Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Observations on the Proliferation of Human Leucocytes Cultured with Phytohaemagglutinin

A REMARKABLE finding reported recently by Nowell (1960) is the mitogenic effect of a bean extract in short-term cultures of normal human peripheral blood leucocytes. The bean material, named phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), was originally introduced by Li and Osgood (1949) for the separation of leucocytes from erythrocytes for in vitro culture. Nowell’s observation is the basis of a culture method (Moorhead, Nowell, Mellman, Battips and Hungerford, 1960) that is now widely used for the study of human chromosomes. However, the nature of the PHA effect and the morphological and biochemical characteristics of the cell population on which it acts appear to be largely unexplored. Since deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) replication is the essential biochemical basis of cellular proliferation, we directed particular attention to this aspect of cell metabolism in the culture system. During the course of these studies observations were also made on the morphological changes occurring in the cultured cells. In addition, information was sought about their oxygen requirements and about the presence of certain intracellular enzymes.
Patient- and Family-Centered Care: A Call to Action for New Knowledge and Innovation

This article summarizes the findings of an integrative literature review of 19 publications exploring patient- and family-centered care (PFCC) in children’s hospitals. The authors provide recommendations for nurse executives who are implementing PFCC in clinical practice. Findings from this review inform the evidence-based practices of nurse executives as they contemplate innovations in PFCC.
The Quantity of Corporate Credit Rationing with Matched Bank-Firm Data

This paper provides measures of credit rationing in the market of term loans to Italian non-financial firms. We identify non-price allocations of credit by exploiting a unique bank-firm dataset of more than 5 million observations, which matches the quantity and the cost of credit available from the Credit Register with a number of bank- and firm-specific characteristics from different sources of microdata. We propose an approach that endogenously identifies all the bank-firm transactions subject to credit rationing, thus circumventing aggregation biases stemming from the use of less detailed information. The estimates suggest that in the Italian case, rationing mostly reflected an increase in non-performing loans in banks' portfolios and a decline in available collateral. Borrowers' characteristics played a minor role, although banks did switch their supply of funds in favour of firms with greater creditworthiness after the outbreak of the sovereign debt crisis.
Anxiety and health problems related to air travel.

BACKGROUND A significant proportion of air travelers experience situational anxiety and physical health problems. Take-off and landing are assumed to be stressful, but anxiety related to other aspects of the air travel process, anxiety coping strategies, and in-flight health problems have not previously been investigated. METHODS We aimed to investigate frequency of perceived anxiety at procedural stages of air travel, individual strategies used to reduce such anxiety, and frequency of health problems on short-haul and long-haul flights. A questionnaire measuring the occurrence and frequency of the above was administered to two samples of intending travelers during a 3 month period to: (a) 138 travel agency clients, and (b) 100 individuals attending a hospital travel clinic. RESULTS Of the 238 respondents, two thirds were women. Take-off and landing were a perceived source of anxiety for about 40% of respondents, flight delays for over 50%, and customs and baggage reclaim for a third of individuals. Most frequent anxiety-reduction methods included alcohol and cigarette use, and distraction or relaxation techniques. Physical health problems related to air travel were common, and there was a strong relationship between such problems and frequency of anxiety. Travel agency clients reported more anxiety but not more physical health symptoms overall than travel clinic clients. Women reported greater air-travel anxiety, and more somatic symptoms than men. CONCLUSIONS Significant numbers of air travelers report perceived anxiety related to aspects of travel, and this is associated with health problems during flights. Airlines and travel companies could institute specific measures, including improved information and communication, to reassure clients and thereby diminish anxiety during stages of air-travel. Medical practitioners and travel agencies should also be aware of the potential stresses of air travel and the need for additional information and advice.
The response properties of the steady antagonistic surround in the mudpuppy retina.

1. The graded response of bipolar and ganglion cells to test flashes at the receptive field centre, spans only a limited portion of the test intensity domain: more than 90% of the graded response range can be elicited by test flashes differing by less than 100 to 1. 2. In the presence of steady illumination of the receptive field surround, the absolute levels of log test intensities required to elicit 90% of the graded response are increased (reset), but the relation in (1) still applies. 3. Each point in the receptive field surround, when illuminated, contributes to the resetting of the required centre test flash intensities by a weighing that decreases exponentially with distance from the centre. The space constant is 0.25 mm. 4. When the receptive field surround is fully covered with illumination, the centre test flash intensities required to elicit 90% of the response range must be increased by about tenfold for each tenfold increase in surround intensity over a surround intensity domain of about 1000 to 1. 5. The absolute levels of surround and required centre test intensities are inter‐related: when the receptive field surround is fully covered, a test flash with intensity equal to that of the surround elicits a half‐maximal response. Thus, in the presence of a full field background, the bipolar potential is held near its half‐maximum response potential. 6. The graded resetting of the required centre test flash intensities is well correlated with the graded increase in horizontal cell response as the surround intensity and area are varied. It is inferred that units with response and receptive field properties like those of the horizontal cells, when driven by surround illumination, act as interneurones to reset the relationship between required test flash intensity and response in bipolar and ganglion cells.
Biweekly Carboplatin/Gemcitabine in Patients with Advanced Urothelial Cancer Who Are Unfit for Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy: Report of Efficacy, Quality of Life and Geriatric Assessment

Objective: We evaluated safety and efficacy of first-line gemcitabine/carboplatin in unfit-for-cisplatin patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma and the effect on the quality of life and functional status of elderly patients (aged >70). Methods: Unfit patients had ECOG performance status (PS) ≧2, creatinine clearance <50 ml/min or comorbidities precluding cisplatin administration. Carboplatin at area under the curve of 2.5 and gemcitabine 1,250 mg/m2 were administered biweekly. Elderly patients were stratified into group 1 (no activities of daily living (ADL) or instrumental ADL dependency and no comorbidities), group 2 (instrumental ADL dependency or 1–2 comorbidities) and group 3 (ADL dependency or ≧2 comorbidities). Results: Thirty-four patients were enrolled: 68% had PS 2–3, 69% a creatinine clearance <50 ml/min and 65% had 1 or more comorbidities. There were 3 cases of grade 3 toxicity (9%). Response rate was 24% [95% confidence interval (CI) 11–41]. Median follow-up was 8 months, median progression-free survival 4.4 months (95% CI 1.03–7.75) and median overall survival 9.8 months (95% CI 4.7–14.9). Patients in geriatric assessment groups 1 and 2 had a significantly longer median progression-free survival compared to group 3 [6.9 months (95% CI 1.3–12.4) vs. 1.9 months (95% CI 0.5–3.2); p = 0.005]. Conclusion: First-line gemcitabine/carboplatin combination is active in unfit-for-cisplatin patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma. Pretreatment quality of life and geriatric assessment may be useful in selecting patients likely to benefit from this treatment.
WLAN Positioning

WLAN positioning systems are a promising approach to determine a users location in In-Building environments. The motivation for developing, the possible utilization as well as known issues are discussed. Physical fundamentals and technical aspects of the WLAN technique are explained to examine the positioning potential in detail. Furthermore, an example positioning system is presented and analyzed. To give a comprehensive overview of different realizations for such systems a taxonomy is proposed.
Ethnic inequalities in doctor-patient communication regarding personal care plans: the mediating effects of positive mental wellbeing

ABSTRACT Objective: There is limited understanding of ethnic inequalities in doctor-patient communication regarding personal care plans (PCPs). This study investigated the mediating effects of positive mental wellbeing on differences in PCP-related doctor-patient communication amongst South Asian and Caucasian UK residents. Design: Data from 10,980 respondents to the 2013 Health Survey for England was analysed using bootstrapping methods. Constructs from the WEMWBS (Warwick and Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale) (Stewart-Brown, S., and K. Janmohamed. 2008. Warwick, UK) were assessed as mediators of relations between ethnicity and several doctor-patient communication variables, including PCP-related interactions; (a) had a PCP-related discussion about a long-term condition with a doctor/nurse, and (b) had this conversation within the past year, (c) agreed to a PCP with a health professional; and (d) talked to a doctor in the past 2 weeks. Results: Bootstrapped mediation analysis (Hayes, A. F. 2013. Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-based Approach. New York, NY: The Guilford Press) showed that three positive mind-sets mediated associations between ethnicity and doctor-patient contact, including PCP-related communication. Being able to make up one’s mind (ab = −0.05; BCa CI [−0.14, 0.01]) mediated the effect of ethnicity on agreeing to a PCP, while having energy to spare (ab = 0.07; BCa CI [−0.04, 0.12]), and feeling good about oneself (ab = 0.03; BCa CI [0.01, 0.07]), mediated ethnic effects on talking to a doctor during the past fortnight. The mediating effect of reported energy persisted after controlling for medical history, perceived health, and other covariates. Conclusions: Ethnic disparities in doctor-patient interaction, including PCP-related communication, are partly explained by positive mental wellbeing. Gauging positive psychological moods in patients, particularly self-worth, self-perceived vigour and decisiveness, are relevant to addressing ethnic inequalities in doctor-patient communication. As PCPs may have direct implications for patient health it is important for health professionals to address deficits in psychological functioning that may precipitate ethnic inequalities in setting up PCPs.
Revenue efficiency in higher education institutions under imperfect competition

A number of studies have considered the evaluation of efficiency in higher education institutions. In this paper, we focus on the issue of revenue efficiency, in particular ascertaining the extent to which, given output prices, producers choose the revenue maximising vector of outputs. We then relax the price taking assumption to consider the case in which the market for some outputs is characterised by monopolistic competition. We evaluate efficiencies for English institutions of higher education for the academic year 2012–13 and find considerable variation across institutions in revenue efficiency. The relaxation of the price-taking assumption leads to relatively small changes, in either direction, to the estimated revenue efficiency scores. A number of issues surrounding the modelling process are raised and discussed, including the determination of the demand function for each type of output and the selection of inputs and outputs to be used in the model.
CT features of systemic lupus erythematosus in patients with acute abdominal pain: emphasis on ischemic bowel disease.

PURPOSE To evaluate the computed tomographic (CT) features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in patients with acute abdominal pain. Special emphasis was placed on the analysis of ischemic bowel disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS The authors retrospectively reviewed the images from 39 abdominal CT examinations performed in 33 patients with SLE and acute abdominal pain. Images were evaluated for bowel wall changes, mesenteric changes, fluid collection, retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy, peritoneal enhancement, and hepatomegaly as well as for changes in other abdominal organs. Ischemic bowel disease was diagnosed if at least three of the following signs were seen: bowel wall thickening, target sign, dilatation of intestinal segments, engorgement of mesenteric vessels, and increased attenuation of mesenteric fat. RESULTS Thirty-one (79%) of the 39 examinations had CT findings diagnostic of ischemic bowel disease, including symmetric bowel wall thickening (n = 29), target sign (n = 26), and mesenteric vascular engorgement and haziness (n = 31). In 24 cases, bowel wall thickening was multifocal, with variable length, and did not appear to be confined to a single vascular territory. CONCLUSION The most common CT finding in patients with SLE and acute abdominal pain is ischemic bowel disease. CT is useful for detecting the primary cause of gastrointestinal symptoms, planning treatment, and monitoring for infarction or perforation.
Comparison of dopa decarboxylase inhibitor (carbidopa) combined with levodopa and levodopa alone on the cardiovascular system of patients with Parkinson's disease

The effects of carbidopa combined with levodopa (carbidopa/levodopa) and levodopa alone on the cardiovascular system of patients with Parkinson's disease were evaluated. Thirty-eight patients who had been on stable doses of levodopa underwent a complete cardiac examination, including measurement of recumbent and erect blood pressure and 24 hour ambulatory electrocardiographs monitoring. Patients were classified with respect to the presence or absence of clinically significant heart disease and ventricular arrhythmias. Nineteen of the 38 patients (50 percent) had heart disease, and 12 (32 percent) had significant ventricular arrhythmias. Eleven of the 12 with arrhythmias had underlying heart disease. The incidence of arrhythmias did not correlate with the dose of levodopa. The patients were subsequently randomly assigned to treatment groups receiving either carbidopa/levodopa or levodopa alone. There was no significant difference in the severity of ventricular arrhythmias or in the incidence of orthostatic hypotension in the group assigned to carbidopa/levodopa compared with the group receiving levodopa.
Switching behavior of lateral-structured zinc oxide-based memristive device

Lateral-structured zinc oxide (ZnO) based memristive device was studied. The effect of oxide and electrode size variations on the switching behavior was investigated. The lateral structure was formed by depositing the metal electrodes at the right and left ends of a glass substrate. The ZnO thin films were deposited right at the center of the metal coated substrate using sol-gel spin coating technique. The oxide and electrode widths were varied. It was observed that using the smallest oxide width in the combination with wide electrode size resulted in better memristive behavior. The values of both on and off resistances (RON and ROFF) were found to be decreased as the width of the electrode increasing. The hysteresis curve on the other hand became wider with the increases of electrode width. The ROFF/RON ratio was calculated to be 1.044.
High‐dose busulfan–thiotepa with autologous stem cell transplantation followed by posterior fossa irradiation in young children with classical or incompletely resected medulloblastoma

The aim of the study is to evaluate the outcome of young children with high risk localized medulloblastomas (newly diagnosed classical or incompletely resected) treated by high‐dose busulfan–thiotepa with autologous stem cell rescue (ASCT) followed by focal radiation therapy (RT).
Pharmacokinetics of S-Allyl-l-cysteine in Rats Is Characterized by High Oral Absorption and Extensive Renal Reabsorption.

BACKGROUND S-Allylcysteine (SAC) is a key component of aged garlic extract, one of many garlic products. However, information on its pharmacokinetics has been scant except for data from a few animal studies. OBJECTIVE We designed this study to determine the overall pharmacokinetics of SAC in rats. METHODS After oral or intravenous administration of SAC to rats at a dose of 5 mg/kg, the plasma concentration-time profile of SAC and its metabolites, as well as the amounts excreted in bile and urine, were analyzed by using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS After oral administration, SAC was well absorbed with a bioavailability of 98%. Two major metabolites of SAC, N-acetyl-S-allylcysteine (NAc-SAC) and N-acetyl-S-allylcysteine sulfoxide (NAc-SACS), were detected in plasma, but their concentrations were markedly lower than those of SAC. SAC was metabolized to a limited extent, but most of the orally absorbed SAC was excreted into urine in the form of its N-acetylated metabolites. The amounts of SAC, NAc-SAC, and NAc-SACS excreted in urine over 24 h were 2.9%, 80%, and 11% of the orally administered SAC, respectively. The very low renal clearance (0.016 L ⋅ h(-1) ⋅ kg(-1)) of SAC indicated that it undergoes extensive renal reabsorption. These results collectively suggested that SAC was ultimately metabolized to NAc-SAC and NAc-SACS through the cycles of urinary excretion, renal reabsorption, and systemic recirculation. CONCLUSION The pharmacokinetics of SAC in rats were characterized by high oral absorption, limited metabolism, and extensive renal reabsorption, all of which potentially contribute to its high and relatively long-lasting plasma concentrations.
Extrusion of wheat or sorghum and/or addition of exogenous enzymes to pig diets influences the large intestinal microbiota but does not prevent development of swine dysentery following experimental challenge

A study was made of dietary influences on the large intestinal microbiota of pigs and on the incidence of swine dysentery (SD) after experimental infection with Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, the aetiological agent of SD. Animals were fed diets based either on wheat (expts 1 and 2) or sorghum (expt 2). Grains were ground and fed either raw or after high temperature and pressure extrusion and/or after addition of exogenous enzymes to the whole diet to reduce the starch and soluble non‐starch polysaccharides available for fermentation in the large intestine. Limiting fermentation creates conditions that apparently reduce the incidence of SD after infection with B. hyodysenteriae. The diets were fed to weaned pigs for 4–6 weeks, then half the animals on each diet were killed and gut samples collected for microbiology. The treatments had little effect on bacterial numbers. In expt 1, dietary extrusion of wheat reduced lactobacilli in the large intestine. Addition of enzymes to extruded wheat‐based diets in expt 2 reduced facultative anaerobes and increased non‐sporing anaerobes. Addition of enzymes to a raw sorghum diet in expt 3 decreased numbers of facultative anaerobes, while extrusion of sorghum increased total anaerobes. Bacteroides spp. and Fusobacterium spp. , which act in synergy with B. hyodysenteriae in SD, were isolated at a higher percentage in pigs fed the untreated wheat diet than in pigs fed the treated wheat diets. Following experimental infection the incidence of SD amongst pigs fed treated wheat diets was slightly lower than those fed the untreated diet, but with sorghum‐based diets the opposite was found. Overall, the different dietary treatments used did not significantly reduce SD.
Pregnancy safety after breast cancer

Many more young breast cancer patients will be seeking medical advice about pregnancy, because oophorectomy is no longer performed adjuvantly, and more women are bearing children in later years. In the meager amount of literature on the topic, it has been observed that breast cancer patients who subsequently become pregnant have as good a survival rate as those with no subsequent pregnancy. In particular the case‐matching studies attempt to eliminate the obvious factor of pregnancy occurring only in those with a good prognosis. Survival in cases with subsequent pregnancy is reported in some studies as better than in the controls with no posttreatment pregnancy.
TASTE VERSUS CALORIES: SENSORY AND METABOLIC SIGNALS IN THE CONTROL OF FOOD INTAKE *

In this paper we would like to discuss the role of sensory and metabolic signals in the control of food intake. The problem can be defined by perusing FIGURE 1, which presents a simplified version of a previously published schema outlining the control of intake in flow chart form (Jacobs, 1962). The initial conditions assume an animal already eating food. We shall not be concerned with the particular causes initiating the meal. Starting with the top of the FIGURE 1, then, we may ask classical question of physiologists analyzing intake regulation: What does the diet contain that can act as a signal to monitor subsequent intake? This signal can increase intake in a short-term positive feedback loop, as seen in the lower right side of the Figure, or decrease it in a negative feedback loop. The latter case we have called satiety. The two classes of physicochemical stimuli which interest us are labeled calories and taste. Both sets of signals are initiated in specialized receptor systems and relayed to the central nervous system (CNS) by nervous and/or humoral paths. It should be pointed out that our choice of the terms, taste and calories, is an oversimplification of the actual situation, which is at least hinted at in FIGURE 2. This diagram shows the same system, with the physicochemical stimuli expanded. What we have called calories are in fact only one of a large number of potential metabolic signals, and taste, only one of a number of potential seniory signals. The metabolic class includes all of the classical factors that physiologists have implicated in food intake. When a single factor is singled out and perhaps overemphasized, we have a “theory” of intake, as in the classical glucostatic and thermostatic hypotheses. Some would also consider a lipostatic or perhaps an “aminostatic” theory as well. Most people working in this area now accept Edward Adolph’s dictum that food intake is under multiple factor control, and that some combination of all of the metabolic signals is involved. The sensory category summarizes the classes of stimuli contained in food which have been of interest to the sensory psychologist, but which, for the most part, have been ignored by the regulatory physiologist. FIGURE 2 suggests many interesting problems, e.g. which receptor system responds to which classes of stimuli? Where are the latter located? Are they independent? For the purpose of this discussion, we can ignore these complexities. Returning to the simpler case (FIGURE 1 ) , we can now point out that the terms,