Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Targeting of rifamycin SV to the colon for treatment of travelers' diarrhea: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study.

BACKGROUND Rifamycin SV is under development for treatment of travelers' diarrhea (TD) in a new oral formulation, Rifamycin SV MMX (RIF-MMX; Santarus Inc., San Diego, CA, USA), which targets its delivery to the colon, making it a unique rifamycin drug. METHODS This was a randomized, double-blind, phase 3 study of adult travelers to Mexico or Guatemala experiencing acute diarrhea. A total of 264 patients received RIF-MMX (2 × 200 mg twice daily for 3 days, n = 199) or placebo (n = 65) in a 3 : 1 ratio. The primary endpoint was the length of time between the administration of first dose of study drug and passage of the last unformed stool (TLUS; after which clinical cure was declared). Other endpoints included eradication of pathogens from the stools, pathogen minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS TLUS was significantly shorter in the RIF-MMX group (median: 46.0 hours) compared with placebo (median: 68.0 hours; p = 0.0008) and a larger percentage of RIF-MMX treated patients (81.4%) achieved clinical cure compared with placebo patients (56.9%). TLUS was significantly shorter in the subgroups of patients with enteroaggregative, enterotoxigenic, or diffusely adherent Escherichia coli infections (p = 0.0035) with nonsignificant activity against invasive bacteria (p = 0.3804). Overall pathogen eradication rates were numerically higher in the RIF-MMX group (67.0%) compared with placebo (54.8%) but the difference did not reach significance (p = 0.0836). In vitro resistance to rifamycin SV was observed in some bacteria remaining after treatment of patients with RIF-MMX but was not associated with lower efficacy in them. AEs appeared to be more frequent with placebo (38.5%) than with RIF-MMX (29.6%). CONCLUSIONS RIF-MMX shortened the duration of TD in patients with a broad range of pathogens and was well tolerated. The unique pharmacokinetic properties of the drug offer evidence that TD pathogens work at the level of the colon.
Are pharmacists ready for a greater role in travel health? An evaluation of the knowledge and confidence in providing travel health advice of pharmacists practicing in a community pharmacy chain in Alberta, Canada.

BACKGROUND Patients often consult community pharmacists for medication needs related to travel, but little is known of pharmacists' knowledge and readiness to provide this care. The aim of this study was to evaluate pharmacists' knowledge in travel health, and to assess their confidence in providing travel-related advice to patients. METHODS A web-based survey was developed and distributed to 84 pharmacists practicing in a mid-size pharmacy chain in Alberta, Canada. The survey included knowledge and confidence assessment components. To assess knowledge, pharmacists were provided two cases, along with multiple-choice questions examining pre-travel risk assessment, and advice on travel at altitude, vaccines, malaria, travelers' diarrhea, and other potential travel health risks. Confidence was assessed by asking respondents to report their level of confidence in answering each knowledge assessment question and providing travel advice overall, using a 5-point Likert scale. Respondents were also asked to indicate preferred means for receiving additional training in travel health. RESULTS A total of 53 pharmacists responded to the survey, with a response rate of 63%. Most (61%) indicated that they had some level of training in travel health and 69% counseled on travel health more than once a month. Only one respondent correctly answered all six questions in the knowledge assessment section. The mean knowledge score (proportion of correct answers, unaided) for the group was 27%. However, the majority (66%) felt confident that they would know where to seek the information required to answer the questions. Overall confidence in this group of pharmacists was determined to be low, with only 21% of respondents reporting that they felt highly confident in providing travel health advice. CONCLUSIONS Travel health is becoming an increasingly common topic of discussion between patients and pharmacists. This study suggests that pharmacists' baseline knowledge of travel health may be incomplete, affecting their confidence in providing this advice. Undergraduate and continuing education training programs must expand travel health curricula to meet this growing need.
The Impact of Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion Therapy on Efficacy and Safety in a Cohort of Type 1 Diabetes Patients: A 3-Year Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND Several studies have found improved glycemic control with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion compared with multiple daily insulin injections for patients with type 1 diabetes, albeit for a relatively short-period of follow-up. This prospective study presents for the first time the optimization of glycemic control with insulin pumps in a cohort of Greek patients with type 1 diabetes for a 3-year follow-up period during the socioeconomic crisis in Greece. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ninety-four patients, previously on intensified basal-bolus insulin therapy with poor glycemic control, were initially recruited. Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), hypoglycemic and diabetic ketoacidosis episodes, pump-related side effects, lipidemic profile, 24-h urine albumin excretion, body mass index, blood pressure, and total daily insulin requirements (bolus and basal) were recorded during the 3-year follow-up. Statistical analysis was initially conducted for the entire study population and after body mass index and gender stratification. RESULTS Seventy-nine patients completed the study. A statistically significant decrease of HbA1c level (P < 0.0001) was observed at the end of Year 1 and was retained for the following years for the whole population. Similarly, significantly fewer hypoglycemic episodes occurred during the follow-up period (P < 0.0001) compared with study entry. Insulin pump treatment was not accompanied with weight changes across all body mass index strata. CONCLUSIONS Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion achieved almost optimal glycemic control, reduced the number of hypoglycemic episodes without weight gain, and was well tolerated for the whole study period. Finally, this therapeutic approach was accompanied with lower daily insulin requirements.
"The caterpillar": a novel reading passage for assessment of motor speech disorders.

PURPOSE A review of the salient characteristics of motor speech disorders and common assessment protocols revealed the need for a novel reading passage tailored specifically to differentiate between and among the dysarthrias (DYSs) and apraxia of speech (AOS). METHOD "The Caterpillar" passage was designed to provide a contemporary, easily read, contextual speech sample with specific tasks (e.g., prosodic contrasts, words of increasing length and complexity) targeted to inform the assessment of motor speech disorders. Twenty-two adults, 15 with DYS or AOS and 7 healthy controls (HC), were recorded reading "The Caterpillar" passage to demonstrate its utility in examining motor speech performance. CONCLUSION Analysis of performance across a subset of segmental and prosodic variables illustrated that "The Caterpillar" passage showed promise for extracting individual profiles of impairment that could augment current assessment protocols and inform treatment planning in motor speech disorders.
Organized Group Activity as a Protective Factor Against Adolescent Substance Use

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between substance use and extracurricular school activities in a representative sample of adolescents in the southeastern United States. METHODS: Using a multiple logistic regression procedure in SPSS Base 8.0 for Windows, we analyzed the relationship of organized group activity with each illegal substance. RESULTS: Adolescents who participated in organized group activities were less likely to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and smoke marijuana when compared to their nonparticipant peers (p=.0001). CONCLUSION: Previous studies have supported physical activity as a factor that may help prevent substance use. However, our results suggest that participation in organized groups is protective against substance use. (Abstract Adapted from Source: American Journal of Health Behavior, 2000. Copyright © 2000 by the American Academy of Health Behavior) Senior High School Student Late Adolescence Juvenile Substance Use Substance Use Prevention Substance Use Protective Factors Extracurricular Activities Group Activities Alcohol Use Prevention Drug Use Prevention Marijuana Use Tobacco Use Prevention 08-00
Expert Review of Evidence Bases for Managing Monkey Bites in Travelers.

The clinical problem discussed in this case report involves the management of an adolescent traveler bitten by a non-captive monkey in Southeast Asia. Treatment decisions and the state of evidence for or against are discussed. To assure successful clinical management of travelers who suffer injuries inflicted by nonhuman primates, clinicians should acquaint themselves with the potential threats and discuss current published recommendations with their patients prior to arriving at a treatment plan. Your patient is a 14-year-old high school student who just returned from a school-sponsored trip to Ko Phi-Phi, in Thailand. She is in your clinic because of a bite to her right hand by a crab-eating macaque monkey inflicted 2 days earlier near Monkey Beach. The bite broke the skin, but she immediately irrigated the wound under a nearby faucet for about 5 minutes. The wound does not look infected. She can move her hand normally and sensation is intact. She is afebrile and otherwise feels fine. She received three doses of rabies vaccine 2 years earlier, prior to moving to Thailand. What is your advice? A recent review from France looked at rabies transmission from nonhuman primates (NHPs) to humans.1 The report cites 159 rabies cases that occurred in NHPs, documented from 1960 to 2013 and 25 human rabies cases following NHP-caused injuries. The review cited data from 14 surveys and studies involving a total of 2000 travelers seeking care for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Nearly one third had been injured by monkeys. If representative of the experience of travelers, this high number of monkey injuries may differ from what occurs in local resident populations. For instance, in Thailand, a large Asian country with high rabies prevalence in feral and stray dogs, Bangkok's Thai Red Cross Animal Bite Clinic collected common animal bite statistics between 2008 … Corresponding Author: Nicholas J. Riesland, MD, Lake Forest Park, 3404 NE 163rd Street, Lake Forest Park, Seattle, WA 98155, USA. E-mail: nickriesland{at}gmail.com
The addition effect of Tunisian date seed fibers on the quality of chocolate spreads.

Novel chocolate spreads were enriched by soluble and insoluble dietary fibers from Tunisian Deglet Nour date seeds at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5% levels in the conventional chocolate spread. Defatted Deglet Nour date seeds, date seed soluble fiber concentrate (DSSFC) and date seed insoluble fiber concentrate (DSIFC) were characterized by high levels of dietary fibers (80-90%). Chocolate spread enriched with 5% of DSSFC presented the highest oil binding capacity (304.62%) compared to the control (102%). Whatever the DSIFC and DSSFC incorporation levels, no significant difference was recorded between the firmness, chewiness, and adhesiveness of prepared chocolate spreads compared to the control (p < .05). Sensory evaluation revealed that all prepared chocolate spreads enriched by DSIFC and DSSFC were accepted by panelists. These results indicated the value of date seeds as new source of dietary fibers to develop chocolate spread and could also improve health benefits and functional properties. PARACTICAL APPLICATION Tunisia is considered to be one of the dates-producing countries. The mean annual yield of date fruits is about 200,000 tons. From this, around 20,000 tons of date seeds could be collected. This by-product of date processing industries could be regarded as an excellent source of dietary fiber with interesting technological functionality and many beneficial effects on human health. Then, date seeds could present a value addition by extraction and use of date seed fiber concentrate in chocolate spread formulation.
Blood Concentrations of Enrofloxacin and the Metabolite Ciprofloxacin in Yellow-Bellied Slider Turtles (Trachemys scripta scripta) After a Single Intracoelomic Injection of Enrofloxacin

Abstract Enrofloxacin (E) is a commonly used antimicrobial in reptile medicine. However, few studies have been performed in reptile species to determine therapeutic blood levels of the fluoroquinolone (FQ) class of antimicrobial agents. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of E and its metabolite ciprofloxacin (C) in 21 yellow-bellied slider turtles ( Trachemys scripta scripta ). The animals were administered 10mg/kg of E via intracoelomic injection. Blood was collected at scheduled times and analyzed using a validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fluorescence method. The turtles showed some indications of transient pain following administration. The pharmacokinetics of E and C were long lasting (196 hours and 168 hours, respectively). This could be of concern where turtles are used for food because of drug tissue residues. The administered dose seemed to be optimal for clinical application because (1) drug concentrations in blood were appropriate for treating bacterial infections without adversely affecting the patient and (2) effective maximum concentration/minimum inhibitory concentration ( C max /MIC) and area under the simulated blood-time curve (AUC)/MIC ratios were achieved. In conclusion, the dose of 10mg/kg administered via intracoelomic injection in yellow-bellied slider turtles appeared safe and achieved optimal pharmacodynamic parameters.
Preferred Hearing Aid Response Characteristics Under Acoustic and Telecoil Coupling Conditions.

Telephone communication remains a major obstacle for hearing-impaired listeners. Even with the use of amplification, many hearing aid (HA) users report significant difficulty understanding telephone conversations. Although much effort has recently been focused on determining ideal HA performance for typical communication settings, less has been directed toward preferred HA responses during telephone coupling conditions. If one assumes that telecoil coupling strategies may require different HA performance characteristics because of line noise, filtering effects, coupling method, and output limitations imposed by the telephone system and receiver, then further study of listeners' preferred HA response characteristics under telecoil coupling conditions appears warranted.This study evaluated the preferred real ear aided response (REAR) for a group of hearing-impaired listeners under acoustic and telecoil conditions when coupled to a standard telephone receiver. Findings revealed that subjects preferred substantially more low-frequency gain than would be predicted using three popular prescriptive formulae. In general, a gradually rising to flat response was preferred by most of the hearing-impaired listeners. Implications for HA fitting and management will be discussed.
Effects of chicken by-product gelatin on the physicochemical properties and texture of chocolate spread.

Chocolate spread has a fat-based formulation and the application of gelatin as a fat replacement is related to the demand for healthier foods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of gelatin as a by-product from the poultry industry in the fat replacement of chocolate spread. Vegetable fat was replaced (15, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) with gelatin (0.3, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2%) using a central composite rotatable design and the effects were evaluated by a response surface methodology. Formulations with a greater proportion of fat were lighter, of higher volume and lower density. As expected, water activity was intensified in low-fat formulations. The consistency was controlled mainly by the properties of the gelatin phase. The formulations with 50 and 75% fat replacement and 0.5-1.0% gelatin had satisfactory spreadability at 10C. All formulations were spreadable at 20C. Low-fat samples with low gelatin concentrations, at 30C, had very low consistency. Statistically, the properties were significantly influenced by the factors analyzed according to the mathematical models. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Although several studies have been conducted on obtaining alternative gelatin sources for mammals, the extracted gelatin from poultry by-product is still little explored and the knowledge on the application in food products, particularly in complex systems such as emulsions, has not been well established. The development of a low-fat food should take into account the complexity of the system involved, such as the emulsion spreads. The incorporation of gelatin in aqueous solution is a challenging task because the physical properties and the rheological behavior can be strongly influenced. Given the nutritional and functional properties of the gelatin and chocolate and its wide acceptability among the consumers, the incorporation of these two ingredients in the development of a new product sets up a promising study.
An electroacoustic analysis of over-the-counter hearing aids.

PURPOSE To determine whether 11 over-the-counter (OTC) hearing devices have the flexibility to provide adequate gain and output for 3 common hearing loss configurations. METHOD The 11 OTC hearing devices were separated into 2 price groups: a low-range group (<$100) consisting of 8 hearing devices and a midrange group ($100-$500) consisting of 3 hearing devices. Gain and output were prescribed for 3 hearing loss configurations using National Acoustic Laboratories prescriptive procedures. Low-range hearing devices were measured electroacoustically, and technical specifications were used as the source of electroacoustic information for the midrange hearing devices. RESULTS Overall, midrange hearing devices met gain and output targets to a greater extent than did low-range devices. All low-range devices could be classified as special-purpose hearing aids with low-frequency emphasis. The low-range group had high equivalent input noise levels and potentially posed a residual hearing safety hazard. CONCLUSIONS The low-range OTC devices were found to be electroacoustically inadequate to meet the needs of the hearing impaired. Midrange OTC hearing devices are arguably a good solution for the cost-conscious consumer who cannot afford professional audiologic rehabilitation, especially if considered an interim step in the rehabilitation process.
Effects of concentrated and dephytinized wheat bran and rice bran addition on bread properties.

Wheat bran and rice bran were concentrated in terms of dietary fiber and were dephytinized by two different methods (fermentation and hydrothermal). Untreated, concentrated, concentrated-dephytinized by fermentation method, and concentrated-dephytinized by hydrothermal method bran samples were each incorporated into flour at levels of 0, 10, 15, and 20%, and their effects on bread properties were investigated. Unprocessed wheat bran and rice bran addition decreased the volume yield, and the specific volume of the bread depends on the incorporation level. A further decrease was observed with the addition of concentrated bran. However, the dephytinization treatments slightly improved these values. The same pattern was observed for the total number of cells and the total cell area of bread crumbs. Both wheat bran and rice bran were observed to cause a darker crumb color, and the effects of bran samples on crumb color were more pronounced after the dephytinization treatment. The addition of concentrated wheat bran and rice bran significantly increased hardness, as well as decreasing springiness, cohesiveness, and resilience of the bread, depending on the bran levels. Although dephytinization treatments enhanced the textural properties of bread, these results were still inferior to those obtained using bread produced with untreated bran. Regarding the dephytinization treatments, the influence of fermentation treatment on bread properties was slightly beneficial compared to hydrothermal treatment. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Consumption of dietary fiber offers a range of health benefits. Cereal bran has great potential as a dietary fiber source. However, this bran's high phytic acid content and adverse effects on bread quality limit that potential. It is possible to obtain high dietary fiber and low phytic acid bran samples through bran concentration and dephytinization treatments. The dephytinization treatment is an effective method for degradation of phytic acid. The negative effects of wheat bran and rice bran on bread quality decreased significantly following the dephytinization treatments. This study demonstrated that fiber-enriched bread with low phytic acid content and acceptable texture can be produced using concentrated and dephytinized bran.
Influence of the addition of soy product and wheat fiber on rheological, textural, and other quality characteristics of pizza.

The effect of partial replacement of wheat flour with soy paste and wheat fiber on rheological, textural, physicochemical, and organoleptic characteristics of an enriched pizza base (E) was investigated in comparison with those of a control pizza base (C). New ingredients (e.g., enriched cooked ham, whey cheese, and tomato sauce realized using food industry by-products) were also used in E pizza topping to further increase its nutritional properties. Enriched dough was developed first at a laboratory level. Large and small deformation, moisture, leavening activity, and metabolic heat were tested. On the final product, produced at the industrial level, textural, color, sensory, and nutritional analyses were performed. Preliminary rheological analysis was essential to evaluate the suitability of the new pizza to be processed at industrial level. Both pizza dough samples showed a solid elastic-like behavior; however, the addition of soy and fiber increased moisture content of E pizza, due to the water binding ability of soy protein and to the effect of fibers that also decreased E dough elasticity. No differences in extensibility between the two samples were observed, whereas significantly lower values of resistance to extension and dough force were shown in sample E. These differences were likely due to the presence of soy that interfere with gluten formation and to the dietary fibers that interact with water. Ingredients used in E pizza improved its nutritional quality increasing dietary fibers and protein, and decreasing saturated fatty acids and cholesterol content, which contributed to decrease energy value, in terms of kilocalorie reduction. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS In this work, the effects of using new ingredients (e.g., soy paste, wheat fiber) on the rheological, textural, physicochemical, nutritional, and organoleptic characteristics of an enriched pizza type were investigated both at laboratory and industrial levels. The new pizza provides a product that combines solid technological performances, in terms of rheological properties and dough elasticity, with improved and balanced nutritional quality, thanks also to the ingredients used in the topping. Results demonstrate the possibility of obtaining new pizza products characterized by nutritional and sensorial properties tailored for different group of consumers.