Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Hypertension and Determination of Its Risk Factors in Rural Delhi

Introduction. Hypertension is an important public health challenge in both economically developing and developed countries. It is one of the risk factors for cardiovascular mortality. Data is available on hypertension in urban population but few studies are reported in rural areas. Materials and Methods. It was a community based cross-sectional study conducted in two rural areas in Delhi among 1005 subjects selected using systematic random sampling method. WHO STEPS approach was used to collect data. Blood pressure, body mass index, and blood sugar were measured. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 16. Odds of hypertension among subjects with risk factors were calculated. p value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results. The prevalence of hypertension was 14.1% among study subjects. Hypertension was significantly higher in individuals more than 35 years than those less than 35 years. Hypertension was significantly higher in those who take alcohol and in subjects with raised total cholesterol level but in multivariate analysis only age, education, and cholesterol levels were independently associated with hypertension. Conclusion. There is significant burden of hypertension in rural areas in Delhi. Age, education, and cholesterol levels were independent risk factors of hypertension.
A community-based early intervention program for toddlers with autism spectrum disorders

This study examined Pathways Early Autism Intervention, a community-based, parent-mediated, intensive behavioral and developmental intervention program for children with autism spectrum disorders that could be used as a model for state-funded early intervention programs. A single-subject, multiple-baseline, across-participants design was used. Four boys with autism spectrum disorder and their mothers participated. Interventionists made weekly home visits and worked with caregivers to establish and maintain face-to-face reciprocal social interaction and eye contact. Each session included a 10-min video of parent–child interaction. Evidence of intervention effectiveness was measured by percentage of nonoverlapping data points. Social validity was measured using questionnaire items in regard to parents’ perception of the intervention. The intervention was effective for the measures of eye contact, social engagement, and verbal reciprocity but not for nonverbal turn taking. Parents perceived the intervention as beneficial and easy to learn and incorporate into daily life.
Amifostine has antiangiogenic properties in vitro by changing the redox status of human endothelial cells

Amifostine is a broad-spectrum cytoprotective agent, selective for normal tissues. It is a pro-drug metabolised to the free thiol WR-1065 that may act as a scavenger of free radicals, generated in tissues exposed to chemotherapeutic agents or radiation. WR-1065 can be further oxidized to its symmetric disulfide WR-33278 or degraded to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Both WR-1065 and WR-33278 resemble endogenous polyamines. Although amifostine is used in some cases in the clinic, there are only few studies concerning its actions at the cellular level. We have previously shown that amifostine inhibits angiogenesis in vivo, affecting the expression of several angiogenic genes. In the present work, we studied the effect of amifostine on human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) functions in vitro, in order to further clarify its mechanism(s) of action. Amifostine increased HUVEC proliferation, an effect that was reversed by the intracellular H2O2 scavenger sodium pyruvate, agents that increase intracellular cAMP levels and L-valine. On the other hand, amifostine decreased HUVEC migration, an effect that was reversed by L-valine or L-arginine but not sodium pyrouvate. The decrease in migration was in line with decreased tube formation on matrigel and decreased amounts of metalloproteinase-2 released into the culture medium of HUVEC. Finally, amifostine reduced tyrosine nitration of the cytoskeletal proteins actin and α-tubulin in a time dependent manner. This last action could be due to the reduced production of nitric oxide (NO) or to other not yet identified mechanisms. Collectively, our results suggest that amifostine acts on endothelial cells through pathways that affect the redox status of the cells, either by producing H2O2 or by modulating NO production.
INADMISSIBILITY OF THE USUAL ESTIMATOR FOR THE MEAN OF A MULTIVARIATE NORMAL DISTRIBUTION

If one observes the real random variables Xi, X,, independently normally distributed with unknown means ti, *, {n and variance 1, it is customary to estimate (i by Xi. If the loss is the sum of squares of the errors, this estimator is admissible for n < 2, but inadmissible for n _ 3. Since the usual estimator is best among those which transform correctly under translation, any admissible estimator for n _ 3 involves an arbitrary choice. While the results of this paper are not in a form suitable for immediate practical application, the possible improvement over the usual estimator seems to be large enough to be of practical importance if n is large. Let X be a random n-vector whose expected value is the completely unknown vector t and whose components are independently normally distributed with variance 1. We consider the problem of estimating t with the loss function L given by
Characterization of Ax Adenosine Receptors in Atrial and Ventricular Myocardium From Diseased Human Hearts

The purpose of the present study was to characterize adenosine receptors in human atrial and ventricular myocardium. In isolated electrically driven preparations, adenosine produced „direct” negative inotropic effects in atrial myocardium (AT). In ventricular myocardium (VE), it only had negative Inotropic properties when force of contraction had been stimulated with isoprenaline (“indirect” effect), but it has no inotropic effect alone. The adenosine receptor antagonist 8-phenyltheophylline antagonized the „direct” and „indirect” effects; these findings indicated that both effects were mediated by adenosine receptors. In cardiac membranes from human AT and VE, adenosine receptors were characterized with [3H]-8-cyclopentyl-l,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX) binding. The effects of agonists. R-(-)-N6-phenylisopropyladenosinc (R-PIA), S-(+)-N6-phenylisopropyladenosuie (S-PIA), and 5′-(N-ethylcarboxamido)adenosine (NECA) and the effects of guanine nucleotides [Gpp(NH)p] were studied also. The antagonist affinities as judged from the apparent affinity, Kd, of [3H] DPCPX were similar in AT (2.2 nmol/1; 95% confidence limits, 1.4–3.7) and VE (1.8 nmol/1; 95% confidence limits, 1.0–3.0). The number of adenosine receptors was 1.7 times greater in AT (26.9 ± 2.33 fmol/mg protein; n =5) than in VE (16.2 ± 23 fmol/mg protein; n =5). High and low affinity states of adenosine receptors evaluated with the influence of Gpp(NH)p on agonist competition with R-PIA were similar in AT or VE. The rank orders of potency for agonists (R-PIA>S-PIA>NECA) and antagonists (DPCPX>8-phenyltheophylline>theophylline) were characteristic for the A, receptor subtype. It is concluded that A, adenosine receptors exist in the human myocardium. Since binding properties were similar in AT and VE, the same A1 adenosine receptor probably couples to different effectors in a similar guanine nucleotide-dependent way. [3H] DPCPX is the first radiolabeled antagonist ligand that allows detection of A, adenosine receptors and their coupling in the human myocardium.
Nose tip detection on three-dimensional faces using pose-invariant differential surface features

Three-dimensional (3D) facial data offer the potential to overcome the difficulties caused by the variation of head pose and illumination in 2D face recognition. In 3D face recognition, localisation of nose tip is essential to face normalisation, face registration and pose correction etc. Most of the existing methods of nose tip detection on 3D face deal mainly with frontal or near-frontal poses or are rotation sensitive. Many of them are training-based or model-based. In this study, a novel method of nose tip detection is proposed. Using pose-invariant differential surface features – high-order and low-order curvatures, it can detect nose tip on 3D faces under various poses automatically and accurately. Moreover, it does not require training and does not depend on any particular model. Experimental results on GavabDB verify the robustness and accuracy of the proposed method.
The effect of physician-nurse substitution in primary care in chronic diseases: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND Chronically ill and ageing populations demand increasing human resources who can provide on-going and frequent follow-up care. We performed a systematic review to assess the effect of physician-nurse substitution on process care outcomes. METHODS We searched OVID Medline, Embase, CINAHL and The Cochrane Library for all available dates up to August 2012 and updated in February 2014. We selected and critically appraised published randomised controlled trials (RCT) and followed the PRISMA guidelines for the reporting of systematic reviews. RESULTS A total of 14 RCTs comprising 10,743 participants met the inclusion criteria. Studies were generally small and suffered from attrition of ≥20% and selection biases. There were 53 process measurements investigated in the 14 RCTs, many of which were unique to specific conditions. Accounts of nurses' roles, responsibilities, tasks, qualifications and training content/components were not described in sufficient detail. Most study estimates showed no significant differences between nurse-led care and physician-led care while less than a half (~40%) favoured nurse-led care. CONCLUSIONS Despite the methodological limitations and the varying nurses' roles and competencies across studies, specially trained nurses can provide care that is at least as equivalent to care provided by physicians for the management of chronic diseases, in terms of process of care. Future, larger studies with better quality methods are needed and should report and assess whether the differences in effects vary due to diversity in roles, qualifications, training competencies and characteristics of clinicians delivering substitution of care.
Treatment for Preschool Children With Interpersonal Sexual Behavior Problems: A Pilot Study

This pilot study evaluated a 12-week group treatment program for preschool children with interpersonal sexual behavior problems (SBP; N = 85; 53 completed at least 8 sessions). Many children presented with co-occurring trauma symptoms and disruptive behaviors. In intent-to-treat analysis, a significant linear reduction in SBP due to number of treatment sessions attended was found, an effect that was independent of linear reductions affiliated with elapsed time. Under the assumption that treatment can have an incremental impact, more than one third of the variance was accounted for by treatment effects, with female and older children most favorably impacted. Caregivers reported increase in knowledge, satisfaction, and usefulness of treatment. In addition to replication, future research is needed to examine (a) effects of environment change and time on SBP, (b) stability of treatment effects, and (c) best practices to integrate evidence-based treatments for comorbid conditions.
Esophageal Impedance Monitoring for Gastroesophageal Reflux

Dual pH-multichannel intraluminal impedance (pH-MII) is a sensitive tool for evaluating overall gastroesophageal reflux disease, and particularly for permitting detection of nonacid reflux events. pH-MII technology is especially useful in the postprandial period or at other times when gastric contents are nonacidic. pH-MII was recently recognized by the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition and the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition as being superior to pH monitoring alone for evaluation of the temporal relation between symptoms and gastroesophageal reflux. In children, pH-MII is useful to correlate symptoms with reflux (particularly nonacid reflux), to quantify reflux during tube feedings and the postprandial period, and to assess efficacy of antireflux therapy. This clinical review is simply an evidence-based overview addressing the indications, limitations, and recommended protocol for the clinical use of pH-MII in children.
Destination information system in the function of forming an identity for Zadar County as tourist destination

This article elaborates the importance of implementing the destination information system (DIS) as an instrument of forming the identity of Zadar County as tourist destination. The introductory part treats DIS in current market conditions, as a generic instrument which is very important for tourist destinations. In the concluding part it is asserted that tourist destinations must pay necessary attention to the collecting, processing, storing and disseminating of information, which should result with adequate messages, later conveyed to the tourism market.
Dexamethasone as Adjuvant Therapy to Moxifloxacin Attenuates Valve Destruction in Experimental Aortic Valve Endocarditis Due to Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT Although the beneficial effects of dexamethasone have frequently been investigated in various serious-infection settings, insufficient data on valve histology and cardiac function for infective endocarditis are available. The efficacy of moxifloxacin for the treatment of experimental aortic valve endocarditis due to methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus and the long-term effects of dexamethasone were evaluated in the current study. Sixty-eight rabbits were randomly assigned to four groups: A, B, C, and D. Group A consisted of 18 animals and functioned as a control group. Groups B and C consisted of 11 and 23 subjects, respectively, which received moxifloxacin for 5 days in a human-like pharmacokinetic simulation. Group D consisted of 16 animals that were administered moxifloxacin plus dexamethasone (0.25 mg/kg of body weight twice a day intravenously). The group B animals were sacrificed a day after the completion of treatment, and group C and D animals were sacrificed after 12 days in order to monitor any possible relapse and allow microbiological, histopathological, and echocardiographic evaluation of the long-term effects of glucocorticoids. No differences in survival, sterilization rates, or inflammatory infiltration and calcification of valve tissue were observed among the treated groups. However, the degrees of valve damage and collagenization were significantly worse, the fibroblast content was higher, and fractional shortening of the left ventricle fluctuated significantly in group C compared to group D (all groups, P < 0.05). We concluded that dexamethasone treatment for experimental S. aureus endocarditis attenuates valve destruction and preserves overall cardiac function without impeding the efficacy of moxifloxacin.
Effectiveness of Meningococcal B Vaccine against Endemic Hypervirulent Neisseria meningitidis W Strain, England

Serum samples from children immunized with a meningococcal serogroup B vaccine demonstrated potent serum bactericidal antibody activity against the hypervirulent Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W strain circulating in England. The recent introduction of this vaccine into the United Kingdom national immunization program should also help protect infants against this endemic strain.
Molecular Mechanism and Classification of von Willebrand Disease

The characterization of mutations in von Willebrand disease provides useful insight into the synthesis, structure, and function of von Willebrand factor. This growing body of information has prompted a reclassification of vWD types that is intended to reflect distinct pathophysiologic mechanisms. Despite this apparent progress, many aspects of vWF biology and pathophysiology remain poorly understood. These include the mechanism by which binding of vWF to platelets is induced at sites of vascular injury, and the factors that influence the likelihood of bleeding symptoms in patients with vWD type 1.
Coadministration of a Liver X Receptor Agonist and a Peroxisome Proliferator Activator Receptor-α Agonist in Mice: Effects of Nuclear Receptor Interplay on High-Density Lipoprotein and Triglyceride Metabolism in Vivo

Liver X receptors (LXRs) are master transcription factors regulating cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism. Treatment of C57B6 mice with a specific synthetic LXR agonist, N-(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)-N-[4-[2,2,2-trifluoro-1-hydroxy-1(trifluoromethyl)-ethyl]phenyl]-benzenesulfonamide (T0901317), resulted in elevated high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol as well as plasma and liver triglycerides. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) agonists are known to induce peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation and also mediate HDL cholesterol metabolism. We have explored the hypothesis that simultaneous activation of PPARα and LXR may lead to additive effects on HDL cholesterol elevation as well as attenuation of triglyceride accumulation. Coadministration of T0901317 and the specific PPARα agonist [4-chloro-6-(2,3-xylidino)-2-pyrimidinylthioacetic acid (Wy14643)] in mice led to synergistic elevation of HDL cholesterol that was primarily associated with enlarged HDL particles enriched with apoE and apoAI. Liver phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) mRNA and plasma PLTP activity were additively elevated, suggesting a role of PLTP in the observed HDL cholesterol elevation. Moderate increases in plasma triglyceride levels induced by LXR activation was reduced, whereas the accumulation of triglyceride in the liver was not altered upon coadministration of the PPARα agonist. Peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation in the liver was dramatically elevated upon PPARα activation as expected. Interestingly, activation of LXRs via T0901317 also led to a significant increase in peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation. Sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c expression was dramatically up-regulated by the LXR agonist but was not changed with PPARα agonist treatment. Liver lipoprotein lipase expression was additively increased upon LXR agonist and PPARα agonist coadministration. Our studies mark the first exploration of nuclear receptor interplay on lipid homeostasis in vivo.
Cognitive Recovery in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus After Shunt

ObjectiveEvaluate long-term changes in cognition after ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus. BackgroundAlthough studies have indicated that treatment of normal pressure hydrocephalus with ventriculoperitoneal shunt improves gait, effects of treatment on cognition have been inconsistent. Several studies have reported no significant improvement on neuropsychological tests in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus. Selection of candidates for shunt surgery using a trial of controlled spinal fluid drainage via lumbar catheter may result in more consistent improvement in cognition. Design/MethodsThis was a prospective, longitudinal study of performance on neuropsychological tests before and 6 to 12 months after insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt in 10 patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus who showed improvement in at least 1 clinical symptom with temporary lumbar drainage. Nonparametric tests were used to evaluate change. ResultsSignificant group improvements at follow-up were demonstrated on tests of verbal memory as well as in 1 test of psychomotor speed. Eight of 10 patients showed improvement by more than 1 standard deviation on at least 1 memory test. Six of 10 patients improved significantly on more than 50% of the tests administered. ConclusionsPatients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus who show clinical improvement (in any symptom) after lumbar drainage are likely to show significant long-term improvement in memory after ventriculoperitoneal shunt.
Comparative Analysis of the Thermal Insulation Properties of Fabrics Made of Natural and Man-Made Cellulose Fibres

Yarn made of natural and man-made cellulose fibres is nowadays commonly applied in textiles. It is already apparent that the type of raw material and fabric structure influences the properties of the finished goods. The main aim of this paper was to present a comparative analysis of thermal insulation properties (such as thermal conductivity, absorption and thermal resistance) of fabrics made of cotton and Tencel. 6 samples of cotton fabrics and 9 samples of fabrics from Tencel yarns were produced for the purpose of these tests. All fabrics had warp and weft yarns of nominal linear density of 20 tex. Three kinds of weaves were applied: plain, combined and twill with nominal warp and weft densities of 320/dm. The measurements were carried out on finished fabrics with the use of the ALAMBETA device. The results are presented graphically and discussed. The finished fabrics made of Tencel yarn showed lower values of thermal conductivity and thermal absorption than fabrics made of cotton yarns, and higher values of thermal diffusion and resistance. The influence of the type of weave on thermal properties was observed for all fabrics made of cotton and Tencel.
Metabotropic NMDA receptor function is required for β-amyloid–induced synaptic depression

The mechanisms by which β-amyloid (Aβ), a peptide fragment believed to contribute to Alzheimer’s disease, leads to synaptic deficits are not known. Here we find that elevated oligomeric Aβ requires ion flux-independent function of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) to produce synaptic depression. Aβ activates this metabotropic NMDAR function on GluN2B-containing NMDARs but not on those containing GluN2A. Furthermore, oligomeric Aβ leads to a selective loss of synaptic GluN2B responses, effecting a switch in subunit composition from GluN2B to GluN2A, a process normally observed during development. Our results suggest that conformational changes of the NMDAR, and not ion flow through its channel, are required for Aβ to produce synaptic depression and a switch in NMDAR composition. This Aβ-induced signaling mediated by alterations in GluN2B conformation may be a target for therapeutic intervention of Alzheimer’s disease.
Characteristics of canonical intrinsic connectivity networks across tasks and monozygotic twin pairs

Intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs) are becoming more prominent in the analyses of in vivo brain activity as the field of neurometrics has revealed their importance for augmenting traditional cognitive neuroscience approaches. Consequently, tools that assess the coherence, or connectivity, and morphology of ICNs are being developed to support inferences and assumptions about the dynamics of the brain. Recently, we reported trait‐like profiles of ICNs showing reliability over time and reproducibility across different contexts. This study further examined the trait‐like and familial nature of ICNs by utilizing two divergent task paradigms in twins. The study aimed to identify stable network phenotypes that exhibited sensitivity to individual differences and external perturbations in task demands. Analogous ICNs were detected in each task and these ICNs showed consistency in morphology and intranetwork coherence across tasks, whereas the ICN timecourse dynamics showed sensitivity to task demands. Specifically, the timecourse of an arm/hand sensorimotor network showed the strongest correlation with the timeline of a hand imitation task, and the timecourse of a language‐processing network showed the strongest temporal association with a verb generation task. The area V1/simple visual stimuli network exhibited the most consistency in morphology, coherence, and timecourse dynamics within and across tasks. Similarly, this network exhibited familiality in all three domains as well. Hence, this experiment is a proof of principle that the morphology and coherence of ICNs can be consistent both within and across tasks, that ICN timecourses can be differentially and meaningfully modulated by a task, and that these domains can exhibit familiality. Hum Brain Mapp 35:5532–5549, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.