Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Moderate sleep deprivation produces impairments in cognitive and motor performance equivalent to legally prescribed levels of alcohol intoxication

OBJECTIVES To compare the relative effects on performance of sleep deprivation and alcohol. METHODS Performance effects were studied in the same subjects over a period of 28 hours of sleep deprivation and after measured doses of alcohol up to about 0.1% blood alcohol concentration (BAC). There were 39 subjects, 30 employees from the transport industry and nine from the army. RESULTS After 17–19 hours without sleep, corresponding to 2230 and 0100, performance on some tests was equivalent or worse than that at a BAC of 0.05%. Response speeds were up to 50% slower for some tests and accuracy measures were significantly poorer than at this level of alcohol. After longer periods without sleep, performance reached levels equivalent to the maximum alcohol dose given to subjects (BAC of 0.1%). CONCLUSIONS These findings reinforce the evidence that the fatigue of sleep deprivation is an important factor likely to compromise performance of speed and accuracy of the kind needed for safety on the road and in other industrial settings.
Hepatobiliary response in postoperative lipid therapy in gastrointestinal surgery.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Intravenous lipid emulsions may contribute to the development of total parenteral nutrition (TPN)--induced hepatobiliary complications. METHODS In a prospective, randomised setting the authors compared the short-term hepatic effects of medium-chain triglycerides/short-chain triglycerides (MCT/LCT) physical mixture with a four-component intravenous (i.v.) lipid emulsion (LCT, MCT, Olive-oil and Fish-oil) in patients undergoing elective gastrointestial surgery during the early postoperative period. RESULTS The authors demonstrated that total and conjugated bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate amino transferase and cholinesterase did not change significantly during the 5-days observation period. In contrast to this, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activity increased by 2,4 times during 5-days therapy with the lipid emulsions mentioned above (SMOF lipid: 21,9 to 52,9 U/L, Lipofundin: from 32,5 to 79,6 U/L). CONCLUSION during a 4-days administration hepatic effect of the intravenous lipid emulsions did not differ significantly. The changes in enzyme levels confirm the cholestatic type of hepatobiliary deviations without clinical impact on short-term TPN therapy.
Whole-Genome Comparison of Aspergillus fumigatus Strains Serially Isolated from Patients with Aspergillosis

ABSTRACT The emergence of azole-resistant strains of Aspergillus fumigatus during treatment for aspergillosis occurs by a mutation selection process. Understanding how antifungal resistance mechanisms evolve in the host environment during infection is of great clinical importance and biological interest. Here, we used next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify mutations that arose during infection by A. fumigatus strains sequentially isolated from two patients, one with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) (five isolations) and the other with aspergilloma (three isolations). The serial isolates had identical microsatellite types, but their growth rates and conidia production levels were dissimilar. A whole-genome comparison showed that three of the five isolates from the IPA patient carried a mutation, while 22 mutations, including six nonsynonymous ones, were found among three isolates from the aspergilloma patient. One aspergilloma isolate carried the cyp51A mutation P216L, which is reported to confer azole resistance, and it displayed an MIC indicating resistance to itraconazole. This isolate harbored five other nonsynonymous mutations, some of which were found in the afyap1 and aldA genes. We further identified a large deletion in the aspergilloma isolate in a region containing 11 genes. This finding suggested the possibility that genomic deletions can occur during chronic infection with A. fumigatus. Overall, our results revealed dynamic alterations that occur in the A. fumigatus genome within its host during infection and treatment.
Cognitive impairment associated with adjuvant therapy in breast cancer

The purpose of this study was to determine whether cognitive function changes over time in women with breast cancer who received adjuvant therapy as compared to women with breast cancer who received no adjuvant therapy. Three groups of women (n=46) were studied; groups 1 and 2 consisted of women with stage I or II breast cancer. Group 1 received chemotherapy and group 2 received chemotherapy plus tamoxifen. Group 3 consisted of women with ductal carcinoma in situ who received no chemotherapy or tamoxifen. Cognitive function was evaluated at three timepoints. Time 1 occurred after surgery and before chemotherapy initiation in groups 1 and 2. Time 1 for group 3 occurred post‐surgery. Time 2 occurred within 1 week after the conclusion of chemotherapy for groups 1 and 2 and at a comparable time for group 3. Time 3 occurred 1 year after Time 2. Women who received chemotherapy plus tamoxifen exhibited deterioration on measures of visual memory and verbal working memory and reported more memory complaints. Women who received chemotherapy alone also exhibited deteriorations in verbal working memory. Conversely, cognitive function scores improved in women who received no therapy, indicating practice effects. In conclusion, adjuvant chemotherapy in women with breast cancer can be associated with deteriorations in memory and this may persist over time. The addition of tamoxifen may lead to more widespread memory deficits. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
How to diagnose sinus fungus balls in the paranasal sinus? An analysis of an institution's cases from January 1999 to December 2006.

BACKGROUND The diagnosis of a sinus fungus ball (SFB) is often not clear despite well-defined diagnostic criteria. OBJECTIVE To study the radiological, intraoperative and histological diagnostic accuracy in comparison to results from mycological and histological analysis. METHODS Systematic review of 724 files from patients treated for chronic rhinosinusitis from 1999 - 2006 at our institution. RESULTS The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value (PPV, NPV) of pre- operative CT imaging was 83%, 94%, 56% and 98% respectively, whereas, based on intra- operative findings, it was 98%, 93%, 57% and 100%. CONCLUSIONS A high number of misdiagnoses was found possibly due to sampling error. A severe inflammatory reaction of the surrounding tissue was found more often in SFB than in controls in our study and this we suggest could be an additional sign for fungal infection. Fungal cultures did not contribute to a correct diagnosis.
Evaluation of the New Keynesian Phillips Curve: evidence from the Euro Area and United States

ABSTRACT Empirical relevance of inflation expectations in the New Keynesian Phillips Curve (NKPC) is highly controversial in the macroeconomics literature. With this in mind, this article evaluates the purely forward-looking NKPC useful for policy analysis with respect to their abilities to account for the dynamic relationship between output and inflation. Our findings show that the NKPC heavily relying on firms’ forward-looking behaviour is hardly supported by the Euro Area and the US data. The failure of the NKPC in matching the data is consistently observed across the sub-samples divided before and after the early 1980s. For comparison, we also investigate the performance of the hybrid NKPC and the traditional backward-looking Phillips curve associated with ad hoc price indexation assumptions.
Self-align recessed source drain ultrathin body SOI MOSFET

In this letter, a self-aligned recessed source/drain (ReS/D) ultrathin body (UTB) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) MOS technology is proposed and demonstrated. The thick diffusion regions of ReS/D are placed on a recessed trench, which is patterned on the buried oxide and go under the SOI film. The new structure reduces the parasitic S/D resistance without increasing the gate-to-drain Miller capacitance, which is the major advantage over the elevated S/D structure. Fabrication details and experimental results are presented. The scalability of the UTB MOSFETs and the larger design window due to reduced parasitics are demonstrated.
Induction of osteopontin expression by nicotine and cigarette smoke in the pancreas and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a lethal disease with etiological association with cigarette smoking. Nicotine, an important component of cigarettes, exists at high concentrations in the bloodstream of smokers. Osteopontin (OPN) is a secreted phosphoprotein that confers on cancer cells a migratory phenotype and activates signaling pathways that induce cell survival, proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Here, we investigated the potential molecular basis of nicotine's role in PDA through studying its effect on OPN. Nicotine significantly (p < 0.02) increased OPN mRNA and protein secretion in PDA cells through activation of the OPN gene promoter. The OPN mRNA induction was inhibited by the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist, mechamylamine. Further, the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein inhibited the nicotine‐mediated induction of OPN, suggesting that mitogen activated protein kinase signaling mechanism is involved. Nicotine activated the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, but not p38 or c‐Jun NH2‐terminal MAP kinases. Inhibition of ERK1/2 activation reduced the nicotine‐induced OPN synthesis. Rats exposed to cigarette smoke showed a dose‐dependent increase in pancreatic OPN that paralleled the rise of pancreatic and plasma nicotine levels. Analysis of cancer tissue from invasive PDA patients, the majority of whom were smokers, showed the presence of significant amounts of OPN in the malignant ducts and the surrounding pancreatic acini. Our data suggest that nicotine may contribute to PDA pathogenesis through upregulation of OPN. They provide the first insight into a nicotine‐initiated signal transduction pathway that regulates OPN as a possible tumorigenic mechanism in PDA. © 2009 UICC
Protective effect of Indian honey on acetaminophen induced oxidative stress and liver toxicity in rat

The present study was undertaken to investigate the protective effect of Indian honey on acetaminophen induced oxidative stress and liver damage in rat. Honey serves as a source of natural medicine, which is effective to reducing the risk of heart disease, liver toxicity and inflammatory processes. The hepatoprotective activity of the Indian honey was determined by assessing levels of Serum transaminases, ALP and total bilirubin. Finally, the effects of the test substances on the antioxidant enzymes of the liver were also studied by assessing changes in the level of reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase. Serum transaminase, ALP and total bilirubin level were significantly elevated and the antioxidant status in liver such as activities of SOD, CAT, GPx and the levels of GSH were declined significantly in APAP alone treated animals. Pretreatment with honey and silymarin prior to the administration of APAP significantly prevented the increase in the serum levels of hepatic enzyme markers and reduced oxidative stress. The histopathological evaluation of the livers also revealed that honey reduced the incidence of liver lesions induced by APAP. Results suggest that the Indian honey protects liver against oxidative damage and it could be used as an effective hepatoprotector against APAP induced liver damage.
Sex work vs. sexual exploitation in the European Union: what are the likely guesstimates for prostitution?

Prostitution regimes in the EU-28 include prohibition, regulation and abolition; economics literature tackles this typology from the perspective of both free sex work and forced labour. We review the data sources on the demand-side and the supply-side in order to gauge how large is the sex market and informal employment for sex workers. We calculate Estimates 1A and 1B from miscellaneous sources, whereas HIV prevalence among sex workers provides Estimates 2A and 2B. We calculate Estimate 3 from victims of sexual forced labour trafficking. We design an OLS model to test the five Estimates of prostitution according to GDP per capita, legislation, supply-side and demand-side variables. Last, we assess which might be the most likely Estimates as regards GDP enhancement in 2010, with respect to National Accounts adjustment for illegal production and consumption expenditure. Hence, we come up with a lower bound Estimate that may be used as a benchmark for macroeconomic policy.
The association of thyroid function and heart valve sclerosis. Results from a population-based study.

OBJECTIVES Thyroid dysfunction is associated with detrimental cardiovascular effects. We analyzed whether thyroid status is associated with aortic valve sclerosis (AVS) and mitral annular calcification (MAC) as markers of generalized atherosclerosis. DESIGN Data of 2065 subjects (923 women and 1142 men) aged > or =45 years from the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) were analyzed with respect to low, medium and high TSH levels. Logistic regression models were adjusted for major confounders of atherosclerosis. MAIN OUTCOME In women, the prevalence of AVS was the highest in those with low TSH (35.1% vs. 26.7% in medium TSH; p<0.05), while there was a higher prevalence of MAC in men with high TSH levels (9.2% vs. 5.2% in medium TSH; p<0.05). Compared with euthyroid men there was an increased adjusted odds ratio for MAC (OR 2.07; 95% CI 1.12-3.89, p<0.05), for the combination of AVS and MAC (OR 2.13; 95% CI 1.08-4.21, p<0.05) or for one of both (OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.02-2.13, p<0.05) among men with high TSH. No such association was found in women. CONCLUSIONS There was an association between thyroid function and valvular sclerosis. Men with high TSH values had increased odds for AVS or MAC, and the combination of both. These findings may reflect an increased atherosclerotic state in affected subjects.
Development of a Field Test Method to Evaluate Gaseous Air Cleaner Performance in a Multizone Building

Abstract The performance of gaseous air cleaners for commercial and residential buildings has typically been evaluated using test protocols developed for a controlled laboratory chamber or a test duct. It is currently unknown how laboratory measurements relate to the actual performance of an air cleaner installed in a real building. However, to date, there are no air cleaner field test protocols available, thereby limiting the existing field data. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has conducted a series of experiments to support test procedure development for evaluating the installed performance of gaseous air cleaning equipment, as well as metrics for characterizing field performance. To date, over 100 experiments have been completed, of which 23 portable air cleaner experiments and 6 in-duct air cleaner experiments are described in this paper. Tests were conducted in a finished three-bedroom/two-bathroom manufactured house equipped with several gas chromatographs to semi-continuously measure air change rates and volatile organic compound concentrations. Experimental variables included air cleaner location, isolation of zones by closing doors, and contaminant source location. For each experiment, air cleaner removal of decane was directly measured using the air cleaner inlet and outlet concentrations, as well as with mass balance analyses using measured room concentrations. With a verified mass balance model, a field performance metric was developed to compare installed whole-building performance to the performance predicted by a laboratory result. The results provide insight into the protocols and metrics that might prove useful for characterizing the field performance of air cleaners as well as the impact of air cleaner removal on zonal concentration levels in a variety of situations.
Are there differences between Maori and non-Maori patients undergoing primary total hip and knee arthroplasty surgery in New Zealand? A registry-based cohort study.

AIM It has been well demonstrated that Maori have the poorest health status of any ethnic group in New Zealand. The aim of this study was to determine whether there are any differences between Maori and non-Maori patients in the severity of their arthritis preoperatively and in their postoperative functional outcomes following primary total hip and knee arthroplasty surgery. Secondary objectives were to compare general and mental health scores and to determine whether the intervention rate for Maori arthroplasty patients is appropriate. METHOD We compared preoperative and postoperative (1 and 5 year) Oxford and WOMAC scores, general health (SF-12 PH) and mental health (SF-12 MH) scores in all public patients who underwent primary total hip and knee arthroplasty surgery in our region between 2005 and 2009. RESULTS Maori patients are younger at the time of surgery, have higher ASA scores and worse preoperative function. They also have worse postoperative outcomes and smaller overall improvements following surgery when comparing their preoperative with postoperative scores. In terms of general health, Maori and non-Maori had similar SF-12 PH scores but worse SF-12 MH scores both pre- and postoperatively. CONCLUSION Maori patients are younger, have worse general and mental health and worse preoperative function compared with non-Maori patients. Both absolute and differential scores show that Maori patients also have worse postoperative outcomes compared with non-Maori patients. These differences are likely clinically significant and ongoing education and effort is required in order to achieve earlier intervention rates and improve postoperative outcomes for Maori patients.
Effect of Ambient Light and Age-Related Macular Degeneration on Precision Walking

Purpose To determine how age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and changes in ambient light affect the control of foot placement while walking. Methods Ten older adults with AMD and 11 normal-sighted controls performed a precision walking task under normal (∼600 lx), dim (∼0.7 lx), and after a sudden reduction (∼600 to 0.7 lx) of light. The precision walking task involved subjects walking and stepping to the center of a series of irregularly spaced, low-contrast targets. Habitual visual acuity and contrast sensitivity and visual field function were also assessed. Results There were no differences between groups when performing the walking task in normal light (p > 0.05). In reduced lighting, older adults with AMD were less accurate and more variable when stepping across the targets compared to controls (p < 0.05). A sudden reduction of light proved the most challenging for this population. In the AMD group, contrast sensitivity and visual acuity were not significantly correlated with walking performance. Visual field thresholds in the AMD group were only associated with greater foot placement error and variability in the dim light walking condition (r = −0.69 to −0.87, p < 0.05). Conclusions While walking performance is similar between groups in normal light, poor ambient lighting results in decreased foot placement accuracy in older adults with AMD. Improper foot placement while walking can lead to a fall and possible injury. Thus, to improve the mobility of those with AMD, strategies to enhance the environment in reduced lighting situations are necessary.
A NOTE ON ROBUST MONETARY POLICY AND NON-ZERO TREND INFLATION

This paper studies how model uncertainty influences economic fluctuation when trend inflation is high. We introduce Hansen and Sargent’s [(2008) Robustness, Princeton University Press] robust control techniques into a New Keynesian model with non-zero trend inflation. We reveal the following three points. First, we find that robust monetary policy responds more aggressively. This aggressiveness increases with trend inflation. Second, as the trend inflation rises, the response of macroeconomic variables is larger under robust policy. Third, stronger robustness tends to lead to indeterminate equilibrium as trend inflation increases. Consequently, the economy might be volatile when trend inflation is high due to robustness from the view of both variance and determinacy. We interpret the results as indicating that the model uncertainty might be the one of the factors causing large macroeconomic fluctuations when trend inflation is high.
miR-218 Directs a Wnt Signaling Circuit to Promote Differentiation of Osteoblasts and Osteomimicry of Metastatic Cancer Cells*

Background: MicroRNAs control cell signaling during osteoblast differentiation. Results: miR-218, which is highly expressed in osteoblasts and cancer cells metastatic to bone, targets three inhibitors of Wnt signaling, Sclerostin, Dickkopf2, and secreted frizzled-related protein2. Conclusion: miR-218 promotes differentiation of normal osteoblast and the osteomimetic bone-homing properties of tumor cells. Significance: miR-218 may be a universal stimulator of Wnt-signaling during bone development and cancer progression. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) negatively and post-transcriptionally regulate expression of multiple target genes to support anabolic pathways for bone formation. Here, we show that miR-218 is induced during osteoblast differentiation and has potent osteogenic properties. miR-218 promotes commitment and differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells by activating a positive Wnt signaling loop. In a feed forward mechanism, miR-218 stimulates the Wnt pathway by down-regulating three Wnt signaling inhibitors during the process of osteogenesis: Sclerostin (SOST), Dickkopf2 (DKK2), and secreted frizzled-related protein2 (SFRP2). In turn, miR-218 expression is up-regulated in response to stimulated Wnt signaling and functionally drives Wnt-related transcription and osteoblast differentiation, thereby creating a positive feedback loop. Furthermore, in metastatic breast cancer cells but not in normal mammary epithelial cells, miR-218 enhances Wnt activity and abnormal expression of osteoblastic genes (osteomimicry) that contribute to homing and growth of cells metastatic to bone. Thus, miR-218/Wnt signaling circuit amplifies both the osteoblast phenotype and osteomimicry-related tumor activity.
Feasibility and efficacy of a "move and learn" physical activity curriculum in preschool children.

BACKGROUND This study evaluated the effect of a "move and learn" curriculum on physical activity (PA) in 3- to 5-year-olds attending a half-day preschool program. METHODS Classrooms were randomized to receive an 8-week move and learn program or complete their usual curriculum. In intervention classes, opportunities for PA were integrated into all aspects of the preschool curriculum, including math, science, language arts, and nutrition education. Changes in PA were measured objectively using accelerometry and direct observation. RESULTS At the completion of the 8-week intervention, children completing the move and learn curriculum exhibited significantly higher levels of classroom moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) than children completing their usual curriculum. Significant differences were also noted for classroom VPA over the final 2 weeks. CONCLUSION The results suggest that integrating movement experiences into an existing early childhood curriculum is feasible and a potentially effective strategy for promoting PA in preschool children.