Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acute otitis media

Middle ear infection, or acute otitis media (AOM), is a common condition encountered in primary care. Unfortunately, the diagnosis and sequelae of AOM can be overlooked, leading to significant patient morbidity. This article aims to raise awareness of AOM and highlights the relevant anatomy, epidemiology and aetiology. We discuss prevention, diagnosis and management of AOM in primary care, the recognition of complications and when to refer to secondary care.
Evidence for Late-time Feedback from the Discovery of Multiphase Gas in a Massive Elliptical at z = 0.4

We report the first detection of multiphase gas within a quiescent galaxy beyond z ≈ 0. The observations use the brighter image of doubly lensed QSO HE 0047−1756 to probe the interstellar medium (ISM) of the massive ( ) elliptical lens galaxy at . Using Hubble Space Telescope's Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS), we obtain a medium-resolution FUV spectrum of the lensed QSO and identify numerous absorption features from H2 in the lens ISM at projected distance d = 4.6 kpc. The H2 column density is with a molecular gas fraction of , roughly consistent with some local quiescent galaxies. The new COS spectrum also reveals kinematically complex absorption features from highly ionized species O vi and N v with column densities log N(O vi) and log N(N v) , among the highest known in external galaxies. Assuming the high-ionization absorption features originate in a transient warm (T ∼ 105 K) phase undergoing radiative cooling from a hot halo surrounding the galaxy, we infer a mass accretion rate of . The lack of star formation in the lens suggests that the bulk of this flow is returned to the hot halo, implying a heating rate of . Continuous heating from evolved stellar populations (primarily SNe Ia but also winds from AGB stars) may suffice to prevent a large accumulation of cold gas in the ISM, even in the absence of strong feedback from an active nucleus.
SYNTHESIS , CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF ISONICOTINIC ACID HYDRAZIDE AND ITS METAL COMPLEXES

Complexes of isonicotinic acid hydrazide with Cu(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) have been prepared and characterized by analytical and physico-chemical techniques, such as elemental analysis, melting point and solubility studies, magnetic susceptibility and conductivity measurements, electronic and IR spectral studies. The infrared spectral studies revealed the bidentate nature of the Schiff base in the complexes; the ligand acting as neutral bidentate donor coordinating to the metal through the carbonyl O and the azomethine N. An octahedral geometry is suggestedfor all the complexes. The compounds were subjected to antimicrobial screening using serial broth dilution method and they show moderate antimicrobial activity.
Analysis and design of broadband microstrip patch antenna with a pair of double cross-shaped slots

A novel method of designing broadband microstrip antenna is proposed in this paper. By embedding a pair of Cross-shaped slots placed close to the non-radiating edges of a microstrip patch and adding an air layer between the substrate and the ground, the broadband character can be achieved. What's more, the formulas for calculating the two resonant frequencies have been experimentally deduced. Employing the method and the formulas, a antenna with a pair of double cross-shaped is designed. The measured bandwidth of 15.2% is achieved with small sizes, and the good radiation characteristic for operating frequencies within the impedance bandwidth is also observed.
Consecutive k-within-mout-of-n : F System with Nonidentical Components

As a generalisation of consecutive k-out-of-n:F and k-out-of-n:F system models, a consecutive kwithin-m-out-of-n:F system consists of n linearly ordered components and fails if and only if there are m consecutive components which include among them at least k failed components. In this paper, we study the survival function of a consecutive k-within-m-out-of-n:F system consisting of independent but nonidentical components. We obtain exact expressions for the survival function when 2m ≥ n. A detailed analysis for consecutive 2-within-m-out-of-n:F systems is presented and the asymptotic behaviour of hazard rate of these systems is investigated using mixture representations.
Increased risk of gastrointestinal malignancy in patients with diabetes mellitus and correlations with anti-diabetes drugs: a nationwide population-based study in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE Although the major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) is cardiovascular disease, DM is also associated with certain site-specific cancers. However, whether DM is associated with an increased risk of cancer of the digestive tract remains undetermined. A nationwide, population-based database in Taiwan was analyzed to explore the relationship between DM and cancer of the digestive organs. METHODS From 2000 to 2007, a study cohort consisting of 39,515 patients with newly diagnosed diabetes without a previous diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer was identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. A control cohort of 79,030 age- and sex-matched non-diabetic subjects was selected to compare the occurrence of GI malignancies between the two groups. The association between the incidence of GI cancers and the use of glucose-lowering therapies was also investigated. RESULTS During the 7-year follow-up period, GI cancers developed in 929 diabetic patients (2.35%) and 1,126 subjects (1.42%) in the comparison cohort. DM was associated with a 2.75-fold (95% confidence interval (CI), 2.51-3.02) higher risk of developing GI malignancy. Among GI cancers, the incidences of stomach (adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 1.49; 95% CI, 1.16-1.92), liver (adjusted HR, 2.65; 95% CI, 2.29-3.07), colon (adjusted HR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.28-1.94) and pancreatic cancers (adjusted HR, 4.35; 95% CI, 2.93-6.47) were significantly increased in the patients with DM. An analysis of the effects of various glucose-lowering therapies in the diabetic patients revealed the use of α-glucosidase inhibitors to be associated with a lower risk of hepatic cancer (adjusted HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.4-0.94). Thiazolidinedione (TZD) treatment was associated with lower stomach (adjusted HR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.02-0.82) and hepatic cancer risks (adjusted HR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.29-0.73), while sulfonylurea use was associated with a lower colon cancer risk (adjusted HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.51-1.09) and a higher pancreatic cancer risk (adjusted HR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.21-4.61). CONCLUSION Patients with DM have an increased risk of GI malignancy that may be affected by the use of different categories of glucose-lowering therapies.
A novel method to assess gastric accommodation and peristaltic motility in conscious rats

Objective. To simultaneously study gastric accommodation and peristaltic motility in the whole stomach of conscious rats by measuring intragastric pressure (IGP) during test-meal infusion. Material and methods.After an overnight fast, a test-meal infusion system and a catheter to measure IGP were connected to a chronically implanted gastric fistula. IGP was measured during infusion of an X-ray-opaque, non-nutritious viscous test meal (0.25–2 ml min−1); gastric motility and emptying were assessed by X-ray fluoroscopy. Peristaltic motility-induced IGP waves were quantified as a motility index (wave amplitude divided by wavelength). Experiments were performed in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and in the high-anxiety Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. Moreover, the effects of 30 mg kg−1 NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), 1 mg kg−1 atropine or 20 mg kg−1 molsidomine were tested in SD rats. Results. Compared with SD rats, IGP increased significantly faster during stomach distension in WKY rats, indicating impaired accommodation in the latter strain. Motility indices did not differ between the two strains. L-NAME significantly increased IGP during stomach distension, indicating decreased gastric accommodation. However, no change in motility indices was observed with L-NAME. Treatment with atropine significantly increased IGP and decreased motility indices, indicating decreased gastric accommodation and motility. Molsidomine significantly decreased IGP during stomach distension but did not affect motility. The results correspond to X-ray observations, and confirm literature data. Conclusions. We conclude that IGP measurement during test-meal infusion represents an efficient and novel method to compare gastric accommodation and peristaltic motility in the whole stomach of conscious rats.
Depolarizing GABA and Developmental Epilepsies

Early in development, GABA, which is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in adult brain, depolarizes immature neurons and exerts dual—excitatory and shunting/inhibitory—effects in the developing neuronal networks. The present review discusses some general questions, including the properties of excitation at depolarizing GABAergic synapse and shunting inhibition by depolarizing GABA; technical issues in exploration of depolarizing GABA using various techniques and preparations, including the developmental aspects of traumatic injury and what is known (or rather unknown) on the actions of GABA in vivo; complex roles of depolarizing GABA in developmental epilepsies, including a contribution of depolarizing GABA to enhanced excitability in the immature networks, caused by repetitive seizures accumulation of intracellular chloride concentration that increases excitatory GABA power and its synchronizing proconvulsive effects, and correction of chloride homeostasis as a potential strategy to treat neonatal seizures.
Morbidity and Mortality in the Wolfram Syndrome

OBJECTIVE To determine the major causes of morbidity and mortality in the autosomal recessive Wolfram syndrome, which is defined by diabetes and bilateral progressive optic atrophy with onset in childhood or adolescence. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We abstracted and reviewed the medical records of 68 confirmed cases of Wolfram syndrome identified through a nationwide survey of endocrinologists, ophthalmologists, institutes, and homes for the blind. We also reviewed all available autopsy records. RESULTS The most common causes of morbidity and mortality were the neurological manifestations of this syndrome and the complications of urinary tract atony. There was a lower frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis, no histologically proven diabetic glomerulosclerosis, and less severe, more slowly progressive, diabetic retinopathy than in classic type I diabetic patients. Mortality in Wolfram syndrome is much higher than in type I diabetes; 60% of Wolfram syndrome patients die by age 35. Recognition of these clinical differences from classic type I diabetes is important for the proper management of Wolfram syndrome patients. CONCLUSIONS Identification of Wolfram syndrome patients among all diabetic patients presenting in childhood or adolescence is important because the management of patients with this syndrome is different from that of patients with classic type I diabetes.
Mutations in the Spacer Peptide and Adjoining Sequences in Rous Sarcoma Virus Gag Lead to Tubular Budding

ABSTRACT All orthoretroviruses encode a single structural protein, Gag, which is necessary and sufficient for the assembly and budding of enveloped virus-like particles from the cell. The Gag proteins of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) contain a short spacer peptide (SP or SP1, respectively) separating the capsid (CA) and nucleocapsid (NC) domains. SP or SP1 and the residues immediately upstream are known to be critical for proper assembly. Using mutagenesis and electron microscopy analysis of insect cells or chicken cells overexpressing RSV Gag, we defined the SP assembly domain to include the last 8 residues of CA, all 12 residues of SP, and the first 4 residues of NC. Five- or two-amino acid glycine-rich insertions or substitutions in this critical region uniformly resulted in the budding of abnormal, long tubular particles. The equivalent SP1-containing HIV-1 Gag sequence was unable to functionally replace the RSV sequence in supporting normal RSV spherical assembly. According to secondary structure predictions, RSV and HIV-1 SP/SP1 and adjoining residues may form an alpha helix, and what is likely the functionally equivalent sequence in murine leukemia virus Gag has been inferred by mutational analysis to form an amphipathic alpha helix. However, our alanine insertion mutagenesis did not provide evidence for an amphipathic helix in RSV Gag. Taken together, these results define a short assembly domain between the folded portions of CA and NC, which is essential for formation of the immature Gag shell.
The Secondary Conditioned Response of Rats and the Effects of Some Psychopharmacological Agents

The secondary conditioned response has been studied in rats in an experimental avoidance situation. The activity of seventeen drugs has been tested upon the secondary conditioned response developed on a stable basis after an appropriate period of training. Chlorpromazine, promazine, reserpine and morphine block the secondary avoidance conditioned response as well as the usual avoidance conditioned response, in doses not affecting the motor function. Meprobamate, hydroxyzine, azacyclonol, phenaglycodol and phenobarbitone sodium have no specific inhibitory action on the avoidance conditioned response, but suppress the secondary conditioned response. A specific depression of conditioned behaviour is also produced by mescaline and iproniazid. Barbitone sodium, glutethimide, L1458 and mephenesin inhibit the conditioned responses only at neurotoxic doses. On the basis of these findings a new classification of “tranquillising agents” is proposed. It is also suggested that the systematic study of the secondary conditioned avoidance response of rats, may provide a useful experimental approach for studying the specific behavioural action of drugs.
Perpetual and personal: Swedish young adults and their use of mobile phones

Mobile phones have become widespread among teenagers and young adults across the developed world. This article describes how 18—24-year-olds in Sweden, a country with one of the world’s highest penetration rates, use mobile phones for various purposes and in different settings, and what they think of the appropriateness of using the mobile phone in a range of social contexts. Data are derived from a Swedish national survey. We find that in their everyday lives, young adults (compared with older people) seem to be in perpetual contact with family, friends and colleagues, via traditional voice communication but preferably via text messages. If this pattern can be seen in other national samples, we might argue that use of and attitudes towards mobile phones are more dependent upon life stage than upon culture.
Effect of Process Variables on the Microencapsulation of Vitamin A Palmitate by Gelatin-Acacia Coacervation

Microcapsules of vitamin A palmitate were prepared by gelatin-acacia complex coacervation. The effects of colloid mixing ratio, core-to-wall ratio, hardening agent, concentration of core solution, and drying method on the coacervation process and the properties of the microcapsules were investigated. The microcapsules of vitamin A palmitate were prepared using different weight ratios of gelatin and acacia, that is, 2:3, 1:1, and 3:2 under controlled conditions. The other factors studied were 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3 core-to-wall ratios; 30, 60, and 120 min of hardening time; 2, 5, and 10 ml of formaldehyde per 280 g of coacervation system as a hardening agent; and 30%, 40%, and 50% w/w vitamin A palmitate in corn oil as a core material. The drying methods used were air drying, hot air at 40°C, and freeze-drying. The results showed that spherical microcapsules were obtained for all conditions except for 30 min of hardening time, which did not result in microcapsules. The optimum conditions for free-flowing microcapsules with a high percentage of entrapped drug were 1:1 gelatin-to-acacia ratio and 1:2 core-to-wall ratio when hardening with 2 ml formaldehyde for 60 min and using 40% w/w vitamin A palmitate in corn oil as the core concentration. In addition, drying the microcapsules by freeze-drying provided microcapsules with excellent appearance.
Fuzzy Logic Supervisor-Based Primary Frequency Control Experiments of a Variable-Speed Wind Generator

In this paper, a primary frequency control strategy based on fuzzy logic, designed for variable-speed wind generators, is proposed and tested on a 2.2 kW test bench. The fuzzy logic supervisor ensures a regular primary reserve for a large range of wind speeds without any wind speed measurement. This supervisor controls simultaneously the generator torque and the pitch angle to keep the primary reserve; it determines in real time the generator power reference value. The fuzzy logic supervisor is compared to a simpler strategy, based only on the control of the generator torque. This classical strategy ensures a regular power reserve only when the wind generator operates at full load, and the generator power reference needs to be determined previously or by the network manager. A procedure for implementing a fuzzy logic supervisor in real time is proposed. The experiments indicate the regularity of the power reserve and the ability to contribute to frequency control.
Effect of screening and adjuvant therapy on mortality from breast cancer.

BACKGROUND We used modeling techniques to assess the relative and absolute contributions of screening mammography and adjuvant treatment to the reduction in breast-cancer mortality in the United States from 1975 to 2000. METHODS A consortium of investigators developed seven independent statistical models of breast-cancer incidence and mortality. All seven groups used the same sources to obtain data on the use of screening mammography, adjuvant treatment, and benefits of treatment with respect to the rate of death from breast cancer. RESULTS The proportion of the total reduction in the rate of death from breast cancer attributed to screening varied in the seven models from 28 to 65 percent (median, 46 percent), with adjuvant treatment contributing the rest. The variability across models in the absolute contribution of screening was larger than it was for treatment, reflecting the greater uncertainty associated with estimating the benefit of screening. CONCLUSIONS Seven statistical models showed that both screening mammography and treatment have helped reduce the rate of death from breast cancer in the United States.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of glipizide in healthy volunteers.

Single doses of 14C-glipizide were given intravenously (1 mg/4.7 microCi) and orally (5 mg/8.0 microCi) to six healthy volunteers in a crossover study to investigate both pharmacokinetics and effects of glipizide. Based on recoveries of total 14C in urine the gastrointestinal absorption of glipizide was complete. The extent of first-pass metabolism averaged 4.8 +/- 0.04% (SE) of the dose. The pharmacokinetics of i.v. glipizide could be described by a two-compartment open model. The volume of the central compartment was 4.25 +/- 0.25 l and the steady-state volume of distribution averaged 11.7 +/- 1.1 l. Glipizide concentrations in red cells and saliva were only 4% and 1%, respectively, of the concentrations in plasma. The half-life of glipizide elimination averaged 3.3 h both after i.v. and p.o. administration. The total plasma clearance of glipizide was 42.2 +/- 5.4 ml/min, whereas that of protein unbound fraction was 1350 +/- 130 ml/min. Renal clearance was dependent on urinary pH, but on the average it contributed to the total clearance only by 5%. About 17% of the i.v. dose was found in the feces. Intravenous glipizide caused a rapid increase (peak at 6 min, about four-fold) in plasma insulin lasting for 30 min. Plasma glucagon showed an almost simultaneous decrease. These responses were followed by a more sustained decrease in plasma glucose. After oral administration of glipizide the maximal effects on plasma insulin and glucose were seen before the peak concentrations of glipizide in plasma.
Öz , Deniz , Okan , Fidan : Chemical Composition of Oleoresin and Larvae Gallery Resin

Dioryctria sylvestrella Ratz. poses a remarkable hazard for the Pinus brutia Ten. in Turkey. In the current study, the larvae gallery resin of fi ve trees and essential oils of resin, which was obtained with the AcidPaste Method, were analyzed using the Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) Method. Thirty nine compounds were found in larvae gallery resin, which were produced by Dioryctria sylvestrella Ratz, while thirty six compounds were extracted from oleoresin obtained by the Acid-Paste Method. The most common compounds of larvae gallery resin were α-pinene at a rate of 20.2 %, β-caryophyllen at a rate of 10.8 %, γ-terpinene at a rate of 10.1 % and β-pinene at a rate of 9.4 percent. The most common compounds of oleoresin were α-pinene at a rate of 19.7 %, β-pinene at a rate of 13.3 %, γ-terpinene at a rate of 10.2 % and β-caryophyllen at a rate of 7.8 percent. Also, the quantities of some compounds within larvae gallery resin such as β-pinene, limonene, and sylvestrene decreased compared to those of oleoresin, while the quantities of some compounds in oleoresin including α-longipinene, α-terpineol, and longifolene increased compared to that of larvae gallery resin. However, no qualitative difference was found.
Synaptic excitation of alpha-motoneurons by dorsal root afferents in the neonatal rat spinal cord.

1. Excitatory synaptic transmission in mono- and polysynaptic pathways between dorsal root afferents and alpha-motoneurons was studied in the spinal cord preparation of the neonatal rat isolated in vitro, using sharp-electrode intracellular recordings. 2. The duration of monosynaptic excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) elicited in lumbar motoneurons were shortened after addition of the specific N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blocker 2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV) to the perfusate. The EPSPs were then completely blocked by the non-NMDA receptor blocker 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX). 3. A robust NMDA-receptor-mediated component of monosynaptic EPSPs was revealed by addition of CNQX to the bathing medium. This component reached as much as 30% of the EPSP amplitude, was evident at resting potential level in both low and normal Mg2+ Krebs saline, and could be completely abolished by addition of APV. These findings suggest that the NMDA-receptor-mediated component may contribute to monosynaptic excitation under normal conditions. 4. Polysynaptic EPSPs evoked in motoneurons in the fifth lumbar segment by stimulation of the fourth lumbar dorsal root in the presence of the glycine and gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABAA) receptor blockers strychnine and bicuculline could be completely or partially blocked by application of either APV or CNQX. Suprathreshold activity could be then elicited in these motoneurons by increasing the stimulation intensity by a factor of 2 to 3. A complete blockade of polysynaptic excitation at these stimulation intensities was obtained only in the presence of both APV and CNQX. These results suggest that both receptor subtypes make a significant contribution to polysynaptic excitation of alpha-motoneurons by dorsal root afferents. 5. Analysis of variation in the amplitudes of the non-NMDA-receptor-mediated component of the monosynaptic EPSP and of the estimated (occurring 25 ms after the EPSP initiation) and the pharmacologically resolved NMDA component was done during low-frequency repetitive stimulation of the dorsal root. The kinetics of the initial decrease in EPSP amplitude during repetitive stimulation and the dependence of the EPSP amplitude on the stimulation frequency was similar for the NMDA- and non-NMDA-receptor-mediated components of the EPSPs. Addition of the GABAB receptor agonist L-(-) baclofen to the perfusate decreased the EPSP amplitude and reduced the frequency-dependent synaptic depression of both the NMDA- and non-NMDA-receptor-mediated components of monosynaptic EPSPs to the same level. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)