Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maximizing the Value of Electronic Prescription Monitoring Programs

There is general agreement that the “principle of balance” should guide controlled substance policy and regulation in the United States. Although the diversion of controlled substances from medical to nonmedical purposes is a significant public health problem, overly aggressive controlled substance regulation has been shown to have an unintended deterrent effect on appropriate controlled substance use, including pain management with opioid analgesics. The promotion of effective pain management and the reduction of substance abuse are equally important regulatory objectives. Neither regulatory objective need be sacrificed to achieve the other. Rather, the two objectives must be balanced with each other to assure that necessary pain management is encouraged while drug abuse is curtailed. Approximately 75 million people in the United States suffer from severe pain. Fifty million of these suffer chronic pain, and 25 million suffer acute pain from trauma or surgery. Pain is not merely an uncomfortable symptom.
Gene amplification is a relatively frequent event leading to ZBTB7A (Pokemon) overexpression in non‐small cell lung cancer

ZBTB7A (Pokemon) is a member of the POK family of transcriptional repressors. Its main function is the suppression of the p14ARF tumour suppressor gene. Although ZBTB7A expression has been found to be increased in various types of lymphoma, there are no reports dealing with its expression in solid tumours. Given that p14ARF inhibits MDM2, the main negative regulator of p53, we hypothesized that overexpression of ZBTB7A could lead indirectly to p53 inactivation. To this end, we examined the status of ZBTB7A and its relationship with tumour kinetics (proliferation and apoptosis) and nodal members of the p53 network in a panel of 83 non‐small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs). We observed, in the majority of the samples, prominent expression of ZBTB7A in the cancerous areas compared to negligible presence in the adjacent normal tissue elements. Gene amplification (two‐ to five‐fold) was found in 27.7% of the cases, denoting its significance as a mechanism driving ZBTB7A overproduction in NSCLCs. In the remaining non‐amplified group of carcinomas, analysis of the mRNA and protein expression patterns suggested that deregulation at the transcriptional and post‐translational level accounts for ZBTB7A overexpression. Proliferation was associated with ZBTB7A expression (p = 0.033) but not apoptosis. The association with proliferation was reflected in the positive correlation between ZBTB7A expression and tumour size (p = 0.018). The overexpression of ZBTB7A in both p53 mutant and p53 wild‐type cases, implies either a synergistic effect or that ZBTB7A exerts its oncogenic properties independently of the p14ARF–MDM2–p53 axis. The concomitant expression of ZBTB7A with p14ARF (p = 0.039), instead of the anticipated inverse relation, supports the latter notion. In conclusion, regardless of the pathway followed, the distinct expression of ZBTB7A in cancerous areas and the association with proliferation and tumour size pinpoints a role for this novel cell cycle regulator in the pathogenesis of lung cancer. Copyright © 2007 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Attenuated hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenal axis responses to immune challenge during pregnancy: the neurosteroid–opioid connection

In late pregnancy maternal hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis responses to emotional and physical stressors are attenuated. This is expected to minimize the detrimental programming effects of glucocorticoid exposure on the fetuses. We have utilized a model of immune challenge, systemic administration of interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Intravenous IL‐1β activates corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH) neurones in the parvocellular division of the paraventricular nucleus (pPVN) via noradrenergic (A2 cell group) neurones in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS). Despite comparable activation of these brainstem neurones by IL‐1β in virgin and in late pregnant rats, pPVN CRH neurones are activated only in virgin rats. As a consequence IL‐1β fails to evoke ACTH and corticosterone secretion in late pregnant rats, in contrast to virgin rats. Suppressed responsiveness of the CRH neurones, and hence the HPA axis, following IL‐1β in late pregnancy is explained by presynaptic inhibition of noradrenaline release in the pPVN, due to increased endogenous enkephalin and μ‐opioid receptor production in brainstem NTS neurones. The factor that signals to the brain the pregnancy status of the animal and stimulates opioid production in the brainstem is allopregnanolone, a neurosteroid metabolite of progesterone. The supporting evidence for these mechanisms is discussed.
Scanning Acoustic Microscopy for Mapping the Microelastic Properties of Human Corneal Tissue

Abstract Purpose: To assess the feasibility of applying scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) on UV cross-linked corneal tissue for mapping and analyzing its biomechanical properties. Materials and Methods: Five corneal pairs (10 corneas) were used. In each pair, one cornea was cross-linked (epithelium removed, riboflavin application for 45 min and UVA irradiation for 30 min) and the contralateral control cornea was epithelial debrided and treated only with riboflavin for 45 min. Histological sections were prepared and their mechanical properties were examined using SAM. A line profile technique and 2D analysis was used to analyze the mechanical properties of the corneas. Then the corneal paraformaldehyde and unfixed sections were examined histologically using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Results: In the frozen fresh corneal tissue, the speed of sound of the treated corneas was 1672.5 ± 36.9 ms−1, while it was 1584.2 ± 25.9 ms−1 in the untreated corneas. In the paraformaldehyde fixed corneal tissue, the speed of sound of the treated corneas was 1863.0 ± 12.7 ms−1, while it was 1739.5 ± 30.4 ms−1 in the untreated corneas. The images obtained from the SAM technique corresponded well with the histological images obtained with H&E staining. Conclusion: SAM is a novel tool for examining corneal tissue with a high spatial resolution, providing both histological and mechanical data.
Involvement of Prostaglandins in the Pathophysiology of Endometriosis

Prostaglandins (PGs), thromboxanes (TXs) and leukotrienes (LTs) collectively called eicosanoids, are cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) products. Prostanoids, PGs and TXs, are known effectors of a wide range of actions in most cells and tissues. They have been described to be involved in muscle contraction and relaxation, neurotransmitter release/unrelease, fever, sleep induction, apoptosis, cell proliferation and oncogenesis; but respecting endometriosis, what matters us mostly, is that they are central molecules involved in the reproductive system (Jabbour & Sales, 2004; Narumiya et al., 1999).
CW operation and threshold characteristics of all-monolithic InAlGaAs 1.55-μm VCSELs grown by MOCVD

We demonstrate an all-monolithic metal-organic chemical vapor epitaxy (MOCVD)-grown 1.55-/spl mu/m vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser operating continuous wave up to 35/spl deg/C. The structure is based on the InAlGaAs-InP material system grown by a single step of MOCVD. Wet oxidation of a strained In/sub 0.4/Al/sub 0.6/As layer is used for the current confinement. The threshold current, threshold voltage and the external quantum efficiency at room temperature are about 1.6 mA, 2.3 V, and 5.4%, respectively.
Preparation of catechin extracts and nanoemulsions from green tea leaf waste and their inhibition effect on prostate cancer cell PC-3

Green tea is one of the most commonly consumed natural health beverages in Taiwan’s market, with the major functional component catechin being shown to possess several biological activities such as antioxidation, anticancer, and prevention of cardiovascular disease. The objectives of this study were to develop a high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry method to determine the variety and content of catechins in green tea leaf waste, a by-product obtained during processing of tea beverage. In addition, catechin nanoemulsion was prepared to study its inhibition effect on prostate cancer cell PC-3. Results showed that a total of eight catechin standards were separated within 25 minutes by using a Gemini C18 column and a gradient mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid (A) and acetonitrile (B) with flow rate at 1 mL/min, column temperature at 30°C, and detection wavelength at 280 nm. Among various extraction solvents, 50% ethanol generated the highest yield of total catechins from tea leaf waste, of which five catechins were identified and quantified. The catechin nanoemulsion was composed of catechin extract, lecithin, Tween 80, and deionized water in an appropriate proportion, with the mean particle size being 11.45 nm, encapsulation efficiency 88.1%, and zeta potential −66.3 mV. A high stability of catechin nanoemulsion was shown over a storage period of 120 days at 4°C. Both catechin extract and nanoemulsion could inhibit growth of PC-3 tumor cells, with the half maximal inhibitory concentration being 15.4 μg/mL and 8.5 μg/mL, respectively. The PC-3 cell cycle was arrested at S phase through elevation of P27 expression and decline of cyclin A, cyclin B, cyclin-dependent kinase 2, and cyclin-dependent kinase 1 expression. In addition, both catechin extract and nanoemulsion could induce apoptosis of PC-3 cells through decrease in B-cell lymphoma 2 (bcl-2) expression and increase in cytochrome c expression for activation of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9. Taken together, both caspase-dependent and caspase-independent pathways may be involved in apoptosis of PC-3 cells.
Combined Learning and Use for a Mixture Model Equivalent to the RBF Classifier

We show that the decision function of a radial basis function (RBF) classifier is equivalent in form to the Bayes-optimal discriminant associated with a special kind of mixture-based statistical model. The relevant mixture model is a type of mixture-of-experts model for which class labels, like continuous-valued features, are assumed to have been generated randomly, conditional on the mixture component of origin. The new interpretation shows that RBF classifiers effectively assume a probability model, which, moreover, is easily determined given the designed RBF. This interpretation also suggests a statistical learning objective as an alternative to standard methods for designing the RBF-equivalent models. The statistical objective is especially useful for incorporating unlabeled data to enhance learning. Finally, it is observed that any new data to classify are simply additional unlabeled data. Thus, we suggest a combined learning and use paradigm, to be invoked whenever there are new data to classify.
Microsampling and Isotopic Analysis of Igneous Rocks: Implications for the Study of Magmatic Systems

Isotopic fingerprinting has long been used to trace magmatic processes and the components that contribute to magmas. Recent technological improvements have provided an opportunity to analyze isotopic compositions on the scale of individual crystals, and consequently to integrate isotopic and geochemical tracing with textural and petrographic observations. It has now become clear that mineral phases are commonly not in isotopic equilibrium with their host glass/groundmass. Isotopic ratios recorded from core to rim of a mineral grain reflect the progressive changes in the magma composition from which the mineral crystallized. The sense of these changes and the relationship between isotopic composition and petrographic features, such as dissolution surfaces, can be used to constrain magma evolution pathways involving open system processes such as magma mixing, contamination and recharge.
Allergic contact dermatitis in children: which factors are relevant? (review of the literature)

Allergic Contact Dermatitis (ACD) in children is increasing. Sensitization to contact allergens can start in early infancy. The epidermal barrier is crucial for the development of sensitization and elicitation of ACD. Factors that may influence the onset of sensitization in children are atopic dermatitis, skin barrier defects and intense or repetitive contact with allergens. Topical treatment of ACD is associated with cutaneous sensitization, although the prevalence is not high. ACD because of haptens in shoes or shin guards should be considered in cases of persistent foot eruptions or sharply defined dermatitis on the lower legs. Clinical polymorphism of contact dermatitis to clothing may cause difficulties in diagnosing textile dermatitis. Toys are another potentially source of hapten exposure in children, especially from toy‐cosmetic products such as perfumes, lipstick and eye shadow. The most frequent contact allergens in children are metals, fragrances, preservatives, neomycin, rubber chemicals and more recently also colourings. It is very important to remember that ACD in young children is not rare, and should always be considered when children with recalcitrant eczema are encountered. Children should be patch‐tested with a selection of allergens having the highest proportion of positive, relevant patch test reactions. The allergen exposure pattern differs between age groups and adolescents may also be exposed to occupational allergens. The purpose of this review is to alert the paediatrician and dermatologist of the frequency of ACD in young children and of the importance of performing patch tests in every case of chronic recurrent or therapy‐resistant eczema in children.
Suicidality in Bipolar Disorder: The Role of Emotion‐Triggered Impulsivity

&NA; A growing body of research suggests that impulsive responses to emotion more robustly predict suicidality than do other forms of impulsivity. This issue has not yet been examined within bipolar disorder, however. Participants diagnosed with bipolar I disorder (n = 133) and control participants (n = 110) diagnosed with no mood or psychotic disorder completed self‐report measures of emotion‐triggered impulsivity (Negative and Positive Urgency Scales) and interviews concerning lifetime suicidality. Analyses examined the effects of emotion‐triggered impulsivity alone and in combination with gender, age of onset, depression severity, comorbid anxiety, comorbid substance use, and medication. A history of suicide ideation and attempts, as well as self‐harm, were significantly more common in the bipolar disorder group compared with the control group. Impulsive responses to positive emotions related to suicide ideation, attempts, and self‐harm within the bipolar group. Findings extend research on the importance of emotion‐triggered impulsivity to a broad range of key outcomes within bipolar disorder. The discussion focuses on limitations and potential clinical implications.
Ty1 Mobilizes Subtelomeric Y′ Elements in Telomerase-Negative Saccharomyces cerevisiae Survivors

ABSTRACT When telomerase is inactivated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, telomeric DNA shortens with every cell division, and cells stop dividing after ∼100 generations. Survivors that form in these senescent populations and resume growing have variably amplified arrays of subtelomeric Y′ elements. We marked a chromosomal Y′ element with the his3AI retrotransposition indicator gene and found that Y′HIS3 cDNA was incorporated into the genome at ∼10- to 1,000-fold-higher frequencies in survivors compared to telomerase-positive strains. Y′HIS3 cDNA mobility was significantly reduced if assayed at 30°C, a nonpermissive temperature for Ty1 retrotransposition, or in the absence of Tec1p, a transcription factor for Ty1. Microarray analysis revealed that Y′ RNA is preferentially associated with Ty1 virus-like particles (VLPs). Genomic copies of Y′HIS3 cDNA typically have downstream oligo(A) tracts, followed by a complete Ty1 long terminal repeat and TYA1 or TYB1 sequences. These data are consistent with the use of Ty1 cDNA to prime reverse transcription of polyadenylated Y′ RNA within Ty1 VLPs. Unmarked Y′-oligo(A)-Ty1 cDNA was also detected in survivors, reaching copy numbers of ∼10−2 per genome. We propose that Y′-oligo(A)-Ty1 cDNA recombines with Y′ elements at eroding telomeres in survivors and may play a role in telomere maintenance in the absence of telomerase.
Histochemical localization of glycogen, mucopolysaccharides, lipids, some oxidative enzymes and cholinesterases in the reproductive tract of the male fowl (Gallus domesticus).

The production of a wide variety of enzymes and other chemical compounds in specific regions of the male genital tract ofmammals, including accessory reproductive organs, has been studied extensively (Nicander, 1954, 1957; Dawson & Rowlands, 1959; Allen & Slater, 1961; White, Wallace, Wales & Scott, 1961; Mann, 1964; Risley & Skrepetos, 1964a, b; Stallcup & Roussel, 1965; Blackshaw & Samisoni, 1967). No accessory reproductive organs, similar to those of mammals, occur in the fowl, and Lake (1957) made a preliminary cytochemical examination of its genital tract in the course of a study to locate possible sources of seminal secretions. It was shown that unidentified lipid-mucoprotein complexes were produced in secretions of most parts of the tract ranging from the seminiferous tubules to the distal ductus deferens. Also, glycoproteins were tentatively identified as being a component of these secretions. The distribution of acid and alkaline phosphatases was studied later by Lake (1962), when a high degree of activity of the former was observed in the ductuli efferentes and ductus deferens. The above observations were confirmed by Angulo & Bosch (1964), who confined their attention to the epididymal region. Certain histochemical tests were made in the present study to aid in a consideration of possible homologies between parts of the reproductive tract of the male fowl and the mammal, and also in the interpretation of the function of the various epithelial cells seen in an electron microscopical study (Tingari, 1972).
A research agenda: the changing relationship between body weight and health in aging.

It is increasingly recognized that changes in weight and body composition with age are strongly connected with health status and physical function. Aging is typically associated with reductions in total and lean mass, so that in the last few years of life, older people frequently report having lost weight and strength (1–3). We know only a few important facts about this process. On average, muscle mass declines with age, and even in older persons with stable weight, muscle is replaced by fat over time (4,5). Increasing fatty infiltration of muscle tissue is associated with decreasing muscle strength (6). The general pattern of weight change over the lifetime is that weight increases through approximately age 60 years and decreases thereafter (7). Weight gain from early adulthood through midlife is related to increases in both fat and muscle mass, but weight loss at older ages is associated with higher risk for a disproportionate decline in muscle mass (1,8).
Autosomal recessive frontotemporal pachygyria

Pachygyria is a cortical malformation that results from the abnormal migration of neurons. Regions of the brain with pachygyria have an abnormally thick cortex that lacks normal folding and has deficient layering. We describe three siblings, born to nonconsanguineous Mexican parents, who have bilateral frontotemporal pachygyria without polymicrogyria. The pachygyria is accompanied by moderate mental retardation, esotropia, and either hypertelorism or telecanthus. They are otherwise morphologically normal and do not have microcephaly. Two experienced a single seizure in infancy. The characteristic phenotype present in this family suggests a new genetic syndrome that is likely inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ion beam formation in a very low magnetic field expanding helicon discharge

An ion beam has been measured emerging from a low pressure (0.04 Pa) helicon plasma reactor over a narrow range of magnetic field values (1 mT<B0<3 mT). The presence of the ion beam occurs simultaneously with a large increase in the plasma density for the same applied magnetic field, produced using a single solenoid half the length of the m=1 rf antenna. The peak central plasma density of 1.5×1017 m−3 is measured to be almost 15 times larger than that occurring before or after the increase, and is associated with a steep axial density gradient which follows the gradient of the magnetic field. During this low magnetic field transition the antenna power transfer efficiency is measured to increase from less than 10% to 50%, suggesting some form of localized bulk electron heating in the source region associated with the helicon wave.
The Agricultural Demographic Transition During and After the Agriculture Inventions

An abrupt increase in fertility has been recorded in data from 200 cemeteries and ethnographic data ranging from the Meso-Neolithic Eurasian center in the Levant to the arctic circle in the North American continent in the twentieth century AD. This shift has been called, synonymously, the Neolithic demographic transition or the agricultural demographic transition (ADT). It is interpreted as the effect on fertility of an abrupt change in maternal energetics that occurs during the transition from a mobile forager economy to a farming economy in any period, whether prehistoric or historical. The primeval prehistoric ADT was a loop of retroactions capable of rapidly raising the rate of population growth and in which the population was both the cause and the effect of the demographic shift. During the eighteenth century AD, new areas of demographic change appeared across this agricultural population area that were characterized by a drop in mortality and then in fertility and were determined by the introduction of new rules of hygiene along with medical and contraceptive techniques. This shift represents the contemporary demographic transition (CDT). The CDT occurred in reverse symmetry with the ADT. A unique phenomenon occurred at the margins of the residual area of the forager system with a quasi coincidence of the effects of both the ADT and the CDT.
Use of traditional medicine by immigrant Chinese patients.

BACKGROUND Chinese immigrants constitute the largest group of foreign-born Asians living in the United States. Knowledge of their use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is limited. A survey was conducted to determine their TCM use and to evaluate physician awareness of these practices. METHODS Structured interviews were conducted with 198 Chinese immigrant patients, and a survey was administered to 17 physicians in two federally funded community health clinics. RESULTS Nearly 100% of the patients had used TCM during the previous year, mostly for musculoskeletal or abdominal pain, fatigue, and health maintenance. Self-medication with herbal products was the most common (93% at least once, 43% weekly). A smaller number (23%) had used herbs prescribed by a TCM provider. Use of acupuncture was less common (14%), although higher than the national average. Most patients indicated a preference to consult Western physicians for acute infections. Only 5% reported that their physicians had ever asked about their use of TCM. By contrast, 77% of physicians reported that they "usually or sometimes" asked about TCM use. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that these patients used TCM, primarily self-prescribed over-the-counter herbal preparations, for many health problems. Information about use was not shared with their physicians, nor did patients perceive their doctors as soliciting sufficient information on TCM use. Physician education in this area may be warranted.