Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Endovascular stenting in the management of malignant superior vena cava obstruction: comparing safety, effectiveness, and outcomes between primary stenting and salvage stenting.

OBJECTIVE To compare the safety, effectiveness, and outcomes of primary stenting and salvage stenting for malignant superior vena cava obstruction. DESIGN Case series with internal comparison. SETTING Regional hospital, Hong Kong. PATIENTS A total of 56 patients with malignant superior vena cava obstruction underwent 59 stentings from 1 May 1999 to 31 January 2014. Patients' characteristics, procedural details, and outcomes were retrospectively reviewed. Of the 56 patients, 33 had primary stenting before conventional therapy and 23 had salvage stenting after failure of conventional therapy. Statistical analyses were made by Fisher's exact test and Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS Primary lung carcinoma was the most common cause of malignant superior vena cava obstruction (primary stenting, 22 patients; salvage stenting, 16 patients; P=0.768), followed by metastatic lymphadenopathy. Most patients had superior vena cava obstruction only (primary stenting, 16 patients; salvage stenting, 15 patients; P=0.633), followed by additional right brachiocephalic vein involvement. Wallstents (Boston Scientific, Natick [MA], US) were used in all patients. Technical success was achieved in all but two patients, one in each group (P=1.000). Only one stent placement was required in most patients (primary stenting, 28 patients; salvage stenting, 20 patients; P=0.726). Procedure time was comparable in both groups (mean time: primary stenting, 89 minutes; salvage stenting, 84 minutes; P=0.526). Symptomatic relief was achieved in most patients (primary stenting, 32 patients; salvage stenting, 23 patients; P=0.639). In-stent restenosis and bleeding were the commonest complications (primary stenting, 6 and 1 patients, respectively; salvage stenting, 2 and 2 patients, respectively). Nine patients required further treatment for symptom recurrence (primary stenting, 6 patients; salvage stenting, 3 patients; P=0.725). CONCLUSION Endovascular stenting is safe and effective for relieving malignant superior vena cava obstruction. No statistically significant differences in number of stents, success rates, procedure times, symptom relief rates, complication rates, and re-procedure rates were found between primary stenting and salvage stenting.
Awareness, knowledge and perception of HIV/AIDS and sexual behaviour amongst pre-clinical, medical students in a Nigerian university.

BACKGROUND Youths are the most vulnerable group affected by the HIV pandemic and its spread is most rapid amongst them. Their knowledge and awareness about this disease could transform to positive habits which could stem the tide of the pandemic. This study therefore set out to find out about the knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS and sexual behaviour amongst pre-clinical medical student in a Nigerian University. MATERIAL AND METHOD This was a cross sectional descriptive study carried out in the University of Uyo Medical School. Structured questionnaire was administered to consenting students to gather relevant information about socio-demographic characteristic, HIV/AIDS awareness, sexual behaviour, willingness to screen for HIV/AIDS amongst others. RESULT One hundred and fourteen students completed the questionnaire. Majority (82) were males, with most of them aged between 16-24 years. All of them (100%) had heard about HIV/IADS, before, and majority heard it from the first time through the electronic media. Majority (83.9%) could identify all the routes of transmission of HIV/AIDS while all respondents identified HIV virus as being. Ninety five percent agreed there is no cure for the disease. Thirty seven percent of then were sexually active with the mean age of sexual debut being 17.2 +/- 3.95 years. Only 70% of the sexually active respondent admitted using a condom during sexual intercourse. Majority (94.3%) agreed to undergo voluntary counselling and testing with 73% saying they will seek medical attention if infected. Only 40.2% of the respondent agreed to disclose their status if they test positive to the virus. CONCLUSION Awareness and knowledge among certain aspects of HIV/AIDS amongst pre-clinical medical students in Uyo is high. However certain risk behaviour like no consistent use of condom during sexual intercourse still persist with many students not readil accepting to disclose their HIV status if they test positive to the virus. We advocate increased awareness, sensitization and education of the entire populace about HIV/AIDS. Government should also legislate laws to prevent discrimination, stigmatization and victimization of those affected by the virus.
From Misperception to Social Connection: Correlates and Consequences of Overestimating Others’ Social Connectedness

Two studies document the existence and correlates of a widespread social belief, wherein individuals who have recently moved to a new social environment see their peers as more socially connected than they themselves are. In Study 1, the prevalence of this belief was documented in a large sample of first-year students (N = 1,099). In Study 2, the prevalence of this social belief was replicated in a targeted sample of university students (N = 389). Study 2 also documented both positive and negative implications of this belief. Specifically, at any given time, students who believed that their peers were more socially connected reported lower well-being and belonging. Over time, however, the belief that one’s peers are moderately more socially connected than oneself was associated with more friendship formation.
In Vitro Efficacy of Dicationic Compounds and Mefloquine Enantiomers against Echinococcus multilocularis Metacestodes

ABSTRACT The current chemotherapy of alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is based on benzimidazoles such as albendazole and has been shown to be parasitostatic rather than parasiticidal, requiring lifelong duration. Thus, new and more efficient treatment options are urgently needed. By employing a recently validated assay based on the release of functional phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI) from dying parasites, the activities of 26 dicationic compounds and of the (+)- and (−)-erythro-enantiomers of mefloquine were investigated. Initial screening of compounds was performed at 40 μM, and those compounds exhibiting considerable antiparasitic activities were also assessed at lower concentrations. Of the dicationic drugs, DB1127 (a diguanidino compound) with activities comparable to nitazoxanide was further studied. The activity of DB1127 was dose dependent and led to severe structural alterations, as visualized by electron microscopy. The (+)- and (−)-erythro-enantiomers of mefloquine showed similar dose-dependent effects, although higher concentrations of these compounds than of DB1127 were required for metacestode damage. In conclusion, of the drugs investigated here, the diguanidino compound DB1127 represents the most promising compound for further study in appropriate in vivo models for Echinococcus multilocularis infection.
Exogenously administered opioids contract the female rat intrinsic urethral sphincter in vivo

Previous studies have reported immunoreactive opioid nerve fibers in the detrusor and lower urinary tract sphincters. However, there is a paucity of in vivo studies demonstrating the direct effect of endogenous opioids in these structures. In the present study, we investigated the contractile actions of intra‐arterially administered exogenous Dynorphin‐A, Met‐enkephalin, Leu‐enkephalin, morphine, and the opioid antagonist naltrexone on the female rat intrinsic urethral sphincter in vivo.
Use of creatine and other supplements by members of civilian and military health clubs: a cross-sectional survey.

A survey was used to collect anonymous cross-sectional data on demographics, exercise habits, and use of creatine and other supplements by exercisers in civilian (C) and military (M) health clubs. M (n = 133) reported more aerobic training and less use of creatine and protein supplements than C (n = 96, p <.05). Supplement users (SU, n = 194) and nonusers (SNU, n = 35) engaged in similar frequency and duration of aerobic exercise, as well as number of resistance exercise repetitions, but SU completed more sets for each resistance exercise (x- +/- SE, 5 +/- 1) than SNU (3 +/- 1, p < or =.05). Significant (p < or =.05) associations were observed between SU and resistance training goal of strength (as opposed to endurance), as well as greater frequency of resistance training. Male gender, resistance training goal of strength, lower frequency and duration of aerobic training, and use of protein, b-hydroxy-b-methyl butyrate, and androstenedione/dehydroepiandrosterone supplements were all associated with creatine use (p <.05). For creatine users, the dose and length of creatine supplementation was 12.2 +/- 2.7 g.day-1 for 40 +/- 5 weeks. Popular magazines were the primary source of information on creatine (69%) compared to physicians (14%) or dietitians (10%, p < or =.0001). This study underscores two potential public health concerns: (a) reliance on popular media rather than allied-health professionals for information on creatine, and (b) use of creatine, a popular supplement with unknown long-term effects, in combination with other anabolic supplements of questionable efficacy and/or safety.
The importance of the microbiome in pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases

Purpose of review Emerging research on the pediatric microbiome implicates the importance of the microbiome on the development of the immune system, nervous system, and growth. Changes to the microbiome during infancy are associated with the development of chronic illnesses such as asthma and inflammatory bowel disease. Additionally, the microbiome provides protection against certain pathogens, affects vaccine responses, and alters drug metabolism. This review highlights what is known about the microbiome, the establishment of a healthy microbiome and the significance that changes to the microbiome composition have on growth and health of children and adolescents. Recent findings Vaginal delivery, breastfeeding, maternal health, and nutrition help shape a healthy microbiome. Caesarian delivery, formula feeding, and antibiotic use perturb the microbiome and are associated with the development of type II diabetes, asthma, allergic diseases, and obesity later in life. Specific interventions using pre and probiotics in multiple settings are under investigation with limited success. Summary A better understanding of the microbiome and the interaction with the immune system may help guide interventions to alter the microbiome toward a state of lifelong health.
Deceleration in the radio jets of GRS 1915+105

James Miller-Jones∗,a Michael Rupen,b Rob Fender,ac Tony Rushton,d Guy Pooleye and Ralph Spencerd aAstronomical Institute ‘Anton Pannekoek’, University of Amsterdam, Kruislaan 403, 1098 SJ, Amsterdam, the Netherlands bNRAO, Array Operations Center, 1003 Lopezville Road, Socorro, NM 87801, USA cUniversity of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK dUniversity of Manchester, Jodrell Bank Observatory, Cheshire, SK11 9DL, UK eAstrophysics, Cavendish Laboratory, J. J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK E-mail: jmiller@science.uva. nl, mrupen@aoc.nrao. edu, rpf@phys.soton. ac.uk, arushton@jb.man. ac.uk, guy@mrao.cam. ac.uk, res@jb.man. ac.uk
Evaluation of a continuous quality improvement program in anticoagulant therapy

Background: The ACO Program (Programme ACO), a continuous quality improvement program (CQIP) in anticoagulation therapy, was offered in community pharmacies as a pilot project. Objective: To evaluate the participants’ appreciation for the various activities of the program. Methods: Participants had access to training activities, including an audit with feedback, online training activities (OTA), clinical tools and support from facilitators. Cognitive behavioural learning determinants were evaluated before and 5 months after the beginning of the program. Participants’ satisfaction and perception were documented via online questionnaires and a semistructured interview. Results: Of the 52 pharmacists in the ACO Program, 47 participated in this evaluation. Seventy-seven percent of the participants completed at least 1 OTA and 6% published on the forum. The feeling of personal effectiveness rose from 8.01 (7.67-8.35) to 8.62 (8.24-8.99). The audit and feedback, as well as the high-quality OTA and their lecturers, were the most appreciated elements. Discussion: There was a high OTA participation rate. The facilitators seemed to play a key role in the CQIP. The low level of participation in the forum reflects the known phenomenon of social loafing. Technical difficulties affecting the platform and data collection for the audit with feedback constituted limitations. Conclusion: The CQIP in anticoagulation therapy is appreciated by community pharmacists and is associated with an improved feeling of personal effectiveness.
Postsynaptic enhancement by motilin of muscarinic receptor cation currents in duodenal smooth muscle

Yamada, Kazunori, Hiroe Yanagida, Yushi Ito, and Ryuji Inoue. Postsynaptic enhancement by motilin of muscarinic receptor cation currents in duodenal smooth muscle. Am. J. Physiol. 274 (Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 37): G487– G492, 1998. —We have investigated a potential role of motilin in amplifying the postsynaptic muscarinic responses in the rabbit duodenal smooth muscle cells, using the whole cell variant of patch-clamp technique. Stimulation of motilin receptors by exogenously applied motilin (1 nM) resulted in a large increase in carbachol (CCh)-induced atropine-sensitive cation current (ICCh) at threshold concentrations of CCh (0.3–1 μM) at 30°C. This potentiation was abolished in the presence of a specific blocker of motilin receptor (GM109) and was attenuated with increased concentrations of either motilin or CCh, being virtually absent with maximally effective concentrations of these agonists. Motilin failed to potentiate ICCh when the ambient temperature was reduced to 20°C or if the cation current had been directly activated by internal perfusion with guanosine 58-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (50 μM) bypassing the muscarinic receptor. These results suggest that some biochemical processes, such as enzymatic reactions, might be involved in the motilin-induced potentiation and that its site of action might be the muscarinic receptor and/or associated G proteins.
Role of AtPolζ, AtRev1, and AtPolη in UV Light-Induced Mutagenesis in Arabidopsis1[W]

Translesion synthesis (TLS) is a DNA damage tolerance mechanism in which DNA lesions are bypassed by specific polymerases. To investigate the role of TLS activities in ultraviolet light-induced somatic mutations, we analyzed Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) disruptants of AtREV3, AtREV1, and/or AtPOLH genes that encode TLS-type polymerases. The mutation frequency in rev3-1 or rev1-1 mutants decreased compared with that in the wild type, suggesting that AtPolζ and AtRev1 perform mutagenic bypass events, whereas the mutation frequency in the polh-1 mutant increased, suggesting that AtPolη performs nonmutagenic bypass events with respect to ultraviolet light-induced lesions. The rev3-1 rev1-1 double mutant showed almost the same mutation frequency as the rev1-1 single mutant. The increased mutation frequency found in polh-1 was completely suppressed in the rev3-1 polh-1 double mutant, indicating that AtPolζ is responsible for the increased mutations found in polh-1. In summary, these results suggest that AtPolζ and AtRev1 are involved in the same (error-prone) TLS pathway that is independent from the other (error-free) TLS pathway mediated by AtPolη.
Does Social Anxiety Predict Rumination and Co-Rumination Among Adolescents?

Social anxiety in adolescence is manifested by anxiety about and avoidance of social interactions. The present study examined whether social anxiety predicts higher levels of both rumination and co-rumination over time. Rumination and co-rumination were studied as possible outcomes because the cognitive content of these processes often involves interpersonal concerns. A three-wave longitudinal study of 575 adolescents (aged 13–16 years old) was conducted over 6 months. Adolescent girls reported higher levels of social anxiety, rumination, and co-rumination than boys. Structural equation modelling analysis showed that social anxiety directly predicted higher levels of rumination and indirectly predicted higher levels of co-rumination over time. A gender difference was noted in that these relationships were more robust for girls than for boys.
Manual expression and electric breast pumping in the first 48 h after delivery

Background: Early feeding for preterm infants via the mother's own milk is crucial for lowering morbidity and mortality. Obtaining the mother's milk in the first few days is sometimes difficult; an effective way of mediating this problem has not yet been established. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate whether breast pumping using a hospital‐grade electric pump was more effective in maximizing the available milk volume and more comfortable than manual expression in the first 48 h after birth.
Late Lower Arch Crowding: The Role of Differential Horizontal Growth

Eighty-five subjects, recorded soon after eruption of second permanent molars, were followed longitudinally for 3 or 4 years. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between the change in lower arch space condition and (1) the horizontal component of the change in position of various points on or near the anterior borders of the maxilla and mandible, (2) the differential horizontal-vertical change in these points and (3) differences in horizontal change between maxillary and mandibular, and between intramandibular points. No significant differences in amount or direction of growth were found between the maxillary and mandibular teeth or jaws. Pogonion changed more in a horizontal direction than B point. Increased lower arch crowding was weakly associated with differential horizontal growth of the teeth and jaws. Reduced horizontal growth and greater vertical as opposed to horizontal growth of the maxilla and teeth, and increased growth of the mandibular base were to some extent related to the crowding increase.
Open reduction and internal fixation of proximal humeral fractures with use of the locking proximal humerus plate. Results of a prospective, multicenter, observational study.

BACKGROUND The treatment of unstable displaced proximal humeral fractures, especially in the elderly, remains controversial. The objective of the present prospective, multicenter, observational study was to evaluate the functional outcome and the complication rate after open reduction and internal fixation of proximal humeral fractures with use of a locking proximal humeral plate. METHODS One hundred and eighty-seven patients (mean age, 62.9 +/- 15.7 years) with an acute proximal humeral fracture were managed with open reduction and internal fixation with a locking proximal humeral plate. At the three-month, six-month, and one-year follow-up examinations, 165 (88%), 158 (84%), and 155 (83%) of the 187 patients were assessed with regard to pain, shoulder mobility, and strength. The Constant score was determined at each interval, and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score was determined for the injured and contralateral extremities at the time of the one-year follow-up. RESULTS Between three months and one year, the mean range of motion and the mean Constant score for the injured shoulders improved substantially. Twelve months after surgery, the mean Constant score for the injured side was 70.6 +/- 13.7 points, corresponding to 85.1% +/- 14.0% of the score for the contralateral side. The mean DASH score at the time of the one-year follow-up was 15.2 +/- 16.8 points. Sixty-two complications were encountered in fifty-two (34%) of 155 patients at the time of the one-year follow-up. Twenty-five complications (40%) were related to incorrect surgical technique and were present at the end of the operative procedure. The most common complication, noted in twenty-one (14%) of 155 patients, was intraoperative screw perforation of the humeral head. Twenty-nine patients (19%) had an unplanned second operation within twelve months after the fracture. CONCLUSIONS Surgical treatment of displaced proximal humeral fractures with use of the locking proximal humeral plate that was evaluated in the present study can lead to a good functional outcome provided that the correct surgical technique is used. Because many of the complications were related to incorrect surgical technique, it behooves the treating surgeon to perform the operation correctly to avoid iatrogenic errors.
Saw singulation characterization on high profile multi chip module packages with thick leadframe

Increasing demand for multi chip module (MCM) power devices in a quad flat nonleaded (QFN) package outline drives the development of the LFCSPs-P (lead frame chip scale package-saw-power). Multi chip module offers host benefit including performance improvements such as shorter interconnect lengths between dies, lower power supply inductance and lower off-chip driver. Besides, it can reduce the manufacturing cost and increase the utility of programmable systems based on V. Biancomano (2002). Compared to the leaded package with similar body sizes and lead counts, QFN offers far superior thermal performance and provides excellent electrical characteristics as stated in D. Comley and P. Smith (2002). Package designers used nominal thickness of standard Cu-Alloy leadframe and standard package height meant for power packages with soft solder die attach and heavy Al wire bonding to enhance heat dissipation capability other than the heat sinks. Map type design is used to enhance productivity by maximizing the device density. Singulation is achieved by sawing through the molded leadframe channels with diamond type blades that separated the arrays rows and columns according to D. Comley and P. Smith (2002). However, the combination of ductile and brittle material in the same sawing process creates real challenges in term of sawing quality, blade life and throughput. Experiments were carried out and its results show that integration of the blade type, parameters, methodology and other external features give the maximum result for the said challenges.