Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nursing Considerations in Psychotropic Medication‐induced Weight Gain

Purpose/Objectives The purpose of this clinical project is to emphasize the importance of prevention/treatment of psychotropic medication-induced weight gain. Professionals who work with patients taking psychotropic medications should provide a weight management program specifically designed to address the unique needs of the mentally ill patient. Background/Rationale Psychotropic medications used in the treatment of serious psychiatric disorders are associated with body weight gain. Medication-induced weight gain can lead to serious health issues and noncompliance with needed treatment. Description of the Project Current literature and discussion of possible mechanisms of pharmacologically induced weight gain are reviewed. Health issues related to weight gain are summarized. The nursing process is then used to assess, diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate a program of weight management for pharmacologically treated psychiatric patients. Outcomes Research findings demonstrate an increased rate of obesity in pharmacologically treated psychiatric patients. This phenomenon is probably multifactorial and leads to physical complications, psychological consequences, and noncompliance with treatment. Patients with mental health disorders can effectively control their weight if they are supported by a weight management program specifically designed to meet their needs. Interpretation/Conclusions Early intervention can prevent or minimize weight gain. Weight gain when it does occur can be reversed through a program of weight management. Nurses can utilize the nursing process to develop a weight management program that provides for the special needs of mentally ill clients. Implications for Nursing Practice Psychotropic medication-induced weight gain is an often neglected problem that is not readily addressed in the clinical setting. On the basis of the scope of the problem, nurses should view medication-induced weight gain as a priority. Nurses are in a unique position to design and implement an individualized weight management program through the collaborative and holistic strategies that the nursing process provides.
Nocturnal glucose control with an artificial pancreas at a diabetes camp.

BACKGROUND Recent studies have shown that an artificial-pancreas system can improve glucose control and reduce nocturnal hypoglycemia. However, it is not known whether such results can be replicated in settings outside the hospital. METHODS In this multicenter, multinational, randomized, crossover trial, we assessed the short-term safety and efficacy of an artificial pancreas system for control of nocturnal glucose levels in patients (10 to 18 years of age) with type 1 diabetes at a diabetes camp. In two consecutive overnight sessions, we randomly assigned 56 patients to receive treatment with an artificial pancreas on the first night and a sensor-augmented insulin pump (control) on the second night or to the reverse order of therapies on the first and second nights. Thus, all the patients received each treatment in a randomly assigned order. The primary end points were the number of hypoglycemic events (defined as a sensor glucose value of <63 mg per deciliter [3.5 mmol per liter] for at least 10 consecutive minutes), the time spent with glucose levels below 60 mg per deciliter (3.3 mmol per liter), and the mean overnight glucose level for individual patients. RESULTS On nights when the artificial pancreas was used, versus nights when the sensor-augmented insulin pump was used, there were significantly fewer episodes of nighttime glucose levels below 63 mg per deciliter (7 vs. 22) and significantly shorter periods when glucose levels were below 60 mg per deciliter (P=0.003 and P=0.02, respectively, after adjustment for multiplicity). Median values for the individual mean overnight glucose levels were 126.4 mg per deciliter (interquartile range, 115.7 to 139.1 [7.0 mmol per liter; interquartile range, 6.4 to 7.7]) with the artificial pancreas and 140.4 mg per deciliter (interquartile range, 105.7 to 167.4 [7.8 mmol per liter; interquartile range, 5.9 to 9.3]) with the sensor-augmented pump. No serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS Patients at a diabetes camp who were treated with an artificial-pancreas system had less nocturnal hypoglycemia and tighter glucose control than when they were treated with a sensor-augmented insulin pump. (Funded by Sanofi and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01238406.).
Functional basis for "on"-center and "off"-center receptive fields in the retina.

The ganglion cells in the goldfish retina may have either “on”-center or “off”-center receptive fields. Evidence is presented to show that for any cell: (1) Under suitable conditions either pure “on” or pure “off” responses can be evoked by small spot stimuli at any point within the receptive field. (2) The sensitivities of both “on” and “off” processes are maximal in the center of the field. (3) The relative sensitivity of these processes is not constant but changes as a function of position in the field. (4) The response evoked by a stimulus of any size and at any location within the receptive field represents the sum of the contributions from both the “on” and “off” processes.
In-Depth Characterization of Plant Growth Promotion Potentials of Selected Alkanes-Degrading Plant Growth-Promoting Bacterial Isolates

The use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as a bioremediation enhancer in plant-assisted phytoremediation requires several steps, consisting of the screening, selection, and characterization of isolates. A subset of 50 bacterial isolates representing a wide phylogenetic range were selected from 438 morphologically different bacteria that were originally isolated from a petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC)-polluted site of a former petrochemical plant. Selected candidate bacteria were screened using six conventional plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits, complemented with the genetic characterization of genes involved in alkane degradation, as well as other pertinent functions. Finally, the bacterial isolates were subjected to plant growth promotion tests using a gnotobiotic approach under normal and stressed conditions. Our results indicated that 35 bacterial isolates (70%) possessed at least four PGP traits. Twenty-nine isolates (58%) were able to utilize n-hexadecane as a sole carbon source, whereas 43 isolates (86%) were able to utilize diesel as the sole carbon source. The presence of catabolic genes related to hydrocarbon degradation was assessed using endpoint PCR, with the alkane monooxygenase (alkB) gene found in 34 isolates, the cytochrome P450 hydroxylase (CYP153) gene found in 24 isolates, and the naphthalene dioxygenase (nah1) gene found to be present in 33 isolates. Thirty-six strains (72%) promoted canola root elongation in the growth pouch assay. After several rounds of screening, seven bacterial candidates (individually or combined in a consortium) were tested for canola root and shoot growth promotion in substrates amended by different concentrations of n-hexadecane (0%, 1%, 2%, and 3%) under gnotobiotic conditions. Our results showed that Nocardia sp. (WB46), Pseudomonas plecoglossicida (ET27), Stenotrophomonas pavanii (EB31), and Gordonia amicalis (WT12) significantly increased the root length of canola grown in 3% n-hexadecane compared with the control treatment, whereas Nocardia sp. (WB46) and Bacillus megaterium (WT10) significantly increased shoot length compared to control treatment at the same concentration of n-hexadecane. The consortium had a significant enhancement effect on root length compared to all isolates inoculated individually or to the control. This study demonstrates that the combination of PGPR traits and the PHC degradation potential of bacteria can result in an enhanced beneficial effect in phytoremediation management, which could lead to the development of innovative bacterial inoculants for plants to remediate PHC-contaminated soils.
Low molecular weight heparin, therapy with dalteparin, and survival in advanced cancer: the fragmin advanced malignancy outcome study (FAMOUS).

PURPOSE In experimental systems, interference with coagulation can affect tumor biology. Furthermore, it has been suggested that low molecular weight heparin therapy may prolong survival in patients with cancer. The primary aim of this study was to assess survival at 1 year of patients with advanced cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with advanced malignancy (N = 385) were randomly assigned to receive either a once-daily subcutaneous injection of dalteparin (5,000 IU), a low molecular weight heparin, or placebo for 1 year. RESULTS The Kaplan-Meier survival estimates at 1, 2, and 3 years after randomization for patients receiving dalteparin were 46%, 27%, and 21%, respectively, compared with 41%, 18%, and 12%, respectively, for patients receiving placebo (P =.19). In an analysis not specified a priori, survival was examined in a subgroup of patients (dalteparin, n = 55; and placebo, n = 47) who had a better prognosis and who were alive 17 months after randomization. In these patients, Kaplan-Meier survival estimates at 2 and 3 years from randomization were significantly improved for patients receiving dalteparin versus placebo (78% v 55% and 60% v 36%, respectively, P =.03). The rates of symptomatic venous thromboembolism were 2.4% and 3.3% for dalteparin and placebo, respectively, with bleeding rates of 4.7% and 2.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION Dalteparin administration did not significantly improve 1-year survival rates in patients with advanced malignancy. However, the observed improved survival in a subgroup of patients with a better prognosis suggests a potential modifying effect of dalteparin on tumor biology.
A compression learning perspective to scenario based optimization

We investigate the connections between compression learning and scenario based optimization. We consider different constrained optimization problems affected by uncertainty represented by means of scenarios and show that the issue of providing guarantees on the probability of constraint violation reduces to a learning problem for an appropriately chosen algorithm that enjoys compression learning properties. The compression learning perspective provides a unifying framework for scenario based optimization and allows us to revisit the scenario approach and the probabilistically robust design, a recently developed technique based on a mixture of randomized and robust optimization. Our analysis shows that all optimization problems we consider here, even though they are of different type, share certain similarities, which translates on similar feasibility properties of their solutions.
Intergenerational equity: an exploration of the 'fair innings' argument.

Many different equity principles may need to be traded off against efficiency when prioritizing health care. This paper explores one of them: the concept of a 'fair innings'. It reflects the feeling that everyone is entitled to some 'normal' span of health (usually expressed in life years, e.g. 'three score years and ten') and anyone failing to achieve this has been cheated, whilst anyone getting more than this is 'living on borrowed time'. Four important characteristics of the 'fair innings' notion are worth noting: firstly, it is outcome based, not process-based or resource-based; secondly, it is about a person's whole life-time experience, not about their state at any particular point in time; thirdly, it reflects an aversion to inequality; and fourthly, it is quantifiable. Even in common parlance it is usually expressed in numerical terms: death at 25 is viewed very differently from death at 85. But age at death should be no more than a first approximation, because the quality of a person's life is important as well as its length. The analysis suggests that this notion of intergenerational equity requires greater discrimination against the elderly than would be dictated simply by efficiency objectives.
Distinct roles of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and nitric oxide in acute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride in mice.

Macrophages are known to release a number of different inflammatory mediators with cytotoxic potential. In the present studies we analyzed the role of two macrophage-derived mediators, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and nitric oxide, in liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Treatment of mice with CCl4 resulted in a dose- and time-dependent induction of centrilobular hepatic necrosis. This was observed within 12 h with 0.3 ml/kg CCl4 and was correlated with increases in serum transaminase levels. CCl4 administration also caused increases in hepatic TNF-alpha mRNA expression and serum TNF-alpha levels, as well as inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS II) protein expression in the liver. To study the role of TNF-alpha and nitric oxide in hepatotoxicity, we used knockout mice lacking the gene for the 55-kDa TNF-alpha receptor (TNFR1/p55), the TNF-alpha cytokine, or NOS II. We found that CCl4 was significantly less effective in inducing hepatotoxicity in mice lacking TNFR1/p55 or the TNF-alpha cytokine. In contrast, CCl4-induced liver injury was increased in knockout mice lacking the gene for NOS II. This was associated with an increase in hepatic TNF-alpha mRNA expression and serum TNF-alpha levels. These data suggest that the hepatoprotective effects of nitric oxide in this model may be due in part to inhibition of TNF-alpha.
Medical Skepticism and the Use of Complementary and Alternative Health Care Providers by Patients Followed by Rheumatologists

Background:Our understanding of the determinants of use of complementary and alternative (CAM) providers is limited, especially in regard to medical skepticism (ie, doubt in the ability of conventional medical care to appreciably alter health status). Objectives:To determine whether medical skepticism was associated with CAM provider use in patients with arthritis and to explore the association between medical skepticism and demographic and health-related characteristics of persons with arthritis. Methods:A cross-sectional analysis of data from patients (N = 721) with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or fibromyalgia who completed a questionnaire about their health, health care use, and health-related attitudes/behaviors, including medical skepticism. Patients were recruited from 14 rheumatology practices in North Carolina. A multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between medical skepticism and the use of any CAM providers. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to examine relationships between medical skepticism and demographic and health-related measures. Results:Fifteen percent of the sample used one or more CAM providers. Medical skepticism was positively associated with CAM provider use. A one point increase in skepticism increased the probability of CAM provider use by approximately 70% (odds ratios =1.70; 95% confidence intervals [1.13–2.56]). Individuals, who were younger, had better perceived health, and had a diagnosis of osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia had greater skepticism. Conclusions:By knowing more about medical skepticism and other determinants of CAM provider use, conventional practitioners can target patients to improve their uptake of appropriate conventional care, while also monitoring patients alternative therapy use.
Circulating miR-21 and eNOS in subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with hypertension

Abstract Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship of miR-21, nitric oxide (NOx) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) with subclinical atherosclerosis in carotid arteries by measuring carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) in patients with hypertension and healthy controls. Design and Methods: A total of 28 hypertensive and 28 healthy controls were enrolled. MiR-21 expression was analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and NOx, and eNOS levels were measured by ELISA assay. CIMT was evaluated by ultrasonography and CIMT ≥ 0.8 mm was accepted as increased CIMT (iCIMT). Results: C-reactive protein (CRP) level, plasma miR-21 expression level and CIMT were found to be significantly higher in the hypertension group when compared to the control group (p = 0.009, p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively). NOx and eNOS levels were significantly lower in the hypertension group compared to the control group (p < 0.001, both). MiR-21 level was positively correlated with the clinical systolic blood pressure, clinical diastolic blood pressure, CRP and CIMT. MiR-21 was also negatively correlated with NOx and eNOS. Eighteen patients with hypertension had iCIMT. MiR-21 and CRP levels were significantly higher (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001), whereas NOx and eNOS levels were significantly lower in patients with iCIMT (p < 0.001, both). Conclusion: The decreased levels of NOx and eNOS found in this study indicate the co-existence of endothelial dysfunction and hypertension once more. In the absence of microalbuminuria, the increased miR-21 expression in patients with iCIMT made us conclude that this miRNA might be involved in the early stages of atherosclerotic process in hypertensive patients.
A continuous GA+LDA for training set enhancement in illumination and scale invariant face recognition

The face recognition performance of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) is considerably reduced by illumination and scale changes. Actually, performance of LDA is significantly affected by the number of images of each individual in the training set. Hence, the idea presented in this paper is to generate new images with illumination and scale changes, from the available frontal images in the training set, and add to training set such that the recognition rate of LDA is maximised over both the training and test sets. A continuous genetic algorithm is used to find the optimal sets of illumination and scale change parameters that make the success of LDA invariant to these facial variations. Compared to the application of LDA over the initially given face database, experimental evaluations demonstrated that the performance of LDA is significantly enhanced over the test set for illumination and scale changes, without decreasing the success for other test cases.
Long-term effects of palate repair on craniofacial morphology in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate.

OBJECTIVE To identify the long-term effects of palate repair on craniofacial growth in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). DESIGN Retrospective cross-sectional study. SETTING Sri Lankan Cleft Lip and Palate Project. SUBJECTS Forty-eight adults with nonsyndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate, 29 men and 19 women, had lip repair only (LRO group). Fifty-eight adults with nonsyndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate, 35 men and 23 women, had lip and palate repairs by the age of 9 (LPR group). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Clinical notes were used to record surgical treatment histories. Cephalometry was used to determine craniofacial morphology. RESULTS In the lip and palate repair group, the depth of the bony pharynx (Ba-PMP), the maxillary length at the alveolar level (PMP-A), the effective length of the maxilla (Ar-IZ, Ar-ANS, Ar-A), the maxillary protrusion (S-N-ANS, SNA), the anteroposterior jaw relation (ANS-N-Pog, ANB), and the overjet were smaller than in the lip repair only group. There were no significant differences in the maxillary length at the basal level (PMP-IZ, PMP-ANS) and the anterior and posterior maxillary heights (N-ANS and R-PMP, respectively) in the two groups. CONCLUSION Palate repair inhibits the forward displacement of the basal maxilla and anteroposterior development of the maxillary dentoalveolus in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate. Palate repair has no detrimental effects on the downward displacement of the basal maxilla or on palatal remodeling in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate.
Low-Cost, Precision, Self-Alignment Technique for Coupling Laser and Photodiode Arrays to Polymer Waveguide Arrays on Multilayer PCBs

The first, to our knowledge, passive, precision, self-alignment technique for direct coupling of vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) and photodiode (PD) arrays to an array of polymer buried channel waveguides on a rigid printed circuit board (PCB) is reported. It gives insertion losses as good as the best achieved previously, to within experimental measurement accuracy, but without the need for costly active alignment nor waveguide facet polishing and so is a major step towards a commercially realizable low cost connector. Such an optical connector with four duplex channels each operating at 10 Gb/s (80 Gb/s aggregate) was designed, constructed, and its alignment precision assessed. The alignment technique is applicable to polymer waveguide interconnections on both rigid and flexible multilayer printed circuit boards (PCBs). The dependence of optical coupling loss on misalignments in , and of the VCSEL and PD arrays allows the precision of alignment to be assessed and its reproducibility on multiple mating cycles of the connector is reported. The first recorded measurements of crosstalk between waveguides when the connector is misaligned are reported. Lateral misalignments of the connector to within its tolerance are shown to have no effect on the signal to crosstalk ratio (SCR), to within experimental measurement accuracy. The insertion loss repeatability is similar to that of single mode fiber mechanically transferable (MT) connectors.
Enforcing Contracts ∗

We examine the interaction of institutions that enforce contracts between two parties, producers and consumers, in a competitive market with onesided asymmetric information and productivity shocks. We compare an informal enforcement mechanism, reputation, the efficacy of which is enhanced by consumers investing in “connectedness,” with a formal mechanism, judicial enforcement, the effectiveness of which can be reduced by producers by means of bribes. When judicial enforcement is poor, consumers connect more with each other to improve informal enforcement; in contrast, a wellconnected network of consumers reduces producers’ incentives to bribe. In equilibrium, the model predicts a positive relationship between the the frequency of productivity shocks, bribing, and the use of informal enforcement, providing a physical explanation of why developing countries often fail to have efficient judicial systems. Firm-level estimations confirm the partial equilibrium implications of the model. JEL: D02, D7, L14, O12.
Quantifying Ecological Constraints on Motion Signaling

The environment in which animal signals are generated has the potential to affect transmission and reliable detection by receivers. To understand such constraints, it is important to quantify both signals and noise in detail. Investigations of acoustic and color signals now utilize established methods, but quantifying motion-based visual signals and noise remains rudimentary. In this paper, we encourage a more complete consideration of motion signaling environments and describe an approach to quantifying signal and noise in detail. Signals are reconstructed in three-dimensions, microhabitats are mapped and the noise environment quantified in a standardized manner. Information on signal and noise is combined to consider signal contrast from multiple viewpoints, and in any of the habitats we map. We illustrate our approach by examining signals and noise for two allopatric populations of the Australian mallee military dragon Ctenophorus fordi. By ‘placing’ signals in different microhabitats we observed similar signal contrast results within populations, but clear differences when considered in microhabitats of the other population. These preliminary results are consistent with the hypothesis that habitat structure has affected display structure in these populations of lizards. Our novel methodology will facilitate the examination of habitat-dependent convergence and divergence in motion signal structure in a variety of taxonomic groups and habitats. Furthermore, we anticipate application of our approach to consider the visual ecology of animals more broadly.