Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Studies on insecticide resistance in anopheline mosquitos.

This paper describes observations made both on laboratory colonies in London and on wild-caught material in the field of insecticide-susceptible and -resistant strains of A. gambiae, A. sundaicus and A. stephensi. The techniques used in assessing the susceptibilities of both larvae and adults are described and the effects of species, rearing, age, sex, feeding and ovarian development on susceptibility are discussed. The effect of continued selection by DDT in the laboratory of a presumably homogeneous susceptible strain of A. stephensi is then outlined and the phenomenon of "vigour tolerance" demonstrated.Specific, monofactorially-inherited resistance is then described as witnessed with A. gambiae and A. sundaicus. A. gambiae shows a high degree of resistance to dieldrin and cross-resistance to the related cyclodiene compounds and gamma-BHC, but remains susceptible to DDT. Resistance is due to a single gene, partially dominant, the hybrid showing a moderate degree of resistance. A. sundaicus shows a moderate degree of resistance to DDT and cross-resistance to DDT analogues, but remains susceptible to dieldrin and gamma-BHC. Resistance is again due to a single gene but here it is virtually recessive and the hybrid is to all intents and purposes susceptible. The discriminating dosage technique for distinguishing the phenotypes in these species is described.Resistance in other anophelines and in houseflies is discussed and suggestions made as to methods of detecting anopheline resistance in the field.
An Overview of Hypoglycemia in the Critically Ill

Hypoglycemia is a common and serious problem among patients with diabetes mellitus. It is also perceived as the most important obstacle to tight glucose control using intensive insulin therapy in critically ill patients. Because glucose is an obligatory metabolic fuel for the brain, hypoglycemia always represents an emergency that signals the inability of the brain to meet its energy needs. When left untreated, hypoglycemia can result in permanent brain damage and ultimately, death. In the context of critical illness that limits endogenous glucose production and increases glucose utilization, inadequate nutrition, or insufficient provision of glucose, intensive insulin therapy is the most frequent cause of hypoglycemia. Neurogenic and neuroglycopenic symptoms of hypoglycemia can remain unknown because of the underlying critical illness and sedation. Thus, close and reliable monitoring of the glycemic level is crucial in detecting hypoglycemia. In prospective randomized controlled studies comparing the effects of two glucose regimens, intensive insulin therapy aimed to reach strict glucose control (<110 mg/dl) but increased the incidence of severe hypoglycemia (<40 mg/dl) by four- to sixfold. Severe hypoglycemia is statistically associated with adverse outcomes in intensive care unit patients, although a direct causal relationship has not been demonstrated.
Primary Aldosteronism: Results of Surgical Treatment

Summary Background Data Management of primary hyperaldosteronism has undergone dramatic changes in the past 40 years. This retrospective study was carried out to review our recent surgical experience and to identify potential factors associated with postoperative persistent hypertension. Methods Forty-six patients who had adrenal surgery for primary hyperaldosteronism from 1983 to 1994 were included in the study. Results Periodic paralysis occurred in 12 (26%) patients. Hypertension and hypokalemia (mean serum potassium, 2.2 + 0.5 [+ standard deviation {SD} mmol/L) were present in all patients. Postural study was diagnostic in 85% (23 of 27). Computed tomography scan correctly localized the tumor in all except 1 patient, and venous sampling was performed in 11 patients. There was no operative mortality, and complications developed in six patients (13%), including one patient requiring re-exploration for hemostasis. All patients had a histologically documented adenoma. During a mean follow-up of 51 months, 34 (77%) of the 44 patients required no further antihypertensive treatment. Two patients were lost to follow-up. Age, response to spironolactone treatment, and blood pressure on discharge were risk factors identified for persistent hypertension. Conclusion Primary hyperaldosteronism due to aldosterone-producing adenoma can be diagnosed and localized expeditiously, whereas surgical treatment can be performed safely. Hypokalemia may be cured by surgical treatment, although persistent hypertension, usually of a mild degree, still occurs in selected patients.
Salivary progesterone levels and rate of ovulation are significantly lower in poorer than in better-off urban-dwelling Bolivian women.

BACKGROUND Agriculturalists in less-developed countries (LDC) have lower progesterone levels than urban industrialized populations. However, it is unknown if urban LDC populations are also relatively lower. We tested whether urban Bolivia samples-poorer (Bol-p) and better-off (Bol-b)-have lower progesterone than a Chicago (USA) sample, and whether progesterone and rate of ovulation are lower in Bol-p than in Bol-b. METHODS Serial salivary samples collected from Bolivians, screened according to strict exclusion criteria during two complete menstrual cycles, were radioimmunoassayed for progesterone; anthropometrics were collected at mid-follicular and mid-luteal phases. RESULTS Progesterone levels are lower in the Bolivia samples, and higher in the Bol-b than Bol-p; ovulation rate is greater in Bol-b than Bol-p. For only ovulatory cycles, mean-follicular-P (pmol/l), mean-luteal-P (pmol/l), and mean-peak-P (pmol/l) are respectively 65, 142 and 208 in Bol-p; 76, 167 and 232 in Bol-b; and 96, 240 and 330 in Chicago. Principal components representing body-size and progesterone level are positively correlated (r = 0.404, P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS Progesterone levels appear to be influenced by chronic and acute ecological conditions, evidenced by the association with body-size and the probability of ovulation respectively. These findings have implications for understanding cancer aetiology, developing population-appropriate hormonal contraceptives, and modelling the evolution and functioning of the reproductive system.
Early prediction of typical outcome and mild developmental delay for prioritisation of service delivery for very preterm and very low birthweight infants: a study protocol

Introduction Over 80% of very preterm (<32 weeks) and very low birthweight (<1500 g) infants will have either typical development (TD) or mild developmental delay (MDD) in multiple domains. As differentiation between TD and MDD can be difficult, infants with MDD often miss opportunities for intervention. For many clinicians, the ongoing challenge is early detection of MDD without over servicing the population. This study aims to: (1) identify early clinical biomarkers for use in this population to predict and differentiate between TD and MDD at 24 months corrected age. (2) Determine the extent to which family and caregiver factors will contribute to neurodevelopmental and behavioural outcomes. Methods and analysis Participants will be a prospective cohort of 90 infants (<32 weeks and/or <1500 g). Between 34 weeks gestational age and 16 weeks post-term, infants will have a series of 5 neurological, neuromotor, neurobehavioural and perceptual assessments including General Movement Assessment at preterm, writhing and fidgety age. Primary caregivers will complete questionnaires to identify social risk, maternal depression and family strain. Extensive perinatal data will be collected from the medical record. At 24 months, corrected age (c.a) infants will be assessed using standardised tools including the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development—Third Edition (Bayley III). Longitudinal trajectories of early assessment findings will be examined to determine any predictive relationship with motor and cognitive outcomes at 24 months c.a. Published data of a cohort of Australian children assessed with the Bayley III at 24 months c.a will provide a reference group of term-born controls. Ethics Ethical approval has been obtained from the Queensland Children's Health Services Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/13/QRCH/66), the University of Queensland (2013001019) and the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service, SC-Research Governance (SSA/13/QNB/66). Publication of all study outcomes will be in peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration number ACTRN12614000480684; Pre-results.
The impact of camera optical alignments on weak lensing measures for the Dark Energy Survey

Telescope Point Spread Function (PSF) quality is critical for realising the potential of cosmic weak lensing observations to constrain dark energy and test General Relativity. In this paper we use quantitative weak gravitational lensing measures to inform the precision of lens optical alignment, with specific reference to the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We compute optics spot diagrams and calculate the shear and flexion of the PSF as a function of position on the focal plane. For perfect optical alignment we verify the high quality of the DES optical design, finding a maximum PSF contribution to the weak lensing shear of 0.04 near the edge of the focal plane. However this can be increased by a factor of approximately three if the lenses are only just aligned within their maximum specified tolerances. We calculate the E and B-mode shear and flexion variance as a function of de-centre or tilt of each lens in turn. We find tilt accuracy to be a few times more important than de-centre, depending on the lens considered. Finally we consider the compound effect of de-centre and tilt of multiple lenses simultaneously, by sampling from a plausible range of values of each parameter. We find that the compound effect can be around twice as detrimental as when considering any one lens alone. Furthermore, this combined effect changes the conclusions about which lens is most important to align accurately. For DES, the tilt of the first two lenses is the most important.
The prognostic significance of P-glycoprotein, multidrug resistance-related protein 1 and lung resistance protein in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A retrospective study of 295 newly diagnosed patients by the Children's Oncology Group

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a phenomenon by which cells become resistant to an array of structurally unrelated chemotherapeutic agents. The prognostic value that P-glycoprotein (Pgp), multidrug resistance-related protein 1 (MRP1), and lung resistance protein (LRP) have in the setting of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is controversial. In a retrospective study, we analyzed samples obtained from 295 similarly treated pediatric ALL patients to assess whether the overexpression and/or function of these proteins at diagnosis affects outcome. Most patients (70%, 207/295) did not overexpress an MDR protein. A small number of patients expressed functional Pgp (1%, 3/295) and some overexpressed functional MRP1 (10%, 19/295), with a statistically significant number of the latter being of T-lineage as opposed to pre-B (P < 0.001). A small number of patients (2%, 6/295) also overexpressed both Pgp and MRP1. Additional patients expressed increased levels of LRP. Elevated levels of these proteins at diagnosis did not correlate with risk factors and did not predict an adverse prognosis. Life-table estimates and Kaplan-Meier plots did not show any significant differences between patients who overexpressed an MDR protein compared with those who did not, nor was any difference noted when the different MDR + groups were compared with one another. These data strongly support the conclusion that the overexpression of these functional drug efflux pumps at diagnosis does not contribute to treatment failure in pediatric ALL.
Efficacy of a tart cherry juice blend in preventing the symptoms of muscle damage

Background: Numerous antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents have been identified in tart cherries. Objective: To test the efficacy of a tart cherry juice blend in preventing the symptoms of exercise induced muscle damage. Methods: This was a randomised, placebo controlled, crossover design. Fourteen male college students drank 12 fl oz of a cherry juice blend or a placebo twice a day for eight consecutive days. A bout of eccentric elbow flexion contractions (2 × 20 maximum contractions) was performed on the fourth day of supplementation. Isometric elbow flexion strength, pain, muscle tenderness, and relaxed elbow angle were recorded before and for four days after the eccentric exercise. The protocol was repeated two weeks later with subjects who took the placebo initially, now taking the cherry juice (and vice versa). The opposite arm performed the eccentric exercise for the second bout to avoid the repeated bout protective effect. Results: Strength loss and pain were significantly less in the cherry juice trial versus placebo (time by treatment: strength p<0.0001, pain p = 0.017). Relaxed elbow angle (time by treatment p = 0.85) and muscle tenderness (time by treatment p = 0.81) were not different between trials. Conclusions: These data show efficacy for this cherry juice in decreasing some of the symptoms of exercise induced muscle damage. Most notably, strength loss averaged over the four days after eccentric exercise was 22% with the placebo but only 4% with the cherry juice.
A Surveillance Bacteriological Study of Acute Bacterial Rhinosinusitis in Thailand and the Clinical Responses to the Culture-directed Antibiotics.

OBJECTIVE To examine: 1) types of bacteria and antimicrobial sensitivity of commonly used antibiotics for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis (ABRS) in Thailand, 2) the effectiveness of using antibiotics according to antimicrobial sensitivity, and 3) the effectiveness of using antibiotics according to the Thai clinical practice guidelines (CPG) of ABRS. MATERIAL AND METHOD Descriptive & experimental studies were conducted in seven tertiary hospitals in Thailand. The specimens from maxillary sinuses were taken for bacterial cultures either by maxillary sinus tap or endoscopically directed middle meatus swabs in patients with clinically diagnosed ABRS. Antimicrobial sensitivity was performed and antibiotics were prescribed according to the results of antimicrobial sensitivity or the Thai CPG of ABRS. RESULTS A total of 113 patients were enrolled between August 2006 and April 2007, 104 cases of which were performed for bacteriological study. The incidence of bacterial growth was 60.6% (95% CI 51.0-69.4%). The most common bacteria was H. influenzae (25.0%, 95% CI 16.9-35.3%), followed by S. pneumoniae (14.3%, 95% CI 8.2-23.5%) and S. aureus (9.5%, 95% CI 4.7-17.9%), respectively, whilst M. catarrhalis was found only in 2.4% (95% CI 0.5-7.3%). Eight in 12 S. pneumoniae isolates were tested for the minimal inhibitory concentration of penicillin and found to be penicillin resistant strain in five specimens. Beta-lactamase producing H. influenzae was found in eight out of 20 isolates. H. influenzae had a tendency to be sensitive to amoxicillin/clavulanate, cefuroxime, cefpodoxime, azithromycin, clarithromycin, ofloxacin, levofloxacin and gatifloxacin, whilst S. pneumoniae had a tendency to be sensitive to amoxicillin/clavulanate, cefaclor ampicillin/sulbactam, cefuroxime, ofloxacin, levofloxacin, gatifloxacin, cefpodoxime, cefixime and cefdinir. The effectiveness of antibiotics prescription according to the Thai CPG of ABRS and antimicrobial sensitivity were comparable, 88.5% (95% CI 69.8-97.6%) and 82.2% (95% CI 67.9-92%), respectively. CONCLUSION H. influenzae is found to be the most common bacteria in Thai ABRS, followed by S. pneumoniae and S. aureus. There is a high incidence of beta-lactamase producing H. influenzae and penicillin non-susceptible S. pneumoniae.
Prognostic determinants of acute respiratory distress syndrome in adults: Impact on clinical trial design

Objective:The objective of this study was to review known clinical predictors and biologic markers of adverse clinical outcomes in acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) that might be used as selection criteria in clinical trials of novel therapies for ALI/ARDS. Data Source:Published studies on clinical predictors and biologic markers of adverse outcomes in ALI/ARDS. Main Results:In large epidemiologic studies, a number of clinical factors have been identified consistently as independent predictors of mortality in ALI/ARDS. These include age, comorbidities, including chronic liver disease and immunosuppression, severity of illness scores, and the degree of multisystem organ failure. Several biologic markers of mortality have also been identified in large studies, including von Willebrand factor antigen, surfactant protein D, protein C, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, interleukins 6 and 8, and the TNF receptors. The Pao2/Fio2 ratio at the onset of ALI/ARDS does not predict clinical outcome but may be more useful after the first day of ALI/ARDS. A persistently low Pao2/Fio2 ratio is associated with worse outcomes and may be a marker of failure to respond to conventional therapy. Changes in IL-6, IL-8, TNF receptors, and SP-D over the first 3 days of ALI/ARDS are also associated with adverse clinical outcomes. The use of a combination of clinical factors and biologic markers is a promising strategy that needs to be prospectively validated. Conclusions:The design of clinical trials for new therapies for ALI and ARDS is a complex problem that ultimately will have a major impact on both trial outcome and generalizability. A number of clinical factors and biologic markers can be used to differentiate groups of patients at highest risk for adverse clinical outcomes. Whether enriching study populations with these sicker patients will increase or decrease the likelihood of a treatment effect for a given therapy is unknown.
Risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring following paternal use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors before conception: a population-based cohort study

Objective The present study aimed to examine the association between paternal selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use before conception and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. Design A population-based cohort study. Methods We conducted a cohort study of 669 922 children born from 1998 to 2008, with follow-up throughout 2013. Based on Danish national registers, we linked information on paternal use of SSRIs, ASD diagnosed in children and a range of potential confounders. The children whose fathers used SSRIs during the last 3 months prior to conception were identified as the exposed. Cox regression model was used to estimate the HR for ASD in children. Results Compared with unexposed children, the exposed had a 1.62-fold higher risk of ASD (95% CI 1.33 to 1.96) and the risk attenuated after adjusting for potential confounders, especially fathers’ psychiatric conditions (HR=1.43, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.74). When extending the exposure window to 1 year before conception, the increased risk persisted in children of fathers using SSRIs only from the last year until the last 3 months prior to conception (HR=1.54, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.94) but not in children of fathers using SSRIs only during the last 3 months prior to conception (HR=1.17, 95% CI 0.75 to 1.82). We also performed stratified analyses according to paternal history of affective disorders and observed no increased ASD risk among children whose father had affective disorders. Besides, the sibling analysis showed that the ASD risk did not increase among exposed children compared with their unexposed siblings. Conclusions The mildly increased risk of ASD in the offspring associated with paternal SSRI use before conception may be attributable to paternal underlying psychiatric indications related to SSRI use or other unmeasured confounding factors.
Quality of Data Regarding Diagnoses of Spinal Disorders in Administrative Databases. A Multicenter Study*

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the accuracy of data regarding diagnoses of spinal disorders in administrative databases at eight different institutions. The records of 189 patients who had been managed for a disorder of the lumbar spine were independently reviewed by a physician who assigned the appropriate diagnostic codes according to the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM). The age range of the 189 patients was seventeen to eighty-four years. The six major diagnostic categories studied were herniation of a lumbar disc, a previous operation on the lumbar spine, spinal stenosis, cauda equina syndrome, acquired spondylolisthesis, and congenital spondylolisthesis. The diagnostic codes assigned by the physician were compared with the codes that had been assigned during the ordinary course of events by personnel in the medical records department of each of the eight hospitals. The accuracy of coding was also compared among the eight hospitals, and it was found to vary depending on the diagnosis. Although there were both false-negative and false-positive codes at each institution, most errors were related to the low sensitivity of coding for previous spinal operations: only seventeen (28 per cent) of sixty-one such diagnoses were coded correctly. Other errors in coding were less frequent, but their implications for conclusions drawn from the information in administrative databases depend on the frequency of a diagnosis and its importance in an analysis. This study demonstrated that the accuracy of a diagnosis of a spinal disorder recorded in an administrative database varies according to the specific condition being evaluated. It is necessary to document the relative accuracy of specific ICD-9-CM diagnostic codes in order to improve the ability to validate the conclusions derived from investigations based on administrative databases.
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer: a meta-analysis.

AIM To study the value of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for advanced gastric cancer by performing a meta-analysis of the published studies. METHODS All published controlled trials of NAC for advanced gastric cancer vs no therapy before surgery were searched. Studies that included patients with metastases at enrollment were excluded. Databases included Cochrane Library of Clinical Comparative Trials, MEDLINE, Embase, and American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting abstracts from 1978 to 2010. The censor date was up to April 2010. Primary outcome was the odds ratio (OR) for improving overall survival rate of patients with advanced gastric cancer. Secondary outcome was the OR for down-staging tumor and increasing R0 resection in patients with advanced gastric cancer. Safety analyses were also performed. All calculations and statistical tests were performed using RevMan 5.0 software. RESULTS A total of 2271 patients with advanced gastric cancer enrolled in 14 trials were divided into NAC group (n = 1054) and control group (n = 1217). The patients were followed up for a median time of 54 mo. NAC significantly improved the survival rate [OR = 1.27, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04-1.55], tumor stage (OR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.26-2.33) and R0 resection rate (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.19-1.91) of patients with advanced gastric cancer. No obvious safety concerns were raised in these trials. CONCLUSION NAC can improve tumor stage and survival rate of patients with advanced gastric cancer with a rather good safety.