Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring the clinical utility of blood ketone levels in the emergency department assessment of paediatric patients

Background: Ketonuria (on standard urine testing) is a frequent finding in children presenting to emergency departments. With the advent of hand-held ketone meters, blood ketone levels can now be rapidly quantified. Hypothesis: Point of care testing (POCT) of blood ketone levels could provide clinically useful information on severity of illness in children and risk of hospital admission. Methods: A prospective study using POCT of blood ketone levels in a convenience sample of children <13 years old, with a typical case mix of medical problems. Findings: 186 children were studied. The range of ketone levels varied widely among this study population depending on the presenting complaint. Higher levels were noted in those presenting with anorexia or vomiting and fever. The median ketone level of the total study population was 0.2 (range 0–6.0, interquartile range 0.1–0.9) mmol/l. Ketone levels correlated poorly with discharge destination and duration of admission. However, receiver–operator characteristics for ketones as a predictor of admission were comparable to Pediatric Risk of Admission scores (area under the curve 0.64 and 0.72, respectively) and may represent an independent risk factor for admission. A ketone level >1.2 mmol/l has a positive predictive value of 66.7% for admission. Ketone levels correlated well with decreased oral intake (R2 = 0.25; p<0.001). Conclusions: A strong association was found between ketone levels, decreased oral intake and fever. Although ketone levels do not correlate well with more traditional markers of illness severity, they can help to predict the requirement for admission to hospital when interpreted in the context of the presenting illness. They may have applications in both the emergency department and primary care settings. Further prospective testing is required to validate these findings.
Genetic control of sex‐dependent meiotic recombination in the major histocompatibility complex of the mouse.

Meiotic recombination within the proximal region of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) of the mouse is not random but occurs in clusters at certain restricted sites, so‐called recombinational hotspots. The wm7 haplotype of the MHC, derived from the wild mouse, enhances recombination specifically during female meiosis within a fragment of 1.3 kb of DNA located between the A beta 3 and A beta 2 genes in genetic crosses with laboratory haplotypes. Previous studies revealed no significant strain differences in nucleotide sequences around the hotspot, irrespective of the ability of the strain to enhance the recombination. It appeared that a distant genetic element might, therefore, control the rate of recombination. In the present study, original recombinants whose breakpoints were defined by direct sequencing of PCR‐amplified DNAs were tested for the rate of secondary recombination in the crosses with laboratory strains in order to determine the location of such a genetic element. The results clearly demonstrated that the chromosomal segment proximal to the hotspot is essential for enhancement of recombination. Moreover, the male recombination is suppressed by a segment distal to the hotspot.
Health Personnel Practices Regarding Hand Hygiene in the Delivery Room at the Middle Euphrates Teaching Hospitals

Literatures proved that Hand hygiene is the most important and effective infection prevention and control measure to prevent the spread of microorganisms causing HAIs and improving hand hygiene is consider a vital intervention to promote optimum patient safety in delivery room. Aim of the study: This study conducted to assess hand hygiene practices of health care personnel in the delivery room at the middle Euphrates teaching hospitals. Methods: A Descriptive qusi-expremental research design begin in 20th February to 26th May 2016, Current study sample involve all midwives and physicians in the delivery room (Total coverage.). Questionnaire used for data collection by interview forms and observational checklist was obtain from the extensive review of relevant literature and related studies Data analyzed through utilize (SPSS) software version (16) where, included descriptive analysis and inferential data analysis. The study conducted among 37 physicians and 97 midwives working in the delivery room are females. The current study indicate that the overall evaluation for the health staff practices regarding hand hygiene is fair at Karbala, Al-Najaf, Babylon and Diwaniah with high difference in health staff practices regarding infection control precautions (hand hygiene) and the different studied governorates at p-value 0.001, based on the finding of present study majority of health care personnel have fair applies related to hand hygiene practices at different studied governorate hospitals. Updating practice of health care personnel through continuing in-service educational programs. Regular inspection and follow-up from the ministry of health for assurances good hand hygiene, the important of exist motivation system and punishment system to the neglected health care personnel.
Transitions to Parenthood

This study explores marital processes that may underlie the apparent decline in satisfaction with marriage in partners becoming parents for the first time. We assessed 47 couples expecting a first child and 15 couples not yet decided about having children at pretest, post 1 (6 months postpartum or 9 months after pretest) and post 2 (18 months postpartum or 21 months after pretest). Questionnaires examined (1) psychological sense of self; (2) partners' role arrangements and communication; (3) parenting ideology; (4) perceptions of the family of origin; and (5) social support and life stress, including parents' work patterns. Support was found for three hypotheses: (1) In four of the five family domains men and women having a first child showed more negative changes over time than nonparent spouses; (2) New fathers and mothers grew increasingly different from one another in most of these domains; (3) A combination of gender differentiation and change (increasing conflict) apparently contributed to lowered satisfaction with marriage for men and women.
Stochastic Modified Equations and Adaptive Stochastic Gradient Algorithms

We develop the method of stochastic modified equations (SME), in which stochastic gradient algorithms are approximated in the weak sense by continuous-time stochastic differential equations. We exploit the continuous formulation together with optimal control theory to derive novel adaptive hyper-parameter adjustment policies. Our algorithms have competitive performance with the added benefit of being robust to varying models and datasets. This provides a general methodology for the analysis and design of stochastic gradient algorithms.
Substrate-specificity of glutamine transporters in membrane vesicles from rat liver and skeletal muscle investigated using amino acid analogues.

We investigated the effects of glutamine and histidine analogues on glutamine transport processes in membrane vesicles prepared from rat liver (sinusoidal membrane) and skeletal muscle (sarcolemma). L-[14C]Glutamine is transported in these membranes predominantly by Systems N/Nm (liver and muscle respectively), and to a lesser extent by Systems A and L (e.g. about 60, 20 and 20% of total flux respectively via Systems N, A and L at 0.05 mM-glutamine in liver membrane vesicles). The glutamine anti-metabolites 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine and acivicin were relatively poor inhibitors of glutamine uptake into liver membrane vesicles (less than 25% inhibition at 20-fold excess) and appeared primarily to inhibit System A activity (i.e. N-methylaminoisobutyric acid-inhibitable glutamine uptake). In similar experiments azaserine (also a glutamine anti-metabolite) inhibited approx. 50% of glutamine uptake, apparently by inhibition of System A and also of System L (i.e. 2-amino-2-carboxybicyclo[2,2,1]heptane-inhibitable glutamine uptake). Glutamate gamma-hydroxamate, aspartate beta-hydroxamate, histidine and N'-methylhistidine were all strong inhibitors of glutamine uptake into liver membrane vesicles (greater than 65% inhibition at 20-fold excess), but neither homoglutamine nor N'-methylhistidine produced inhibition. L-Glutamate-gamma-hydroxamate was shown to be a competitive inhibitor of glutamine transport via System N (Ki approximately 0.6 mM). Glutamine uptake in sarcolemmal vesicles showed a similar general pattern of inhibition as in liver membrane vesicles. The results highlight limits on the substrate tolerance of System N; we suggest that the presence of both an L-alpha-amino acid group and a nitrogen group with a delocalized lone-pair of electrons (amide or pyrrole type), separated by a specific intramolecular distance (C2-C4 chain equivalent), is important for substrate recognition by this transporter.
Oxygen dependence of upper thermal limits in fishes

ABSTRACT Temperature-induced limitations on the capacity of the cardiorespiratory system to transport oxygen from the environment to the tissues, manifested as a reduced aerobic scope (maximum minus standard metabolic rate), have been proposed as the principal determinant of the upper thermal limits of fishes and other water-breathing ectotherms. Consequently, the upper thermal niche boundaries of these animals are expected to be highly sensitive to aquatic hypoxia and other environmental stressors that constrain their cardiorespiratory performance. However, the generality of this dogma has recently been questioned, as some species have been shown to maintain aerobic scope at thermal extremes. Here, we experimentally tested whether reduced oxygen availability due to aquatic hypoxia would decrease the upper thermal limits (i.e. the critical thermal maximum, CTmax) of the estuarine red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) and the marine lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus). In both species, CTmax was independent of oxygen availability over a wide range of oxygen levels despite substantial (>72%) reductions in aerobic scope. These data show that the upper thermal limits of water-breathing ectotherms are not always linked to the capacity for oxygen transport. Consequently, we propose a novel metric for classifying the oxygen dependence of thermal tolerance; the oxygen limit for thermal tolerance (PCTmax), which is the water oxygen tension (PwO2) where an organism's CTmax starts to decline. We suggest that this metric can be used for assessing the oxygen sensitivity of upper thermal limits in water-breathing ectotherms, and the susceptibility of their upper thermal niche boundaries to environmental hypoxia. Summary: A novel metric (PCTmax) is presented for assessing the oxygen sensitivity of upper thermal limits in water-breathing ectotherms based on measurements of critical thermal maxima in marine fishes under hypoxia.
Nicotinamide overload may play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes.

AIM To investigate whether nicotinamide overload plays a role in type 2 diabetes. METHODS Nicotinamide metabolic patterns of 14 diabetic and 14 non-diabetic subjects were compared using HPLC. Cumulative effects of nicotinamide and N(1)-methylnicotinamide on glucose metabolism, plasma H(2)O(2) levels and tissue nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) contents of adult Sprague-Dawley rats were observed. The role of human sweat glands and rat skin in nicotinamide metabolism was investigated using sauna and burn injury, respectively. RESULTS Diabetic subjects had significantly higher plasma N(1)-methylnicotinamide levels 5 h after a 100-mg nicotinamide load than the non-diabetic subjects (0.89 +/- 0.13 micromol/L vs 0.6 +/- 0.13 micromol/L, P < 0.001). Cumulative doses of nicotinamide (2 g/kg) significantly increased rat plasma N(1)-methylnicotinamide concentrations associated with severe insulin resistance, which was mimicked by N(1)-methylnicotinamide. Moreover, cumulative exposure to N(1)-methylnicotinamide (2 g/kg) markedly reduced rat muscle and liver NAD contents and erythrocyte NAD/NADH ratio, and increased plasma H(2)O(2) levels. Decrease in NAD/NADH ratio and increase in H(2)O(2) generation were also observed in human erythrocytes after exposure to N(1)-methylnicotinamide in vitro. Sweating eliminated excessive nicotinamide (5.3-fold increase in sweat nicotinamide concentration 1 h after a 100-mg nicotinamide load). Skin damage or aldehyde oxidase inhibition with tamoxifen or olanzapine, both being notorious for impairing glucose tolerance, delayed N(1)-methylnicotinamide clearance. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that nicotinamide overload, which induced an increase in plasma N(1)-methylnicotinamide, associated with oxidative stress and insulin resistance, plays a role in type 2 diabetes.
Masticatory performance in adults related to temporomandibular disorder and dental occlusion

BACKGROND: temporomandibular disorder and mastication. AIM: to compare subjects who present temporomandibular disorders to a control group considering mastication and to analyze the related variables. METHOD: 20 subjects with temporomandibular disorder (TMD group) and 10 controls - selection based on clinical examination and anamnesis - responded to a questionnaire on the self-perception of pain severity and presence of noise in the temporomandibular joints, muscle pain, otologic symptoms, headaches, and jaw opening difficulties. The subjects were also submitted to a clinical examination regarding the number of teeth and functional occlusion - measurements of jaw opening and jaw lateral excursions, occlusal interferences, occlusal contacts of the working and non-working-side, and mastication evaluation. Mastication was evaluated in terms of time needed to eat a stuffed cookie, number of chewing strokes and type (unilateral or bilateral). The maximum force needed at first to break the cookie, verified with a TA-XT2 Texture Analyzer (Stable Micro Systems), was of 4341.8 g. The groups were compared using variance analysis and the correlations between variables were calculated using the Pearson product-moment test. RESULTS: most of the control subjects presented bilateral pattern of mastication, whereas the TMD group tended to present the unilateral pattern. Masticatory type scores and laterality measurements were significantly higher in the control group. The TMD group presented higher means in terms of: age, time of chewing, number of chewing strokes and TMD severity. Chewing time and type were positively correlated with TMD severity and negatively correlated with number of occlusal interferences. CONCLUSION: in the TMD group, chewing differed from the normal physiological standard. The number of occlusal interferences and the severity of TMD were variables correlated to chewing.
Real time during growth metrology and assessment of kinetics of epitaxial quantum dots by RHEED

The ability to control their shape and size and reproducibility of epitaxial quantum dots is considered as key to the performance of many advanced photovoltaic devices. We demonstrated the possibility of extracting real time using reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), the average dot-size, dot-facet orientations and dot densities. Here and within the framework of the synthesis of archetype InAs/GaAs quantum dot system we have undertaken a systematic study as a function of growth parameters of the evolution of dot sizes distributions and facet orientation and show the ability of the technique to monitor facet/dot asymmetries.
Facile one-pot preparation, surface functionalization, and toxicity assay of APTS-coated iron oxide nanoparticles

We report a facile approach to synthesizing 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTS)-coated magnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4@APTS) nanoparticles (NPs) with tunable surface functional groups for potential biomedical applications. The Fe3O4 NPs with a mean diameter of 6.5 nm were synthesized by a hydrothermal route in the presence of APTS. The formed amine-surfaced Fe3O4@APTS NPs were further chemically modified with acetic anhydride and succinic anhydride to generate neutral (Fe3O4@APTS⋅Ac) and negatively charged (Fe3O4@APTS⋅SAH) NPs. These differently functionalized NPs were extensively characterized by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry analysis, zeta potential measurements, and T2 relaxometry. The cytotoxicity of the particles was evaluated by in vitro 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide colorimetric viability assay of cells along with microscopic observation of cell morphology. The hemocompatibility of the particles was assessed by in vitro hemolysis assay. We show that the hydrothermal approach enables an efficient modification of APTS onto the Fe3O4 NP surfaces and the formed NPs with different surface charge polarities are water-dispersible and colloidally stable. The acetylated Fe3O4@APTS⋅Ac NPs displayed good biocompatibility and hemocompatibility in the concentration range of 0–100 µg ml−1, while the pristine Fe3O4@APTS and Fe3O4@APTS⋅SAH particles started to display slight cytotoxicity at a concentration of 10 µg ml−1. The findings from this study suggest that the Fe3O4@APTS NPs synthesized by the one-pot hydrothermal route can be surface modified for various potential biomedical applications.
New fieldwork at the Severan fort of Myd(…)/Gheriat el-Garbia on the limes Tripolitanus1

Abstract The most outstanding oasis fort of the limes Tripolitanus, Myd(---)/Gheriat el-Garbia, saw the deployment of various military units between AD 198/201 and 275/80. Archaeological research in 2009/10 focussed on the fortifications, particularly the main and rear gates, the northern angle tower and interval towers 2 and 4 as well as the curtain wall at its south corner. The towers of the porta praetoria have been reconstructed theoretically with three storeys, at an overall height of c. 12.5 m. Of the headquarters building two of the rear rooms, including the shrine, were excavated. A monumental inscription of a length of c. 9.0 m and corresponding architectural elements suggest the existence of a groma building. Completely unexpected by archaeologists as well as ancient historians and rather spectacular is a late Roman reoccupation of the military site: after a hiatus of c. 80+ years building activities were undertaken within the fort and repairs and the blocking of the main gate could be observed and probably attributed to the deployment of a unit of limitanei between AD 360/80 (at the earliest) and 430/55. The reoccupied fort might be identified with the so far unknown castra Madensia, where the milites munifices were garrisoned (Notitia Dignitatum Occ. 31, 30). Further evidence of occupation, possibly of a Libyan chieftain and his tribe, has been assigned to the second half of the fifth century, continuing thereafter until AD 540+.
Enhanced immune responses in mice treated with penicillin-tetracycline or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole when colonized intragastrically with Candida albicans

Immune consequences of gastrointestinal colonization of CD-1 and CBA/J mice with Candida albicans in the presence or absence of continuous antibiotic treatment with penicillin-tetracycline or trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole were investigated. Intubation with C. albicans in the absence of antibiotics resulted in the induction of low but detectable delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), demonstrable by footpad testing with a C. albicans wall glycoprotein (GP), and in the stimulation of a moderate level of protective immunity, demonstrable by intravenous (i.v.) challenge. DTH to a membrane extract, BEX, could not be detected in such animals. However, animals colonized in the presence of antibiotics and then inoculated cutaneously prior to being tested for DTH or protective immunity developed significantly enhanced levels of DTH to GP and BEX and were protected to an even greater extent than animals colonized in the absence of antibiotics who were not inoculated cutaneously. The priming effect of colonization, particularly with respect to the antigen GP, was also obvious from an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for GP-specific antibody with sera of mice surviving the i.v. challenge, in that GP-specific antibody was present in the highest titers in colonized animals that had been inoculated cutaneously prior to i.v. challenge. While the antibiotics promoted higher levels of colonization, as evidenced by stomach and fecal cultures of intubated mice, antibiotic administration was not necessary for the induction of C. albicans-specific responses. Moreover, contrary to reports in the literature, antibiotic administration had no adverse effect on the immune responses measured. Females were innately more resistant than males to i.v. challenge with C. albicans, but each sex was capable of developing protective immunity of equal intensity in response to colonization or immunization by cutaneous challenge.
REPORT FROM THE TECHA RIVER DOSIMETRY REVIEW WORKSHOP HELD ON 8–10 DECEMBER 2003 AT THE STATE RESEARCH CENTRE INSTITUTE OF BIOPHYSICS, MOSCOW, RUSSIA

Large releases of fission products into the Techa River, in the Southern Urals, occurred in 1950 and 1951, during the early years of operation of the Mayak Production Association (Mayak PA), which produced plutonium for nuclear weapons. Increases of leukemia and of solid cancers with radiation dose have been noted in the population of about 30,000 people who lived in the settlements downstream of the site of the radioactive releases; that population has been studied for several decades by Russian scientists, notably in the framework of cooperation with American and European scientists. The radiation doses are currently estimated by means of the Techa River Dosimetry System-2000 (TRDS-2000). Recently, a scientist from Mayak PA has suggested in several publications that the doses calculated using TRDS-2000 might be underestimated substantially. A special international Workshop, held in Moscow on 8–10 December 2003, aimed to resolve some of the pressing issues related to the determination of the external and internal doses received by the Techa River population and to give recommendations on the further development of methodologies used for dose reconstruction. The authors of this article were selected by the organizers of the Workshop to draw the conclusions of the meeting. They express the view that, while the dose reconstruction system TRDS-2000 is basically sound, additional work is needed and the results of any epidemiological studies making use of TRDS-2000 should be qualified as preliminary, pending resolution of several issues. The most important of these issues is the re-evaluation of the activities released, using additional information that could be obtained with the help of Mayak experts. Other specific suggestions aiming to improve the dose reconstruction methodology for the Techa River cohort, i.e., continued measurements of accumulated dose in environmental samples and human tissues, validation of external dose estimates with thermoluminescence measurements of bricks and with electron paramagnetic resonance measurements of teeth, estimation of individual doses instead of group doses, detailed account of the contributions to dose of medical examinations and of other releases from the Mayak complex, and careful assessment of the uncertainties, were made by the meeting participants.