Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Zafirlukast improves pulmonary function in patients with moderate persistent asthma receiving regular inhaled steroids: a prospective randomized control study.

BACKGROUND Zafirlukast is a leukotriene receptor antagonist that was invented to treat patients with chronic asthma. METHODS To evaluate whether the zafirlukast improved the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and clinical symptoms, 31 asthmatic patients with moderate persistent asthma who received regular inhaled corticosteroid were randomly divided into the study group (N = 17). They received the zafirlukast 20 mg bid for 4 weeks, and the control group (N = 14) received a placebo. Daily morning and evening PEFR and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) scoring were recorded respectively. The levels of serum IgE and urine leukotriene E4 before and after treatment were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and enzyme immunoassay kits. RESULTS In the zafirlukast treated group, the morning PEFR was significantly improved from 314.4 +/- 20.6 to 340.6 +/- 18.3 L/min (N = 17, p < 0.05) after 4 weeks of treatment, while the control group did not show any significant changes. The zafirlukast group had significant improvement in their symptom scores of SGRQ from 48.6 +/- 4.6 to 33.8 +/- 4.7 (N = 17, p < 0.05). However, the placebo did not improve the symptom scores. CONCLUSION Leukotriene receptor antagonists effectively improved symptoms and benefited lung function for moderate persistent asthmatic patients who had received regular treatments with inhaled steroids.
Empirical Test of the Know, See, Plan, Do Model for Curriculum Design in Leadership Education.

This research assesses the Know, See, Plan, portions of the Know, See, Plan, Do (KSPD) model for curriculum design in leadership education. There were 3 graduate student groups, each taught using 1 of 3 different curriculum designs (KSPD and 2 control groups). Based on a pretest, post-test design, students’ performance was measured to assess their knowledge, and application skills of the course material. Results indicated MBA students taught based on a KSPD curriculum (Group 1) performed significantly better than students in the two control groups on 3 post-test dependent measures designed to capture the effectiveness of the Know, See, Plan curriculum design model, (basic leadership information (K1), recognition of leadership concepts in practice (S1), and developing a plan of action (P1)). Group 1 also performed significantly better on all 3 post-test measures than they performed on the 3 pre-test measures. The non-MBA control group (Group 2) improved significantly from pre-test to post test on P1 but not on S1 or K1. The MBA control group (Group 3) had no significant changes in performance from pre-test to post-test on any of the three dependent measures. These findings are discussed in terms of their support for the KSPD model and in regard to limitations of this study.
A placebo-controlled crossover trial of creatine in mitochondrial diseases

Article abstract To test the efficacy and safety of creatine (Cr) monohydrate in mitochondrial diseases, 16 patients with chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia or mitochondrial myopathy were randomized in a crossover design to receive double-blind placebo or 20 g Cr/day for 4 weeks. Cr was well tolerated, but there were no significant effects with regard to exercise performance, eye movements, or activities of daily life. The power of this pilot study was limited and future multicenter trials are needed.
Urbanisation, Migration and Expenditure Pattern of the Urban Poor: A Study of Inner & Peripheral City Squatter Settlements in Siliguri Municipal Corporation Area (SMCA) of West Bengal in India

The primary objective of the study is to investigate the causes of migration, incidence of squatter settlements and expenditure pattern of the squatter households in the inner and peripheral city of Siliguri Municipal Corporation Area (SMCA) in West Bengal, India, assuming that the residents in the inner city squatter settlements are relatively older migrants compared to the peripheral city. A significant consequence of industrialization, commercialization, modernisation and marketisation process is the creation of urban centers as pools of livelihood opportunities and thereby pulling migrants to these centers in search of jobs. Rural-urban wage differentials, unlimited supplies of labour and the resulting employment opportunities in the urban areas as amply explained by HarrisTodaro and Lewis, all point to the migration process and the outcomes. The migrants from rural areas and smaller towns usually settle in informal settlements either in the heart of the city or in the periphery like SMCA. The people in these settlements due to lack of skill and education tend to be absorbed in the informal sector employment. Thus their integration into the market economy is through the low paid, unsecured informal sector in most cases. The informal sector is thus an indispensable source of economic livelihood opportunities while providing the basic means of survival to the slum dwellers in SMCA. The greater integration of these migrants in the market economy implies a higher monetization of food and non-food consumption. The consumption expenditure is thus more sensitive to income and change in price. Consumption habits are also determined by a set of socio-economic, cultural, religious and ecological factors. For many of the squatters in SMCA, the level of income is below the subsistence level with higher average family size and thus their consumption patterns is of great importance to observe the quality of life of the slum dwellers. Using Engel’s Law, the study examines the Marginal Propensity to Consume (MPC) and expenditure elasticity on food and nonfood items with respect to total expenditure and family size. The analysis revealed that the expenditure elasticity for most of the food items was found to be less than unity supporting the Engel’s Law and implies that the food items is an essential or necessity for all times. Therefore, the study suggests ways of reducing regional socio-economic imbalances by decentralizing development policies to tackle the rural-urban migration and consequently the incidence of poverty.
Intravital observation of adhesion of lamina propria lymphocytes to microvessels of small intestine in mice.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Although the recirculation of lymphocytes through the intestinal mucosa is important for the specific immune defense, the homing of lamina propria lymphocytes (LPLs) has not been clearly understood. The aim of this study is to compare, under an intravital microscope, the dynamic process of lymphocyte-endothelium recognition and binding in the murine intestinal mucosa of T lymphocytes from the lamina propria of intestine to that of T lymphocytes from the spleen. METHODS LPLs isolated from nonlymphoid areas of the small intestine and spleen (SPL) were fluorescence-labeled and injected into a jugular vein of recipient mice. Microvessels of the villus mucosa and ileal Peyer's patches were observed under an intravital fluorescence microscope, and the effects of anti-adhesion-molecule antibodies on lymphocyte-endothelial interaction were investigated. RESULTS LPLs accumulated abundantly in the microvessels of villus tips but not in the submucosal venules or postcapillary venules of Peyer's patches, where SPLs migrated selectively. The accumulation of LPLs in the villus tips was almost completely inhibited by anti-beta7-integrin and was significantly inhibited by anti-mucosal addressin cell-adhesion molecule 1 (MAdCAM-1) and anti-alpha4-integrin. Significant MAdCAM-1 expression was observed in the microvessels of the villus mucosa. Some SPLs adhered to the nonlymphoid mucosa, but most soon detached. CONCLUSIONS It was shown in vivo for the first time that T lymphocytes from the lamina propria but not from the spleen adhere selectively, mostly via alpha4beta7 and MAdCAM-1, to the microvessels of villus tips of the intestine, but not to the postcapillary venules of Peyer's patches.
Motivational Climate Collaboration between a Collegiate Native American Volleyball Program and a Sport Psychology Researcher

This action research study explored the role of assessment in developing a motivational climate program for a collegiate Native American volleyball program. In accordance with the principles of action research, the researchers collaborated with the head coach and 12 athletes in a qualitative assessment of the team’s overall motivational climate. Findings from the assessment revealed that many of the athletes were overcoming challenging backgrounds while striving to play collegiate volleyball; volleyball provided them an important outlet for dealing with stress; athletes tended to define success in terms of interpersonal relationships; athletes’ motivational preferences were consistent with AGPT (Nicholls, 1989); the team was in a state of transition; and finally, the athletes’ perceived that they were a highly skilled team, but needed more team bonding. The findings from this assessment served as the basis for developing a comprehensive motivational climate program that was in part based on contextual factors as well as relevant AGPT and a caring climate research (Newton et al., 2007). All in all, the qualitative assessment illuminated important contextual factors that would directly influence the appropriateness and effectiveness of our collaborative efforts to optimize the program’s motivational climate moving forward.
Seasonal Changes in Blood Sugar, Fat Body, Liver Glycogen, and Gonads in the Common Frog, Rana Temporaria

1. Seasonal changes in the weights of fat body, gonads and liver, liver-glycogen content, and blood sugar have been followed by observations on monthly samples of Rana temporaria which had been kept in captivity for 3 days without food. 2. Three periods during which the blood sugar was high (from 54 to 62 mg./100 ml. of blood) were observed during the year: at the spawning season in March, in June and July, and in November. 3. The hyperglycaemia of June and July was accompanied by the rapid development of the fat body. This phase was succeeded by that of gonad regeneration, during which there was no further storage of fat or liver glycogen, and the blood sugar was low (about 40 mg./100 ml. of blood). 4. When gonad regeneration was nearing completion glycogen storage in the liver became the dominant feature, and the blood sugar tended to rise again. 5. A sex difference in blood sugar was observed at certain periods. From June to September the female blood sugar was higher than that of the male, but from September to January the relationship was reversed. This may be correlated with the differing rates of gonad regeneration in the two sexes. 6. During the winter months, when the food intake was reduced, the frogs utilized some of their stored fat and glycogen and the blood sugar was low (about 40 mg./100 ml.). The hyperglycaemia found at the spawning season was accompanied by the rapid depletion of the fat and glycogen stores. 7. In April and May, after the breeding season, when the frogs were feeding actively, the blood sugar was low and apparently neither fat nor glycogen was being accumulated. It is suggested that this was a period of tissue repair and possibly of growth.
Balance deficits and ADHD symptoms in medication-naïve school-aged boys

Background and objectives Functional disturbances developed early in life include balance deficits which are linked to dysfunctions of higher levels of cognitive and motor integration. According to our knowledge, there are only a few studies suggesting that balance deficits are related to behavioral disturbances in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods We tested the extent to which balance deficits were related to ADHD symptoms in 35 medication-naïve boys of school age (8–11 years) and compared the results with a control group of 30 boys of the same age. Results ADHD symptoms in medication-naïve boys had specific relationships to disturbances of postural and gait balance. Conclusion To our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence in the medical literature for a direct relationship between ADHD symptoms and balance deficits, that cannot be attributed to medication and the presence of any neurological disease.
Lumbosacral radiculopathy secondary to metastatic uterine leiomyosarcoma: a case report.

STUDY DESIGN A retrospective case report. OBJECTIVES To increase awareness of the fact that very serious and potentially devastating conditions can be associated with lumbosacral radiculopathy. To reinforce the need to have a definitive diagnosis before performing epidural injections in patients with radicular pain who are not responsive to conservative treatment. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of uterine leiomyosarcoma presenting with a lumbosacral radiculopathy. METHODS The authors describe the treatment and the radiologic, surgical, and pathologic findings in this patient. RESULTS Proper diagnostic work-up led to a diagnosis of metastatic uterine leiomyosarcoma, which was managed with decompressive laminectomy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS This is the first reported case of a uterine leiomyosarcoma presenting with radicular pain. When a patient has not responded to conservative care, a definitive etiology for radiculopathy needs to be established before epidural steroid injection.
Weygandt's On the Mixed States of Manic-Depressive Insanity: A Translation and Commentary on Its Significance in the Evolution of the Concept of Bipolar Disorder

Wilhelm Weygandt's Über die Mischzustände des manisch-depressiven Irreseins (On the Mixed States of Manic-Depressive Insanity) describes and conceptualizes mixed states of mood, behavior, and thinking commonly found in manic-depressive disorders. These ideas emerged from Weygandt's service in the 1890s at the Psychiatric Clinic of the University of Heidelberg, directed by Emil Kraepelin. In the sixth (1899) edition of Kraepelin's influential textbook, the concept of manic-depressive illnesses underwent a fundamental shift from a complex group of syndromal subtypes to a single integrated disorder, widely known from the 1921 English translation of the eighth (1920) edition. In the 1899 edition, Kraepelin acknowledged Weygandt for a new section on mixed manic-depressive states within the new integrated view of manic-depressive disorder. We provide biographical notes on Weygandt, a little-known but historically important figure, as well as the first English translation of his monograph and interpretive summaries of his findings. We also consider whether Weygandt's important insight that the same person could be both manic and depressed not only at different times but even at the same time served as an important stimulus to Kraepelin's unified manic-depressive disorder concept, which survives as bipolar disorder a century later.
Financial Exclusion in Australia: Can Islamic Finance Minimise the Problem?

The purpose of this study is to explore the nature and extent of financial exclusion in Australia focussing particularly the Muslim community. Financial exclusion refers to a situation where people lack access to affordable and appropriate financial services and products. In 2013, 16.9% of adults living in Australia were severely or fully financially excluded; that is, almost one in six adults had no access to at least two basic financial products. This paper is based on literature reviews, secondary data and the authors’ personal experience in association with banking industry. The finding of this paper concludes that financial exclusion remains a problem in Australia and there is still lack of information about financial exclusion based on ethnicity or religious group in Australia. It also appears that very limited financial institutions in Australia are offering Islamic financial products and services to cater for the needs of some 476,000 Muslims in Australia. These Muslims communities may have been financially excluded due to their faith and religious belief, because Islam prohibits Riba (usury and/or interest) which is widely practiced in conventional banking. Islamic finance can mitigate the severity of the problem.
New Biotechnological Tools for the Genetic Improvement of Major Woody Fruit Species

The improvement of woody fruit species by traditional plant breeding techniques has several limitations mainly caused by their high degree of heterozygosity, the length of their juvenile phase and auto-incompatibility. The development of new biotechnological tools (NBTs), such as RNA interference (RNAi), trans-grafting, cisgenesis/intragenesis, and genome editing tools, like zinc-finger and CRISPR/Cas9, has introduced the possibility of more precise and faster genetic modifications of plants. This aspect is of particular importance for the introduction or modification of specific traits in woody fruit species while maintaining unchanged general characteristics of a selected cultivar. Moreover, some of these new tools give the possibility to obtain transgene-free modified fruit tree genomes, which should increase consumer's acceptance. Over the decades biotechnological tools have undergone rapid development and there is a continuous addition of new and valuable techniques for plant breeders. This makes it possible to create desirable woody fruit varieties in a fast and more efficient way to meet the demand for sustainable agricultural productivity. Although, NBTs have a common goal i.e., precise, fast, and efficient crop improvement, individually they are markedly different in approach and characteristics from each other. In this review we describe in detail their mechanisms and applications for the improvement of fruit trees and consider the relationship between these biotechnological tools and the EU biosafety regulations applied to the plants and products obtained through these techniques.
Comparison of plasma FSH concentration in boars and gilts from lines selected for ovulation rate and embryonal survival, and litter size and estimation of (co)variance components for FSH and ovulation rate.

The objective of this research was to determine whether plasma concentration of FSH was genetically correlated with ovulation rate and thus was a useful trait for indirect selection. Blood samples were collected from 619 animals from five lines of pigs. Line I was selected for increased index of ovulation rate and embryonal survival, and Line C was its randomly selected control. Pigs sampled from Lines I and C were from generations 12 and 13. Pigs from three additional lines that were derived from eighth-generation pigs of Lines I and C also were used. These lines were Line C2, a randomly selected control derived from Line C, Line COL, derived from Line C, and Line IOL, derived from Line I; each of these lines was selected an additional five generations for increased ovulation rate and increased litter size. A single blood sample was collected from each pig between 46 to 63 (d 58), 86 to 98 (d 90), 110 to 133 (d 124), and 147 to 153 (d 150) d of age. The heritability of ovulation rate was . 28 and heritabilities of plasma concentration of FSH at d 58, 90, 124, and 150 were . 41, . 25, . 12, and 0, respectively. Genetic correlations between ovulation rate and d-58, d-90, and d-124 plasma concentration of FSH were . 31, . 23, and 0, respectively. Line I gilts had greater estimated breeding values for plasma concentration of FSH at d 58 and 90 than Line C gilts (P < .01). Line COL gilts had greater estimated breeding values for plasma concentration of FSH at d 58 than Line C2 gilts (P < .01). Line I boars had greater estimated breeding values for plasma concentration of FSH at d 90 than Line C boars (P < .05). Even though genetic correlations were low, selection for increased plasma concentration of FSH was estimated to be 93% as effective in changing ovulation rate as direct selection because selection for FSH can be practiced in both sexes. Thus, selection for increased plasma concentration of FSH seems to be a practical method for increasing ovulation rate in pig breeding programs without using laparoscopy.
Medial Temporal Lobe Correlates of Memory Screening Measures in Normal Aging, MCI, and AD

This article aimed to study the correlations for both the Memory Impairment Screen (MIS) and the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT) with regard to the volumetric measures of hippocampal formation and entorhinal cortex and to explore the effect size of these measures. Methods: A total of 34 healthy controls, 24 participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 20 mild-to-moderate-staged Alzheimer disease (AD) participants underwent neuropsychological testing and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Global volumetric measures were obtained and hippocampal and entorhinal volumes were calculated. Spearman correlations were calculated between memory scores and brain volumes and an effect size analysis was performed. Results: No significant correlations with global brain volumes were found. There were dissimilar correlations among groups regarding memory and hippocampal and entorhinal volumes. No significant relationships were observed in healthy controls. The MCI group reached the higher correlation indexes, up to r = . 55. In AD, only one significant correlation was observed between the delayed score of the FCSRT and the left hippocampus. Effect size values were higher for memory tests than for MRI measures, reaching d = 4.3 for the delayed score of the FCSRT. Conclusions: Although the MIS did not reach the strong results of the FCSRT, it demonstrated a similar pattern to the FCSRT in correlational analysis. These results support the validity and usefulness of the MIS despite its brevity of application. Memory testing showed better discrimination among healthy controls, MCI, and AD participants than MRI measures by means of effect size analysis.
Linoleic and arachidonic acid in perinatal asphyxia and prematurity

Objectives. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) are important for fetal and infant growth and development. The effects of prematurity and perinatal asphyxia on the levels of linoleic acid (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA) in plasma and red blood cell (RBC) membranes were investigated. Methods. Fifty-five neonates were studied: 18 full term neonates with perinatal asphyxia (group A), nine preterm neonates (group B), and 28 healthy term neonates (group C). Non-esterified and total levels of LA and AA in plasma and RBC membranes were estimated using gas chromatography within the first day of life. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured using the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reactivity method. Results. Compared to group C, statistically significant lower levels of plasma free and total AA and free LA were observed in group A, whereas statistically significant higher levels of RBC total LA and AA were observed in RBC membranes of group B. A negative correlation between MDA and LC-PUFA levels was found. Conclusion. Perinatal asphyxia is associated with a reduction in LC-PUFA levels, most likely as a result of increased oxidative stress. Premature infants soon after birth have higher LC-PUFA levels than term neonates, probably reflecting the overall metabolic activity and/or intrauterine transport of LC-PUFA.