Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Volatile Substance Misuse Among Street Children in Upper Egypt

This work assessed the extent, patterns, attitudes, motivations, and impacts of volatile substance misuse (VSM) among street children in Upper Egypt. In 2009, a 36-item questionnaire was administered to a randomly selected sample of 120 street children aged 10–18 years. Nearly 91% (n = 109) reported misusing products containing volatile substances because they are inexpensive, legal, and easy to acquire. Familial neglect and lack of supervision were the main social motivations reported by street youth for misusing volatile substances. One-third (34.2%, n = 41) reported inhaling “Kolla,” a commercial glue; this study identifies its physicochemical, neuropharmacological, and toxicological properties. The study's limitations are noted.
CAPD in diabetics: use of aminoacids.

Advantages of CAPD in diabetic uremic patients may offer better control of visual and neurological disease. There remain some undesired side effects, i.e: obesity, blood lipid imbalance and loss of appetite due to glucose absorption. In February 1988 four diabetic uremic CAPD patients (2 males and 2 females with an average age of 62.25 +/- 11.32, range 52-76) began treatment substituting one of the usual glucose exchanges with 1% aminoacid solution. Treatment time averaged 52 months (range 9-17). Each month the patients were examined clinically and via blood chemistries. Every 3 months clearances, residual renal function, ocular fundus and motor nerve conductance velocity were measured. Plasma nitrogen increased, while triglycerides, cholesterol and total protein remained unchanged; bicarbonate decreased causing slight acidosis. There were no significant variations of either clearances or ultrafiltration and the quantity of insulin administered decreased. Results confirm that a 1% aminoacid solution can be used as an osmotic agent in peritoneal dialysis to prevent some of the complications such as blood lipid imbalance. The slight acidosis can be corrected by increasing the buffer content of the bag.
Premises of multi-competence

This chapter introduces the concept of linguistic multi-competence and sets the scene for the rest of the book. It looks first at issues of definition and then at three premises that have become part and parcel of multi-competence. The aim is to examine the ideas underlying multi-competence rather than to present new views of multicompetence or to summarise existing research, to be tackled in Chapter 2.
Effects of smoking, mother's age, body mass index, and parity number on lipid, protein, and secretory immunoglobulin A concentrations of human milk.

AIM This study investigated the effect of smoking, mother's age, body mass index (BMI), and parity number on density, lipids, proteins, and secreted immunoglobulin A (SIgA) of human milk. METHODS Transitional and mature milk samples were collected from 23 nursing smoker mothers and 43 nursing nonsmoker mothers. Proteins, lipids, and SIgA concentrations were determined as well as the milk density and the general protein profile. RESULTS Our investigation showed that the milk of smokers contained less lipids and proteins (statistically significant 26% and 12% decrease, respectively), whereas milk density was unchanged. SIgA concentration was 27% lower in milk from smokers, but the decrease was not statistically significant. The general protein profile showed no significant smoking-associated changes in the four identified proteins (β-casein, immunoglobulin A heavy chain, serum albumin, and lactoferrin). Mothers' age and residential area showed noticeable but statistically nonsignificant differences in some of the measured parameters. However, parity number, lactation stage, and BMI were associated with a significant modification of milk composition. Mature milk contained more lipids and less protein, whereas the increase of parity number was associated with an increase in lipid concentration. The group of overweight mothers showed lower milk protein concentration in comparison with the normal group. Multivariate analysis showed a statistically significant interaction effect of the variables (smoking, parity number, lactation stage, age, and BMI) on lipids and between some of them on proteins and SIgA. CONCLUSION Our study showed that smoking was associated with lower milk lipid and protein concentrations and that the parity number and BMI were associated with a change in milk lipids and proteins content, respectively.
The CEDAR Study: A Longitudinal Study of the Clinical Effects of Conventional DMARDs and Biologic DMARDs in Australian Rheumatology Practice

Objectives To observe the choices of conventional disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (cDMARDs) and biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs) in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Australian routine clinical practice, to assess treatment survival and determine the effect of cDMARDs/bDMARDs on disease activity. Methods Routinely collected, deidentified clinical data was sourced from 20 Australian rheumatology practices. RA patients aged ≥18 years, who had received cDMARDs/bDMARDs and a recorded subsequent visit, were included. A linear mixed model was used to determine the change over time and the percentage reduction in disease activity was summarized. Results 12,526 RA patients were included: 72% females, mean age 62 years. cDMARDs and bDMARDs were used in 92% and 30% of patients, respectively. The most commonly prescribed cDMARD was methotrexate (76% patients); median time to stopping treatment was 337 months [95% CI: 279–ND]. Etanercept was the most commonly prescribed bDMARD (12% patients); median time to stopping treatment was 79 months [95% CI: 57–93]. Of 5,341 patients with a first change in medication (cDMARD or bDMARD), 87% had therapy escalation and 13% deescalation. Reduction in DAS28-ESR, 6-month post-DMARDs initiation ranged from 3%, adalimumab, to 14%, leflunomide and tocilizumab. Conclusions In this large Australian cohort of unselected community RA patients, the choices of cDMARDs/bDMARDs are aligned with current international guidelines.
Repeated Assessments of Endocrine- and Immune-Related Changes in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Objective: It is assumed that stress-related changes in the endocrine and immune systems are key mediators involved in the development of diseases associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Evidence suggests that those changes might be related to the duration of PTSD. The aim of our study was to investigate the differences in selected endocrine- and immune-related variables between PTSD patients and control subjects, and whether these differences persist over time. Methods: We assessed 39 Croatian war veterans with PTSD and 25 healthy volunteers (civilians without traumatic experience), all men, at two time points separated by 5.6 years (median; interquartile range: 5.4–6.3). Cortisol and prolactin levels were measured by radioimmunoassays while interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Immune function was assessed by in vitro natural killer cell cytotoxicity (NKCC). Lymphocyte counts, immunophenotype and intracellular glucocorticoid receptor expression in various lymphocyte subsets were determined by three-color flow cytometry. Results: At the first assessment, moderate to large effect size estimates of differences between patients and controls were observed for most of the measured variables. Only prolactin levels and lymphocyte counts remained significantly elevated in PTSD patients at the second assessment with low to moderate effect size estimates of differences between patients and controls in other variables. Conclusion: Observed endocrine- and immune-related changes in PTSD over time may depend on the duration of the allostatic load posed by the disorder and its impact on interactions between the endocrine and immune systems involved in stress response.
An increase in serum uric acid concentrations is associated with an increase in the Framingham risk score in Korean adults

Abstract Background: Uric acid is a novel cardiovascular disease (CVD) factor, but its use as an independent risk factor for CVD remains controversial. Here, we examined the correlation between Framingham risk score (FRS) and serum uric acid concentrations in asymptomatic Korean adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 8035 Korean adults. Besides FRS, we measured body mass index, fasting blood glucose, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, creatinine, γ-glutamyltransferase, the lipid profile, uric acid, high-sensitive C-reactive protein, and the white blood cell count. All subjects were placed into one of three risk groups according to their FRS. Results: All CVD related factors were significantly different in the three FRS groups. The increments of uric acid in-creased significantly FRS from the 10-year risk 0%–9% group to the >10% group after adjusting for other CVD-related factors using ordinal logistic regression analysis. Analyses of the three age groups showed similar effects. Conclusions: An increased uric acid concentration is associated with an increase in coronary heart disease risk calculated from the FRS, and doctors need to pay attention to this CVD risk in apparently healthy adults with hyperuricemia.
Equal recognition: the moral foundations of minority rights

as the prime perpetrators of corruption and instability” (136). Gorham also bolsters his argument with the detailed analysis of the “Direct Line with Putin,” an orchestrated TV show designed to demonstrate a more authoritative image of Putin as a supreme leader and benevolent “batyushka-tsar” (138, 156). Putin and his entourage, the author states, have gradually become masters of political manipulation, having understood well the power of the media (139) and carefully choreographed these media events for several years in row, albeit with some slight variations (141). One important thing noted by the author is that, on several occasions during the conversations, people were joining and asking questions from places outside of Russia – Kyrgyzstan in 2003, Latvia in 2005, Ukraine in 2006, and Kazakhstan in 2007. This was perhaps to demonstrate that Russia, at least in an ethnic and cultural sense, extends beyond the borders of the Russian Federation (148) and which obtained an entirely new meaning after the Ukraine events of 2014. Chapter 6 touches upon the recent protest movement in Russia launched after elections to the State Duma in December 2011, which were largely considered as falsified. For the first time in many years, Putin had to deal with mass protests challenging his rule and had to justify his legitimacy (170). Since most of the “traditional” media were already state-controlled and censored, the bulk of the protest including critical discussions were held online, on various types of blogs, social networks, and other platforms, so the Russian segment of the Internet or “Runet” became the primary stronghold of the opposition. In the concluding chapter, Gorham states that Russians eventually outgrew Putin’s tough rhetoric and that the Russian society of 2012 is rather different from Russian society of 1999, the former having less demand for macho politicians but asking for more democratic procedures and openness, which Putin and his clique took time to realize. Although absolutely credible, this argument is slightly undermined with the subsequent events of 2014–2015, where the protest movement terminated quietly without major achievements; the annexation of Crimea boosted Putin’s popularity even further, leaving the protests up to a small fraction of mostly Moscow-based liberal intelligentsia. After Newspeak is a captivating book, which will help the audience understand today’s Russian political discourse. The originality of Gorham’s piece largely outweighs the book’s minor issues, such as somewhat abrupt transitions between themes and overly long citations at times (which, do, however, speak well for themselves). Gorham’s work is an insightful work of potential interest to anyone studyingRussian politics,media discourse, and the politics of language.
Reduction of Peritoneal Adhesion to Polypropylene Mesh with the Application of Fibrin Glue

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the possibility of the reduction of peritoneal adhesions to a polypropylene mesh with fibrin glue. Methods: Forty Wistar rats were assigned to two treatment groups: Group 1) hernioplasty with polypropylene mesh plus fibrin glue sealant, and Group 2) hernioplasty with polypropylene mesh without fibrin glue sealant. The variables evaluated were: presence and density of adhesion, organs or abdominal structures adhered to the polypropylene mesh, inflammatory tissular reaction and cell recount. Results: Group 1 presented a statistically lower adhesion percentage than Group 2 (40% versus 100%, P = 0.0003). The mean areas of mesh patch surfaces covered with adhesions were statistically different between Groups 1 and 2 (0.67 ± 0.65 cm2 versus 1.60 ± 0.51 cm2; P = 0.00001). Twelve rats presented with adhesions in Group 1; eleven were adhesions to the epiploon and one to the colon. In Group 2 there were 16 adhesions to the epiploon, 2 to the colon, 1 to the small intestine and 1 to the stomach. Tissular reaction comparison showed a significant difference (21 ± 4.9 versus 17 ± 4.1; P = 0.006). Conclusions: Fibrin glue sealant significantly reduced the frequency and severity of intra-abdominal adhesions.
Media Attention, Macroeconomic Fundamentals, and Stock Market Activity

We create daily indices of media attention to macroeconomic fundamentals including employment, output growth, inflation, monetary policy, exchange rates, and oil prices. The measures are imperfectly correlated, showing time-varying attention to different economic risks at a variety of frequencies. Economic announcements drive short-term movements, and we identify the types of announcements that receive the most attention. Lower-frequency shifts in attention strongly relate to macroeconomic fundamentals. Controlling for economic announcements, attention is linked to variations in stock market implied volatility and trading volume.
Increase in chronic or recurrent rhinitis, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema among schoolchildren in Greece: Three surveys during 1991–2003

The prevalence of allergic rhinitis, hay fever and eczema has risen worldwide during the last four decades but may have reached a plateau in some westernized societies. We examined time trends in the prevalence of childhood chronic or recurrent rhinitis, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema in urban Greece. Using identical methodology, three population‐based cross‐sectional parental questionnaire surveys on current (last two years) and lifetime allergic symptoms of the nose, eyes and skin were performed among 8–10‐yr‐old children in 1991, 1998 and 2003 in Patras, Greece. Exactly 2417, 3006 and 2725 questionnaires were completed in 1991, 1998 and 2003, respectively. Prevalence rates of current (lifetime) symptoms of chronic or recurrent rhinitis were 5.1% (6.0%) for 1991, 6.5% (8.0%) for 1998 and 8.0% (9.8%) for 2003. Respective values for rhinoconjunctivitis were 1.8% (2.1%), 2.7% (3.4%) and 3.6% (4.6%) and for eczema 2.5% (4.5%), 3.4% (6.3%) and 5.0% (9.5%) (p for trend <0.001). Among current asthmatics there was an increase in lifetime rhinitis (p = 0.038), current (p = 0.025) and lifetime rhinoconjunctivitis (p = 0.007) and current (p = 0.001) and lifetime eczema (p < 0.001); male predominance increased throughout the study. The proportion of atopic asthma (current asthma with chronic or recurrent rhinitis and/or rhinoconjunctivitis and/or eczema) increased during the same period (p < 0.001). In conclusion, there is a continuous increase in the prevalence of allergic manifestations among preadolescent children in Patras, Greece during the period 1991–2003. In our population, boys have contributed to this increase more than girls and the increase of atopy is, at least partially, responsible for the increase of asthma.
When Is Diagnostic Testing Inappropriate or Irrational? Acceptable Regret Approach

The authors provide a new model within the framework of theories of bounded rationality for the observed physicians' behavior that their ordering of diagnostic tests may not be rational. Contrary to the prevailing thinking, the authors find that physicians do not act irrationally or inappropriately when they order diagnostic tests in usual clinical practice. When acceptable regret (i.e., regret that a decision maker finds tolerable upon making a wrong decision) is taken into account, the authors show that physicians tend to order diagnostic tests at a higher level of pretest probability of disease than predicted by expected utility theory. They also show why physicians tend to overtest when regret about erroneous decisions is extremely small. Finally, they explain variations in the practice of medicine. They demonstrate that in the same clinical situation, different decision makers might have different acceptable regret thresholds for withholding treatment, for ordering a diagnostic test, or for administering treatment. This in turn means that for some decision makers, the most rational strategy is to do nothing, whereas for others, it may be to order a diagnostic test, and still for others, choosing treatment may be the most rational course of action.
Approaches to fitting age‐period‐cohort models with unequal intervals

Age‐period‐cohort models have provided useful insights into the analysis of time trends for disease rates, in spite of the well known identifiability problem. Unique parameter estimates that avoid arbitrary constraints are provided by estimable functions of the parameter estimates. For data that are generated using equal interval widths for age and period, the identifiability issue may be expressed in terms of the age, period and cohort slopes. However, when the interval widths are not the same for age and period, additional identifiability problems arise. These may be represented in terms of macro‐trends, which have the identical identifiability problem seen in the equal interval case, and micro‐trends, which are the source of the additional problems. A framework for testing estimability is presented, and a variety of potentially interesting functions of the parameters considered. Unlike the equal interval case, drift is not estimable for unequal intervals, but local drift may be. In addition, the available functions for forecasting are much more restrictive in the latter case. This estimability problem induces cyclical patterns in the estimates of trend as is demonstrated using data on leukaemia in Connecticut males, but this can be avoided through the use of smoothing splines. These methods of are illustrated for three‐year period and five‐year age intervals using data on lung cancer mortality in Californian women. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ethanol inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase activity in C6 glioma cells.

Nitric oxide (NO.), a free radical gas, has been implicated in the CNS actions of ethanol. The brain contains several cell types that can produce NO., including neurons and glia. This study examined the effect of acute and chronic ethanol exposure on the activity of the inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) found in neuroglia. Experiments were performed using intact rat C6 glioma cells, and NO. production was assessed by nitrite accumulation after iNOS induction by coadministration of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Ethanol was inhibitory at high concentrations (IC50 approximately 150 mM) when acutely present during the 24-hr period subsequent to initiation of enzyme induction. In contrast, cells exposed to ethanol were inhibited chronically at clinically relevant lower concentrations (IC50 approximately 30 mM with 10 days exposure). Chronic inhibition was both time- and concentration-dependent. Inhibition by ethanol seems to be a consequence of interference with LPS signal transduction. Acutely, ethanol did not affect the ability of PMA to synergize with LPS to induce activity, but it attenuated the ability of LPS to synergize with the PMA. Ten days exposure to 50 mM ethanol decreased the LPS potency by 4-fold in the presence of a maximally activating concentration of PMA, although not significantly changing PMA potency. Inhibition by chronic ethanol exposure was long-lasting, being retained over 24 hr in cells returned to control conditions. Thus, chronic ethanol may downregulate key components needed for iNOS expression. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Plasminogen activator inhibitors in endometrial adenocarcinoma

Background. Plasminogen activators (PA) play an important role in the mediation of pathologic processes, including cancer invasion. Levels of urokinase are increased in malignant endometrium compared with normal endometrium. The role of PA inhibitors (PAI) in the malignant process is not known.
A MAVS/TICAM-1-Independent Interferon-Inducing Pathway Contributes to Regulation of Hepatitis B Virus Replication in the Mouse Hydrodynamic Injection Model

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and cytoplasmic RNA sensors have been reported to be involved in the regulation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication, but remain controversial due to the lack of a natural infectious model. Our current study sets out to characterize aspects of the role of the innate immune system in eliminating HBV using hydrodynamic-based injection of HBV replicative plasmid and knockout mice deficient in specific pathways of the innate system. The evidence indicated that viral replication was not affected by MAVS or TICAM-1 knockout, but absence of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3) and IRF-7 transcription factors, as well as the interferon (IFN) receptor, had an adverse effect on the inhibition of HBV replication, demonstrating the dispensability of MAVS and TICAM-1 pathways in the early innate response against HBV. Myd88-/- mice did not have a significant increase in the initial viremia, but substantial viral antigen persisted in the mice sera, a response similar to Rag2-/- mice, suggesting that the MyD88-dependent pathway participated in evoking an adaptive immune response against the clearance of intrahepatic HBV. Taken together, we show that the RNA-sensing pathways do not participate in the regulation of HBV replication in a mouse model; meanwhile MyD88 is implicated in the HBV clearance.