Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Media Use and Acculturation of New Immigrants in the United States

Data from Princeton University's New Immigrant Survey were analyzed to examine the associations between immigrants’ media use and 3 indicators of acculturation—current English proficiency, preference to use English in interactions, and American political knowledge. Findings show that pre-immigration uses of English language TV, radio, and print media and post-immigration use of English language print media were associated with higher current English proficiency. Pre-immigration use of native language print media and post-immigration uses of English language TV, radio, and print media were positively associated with a current preference to use English in interactions. Post-immigration use of native language print media was inversely associated with a preference to use English. Furthermore, post-immigration uses of native language radio and print media were positively associated with current American political knowledge. The findings imply that it is an oversimplification to assume that native language media hinders acculturation.
Perforated peptic ulcer--a seasonal disease?

All hospital admissions for perforated peptic ulcer in the State of Western Australia from 1971 to 1981 inclusive were used to study the seasonal fluctuation, prevalence and mortality. This represented 1187 admissions. A significant seasonal peak was found during November, December and January. There was a marked reduction in admissions in the last three years, i.e. 1979-81, representing a 35% drop from previous levels. The overall mortality was 6.6%, but was 1.8% in patients less than 65 years, and 17.3% in patients 65 years or older.
Stability and Activities of Antibiotics Produced during Infection of the Insect Galleria mellonella by Two Isolates of Xenorhabdus nematophilus

Xenorhabdus nematophilus subsp. dutki, an entomopathogenic bacterium, is vectored by steinernematid nematodes into insects, where it produces broad-spectrum antibiotics. The use of the nematode-bacterium complex against soil-dwelling pest insects could introduce antibiotics into the soil via the dead insect fragments during the emergence phase of the nematodes. Studies on the stability and activities of these antibiotics produced in the insect Galleria mellonella may contribute to assessing the possible impact of antibiotics on soil bacteria. Two isolates of X. nematophilus subsp. dutki (isolates GI and SFU) produced xenocoumacins 1 and 2 in cadavers of G. mellonella larvae in a 1:1 ratio. Total xenocoumacin 1 and 2 production was 800 ng/200 mg (wet weight) of insect tissue for the GI isolate. Antibiotic activity of water extracts from insects that had been infected with X. nematophilus was stable at 60°C for 1 h and after repeated freeze-thaw cycles. The antibiotic titer of extracts held at 27°C declined by day 10. The spectrum of bacterial species killed by antibiotics produced in insect cadavers varied with the isolate of X. nematophilus. Levels of antibiotic activity were greater in vivo than in tryptic soy broth, which may represent a nutrient effect. The bacterial isolate, culture condition, and presence of nematodes influenced the total antibiotic production in vivo. However, the levels of activity were not correlated with bacterial levels in the different growth environments. Insect cadavers with antibiotic activity transiently lowered the numbers of the bacteria in the soil, the extent of decline varying with the strain of X. nematophilus and the time of sampling.
Thailand diabetes registry project: glycemic control in Thai type 2 diabetes and its relation to hypoglycemic agent usage.

OBJECTIVE To determine the pattern of hyperglycemic agent usage in Thai type 2 diabetics (T2 DM) who attended the diabetes clinic in university and tertiary-care hospitals. The achievement oftarget glycemic control by various modalities of treatment was also analyzed. MATERIAL AND METHOD A cross-sectional, hospital-based diabetes registry of 8913 type 2 diabetic patients in 11 tertiary care hospitals and medical schools was carried out from April to December 2003. Demographic data, usage of hypoglycemic agents and level of glycemic control were collected to determine the pattern ofuse, associated factors, and achievement of glycemic control. RESULTS Overall, 2342 (26.3%) of T2 DM achieved HbA1C less than 7%. The percentage of patients treated with metformin was 70.8%, sulfonylureas (SU) was 68.7% and insulin was 25.3%. Only 7.0% of patients received alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitor (AGI), 5.7% received ThaiZoliDinediones (TZD), 1.1% received repaglinide, and 3.2% was on diet control alone. Target glycemic control was achieved in 57.6%, 37.1%, 52%, 16.7%, 62.5%, 52% and 16.9% of patients who were on diet control only, monotherapy with SQU, metformin, TZD, AGI, repaglinide and insulin,respectively. Sulfonylureas were the most commonly used drug for monotherapy. Metformin with sulfonylurea was the most common combination therapy and was used in 39.5% of patients. More than 60% of the patients treated with metformin monotherapy had body mass index (BMI) of more than 25 kg/m2, as compare to less than half of patient treated with other monotherapy agent. Mean +/- SD duration of diabetes in thepatients treated with metformin alone was 5.9 +/- 5.5 years, less than that in the SU-treated patients (8.3 +/- 7.1 years) and also in the insulin-treated patients (14.8 +/- 9.0 years). TDZ were commonly prescribed in combination with sulfonylureas and metformin in subjects with relatively longer duration of diabetes. CONCLUSION Better treatment strategies for glucose control ofdiabetic patients on medical treatments should be encouraged to improve glycemic control and reduce long term complications.
Roles of Glycosylphosphatidylinositols of Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous parasitic protozoan, which causes congenital infectious diseases as well as severe encephalitis, a major cause of death among immune-deficient persons, such as AIDS patients. T. gondii is normally controlled by the immune system of healthy individuals, leading to an asymptomatic infection. T. gondii triggers early cytokine production, which, to a certain extent, protects the host against replication of tachyzoites, the infective form of the parasite. Glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPIs) constitute a class of glycolipids that have various functions, the most fundamental being to link proteins to eucaryotic cell membranes. GPIs are involved in the pathogenicity of other protozoan parasites and are known to induce tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) production. We show that GPIs highly purified from T. gondii tachyzoites, as well as their core glycans, induce TNFα production in macrophages. A chemically synthesized GPI of T. gondii lacking its lipid moiety, GPIa, has the same effect as the natural GPIs, whereas a chemically synthesized molecule with dialkylglycerol instead of diacylglycerol as lipid moiety, GPIb, does not induce TNFα production. Moreover, GPIb inhibits the TNFα production induced by T. gondii GPI or by GPIa. The core glycan prepared from the two chemically synthesized molecules activates macrophages, showing that the lipid moiety may regulate signaling. Stimulation of macrophages with GPIs of T. gondii results in activation of the transcription factor NF-κB, which is inhibited by the chemically synthesized GPIb, suggesting the involvement of NF-κB in TNFα gene expression. Our results support the idea that T. gondii GPIs are bioactive factors that participate in the production of TNFα during toxoplasmal pathogenesis.
Achievement in Chemistry Problem-Solving as a Function of the Mobility-Fixity Dimension

The present studies explored the relation between students' achievement in chemistry problem-solving and the Mobility—Fixity dimension. Fixity characterizes consistency of function of field-independent subjects in a field-independent fashion, while Mobility provides for variation according to circumstances. The effect of this cognitive variable was examined as a function of the type and the complexity of the problem. Two kinds of problems were used, chemical equilibrium problems with varying mental demand and logical structure, and organic synthesis problems with varying mental demand. The subjects had to carry out different mental tasks, such as manipulation of logical schemata, applying algorithmic procedures, solving nonalgorithmic problems. In all cases, Mobile subjects demonstrated higher achievement than Fixed subjects. The results of this study support the hypothesis that the Mobility—Fixity dimension can serve as a predictor variable of students' performance on chemistry problem-solving.
Long-term outcomes of drug-eluting versus bare-metal stent implantation in patients with chronic total coronary artery occlusions.

BACKGROUND There are limited data on the efficacy of drug-eluting stents (DES) for treatment of chronic total occlusions (CTO). The aim of the study was to evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes of DES implantation for CTO compared with bare-metal stent (BMS) implantation. METHODS Between June 1995 and December 2006, a total of 1184 patients with successful recanalization of at least one de novo CTO lesion were consecutively registered, including 660 (55.7%) who underwent DES and 524 (44.3%) who underwent BMS implantation. All patients were followed up for up to 5 years for occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Long-term survival rates were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS Baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics were comparable between the two groups except that patients in the DES group received longer dual antiplatelet therapy ((7.4 +/- 2.5) months vs (1.7 +/- 0.8) months, P < 0.001). Average follow-up periods were (4.7 +/- 0.89) and (3.2 +/- 1.3) years for the BMS and DES groups, respectively. There was no significant difference in 5-year survival rates between the two groups (90.3% for DES group vs 89.6% for BMS group, Log-rank P = 0.38), but the 5-year target vessel revascularization (TVR)-free survival rate in the DES group was significantly higher than that in the BMS group (81.6% vs 73.5%, Log-rank P < 0.001). The cumulative MACE-free survival in the DES group was also significantly higher than that in the BMS group (80.6% vs 71.5%, Log-rank P < 0.001). The rates of re-admission caused by cardiovascular disease (27.0% vs 37.8%, P < 0.001) and the need for bypass surgery were significantly lower in the DES group (1.5% vs 3.4%, P < 0.05). By multivariable analysis, DES implantation could significantly lower the long-term MACE risk of PCI for CTO patients (HR: 0.492; 95% CI 0.396 - 0.656, P < 0.001). Left ventricular ejection fraction < 50% and elderly (> or = 65 years) were identified as independent predictors of long-term MACE during follow-up. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates the long-term (up to 5 years) efficacy of DES for treatment of CTO, which is superior to BMS implantation in reducing the rates of TVR and MACE, as well as the need of re-admission and bypass surgery.
Walking and running of the quadruped wall-climbing robot

The development of a wall climbing robot which is able to move over the surface of "3-dimensional terrain", a terrain including floor, wall, ceiling of any kinds of structures with agility and terrain adaptability is strongly demanded in many industries. The conventional wall-climbing machines were far from fulfilling the demand, the authors thus have been developing a wall-climbing robot with four-terrain-adaptive legs and basic mobilities were already demonstrated by the manufactured prototype model NINJA-I. However, as there are almost no examples of wall-climbing quadrupedal animals and conventional machines, the gait control method specific for the quadruped wall-climbing is not at all known by now. As the first step to consider a general gait problem of a quadruped wall-climbing robot, this paper investigates a gait of the robot on a vertical and flat wall. The gait is analyzed with the criterion to maximize the locomotion speed under the constraints of predetermined conditions of the supporting-legs position, order and phases of swing legs to prevent turn over motion. As a result of the analysis, the optimal standard gait, named "Wall Gait", is shown to maintain foot posture of /spl Lambda/ shape and moves the leg in the order of leg1-leg2-leg4-leg3 in static walk and the order of "pace" in dynamic walk. <<ETX>>
Adenotonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnoea in children.

BACKGROUND Current treatment of sleep apnoea in children consists of largely surgical based treatments. Adenotonsillectomy is the most commonly used intervention to treat sleep apnoea in children. OBJECTIVES To determine the efficacy of adenotonsillectomy in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea in children. SEARCH STRATEGY The Cochrane Airways Group Specialised Register was searched with pre-specified terms. Searches were current as of August 2008. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised trials recruiting children with a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two reviewers examined the search results and collected data from the studies in terms of their characteristics before deciding which ones would be included in the review. MAIN RESULTS One study met the review entry criteria. This study addressed the relative merits of two surgical techniques in treating OSA in children (temperature controlled radiofrequency tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, and complete tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy). No significant difference was apparent for either symptoms or respiratory disturbance index. More children in the TCFR&A group were able to return to normal diet at 7 days compared with complete T&A. No significant complications were observed in the study. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS One small study failed to find a difference between two surgical techniques, although return to normal diet was more frequent in the group treated by temperature controlled radiofrequency tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. At present there is still debate as to the criteria required to diagnose significant obstructive sleep apnoea in children. Also the natural history of the condition has not been fully delineated. There is an absence of randomised controlled trials investigating the efficacy of treatment of confirmed obstructive sleep apnoea with adenotonsillectomy in children. Research is required before recommendations for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea in children can be formulated. The quality of research in this area could be improved with the use of sleep studies at baseline to determine the extent of severity of sleep apnoea in children who are recruited to studies in this area. Long-term follow up is also required in order to explore the effect of adenotonsillectomy on paediatric sleep apnoea.
Diabetic Environment and Genetic Predisposition as Causes of Congenital Malformations in NOD Mouse Embryos

Congenital malformations such as neural tube defects and a kinky or waved vertebral column were observed at higher incidence in embryos from nonobese diabetic (NOD) female mice with overt diabetes (NOD-D; 40.3%, P < 0.005) or without overt diabetes (NOD-N; 8.4%, P < 0.05) than in control Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mouse embryos (1%) at day 13 of gestation. In vivo and in vitro preimplantation development of NOD-N, NOD-D, and ICR embryos did not differ in rate of development, size, or morphology. Embryos cultured from one-cell to early blastocyst stage were mutually transferred to uterine horns of pseudopregnant females between NOD-D and ICR mice and examined at day 13 of gestation. There were significant decreases in ratios of implantation and of viable embryos in ICR embryos transferred to NOD-D recipients (52%, P < 0.001 and 14%, P < 0.001, respectively) compared with those ratios in ICR embryos transferred to ICR uteri (79.2 and 56.2%) or those in NOD-D embryos transferred to ICR uteri (70.3 and 33.1%). Furthermore, 18 of 45 viable ICR embryos transferred to NOD-D dams had malformations, whereas there were no malformations in 73 viable ICR embryos transferred to ICR recipients, suggesting deleterious effects of maternal diabetic environment to embryos. On the other hand, 8 of 58 viable NOD-D embryos that were cultured in vitro and transferred to ICR uteri had malformations such as neural tube defects. This study suggests that both the presence of diabetes in the mother and a distinct genetic predisposition in embryos are involved as causes of the high incidence of congenital malformations in NOD-D embryos
The Moral Emotions, Alcohol Dependence, and HIV Risk Behavior in an Incarcerated Sample

This article examines the relationship of shame, guilt, and symptoms of alcohol dependence to pre-incarceration HIV risk behaviors in an ongoing study in a metropolitan jail. Between 2002 and 2004 an ethnically diverse sample of 368 male inmates (mean age = 31, SD = 9.7), were interviewed on a variety of constructs including shame- and guilt-proneness (), alcohol dependence (), and HIV risk behavior (). Symptoms of alcohol dependence were associated with elevated levels of HIV risk behavior (risky needle use and unprotected sex) prior to incarceration. Guilt-proneness was negatively related to risky sexual behavior. In addition, there was an interaction between shame and symptoms of alcohol dependence. Specifically, among those who were low on alcohol dependence, shame-proneness was negatively related to risky sexual behavior. The study's limitations are noted and findings are discussed in the context of the importance of considering moral emotions and alcohol dependence when designing programs to reduce HIV risk.
Regulation of mouse cytochrome P3-450 by the Ah receptor. Studies with a P3-450 cDNA clone.

The Ah locus in the C57BL/6N mouse regulates at least two cytochrome P-450 gene products, termed in the mouse P1-450 and P3-450; these two enzymes are so named because each is responsible for the highest turnover number for the substrates benzo[a]pyrene and acetanilide, respectively. A cDNA library was prepared in pBR322 from sucrose gradient fractionated total liver poly(A+)-enriched RNA (approximately 20 S) from 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin- (TCDD) treated C57BL/6N (Ahb/Ahb) mice. Differential colony hybridization screening, with [32P]cDNA probes derived from total liver mRNA of both TCDD-treated and control C57BL/6N mice, yielded pP(3)450-21 (1710 base pair) and pP(1)450-57 (1770 base pair) cDNA clones. pP(1)450-57 was found to have 690 base pairs 5'-ward of the original P1-450 cDNA cloned in this laboratory. Restriction maps of pP(3)450-21 and pP(1)450-57 are markedly different and clearly are derived from separate genes. By means of hybridization-translation-arrest experiments, anti-(P3-450) precipitates the translation product (Mr approximately equal to 55000) of mRNA specifically hybridizing to pP(3)450-21. It is also shown that hybridization-translation-arrest experiments using polyclonal antibodies are not specific for proof of a P-450 cDNA clone. pP(3)450-21 was used to probe liver mRNA from Ahb/Ahb, Ahb/Ahd, and Ahd/Ahd mice treated with 3-methylcholanthrene, beta-naphthoflavone, aroclor 1254, isosafrole, low TCDD, or high TCDD. These genetic data rigorously demonstrate control of the P3-450 (20S) mRNA induction process by the Ah receptor. pP(3)450-21 fragments hybridized to TCDD-induced C57BL/6N mRNA and to a portion of the cloned 5' end of the P1-450 gene from a mouse MOPC 41 plasmacytoma library. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Study of Inhibition of Induction of Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase by Endotoxin with Radial Immunodiffusion

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) was precipitated from supernatant fluids of whole mouse liver homogenates by specific antiserum but not by normal rabbit immunoglobulin G. The slopes of inactivation curves were similar for supernatant fluids of control and poisoned mice. It was demonstrated by radial immunodiffusion that PEPCK activity assayed enzymatically was proportional to the diameter of precipitin rings in all cases, except when the enzyme was activated by tryptophan, a process not requiring new enzyme synthesis. Hence, the assay can be used to distinguish between enhanced catalytic activity due to increased enzyme levels or as the result of activation of existing enzyme molecules. Immunological quantitation of PEPCK showed that endotoxin inhibits the induction of the enzyme due to fasting between 4 and 8 hr after administration of the bacterial poison. This result is almost identical to that seen when livers of mice poisoned with actinomycin D were assayed for PEPCK by the radial immunodiffusion technique.
Identification of Factorial Structure of MMSE Based on Elderly Cognitive Destiny: The Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is one of the most commonly used instruments in the evaluation of global cognitive status, but only few studies have investigated the relationship among its components in terms of factorial structure. We have considered data from the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging (ILSA), carried out in Italy in 1992 on a sample of 5,632 subjects aged 65–84 years, and followed up in 1996. The aim of our study was to investigate static factorial structure in three groups of elderly (subjects with a diagnosis of dementia at baseline; subjects free of dementia at baseline, but incident cases at follow-up; subjects who never developed dementia during the 4-year follow-up). Considering our results, we could hypothesize that MMSE static structure reflects the cognitive profile of elderly, and is thus influenced by subjects’ potential to develop dementia.
Predicting long-term remission by measuring immediate postoperative growth hormone levels and oral glucose tolerance test in acromegaly.

BACKGROUND The suppression of the growth hormone (GH) on an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) has been accepted as the most reliable parameter for determining remission of acromegaly. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the role of immediate postoperative GH level and 1-week postoperative OGTT as early predictive tools of long-term surgical remission. METHODS One hundred ninety-four acromegalic patients who received transsphenoidal tumor resection and were followed up for > 1.5 years (3.80 ± 0.17 years) with at least 3 postoperative OGTTs were evaluated. Level of GH was measured 2, 6, 12, 18, 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively, and an OGTT was performed 1 week after surgery, every 6 months for the first 3 years, and annually thereafter. RESULTS One hundred seventy-seven patients underwent gross total resection; long-term remission was achieved in 153. The GH level at 24 hours after surgery showed the highest predictive power for long-term remission. Long-term remission was maintained in 125/127 (98.4%) patients who had nadir GH levels < 1.0 μg/L on an early postoperative OGTT. However, when nadir GH levels were > 1.0 μg/L on an early postoperative OGTT, long-term remission was observed in 28 patients (28 of 67, 41.8%) in a delayed fashion. One-week postoperative OGTT had a sensitivity of 81.7% and specificity of 95.1% for predicting remission. CONCLUSION Immediate postoperative GH level is a very good predictor of long-term outcome in acromegaly. One-week postoperative OGTT is also a good predictor with high specificity. These findings may provide critical information for the determination of adjuvant treatment after surgery.
Unreconciled Inconsistencies: A Critical Review of the Concept of Social Justice in 3 National Nursing Documents

A critical review of the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements, Nursing's Social Policy Statement, and Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice provides evidence that these documents present an inconsistent, ambiguous, and superficial conceptualization of social justice, and do not offer an adequate framework for nurses to address underlying issues that affect health outcomes. Despite expansive references to the historic role of nursing in social reform, the documents implicitly reinforce nursing practice directed toward the individual nurse-patient relationship and give short shrift to nursing models that endorse broad systems change intended to improve health.