Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of oral infection of La Crosse virus on survival and fecundity of native Ochlerotatus triseriatus and invasive Stegomyia albopicta

Arboviruses can have benign, deleterious, or beneficial effects on the vector. We tested the hypothesis that oral infection with La Crosse virus (LACV) will have little to no effect on mosquito longevity and fecundity, a prediction of low virulence selected in a system with frequent vertical transmission. We tested the effects of infection in native Ochlerotatus triseriatus Say and invasive Stegomyia albopicta Skuse (Diptera: Culicidae). We artificially fed adult female mosquitoes of each species with either LACV‐infected or uninfected bovine blood and determined adult longevity and fecundity. For females fed LACV‐infected blood, bodies and legs, respectively, were separately homogenized and assayed by quantitative reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) to determine the LACV infection and dissemination rates. Ochlerotatus triseriatus had a higher infection and dissemination rate than St. albopicta. For both species, female size had no effect on infection status. Infection status also had no effect on longevity or fecundity for both species. We suggest that the high frequency of vertical transmission may have selected for strains of the virus with low virulence in two vectors, in spite of their different evolutionary histories with the virus.
Transient bacteremia and endocarditis prophylaxis.

Transient bacteremia is usually asymptomatic and thus of little clinical significance in most patients. Individuals with valvular heart disease are a notable exception, because circulating bacteria may lodge on damaged or prosthetic heart valves, resulting in bacterial endocarditis. Transient bacteremia can occur with many medical procedures, and the use of antibiotics to prevent endocarditis in the high-risk patient has become an accepted medical practice. This is based on the premise that microbial seeding of a damaged valve can be prevented by prior administration of antibiotics. 1-3 There is no direct evidence for the efficacy of this approach in man; therefore, recommendations must be based on studies using animal models. 1,4 The issue may never be completely resolved, because a controlled human study is not feasible. Based on a calculated risk of 0.2%, Durack 5 estimated that at least 6,000 patients who have valvular heart disease and are undergoing dental procedures
Ascorbic acid improves membrane fragility and decreases haemolysis during red blood cell storage

Changes that occur to red blood cells (RBCs) during routine blood bank storage include decreased deformability, increased haemolysis and oxidative damage. Oxidative injury to the RBC membrane and haemoglobin can affect changes in shape and deformability. Ascorbic acid (AA) is an antioxidant that maintains haemoglobin in a reduced state and minimises RBC oxidative injury. We hypothesised that AA would improve membrane fragility and decrease haemolysis during storage.
Perinatal transmission of multidrug-resistant HIV-1 despite viral suppression on an enfuvirtide-based treatment regimen.

A dramatic decline in perinatal HIV-1 transmission since the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy has been one of the most remarkable successes in the history of the HIV-1 epidemic [1–5]. The current risk of perinatal HIV-1 transmission among women with plasma viral loads less than 1000 copies/ml at or near delivery is estimated to be less than 1% [6,7]. This success is primarily the result of treatment-mediated suppression of HIV-1 replication during the intrapartum period [8–10]. It remains unclear, however, whether HIV-1 replication needs to be suppressed in the plasma or other compartments such as the maternal genital tract. Whereas the maternal plasma load is a strong predictor of perinatal transmission, Tuomala and colleagues [11] recently demonstrated that the maternal genital tract viral burden independently correlates with transmission. We present a case in which the perinatal transmission of multidrugresistant HIV-1 occurred in a mother–child pair despite undetectable plasma HIV-1-RNA levels in the mother. Interestingly, the mother was receiving a regimen in which the only fully effective drug (enfuvirtide, T20) may have limited distribution to the genital tract.
Relation of serum uric acid to mortality and ischemic heart disease. The NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study.

Although hyperuricemia is frequently found among persons with ischemic heart disease, its importance as a risk factor remains uncertain. The authors examined this relation among 5,421 persons in the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I) Epidemiologic Follow-up Study; baseline data were collected in 1971-1975 and follow-up was through 1987. No associations were seen among men, but, among women, the serum uric acid level was predictive of mortality from all causes and from ischemic heart disease. These associations persisted even after excluding the first 10 years of follow-up and were independent of use of antihypertensive agents and diuretics, diastolic blood pressure, overweight, and other characteristics. A dose-response relation was evident for mortality from ischemic heart disease: each 1-mg/dl change in uric acid (about two thirds of the standard deviation) among women increased the rate by 1.48 (95% confidence interval 1.3-1.7). Furthermore, as compared with women who had a uric acid level < 4 mg/dl, those with a level > or = 7 mg/dl had a 4.8-fold (95% confidence interval 1.9-12) higher rate of ischemic heart disease mortality. In contrast, the uric acid level showed a weaker relation with disease incidence among women, with a rate ratio of 1.14 for each 1-mg/dl change. Although the biologic mechanism is unclear, further investigation into the possible role of uric acid in the development of ischemic heart disease is needed.
SUBMILLIMETER GALAXY NUMBER COUNTS AND MAGNIFICATION BY GALAXY CLUSTERS

We present an analytical model that reproduces measured galaxy number counts from surveys in the wavelength range of 500 μm–2 mm. The model involves a single high-redshift galaxy population with a Schechter luminosity function that has been gravitationally lensed by galaxy clusters in the mass range 1013–1015 M☉. This simple model reproduces both the low-flux and the high-flux end of the number counts reported by the BLAST, SCUBA, AzTEC, and South Pole Telescope (SPT) surveys. In particular, our model accounts for the most luminous galaxies detected by SPT as the result of high magnifications by galaxy clusters (magnification factors of 10–30). This interpretation implies that submillimeter (submm) and millimeter surveys of this population may prove to be a useful addition to ongoing cluster detection surveys. The model also implies that the bulk of submm galaxies detected at wavelengths larger than 500 μm lie at redshifts greater than 2.
Hepato-Renal and Hematological Effects of Diclofenac Sodium in Rats

2 Abstract: The present study was carried out to evaluate the adverse effects of a daily single injection of diclofenac sodium at different doses on some hematological, biochemical parameters and oxidative stress. Histological changes in liver and kidney induced by diclofenac sodium were also investigated in male albino rats. Forty five rats were randomly divided into 3 equal groups, the first group was given saline intramuscullary and kept as a control.The second group recieved diclofenac sodium at a dose of 6.75 mg / kg b.wt. i. m. once/day. The third group was given diclofenac sodium at a dose of 13.5 mg / kg b.wt. i. m. once/day. Diclofenac sodium and saline were administered for two consecutive weeks. The obtained results showed that, diclofenac sodium at dose of 13.5 mg / kg b.wt. induced a significant decrease in Hb, PCV, RBCs and WBCs values. Moreover there were a significant decrease in serum total protein and albumin levels and significant increase in aminotranseferases, alkaline phosphatase, urea and creatinine levels. In addition there were a significant reduction in reduced glutathione(GSH) levels and significant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) content in liver and kidney homogenates. Histopathological alterations were found in livers and kidneys. However, diclofenac sodium at dose of 6.75 mg / kg b.wt. induced non signaficant changes in the previous parameters. It could be concluded that administration of diclofenac sodium at high dose induced some adverse effects on hematological, biochemical, oxidative parameters as well as histology of liver and kidney. That could be attributed to oxidative stress induced by the drug. However, these effects were reversible.
Regulation of Oxidative and Glycogenolytic ATP Synthesis in Exercising Rat Skeletal Muscle Studied by 31P Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements of pH and the concentrations of orthophosphate and phosphocreatine were used to estimate rates of glycogenolytic and oxidative ATP synthesis in rat leg muscle during 6 min sciatic nerve stimulation at different rates (1–4 Hz). To study the regulation of glycogenolysis during exercise, the apparent "glycogenolytic capacity' (LMAX) was calculated from glycogenolytic ATP synthesis rate and orthophosphate concentration as a measure of the Ca2+‐dependent activation of glycogen phosphorylase. This was found to be proportional to the total ATP synthesis rate (F), and to decline with time; expressed relative to total ATP turnover rate as LMAX/F, its initial value was 2.9±0.6, declining with half‐time 1.4±0.4 min. The apparent "mitochondrial capacity' (QMAX), calculated from oxidative ATP synthesis rate and [ADP], was independent of ATP turnover rate, but increased with half‐time 0.8±0.1 min to 29±2 mmol kg−1 min−1: thus [ADP] was the predominant but not the only influence on oxidative ATP synthesis. Numerical simulation shows that time‐dependent changes in LMAX>/F exert a strong influence on pH and on the concentrations of phosphocreatine and ADP
Drug-Induced Erythema Multiforme: A Possible Immunologic Pathogenesis

A 37-year-old female developed erythema multiforme 17 days after beginning carbamazepine for complex partial seizures. The carbamazepine was discontinued and Phenytoin begun. A new rash developed and Phenytoin therapy was stopped. In vitro immunologic studies were conducted in an effort to understand the pathogenesis of the rashes. Enhancement of stimulated in vitro lymphocyte proliferation from the patient occurred in the presence of carbamazepine and Phenytoin. Neither drug had an enhancing effect on lymphocyte proliferation from a control subject. These data, together with clinical data, strongly suggest an immunologic pathogenesis for drug-induced erythema multiforme.
Burnout Among Corrections-Based Drug Treatment Staff

As a result of limited budgets, many treatment programs are forced to operate for extended periods at or beyond their capacity. The resulting pressure and stress on treatment staff can be taxing and lead to serious problems, including job burnout. Although the concept of burnout within other social service professions has been broadly researched, less attention has been given to burnout among drug abuse treatment staff, especially among corrections-based drug treatment staff. The goal of this article is to extend this area of research by exploring the impact of individual factors and organizational factors on burnout. Findings revealed that although a number of factors were related to staff burnout, younger counselor age, lower adaptability, poorer clarity of agency mission, and higher stress were most significant. Ways in which treatment programs might address these issues affecting staff burnout are discussed.
Adult pallium transcriptomes surprise in not reflecting predicted homologies across diverse chicken and mouse pallial sectors

The thorniest problem in comparative neurobiology is the identification of the particular brain region of birds and reptiles that corresponds to the mammalian neocortex [Butler AB, Reiner A, Karten HJ (2011) Ann N Y Acad Sci 1225:14–27; Wang Y, Brzozowska-Prechtl A, Karten HJ (2010) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107(28):12676–12681]. We explored which genes are actively transcribed in the regions of controversial ancestry in a representative bird (chicken) and mammal (mouse) at adult stages. We conducted four analyses comparing the expression patterns of their 5,130 most highly expressed one-to-one orthologous genes that considered global patterns of expression specificity, strong gene markers, and coexpression networks. Our study demonstrates transcriptomic divergence, plausible convergence, and, in two exceptional cases, conservation between specialized avian and mammalian telencephalic regions. This large-scale study potentially resolves the complex relationship between developmental homology and functional characteristics on the molecular level and settles long-standing evolutionary debates.
Mid‐trimester fetal sex determination from maternal peripheral blood by fluorescence in situ hybridization without enrichment of fetal cells

To determine the fetal sex on 30 women who were 16–20 weeks pregnant, about 100 000 maternal blood nucleated cells were analysed by means of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with a Y‐chromosome‐specific DNA probe. Cells with the hybridization signal were detected in 12 of the 30 women. All the 12 mothers gave birth to a male child. Of the other 18 women who had no Y‐positive cells in the peripheral blood, 14 gave birth to a female child and four gave birth to a male child. These false‐negative results probably occurred because the number of cells examined was inadequate. The data obtained in this study suggest that fetal sex determination using maternal peripheral blood with FISH is possible and that this diagnostic method will be clinically useful when more cells are analysed.
Genetic structure of invasive weed Parthenium hysterophorus in Australia and Pakistan.

Understanding the patterns of genetic structure in the introduced range of invasive species can help elucidate invasion histories and levels of gene flow among populations. Parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.; PW) is native to the Gulf of Mexico and central South America but has become globally invasive during the last three decades and little is known about the genetics of this species in its invasive range. The present study was conducted to determine the genetic structure of 95 individual samples from 11 populations (9 from Pakistan and 2 from Australia) of PW using ISSR fingerprinting. A total of 30 ISSR primers were screened; of which eight were selected due to their high polymorphism and reproducibility. In toto 147 bands were amplified, which ranged in size from 200-2000 bp; among which 97 were polymorphic. Genetic diversity within the populations both from Pakistan and Australia ranged between 0.193-0.278. Approximately 18% of genetic variation occurred among and 82% within populations. Principal Coordinate Analysis showed that within the 95 samples two groups were present: one contained samples collected mainly from Pakistan and the second group included the Australian samples along with two populations from Pakistan. Overall, there was limited gene flow among PW populations in Pakistan, although the genetic diversity within populations was high. The degree of genetic variation inferred from various population diversity measures can predict different events of founding populations, which have passed through complicated processes of invasion, experiencing genetic bottlenecks. Taken together, results showed that PW in Pakistan is genetically heterogeneous and may have been the result of multiple introductions.
In Search of Zero Beta Assets: Evidence from the Sukuk Market

Abstract—The financial crises caused a collapse in prices of most asset classes, raising the attention on alternative investments such as sukuk, a smaller, fast growing but often misunderstood market. We study diversification benefits of sukuk, their correlation with other asset classes and the effects of their inclusion in investment portfolios of institutional and retail investors, through a comprehensive comparison of their risk/return profiles during and after the financial crisis. We find a beneficial performance adjusted for the specific volatility together with a lower correlation especially during the financial crisis. The distribution of sukuk returns is positively skewed and leptokurtic, with a risk/return profile similarly to high yield bonds. Overall, our results suggest that sukuk present diversification opportunities, a significant volatility-adjusted performance and lower correlations especially during the financial crisis. Our findings are relevant for a number of institutional investors. Long term investors, such as life insurers would benefit from sukuk’s protective features during financial crisis yet keeping return and growth opportunities, whereas banks would gain due to their role of placers, advisors, market makers or underwriters.
Concurrent and 2-Year Longitudinal Relations Between Executive Function and the Behavior of 1st and 2nd Grade Children

Concurrent and 2-year longitudinal relations were investigated between two indicators of children’s (n =60; mean age = years 11 months) executive function, inhibitory control and sequencing ability, and behavior problem symptomatology. Dependent measures were parent and teacher reported internalizing and externalizing behavior. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated few significant concurrent associations between either inhibitory control or sequencing ability, and behavior problem symptoms. In contrast, baseline inhibitory control predicted decreased teacher reported externalizing, and parent reported externalizing and internalizing behavior problems over a 2-year period. Baseline sequencing ability also predicted decreased teacher reported externalizing and parent reported internalizing behavior over this same time period. Results suggest that some aspects of executive function in early elementary grade-school children may be more strongly associated with change in behavior over time than concurrent behavior. Implications of these findings for the prevention of behavior problems are discussed.
A STUDY OF DETERMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND PROBLEM BEHAVIOR OF URBAN SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BANGLADESH

The present study attempts to examine the relationship between academic achievement and problem behavior of students of secondary schools. It also contributes facts and insights about the prevalence of problem behavior among students. A total 1208 respondents including students (grade IX), teachers and experts were engaged in collecting data through questionnaire, interviews and focus group discussion (FGDs). Students’ academic achievement was assessed using their cumulative grade point average (CGPA). Problem behavior was assessed from self report Bengali version of strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ). An explanatory sequential mixed method research design was applied where initial quantitative data collection and analysis was followed by a qualitative data collection and analysis. The findings show that as per the SDQ scale 22% of the total students either lie in the borderline or in the abnormal band. The prevalence of hyperactivity-inattention is the most and peer problem is the least among students. There remain gender differences in terms of problem behavior of students. Emotional problems are more prevalent among girls on the other hand the prevalence of hyperactivity-inattention is more among boys. The correlation analysis indicates that academic achievement of students has considerable negative and significant relationship with all the attributes of problem behavior (Emotional symptoms, Conduct problems, Hyperactivity-inattention and Peer problems). Hyperactivity-Inattention has the most and conduct problem has the least association with academic achievement.
Properties and distribution of single voltage-gated calcium channels in adult hippocampal neurons.

1. The properties of single voltage-gated calcium channels were investigated in acutely exposed CA3 and CA1 pyramidal neurons and granule cells of area dentata in the adult guinea pig hippocampal formation. 2. Guinea pig hippocampal slices were prepared in a conventional manner, then treated with proteolytic enzymes and gently shaken to expose the somata of the three cell types studied. Standard patch-clamp techniques were used to record current flow through calcium channels in cell-attached membrane patches with isotonic barium as the charge carrier. 3. Single-channel current amplitudes were measured at different membrane potentials. Single-channel current-voltage plots were constructed and single-channel slope conductances were found to fall into three classes. These were (approximately) 8, 14, and 25 pS, and were observed in all three cell types. 4. The three groups of channels differed from each other in voltage dependence of activation: from a holding potential of -80, the small-conductance channel began to activate at about -40 to -30 mV, the medium-conductance channel at about -20 mV, and the large-conductance channel at approximately 0 mV. 5. Ensemble averages of single-channel currents during voltage steps revealed differences in voltage-dependent inactivation. The small-conductance channel inactivated completely within approximately 50 ms during steps from -80 to -10 mV or more positive. Steps to less positive potentials resulted in less inactivation. The medium-conductance channel displayed variable inactivation during steps from -80 to 0 mV. Inactivation of this channel during a 160-ms step ranged from virtually zero to approximately 100%. The large-conductance channel displayed no significant inactivation during steps as long as 400 ms. 6. The large-conductance channel was strikingly affected by the dihydropyridine agonist Bay K8644 (0.5-2.0 microM), resulting in a high probability of channel opening, prolonged openings, and an apparent increase in the number of channels available for activation. The medium and small-conductance channels were not noticeably affected by the drug. 7. The large-conductance channel could be induced to open at very negative membrane potentials by holding the patch for several seconds at 20 or 30 mV and stepping to -30 or -40 mV. This process was enhanced by Bay K8644, resulting in prolonged openings at potentials as negative as -100 mV. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
The ezetimibe controversy – can this be resolved by comparing the clinical trials with simvastatin and ezetimibe alone and together?

Introduction: The primary target in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia is often to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, rather than improve clinical outcomes. Despite the wide use of lipid-modifying drugs, considerable cardiovascular mortality and morbidity remains with this disease. Hypercholesterolemia plays a key role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis and can lead to cardiac heart disease. Areas covered: The purpose of this review is to determine whether ezetimibe has proven clinical benefits; it discusses the clinical trials of simvastatin and ezetimibe alone and in combination. Expert opinion: Simvastatin has been clearly shown to decrease LDL-cholesterol, which is associated with the slowing of atherosclerosis and a reduction in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Ezetimibe alone or in the presence of simvastatin lowers LDL-cholesterol. However, ezetimibe alone or in the presence of simvastatin has not been shown to have any irrefutable beneficial effects on atherosclerosis or cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Thus, until/unless the use of ezetimibe is clearly shown to improve clinical outcomes, its use should be largely restricted to clinical trials investigating clinical outcomes and should not be used routinely in everyday practice.