Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of nebulized colistin-based therapy without concurrent intravenous colistin for ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

BACKGROUND Although there have been studies regarding the role of nebulized colistin as adjunctive therapy of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), a paucity of information on the efficacy of nebulized colistin as monotherapy is available. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed 219 patients with VAP caused by CRAB treated with either intravenous (n=93) or nebulized colistin (n=126), from March 2010 to November 2015. Factors related to clinical failure was assessed using propensity-score-matched analysis. RESULTS Of 219 patients, 39 patients from each group (n=78) were matched after covariate adjustment using propensity score. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics as well as the rates of clinical failure between the propensity-score-matched groups [Odds ratio (OR), 0.48; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.19-1.19; P=0.11], while a significantly lower rate of acute kidney injury (AKI) during colistin therapy (18% vs. 49%, P=0.004) was observed in nebulized colistin group. In addition, multivariable analysis revealed that nebulized colistin did not significantly alter the rate of clinical failure [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 0.36; 95% CI, 0.12-1.09; P=0.070]. Instead, medical intensive care unit (ICU) admission (aOR, 7.14; 95% CI, 1.60-32.00; P=0.010), and septic shock (aOR, 3.93; 95% CI, 1.27-12.17; P=0.018) were independent risk factors for clinical failure. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that nebulized colistin-based therapy, even without concurrent administration of intravenous colistin, may be an effective and safe treatment option for VAP caused by CRAB.
Morphological Changes in Liver of Albino Rats Associated with Olive Oil Diet : An Experimental Study

Aim: To see the possible effects of Olive oil on liver morphology. Methods: Fifty albino rats of eight weeks age were selected and divided into five groups of ten animals each with equal number of males and females. Group A, normal control, was fed on synthetic diet, group B was on low Olive oil diet only and group C was on low Olive Oil + hypercholesterolemic diet. Group D was on high Olive oil diet only and group E was on hypercholesterolemic diet for the next 24 weeks. Histological examination was done on H&E, reticulin, trichrome and oil red O stains. Liver revealed increased Portal triad changes and lobular changes in groups E. These findings were statistically significant when compared with group A. While Bile duct proliferation ,portal triad inflammation were mild in group C and D. Regarding lobular changes, groups C, D and E showed lobular steatosis while lobular fibrosis is seen in group E only. Conclusion: It is concluded that Olive oil proved to be beneficial diet. It causes reduced hepatic injury in low and high concentration. Diet with high cholesterol causes marked morphological changes in liver.
The Mammalian Longevity-associated Gene Product p66shc Regulates Mitochondrial Metabolism*

Previous studies have determined that mice with a homozygous deletion in the adapter protein p66shc have an extended life span and that cells derived from these mice exhibit lower levels of reactive oxygen species. Here we demonstrate that a fraction of p66shc localizes to the mitochondria and that p66shc-/- fibroblasts have altered mitochondrial energetics. In particular, despite similar cytochrome content, under basal conditions, the oxygen consumption of spontaneously immortalized p66shc-/- mouse embryonic fibroblasts were lower than similarly maintained wild type cells. Differences in oxygen consumption were particularly evident under chemically uncoupled conditions, demonstrating that p66shc-/- cells have a reduction in both their resting and maximal oxidative capacity. We further demonstrate that reconstitution of p66shc expression in p66shc-/- cells increases oxygen consumption. The observed defect in oxidative capacity seen in p66shc-/- cells is partially offset by augmented levels of aerobic glycolysis. This metabolic switch is manifested by p66shc-/- cells exhibiting an increase in lactate production and a stricter requirement for extracellular glucose in order to maintain intracellular ATP levels. In addition, using an in vivo NADH photobleaching technique, we demonstrate that mitochondrial NADH metabolism is reduced in p66shc-/- cells. These results demonstrate that p66shc regulates mitochondrial oxidative capacity and suggest that p66shc may extend life span by repartitioning metabolic energy conversion away from oxidative and toward glycolytic pathways.
The effect of default option on customer decision behavior in product customization

A lot of companies apply online configuration interface to enable customers to customize their desired products. In such systems, default options are pre-specified for levels of product features by the manufacturer or dealer. This article analyzes how the default options will affect customer decisions in product customization process. The major goal of this study is to examine the effect of framing approach (no default, the highest defaults and the lowest defaults) on consumers' choice. A situational experiment in the context of laptops customization produces the following findings: (1) compared with the no default, customers tend to customize higher total price when they are treated with highest defaults framing and lower total price with the lowest defaults framing; (2) framing approach and product attribute types impose a significant interaction effect. In the situation with the highest defaults, the default options of essential attributes are more likely to be chosen than that of complementary attributes; in the lowest defaults framing, the default options of complementary attributes are more likely to be chosen; (3) compared with experts, novices will accept more default options, no matter with which framing. Based on these findings, this paper further discusses the theoretical significance and application value. The suggestions are offered to the enterprises about how to design effective products customization interface to create more profits.
5-HT2A Receptor Gene Polymorphisms and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Goals The aim of the study was to investigate the potential association between single nucleotide polymorphisms of the 5-HT2A receptor gene and susceptibility to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in the Greek population. Background Serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] is the main mediator involved in the pathophysiology of IBS. Thus, genes implicated in 5-HT metabolism are good candidates for susceptibility to IBS. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms –1438 (G/A) and 102 (C/T) in the 5-HT2A receptor gene have been associated with the pathophysiology of IBS. Study One hundred twenty-four patients with IBS diagnosed according to the Rome III criteria and 238 healthy individuals were included in the study. The –1438 (G/A) and 102 (C/T) in the 5-HT2A receptor gene polymorphisms have been studied using the polymerase chain reaction based restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Results A genotype association was found between A allele and AA genotype of the –1438 (G/A) polymorphism and IBS (P=0.0037 and P=0.0064, respectively). Concerning the 102 (C/T) polymorphism, no significant association was found. Conclusions This study suggests that the carriers of A allele of the –1438 (G/A) polymorphism of the 5-HT2A receptor gene have a high risk of IBS.
Heart, but Not Skin, Allografts from Donors Lacking Flt3 Ligand Exhibit Markedly Prolonged Survival Time1

Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3L) administration leads to dramatic increases in dendritic cells (DC) in lymphoid and nonlymphoid tissues. Conversely, mice lacking Flt3L (Flt3L−/−) show severe reductions in both myeloid (CD11c+CD8α−) and lymphoid-related DC (CD11c+CD8α+) in the thymus and secondary lymphoid organs. In this study marked reductions in CD11c+ interstitial cardiac DC and in dermal, but not epidermal, DC (Langerhans cells) were also observed. CD11c+ cells that migrated from Flt3L−/− skin explants expressed lower surface MHC class II and costimulatory molecules and naive T cell allostimulatory activity than migratory wild-type (wt) C57BL/6 (B6) CD11c+ cells. We examined the survival of Flt3L−/− heart or tail skin grafts (H2b) in allogeneic wt (BALB/c; H2d) recipients. The outcome of transplantation of BALB/c organs into Flt3L−/− recipients was also determined. Flt3L−/− mice rejected BALB/c heart or skin grafts with similar kinetics as B6 wt recipients. Trafficking of donor DC into host spleens or draining lymph nodes was markedly reduced after transplantation of Flt3L−/− heart, but not skin grafts, respectively. Compared with wt hearts, survival of Flt3L−/− hearts was markedly prolonged in BALB/c recipients (median survival time, 37 and 15 days, respectively; p < 0.001). Skin graft survival was unaffected. Rejection of Flt3L−/− hearts was precipitated by infusion of wt donor DC at the time of transplant. Thus, severe depletion of interstitial heart DC resulting from targeted gene disruption prolongs, but does not indefinitely extend, heart survival. Acute rejection of wt grafts in Flt3L−/− recipients reflects presumably an intact role of the direct pathway of allorecognition.
Oral contraceptive induced chorea: another condition associated with anti-basal ganglia antibodies

Use of oral contraceptives is a recognised but infrequent cause of chorea. This type of chorea has usually been considered a reactivation of Sydenham’s chorea by an unknown mechanism. A patient developed a chorea triggered by the use of oral contraceptives with no definite evidence of previous Sydenham’s chorea or recent streptoccocal infections. However, the patient had positive anti-basal ganglia antibodies, which supports an immunological basis for the pathophysiology of this chorea.
On use of crowdsourcing for H.264/AVC and H.265/HEVC video quality evaluation

Crowdsourcing has become a popular method in the field of video quality evaluation. Gathering the opinion of the users using crowdsourcing is quick and relatively cheap but such a study has to be designed very carefully in order to give relevant results. So far, the majority of the QoE studies using crowdsourcing has been focusing on the performance of H.264/AVC algorithm in different situations (such as encoder settings, stalling effects, etc). Modern video coding methods, however, are only rarely tested using the crowdsourcing approach. We designed a study comparing the performance of both H.264/AVC and H.265/HEVC standards in the crowdsourcing environment. We deal with the possibilities of delivering and presenting the HEVC encoded content to the participants of the crowdsourcing study and potential challenges. Finally, the study was performed using Microworkers platform and gathered results are then compared with three different objective video quality metrics.
Aggravation by Clopidogrel , an Antiplatelet Drug , of Antral Lesions Induced by NSAIDs in Rats

Background/Aim: Recent studies suggested a risk of gastric adverse reaction on the concomitant use of antiplatelet drugs with NSAIDs. The present study was performed to examine the adverse effects of anti-platelet drug clopidogrel, a P2Y12 receptor antagonist, on gastric antral lesions induced by conventional NSAIDs in refed
Region specific regulation of sodium pump isoform and Na,Ca-exchanger expression in the failing human heart--right atrium vs left ventricle.

Na,K-ATPase (NKA, Na-pump), an alphabeta heteromer, is the receptor for cardiac glycosides (CG) which exert a positive inotropic effect by inhibiting enzyme activity, decreasing the driving force for Na,Ca-exchange (NCX) and increasing cellular content and release of Ca2+ during depolarization. Our previous study of regional distribution of NKA in non-failing human hearts demonstrated that Na-pump alpha2-, alpha3- and beta1-isoforms were 30-50% lower in right atrium (RA) compared with left ventricle (LV), resulting in overall lower NKA activity and CG binding site number and increased sensitivity to inotropic stimulation. In failing human heart LV Na-pump alpha1, alpha3 and beta1 proteins were reduced 30-40%, with no change in alpha2 or NCX; NKA activity and CG binding sites decreased 40%, and sensitivity to inotropic stimulation increased, all compared to LV from non-failing hearts. In this study we investigated the influence of region specific factors (e.g. hemodynamics) on the regulation of NKA isoform and NCX expression in heart failure by comparing the pattern of change in right atrial myocardium during heart failure with that previously determined for LV. In RA samples from failing hearts, alpha1-, alpha2- and beta1-isoform protein expression were decreased by 40, 50 and 25%, respectively, with no significant change in alpha3 or NCX levels relative to non-failing hearts (both n= 12). Thus, alphabeta1 decreases in both RA and LV during heart failure, while alpha2beta1 is reduced only in RA and alpha3beta1 only in LV. This indicates that there are not only regional differences in normal cardiac Na-pump isoform expression but also regional differences in the pattern of isoform expression as a function of failure that may have distinct functional consequences in the adaptive process of heart failure. The mechanisms underlying Na,K-ATPase regulation and effect of hemodynamics remain to be investigated.
The effects of terrestrial and breeding densities on corticosterone and testosterone levels in spotted salamanders, Ambystoma maculatum

We examined plasma concentrations of corticosterone (CORT) and testosterone in male free-living and captive spotted salamanders, Ambystoma maculatum (Shaw, 1802), to determine if (i) they mounted significant CORT responses to conspecifics in captive enclosures during potential competition for limited burrows; (ii) artificially induced, increased breeding densities altered CORT and testosterone levels in a free-living population; and (iii) testosterone in free-living males varied seasonally. We found increased baseline CORT in captive male spotted salamanders exposed to conspecifics under high densities (4 animals with only 1 burrow). Original residents of the cage, however, had significantly higher baseline CORT titers than did newly introduced animals, and titers were significantly higher in animals cohabiting a burrow than those remaining outside the burrow. This suggests that spotted salamanders perceive con specifics as threats for burrows and become stressed when forced to share these resources. In c.
X-ray pulsars: a review

Accreting X-ray pulsars are among the most luminous objects in the X-ray sky. In highly magnetized neutron stars (B~10^12 G), the flow of matter is dominated by the strong magnetic field. The general properties of accreting X-ray binaries are presented, focusing on the spectral characteristics of the systems. The use of cyclotron lines as a tool to directly measure a neutron star's magnetic field and to test the theory of accretion are discussed. We conclude with the current and future prospects for accreting X-ray binary studies.
Epidemiological studies on forestomach disorders in cattle and buffaloes

Aim: To study epidemiology of forestomach (reticuloruminal, omasal, and abomasal) disorders in cattle and buffaloes. Materials and Methods: The 106 buffaloes and 32 cattle referred for treatment to the university large animals teaching hospital with the complaint of gastrointestinal diseases constituted the study material. The cases were diagnosed based on history, clinical examination, hematology, biochemistry, radiography, peritoneal fluid analysis and ultrasonography, rumenotomy, and postmortem. A questionnaire was prepared containing important information on housing, husbandry practices, including feeding practices and individual animal information viz. age, species, month of the year, parity, gestation (month), and recent parturition. The animals were divided into eight groups and analysis of variance was performed to study risk factors associated with each condition. Results: The forestomach disorders are widely prevalent in cattle and buffaloes between April and October, during summer and rainy season (90%) and constituted a significant proportion of diseased cows and buffaloes (138/1840) at the hospital. Different forestomach disorders and their prevalence was: Diaphragmatic hernia (DH) 17%, traumatic reticuloperitonitis (TRP) 14%, idiopathic motility disorder or vagus indigestion (VI) 22%, adhesive peritonitis (AP) 13%, frank exudative peritonitis (FEP) 12%, reticular abscess (RA) 8%, ruminal and omasal impaction (RI) 5%, and abomaso duodenal ulceration (ADU) 9%. DH and RA were significantly more common in buffaloes as compared to cattle. Similarly, impactions were more in buffaloes but its incidence was very low (5%). ADU was present in buffalo as commonly as in cows. Exclusive feeding of wheat straw was present in an abysmally low number of animals and hence could not be considered the cause of these disorders. DH was significantly higher in buffaloes (>5 years) of 5-8 years of age and TRP, VI and AP were observed in cattle and buffalo of 2-8 years of age during the second half of gestation to 1 month post-calving. FEP (12%) occurred more commonly within 1 month of parturition. Conclusions: DH, TRP, frank and AP and ADU are causes of the widely prevalent forestomach (reticuloruminal, omasal and abomasal) disorders in cattle and buffaloes.
Mirrored motion compensation for complementary-coded ultrasonic imaging

Ultrasonic imaging using complementary coded pulses offers the SNR improvements of signal coding without the filter side-lobes introduced by single-transmit codes. Motion in the medium, however, can introduce high side-lobes due to misalignment. An approach to the filtering and motion compensation of complementary-coded imaging signals was presented previously by the authors. It was shown to be robust to the effects of non-ideal transducers on the signals, to reduce side-lobe levels and increase coding gain and range resolution compared to systems using FM-coded signals of similar length. In addition, motion compensation allows the adoption of complementary coded imaging pulses with no reduction in frame-rate. The method is extended here to use image-line segmentation to deal with the effects of inhomogeneous motion and mirrored compensation stages to reduce the impact of estimation error.
A boosting approach to flexible semiparametric mixed models

In linear mixed models the influence of covariates is restricted to a strictly parametric form. With the rise of semi‐ and non‐parametric regression also the mixed model has been expanded to allow for additive predictors. The common approach uses the representation of additive models as mixed models. An alternative approach that is proposed in the present paper is likelihood based boosting. Boosting originates in the machine learning community where it has been proposed as a technique to improve classification procedures by combining estimates with reweighted observations. Likelihood based boosting is a general method which may be seen as an extension of L2 boost. In additive mixed models the advantage of boosting techniques in the form of componentwise boosting is that it is suitable for high dimensional settings where many explanatory variables are present. It allows to fit additive models for many covariates with implicit selection of relevant variables and automatic selection of smoothing parameters. Moreover, boosting techniques may be used to incorporate the subject‐specific variation of smooth influence functions by specifying ‘random slopes’ on smooth effects. This results in flexible semiparametric mixed models which are appropriate in cases where a simple random intercept is unable to capture the variation of effects across subjects. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Emotional Construction of Morals

Preamble: Naturalism and Hume's Law PART I. MORALITY AND EMOTION 1. Emotionism 2. Emotions: Nonmoral and Moral 3. Sensibility Saved 4. Against Objectivity PART II. CONSTRUCTING MORALS 5. Dining with Cannibals 6. The Genealogy of Morals 7. The Limits of Evolutionary Ethics 8. Moral Progress: Beyond Good and Evil?
Randomized phase II study of the neurokinin 1 receptor antagonist CJ-11,974 in the control of cisplatin-induced emesis.

PURPOSE To determine the efficacy and safety of the neurokinin type 1 receptor antagonist CJ-11,974 for the control of high-dose cisplatin-induced emesis. PATIENTS AND METHODS A double-blind, randomized, phase II design with a group sequential stopping rule was used in this study. Sixty-one patients with cancer who were receiving cisplatin at a dose of at least 100 mg/m2 for the first time were enrolled. All patients received granisetron 10 microg/kg and dexamethasone 20 mg intravenously 30 minutes before they were given cisplatin. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups: group 1 received CJ-11,974 100 mg, and group 2 received placebo orally 30 minutes before and 12 hours after cisplatin and then twice daily on days 2 through 5 after cisplatin. The primary end point was the percentage of patients who developed delayed emesis (emesis on the second to fifth days after cisplatin). RESULTS Thirty patients were enrolled in group 1, and 31 patients were enrolled in group 2. Fifty-eight patients were assessable for efficacy. Complete control of emesis (expressed as the percentage of patients who had no emesis) was as follows: day 1, 85.7% (group 1) and 66.7% (group 2) (P = .090); days 2 through 5, 67.8% (group 1) and 36.6% (group 2) (P = .0425, adjusted); days 1 through 5, 64.3% (group 1) and 30% (group 2) (P = .009). Patients in group 1 experienced significantly less nausea than patients in group 2 on day 1 (P = .024). Treatment was well tolerated in both groups. CONCLUSION We conclude from this exploratory phase II trial that CJ-11,974 is superior to placebo in controlling cisplatin-induced delayed emesis and may provide additive benefit in acute emesis and nausea control when combined with a 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 receptor antagonist and dexamethasone. Additional larger trials are indicated to confirm the clinical value of CJ-11,974.
Language and Social Influence in Small Conversational Groups

University students, in groups of 3 or 4, discussed legal aspects of commercial surrogacy and afterwards ranked the relative influence of each group member. As predicted, high-influence members spoke more words and had more successful turns during the conversation than low-influence members. The latter used a greater rate of intonation and intensifiers than the former. A closer examination of the results showed that turns were particularly important for high influence. Unexpectedly, tag questions and hedges did not result in low influence, probably due to the different usage of tag questions and to the nature of the conversation setting which, unlike one facing court witnesses, required tactful hedging in the exertion of influence.