Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dermal delivery of doxorubicin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles for the treatment of skin cancer

Abstract Objective: Dermal delivery of Doxorubicin (Dox) would be an ideal way in maximising drug efficiency against skin cancer accompanying with minimising side effects. We investigated the potential of Dox-loaded Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) for topical delivery against skin cancer. Methods: In vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity of optimised formulation were evaluated on murine melanoma (B16F10) cells by MTT assay and melanoma induced Balb/C mice, respectively. Animal study followed by histological analysis. Results: Optimised formulation showed mean particle size and encapsulation efficiency (EE) of 92 nm and 86% w/w (0.86% w/w value of encapsulated Dox in the lipid matrix), respectively. FTIR experiment confirmed drug–lipid interaction interpreting the observed high EE value for Dox. In vitro and in vivo results indicated the superiority of cytotoxic performance of Dox-loaded SLN compared to Dox solution. Conclusion: Our findings may open the possibilities for the topical delivery of Dox to the skin cancerous tissues.
REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS AND DUCKLING SURVIVABILITY FOLLOWING CHRONIC DOSING WITH TUNGSTEN-IRON AND TUNGSTEN-POLYMER SHOT IN ADULT GAME-FARM MALLARDS

Tungsten-iron and tungsten-polymer shot were given conditional approval for waterfowl hunting by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service based partly on the results of a 30-day acute toxicity trial utilizing mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). Final approval of the two tungsten-containing shot was contingent on the results of a 150-day study that assessed the health and reproductive effects of tungsten-iron and tungsten-polymer shot in adult mallards. Reproductive data are presented in this paper. Sixteen male and 16 female adult mallards were dosed orally with eight #4 steel shot (control), eight #4 tungsten-iron shot, or eight #4 tungsten-polymer shot on days 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 of a 150-day trial (26 January 1998 to 25 June 1998). Reproductive performance was assessed during the last 90 days (day 61 to day 150) of the trial. There were no significant differences in egg production and fertility and hatchability of eggs from tungsten-iron- and tungsten-polymer-dosed ducks compared to control ducks. There was no evidence of differences in percent survivability and body weight of ducklings from tungsten-iron and tungsten-polymer mallards compared to ducklings from control ducks. Tungsten-iron or tungsten-polymer shot repeatedly administered to adult mallards during the 150 day trial did not adversely affect reproduction or their offspring.
Trends in Terrorism Incidents in Nigeria and the United States: Analysis of Data from 1980–2013

It is imperative to evaluate past terrorism incidents so as to learn from historical facts in order to understand the current, and predict the future. This research aggregates data on international and domestic terrorism incidents from 1980 – 2013 in both the United States and Nigeria. This study further compared terrorist tactics, targets, and types of weapons and terrorist organizations that have perpetrated attacks in both countries during the 34 years period. Incidences of terrorism in both countries were compared using a paired t-test (two tailed test) to ascertain whether there is a significant difference in the amount of terrorism incidents that occurred in both countries. Also, autoregressive time series was used to explain and predict terrorism incidents in both countries. The study analyzed data mainly from the Global Terrorism Database and other scholarly literature using qualitative and quantitative approaches. Findings revealed that Nigeria continuously experienced more terrorism incidents in the most recent times than the US. However, on the average statistical analysis, results indicated no difference in the mean number of terrorism incidents that occurred in both countries. The outcome of this study will help to inform counterterrorism decisions and policies and provide opportunities for future research. ________________________________________________________________________
Age- and sex-specific prevalences of diabetes and impaired glucose regulation in 13 European cohorts.

OBJECTIVE To report the age- and sex-specific prevalences of diabetes and impaired glucose regulation (IGR) according to the revised 1999 World Health Organization criteria for diabetes in Europe. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 13 studies from nine European countries with 7,680 men and 9,251 women aged 30-89 years were included in the data analysis. RESULTS In most of the study populations, the age-specific prevalences of diabetes were <10% in subjects younger than 60 years and between 10 and 20% at 60-79 years of age. Mean 2-h plasma glucose (2hPG) concentration increased linearly with age, but fasting plasma glucose (FPG) concentration did not. The increase in the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes and IGR in the elderly was mainly a result of the large increase in 2hPG rather than FPG. Diabetes and impaired fasting glycemia defined by isolated fasting hyperglycemia was more common in men than in women 30-69 years of age, whereas the prevalence of isolated postload hyperglycemia, particularly impaired glucose tolerance, was higher in women than in men, especially in the elderly (individuals >70 years of age). More than half of the diabetes was undiagnosed in subjects younger than 50 years of age. CONCLUSIONS Most European populations have a moderate to low prevalence of diabetes and IGR. Diabetes and IGR will be underestimated in Europe, particularly in women and in elderly men, if diagnoses are based on fasting glucose determination alone.
Prevalence of anti‐dengue immunoglobulin G antibodies among American Red Cross blood donors in Puerto Rico, 2006

BACKGROUND: Dengue is endemic in Puerto Rico and causes periodic outbreaks involving thousands of persons. Seroprevalence studies among blood donors can provide useful data on the immune status of the adult population. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti‐dengue immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibodies in a random sample of blood donors to the American Red Cross (ARC) in Puerto Rico.
Ondansetron Preloading with Crystalloid Infusion Reduces Maternal Hypotension during Cesarean Delivery

Abstract Objective The aim of the article was to investigate the effect of ondansetron preloading with crystalloid infusion after spinal anesthesia during cesarean delivery. Study Design A total of 66 parturient women scheduled for elective caesarean sections were randomly assigned to two groups. Five minutes before spinal anesthesia, Group O patients were injected with 4 mg of ondansetron, while Group S patients were injected with 5 mL physiological saline. Maternal blood pressure and heart rate were measured at 2 minute intervals for 30 minutes. After delivery, umbilical cord blood samples were analyzed. Results Maternal hypotension and nausea were significantly lower in ondansetron-treated patients versus placebo (p = 0.011 vs. 0.004). Umbilical venous pH was significantly higher in ondansetron-treated patients (p = 0.006), while partial pressure of carbon dioxide (Pco 2) was significantly lower (p = 0.002). Decreases in maternal systolic and mean arterial blood pressures were significantly lower in ondansetron-treated patients (p = 0.008 vs. 0.025), with less requirement for phenylephrine administration compared with controls (p = 0.029). Conclusion Ondansetron preloading combined with crystalloid infusion significantly reduced hypotension and nausea, while improving acid–base status, as well as reducing vasoconstrictor use.
Newer concepts in neural anatomy and neurovascular preservation in robotic radical prostatectomy

With more than 60% of radical prostatectomies being performed robotically, robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) has largely replaced the open and laparoscopic approaches and has become the standard of care surgical treatment option for localized prostate cancer in the United States. Accomplishing negative surgical margins while preserving functional outcomes of sexual function and continence play a significant role in determining the success of surgical intervention, particularly since the advent of nerve-sparing (NS) robotic prostatectomy. Recent evidence suggests that NS surgery improves continence in addition to sexual function. In this review, we describe the neuroanatomical concepts and recent developments in the NS technique of RALP with a view to improving the “trifecta” outcomes.
Lower Resting State Heart Rate Variability Relates to High Pain Catastrophizing in Patients with Chronic Whiplash‐Associated Disorders and Healthy Controls

Vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) is widely respected as a psychophysiological measure of emotion regulation capacity and serves as a readily available index of executive brain areas that exert an inhibitory influence on subcortical structures. Pain catastrophizing (PC) is conceptualized as the tendency to misinterpret and exaggerate pain‐related situations that may be threatening. Chronic pain patients show lower vmHRV and higher PC. Previously, no study has investigated the association of PC and vmHRV. We examined the association of PC and vmHRV in a sample of patients with chronic whiplash‐associated disorders (WAD, n = 30) and healthy controls (n = 31). Patients with WAD showed lower vmHRV, indexed by high‐frequency HRV (effect size, Cohen's d = 0.442), and greater PC (d = 0.815). Zero‐order and partial correlations controlling for age and sex revealed that vmHRV and PC are inversely related. The results provide evidence for a psychophysiological mechanism underlying PC, in particular in chronic pain patients.
Controlling Shareholders’ Value, Long-Run Firm Value and Short-Term Performance

We propose a new determinant of firm value within a business group: controlling shareholders' value (CSV), the value of controlling shareholders' stake in an affiliate divided by their stake in all affiliates. We posit that controlling shareholders focus attention on the high-CSV affiliates. Using data on Korean family-controlled business groups, we find that CSV has greater explanatory power for firm performance than traditional cash flow rights (CFR). We also find that, among affiliates with non-family CEOs, higher CSV is associated with higher Tobin's Q and lower EBITDA, indicating that controlling shareholders and non-family CEO have successfully addressed their principal-agent problem.
Association of adipocyte enhancer‐binding protein 1 with Alzheimer's disease pathology in human hippocampi

Adipocyte enhancer binding protein 1 (AEBP1) activates inflammatory responses via the NF‐κB pathway in macrophages and regulates adipogenesis in preadipocytes. Up‐regulation of AEBP1 in the hippocampi of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been revealed by microarray analyses of autopsied brains from the Japanese general population (the Hisayama study). In this study, we compared the expression patterns of AEBP1 in normal and AD brains, including in the hippocampus, using immunohistochemistry. The subjects were 24 AD cases and 52 non‐AD cases. Brain specimens were immunostained with antibodies against AEBP1, tau protein, amyloid β protein, NF‐κB, GFAP and Iba‐1. In normal brains, AEBP1 immunoreactivity mainly localized to the perikarya of hippocampal pyramidal neurons, and its expression was elevated in the pyramidal neurons and some astrocytes in AD hippocampi. Although AEBP1 immunoreactivity was almost absent in neurons containing neurofibrillary tangles, AEBP1 was highly expressed in neurons with pretangles and in the tau‐immunopositive, dystrophic neurites of senile plaques. Nuclear localization of NF‐κB was also observed in certain AEBP1‐positive neurons in AD cases. Comparison of AD and non‐AD cases suggested a positive correlation between the expression level of AEBP1 and the degree of amyloid β pathology. These findings imply that AEBP1 protein has a role in the progression of AD pathology.
Physical Activity-does it Really Increase Bone Density in Postmenopausal Women? A Review of Articles Published Between 2001-2016.

BACKGROUND Physical activity is known for its many health benefits; among them being the positive effect on bone health during the life cycle. During childhood, physical stress stimulates bone remodeling and increases density. However, due to hormonal changes during adulthood, and mainly during postmenopause the rate of bone remodeling is slowed down and is less efficient. As a result, argument has arisen in the literature regarding the benefit or harm of physical activity on bone health among postmenopausal women. OBJECTIVE The study aims to examine the efficacy of physical activity for improving Bone Mineral Density (BMD) in postmenopausal women based on a review of the literature. METHODS The articles included in the review were chosen from three databases (PubMed, SPORT Discus with full text and Science Direct). Only publications with intervention studies which provided BMD measures clearly affected by physical activity in postmenopausal women were included. Twelve articles met the criteria for inclusion. RESULTS In general, physical activity had a positive effect on BMD. Exercise prevented bone loss and in some cases, it contributed to the increase in BMD. CONCLUSION Physical activity may improve BMD in postmenopausal women. However, the exact type of activity, its intensity, its duration and its frequency, are still unclear. Further studies are needed to determine the precise training protocol for postmenopausal women.
Lack‐of‐fit tests for quantile regression models

The paper novelly transforms lack‐of‐fit tests for parametric quantile regression models into checking the equality of two conditional distributions of covariates. Accordingly, by applying some successful two‐sample test statistics in the literature, two tests are constructed to check the lack of fit for low and high dimensional quantile regression models. The low dimensional test works well when the number of covariates is moderate, whereas the high dimensional test can maintain the power when the number of covariates exceeds the sample size. The null distribution of the high dimensional test has an explicit form, and the p‐values or critical values can then be calculated directly. The finite sample performance of the tests proposed is examined by simulation studies, and their usefulness is further illustrated by two real examples.
Epicardial Cardiac Rhythm Devices for Dialysis Patients: Minimizing the Risk of Infection and Preserving Central Veins

Transvenous leads of cardiac rhythm devices (CRDs) are known to cause central stenosis and are vulnerable to contamination during hemodialysis access‐related bacteremia. In this retrospective study, nine consecutive chronic hemodialysis patients with transvenous CRD infection due to dialysis access‐related bacteremia and recurrent central stenosis are presented. Four patients with tunneled hemodialysis catheters (TDCs) and three with arteriovenous grafts experienced access‐related bacteremia that spread to the transvenous CRD. Two patients required repeated angioplasty procedures (less than 3 months apart) for central venous stenosis. Transvenous CRD was removed and replaced with an epicardial system in all. One patient with TDC switched to peritoneal dialysis and did not experience infection of the epicardial system despite two episodes of peritonitis. The remaining TDC (n = 3) and graft patients (n = 3) received a new TDC after the resolution of bacteremia. While all six experienced on average 1.5 episodes of catheter‐related bacteremia (average follow‐up = 14.5 months), none developed infection of the epicardial system. The patients with central stenosis have required only one angioplasty each for the past 8 and 6 months. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study to suggest that an epicardial approach might be a preferred method over transvenous leads for chronic hemodialysis patients.
From Expressive Reading to Rapid Reading

Reading rate, a component of reading not closely attended to by educators and researchers prior to the 20th century, quickly became the subject of considerable research shortly after the turn of the century. This article uses historical content analysis to examine primary source documents from that period (1910–1925) to explore why reading rate emerged as a key component of reading during that time. Situating this rise with the concurrent rise in the efficiency movement within education, a critical analysis of these documents reveals that reading rate became relevant in part due to its alignment with three ideological tenets of the efficiency movement: efficiency, measurement, and sorting. In considering the similarities between the focus on rate during the turn of the 20th century and the related focus on automaticity today, these findings suggest the need for critical examination of current approaches to fluency.
The Psychometric Properties and the Development of the Indicators of Quality Nursing Work Environments in Taiwan

Background: The nursing shortage in medical institutions in Taiwan averaged 9% in 2012, considerably higher than the 5% indicated in the literature. As a result, many hospitals have been forced to close wards or reduce beds. Despite the acute need, the percentage of registered nurses who are employed as nurses in Taiwan (60.4%) is considerably lower than those in Canada or the United States. This low rate may be because of the poor working environment for nurses in Taiwan. Purpose: This study aimed to develop a set of nursing work environment quality indicators for Taiwan and to test the reliability and validity of the resulting survey tool. Methods: Multiple methods were used in this study. In Phase 1, we organized an expert panel, reviewed the literature, and conducted seven rounds of expert panel discussion and six focus group discussions with nursing directors. The goal was to draft indicators representing a quality nursing work environment to fit current conditions in Taiwan. In Phase 2, we conducted an expert review for content validity, held three public hearings, and conducted a survey. Four hundred twenty-seven questionnaires were sent out, with 381 returned. The goal was to test the content validity, construct validity, and internal consistency reliability. Results: The study produced a set of indicators of a quality nursing work environment with eight dimensions and 65 items. The content validity index for importance and suitability dimensions were 1.0, whereas the internal consistency was 0.91. The eight dimensions were safe practice environment (16 items), quality and quantity of staff (four items), salary and welfare (seven items), professional specialization and teamwork (seven items), work simplification (five items), informatics (five items), career development (nine items), and support and caring (12 items). The overall load for the indicators was 77.57%. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: The developed indicators may be used to evaluate the quality of nursing work environments. Furthermore, the indicators may be used in hospital surveys to establish baseline conditions and for outcome research that measures improvement in nursing work environments after interventions.
Bioethanol–gasoline fuel blends: Exhaust emissions and morphological characterization of particulate from a moped engine

This study was aimed at evaluating the effects of gasoline–ethanol blends on the exhaust emissions in a catalyst-equipped four-stroke moped engine. The ethanol was blended with unleaded gasoline in at percentages (10, 15, and 20% v/v). The regulated pollutants and the particulate matter emissions were evaluated over the European ECE R47 driving cycle on the chassis dynamometer bench. Particulate matter was characterized in terms of total mass collected on filters and total number of particles in the range 7 nm–10 μm measured by electrical low-pressure impactor (ELPI). In addition, particle-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emissions were evaluated to assess the health impact of the emitted particulate. Finally, an accurate morphological analysis was performed on the particulate by high-resolution transmission electron microscope (TEM) equipped with a digital image-processing/data-acquisition system. In general, CO emission reductions of 60–70% were obtained with 15 and 20% v/v ethanol blends, while the ethanol use did not reduce hydrocarbon (HC) and NOx emissions. No evident effect of ethanol on the particulate mass emissions and associated PAHs emissions was observed. Twenty-one PAHs were quantified in the particulate phase with emissions ranging from 26 to 35 μg/km and benzo[a]pyrene equivalent (BaPeq) emission factors from 2.2 to 4.1 μg/km. Both particulate matter and associated PAHs with higher carcinogenic risk were mainly emitted in the submicrometer size range (<0.1 μm). On the basis of the TEM observations, no relevant effect of the ethanol use on the particulate morphology was evidenced, showing aggregates composed of primary particles with mean diameters in the range 17.5–32.5 nm. Implications: Mopeds may contribute in a large share to air pollution in some major urban areas; therefore, efforts may be taken to reduce their emissions. The addition of ethanol into gasoline (up 20% v/v) leads to a significant reduction of CO emission at the exhaust of a catalyzed 4-S moped, whereas this does not reduce HC and NOx. No clear effects on particulate matter and associated PAHs emissions have been observed with ethanol addition, but particulate-phase PAHs were mainly found on submicrometer-size particles (<0.1 μm), which penetrate deeply into the human respiratory tract.
Disparities in pulmonary function in healthy children across the Indian urban-rural continuum.

RATIONALE Marked socioeconomic health-care disparities are recognized in India, but lung health inequalities between urban and rural children have not been studied. OBJECTIVES We investigated whether differences exist in spirometric pulmonary function in healthy children across the Indian urban-rural continuum and compared results with those from Indian children living in the UK. METHODS Indian children aged 5 to 12 years were recruited from Indian urban, semiurban, and rural schools, and as part of the Size and Lung Function in Children study, London. Anthropometric and spirometric assessments were undertaken. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Acceptable spirometric data were obtained from 728 (58% boys) children in India and 311 (50% boys) UK-Indian children. As an entire group, the India-resident children had significantly lower z FEV1 and z FVC than UK-Indian children (P < 0.0005), when expressed using Global Lung Function Initiative-2012 equations. However, when India-resident children were categorized according to residence, there were no differences in z FEV1 and z FVC between Indian-urban and UK-Indian children. There were, however, significant reductions of ∼ 0.5 z scores and 0.9 z scores in both FEV1 and FVC (with no difference in FEV1/FVC) in Indian-semiurban and Indian-rural children, respectively, when compared with Indian-urban children (P < 0.0005). z Body mass index, socioeconomic circumstances, tobacco, and biomass exposure were individually significantly associated with z FEV1 and z FVC (P < 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS The presence of an urban-rural continuum of lung function within a specific ethnic group emphasizes the impact of environmental factors on lung growth in emerging nations such as India, which must be taken into account when developing ethnic-specific reference values or designing studies to optimize lung health.