Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Laryngeal sensitivity in the neonatal period: From bench to bedside

Laryngeal sensitivity in the newborn has been a subject of great interest for both researchers and clinicians for a number of years. From a clinical standpoint, laryngeal sensitivity is essential for both preventing foreign substances from entering into the lower airway and for finely tuning upper airway resistance. However, heightened reflexes originating from the laryngeal receptors in newborns and infants, due to neural immaturity, can lead to potentially dangerous cardiorespiratory events. The latter have been linked to apneas of prematurity, apparent life‐threatening events, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). From a physiological standpoint, many mechanisms pertaining to reflexes originating from laryngeal receptors are yet to be fully understood. This short review is an attempt to summarize current knowledge on laryngeal sensitivity and its potential consequences upon control of breathing abnormalities encountered within the first weeks of life. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2007; 42:674–682. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Intentional Harms Are Worse, Even When They’re Not

People and societies seek to combat harmful events. However, because resources are limited, every wrong righted leaves another wrong left unchecked. Responses must therefore be calibrated to the magnitude of the harm. One underappreciated factor that affects this calibration may be people’s oversensitivity to intent. Across a series of studies, people saw intended harms as worse than unintended harms, even though the two harms were identical. This harm-magnification effect occurred for both subjective and monetary estimates of harm, and it remained when participants were given incentives to be accurate. The effect was fully mediated by blame motivation. People may therefore focus on intentional harms to the neglect of unintentional (but equally damaging) harms.
An improved method for viable counts of bacteria of the ovine rumen which ferment carbohydrates.

SUMMARY: A method is described which is suitable for routine viable counts of rumen bacteria capable of fermenting various carbohydrates. The contribution of different steps in the preparation of the medium towards the final redox potential was determined and the choice of a suitable reducing agent, redox indicator and source of rumen fluid supplement is discussed. In a sheep on a constant practical ration, the variation in numbers of cellulolytic bacteria was greater than the differences between five successive samples withdrawn at one time, and much greater than the variation due to the method.
Hyperpigmentation associated with minocycline therapy

What's your call? [Figure][1] Figure. A 45-year-old man with scleroderma presented with a 3-year history of blue skin discoloration on his legs, feet and gingival margin. The patient had a long history of Raynaud's phenomenon, acid reflux disease and skin tightening over his fingers,
Kinetic study of CD34+ cells during peripheral blood stem cell collections.

The impact of the separated volume on the yield of CD34+ cells during peripheral blood stem cell collections (PBSCC) remains controversial. We therefore studied the CD34+ cell concentration in the peripheral blood of patients (pts) during PBSCC as well as the total amount of CD34+ cells collected after each blood volume (BV) processed and engraftment data for each cycle of high dose chemotherapy (HD Ctx). A total of 21 PBSCC from 20 patients with different malignancies were analyzed. Stem cells were mobilized by chemotherapy and G-CSF (14 pts) or GM-CSF (6 pts). Samples from the pts peripheral blood and the collection bag were taken after each BV processed and analyzed for CD34+ cells, WBC, platelets (plt), and hemoglobin (Hb). The total volume processed was two to five times the pts calculated BV (mean value 17.4 L, range 9.0-24.0 L). Sixteen pts could be evaluated for engraftment. The mean peripheral blood CD34+ cell count was 116+/-103.5/microl at the start of PBSCC and decreased to 57+/-61.6/microl after processing of four times the pts BV. The mean number of CD34+ cells collected after each BV was 2.3+/-2.4, 5.8+/-5.2, 8.5+/-7.2, and 11.8+/-10.3x10(6) per kg body weight, respectively. The mean plt count decreased by 53+/-40.2/nl, Hb by 1. +/-0.5 g/dl and WBC by 0. +/-6.1/nl after separation of 4 BV. All but two pts reached the target value of 1.5x10(6) CD34+ cells/kg body weight and planned cycle of HD Ctx with 1 PBSCC. All pts engrafted and reached neutrophils>500/microl and plt>20,000/microl at a median of 11 and 13 days, respectively. We could demonstrate, that the yield of CD34+ cells during PBSCC increased continuously with the volume of the separated BV and that up to 5x the patients' BV could be processed safely without serious side effects. Most pts had to undergo only 1 PBSCC to collect sufficient numbers of CD34+ cells to support sequential courses of HD Ctx without delayed engraftment.
Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging pharmacodynamic biomarker study of sorafenib in metastatic renal carcinoma.

PURPOSE Sorafenib is an antiangiogenic agent with activity in renal cancer. We conducted a randomized trial to investigate dynamic contrast magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) as a pharmacodynamic biomarker. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients were randomly assigned to placebo or 200 or 400 mg twice per day of sorafenib. DCE-MRI was performed at baseline and 4 weeks. DCE-MRI parameters, area under the contrast concentration versus time curve 90 seconds after contrast injection (IAUC(90)), and volume transfer constant of contrast agent (K(trans)) were calculated for a metastatic site selected in a blinded manner. Primary end point was change in K(trans). RESULTS Of the 56 assessable patients, 48 underwent two MRIs; 44 MRIs were assessable for study end points. Mean K(trans) log ratios were 0.131 (standard deviation [SD], 0.315), -0.148 (SD, 0.382), -0.271 (SD, 0.499) in placebo, 200- and 400-mg cohorts, respectively (P = .0077 for trend) corresponding to changes of +14%, -14%, and -24%. IAUC(90) log ratios were 0.041 (SD, 0.197), -0.040 (SD, 0.132), -0.356 (SD, 0.411), respectively (P = .0003 for trend), corresponding to changes of +4%, -4%, and -30%. Using a log-rank test, IAUC(90) and K(trans) changes were not associated with progression-free survival (PFS). Patients with high baseline K(trans) had a better PFS (P = .027). CONCLUSION IAUC(90) and K(trans) are pharmacodynamic biomarkers for sorafenib, but variability is high and magnitude of effect is less than previously reported. Changes in DCE-MRI parameters after 4 weeks of sorafenib are not predictive of PFS, suggesting that these biomarkers are not surrogate end points. The value of baseline K(trans) as a prognostic or predictive biomarker requires additional study.
Rice-based oral rehydration solution decreases the stool volume in acute diarrhoea.

A ramdomized trial using oral rehydration solutions (ORS) with rice or glucose was carried out in 342 patients with acute watery diarrhea in the outpatient ward of the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh, during an epidemic of cholera between December 1982-March 1983. On admission, 75% of these patients had severe dehydration and 70% were positive for Vibrio cholerae. There were 185 children aged under 10 years and 157 adults; 169 patients were treated with rice-ORS and 173 with glucose-ORS. Patients in both groups were comparable in age and body weight as well as the duration and severity of illness. Patients with severe dehydration were first rehydrated intravenously, and then treated with ORS. Those with moderate dehydration received ORS from the start. The mean stool output in the first 24 hours in children treated with rice-ORS was less than that in those treated with glucose-ORS (155 vs 204 ml/kg 24h; P0.01). The same was the case for the adult patients, the corresponding values for stool output being 115 versus 159 ml/kg24h (P0.05); the corresponding intakes in adult patients were, respectively, 180.5 and 247 ml/kg24 hours. A gain of about 10% of the body weight on admission was observed in all the groups. 6 cases (4 children and 2 adults) who failed to respond to oral rehydration after intravenous therapy all belonged to the glucose-ORS group. The study shows that, even under epidemic conditions of severe cholera or in cholera-like diarrhea, the glucose or sucrose solutions can be replaced by rice powder with improved results. Glucose and sucrose are manufactured products which are expensive and not always available in countries where diarrheal diseases are a problem. Rice, a staple food in many of these countries, reduces the fluid requirements when used in ORS and also provides increased nutrition even in the acute stage of illness.
Preparation and Properties of Uniform Coated Inorganic Colloidal Particles

Uniformly coated particles were obtained when dispersions of colloidal ellipsoidal hematite in manganese(II) 2,4-pentanedionate (MP), manganese(II) methoxide (MMO), and manganese sulfate/urea (MSU) solutions were aged under optimum experimental conditions. The shell formed in the hematite-MP system was amorphous, while those prepared with the other two manganese compounds were identified as crystalline MnO/MnO2 and MnCO3, respectively. On calcination at 750°C, amorphous and MnCO3 coatings converted to Mn2O3, whereas MnO/MnO2 acquired only higher crystallinity without significant change in the morphological features of the particles. Electrophoretic measurements indicated that in all cases, shells significantly decreased the isoelectric point as compared to bare cores. The aging of the coating solutions of MP, MMO, and MSU in the absence of hematite resulted in uniform dispersed particles of Mn3O4/Mn2O3, MnO/MnO2, and MnCO3, respectively. On treating Mn3O4/Mn2O3 dispersions with a 30% solution of H2O2 for 72 h, partial oxidation to Mn2O3/MnO2 took place with simultaneous aggregation of the original particles to much larger spheres of narrow size distribution.
Relationship of Soybean Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) to Soybean Plant Nutrients, Landscape Structure, and Natural Enemies

ABSTRACT In the north central United States, populations of the exotic soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), are highly variable across space, complicating effective aphid management. In this study we examined relationships of plant nutrients, landscape structure, and natural enemies with soybean aphid abundance across Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, representing the range of conditions where soybean aphid outbreaks have occurred since its introduction. We sampled soybean aphid and its natural enemies, quantified vegetation land cover and measured soybean nutrients (potassium [K] and nitrogen [N]) in 26 soybean sites in 2005 and 2006. Multiple regression models found that aphid abundance was negatively associated with leaf K content in 2005, whereas it was negatively associated with habitat diversity (Simpson's index) and positively associated with leaf N content in 2006. These variables accounted for 25 and 27% of aphid variability in 2005 and 2006, respectively, suggesting that other sources of variability are also important. In addition, K content of soybean plants decreased with increasing prevalence of corn-soybean cropland in 2005, suggesting that landscapes that have a high intensification of agriculture (as indexed by increasing corn and soybean) are more likely to have higher aphid numbers. Soybean aphid natural enemies, 26 species of predators and parasitoids, was positively related to aphid abundance; however, enemy-to-aphid abundance ratios were inversely related to aphid density, suggesting that soybean aphids are able to escape control by resident natural enemies. Overall, soybean aphid abundance was most associated with soybean leaf chemistry and landscape heterogeneity. Agronomic options that can ameliorate K deficiency and maintaining heterogeneity in the landscape may reduce aphid risk.
Phagocytic and chemiluminescent responses of mouse peritoneal macrophages to living and killed Salmonella typhimurium and other bacteria

In the presence of luminol, resident as well as thioglycolate-induced and immunized macrophages emitted chemiluminescence more efficiently when the cells were exposed to living Salmonella typhimurium than when they were exposed to the same bacterium killed by ultraviolet light or heat. This phenomenon was observed whether or not the bacterium was opsonized. The different response to living and killed bacteria was also found with Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus morganii, and Enterobacter aerogenes, but not with Shigella sonnei, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Propionibacterium acnes. The results suggest that macrophages respond better to living, motile bacteria than to nonmotile or killed bacteria. The experimental results obtained with motility mutants of S. typhimurium, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa confirm that macrophages exposed to the motile bacteria emit chemiluminescence more efficiently and ingest the motile bacteria at a much faster rate than the nonmotile bacteria.
Experiments Using Multimodal Virtual Environments in Design for Assembly Analysis

The goal of this work is to investigate whether estimates of ease of part handling and part insertion can be provided by multimodal simulation using virtual environment (VE) technology. The long-term goal is to use this data to extend computer-aided design (CAD) systems in order to evaluate and compare alternate designs using design for assembly analysis. A unified, physically-based model has been developed for modeling dynamic interactions and has been built into a multimodal VE system called the Virtual Environment for Design for Assembly (VEDA). The designer sees a visual representation of objects, hears collision sounds when objects hit each other, and can feel and manipulate the objects through haptic interface devices with force feedback. Currently these models are 2D in order to preserve interactive update rates. Experiments were conducted with human subjects using a two-dimensional peg-in-hole apparatus and a VEDA simulation of the same apparatus. The simulation duplicated as well as possible the weight, shape, size, peg-hole clearance, and fictional characteristics of the physical apparatus. The experiments showed that the multimodal VE is able to replicate experimental results in which increased task completion times correlated with increasing task difficulty (measured as increased friction, increased handling distance, and decreased peg-hole clearance). However, the multimodal VE task completion times are approximately twice those of the physical apparatus completion process. A number of possible factors have been identified, but the effect of these factors has not been quantified.
Communication 1 H- 13 C polarization transfer in membranes: A tool for probing lipid dynamics and the effect of cholesterol

Phospholipid bilayers with over 20% cholesterol can form a liquid-ordered (lo) phase, which can be found in lateral domains, called rafts, in biomembranes. We show here that high-resolution 13 C and 1 H solid-state NMR are well suited to explore this phase, intermediate between gel and fluid. This approach can be applied to artificial or natural membranes, with no isotopic enrichment and with the help of magic-angle spinning (MAS), taking advantage of the high resolution and sensitivity of these nuclei. The sensitivity of magnetization transfer schemes to different lipid states has allowed us here to discriminate between various phases. We show that the phase composed of unsaturated phospholipids and cholesterol differs, in terms of lipid dynamics, both from the previously described lo phase and from the liquid-disordered phase.
Does Patient Satisfaction Contribute to Nursing Care Quality?

The use of patient satisfaction tools is routine in healthcare facilities. What actually do the results of patient satisfaction surveys tell us about the quality of nursing care? The purpose of this article is to provide a discussion about patient satisfaction and nursing care. Recommendations are offered about how patient satisfaction may be used to improve nursing care and what changes may be needed to achieve a high level of patient satisfaction.
Like Mother, Like Daughter? Dietary and Non-Dietary Bone Fracture Risk Factors in Mothers and Their Daughters

Background: The aim of this study was to demonstrate similarities and differences between mothers and daughters regarding dietary and non-dietary risk factors for bone fractures and osteoporosis. Methods: The study was carried out in 2007–2010 on 712 mothers (29–59 years) and daughters (12–21 years) family pairs. In the sub-sample (170 family pairs) bone mineral density (BMD) was measured for the forearm by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The consumption of dairy products was determined with a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (ADOS-Ca) and calcium intake from the daily diet was calculated. Results: The presence of risk factors for bone fractures in mothers and daughters was significantly correlated. The Spearman rank coefficient for dietary factors of fracture risk was 0.87 (P<0.05) in whole sub-sample, 0.94 (P<0.05) in bottom tercile of BMD, 0.82 (P<0.05) in middle tercile of BMD, 0.54 (P>0.05) in upper tercile of BMD and for non-dietary factors of fracture risk was 0.83 (P<0.05) in whole sub-sample, 0.86 (P<0.05) in bottom tercile of BMD, 0.93 (P<0.05) in middle tercile of BMD, 0.65 (P<0.05) in upper tercile of BMD. Conclusions: Our results confirm the role of the family environment for bone health and document the stronger effect of negative factors of the family environment as compared to other positive factors on bone fracture risk.
A Compact Subthreshold Model for Short-Channel Monolayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Field-Effect Transistors

This brief presents a compact subthreshold model for short-channel monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) field-effect transistors. In this model, the impact of fringe fields from the high-K gate dielectric is considered and incorporated into a new characteristic-length expression using a single model parameter. This model has been verified with 2-D numerical simulations for TMD devices with gate length down to 5.9 nm based on ITRS 2028 low-power technology node.
The network architecture of the Connection Machine CM-5 (extended abstract)

The Connection Machine Model CM-5 Supercomputer is a massively parallel computer system designed to o(cid:11)er performance in the range of 1 tera(cid:13)ops (10 12 (cid:13)oating-point operations per second). The CM-5 obtains its high performance while o(cid:11)ering ease of programming, (cid:13)exibility, and reliability. The machine contains three communication networks: a data network, a control network, and a diagnostic network. This paper describes the organization of these three networks and how they contribute to the design goals of the CM-5
Designing and encoding QC-LDPC codes using matrices over commutative rings

This paper uses tools from matrix algebra over commutative rings to simplify the design of parity-check (PC) matrices for Quasi-cyclic (QC) low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes. These tools are also used for computing the ranks of PC matrices and developing low complexity encoding methods for QC-LDPC codes. The motivation for this work stems from the need to develop regular QC-LDPC codes with extremely low error floor, and high throughput in both encoding and decoding for use in flash memory devices.
Expression and subcellular localization of SF‐1, SOX9, WT1, and AMH proteins during early human testicular development

Many transcription factors have been identified and implicated in male sex determination pathway. Specifically involved in Sertoli cell differentiation and subsequent anti‐Müllerian hormone (AMH) secretion in eutherian mammals, they include steroidogenic factor‐1 (SF‐1), SOX9 (SRY HMG box related gene 9), WT1 (Wilms' tumor 1), and GATA‐4 (a zinc finger transcription factor). These factors have been described to execute their function in the male sex determination pathway by controlling AMH transcriptional expression. To understand the hierarchies of these factors and their involvement in the developing testis, for the first time we show the expression and subcellular localization of these factors by immunohistochemistry in the early human testis during embryogenesis compared with AMH expression. If these studies do not refute their possible synergistic interaction to control AMH expression in human embryo, they also reveal a new sexual dimorphism in SOX9 expression during the sex determination process. We show that SOX9 sex specifically shifts from the cytoplasmic to the nuclear compartment at the time of testis differentiation and AMH expression. Putative models for this subcellular distribution are discussed. Dev Den;217:293–298. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Postpartum glucose tolerance screening in women with gestational diabetes in the state of North Carolina.

OBJECTIVE To determine how frequently health care providers taking care of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are screening for postpartum glucose tolerance and what practice approaches they are using to care for women with GDM. METHODS A mailed survey assessed health care providers' knowledge of GDM and practice patterns. Factors influencing practice protocols for measuring glucose tolerance postpartum were identified. RESULTS Of 1,002 eligible North Carolina health professionals, 399 responded (40%); 327 of these (82%) were providing prenatal and postpartum care and returned the completed surveys. Almost all providers (98%) screen for GDM, and the majority (97%) use the 50-gram one-hour glucose challenge test. Only 27% of respondents always screen for diabetes mellitus (DM) postpartum. The most common method for screening was the 75-gram two-hour glucose tolerance test (54%). The factors most commonly associated with failure to screen were patients lost to follow-up, patient inconvenience, and inconsistent screening guidelines. A majority (59%) stated that increased reimbursement would have little to no impact on their consistency in providing diabetic counseling. CONCLUSIONS The rate of postpartum glucose tolerance testing is low in this study of providers of postpartum care. Several modifiable barriers to screening were identified. There is a need for improved screening practices and early intervention that could help prevent the complications of DM and benefit subsequent pregnancies in this high risk population.
Glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms and skin cancer after renal transplantation.

BACKGROUND Susceptibility to skin cancer after transplantation is multifactorial, and risk factors include skin type, sun exposure, and level of immunosuppression. A major mechanism of carcinogenesis is ultraviolet radiation-induced free radical damage, and genetically determined ability to metabolize free radicals may also predispose to skin cancer. The glutathione S-transferase enzymes play a major role in limiting the toxic effects of reactive oxygen species, and this study was designed to determine whether polymorphisms in these enzymes are associated with skin cancers in renal transplant recipients. METHODS Two hundred twenty-two long-term survivors of renal transplantation were examined for polymorphisms in the GSTM1, GSTT1, and GSTP1 genes, using a unified polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP) genotyping method. RESULTS The GSTP1*C allele was associated with the development of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs; P = 0.01). No associations of the GSTM1 null genotype or the GSTT1 null genotype were identified, and the development of basal cell carcinomas was not associated with any GST polymorphism studied. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that genetic variation in enzymes involved in free radical metabolism in the skin are associated with the development of skin cancer. While all renal transplant recipients should be advised to protect themselves from the sun, the identification of transplant patients with a genetic predisposition to skin tumors may permit the targeting of preventative and early intervention strategies to high-risk individuals.