volumes were calculated. Total blood, plasma and erythrocyte volumes, relative to body weight, were greater in aquatic than in nonaquatic birds. Hemoglobin concentration was generally higher in the aquatic group, but pigeons had the highest mean concentration. No significant differences in hematocrit value or erythrocyte count between aquatic and terrestrial birds were observed. Male white leghorns had higher hemoglobin concentrations than hens and male ring-necked pheasants had larger total blood volumes than females, but no other sex differences in blood composition were observed. The essentially identical blood pictures in diving and dabbling ducks indicate that differences in habits of underwater progression between these two groups cannot be explained by differences in blood composition. Of the terrestrial birds studied, the pigeon, a strong flier, had a blood picture comparable to that found in typical aquatic birds. Similar vascular adaptations may suffice for this type of flight and for underwater swimming.