Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age-of-asthma onset as a determinant of different asthma phenotypes in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature

Age-of-asthma onset is often used to distinguish different adult asthma phenotypes; however, similarities and differences between early- and late-onset adult asthma have not been summarized to date. Of the 2921 records found, we identified 12 studies comparing early- and late-onset current asthma in adults. Age 12 was most commonly used to delineate the two age-of-onset phenotypes. Adults with early-onset current asthma were more likely to be atopic and had a higher frequency of asthma attacks, whereas adults with late-onset disease were more likely to be female, smokers and had greater levels of spirometrically defined fixed airflow obstruction. The prevalence of severe asthma was similar in both groups, and, in general, there were few phenotypic differences between severe asthmatics regardless of age of onset. Findings for several key characteristics, including lung function, were inconsistent between studies. Overall, there appears to be distinctive phenotypic differences with age of asthma onset. Although early-onset adult asthma is likely more attributable to atopy and potentially genetic factors, late-onset adult asthma appears to be more related to environmental risk factors, and so may be better targeted by preventive strategies. More detailed research is required to better characterize these phenotypes and to clarify potential clinical implications.
Desflurane and sevoflurane in elderly patients during general anesthesia: a double blind comparison.

AIM To investigate pulmonary wash-out of sevoflurane and desflurane and the quality of recovery from anesthesia in elderly patients. METHODS Thirty-six patients aged >65 years, ASA II, were assigned in a double blind fashion to either desflurane (n=18) or sevoflurane (n=18) anesthesia. All received propofol 2 mg/kg and remifentanil 0.2 microg/kg/min for induction and 0.6 mg/kg of rocuronium. When the trachea was intubated volatile anaesthetic was administered. All data were recorded 1, 3, 5, 15, 30 min after intubation and then every 15 min. All data were recorded 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 min after suspension of all agents. Once extubated simple orders and questions were given every minute, times of appropriate response were noted. The patients were then transferred to the recovery room, until discharge to the floor. Postoperative pain control was obtained by a continuous iv infusion of ketorolac 60 mg and tramadol 100 mg. The latter was incremented by supplemental boluses of 50 mg according to patient needs (VAS <4) up to a maximum of 300 mg/24h. RESULTS The F(A)/F(A0) ratio was lower in the desflurane group after halogenated agent suspension (p= or <0.05). Desflurane proved to have a faster wash out curve with respect to sevoflurane. Early recovery, as indicated by the time necessary to appropriately answer simple questions after the discontinuation of anesthetics, showed a significant advantage for desflurane (p= or <0.05). VAS was higher in the desflurane group as well as the needs for postoperative analgesia. CONCLUSIONS Patients receiving desflurane reported faster recovery from anesthesia but an earlier and more intense perception of pain after surgery.
Neutralizing antibody titers against dengue virus correlate with protection from symptomatic infection in a longitudinal cohort

Significance The four dengue virus serotypes (DENV1–4) are the most prevalent arboviruses worldwide and cause outcomes ranging from inapparent infection to severe disease. Neutralizing antibodies are believed to be critical for protection and therefore for dengue vaccines, but the titers required to prevent symptomatic DENV infection have not been well established. Here, we show that higher preinfection neutralizing antibody titers correlate with lower probability of symptomatic infection in children in a longitudinal cohort study in Nicaragua. Further, we find evidence that levels of cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies are maintained over time, possibly due to reexposure. These findings provide insight into the determinants of DENV infection outcome and long-term immunity in an endemic setting and are relevant for dengue vaccine development. The four dengue virus serotypes (DENV1–4) are mosquito-borne flaviviruses that infect ∼390 million people annually; up to 100 million infections are symptomatic, and 500,000 cases progress to severe disease. Exposure to a heterologous DENV serotype, the specific infecting DENV strains, and the interval of time between infections, as well as age, ethnicity, genetic polymorphisms, and comorbidities of the host, are all risk factors for severe dengue. In contrast, neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) are thought to provide long-lived protection against symptomatic infection and severe dengue. The objective of dengue vaccines is to provide balanced protection against all DENV serotypes simultaneously. However, the association between homotypic and heterotypic NAb titers and protection against symptomatic infection remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the titer of preinfection cross-reactive NAbs correlates with reduced likelihood of symptomatic secondary infection in a longitudinal pediatric dengue cohort in Nicaragua. The protective effect of NAb titers on infection outcome remained significant when controlled for age, number of years between infections, and epidemic force, as well as with relaxed or more stringent criteria for defining inapparent DENV infections. Further, individuals with higher NAb titers immediately after primary infection had delayed symptomatic infections compared with those with lower titers. However, overall NAb titers increased modestly in magnitude and remained serotype cross-reactive in the years between infections, possibly due to reexposure. These findings establish that anti-DENV NAb titers correlate with reduced probability of symptomatic DENV infection and provide insights into longitudinal characteristics of antibody-mediated immunity to DENV in an endemic setting.
Accumulation of herpes simplex virus type 1 RNAs of different kinetic classes in the cytoplasm of infected cells

We have analyzed the accumulation of herpes simplex virus type 1 RNA of the immediate early (IE; infected cell polypeptide types 4 and 0 [ICP-4 and ICP-0]), early (thymidine kinase), and early late (ICP-5) kinetic classes in the cytoplasm of infected cells in the presence of anisomycin, canavanine, or phosphonoacetic acid and in the course of a normal infection. IE RNAs were overproduced and were the only class of transcript detected in anisomycin-blocked cells. Phosphonoacetic acid treatment resulted in overaccumulation of early RNAs and underaccumulation of early late RNAs. Although low-stringency canavanine treatment resulted in accumulation of RNA from all kinetic classes, high-stringency conditions restricted accumulation of herpes simplex virus type 1 RNAs to the IE class. More importantly, the IE RNAs for ICP-4 and ICP-0 accumulated to a lesser extent under high-stringency canavanine conditions compared with their accumulation in anisomycin-treated cells. Therefore, the absence of newly synthesized viral proteins (anisomysin treatment) and the presence of analog proteins (stringent canavanine treatment) have different consequences with regard to the accumulation of these two IE RNAs. The kinetics of cytoplasmic accumulation for these RNAs was different for each class of RNA. The IE RNAs were detectable at 1 h postinfection and reached a maximum accumulation at ca. 3 h postinfection. The IE RNAs for both ICP-4 and ICP-0 persisted at late times of infection; however, they differed in that the RNA for ICP-4 remained at relatively low levels and the RNA for ICP-0 remained at relatively high levels as compared with their peak levels of accumulation. The 1.4-kilobase RNA for the herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase was detected by 2 h, with maximum accumulation occurring at ca. 5 h postinfection. After the peak of accumulation, the amount of thymidine kinase RNA declined rapidly from 8 to 14 h postinfection. The early late RNA for ICP-5 was detected between 2 and 3 h, after which accumulation increased to a peak between 8 and 10 h postinfection. The level of ICP-5 RNA remained at close to the peak level until 14 h postinfection. We also compared the accumulation of viral mRNAs in the cytoplasm with the rates of synthesis of their respective polypeptides. Our results suggest that translational controls may be involved in the regulation of IE genes but not early or late genes.
Efficacy of propofol sedation for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD): assessment with prospective data collection.

OBJECTIVE The indications for endoscopic treatment in early stage cancer of the digestive tract are expanding with the emergence and technical development of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). ESD requires longer term stable sedation than conventional endoscopic procedures due to the necessity of meticulous control of the devices during the procedure. Propofol has a very short half-life and can be administered continuously, which is advantageous for long-term sedation. Propofol, thus, is likely to be useful for sedation during ESD. METHODS Fifty consecutive patients who underwent ESD for early gastric cancer with propofol sedation (Group P) and those with midazolam sedation (Group M) were included in this study. Cardiorespiratory suppression rate and the condition of arousal were compared between the groups. A questionnaire survey on the satisfaction of endoscopists, anesthesiologists, endoscopy nurses, and ward nurses with the use of propofol was also carried out. RESULTS Respiratory suppression was observed in 50% in Group M and in 20% in Group P (p<0.05). Hypotension was seen in 14% and 36% in Groups M and P, respectively (p<0.05). No sedation-related complications were encountered in either of the groups. Arousal rates 1 hour and 3 hours after the procedure were 23% and 60% in group M and 86% and 100% in Group P (p<0.05). As for the questionnaire survey, most respondents, in particular the ward nurses, supported the use of propofol. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that propofol is safe and useful during ESD as compared with midazolam.
Exploring Perceived Safety, Privacy, and Distrust on Air Travel Choice in the Context of Differing Passenger Screening Procedures

This article examines perceptions of how safe airline travel is and respondents’ level of concern over privacy and trust of authorities. These attitudes are then used to understand the choice to travel under passenger screening processes with differing levels of invasiveness. We find that travelers who are more trusting of authorities are more likely to choose to travel internationally, whereas those with low overall feelings of safety while onboard an aircraft are predisposed to not travel. Our analysis reveals what attitudes and potential screening measures are linked to this feeling of overall safety, chief among which is the presence of visible uniformed police. Our results are also novel as they study these attitudes in the context of a spate of recent air-related disasters; finding no desire to accept screening processes that invade privacy beyond what is currently practiced.
The influence of social determinants of health on child physical health in Greater Sudbury neighbourhoods

There is increasing awareness that social determinants of health are associated with growing health inequities, or avoidable differences, among many populations. The City of Greater Sudbury is experiencing these health inequities, including inequities in child physical health and wellbeing. This study will examine the relationship between specific social determinants of health and child physical health and wellbeing in Greater Sudbury neighbourhoods. The goals of this research are 1) to explore the relationships between specific social determinants of health and child physical health and wellbeing in Greater Sudbury neighbourhoods, 2) explore the collective influence of social determinants of health on child physical health and wellbeing, and 3) examine unique relationships that may exist between the social determinants of health and children physical health in neighbourhoods for the City of Greater Sudbury. The complexity, nature, and interactions of the social determinants of health within society makes observing them quantitatively difficult. This requires many different social determinants of health to be studied separately from one another, as well as together, in order to understand how they influence child physical health and wellbeing. In order to better understand these interactions, the social ecological model of health promotion presents an ideal theoretical framework for examining multiple variables and their correlations and, therefore, is used in this study. This study is an ecological crosssectional study using secondary data analysis of the 2011 National Household Survey (Statistics Canada) and the Early Development Instrument which was developed by the Offord Centre for Child Studies. This study involves a multi-variate analysis with the dependent variable of child physical health being represented by a composite measure of child physical health and wellbeing, and multiple independent variables including different measures of neighbourhood income, education, unemployment, lone-parent families and poverty. Child physical health and wellbeing is represented by the Early Development Instrument (EDI) a questionnaire completed by the teacher or an Early Child Educator (ECE) when the child is in senior kindergarten. The EDI is a comprehensive measure of child physical health and wellbeing because it includes gross/fine motor skills, physical readiness for the school day, and physical independence. The social determinants of health are represented by the National Household Survey – a voluntary sample survey using a random sample collected by Statistics Canada, which the federal government uses to collect social and economic data about the Canadian population (Statistics Canada, 2011).
Microscopic salpingitis is not an etiologic factor of tubal pregnancy with intrauterine devices.

OBJECTIVE This prospective study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that microscopic chronic salpingitis is an etiologic factor in ectopic (tubal) pregnancy with an intrauterine device (IUD). PATIENTS AND METHODS Fifty consecutive patients at a university hospital operated for tubal pregnancy fulfilled strict histological diagnostic criteria for tubal pregnancy. There were no statistically significant differences in prevalence of microscopic findings of chronic inflammation in patients who never used an IUD, had a history of IUD use, or had an IUD in situ at the time of laparotomy. Salpingitis isthmica nodosa was found in four patients (30.8%) without past or present history of IUD use as compared to two patients (5.4%) with past or present history of IUD (P < .05). CONCLUSION The use of an IUD does not appear to cause tubal pregnancy by the mechanism of tubal inflammation or presence of salpingitis isthmica nodosa. Therefore, other mechanisms by which an IUD might cause ectopic pregnancy should be considered.
Social Networking for Learning in Higher Education: Capitalising on Social Capital

This study explores the evolution of student-led social networking groups initiated and sustained by a cohort of undergraduate students over a 3-year time frame. The study contributes to this growing area of research by exploring the impact of peer-led, peer-supported informal learning through social media networks. Social capital is a useful lens through which to understand the findings, and particularly in interpreting descriptions of the evolution of the group over time. The findings suggest that students build bridging social capital to support the transition into higher education, form relationships and learn collaboratively through a large cohort-based Facebook group. Over time, this form of social capital and the use of the Facebook group declines due to a lack of perceived reciprocity and an increased perception of competitiveness amongst peers. However, there is accompanied by a subsequent rise in the building of bonding social capital between closer peer relationships facilitated through the use of various WhatsApp groups. The findings have implications for considering how social networking might support the student journey towards more nuanced, more personalised collaborative learning and a move towards more self-directed learning. Social Media for Learning in Higher Education Conference Proceedings 2015
The Predictive Power of the Implied Volatility of Interest Rates: Evidence from USD, EUR, and JPY Swaption

This is the first article to analyze the predictability of implied volatility based on swaption for the major currencies U.S. dollar (USD), Euro (EUR), and Japanese yen (JPY). Managing interest rate risk is of huge importance for risk management in financial institutions, and swaption is an over-the-counter contract and well-used instrument that enables us to test whether the option contains the information required to predict future realized volatility. The result shows that implied volatility has greater power to predict future realized volatility than the GARCH prediction or HV (historical volatility) for the USD and EUR, which is consistent with the equity or futures options markets. However, the GARCH forecast and HV have stronger predictive power for JPY because of the lack of liquidity.
Social media activity in a festival context: temporal and content analysis

Purpose This study explores the multi-phasic experience of festivals to understand the nature, purpose and degree of social media (SM) use before, during and after festival occurrence and how this may inform better engagement of attendees. Design/methodology/approach A census of tweets and posts from four festivals’ Twitter handles and Facebook accounts were coded and analyzed across three time points: one week prior, during and one week after the festival. They were coded on nature (e.g. conversational, promotional, informational), purpose (e.g. information-seeking, friendship/relationship) and presence of links, photos, etc. Tests for platform influences on usage were conducted. Findings In total, 1,169 tweets and 483 posts were captured. Two-thirds of SM activity occurred during the festivals, one-third pre-festival and minimal activity post festival. Temporal analyses found that while the purpose and nature of the message content varied across festival time points, this was often dependent on SM platform. Research limitations/implications Festivals are not taking advantage of the multi-phase experience model and the utility of SM to maintain contact and encourage visitors to continue processing their experience after the festival. This lost opportunity has implications for re-patronizing behaviour and sponsor relationships. Originality value Leung et al. (2013a) call for sector specific research to elucidate SM use in tourism. Festivals provide a unique environment of co-created experience. Findings suggest differential usage of SM across festival time frames and platforms that can be used to guide festival organizations’ SM communication to better engage its patrons.
Pharmacokinetics of Meloxicam in Patients With Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

The pharmacokinetics of a meloxicam suspension were studied in 18 children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Children received a single 0.25‐mg/kg dose up to a maximum of 15 mg. Pharmacokinetic parameters after the first dose were calculated by noncompartmental methods. Geometric mean (percent coefficient of variation for geometric mean [gCV]) Cmax, AUC0‐∞, apparent clearance, apparent volume of distribution, and elimination half‐life values were 1.24 μg/mL (47% gCV), 25.6 μg•h/mL (81% gCV), 0.17 mL/min/kg (83% gCV), 0.19 L/kg (63% gCV), and 13.4 hours (54% gCV) in the younger group and 1.89 μg/mL (25% gCV), 35.8 μg•h/mL (21% gCV), 0.12 mL/min/kg (23% gCV), 0.13 L/kg (22% gCV), and 12.7 hours (21% gCV) for the older group, respectively. Area under the curve, volume of distribution, and clearance tended to be higher in the younger group, whereas elimination half‐lives were similar. A post hoc comparison to pharmacokinetic data in adults revealed no relevant differences. Thus, a common body weight–normalized dose is considered appropriate for children older than 2 years.
Assessment of Current Knowledge about the Effectiveness of School Desegregation Strategies. Summary. Volume I: Strategies for Effective Desegregation: A Synthesis of Findings.

AUTHOR Hawley, Willis D. ; And Others TITLE Assessment of Current Knowledge about the Effectiveness of School Desegregation Strategies. Summary. Volume I: Strategies for Effective Desegregation: A Synthesis of Findings. INSTITUTION Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, Tenn. Center for Education and Human Development Policy. SPONS AGENCY National Inst. of Education (ED), Washington, D.C.; Office of Civil Rights (ED), Washington, D.C. PUB DATE Apr 81 CONTRACT NIE-R-79-0034 NOTE 214p. ; For other volumes of this Assessment Project, see UD 022 073-080.
The Identification and Significance of a Thr→Pro Polymorphism in Kringle IV Type 8 of Apolipoprotein(a)

Summary Elevated plasma levels of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] represent a significant independent risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis. Interindividual levels of apo(a) vary over 1000-fold and are mainly due to inheritance that is linked to the locus of the apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] gene. The apo(a) gene encodes multiple repeats of a sequence exhibiting up to 85% DNA sequence homology with plasminogen kringle IV (K.IV), a lysine binding domain. In our search for sequence polymorphisms in the K.IV coding domain, we identified a polymorphism predicting a Thr→Pro substitution located at amino acid position 12 of kringle IV type 8 of apo(a). The functional and clinical significance of this polymorphism was analysed in a case-control study and by comparing the in vitro lysine binding characteristics of the two Lp(a) subtypes. The case-control study (involving 153 subjects having symptomatic atherosclerosis and 153 age and gender matched normolipidemic controls) revealed an overall allele frequency for the Thr12-→Pro substitution in kringle IV type 8 of 14% and a negative association between presence of the Pro12-subtype and symptomatic atherosclerosis (p <0.03). The in vitro lysine binding studies, using Lp(a) isolated from subjects homozygous for either Thr12 or Pro12 in K.IV type 8, revealed comparable lysine-Sepharose binding fractions for the two subtypes. The binding affinity (Kd) for immobilised plasmin degraded des- AA-fibrin (DesafibTM-X) was also comparable for the two subtypes, however a decreased maximal attainable binding (Bmax) for immobilised desafibTM-X was observed for the Pro12-subtype Lp(a).
Flavobacterium saliperosum sp. nov., isolated from freshwater lake sediment.

An aerobic, yellow-pigmented, Gram-negative bacterium, designated strain S13T, was isolated from freshwater sediment of Taihu Lake in central China. The taxonomy of strain S13T was studied by using phenotypic and phylogenetic methods. Cells of strain S13T were rod-shaped, non-motile and with a size range of 0.35-0.55x1. 5-2.5 microm. The nearly complete 16S rRNA gene of strain S13T was amplified and sequenced. A blast search and phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity showed that strain S13T was related to members of the genus Flavobacterium, with the highest sequence similarity of 93.8% to Flavobacterium columnare (ATCC 23463T). Cells contained menaquinone-6 (MK-6) as the major respiratory quinone and the genomic DNA G+C content was 41 mol%. The major fatty acids were iso-C15:0 (28.2%) and iso-C17:1omega9c (19.0%). It is proposed that S13T (=CGMCC 1.3801T=JCM 13331T) represents the type strain of a novel species, Flavobacterium saliperosum sp. nov.