Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Intravenous Terbutaline Versus Normal Saline in Pediatric Patients on Continuous High-Dose Nebulized Albuterol for Status Asthmaticus

Objective: To determine if the addition of intravenous terbutaline provides any clinical benefit to children with acute severe asthma already on continuous high-dose nebulized albuterol. Methods: We conducted a prospective, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial on pediatric patients with acute severe asthma presenting to a large inner city tertiary children's emergency department. Consecutive patients between 2 and 17 years of age who failed acute asthma management and needed intensive care unit admission underwent informed consent and were enrolled into the study. Patients not requiring intubation were randomized to receive either intravenous terbutaline or intravenous normal saline while on continuous high-dose nebulized albuterol, ipratropium bromide, and systemic corticosteroids. Outcome measures included a clinical asthma severity score, hours on continuous nebulized albuterol, and duration of stay in the pediatric intensive care unit. In addition, electrocardiograms, electrolytes, lactic acid, and troponin I levels were obtained at routine intervals during the first 24 hours after admission. Patients who significantly worsened while enrolled in the study received intravenous aminophylline according to protocol. Results: Forty-nine patients were enrolled in the study. Patients on terbutaline had a mean improvement in the clinical asthma severity score over the first 24 hours of 6.5 points compared with 4.8 points in the placebo group (P = 0.073). Patients on terbutaline spent 38.19 hours on continuous nebulized albuterol compared with their placebo counterparts who spent 51.93 hours (P = 0.25). The length of stay in the PICU was on average 12.95 hours longer for those patients in the placebo group as compared with the terbutaline group (P = 0.345). One patient was removed from the study for a significant cardiac dysrhythmia. This patient was in the terbutaline group and recovered without complications. Troponin I values at 12 hours and 24 hours were elevated in 3 patients each, all within the terbutaline group. Conclusions: No outcome measures demonstrated statistical significance. Outcome measures revealed a trend toward improvement in the terbutaline group. Before recommending routine use of intravenous terbutaline for acute severe asthma, further study to determine safety and efficacy is necessary.
Mechanisms for Adaptation of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus to Replication in Alveolar Macrophages

ABSTRACT In contrast to the simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmac239, which replicates poorly in rhesus monkey alveolar macrophages, a variant with nine amino acid changes in envelope (SIVmac239/316E) replicates efficiently and to high titer in these same cells. We examined levels of viral DNA, RNA, antigen, and infectious virus to identify the nature of the block to SIVmac239 replication in these cells. Low levels of viral antigen (0.1 to 1.0 ng of p27 per ml) and infectious virus (100 to 1,000 infectious units per ml) were produced in the supernatant 1 to 4 days after SIVmac239 infection, but these levels did not increase subsequently. SIVmac239 DNA was synthesized in these macrophage cultures during the initial 24 h after infection, but the levels did not increase subsequently. Quantitation of the numbers of infectious cells in cultures over time and the results of experiments in which cells were reexposed to SIVmac239 after the initial exposure indicated that only a small proportion of cells were susceptible to SIVmac239 infection in these alveolar macrophage cultures and that the vast majority (>95%) of cells were refractory to SIVmac239 infection. In contrast to the results with SIVmac239, the levels of viral antigen, infectious virus, and viral DNA increased exponentially 2 to 7 days after infection by SIVmac239/316E, reaching levels greater than 100 ng of p27 per ml and 100,000 infectious units per ml. Since SIVmac239/316E has previously been described as a virus capable of infecting cells in a relatively CD4-independent fashion, we examined the levels of CD4 expression on the surface of fresh and cultured alveolar macrophages from rhesus monkeys. The levels of CD4 expression were extremely low, below the limit of detection by flow cytometry, on greater than 99% of the macrophages. CCR5+cells were profoundly depleted only from alveolar macrophage cultures infected with SIVmac239/316E. High concentrations of an antibody to CD4 delayed but did not block replication of SIVmac239/316E. The results suggest that the adaptation of SIVmac316 to efficient replication in alveolar macrophages results from its ability to infect these cells in a CD4-independent fashion or in a CD4-dependent fashion even at extremely low levels of surface CD4 expression. Since resident macrophages in brains and lungs of humans also express little or no CD4, our findings predict the presence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 that is relatively CD4 independent in the lung and brain compartments of infected people.
The geometric blueprint of perovskites

Significance Perovskites constitute one of the most versatile and chemically diverse families of crystals. In perovskites the same structural template supports a staggering variety of properties, from metallic, insulating, and semiconducting behavior to superconducting, ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, and multiferroic phases. Approximately 2,000 perovskites are currently known. In this work we revisit the century-old model proposed by Goldschmidt to predict the formability of perovskites in the key of modern inferential statistics and internet data mining. We demonstrate that the nonrattling rule postulated by Goldschmidt can predict the stability of perovskites with a success rate of 80%. Using this tool we predict the existence of 90,000 hitherto unknown perovskites. Perovskite minerals form an essential component of the Earth’s mantle, and synthetic crystals are ubiquitous in electronics, photonics, and energy technology. The extraordinary chemical diversity of these crystals raises the question of how many and which perovskites are yet to be discovered. Here we show that the “no-rattling” principle postulated by Goldschmidt in 1926, describing the geometric conditions under which a perovskite can form, is much more effective than previously thought and allows us to predict perovskites with a fidelity of 80%. By supplementing this principle with inferential statistics and internet data mining we establish that currently known perovskites are only the tip of the iceberg, and we enumerate 90,000 hitherto-unknown compounds awaiting to be studied. Our results suggest that geometric blueprints may enable the systematic screening of millions of compounds and offer untapped opportunities in structure prediction and materials design.
Comparison of single‐nucleotide polymorphisms and microsatellite markers for linkage analysis in the COGA and simulated data sets for Genetic Analysis Workshop 14: Presentation Groups 1, 2, and 3

The papers in presentation groups 1–3 of Genetic Analysis Workshop 14 (GAW14) compared microsatellite (MS) markers and single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for a variety of factors, using multiple methods in both data sets provided to GAW participants. Group 1 focused on data provided from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA). Group 2 focused on data simulated for the workshop. Group 3 contained analyses of both data sets. Issues examined included: information content, signal strength, localization of the signal, use of haplotype blocks, population structure, power, type I error, control of type I error, the effect of linkage disequilibrium, and computational challenges. There were several broad resulting observations. 1) Information content was higher for dense SNP marker panels than for MS panels, and dense SNP markers sets appeared to provide slightly higher linkage scores and slightly higher power to detect linkage than MS markers. 2) Dense SNP panels also gave higher type I errors, suggesting that increased test thresholds may be needed to maintain the correct error rate. 3) Dense SNP panels provided better trait localization, but only in the COGA data, in which the MS markers were relatively loosely spaced. 4) The strength of linkage signals did not vary with the density of SNP panels, once the marker density was ∼1 SNP/cM. 5) Analyses with SNPs were computationally challenging, and identified areas where improvements in analysis tools will be necessary to make analysis practical for widespread use. Genet. Epidemiol. 29:(Suppl. 1): S7–S28, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Inducible expression of Runx2 results in multiorgan abnormalities in mice

Runx2 is a transcription factor controlling skeletal development, and is also expressed in extraskeletal tissues where its function is not well understood. Existing Runx2 mutant and transgenic mouse models do not allow the necessary control of Runx2 expression to understand its functions in different tissues. We generated conditional, doxycyline‐inducible, triple transgenic mice (CMV‐Cre;ROSA26‐neoflox/+‐rtTA;Tet‐O‐Runx2) to investigate the effects of wide spread overexpression of Runx2. Osteoblasts isolated from CMV‐Cre;ROSA26‐neoflox/+‐rtTA; Tet‐O‐Runx2 mice demonstrated a dose‐dependent effect of doxycycline to stimulate Runx2 transgene expression. Doxycycline administration to CMV‐Cre;ROSA26‐neoflox/+‐rtTA;Tet‐O‐Runx2 mice induced Runx2 transgene expression in all tissues tested, with the highest levels observed in kidney, ovary, and bone. Runx2 overexpression resulted in deceased body size and reduced viability. With regard to bone, Runx2 overexpressing mice paradoxically displayed profound osteopenia and diminished osteogenesis. Induced expression of Runx2 in extraskeletal tissues resulted in ectopic calcification and induction of the osteogenic program in a limited number of tissues, including lung and muscle. In addition, the triple transgenic mice showed evidence of a myeloproliferative disorder and an apparent inhibition of lymphocyte development. Thus, overexpression of Runx2 both within and outside of the skeleton can have diverse biological effects. Use of tissue specific Cre mice will allow this model to be used to conditionally and inducibly overexpress Runx2 in different tissues and provide a means to study the post‐natal tissue‐ and cell context‐dependent functions of Runx2. J. Cell. Biochem. 112: 653–665, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Prospective Cohort Analysis of Adjacent Vertebral Body Bone Mineral Density in Lumbar Surgery Patients With or Without Instrumented Posterolateral Fusion: A 9- to 12-Year Follow-Up

Study Design. A prospective, cohort study of 11 patients who underwent either a posterior lumbar spinal fusion with instrumentation (n = 7) or a lumbar laminotomy and discectomy alone (n = 4) and who were evaluated by dual energy radiograph absorptiometry (DEXA) to determine bone mineral density (BMD) at the adjacent three cephalad vertebral levels. Objectives. To determine long-term BMD changes that occur at the adjacent three levels above an instrumented posterolateral lumbar fusion or an isolated laminotomy and lumbar discectomy. Summary of Background Data. No long-term prospective study has evaluated the affects of instrumented lumbar fusions on bone remodeling at adjacent vertebral levels. Several studies in animals and humans have reported a decrease in BMD at the adjacent level during the first 6 months after spinal fusion with a return to baseline at 1-year follow-up in up to 60% of patients. Methods. DEXA was performed initially at a mean postoperative follow-up of 4 years (range, 2.3–5.5 years) and again at a mean of 10.8 years (range, 9.1–2.4 years). Eleven patients were divided into two groups: laminotomy and discectomy (n = 4) and instrumented posterior spinal fusion (n = 7). All patients underwent surgical procedures at the L4–L5 or L5–S1 levels with DEXA analysis being performed on the adjacent three cephalad levels. The discectomy group (mean age, 57.8 years) underwent lumbar hemilaminotomy without fusion whereas the other group (mean age, 60 years) underwent pedicle-screw instrumentation and posterolateral lumbar fusion. Peripheral sites, including the femoral neck, were included in the DEXA analysis to normalize for individual differences in bone mineral metabolism. Results. At the mean 10.8-year follow-up, the fusion group was noted to have at the adjacent level, two levels cephalad, and three levels cephalad normalized BMDs of 1.47, 1.39, and 1.27, respectively. A 14.8%, 10.8%, and 9.5% increase respectively in normalized BMD was observed when compared with the mean 4-year fusion values (P < 0.05). This increase was also noted on comparative T-score, Z-score, and absolute BMD values (P < 0.05). The discectomy group when evaluated revealed no statistically significant change from the mean 4 to 10.8-year follow-up (BMD, normalized BMD, T-score, Z-score). No statistically significant difference was noted in hip BMD at the mean 4-year and 10.8-year follow-up (1.05 versus 1.03), suggesting that the effects were local. Conclusions. The local BMD adjacent to an instrumented lumbar fusion is increased at a mean of 10.8-years after surgery. There is a gradual decrease in BMD changes with increasing distance from the fusion level. Alterations in fusion site biomechanics and modulus mismatch between the host bone and the spinal instrumentation most likely result in chronic, localized bone remodeling with an increased BMD that decreases the greater the distance from the fusion mass.
Biochemically altered myelin triggers autoimmune demyelination

Significance Caprariello et al. demonstrate that subtle biochemical pathology to axon-ensheathing myelin, in the absence of overt demyelination, is sufficient to elicit severe secondary demyelinating inflammatory reactions. The resulting lesions bear radiological and histological resemblance to inflammatory demyelinating lesions of multiple sclerosis (MS), raising the possibility that subtle myelin degeneration in the MS brain may be a proximal event in the evolution of inflammation and consequent myelin loss. Consistent with an “inside-out” model of MS pathogenesis, these findings provide a rationale for investigating myelin as a target for early preventive therapy. Although immune attack against central nervous system (CNS) myelin is a central feature of multiple sclerosis (MS), its root cause is unresolved. In this report, we provide direct evidence that subtle biochemical modifications to brain myelin elicit pathological immune responses with radiological and histological properties similar to MS lesions. A subtle myelinopathy induced by abbreviated cuprizone treatment, coupled with subsequent immune stimulation, resulted in lesions of inflammatory demyelination. The degree of myelin injury dictated the resulting immune response; biochemical damage that was too limited or too extensive failed to trigger overt pathology. An inhibitor of peptidyl arginine deiminases (PADs), enzymes that alter myelin structure and correlate with MS lesion severity, mitigated pathology even when administered only during the myelin-altering phase. Moreover, cultured splenocytes were reactive against donor myelin isolates, a response that was substantially muted when splenocytes were exposed to myelin from donors treated with PAD inhibitors. By showing that a primary biochemical myelinopathy can trigger secondary pathological inflammation, “cuprizone autoimmune encephalitis” potentially reconciles conflicting theories about MS pathogenesis and provides a strong rationale for investigating myelin as a primary target for early, preventative therapy.
Affection, Deception, and Evolution: Deceptive Affectionate Messages as Mate Retention Behaviors

This study explored how partner mate value (PMV) and factors indicative of the relational climate (i.e., commitment and satisfaction) might affect individuals’ tendency to use deceptive affectionate messages (DAMs). Participants (N = 203) responded to a survey including measures regarding these variables. Contrary to predictions, PMV and the tendency to engage in DAMs were significantly and negatively associated with one another. Analyses further indicated that commitment significantly moderated the negative association between PMV and DAMs. The present study also provided evidence that when commitment to the relationship is low, satisfaction mediates the negative association between PMV and DAMs.
Does Technology Substitute for Nurses? Staffing Decisions in Nursing Homes

Over the past 10 years, many healthcare organizations have made significant investments in automating their clinical operations, mostly through the introduction of advanced information systems. Yet the impact of these investments on staffing is still not well understood. In this paper, we study the effect of information technology (IT)-enabled automation on staffing decisions in healthcare facilities. Using unique nursing home IT data from 2006 to 2012, we find that the licensed nurse staffing level decreases by 5.8% in high-end nursing homes but increases by 7.6% in low-end homes after the adoption of automation technology. Our research explains this by analyzing the interplay of two competing effects of automation: the substitution of technology for labor and the leveraging of complementarity between technology and labor. We also find that increased automation improves the ratings on clinical quality by 6.9% and decreases admissions of less profitable residents by 14.7% on average. These observations ar.
Changes in parathyroid hormone receptor binding affinity during egg laying: Implications for calcium homeostasis in chicken

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) receptor bindings were examined in the membrane fraction of the calvaria and the kidney of the hen by the use of [125I]PTH‐related protein (PTHrP) binding assays. The binding specificity, reversibility, and saturation of the receptor were demonstrated. The equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) and the maximum binding capacity (Bmax) were obtained by Scatchard analyses. In both calvaria and kidney, Kd and Bmax values decreased at 3 h before oviposition in egg‐laying hens, but not in nonlaying hens. Administration of 17β‐estradiol or progesterone in vivo caused a decrease in the Kd and Bmax values. Ionized calcium concentrations in the blood plasma showed a decrease at 13 h before oviposition. The results suggest that the PTH receptor binding in the calvaria and the kidney is affected by ovarian steroid hormones and may play a role in maintaining the calcium homeostasis in the egg‐laying hen.
Risk factors associated with seropositivity to California serogroup viruses in humans and pet dogs, Quebec, Canada

Abstract Jamestown Canyon and snowshoe hare viruses are two emerging human pathogens associated with cases of neuroinvasive disease in North America. This study aimed to identify environmental and individual risk factors for seropositivity to these arboviruses in humans and pet dogs from Québec, Canada, 2012–2014. In humans, areas with moderate densities of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were associated with higher odds of seropositivity compared with areas with low densities of white-tailed deer (OR 2.50, P = 0.009) and odds of seropositivity were higher in males than in females (OR 2.03, P = 0.016). Among humans reporting more than 10 mosquito bites weekly, the odds of being seropositive were 4.44 times higher (P = 0.004) for people living in hardwood forested areas. Exposure to areas with coniferous forests was identified as the main environmental risk factor for seroconversion in dogs (OR 2.39, P = 0.04). These findings may help target further public health research, diagnostic and surveillance efforts in Canada.
Identification and prevalence of RND family multidrug efflux pump oqxAB genes in Enterococci isolates from swine manure in China

Purpose. The resistance/nodulation/cell division (RND) family multidrug efflux pump, OqxAB, has been identified as one of the leading mechanisms of plasmid‐mediated quinolone resistance and has become increasingly prevalent among Enterobacteriaceae in recent years. However, oqxAB genes have not yet been reported in Enterococcus isolates. The aim of the present study was to identify the oqxAB genes and investigate their prevalence among Enterococcus from swine manure in China. Methodology. The oqxAB genes were screened in 87 Enterococcus isolates by PCR. The transferability of the oqxAB genes in Enterococcus was determined by conjugation experiments. The genetic environment of oqxAB genes was investigated by cloning experiments, PCR mapping and sequencing. Results. A high prevalence (86.2 %) of olaquindox resistance was observed in Enterococcus and 98.9 % isolates exhibited multidrug‐resistance phenotypes. The occurrence of oqxA and oqxB in Enterococcus was also high (79.3 and 65.5 %, respectively). Sequence analysis of the cloned fragment indicated that the oqxAB cassette was linked to an incomplete Tn5 transposon containing aph(3′)‐IIa and flanked by IS26 [IS26‐oqxAB‐IS26‐aph(3′)‐IIa]. The oqxAB‐aph(3′)‐IIa‐positive transconjugant or transformant showed resistance or reduced susceptibility to enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, olaquindox, mequindox, florfenicol, neomycin and kanamycin. Conclusion. This is the first time that the oqxAB genes have been identified in Enterococcus faecalis from swine manure. The genetic linkage of oqxAB‐aph(3′)‐IIa in Enterococcus has not been described before. The high prevalence of oqxAB genes in Enterococcus suggests that it may constitute a reservoir for oqxAB genes and pose a potential threat to public health.
Unpredictable feeding schedules unmask a system for daily resetting of behavioural and metabolic food entrainment

Restricted feeding schedules (RFS) are a potent Zeitgeber that uncouples daily metabolic and clock gene oscillations in peripheral tissues from the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which remains entrained to the light–dark cycle. Under RFS, animals develop food anticipatory activity (FAA), characterized by arousal and increased locomotion. Food availability in nature is not precise, which suggests that animals need to adjust their food‐associated activity on a daily basis. This study explored the capacity of rats to adjust to variable and unpredictable feeding schedules. Rats were exposed either to RFS with fixed daily meal (RF) or to a variable meal time (VAR) during the light phase. RF and VAR rats exhibited daily metabolic oscillations driven by the last meal event; however, VAR rats were not able to show a robust adjustment in the anticipating corticosterone peak. VAR rats were unable to exhibit FAA but exhibited a daily activation pattern in phase with the previous meal. In both groups the dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus and arcuate nucleus, involved in energy balance, exhibited increased c‐Fos expression 24 h after the last meal, while only RF rats exhibited low c‐Fos expression in the SCN. Data show that metabolic and behavioural food‐entrained rhythms can be reset on a daily basis; the two conditions elicit a similar hypothalamic response, while only the SCN is inhibited in rats exhibiting anticipatory activity. The variable feeding strategy uncovered a rapid (24‐h basis) resetting mechanism for metabolism and general behaviour.