Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Randomized controlled trial of web-based decisional balance feedback and personalized normative feedback for college drinkers.

OBJECTIVE Web-based personalized feedback interventions, particularly personalized normative feedback (PNF), are efficacious in improving college drinking outcomes; however, no personalized feedback interventions to date have provided college drinkers with feedback about their own decisional balance. This study tested the relative efficacy of a novel decisional balance feedback (DBF) intervention, PNF, and an assessment-only control condition. METHOD Participants (N = 724; 56% female) were undergraduate students at a 4-year university in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and were randomized to receive one-time exposure to web-based DBF, PNF, or assessment only. Web-based assessment occurred at baseline and at 1-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups and included measures of motivation to change, drinking quantity norms, drinking frequency/quantity, and alcohol-related problems. RESULTS At the 1-month follow-up, DBF and PNF participants reported reductions in alcohol-related problems; however, only PNF participants reduced their drinking frequency and quantity. At the 6-month follow-up, only DBF participants showed significant reductions in drinking quantity and alcohol-related problems. Neither group maintained reductions in alcohol use or alcohol-related problems at the 12-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS This study provided preliminary evidence that web-based DBF and PNF are efficacious interventions for college drinkers, with DBF having somewhat longer lasting effects.
Affinity purification of staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 and its pathologic effects in rabbits

Toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) was purified to apparent homogeneity by chromatofocusing and affinity chromatography. The amino acid composition of the toxin was very similar to that reported for TSST-1 by other investigators. The amino-terminal amino acid was serine. A partial specific volume of 0.73 ml/g was calculated for the toxin from the amino acid data, and a molecular weight of 19,200 +/- 1,300 was determined by hydrodynamic methods. New Zealand white rabbits of both sexes were equally susceptible to the lethal effects of the toxin; however, older rabbits (greater than 12 months) were far more susceptible than young adults or weanlings. The 50% lethal dose of TSST-1 in older rabbits was 50 to 60 micrograms/kg when injected subcutaneously and 20 to 30 micrograms/kg when injected intravenously. Enhancement of lethal endotoxin shock by TSST-1 could not be demonstrated when both toxins were injected subcutaneously; however, lethal shock did occur when endotoxin (10 micrograms/kg) was injected intravenously after TSST-1 had been injected by either the subcutaneous (50 to 60 micrograms/kg) or the intravenous (20 to 30 micrograms/kg) route. Endotoxin alone was not lethal at a dose of 500 micrograms/kg of body weight when injected subcutaneously. When injected intravenously, endotoxin at a dose of 500 micrograms/kg was not lethal in weanling males or in females in any age group; however, young (6 to 7 months) and adult (greater than 12 months) males were killed by endotoxin doses as low as 45 to 50 micrograms/kg. Histopathologic studies of rabbits by both sexes which died as a result of TSST-1 alone or in combination with endotoxin showed extensive damage to organs rich in lymphoid and mononuclear phagocytic cells such as the thymus, mesenteric lymph nodes, liver, and spleen. Severe congestion of these organs as well as erythrophagocytosis and lymphoid depletion in the spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes were noted. Congestion and hemorrhage were also found in the heart, lungs, trachea, and thymus. The systemic pathology produced by TSST-1 was strikingly similar to that seen in humans who had died of toxic shock syndrome and in rabbits with subcutaneous chamber inoculated with toxic shock case strains of Staphylococcus aureus. Rabbits that were not killed by the toxin suffered a very rapid and severe leukopenia followed by leukocytosis with a left shift. Lymphopenia was also noted as was a mild but persistent anemia. With the exception of the early leukopenia, very similar hematologic findings have been noted in humans with toxic shock syndrome.
A typology of coin distributions

Abstract Supporters of the ‘historical paradigm’ for interpreting pre‐Roman British coinage still have not answered basic criticisms that neither their initial assumptions nor their results are capable of testing. Likewise use of distribution maps is simplistic, and fails to take into account the differing types of coin distributions. A number of different find patterns are suggested for discussion, reflecting different types of coin usage for administrative and exchange purposes, and these will form one group of questions in a new survey of coinage which has just been initiated in Britain.
Investigating User Confidence for Uncertainty Presentation in Predictive Decision Making

Machine Learning (ML) based decision support systems are often like a black box to non-expert users. Here user's confidence becomes critical for effective decision making and maintaining trust in the system. We find that user confidence varies significantly depending on supplementary material presented on screen. We investigate change in user confidence (in the context of ML based decision making) by varying level of uncertainty presented (in an online water-pipe failure prediction case study) and find that all 26 subjects rated higher uncertainty task to be most difficult and had lowest user confidence in predictive decisions of the same. This agrees with our expectation that increased uncertainty would reduce user confidence in predictive decision making. However, ML-researchers subgroup reported being most confident when uncertainty with known probability was presented, whereas other subgroups (viz. general staff and non-ML researchers) appeared most confident when uncertainty was not at all presented. This is an original research to improve understanding of user's decision making confidence with respect to uncertainty presented in machine learning context.
Lengthening our perspective: Morphological, cellular, and molecular responses to eccentric exercise

The response of skeletal muscle to unaccustomed eccentric exercise has been studied widely, yet it is incompletely understood. This review is intended to provide an up‐to‐date overview of our understanding of how skeletal muscle responds to eccentric actions, with particular emphasis on the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms of damage and recovery. This review begins by addressing the question of whether eccentric actions result in physical damage to muscle fibers and/or connective tissue. We next review the symptomatic manifestations of eccentric exercise (i.e., indirect damage markers, such as delayed onset muscle soreness), with emphasis on their relatively poorly understood molecular underpinnings. We then highlight factors that potentially modify the muscle damage response following eccentric exercise. Finally, we explore the utility of using eccentric training to improve muscle function in populations of healthy and aging individuals, as well as those living with neuromuscular disorders. Muscle Nerve 49: 155–170, 2014
Structure and function of the male copulatory apparatus of the nematodes Capillaria hepatica and Trichuris muris.

The anatomy of the terminal male reproductive system was studied by light microscopy and by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. In C. hepatica a common muscle sphincter surrounds the vas deferens and intestine at their point of juncture. The cloaca is divisible into proximal and distal portions. The spicule is formed in a short ventral spicule pouch but lies mainly in the distal cloaca. The spicule is retracted in C. hepatica by a paired retractor muscle and in T. muris by a single retractor muscle. Protraction of the spicule occurs by contraction of longitudinal muscles surrounding the distal cloaca. This results in the surface layers of the cloacal cuticle being everted as the spicule sheath. The spicule is tubular with a cellular core including multiple sensory receptors at its tip. The spicule is probably solely a chemosensory organ. Mechanical stimulation in the region of the distal cloaca resulted in activation of the spicule and spicule sheath. Response to mechanical stimulus is age depe.
Load Regulation of the Properties of Adult Feline Cardiocytes The Role of Substrate Adhesion

We have recently described rapid and reversible changes in cardiac structure, function, and composition in response to surgical load alteration in vivo. In the present study, weused a simple, well- defined in vitro experimental model system, consisting of terminally differentiated quiescent adult cat ventricular cardiocytes maintained in serum-free culture medium, to assess more definitively the role of loading conditions in regulating these same biological properties of heart muscle. Cardiocytes considered to be externally loaded were adherent throughout their length to a protein substrate, such that the tendency for the ends of the cells to retract was prevented. Cardiocytes considered to be unloaded were not adherent to a substrate and, thus, were free to assume a spherical shape. Cardiocyte structure and surface area were assessed, in initially identified cells, both by serial light microscopy and by terminal electron microscopy. Cardiocyte function was assessed in terms of the ability to exclude trypan blue, to remain quiescent with relaxed sarcomeres containing I-bands, and to shorten in response to electrical stimulation. Cardiocyte composition was first assessed by quantitative gel electrophoresis of proteins and then by microfluorimetric measurement of ribonucleic acid, protein, and deoxyribonucleic acid. In addition, cardiocyte incorporation of [3H]thymidine into deoxyribonucleic acid and [3H]uridine into ribonucleic acid were measured. Loading via substrate adhesion was found to be very effective in terms of each of these measurements in retaining the differentiated features of adult cardiocytes for up to 2 weeks in culture; unattached and thus unloaded cardiocytes quickly dedifferentiated. Conditions thought to stimulate cardiac growth, including catecholamine stimulation, were found to be ineffective. These experiments demonstrate that external load has a primary role in the maintenance of the basic differentiated properties of adult mammalian cardiocytes.
Rationale, design, and baseline data of the insulin glargine (Lantus) versus insulin detemir (Levemir) Treat-To-Target (L2T3) study: A multinational, randomized noninferiority trial of basal insulin initiation in type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE To discuss the design and baseline data of the Lantus (sanofi-aventis, Paris, France) versus Levemir (Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) Treat-To-Target (L2T3) study, a multinational, randomized comparison between the basal insulin analogs insulin glargine and insulin detemir. METHODS Insulin-naive subjects with type 2 diabetes suboptimally controlled on oral glucose-lowering drugs (OGLDs) (including at least metformin) were randomized to 24-week treatment with either insulin glargine once-daily or insulin detemir twice-daily, titrated to obtain fasting plasma glucose <100 mg/dL. The primary outcome was the percentage of subjects reaching hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) <7% without symptomatic confirmed hypoglycemia. Important secondary outcomes were quality of life and treatment satisfaction, which were repeatedly assessed using validated questionnaires. Also, biomedical and psychological determinants of failure to reach HbA1c <7% were explored. RESULTS Recruitment was completed in November 2007. The majority of the randomized population (n = 973) was white (77.8%) and used one other OGLD beside metformin (70.7%). Concerning patient-reported outcomes, approximately 20% of subjects reported no physical symptoms of fatigue or hyperglycemia before insulin initiation, and approximately 10% were maximally satisfied with their previous treatment. One-third of patients (29.9%) reported suboptimal well-being, and 9.3% had a score indicating depression. Better emotional well-being was significantly associated with lower diabetes symptom distress and higher treatment satisfaction (respectively, r = -0.56 and 0.41; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The L2T3 study will extend the evidence on both the efficacy and the effects on quality of life and treatment satisfaction of the long-acting insulin analogs glargine and detemir. Additionally, it will increase our understanding of the factors important to the (self-)management of type 2 diabetes patients starting insulin.
Conditional human immunodeficiency virus type 1 protease mutants show no role for the viral protease early in virus replication

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 protease plays a critical role in the proteolytic processing of precursor polyproteins during virion maturation. Contradictory evidence has been obtained for a possible role for the protease early after infection, i.e., during DNA synthesis and/or integration. We have reexamined this question by using conditional mutants of the protease. In one set of experiments, protease mutants that confer a temperature-sensitive phenotype for processing were used to assess the need for protease activity early after infection. No significant difference from results with wild-type virus was seen when infections were carried out at either 35 or 40 degrees C. In a separate set of experiments, infections were carried out in the presence of a protease inhibitor. In this case, both wild-type virus and a drug-resistant variant were used, the latter as a control to ensure a specific effect of the inhibitor. Infection with either virus was not inhibited at drug concentrations that were up to 10-fold higher than those needed to inhibit intracellular processing by the viral protease. The results obtained by both of these experimental protocols provide evidence that the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 protease does not play a role early after infection.
Environmental Awareness Among Secondary School Students Of Golaghat District In The State Of Assam And Their Attitude Towards Environmental Education

The present study attempts to study the level of environmental awareness and attitudes towards environmental education among Secondary School students of Golaghat district in the state of Assam. The sample consisted of 200 students which includes 100 boys and 100 girls. The Descriptive Survey Method was employed for the present study. Environmental awareness, attitude and socio-economic scale was developed and standardized for the present study. The data was statistically analyzed by using ‘z’ test and Karl Pearson’s coefficient of correlation (‘r’). Environmental awareness and attitude towards environmental education among the Secondary School male and female students was found not significant; but in case of rural and urban student the attitude towards environmental education was found significant. The relationship between environmental awareness and attitudes towards environmental education among the students was found strong and positive.
Objective Measures for the Assessment of Post-Operative Pain in Bos indicus Bull Calves Following Castration

Simple Summary Surgical castration of cattle is a common husbandry procedure, and although this procedure is known to cause pain in cattle and other species, in some countries it is often performed without anaesthesia or analgesia. Society is increasingly aware of this animal welfare issue and it is creating pressure to drive research into animal welfare science with the aim of identifying practical and economical approaches to pain management in livestock. To effectively manage pain, a pain assessment must be performed. Pain assessment methods are often subjective and therefore influenced by the observer. Ideally, objective assessments that generate consistent and repeatable results between observers should be identified. Bos indicus bull calves were divided into four groups: no castration (NC, n = 6); castration with pre-operative local anaesthetic (CL n = 12); castration with pre-operative anti-inflammatory medication (CM, n = 12); and, castration without pain relief (C, n = 12). A range of objective assessments was performed: bodyweight measurements, activity, and rest levels, and four different compounds in the blood. The results of this study suggest that animals rest for longer periods after the pre-operative administration of anti-inflammatory medication. The other objective assessments measured in this study were not able to consistently differentiate between treatment groups. These findings emphasise the need for alternative quantifiable and objective indicators of pain in Bos indicus bull calves. Abstract The aim of the study was to assess pain in Bos indicus bull calves following surgical castration. Forty-two animals were randomised to four groups: no castration (NC, n = 6); castration with pre-operative lidocaine (CL, n = 12); castration with pre-operative meloxicam (CM, n = 12); and, castration alone (C, n = 12). Bodyweight was measured regularly and pedometers provided data on activity and rest from day −7 (7 days prior to surgery) to 13. Blood was collected for the measurement of serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin, fibrinogen, and iron on days 0, 3 and 6. Bodyweight and pedometry data were analysed with a mixed effect model. The blood results were analysed with repeated measure one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). There was no treatment effect on bodyweight or activity. The duration of rest was greatest in the CM group and lowest in the C group. There was a significant increase in the concentrations of SAA, haptoglobin, and fibrinogen in all of the groups from day 0 to 3. Iron concentrations were not different at the time points it was measured. The results of this study suggest that animals rest for longer periods after the pre-operative administration of meloxicam. The other objective assessments measured in this study were not able to consistently differentiate between treatment groups.
Direct bonded orthodontic brackets for maxillomandibular fixation

Objectives/Hypothesis: Mandibular fracture treatment often includes arch bar maxillomandibular fixation (MMF), either alone or in combination with open reduction/internal fixation (ORIF) techniques. The glove perforation rate associated with arch bar placement, the incidence of blood‐borne pathogen positivity in facial fracture patients, and the injurious effects of arch bars on dental enamel and gingiva have prompted the development of safer alternatives to arch bar MMF. This study evaluates the efficacy, ease of use, and safety profile of one such alternative: orthodontic direct bonded bracket fixation (MMF/DBB). Study Design: Prospective study of consecutive mandible fracture patients treated with MMF/DBB. Methods: Thirty‐two patients with mandibular fractures were evaluated from January 1994 to July 1997. Fourteen were appropriate for treatment with MMF/DBB (12 men and two woman; mean age, 24.6 ± 7.2 y; range, 16–42 y). Fracture sites included symphysis, angle, condylar neck, coronoid, and body. Nine patients underwent MMF/DBB alone; five underwent MMF/DBB with subsequent ORIF. Results: No infection, malocclusion, malunion/nonunion, or enamel/ gingiva injury occurred. Mean follow‐up was 6 months (range, 1–12 mo). Oral hygiene with MMF/DBB was superior to historical controls using arch bars. Conclusions: MMF/DBB can serve as the single treatment method with satisfactory results in patients with favorable, less complicated mandible fractures, although with increased experience, we have treated several more complex cases with MMF/DBB alone. In cases necessitating ORIF, MMF/DBB can be performed preoperatively to align fracture segments and reestablish occlusion. This facilitates placement of osteosynthesis plates and reduces ORIF operative time. MMF/DBB is an economical, safe technique that minimizes blood‐borne‐pathogen risk to the operative team, eliminates periodontal injury, facilitates postoperative dental hygiene, and is painless to apply and remove.
Dissolution mechanisms of drug-polyvinylpyrrolidone coprecipitates in aqueous solution.

Coprecipitates of sulfamethizole-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and sulfisoxazole-PVP were prepared at various ratios. The dissolution rates of the drugs in the coprecipitates were greater when the ratio of drug to PVP was smaller. The dissolution rate of sulfamethizole in the coprecipitate was greater when PVP of smaller molecular weight was used. Dissolution patterns were different for sulfamethizole-PVP coprecipitate and sulfisoxazole-PVP coprecipitate ; recrystallization of the drug was observed following the dissolution of sulfisoxazole-PVP coprecipitate, whereas no recrystallization was found in the dissolution of sulfamethizole-PVP coprecipitate. A new dissolution model for coprecipitate is proposed.
Alternate Level of Care Patients in Hospitals: What Does Dementia Have To Do With This?

Background Patients in acute care hospitals no longer in need of acute care are called Alternate Level of Care (ALC) patients. This is growing and common all across Canada. A better understanding of this patient population would help to address this problem. Methods A chart review was conducted in two hospitals in New Brunswick. All patients designated as ALC on July 1, 2009 had their charts reviewed. Results Thirty-three per cent of the hospital beds were occupied with ALC patients; 63% had a diagnosis of dementia. The mean length of stay was 379.6 days. Eighty-six per cent were awaiting a long-term care bed in the community. Most patients experienced functional decline during their hospitalization. One year prior to admission, 61% had not been admitted to hospital and 59.2% had had at least one visit to the emergency room. Conclusions The majority of the ALC patients in hospital have a diagnosis of dementia and have been waiting in hospital for over one year for a long-term care bed in the community. Many participants were recipients of maximum home care in the community, suggesting home maker services alone may not be adequate for some community-dwelling older adults. Early diagnosis of dementia, coupled with appropriate care in the community, may help to curtail the number of patients with dementia who end up in hospital as ALC patients.
Pharmacology of 6-thioguanine in man.

6-Thioguanine (6-TG) was administered to 15 patients with acute leukemia and to 9 with solid tumors in 32 experiments, as part of Phase I testing of 6-TG. 6-TG and metabolites were measured by labeling the 6-TG with radiosulfur. The levels of 6-TG and metabolites were measured in blood and urine after p.o. and i.v. dosage. Incorporation into DNA and RNA of the bone marrow was measured. Blood levels of 6-TG were higher after administration of i.v. dosages than after equal p.o. doses were given the same patients. Blood levels and incorporation into bone marrow DNA were higher with the higher doses but depended more upon the growth status of the marrow than upon dose level. Incorporation into DNA of the marrow was usually very small after administration of a single dose of 6-TG, but after 5 daily doses the guanine of the DNA was largely replaced by 6-TG. This indicates that most cells were caused to enter DNA synthesis in the 5-day period.