Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evidence of Health Impacts of Sulfate-and Nitrate-Containing Particles in Ambient Air

Ambient particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture of inorganic and organic compounds. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates PM as a criteria pollutant and promulgates National Ambient Air Quality Standards for it. The PM indicator is based on mass concentration, unspecified as to chemical composition, for specific size fractions. The numerical standards are based on epidemiologic evidence of associations between the various size-related particle mass concentrations as indicators and excess mortality and cardiorespiratory health effects as endpoints. The U.S. National Research Council has stated that more research is needed to differentiate the apparent health effects associated with different particle chemical constituents. Sulfate and nitrate constitute a significant portion of the particle mass in the atmosphere, but are accompanied by similar amounts of carbonaceous material, along with low concentrations of various species, including bioactive organic compounds and redox cycling metals. Extensive animal and human toxicology data show no significant effects for particles consisting only of sulfate and nitrate compounds at levels in excess of ambient air concentrations. A few epidemiologic studies, including both short-term time-series studies and long-term cohort studies, have included the sulfate content of PM as a specific variable in health effect analyses. There are much less data for nitrate. The results from the epidemiologic studies with PM sulfate are inconsistent. A detailed analysis of the time-series epidemiological studies shows that PM sulfate has a weaker “risk factor” than PM2.5 for health effects. Since sulfate is correlated with PM2.5, this result is inconsistent with sulfate having a strong health influence. However, there are many limitations with these types of studies that warrant caution for any comparison between a chemical component and mass concentration. In total, the epidemiologic and toxicologic evidence provide little or no support for a causal association of PM sulfate and health risk at ambient concentrations. For nitrate-containing PM, virtually no epidemiological data exist. Limited toxicological evidence does not support a causal association between particulate nitrate compounds and excess health risks. There are some possible indirect processes through which sulfate and nitrate in PM may affect health-related endpoints, including interactions with certain metal species and a linkage with production of secondary organic matter. There is insufficient evidence to include or exclude these processes as being potentially important to PM-associated health risk.
Microdialysis studies on 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-induced dopamine release: effect of dopamine uptake inhibitors.

The effect of dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) uptake inhibitors on 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-induced increase in DA efflux was studied using in vivo microdialysis. MDMA was infused directly into the anterolateral striatum via the dialysis probe. The local administration of MDMA produced a dose- and time-dependent increase in the extracellular concentration of DA in the striatum. Peripheral administration of the DA uptake blockers, mazindol (5 mg/kg, i.p.) or GBR 12909 (10 mg/kg, i.p.), produced a slight but significant increase in the extracellular concentration of DA. Moreover, pretreatment with either mazindol or GBR 12909 30 min before the infusion of MDMA (10 microM) significantly attenuated the MDMA-induced increase in the extracellular concentration of DA. Pretreatment with fluoxetine (10 mg/kg, i.p.), a 5-HT uptake blocker, 30 min before the infusion of MDMA produced a slight but significant inhibition of MDMA-induced increase in DA concentration. In contrast, pretreatment with the 5-HT2/1C antagonist, ketanserin (3 mg/kg, i.p.), had no significant effect on the increase in DA concentration produced by the local administration of MDMA. These data are suggestive that MDMA increases the concentration of DA in the striatum, in part, via a carrier-mediated mechanism which is largely independent of its effects on 5-HT release.
‘Violence is Not Part of Our Job’: A Thematic Analysis of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses’ Experiences of Patient Assaults from a New Zealand Perspective

This paper describes psychiatric mental health nurses’ (PMHN) experiences of patient assaults within mental healthcare settings using a thematic analytical approach. The aim of the study was to explore and describe psychiatric mental health nurses’ experiences of patient assaults. The major findings of the study related to the nature and impact of assaults and supportive strategies associated with violence perpetrated by patients against psychiatric mental health nurses. Perpetrator risk factors for patients include mental health disorders, alcohol and drug use and the inability to deal with situational crises. The injuries sustained by nurses in the context of the study include lacerations, head injuries, dislocations and bruises. Psychological harm has also occurred, including quite severe mental health problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Protective strategies for combating negative consequences of workplace violence include practice of self-defence, social support and a supportive and consultative workplace culture with access to counselling services and assistance in all aspects, including finances. The paper concludes that while healthcare employers need to provide better support services to the healthcare professionals who are assaulted, the legal system also needs to acknowledge that assaults against nurses are a violation of human rights and violence should not to be tolerated as part of working in mental healthcare settings.
Prevalence of NIDDM and Impaired Glucose Tolerance in Aborigines and Malays in Malaysia and Their Relationship to Sociodemographic, Health, and Nutritional Factors

Objective— To determine the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and IGT in different ethnic groups living in the same physical environment and to find their relationship to nutritional status and dietary intake. Research Design and Methods— The study was conducted among Malays and Orang Asli in six rural and urban locations in Malaysia. OGTTs were performed on 706 adult subjects ≥ 18 yr of age. WHO criteria were used for diagnosing diabetes mellitus and IGT. Results— The overall prevalence of diabetes mellitus and IGT among Orang Asli was 0.3 and 4.4% compared with 4.7 and 11.3%, respectively, among Malays. This increased prevalence of glucose intolerance among Malays was associated with higher levels of social development. Among rural Malays, the crude prevalence of diabetes in a traditional village was 2.8% and in the land scheme was 6.7%, whereas urban Malays had a prevalence of 8.2%. In contrast, the prevalence of IGT (10.5–14.8%) was higher among rural Malays, compared with 9.6% among urban Malays. Ethnic group, ≥ 40 yr of age, an income > M$250, fewer daily activity, and obesity were associated with a higher prevalence of diabetes. Conclusions— Diabetes mellitus and IGT, which were more common among Malays than Orang Asli, were associated with more affluent life-styles and modernization.
Supportive and palliative care needs of families of children with life-threatening illnesses in Western Australia: evidence to guide the development of a palliative care service

Objective: To obtain feedback from families of children receiving palliative and supportive care about their care needs in hospital and in community settings. Design: A two-phase combined quantitative and qualitative study. Setting: Western Australia. Participants: 134 parents and 20 service providers. Results: Analysis indicated the concept of palliative care is poorly understood by health professionals and by parents. Many families are affected emotionally, financially and physically by the burden of caring for children with life threatening or chronic conditions requiring complex care at home. Parents indicated the need for clear and honest information about their child's condition and prognosis throughout the trajectory of illness and perceived this had been lacking. Families required financial and practical assistance with providing care from their children at home. Parents also wanted more practical resources and information to assist with the management of their child's nutrition and pain, as well as support for their other children. The level of respite (in home and residential) was perceived to be insufficient and inequitable. Parents also required access to, and advice from, multidisciplinary health professionals when caring for their child at home. There was a perceived lack of coordination between community services and the hospital. Conclusion: Education of health professionals and parents regarding the concepts and introduction of palliative and supportive care is required. Care for children and their families should be coordinated by a multidisciplinary team in consultation with children and their families, and linked and integrated with the treating hospital in collaboration with community services. More inclusive criteria are required for community services including practical aids and respite care. Palliative Medicine 2007; 21 : 689—696
Contribution Ratios of amyA, amyB, amyC Genes to High-Level α-Amylase Expression in Aspergillus oryzae

Aspergillus oryzae strains express α-amylases abundantly, and the genome reference strain RIB40 has three α-amylase genes (amyA, amyB, and amyC). However, there is no information on the contribution ratios of individual α-amylase genes to total expression. In this study, we generated single, double, and triple disruptants of α-amylase genes by employing a strain (ΔligD) with high gene-targeting efficiency and pyrG marker recycling in A. oryzae. All the disruptants showed reduced activities of α-amylases, and the triple disruptant completely lost activity. Comparative analyses of the activities and mRNA amounts of the α-amylases suggest that the contribution of amyA to the α-amylase expression is smaller than those of amyB and amyC. The present study suggests that the ability to express a large amount of α-amylases in A. oryzae is attributed to gene duplication of genes such as amyB and amyC.
Current knowledge, perceptions, and interventions used by collegiate coaches in the u.s. Regarding the prevention and treatment of the female athlete triad.

BACKGROUND Coaches play an important role in the prevention of female athlete triad, but their current knowledge level, perceptions, and practice behaviors are not known. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to describe the knowledge, perceptions, and behaviors college coaches have about the female athlete triad. This study's purpose was to describe the relationships between these variables, and to compare coaches having high levels of general knowledge about the triad with coaches having low levels of general knowledge with their perceptions, behaviors, and more specific knowledge about the triad. METHODS A questionnaire was sent to 300 Division I collegiate coaches in the United States. Descriptive statistics, the Pearson product-moment correlation, and independent t-tests were used to describe the participants, relationships between variables, and compare groups of coaches with high and low levels of knowledge about the triad. RESULTS Forty-three percent of the 91 college coaches responding to the survey (30% return rate) were able to correctly list the specific components of the disorder. Coaches with high levels of general knowledge about the triad had statistically significant differences in their perceptions, behaviors, and more specific knowledge of the triad than coaches with low levels of general knowledge about the triad. CONCLUSION The best intervention for the female athlete triad is prevention. Future education about the triad should focus on treatment and prevention as well as specific factors related to the syndrome, such as nutritional requirements, methods of assessing menstrual irregularities, and screening techniques.
A Digital Filterbank Hearing Aid: Predicting User Preference And Performance For Two Signal Processing Algorithms

Objective: In a series of experiments with a wearable binaural digital hearing aid, two hearing aid processing algorithms were compared. Both algorithms provided individual frequency shaping via a seven‐band filterbank with compression limiting in the high‐frequency channel. They differed in the processing of the low‐frequency channel, using dynamic range compression for one (DynEar) and linear processing with compression limiting for the other (LinEar). In a pilot field test we found that LinEar/DynEar preference based on use time could be predicted from auditory dynamic range data. For the subjects who preferred DynEar, the mean dynamic range was broader for low and mid frequencies and narrower for high frequencies, as compared with the LinEar preference subjects. These groupings were tested as predictors of user preference and performance in a main field test. Design: The main study included 26 hearing aid users with symmetrical sensorineural losses. The algorithms were compared in a one‐mo‐long blind field test. A data logger function was included for objective recording of the total time each algorithm was used and how the volume controls were used. The preference was based on the time used for each algorithm and on subjective statements. Threshold signal‐to‐noise ratio (S/N‐threshold) for speech was tested, and sound quality ratings were obtained through a questionnaire. We also tested the S/N‐thresholds for the subjects' conventional (own) aids. Results: The preference was correctly predicted by the dynamic range data on 12 out of 15 new cases. S/N‐thresholds were lower for the preferred fittings compared with the nonpreferred fittings and with the subjects' own aids. In the questionnaire the preferred fittings were rated significantly higher in terms of overall impression and clearness. Because of the systematic way the DynEar‐preference subjects adjusted the high‐frequency DynEar gain, we speculate that upward spread of masking may have been a factor in preference and performance. Additionally, LinEar‐preference subjects' preference and performance might have been influenced by excessive compression ratios with the DynEar processing in these cases. Conclusions: 1. Preference for DynEar versus LinEar depends on the auditory dynamic range. 2. S/N‐thresholds for speech were better for the preferred fittings, which also were rated higher in terms of overall impression of sound quality and clearness.
Reliability of Graphs Disclosed in Annual Reports of Central and Eastern European Banks

This article investigates the changes in the reliability of graphs disclosed in the annual reports of Central and Eastern European (CEE) commercial banks during crisis and noncrisis periods. The analysis covers thirty-three commercial banks from seven CEE countries during 2006–2013. The results reveal that, on average, one-third of the graphs disclosed by a bank violate at least one graph-construction principle and there appears to be a favorable measurement-distortion bias. In line with expectations, there are signs that the impression motivation of managers increases during crisis periods—severe graph distortions are twice as frequent, and distortions of financial indicator graphs increase.
Cocaine and Amphetamine Use in Patients With Psychiatric Illness: A Randomized Trial of Typical Antipsychotic Continuation or Discontinuation

Animal studies indicate that typical antipsychotics (neuroleptics) increase cocaine and amphetamine self-administration. Patients with psychiatric illnesses have high rates of substance abuse and frequently receive chronic typical antipsychotic therapy. This open, pilot study examined the effect of typical antipsychotic discontinuation on cocaine and amphetamine use in patients with psychiatric illnesses. Twenty-four evaluable outpatients were randomized to continue (n = 12) or discontinue (n = 12) chronic typical antipsychotic therapy. The atypical antipsychotic quetiapine was instituted, when necessary, for psychosis in the discontinuation group (n = 8). Participants were assessed weekly over 12 weeks with measures of psychiatric symptoms, drug use, and drug craving. Those discontinuing typical antipsychotics (n = 12) had significant reductions in drug craving compared with those continuing typical antipsychotics. No significant between-group differences in drug use were found. Typical antipsychotic discontinuation combined with a quetiapine switch for those with psychotic symptoms was associated with reduced drug craving. Definitive trials of typical antipsychotic discontinuation in dual-diagnosis patients are warranted.
Evidence for a Grotthuss-Like Mechanism in the Formation of the Rhamnose Alkoxy Radical Based on Periodic DFT Calculations

Abstract Pauwels, E. , Declerck, R. , Van Speybroeck, V. and Waroquier, M. Evidence for a Grotthuss-Like Mechanism in the Formation of the Rhamnose Alkoxy Radical Based on Periodic DFT Calculations. Radiat. Res. 169, 8–18 (2008). Molecular modeling adopting a periodic approach based on density functional theory (DFT) indicates that a Grotthuss-like mechanism is active in the formation of the radiation-induced alkoxy radical in α-l-rhamnose. Starting from an oxidized crystal structure, a hydroxyl proton is transferred along an infinite hydrogen bond chain pervading the entire crystal. The result of this proton shuttling mechanism is a stable radical species dubbed RHop. Only after several reorientations of crystal waters and hydroxyl groups, the more stable radical form RO4 is obtained, which differs in structure from the former by the absence of only one hydrogen bond. Calculations of the energetics associated with the mechanism as well as simulated spectroscopic properties reveal that different variants of the rhamnose alkoxy radical can be observed depending on the temperature of irradiation and consecutive EPR measurement. Cluster calculations on both radical variants provide hyperfine coupling and g tensors that are in good agreement with two independent experimental measurements at different temperatures.
Haplotype-Specific Effects on Endothelial NO Synthase Promoter Efficiency: Modifiable by Cigarette Smoking

The T–786C promoter and 27-bp repeat intron 4 polymorphisms in the endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) gene have been inconsistently associated with various eNOS-related phenotypic changes. We explored molecular mechanisms underlying the inconsistency. We constructed pGL3 luciferase reporter vectors by inserting an eNOS promoter fragment containing either T or C nucleotide at −786 bp at the 5′ end of the luciferase coding region and eNOS intron 4 containing either 5× or 4×27-bp repeats at the 3′ end of the luciferase gene. The transcription efficiency in the T promoter was lower than in the C promoter (15.7±1.0% vs 83.3±5.8%, P <0.01 when 5×27-bp was an enhancer and 37.6±4.7% vs 58.9±7.5%, P <0.01 when 4×27bp was an enhancer). Although cigarette smoking extracts treatment increased the transcription efficiency significantly in the T promoter (1.7-fold, P <0.01), it reduced the C promoter efficiency (by 10% to 15%). A mobility shift assay revealed positive binding of the 27-bp repeat fragment with endothelial cell nuclear protein extracts. Our study demonstrates a cis-acting role of the 27-bp repeats in eNOS promoter function and a haplotype-specific expression pattern determined by DNA variants at −786 bp and intron 4 of the eNOS gene that is also modifiable by cigarette smoking.
TREM-1 Expression Is Increased in Human Placentas From Severe Early-Onset Preeclamptic Pregnancies Where It May Be Involved in Syncytialization

Preeclampsia, a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, is thought to be attributable to dysregulation of trophoblast invasion and differentiation. Microarray studies have shown that triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM) 1, a cell surface molecule involved in the inflammatory response, is increased in preeclamptic placentas. The aim of this study was to determine the level of TREM-1 expression in severe early-onset preeclamptic placentas and its functional role in trophoblast differentiation. Placenta was obtained from women with severe early-onset preeclampsia (n = 19) and gestationally matched preterm controls placentas (n = 8). The TREM-1 expression was determined by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. The effect of TREM-1 small interfering RNA on cell fusion and differentiation was assessed in BeWo cells. The effect of oxygen tension on TREM-1 levels, in basal or forskolin-treated BeWo cells, was also assessed. The TREM-1 was localized to the syncytiotrophoblast layer, and TREM-1 messenger RNA and protein expression was significantly increased in preeclamptic placentas. The BeWo cells treated with forskolin were associated with increased TREM-1 expression. The TREM-1 knockdown inhibited forskolin-induced expression of the differentiation marker β-human chorionic gonadotropin but had no effect on the cell-fusion marker E-cadherin. The increase in TREM-1 expression in BeWo cells treated with forskolin during normoxic conditions was reduced in forskolin-treated cells under hypoxic conditions. In conclusion, TREM-1 is increased in preeclamptic placentas and by forskolin treatment. Knockdown of TREM-1 by RNA interference inhibits cell differentiation but has no effect on cell–cell fusion. Finally, we show that TREM-1 upregulation is attenuated under hypoxic conditions in which cell differentiation is impaired.
Matrix analysis - for scientists and engineers

Preface 1. Introduction and review 2. Vector spaces 3. Linear transformations 4. Introduction to the Moore-Penrose pseudoinverse 5. Introduction to the singular value decomposition 6. Linear equations 7. Projections, inner product spaces, and norms 8. Linear least squares problems 9. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors 10. Canonical forms 11. Linear differential and difference equations 12. Generalized eigenvalue problems 13. Kronecker products Bibliography Index.
Emotional and behavioural problems in adolescents with intellectual disability with and without chronic diseases.

BACKGROUND Adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) (ID-adolescents) and adolescents with chronic diseases are both more likely to have emotional and behavioural problems. The aim of this study was to assess the association between chronic diseases in ID-adolescents and emotional and behavioural problems in a large school-based sample. METHODS We obtained data on 1044 ID-adolescents, aged 12-18 years, attending secondary schools in the Netherlands. Parents of the adolescents completed the Dutch version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and questions about chronic diseases in their child and about the background of the child. RESULTS Prevalence rates of emotional and behavioural problems were generally high in ID-adolescents with chronic diseases (45%), compared with ID-adolescents without chronic diseases (17%). The likelihood of emotional and behavioural problems was high in ID-adolescents with two [odds ratios (OR) 4.47; 95% CI: 2.97-6.74] or more than two chronic diseases (OR 8.01; 95% CI: 5.18-12.39) and for ID-adolescents with mental chronic diseases (OR 4.56; 95% CI: 3.21-6.47). Also ID-adolescents with somatic chronic diseases had a high likelihood of emotional and behavioural problems (OR 1.99; 95% CI: 1.33-2.99), in particular in the combination of somatic and mental chronic diseases (OR 5.16; 95% CI: 3.46-7.71). CONCLUSIONS The current study showed that chronic diseases in ID-adolescents, in particular mental chronic diseases, largely increase the likelihood of emotional and behavioural problems. This should be taken in the provision and planning of care for ID-adolescents.