Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Growth during the first 6 months of life in infants using formula enriched with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG: double-blind, randomized trial.

BACKGROUND Probiotic bacteria have beneficial effects on the immune system and gastrointestinal tract, but the impacts of their long-term consumption on health and growth in early infancy are not well documented. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG)-enriched formula on growth and faecal microflora during the first 6 months of life in normal healthy infants. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred and twenty healthy infants (up to 2 months) received LGG-supplemented formula or regular formula in a double-blind, randomized manner until the age of 6 months. Weight, length and head circumference were measured monthly and transformed into standard deviation scores (SDS). Faecal samples were obtained from a random sample of infants (n=25) at entry and at the end of the study. RESULTS One hundred and five infants (51 in the LGG group) completed the study. Children receiving LGG-supplemented formula grew better: their changes in their length and weight SDS (DeltaSDS) at the end of the study were significantly higher than those receiving regular formula (0.44+/- 0.37 versus 0.07+/- 0.06, P< 0.01 and 0.44+/- 0.19 versus 0.07+/- 0.06, P< 0.005, respectively). The LGG group had a significant, higher defecation frequency 9.1+/-2.06 versus 8.0+/- 2.8 (P<0.05). More frequent colonization with lactobacilli was found in the LGG group, 91% versus 76% (P<0.05) at the end of the study. CONCLUSIONS Infants fed with LGG-enriched formula grew better than those fed with regular formula. Further studies are necessary to clarify the mechanism of LGG in infant growth.
Physiology of the Aging Vasculature The Gly 482 Ser genotype at the PPARGC 1 A gene and elevated blood pressure : a meta-analysis involving 13 , 949 individuals

Karani Santhanakrishnan Vimaleswaran, Jian’an Luan, Gitte Andersen, Y. Li Muller, Eleanor Wheeler, Ema C. Brito, Stephen O’Rahilly, Oluf Pedersen, Leslie J. Baier, William C. Knowler, Inês Barroso, Nicholas J. Wareham, Ruth J. F. Loos, and Paul W. Franks Medical Research Council, Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Steno Diabetes Center, Copenhagen, Denmark; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, Arizona; Metabolic Disease Group, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom; Genetic Epidemiology and Clinical Research Group, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Division of Medicine, Umeå University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden; and Departments of Clinical Biochemistry and Medicine, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Why are men less tested for sexually transmitted infections in remote Australian Indigenous communities? A mixed-methods study

Abstract Gender disparities in testing rates for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been identified as one potential factor sustaining high rates of STIs and repeat infections in the Northern Territory of Australia, especially in remote Indigenous communities. The study aimed to investigate the reasons for these disparities utilising a mixed-method study design. We conducted an audit on client information at a remote community health clinic, focus-group discussions with young men in the same community and interviews with experienced remote area clinicians. The clinic audit found a significantly higher proportion of female residents of the community than males visited the clinic (72.8 versus 55.3%, p < 0.005). Women were also more likely to be tested for STIs than men when visiting the clinic (49.7 versus 40.3%, p = 0.015). Major barriers to men’s seeking STI testing included a sense of shame from being seen visiting the clinic by women, men’s lack of understanding of STIs and the need for testing, and inadequate access to male clinicians. Increasing men’s access to healthcare and STI testing requires offering testing at a gender-sensitive and separate locations, and community-based sexual health promotion to increase knowledge of STIs.
Cyclooxygenases and prostaglandin E synthases in preimplantation mouse embryos

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is shown to be essential for female reproduction. Cyclooxygenase (COX) is a rate-limiting enzyme in prostaglandin synthesis from arachidonic acid and exists in two isoforms: COX-1 and COX-2. Prostaglandin E synthase (PGES) is a terminal prostanoid synthase and can catalyse the isomerization of the COX product PGH2 to PGE2, including microsomal PGES-1 (mPGES-1), cytosolic PGES (cPGES) and mPGES-2. This study examined the protein expression of COX-1, COX-2, mPGES-1, cPGES and mPGES-2 in preimplantation mouse embryos by immunohistochemistry. Embryos at different stages collected from oviducts or uteri were transferred into a flushed oviduct of non-pregnant mice. The oviducts containing embryos were paraffin-embedded and processed for immunostaining. COX-1 immunostaining was at a basal level in zygotes and a low level at the 2-cell stage, reaching a high level from the 4-cell to blastocyst stage. COX-2 immunostaining was at a low level at the zygote stage and was maintained at a high level from the 2-cell to blastocyst stages. A low level of mPGES-1 immunostaining was observed from the zygote to 8-cell stages. The signal for mPGES-1 immunostaining became stronger at the morula stage and was strongly seen at the blastocyst stage. cPGES immunostaining was strongly observed in zygotes, 2-cell and 8-cell embryos. There was a slight decrease in cPGES immunostaining at the 4-cell, morula and blastocyst stages. mPGES-2 immunostaining was at a low level from the zygote to morula stages and at a high level at the blastocyst stage. We found that the COX-1, COX-2, mPGES-1, cPGES and mPGES-2 protein signals were all at a high level at the blastocyst stage. PGE2 produced during the preimplantation development may play roles during embryo transport and implantation.
Predicting Stages of Change in Battered Women

Battered women’s stages of change (SOCs) are examined in this study. First, confirmatory factor analysis and latent profile analysis were conducted on 754 battered women’s responses on the Problems in Relationship Scale (Brown, 1998). Factor loadings were strong, and latent variable mixture modeling produces a two-class solution. Second, comparisons of women (including a subset of 276) suggest that they were relatively advanced in SOC. SOC was unrelated to intimate partner violence experiences, but an earlier stage was associated with ethnicity, economic and emotional dependence, preoccupied attachment, satisfaction with social supports, and women’s use of aggression. Implications for interventions and future research are described.
Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in lesional skin of patients with erythema migrans and acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans by ospA-specific PCR

The aim of this study was to develop a sensitive and specific PCR for the detection of Borrelia burgdorferi DNA. The plasmid-located gene coding for the outer surface protein A (OspA [31-kDa protein]) was used as a target. Nucleotide sequence information from different B. burgdorferi ospA genotypes was used to design primers homologous to different genotypes. The sensitivity of the nested PCR differed from 1 fg to 1 pg of borrelial DNA, depending on the strain analyzed. No cross-reactions with DNA from spirochetes other than B. burgdorferi or with human DNA were observed. A total of 22 skin biopsy samples from patients with erythema migrans (EM [n = 10]) or acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA [n = 12]) were examined for the presence of B. burgdorferi by nested PCR. Of 22 biopsies, 80% from EM patients and 92% from ACA patients were positive by PCR amplification. By comparison, 50% of the EM patients had elevated B. burgdorferi-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) and/or IgG antibody levels as tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using purified B. burgdorferi flagella as antigen. A total of 33% of ACA patients had elevated IgM titers, and all had high IgG titers in their sera. Only 30% of specimens from patients with EM and none from patients with ACA were positive by culture. All culture-positive specimens were also positive by PCR. Thus, the sensitivities of the PCR were 80 and 92%, respectively, for patients with EM and ACA on the basis of the clinical and histopathological diagnoses of Lyme disease. From these results, we conclude that PCR is a suitable method to detect B. burdorferi sensu lato DNA in skin biopsy samples and could be applied as an additional diagnostic tool.
Noise and hearing loss: a review.

BACKGROUND Noise-induced hearing loss is a major cause of deafness and hearing impairment in the United States. Though genetics and advanced age are major risk factors, temporary and permanent hearing impairments are becoming more common among young adults and children especially with the increased exposure to portable music players. Though treatment options are limited for most people with noise-related hearing loss, several modifiable health behaviors that should begin in childhood might prevent or delay the onset of hearing impairment. The purpose of this article is to review modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors, comorbidity, and the role of health education in the prevention of noise-induced hearing loss. METHODS Review of current literature in the etiology, prevention, and treatment of noise-induced hearing loss as well as the role of health education. RESULTS Non-modifiable risk factors related to noise-related hearing loss include increasing age, genetics, male gender, and race. Modifiable risk factors are voluntary exposure to loud noise, nonuse of hearing protection, smoking, lack of exercise, poor diet, tooth loss, and the presence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSIONS As hearing impairment among children and teenagers rises due to mostly voluntary exposure to loud noise, there are many implications for health education. Health educators need to address barriers to the use of hearing protection, deliberate exposure to loud music, and other modifiable risk factors, which cause and exacerbate hearing loss among those exposed to loud noise.
Functional brain mapping with locally smoothed regression

High-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (hi-res fMRI) methodology offers an opportunity for neuroscientists to gain insight about brain activities at a finer scale, and is thus becoming increasingly common. Traditional voxel-wise general linear model (GLM) is not suitable for hi-res functional brain mapping because local averaging may lose valuable fine-grained information boasted by hi-res fMRI. The searchlight approach may be more suited for this situation, but it can be improved to integrate multi-voxel information more completely and effectively. We propose a locally smoothed regression (LSR) to find the spatial organizations of neural activities, especially for hi-res data. LSR is a flexible model whereby the traditional voxel-wise regression can be seen as a special case of LSR. Further, LSR can be integrated into Mahalanobis-distance-based searchlight framework. This new approach promises to provide improved and reliable activation mapping as illustrated here by applying it to analyze a real set of data using hi-res fMRI imaging.
Allopurinol might improve response to azathioprine and 6‐mercaptopurine by correcting an unfavorable metabolite ratio

Background and Aim: Allopurinol potentiates azathioprine and 6‐mercaptopurine (6‐MP) by increasing 6‐thioguanine nucleotide (6‐TGN) metabolite concentrations. The outcome might also be improved by adding allopurinol in individuals who preferentially produce 6‐methylmercaptopurine nucleotides (6‐MMPN), rather than 6‐TGN. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of allopurinol on concentrations of 6‐MMPN and 6‐TGN in individuals with a high ratio of these metabolites (>20), which is indicative of a poor thiopurine response.
Distinctions between Panic Disorder and Generalised Anxiety Disorder: Clinical Presentation

Thirty-eight panic disorder and 48 generalised anxiety disorder subjects were asked to complete a number of questionnaires aimed at developing a general clinical picture of the two disorders. The results indicated that panic disorder is characterised by a sudden onset around the mid- to late-20s age group and is distinguished by symptoms which are chiefly hyperventilatory in nature and are accompanied by thoughts of serious physical or mental illness. Generalised anxiety disorder is characterised by a gradual onset of symptoms. Somatic symptoms associated with this disorder are generally accompanied by a realisation that the symptoms are the result of anxiety and are harmless. The two groups did not appear to differ greatly on a number of other scales except that the generalised anxiety disorder subjects scored higher on measures of manifest anxiety and social phobia.
Can aerobic exercise training affect health-related quality of life for people with multiple sclerosis?

Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) are often advised not to participate in vigorous exercise. Leading a relatively sedentary life, however, may exacerbate the debilitating effects of MS. In this study, 22 people participated in either a no-special-activity group (n = 11) or an experimental group (n = 11) that involved water aerobics three times a week for 10 weeks. Measures taken included scales for health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and psychological well-being. ANCOVAs using social support and the appropriate pretest scores as covariates revealed that after the intervention, the exercise group had more energy and vigor (extremely large effect sizes). Other very large effects were found in the exercise group, which had better social and sexual functioning and less bodily pain and fatigue than the control group. Future research should involve long-term studies to determine whether exercise not only improves quality of life but also helps slow the progression of disease.
Historic Flooding in the Sacramento Valley

THE DISCOVERY of gold in California was followed by an extraordinarily rancorous and protracted dispute between farm and mine interests in the Sacramento Valley. Essentially, the conflict centered on refuse from hydraulic gold mining-silt, sand, and gravel. The vast quantities of this debris presented mine operators with a formidable waste disposal problem. The solution was to dump the waste into convenient streams -mainly the left-bank tributaries of the lower Sacramento River. Such debris clogged and raised stream channels. Clear streams became turbid, braided, and unnavigable, and their capacity to contain and carry water was drastically reduced. In consequence, even minor freshets caused streams to overflow their banks and inundate large sections of the valley floors. During such flooding, mining debris, often of very low fertility, was widely distributed over land of high agricultural value.
Responses of Trabecular and Cortical Bone Turnover and Bone Mass and Strength to Bisphosphonate YH529 in Ovariohysterectomized Beagles with Calcium Restriction

Thirty‐six beagles, 18 months of age, underwent ovariohysterectomy (OHX) or a sham operation. Sham‐operated animals were given a diet with standard calcium (1.4%) (group 1, n = 6) or a restricted calcium diet (0.14%) (group 2, n = 6). The OHX animals were given the restricted calcium diet and YH529 orally with respective daily doses of 0, 0.02, 0.1, and 0.5 mg/kg of body weight (groups 3–6, n = 6 each) for 12 months. At the end of this period, the lumbar bone mineral densities (BMDs) in groups 2 and 3 and the load values for group 3 were significantly smaller than those for group 1. The midfemur BMD did not differ among the groups. The urinary deoxypyridinoline (U‐Dpy) and bone formation rates (BFR/BS, BFR/BV) in groups 2 and 3 and the osteonal BFR/BS and trabecular osteoclast number (Oc.N/BS) in group 3 were significantly larger than the respective values for group 1. However, these parameters did not significantly differ between groups 2 and 3. The serum osteocalcin (OC) level, wall thickness (W.Th), and mineral apposition rate values for group 3 were significantly larger than those for group 2. In group 2, the trabecular activation frequency (Ac.F) increased by 3.11 times, and the percent values of the number of labeled osteons (L‐Ot.N/T‐Ot.N, %) in the tibia by 3.28 times over those for group 1. In group 3, the Ac.F increased by 3.20 times and the number of labeled osteons by 3.77 times over those for group 1. In groups 4–6, the U‐Dpy and Oc.N/BS values were smaller, but their OC levels did not significantly differ from the level for group 3. The lumbar BMD, the load, and W.Th were dose‐dependently significantly larger than those for group 3. The Ac.F values were significantly smaller, and the respective value in groups 4–6 was 67.9, 25.5, and 10.2% of that in group 3. The BMDs of the midfemur in groups 4–6 were significantly larger than those in group 3, but the ultimate load values did not significantly differ. The L‐Ot.N/T‐Ot.N values were also significantly smaller, and the respective value in groups 4–6 was 82.0, 48.5, and 55.2% of that in group 3. The tibial endocortical and periosteal BFR/BSs did not differ significantly. These data demonstrate that the effects of OHX on bone mass and turnover were small in the beagles fed a restricted calcium diet. YH529 maintained the mass and strength of the lumbar bone by reducing the bone resorption. The cortical bone appeared to be less sensitive to the agent than the trabecular bone in this animal model.
Selection of food patches by sympatric herbivores in response to concealment and distance from a refuge

Summary Small herbivores face risks of predation while foraging and are often forced to trade off food quality for safety. Life history, behaviour, and habitat of predator and prey can influence these trade‐offs. We compared how two sympatric rabbits (pygmy rabbit, Brachylagus idahoensis; mountain cottontail, Sylvilagus nuttallii) that differ in size, use of burrows, and habitat specialization in the sagebrush‐steppe of western North America respond to amount and orientation of concealment cover and proximity to burrow refuges when selecting food patches. We predicted that both rabbit species would prefer food patches that offered greater concealment and food patches that were closer to burrow refuges. However, because pygmy rabbits are small, obligate burrowers that are restricted to sagebrush habitats, we predicted that they would show stronger preferences for greater cover, orientation of concealment, and patches closer to burrow refuges. We offered two food patches to individuals of each species during three experiments that either varied in the amount of concealment cover, orientation of concealment cover, or distance from a burrow refuge. Both species preferred food patches that offered greater concealment, but pygmy rabbits generally preferred terrestrial and mountain cottontails preferred aerial concealment. Only pygmy rabbits preferred food patches closer to their burrow refuge. Different responses to concealment and proximity to burrow refuges by the two species likely reflect differences in perceived predation risks. Because terrestrial predators are able to dig for prey in burrows, animals like pygmy rabbits that rely on burrow refuges might select food patches based more on terrestrial concealment. In contrast, larger habitat generalists that do not rely on burrow refuges, like mountain cottontails, might trade off terrestrial concealment for visibility to detect approaching terrestrial predators. This study suggests that body size and evolutionary adaptations for using habitat, even in closely related species, might influence anti‐predator behaviors in prey species.
Interoperability between library software: a solution for Iranian libraries

Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to propose a solution for data interoperability between library programs in Iran.Design/methodology/approach – The research proceeded through expressing the essence of interoperability in library programs in order to exchange metadata, In this regard, the current situation is analyzed using a researcher‐made checklist, and then the problems and shortcomings are highlighted in the field of the interoperability which in turn enables us to find some ways to overcome them.Findings – The majority of the library software in Iran do not respect data exchange. They mostly use ISO 2709 as an export format and rarely use other formats. Moreover, most of the library software use Z39.50 client to get information from Library of congress and also Iranian National Library. Therefore, none of them could exchange data between each other because of not using server side service. The proposed model tries to introduce harvesting metadata by OAI service provider and also searching .
Perspectives of people with enduring mental ill health from a community-based qualitative study.

BACKGROUND The views of people with enduring mental ill health have received limited exploration. Existing work has largely focused on patients in specialist mental health settings, rather than on a wider range of patients in the community. AIM To explore experiences and perceptions of health care of people with enduring mental ill health. DESIGN OF STUDY A community-based qualitative study using theoretical sampling, in-depth interviews, and grounded methodology. SETTING A total of 34 responders registered with four general practices, serving five wards with a mean Townsend Deprivation Score of 7.75. METHOD Subjects were chosen using a theoretical sampling framework and they participated in one-to-one interviews which were audiotaped. Themes were identified and developed by reading transcripts, then they were further refined and classified manually by open coding into key categories using a grounded approach. RESULTS The primary goal of the responders was to enhance, sustain, and take control of their mental health. The building of positive therapeutic relationships with professionals based upon effective communication, trust, and continuity were important to achieving this aim. However, the settings in which their health care took place could affect responders' attempts to deal with social stigma. Experiences of social isolation, socioeconomic privation, and stigmatisation were often pervasive. These compromised responders' opportunities and their capacity to enhance their mental health, compounding their illness and marginalisation. CONCLUSIONS This study shows the potential of health professionals to empower people with enduring mental ill health, by attending to the quality of communication and continuity of care they provide and to where this takes place. It further underlines a need to address the social stigma and exclusion this group experiences.
Cell migration from the thymus to other lymphoid organs in hamsters of different ages.

Hamsters of different ages were labeled intra thymus and intravenously with 3H-thymidine. After extraction of nucleic acids, measurements of DNA content and tritium activity, the specific activity of different organs was calculated. By comparing the pattern of label of different organs after these quantitative measurements, it could be concluded that a good local labeling was obtained in all intra thymus injected animals, and a quantitatively significant transport of label could be shown to occur from the thymus to the mesenteric lymph nodes and Peyer’s patches in animals of both sexes, and also to the spleen of male animals. This transport was shown in 23 day old hamsters in which the lymphatic organs except the thymus still are immature. No such transport could be demonstrated in adult animals. Autoradiographic examinations also showed a good local labeling in the intra thymus injected animals and a migration of heavily labeled cells to mesenteric lymph nodes in 7 days old animals, and to mesenteric lymph nodes, Peyer’s patches and the white pulp of the spleen in 23 days old animals. Only single heavily labeled cells were found in the "peripheral" lymphatic organs of adult animals.