Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Self-reported hearing difficulty and audiometric thresholds in nursing home residents.

BACKGROUND Nursing home practitioners usually assess the general health and functional abilities of each resident at the time of admission. If audiometric screening is not routinely available, assessment of the resident's hearing status will probably consist only of asking questions about hearing difficulty. In this study we explored which questions, when answered positively, were most strongly associated with moderate or severe hearing impairment. METHODS A total of 198 newly admitted nursing home residents answered questions regarding their hearing in common listening situations, and then underwent audiometric assessment. RESULTS Fifty-four percent of the residents had a pure tone average hearing level of > 25 dB at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz and were therefore considered impaired. A single general question regarding hearing had a sensitivity of 69% in determining the presence of such impairment. Three specific questions which assessed hearing--in a group, while watching television, and while on the telephone--had a collective sensitivity of 83%. Asking the three questions was significantly (P = .003) more effective than asking only the general question. CONCLUSIONS A set of specific questions significantly improved the identification of residents whose hearing loss affected their daily living activities compared with the use of a single hearing loss question.
A PROSPECTIVE TRIAL OF INHALED NITRIC OXIDE IN CLINICAL LUNG TRANSPLANTATION

Background. Reperfusion injury (RI) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity among lung transplant recipients. We sought to determine if prophylactic administration of inhaled nitric oxide (NO) to lung transplant recipients at reperfusion would prevent RI. We also hypothesized that if prophylactic NO proves ineffective in preventing RI then it may improve pulmonary hemodynamics and gas exchange in the subset of patients who develop RI. Methods. After informed consent, 28 consecutive, adult lung transplant recipients received NO at 20 ppm at reperfusion. NO was withdrawn for 15 min at 6 and 12 hr after reperfusion, and gas exchange and hemodynamics were measured. Results. Five of the 28 lung transplant recipients (18%) developed RI. Withdrawal of NO for 15 min in this subset of patients resulted in a significant rise in mean pulmonary artery pressure and a reduction in oxygenation index. All five patients with RI were kept on inhaled NO until full functional recovery of the allograft and were then weaned from mechanical ventilation. None required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support; the early mortality in this group was 20% (1/5). The remaining 23 patients without RI had uneventful early postoperative course and were weaned from NO and mechanical ventilation within 36 hr of transplantation. Conclusions. Prophylactic-inhaled NO does not prevent RI in human lung transplantation. However, inhaled NO, started at reperfusion, improves gas exchange and reduces pulmonary artery pressure in those patients who develop RI.
Are therapeutic ultrasound units a potential vector for nosocomial infection?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Nosocomial infections present a widespread problem in today's healthcare environment, with a significant number of patients acquiring an infection annually. With the contemporary transition of immunocompromised and high-risk patients to community-based care, therapeutic ultrasound has the potential to be a vector of infection in the physiotherapy setting. The purpose of the present study was to determine the degree of contamination on therapeutic ultrasound transducer heads and ultrasound gel after routine clinical use, and to evaluate the efficacy of recommended infection control procedures. METHOD The study consisted of two phases. Using a prospective cross-sectional design, microbiological cultures were obtained from 44 transducer heads and 43 gels. Subjects were drawn from a variety of physiotherapy practice settings. All samples containing more than five colony forming units per cm2 were considered contaminated. Following these measurements, a repeated-measures design was used to re-evaluate the 44 transducer heads for the amount and type of bacteria present after cleaning with a 70% alcohol wipe. RESULTS Twenty-seven per cent of transducer heads and 28% of gels were contaminated. Transducer heads showed fairly low levels of contamination across the sample, with the majority of organisms isolated found in normal skin and environmental flora. Gels were heavily contaminated with opportunistic and potentially pathogenic organisms, including Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. No multi-resistant organisms were identified. Cleaning with 70% alcohol significantly reduced the level of contamination on transducer heads (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Therapeutic ultrasound equipment is a potential vector for nosocomial infection in physiotherapy patients. The risk of infection from transducer heads can be effectively removed by cleaning with 70% alcohol between patients. Further research into possible strategies to reduce the risk of infection from ultrasound gels is needed.
Eudragit®: a technology evaluation

Introduction: Eudragit is the brand name for a diverse range of polymethacrylate-based copolymers. It includes anionic, cationic, and neutral copolymers based on methacrylic acid and methacrylic/acrylic esters or their derivatives. Areas covered: In this review, the physicochemical characteristics and applications of different grades of Eudragit in colon-specific/enteric-coated/sustained release drug delivery and taste masking have been addressed. Expert opinion: Eudragits are amorphous polymers having glass transition temperatures between 9 to > 150oC. Eudragits are non-biodegradable, nonabsorbable, and nontoxic. Anionic Eudragit L dissolves at pH > 6 and is used for enteric coating, while Eudragit S, soluble at pH > 7 is used for colon targeting. Studies in human volunteers have confirmed that pH drops from 7.0 at terminal ileum to 6.0 at ascending colon, and Eudragit S based systems sometimes fail to release the drug. To overcome the shortcoming, combination of Eudragit S and Eudragit L which ensures drug release at pH < 7 has been advocated. Eudragit RL and RS, having quaternary ammonium groups, are water insoluble, but swellable/permeable polymers which are suitable for the sustained release film coating applications. Cationic Eudragit E, insoluble at pH ≥ 5, can prevent drug release in saliva and finds application in taste masking.
Analysis of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the NOS2A Gene and Interaction with Smoking in Age‐Related Macular Degeneration

Age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex degenerative retinal disease influenced by both genetic and environmental risk factors. We assessed whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the NOS2A gene increase risk and modulate the effect of smoking in AMD. 998 Caucasian subjects (712 AMD cases and 286 controls) were genotyped for 17 SNPs in NOS2A. Multivariable logistic regression models containing SNP genotypes, age, sex, smoking status and genotype/smoking interaction were constructed. SNP rs8072199 was significantly associated with AMD (OR = 1.3; 95% CI : 1.02, 1.65; P= 0.035). A significant interaction with smoking was detected at rs2248814 (P= 0.037). Stratified data by genotypes demonstrated that the association between AMD and smoking was stronger in carriers of AA genotypes (OR = 35.98; 95% CI: 3.19, 405.98) than in carriers of the AG genotype (OR = 3.05; 95% CI: 1.36, 6.74) or GG genotype (OR = 2.1; 95% CI: 0.91, 4.84). The results suggest a possible synergistic interaction of AA genotype with smoking, although the result bears replication in larger samples. Our data suggests that SNPs in the NOS2A gene are associated with increased risk for AMD and might modulate the effect of smoking on AMD.
Natural Shocks and Marriage Markets: Evolution of Mehr and Dowry in Muslim Marriages

We examine how mehr, a conditional payment from husbands to wives in the event of divorce, and dowry, a transfer from bride families to grooms at the time of marriage, have evolved through natural shocks. We develop a model of marriage market in which dowry acts as a groom price, whereas mehr serves to deter inefficient divorces. Our comparative statics results show that the value of mehr is increasing (decreasing) in shocks that raise (lower) income while the effect of such shocks on dowry is ambiguous; even if dowry increases (decreases), the magnitude will be smaller than the corresponding increase (decrease) in mehr. We then exploit several natural experiments in Bangladesh, that include the Green Revolution around the 1960s, the Independence War in 1971 and the famine of 1974, to explain fluctuations in the value of mehr and dowry observed in Muslim marriages. Using two household survey datasets in Bangladesh, we find support for our theoretical predictions. To rule out alternative explanations, in particular the effect of legal changes, we exploit another natural experiment from the Indian state of West Bengal that experienced the same natural shocks, but not any of the legal shocks affecting Bangladesh. These results demonstrate that natural shocks may influence the evolution of social institutions.
Thrombospondin 1, Fibronectin, and Vitronectin are Differentially Dependent Upon RAS, ERK1/2, and p38 for Induction of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Chemotaxis

Background: Thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1), fibronectin (Fn), and vitronectin (Vn) promote vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) chemotaxis through a variety of second messenger systems, including Ras, ERK1/2, and p38. Hypothesis: Ras, ERK1/2, and p38 differentially affect TSP-1-, Fn-, and Vn-induced VSMC chemotaxis. Methods: Bovine VSMCs were transfected with Ras N17 or treated with the following inhibitors: a farnesyl protein transferase (FPT) inhibitor, PD098059 (ERK1/2 inhibitor), or SB202190 (p38 inhibitor). Thrombospondin 1, Fn, and Vn were used as chemoattractants. Results were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post hoc testing (P < .05). Results: Ras N17 transfection or FPT inhibitor treatment inhibited TSP-1-, Fn-, and Vn-induced chemotaxis. PD098059 or SB202190 resulted in more inhibition of VSMC migration to TSP-1 than to Fn or Vn. Conclusions: Ras appears equally relevant in the signal transduction pathways of TSP-1-, Fn-, and Vn-induced VSMC chemotaxis. Thrombospondin 1-induced migration is more dependent upon ERK1/2 and p38 than Fn- or Vn-included migration.
Idiosyncratic Volatility and Stock Prices

The purpose of the research is to investigate the Accrual Principles in Accounting that contained in the Company's Financial Statements. The accrual principle is reflected in the Balance Sheet and Income Statement. Accrual measurements in the Balance Sheet are measured using Persistence Current Non-Current Operating Accrual, Persistence Non-Current Operating Accrual, Accrual measured as idiosyncratic risk and stock price. The idiosyncratic risk reflects the specific information about the company and it will fluctuate according to the information itself. To measure the idiosyncratic risk in this study 3 factors of Fama-French Model were used (Fama & French, 1996)). The three-factor model Fama French is performed by conducting a stock return of a portfolio of the sample companies and regressing the excess returns using three factors. Asset Pricing Measurement uses the Dividend Discounted Model to predict stock prices. The samples used in this study are listed below. The Manufacturing Company is selected with consideration for accrual measurement of accounts receivable, inventory, investment and liabilities. The sample was chosen by purposive random sampling method. The number of samples generated by this method is 154 companies with full reports for 2010-2015. Using the SEM AMOS Ver.24 and Sobel Test Path Analysis, the results show that Current Operating Accrual has a negative and significant relationship to the idiosyncratic risk and stock price. For non-Current Operating Accrual variables have positive and significant relation. By using Sobel Test, the test result shows that idiosyncratic risk has mediation effect in Persistence Current Operating Accrual, Non-Current Operating Accrual relationship to stock price.
National Culture and Bank Risk-Taking

We investigate the relation between national cultural values and bank risk. Despite the rigid transnational regulatory oversight of systemic European banks, we find evidence of an economically significant association between cultural values and domestic bank risk. Specifically, we report a positive (negative) association between the cultural values of individualism and hierarchy (trust) and domestic bank risk-taking. Consistent with our predictions, this relation weakened during the recent financial crisis and does not hold for global banks, regardless of the period under investigation. Our findings are robust to endogeneity tests that mitigate concerns regarding reverse causality and confounding effects affecting our conclusions.
Transgenerational Effects of Variable Foraging Demand Stress in Female Bonnet Macaques

Stress coping is an important part of mammalian life, influencing somatic and mental health, social integration, and reproductive success. The experience of early psychological stress helps shape lifelong stress coping strategies. Recent studies have shown that the effects of early stress may not be restricted to the affected generation, but may also be transmitted to offspring. Understanding whether early stress influences development in subsequent generations may help us understand somewhat why many stress‐related traits and diseases, for which little genetic basis has been discovered, run in families. Experimental early life “variable foraging demand” (VFD) stress has been associated with behavioral hypo‐responsiveness to stress in infant and adolescent bonnet macaques. The present study examined the behavioral effects of experimental early VFD stress in adult bonnet macaques, and further investigated whether non‐exposed adolescent offspring of VFD macaques were also affected. Thirty female bonnet macaques from four rearing histories were observed for behavioral response during stress: adults which had been VFD reared as infants (n = 11), adults which had been Control reared as infants (n = 9), and foraging demand naïve adolescents whose mothers were VFD (n = 4) or Control reared (n = 6). Subjects were observed for behavioral response during two experimental stressor conditions, including: (1) relocation to a novel environment; and (2) relocation with exposure to a “human intruder” making eye contact. Factor analysis yielded five factors that described categories of behavior across stress conditions. While adult VFD and Control reared females unexpectedly did not differ significantly, non‐exposed adolescent offspring of VFD reared mothers displayed significant hypo‐responsiveness in all behavioral categories compared with non‐exposed adolescent offspring of Control females. We suggest that stress hypo‐responsiveness previously observed in adolescent VFD reared animals may abate with age, but is nonetheless observed in the next generation. We conclude that VFD stress affects behavioral development of subsequent generations in non‐human primates. Am. J. Primatol. 75:509‐517, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Specificity of antibodies induced after immunization of mice with the mycobacterial heat shock protein of 65 kD

We have previously shown in mice and monkeys that mycobacterial heat shock proteins (hsp) of 65 and 70 kD exert a strong in vivo helper effect when conjugated to synthetic peptides or bacterial oligosaccharides and given in the absence of any adjuvants. Considering the degree of homology existing in the phylogeny among hsp belonging to the same family, we studied whether antibodies induced in mice with this protocol of immunization with the mycobacterial 65‐kD hsp (hsp65) would cross‐react, and to what extent, with hsp homologues from other origins, notably with the Escherichia coli GroEL protein and with the human homologue (hsp60). The results obtained show that antibodies to the mycobacterial hsp65 cross‐reacted with the E. coli GroEL protein, both in ELISA and Western biol experiments, but not with the human hsp60. In competitive ELISA experiments, the binding of these antibodies to solid‐phase hsp65 was very effectively inhibited by low concentrations of the mycobacterial hsp65; however, for human hsp60. 100 times higher concentrations were required in order to obtain similar patterns of inhibition‐Finally, murine antibodies to the mycobacterial hsp65 always failed to give positive results in Western biol experiments using extracts of murine cells. Taken together, these data suggest that, after immunization of mice with the mycobacterial hsp65 conjugated to peptides or oligosaccharides in the absence of adjuvants, anti‐hsp65 antibodies are induced which cross‐react well with hsp homologues from other prokaryotes (e.g. E. coli GroEL), but which weakly bind the human hsp homologue. These results may have implications for the potential use of microbial hsp molecules in the design of conjugated vaccine constructs.
Impact of rouble’s depreciation on Russian overnight stays in Finnish regions and cities

This article investigates how the depreciation of the Russian rouble against the euro has affected Russian tourism demand in Finnish regions and cities. Using dynamic panel data models, the authors find that the elasticity of Russian tourists’ overnight hotel stays with respect to exchange rates is significantly larger than 1 (approximately 1.6) in absolute terms, indicating that Russian tourists are highly sensitive to changes in exchange rates. There is some evidence that the sensitivity of Russian tourism demand increased following the introduction of economic sanctions in August 2014. The sensitivity of tourism demand to exchange rate changes differs highly across regions and cities, with higher elasticities in border regions and cities not too far from the Russian border. These regions and areas attract a significant number of short-stay Russian visitors who are often motivated by cross-border shopping and other activities.
Very early electrodiagnostic findings in Guillain‐Barré syndrome

Electrodiagnostic studies play a key role in the evaluation of patients with Guillain‐Barré syndrome (GBS). However, at early stages patients may not meet current neurophysiologic criteria. We report electrodiagnostic findings for 18 patients with suspected GBS within 4 days of clinical onset. Fifteen patients (83%) showed abnormality in the motor nerve conduction study. Prolonged distal motor latency (DML) was the most frequent demyelinating parameter (seen in 55% of patients). Abnormal late responses were noted in 14 patients (77%). Electrodiagnostic study of cranial nerves was abnormal in eight (44%), and motor nerve conduction velocity was abnormal in only six patients (23%). The study shows a predominant motor neuropathy pattern followed by a sural‐sparing pattern; no patients showed a strictly normal electrodiagnostic study. Reduced distal compound muscle action potential and prolonged DML in the demyelinating range were associated with severity of GBS on admission. After the electrodiagnostic study, 5 patients (27%) already fulfilled electrodiagnostic criteria for acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP), 1 (5%) for the axonal variant of GBS, and 13 (72%) were classified as equivocal. We conclude that exhaustive electrodiagnostic studies of patients with suspected GBS in very early stages are useful in the diagnosis and management of the condition.
Multiresidue Analysis of Pesticides in Fruits and Vegetables Using Solid-Phase Extraction and Gas Chromatographic Methods

A new extraction and cleanup procedure with gas chromatography was developed for the sensitive determination of acephate, dimethoate, malathion, diazinon, quinalphos, chlorpyrifos, profenofos, α -endosulfan, β -endosulfan, chlorothalonil and carbaryl using 1-chloro-4-fluorobenzene as an internal standard in fruits and vegetables. Several extracting and eluting solvents for solid-phase extraction were investigated. The overall extracting solvent with a mixture of acetone:ethyl acetate:hexane (10:80:10, v/v/v) and a eluting solvent of 5% acetone in hexane used with the RPC18 cartridge gave the best recovery for all of the investigated pesticides, and minimized the interference from co-extractants. Under the optimal extraction and clean-up conditions, recoveries of 85–99% with RSD < 5.0% ( n = 3) for most of the pesticides at the 0.02–0.5 mg/kg level were obtained. The limit of detection was between 0.005–0.01 mg/kg and the limit of quantification was 0.01 mg/kg. This analytical procedure was characterized with high accuracy and acceptable sensitivity to meet requirements for monitoring pesticides in crops.
FRL, a Novel Formin-Related Protein, Binds to Rac and Regulates Cell Motility and Survival of Macrophages

ABSTRACT We have isolated a cDNA, frl(formin-related gene in leukocytes), a novel mammalian member of the formin gene family. The frlcDNA encodes a 160-kDa protein, FRL, that possesses FH1, FH2, and FH3 domains that are well conserved among other Formin-related proteins. An FRL protein is mainly localized in the cytosol and is highly expressed in spleen, lymph node, and bone marrow cells. Formin-related genes and proteins have been reported to play crucial roles in morphogenesis, cell polarity, and cytokinesis through interaction with Rho family small GTPases. FRL binds to Rac at its N-terminal region including the FH3 domain and associates with profilin at the FH1 domain. In a macrophage cell line, P388D1, overexpression of a truncated form of FRL containing only the FH3 domain (FH3-FRL) strongly inhibited cell adhesion to fibronectin and migration upon stimulation with a chemokine. Moreover, expression of the truncated FH3-FRL protein resulted in apoptotic cell death of P388D1 cells, suggesting that the truncated FH3-FRL protein may interfere with signals of FRL. Overexpression in the P388D1 cells of full-length FRL or of the truncated protein containing the FH3 and FH1 domains, with simultaneous expression of the truncated FH3-FRL protein, blocked apoptotic cell death and inhibition of cell adhesion and migration. These results suggest that FRL may play a role in the control of reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in association with Rac and also in the regulation of the signal for cell survival.
Activation of Matrix Metalloproteinases by Peroxynitrite-induced Protein S-Glutathiolation via Disulfide S-Oxide Formation*

Oxidative stress may cause tissue injury through activation of the precursors of matrix metalloproteinase (proMMPs). In this study, we observed glutathione (GSH)-dependent proMMP activation induced by peroxynitrite, a potent oxidizing agent formed during inflammatory processes. Peroxynitrite strongly activated all three types of purified human proMMPs (proMMP-1, -8, and -9) in the presence of similar concentrations of GSH. Of the potential reaction products between peroxynitrite and GSH, only S-nitroglutathione (GSNO2) caused proMMP activation. ExtensiveS-glutathiolation of the proMMP protein occurred during activation of proMMP by peroxynitrite and GSH, as shown by radiolabeling studies with [35S]GSH or [3H]GSH. Evidence of appreciableS-glutathiolation persisted even after dithiothreitol and protein-denaturing treatment, however, suggesting that someS-glutathiolation did not occur through formation of simple mixed disulfide. Matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry indicated that not only peroxynitrite plus GSH but also synthetic GSNO2 produced dithiothreitol-resistant S-glutathiolation of the synthetic peptide PRCGVPD, which is a well conserved Cys-containing sequence of the propeptide autoinhibitory domain of proMMPs. PRCGVPDS-glutathiolation is presumed to be formed through glutathione disulfide S-oxide (GS(O)SR), based on them/z 1064. Our results illustrate a unique mechanism of oxidative proMMP activation and oxidative tissue injury during inflammation.