Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cytogenetics in benzene‐associated myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia: new insights into a disease continuum

Hematopoiesis in health and disease results from complex interactions between primitive hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and the extrinsic influences of other cells in the bone marrow (BM) niche. Advances in stem cell biology, molecular genetics, and computational biology reveal that the immortality, self‐renewal, and maintenance of blood homeostasis generally attributed to individual HSCs are functions of the cells’ behavior in the normal BM environment. Here we discuss how these advances, together with results of outcomes‐based clinical epidemiology studies, provide new insight into the importance of epigenetic events in leukemogenesis. For the chemical benzene (Bz), development of myeloid neoplasms depends predominantly on alterations within the microenvironments in which they arise. The primary persistent disease in Bz myelotoxicity is myelodysplastic syndrome, which precedes cytogenetic injury. Evidence indicates that acute myeloid leukemia arises as a secondary event, subsequent to evolution of the leukemia‐initiating cell phenotype within the altered BM microenvironment. Further explorations into the nature of chemical versus de novo disease should consider this mechanism, which is biologically distinct from previous models of clonal cytogenetic injury. Understanding alterations of homeostatic regulation in the BM niche is important for validation of models of leukemogenesis, monitoring at‐risk populations, and development of novel treatment and prevention strategies.
Spectrum of hypokalaemic periodic paralysis in a tertiary care centre in India

Background Acute flaccid paralysis is a common neurological emergency with diverse causes and variable outcome. There is a paucity of reports documenting the spectrum of hypokalaemic paralysis in neurological practice. Objective To report the clinical features, aetiology, and outcome of patients with hypokalaemic paralysis in a tertiary care teaching hospital in India. Methods Consecutive patients with acute flaccid paralysis with hypokalaemia from 2008 to 2010 were included in the study. Patients with Guillain–Barré syndrome, porphyria, polio and non-polio enterovirus infection and myositis were excluded. Detailed clinical examination, urinalysis, renal function tests, arterial blood gas analysis, thyroid hormones, and electrocardiogram were carried out. Patients received intravenous or oral potassium supplementation and their underlying causes were treated. Results Thirty patients aged 17–52 years, including three females, were included. Secondary causes of hypokalaemic paralysis were present in 13 patients and included thyrotoxic paralysis in five and renal tubular acidosis (RTA) and Gitelman syndrome in four each. All the patients had quadriparesis and 10 had severe weakness (MRC grade <2). Tendon reflexes were reduced in eight and brisk in four patients. Respiratory paralysis was present in six patients and one needed artificial ventilation. Fifteen patients had severe hypokalaemia (<2 mmol/l), four had acidosis, and six had alkalosis. The secondary group had more severe hypokalaemia and needed longer time to recover. Conclusion 43.3% of patients with hypokalaemic paralysis had a secondary cause for their condition. Patients with severe hypokalaemia with acidosis or alkalosis should be investigated for secondary causes as their management differ.
Of Dark Clouds and Silver Linings: Effects of Exposure to Issue Versus Candidate Advertising on Persuasion , Information Retention, and Issue Salience

In this study, we examine the impact of sponsorship cues in issue versus candidate advertising on perceived credibility, persuasion, information retention, and priming of message-relevant issues. Theories of persuasion and attitude change suggest that citizens should react differently to the same message when source cues are varied. In an experiment, adult participants saw either an actual ad sponsored by the Sierra Club, an edited version in which Al Gore was depicted as the sponsor, or no ad at all. Although participants were slightly less able to correctly identify the sponsor of the issue ad, the ad was seen as more credible and persuasive than the candidate-sponsored version. Though both were negative in tone, the issue ad did not depress participatory intentions as much as the candidate ad. Participants also retained more information from the issue appeal. Finally, the issue ad was a more powerful prime for message-relevant performance criteria in evaluations of the target, George W. Bush. The implications of these findings for the ongoing debate on campaign-finance reform are discussed.
The Risk and Related Factors for Readmission to an ICU Within 7 Days in Mechanically Ventilated Subjects—A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

BACKGROUND: Readmission of mechanically ventilated patients to an ICU within 7 d reflects not only patient safety but also the quality of care of the ICU. This study aimed to investigate the risk and related factors for readmission to an ICU within 7 d in mechanically ventilated subjects. METHODS: A total of 658,452 mechanically ventilated subjects discharged from an ICU whose age was ≥ 17 y old were obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database for the period from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2011. The study applied a generalized estimating equation logistic regression model to explore whether the mechanically ventilated subjects were readmitted within 7 d or not and the related factors. RESULTS: A total of 29,657 subjects were readmitted to the ICU within 7 d; the total readmission rate was 4.5%. Also, 64.8% of the subjects with the same diagnosis were returned to the ICU within 7 d. Generalized estimating equation logistic regression model results showed that the factors related to higher risk of readmission were male sex, old age, higher comorbidity score, complications (eg, pneumothorax, subcutaneous emphysema, pneumonia, oxygen toxicity, pulmonary embolism, or pulmonary edema), use of a private hospital ICU, ICU stay ≥21 d, transfer to a respiratory care center and respiratory care ward, and subsequent transfer to the regional hospital or district hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The risk and related factors of a mechanically ventilated subject whose age is ≥ 17 y old being readmitted to the ICU within 7 d include subject characteristics, health status, hospital attributes, and the length of ICU stay. Therefore, higher risk subjects should receive attention and assessment before transfer or discharge from the ICU to prevent readmission.
Autoimmunity and chromosomal aberrations: serological studies in mothrs of childern with Down's syndrome.

SEVERAL recent reports, including one from our laboratory, have stressed the inereased frequency of thyroid antibodies in mothers of children with Down's syndrome.1"4 These find¬ ings have come in support of Fialkow's hypo¬ thesis5 that autoimmunity may, on occasion, be responsible for the birth of aneuploid children. In this paper we data in to discuss the apparent conflict of our results with those of others and to state our present point of view on the subject.
Rates of formation and absorption of cerebrospinal fluid in the very young calf.

Abstract Ventriculocisternal perfusion (VCP) was successfully performed on four of seven pairs of calves ranging in age from 3 to 10 weeks. One calf of each pair was perfused at its initially determined intraventricular pressure and the other at 200mm greater than its initial pressure. Linear regressions of bulk flow, bulk absorption, and formation, in grams per minute, Y 1 , on the imposed VCP pressure in millimeters of synthetic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), X 1 , were respectively, Y 1 = . 02−. 00183 X 1 (±.07), Y 1 = . 14 + . 00168 X 1 (±.06) and Y 1 = . 16−. 00014 X 1 (±.01). Passive diffusion of creatinine across the ependymal lining of the ventricles averaged . 06 ±. 03 g/min and the volume of distribution of inulin (VD In ) equaled 12.1±3.6g. In comparing these statistics to those previously reported for 20-week-old calves, no significant differences were observed in the responses of bulk flow and bulk absorption to increases in VCP pressure. On the other hand, the average rates of CSP bulk absorption, CSF formation, and VD In were less for the younger animals of the present experiment.
Primary non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma of the central nervous system. Results of radiotherapy in 15 cases

Primary non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) of the central nervous system is a rare disease. The number of cases reported in the literature does not exceed 200. The current series comprises 15 cases of primary NHL of the CNS. In 12 cases material for pathology was obtained at surgery. In the other three cases the diagnosis was established by cytologic examination of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The type of lymphoma was predominantly the diffuse lymphocytic type. All the patients received irradiation on the whole brain by means of two opposite lateral fields. The administered total doses were 40 Gy in four weeks in ten cases, 50 to 60 Gy in 5 to 6 weeks in four cases and 30 Gy in three weeks in one case. All but three patients are dead although initially a good tumor response was obtained as confirmed in most of the cases by CT scan. The mean survival of the dead patients was 14.5 months. No relationship was found between the administered dose and the relapse‐free time. In six cases (40%) evidence of seeding was observed. Because of the poor results obtained with irradiation either of only the tumor bearing area or whole brain and because of the high risk of seeding through the CSF, the irradiation of the entire CNS is recommended in patients with primary NHL of the brain.
Cognitive testing with the Post‐Operative Quality of Recovery Scale in pre‐surgery cancer patients – a controlled study

Post‐Operative Quality of Recovery Scale (PQRS) has been revised to allow for the normal variation in cognitive performance seen in healthy volunteers. This modification could result in exclusion of test subjects because of poor baseline performance. Our aim was to investigate the impact of severe disease and waiting for cancer surgery on PQRS baseline cognitive performance and exclusion rate, and also on variation in cognitive performance at test re‐test.
Recovery from schizophrenic psychoses within the northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort.

BACKGROUND Because of widely disparate findings from follow-up studies, the likelihood of recovery from schizophrenia remains controversial. We report the extent of recovery from schizophrenia in a population-based cohort. METHOD Subjects with psychotic disorders were recruited from the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort. Of the 91 subjects who agreed to participate, 59 were diagnosed with schizophrenia and 12 were diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (schizophreniform psychosis, schizoaffective or delusional disorder) by DSM-III-R criteria. Diagnoses were established by interviewing the subjects, checking the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register, and reviewing their medical records. To assess recovery, we used the Clinical Global Impressions; the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale; the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale; and information about psychiatric hospitalizations, use of antipsychotic medication, and occupational status. RESULTS Only 1 subject (1.7%) with DSM-III-R schizophrenia and 3 subjects (25%) with schizophrenia spectrum disorders fully recovered; 1 schizophrenia subject (1.7%) and 2 schizophrenia spectrum subjects (16.7%) experienced partial recovery. CONCLUSION The data indicate that, at least until age 35, complete recovery from schizophrenia is rare, and the prognosis for the disorder is far more serious than suggested by some follow-up studies.
Cigarette smoking and increased central adiposity.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To determine whether cigarette smoking is associated with central obesity in men and women. DESIGN A cross-sectional survey. SETTING A geographically defined population of older white adults. PARTICIPANTS Men (836) and women (1112) ages 50 to 79. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Waist-hip circumference ratio and body mass index (weight in kg/height in m2) were measured in participants wearing light clothing without shoes. Past and current cigarette smoking habits were ascertained by a standard self-administered questionnaire. Cigarette smokers had higher waist-hip ratios than non-smokers. We observed a dose-response relation of increasing waist-hip ratio with increasing number of cigarettes smoked. Although smokers were leaner than nonsmokers, the increased waist-hip ratio in smokers was independent of body mass index and was consistent within body-mass index tertiles. The associations, seen in both sexes, were stronger in women. CONCLUSIONS Cigarette smokers have more central obesity than nonsmokers. These results suggest that body fat distribution can be modified by behavioral factors such as smoking.
Social Support and Recovery from Sport Injury: Elite Skiers Share Their Experiences

Abstract Research suggests that social support can be an important coping resource for athletes recovering from sport injury. Few studies have investigated this claim, however: To address this gap in the literature, 10 elite downhill skiers who had recovered from serious sport injuries were interviewed about the sources of stress associated with injury and the role of social support in recovery from sport injury. This paper presents the social support findings that emerged from this research1. Content analyses of the social support data revealed that the skiers needed various types of emotional, informational, and tangible support from the occurance of injury through the return to full activity. Members of the treatment team, the ski team, and the skiers' home support networks provided social support throughout these phases. In general, the skiers were satisfied with the support received, indicating that it reduced distress and kept them motivated throughout recovery. The findings from this research have implications for the design of sport injury interventions.
THE ROLE OF PERIPHYTON IN PHOSPHORUS RETENTION IN SHALLOW FRESHWATER AQUATIC SYSTEMS

Eutrophication caused by phosphorus (P) leads to water quality problems in aquatic systems, particularly freshwaters, worldwide. Processing of nutrients in shallow habitats removes P from water naturally and periphyton influences P removal from the water column in flowing waters and wetlands. Periphyton plays several roles in removing P from the water column, including P uptake and deposition, filtering particulate P from the water, and attenuating flow, which decreases advective transport of particulate and dissolved P from sediments. Furthermore, periphyton photosynthesis locally increases pH by up to 1 unit, which can lead to increased precipitation of calcium phosphate, concurrent deposition of carbonate‐phosphate complexes, and long‐term burial of P. Actively photosynthesizing periphyton can cause super‐saturated O2 concentrations near the sediment surface encouraging deposition of metal phosphates. However, anoxia associated with periphyton respiration at night may offset this effect. Linking the small‐scale functional role of periphyton to ecosystem‐level P retention will require more detailed studies in a variety of ecosystems or large mesocosms. A case study from the Everglades illustrates the importance of considering the role of periphyton in P removal from wetlands. In general, periphyton tends to increase P retention and deposition. In pilot‐scale constructed periphyton‐dominated wetlands in South Florida, about half of the inflowing total P was removed.
Estimating the Market Risk Premium

This paper provides a methodology for estimating the market risk premium based on the underlying process governing the level of market volatility. My model provides a test for a structural shift in the historical risk premium and an unbiased estimate of its value. I provide evidence of a structural shift in the volatility process following the 1930s that implies an upward bias in ex post realized returns during the subsequent period. Controlling for this bias, my estimate of the market risk premium for the period after 1940 is 5.9% over the yield on Treasury bills. My model also provides a lower-bound on forward-looking estimates of the current risk premium of 4.2% over the yield on Treasury bills.
The effects of text slide format and presentational quality on learning in college lectures

The traditional advice for using text slides is to limit text on each slide to a maximum of about six or seven lines and a comparable number of words per line. But is the advice - never solidly based on research - really as good as it sounds? And does the way in which it is delivered - reading stiffly from the paper or presenting more lively - affect the effectiveness of the visual support? In a large scale experiment three types of presentation were compared. They differed in the number of slides and in the amount and format of the information presented on each slide. The presentations were presented in two different ways that differed in the amount of eye contact with the audience and in intonation. The findings of the study indicate that the content and format of the text slides had a significant effect on the learning of the participants, but that communication style has a compensating effect.
Bacterial, fungal, and plant communities exhibit no biomass or compositional response to two years of simulated nitrogen deposition in a semiarid grassland

Nitrogen (N) deposition affects myriad aspects of terrestrial ecosystem structure and function, and microbial communities may be particularly sensitive to anthropogenic N inputs. However, our understanding of N deposition effects on microbial communities is far from complete, especially for drylands where data are comparatively rare. To address the need for an improved understanding of dryland biological responses to N deposition, we conducted a two-year fertilization experiment in a semiarid grassland on the Colorado Plateau in the southwestern United States. We evaluated effects of varied levels of N inputs on archaeal, bacterial, fungal and chlorophyte community composition within three microhabitats: biological soil crusts (biocrusts), soil below biocrusts, and the plant rhizosphere. Surprisingly, N addition did not affect the community composition or diversity of any of these microbial groups; however, microbial community composition varied significantly among sampling microhabitats. Further, while plant richness, diversity, and cover showed no response to N addition, there were strong linkages between plant properties and microbial community structure. Overall, these findings highlight the potential for some dryland communities to have limited biotic ability to retain augmented N inputs, possibly leading to large N losses to the atmosphere and to aquatic systems.
Glucocorticoid and polyamine interactions in the plasticity of glutamatergic synapses that contribute to ethanol‐associated dependence and neuronal injury

Stress contributes to the development of ethanol dependence and is also a consequence of dependence. However, the complexity of physiological interactions between activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and ethanol itself is not well delineated. Emerging evidence derived from examination of corticotropin‐releasing factor systems and glucocorticoid receptor systems in ethanol dependence suggests a role for pharmacological manipulation of the HPA axis in attenuating ethanol intake, though it is not clear how activation of the HPA axis may promote ethanol dependence or contribute to the neuroadaptative changes that accompany the development of dependence and the severity of ethanol withdrawal. This review examines the role that glucocorticoids, in particular, have in promoting ethanol‐associated plasticity of glutamatergic synapses by influencing expression of endogenous linear polyamines and polyamine‐sensitive polypeptide subunits of N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA)‐type glutamate receptors. We provide evidence that interactions among glucocorticoid systems, polyamines and NMDA receptors are highly relevant to both the development of ethanol dependence and to behavioral and neuropathological sequelae associated with ethanol withdrawal. Examination of these issues is likely to be of critical importance not only in further elucidating the neurobiology of HPA axis dysregulation in ethanol dependence, but also with regard to identification of novel therapeutic targets that may be exploited in the treatment of ethanol dependence.
Information and Communication Technology and the Social Inclusion of Refugees

The social inclusion of newly resettled refugees is a significant issue confronting both refugees and their host societies. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are increasingly viewed as a useful resource in programs that provide settlement services or promote participation in society. This paper moves beyond the conventional discussion on the digital divide to explore what people are actually able to do and achieve with ICTs. We draw on an analysis of the use of ICTs for particular purposes by more than 50 resettled refugees to develop an explanation of the process by which ICT use contributes to their social inclusion. We propose that ICT constitutes a resource from which a set of five valuable capabilities is derived: to participate in an information society, to communicate effectively, to understand a new society, to be socially connected, and to express a cultural identity. In realizing these capabilities through ICT use, refugees exercise their agency and enhance their well-being in ways that assist them to function effectively in a new society and regain control over their disrupted lives.
Talk About Men and Sidelining! The "Other" Text in a Memory-Work Study About Menstruation

This paper draws from a project that used Haug’s (1987) theory and method of memory-work to study menstrual experiences of eight Australian women. As memory-workers, we wrote memories about menstruation and we discussed and analyzed them in relation to each other: we glimpsed pride and wonderment and we unmasked anger and shame. We argued about theory, about research style, and about politics, especially feminism. And we told stories. We told them about others and we told them about ourselves. Sometimes we cried when telling these stories and sometimes, perhaps even many times, we laughed. Then we told more stories. This telling of stories, or “narrativization” (see Reismann, 1993) occurred because the memory-work process evolved in such a way that permitted this to happen. Whereas some of these narratives could be found threaded through the discussion and analysis of the written memories, many stood as an ‘adjunct’ to the memories yielded, for example, after a deliberate call by one group member for participants to tell stories about sex and menstruation. Whether we are cast as a group of unrestrained storytellers prone to excess of which Haug (1987) speaks, beyond this label there are wider consequences for memory-workers to consider. This paper argues that because memorywork has a principal interest in the written record of the memory and the accompanying collective analysis, ‘Other’ forms of the spoken text such as stories/narrative and conversation generated through the course of memory-work produce certain sorts of problems. These are explained as issues of voice and representation.