Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perceptions of Elders' Substance Abuse and Resilience

Human service students' (social work, criminal justice, public administration, psychology) were surveyed (N = 242). Their perceptions about older persons' resilience and recovery from substance abuse were investigated. Overall, respondents did not agree that treating older persons for a substance abuse problem was wasteful of resources or older people do not benefit from treatment. However, respondents did not agree that older persons who consumed more than two alcoholic beverages per day had an alcohol-related problem, that drinking more than two alcoholic beverages per day had health consequences for an older person, or that alcohol was used by elders to self-medicate for depression and loneliness. Using a simple regression analysis, a final model for perceptions about older persons' recovery and resilience included the predictor variables of perceptions about older persons and street substances, perceptions about treatment and older persons, perceptions about abuse, health, and older persons, and age. Results indicated that the predictor variables accounted for more than 30% of the variance in perceptions about older person's recovery and resilience (R2 = .331; adjusted R2 = .319).
Virus‐like particle of Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus produced in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells is distinctive from that produced in Escherichia coli

Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus (MrNV) is a virus native to giant freshwater prawn. Recombinant MrNV capsid protein has been produced in Escherichia coli, which self‐assembled into virus‐like particles (VLPs). However, this recombinant protein is unstable, degrading and forming heterogenous VLPs. In this study, MrNV capsid protein was produced in insect Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells through a baculovirus system. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the recombinant protein produced by the insect cells self‐assembled into highly stable, homogenous VLPs each of approximately 40 nm in diameter. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that the VLPs produced in Sf9 cells were highly antigenic and comparable to those produced in E. coli. In addition, the Sf9 produced VLPs were highly stable across a wide pH range (2–12). Interestingly, the Sf9 produced VLPs contained DNA of approximately 48 kilo base pairs and RNA molecules. This study is the first report on the production and characterization of MrNV VLPs produced in a eukaryotic system. The MrNV VLPs produced in Sf9 cells were about 10 nm bigger and had a uniform morphology compared with the VLPs produced in E. coli. The insect cell production system provides a good source of MrNV VLPs for structural and immunological studies as well as for host–pathogen interaction studies. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog. , 33:549–557, 2017
Treatment Outcomes and Perceived Benefits: A Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of a Women's Substance Abuse Treatment Program

This study examines outcomes of a women's substance abuse treatment program based on empowerment, choice, and client/therapist collaboration. The program was assessed through qualitative and quantitative research methods. The article includes extensive quotes from six client interviews as well as data from pre-post surveys of 50 women in the treatment program. Results show that the women felt they benefited from the collaborative treatment approach. Benefits to the women included feeling more empowered and learning to take responsibility for their lives. The importance of taking a broad view of recovery that includes ongoing evaluation of positive changes in various areas of the clients' lives is discussed.
Mitochondrial DNA and Toll-Like Receptor-9 Are Associated With Mortality in Critically Ill Patients

Objectives:Despite underlying pathologies leading to ICU admittance are heterogeneous, many patients develop a systemic inflammatory response syndrome often in the absence of microbial pathogens. Mitochondrial DNA that shows similarities to bacterial DNA may be released after tissue damage and activates the innate immune system by binding to toll-like receptor-9 on immune cells. The aim of this study was to analyze whether levels of mitochondrial DNA are associated with 30-day survival and whether this predictive value is modified by the expression of its receptor toll-like receptor-9. Design:Single-center, prospective, observational study. Setting:A tertiary ICU in a university hospital. Patients:Two hundred twenty-eight consecutive patients admitted to a medical ICU between August 2012 and August 2013. Interventions:None. Measurements and Main Results:Blood was taken within 24 hours after ICU admission, and the levels of circulating mitochondrial DNA were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Toll-like receptor-9 expression in monocytes was measured by flow cytometry. Median acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score was 20, and 30-day mortality was 25%. Median mitochondrial DNA levels at admission were significantly higher in nonsurvivors when compared with survivors (26.9, interquartile range = 11.2–60.6 ng/mL vs 19.7, interquartile range = 9.5–34.8 ng/mL; p < 0.05). Patients with plasma levels of mitochondrial DNA in the highest quartile (mitochondrial DNA > 38.2 ng/mL) had a 2.6-fold higher risk (p < 0.001) of dying, independently of age, gender, diagnosis, and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score. Mitochondrial DNA improved the c-statistic of acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score (p < 0.05) and showed enhancement in individual risk prediction indicated by a net reclassification improvement of 32.3% (p < 0.05). Stratification of patients according to toll-like receptor-9 expression above/below median demonstrated that only patients with high expression of toll-like receptor-9 showed an increased risk associated with increased mitochondrial DNA levels (odds ratio, 2.7; p < 0.01), whereas circulating mitochondrial DNA was not associated with mortality in patients with low toll-like receptor-9 expression (odds ratio, 1.1; p = 0.98). Conclusions:Circulating levels of mitochondrial DNA at ICU admission predict mortality in critically ill patients. This association was in particular present in patients with elevated toll-like receptor-9 expression.
Duration of Antimicrobial Treatment for Bacteremia in Canadian Critically Ill Patients*

Objectives:The optimum duration of antimicrobial treatment for patients with bacteremia is unknown. Our objectives were to determine duration of antimicrobial treatment provided to patients who have bacteremia in ICUs, to assess pathogen/patient factors related to treatment duration, and to assess the relationship between treatment duration and survival. Design:Retrospective cohort study. Settings:Fourteen ICUs across Canada. Patients:Patients with bacteremia and were present in the ICU at the time culture reported positive. Interventions:Duration of antimicrobial treatment for patients who had bacteremia in ICU. Measurements and Main Results:Among 1,202 ICU patients with bacteremia, the median duration of treatment was 14 days, but with wide variability (interquartile range, 9–17.5). Most patient characteristics were not associated with treatment duration. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the only pathogens associated with shorter treatment (odds ratio, 2.82; 95% CI, 1.51–5.26). The urinary tract was the only source of infection associated with a trend toward lower likelihood of shorter treatment (odds ratio, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.42–1.08); an unknown source of infection was associated with a greater likelihood of shorter treatment (odds ratio, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.17–3.91). The association of treatment duration and survival was unstable when analyzed based on timing of death. Conclusions:Critically ill patients who have bacteremia typically receive long courses of antimicrobials. Most patient/pathogen characteristics are not associated with treatment duration; survivor bias precludes a valid assessment of the association between treatment duration and survival. A definitive randomized controlled trial is needed to compare shorter versus longer antimicrobial treatment in patients who have bacteremia.
Bridging the gap: integrating family planning with abortion services in Turkey.

In Turkey the inadequacy of family planning services leads many women to have repeat abortions which constitutes a major public health issue. In response the postabortion family planning program established linkages between abortion and family planning services. This paper reviews a decade of experience in postabortion family planning services which were delivered through three related phases: 1) a pilot program in a single public maternity hospital 2) an expansion of the program into 10 public facilities and 3) further expansion into 12 private-sector and two public-sector hospitals in Istanbul. Overall the experience in Turkey shows that women turn to abortion because of lack of contraception options. In an analysis of abortion trends it is noted that the postabortion family planning program efforts implemented throughout the 1990s contributed to the decline in abortion both by increasing the use of contraceptives among women who had had an abortion and by tilting the method mix toward more effective methods. The commitment of decision-makers was a particularly important criterion in the success of postabortion interventions. At the national level the program required support from management at the Ministry of Health and at the Social Insurance Organization. The most important challenge for the postabortion family planning program in Turkey was reaching the private sector.
RACE, COMMUNITY CONTEXT AND CONFIDENCE IN THE POLICE

Considers the impact of a range of variables on confidence in the police, including those given little or no previous attention, e.g. measures of crime experience and of conservative political orientation. Draws data from a larger study of urban crime‐prevention issues based on Cincinnati, Ohio. Finds that respondents’ race is not a significant determinant of confidence in the police; the most important determinant being the community context. Suggests that neighborhood social integration may provide a supportive context which could encourage positive evaluation of formal institutional arrangements. Finds that attitudes toward the police (ATP) are regulated by the social context and that much of the existing research, which excluded contextual variables, may have been wrong in making race a significant variable. Notes that confidence in the police is higher in women than in men, but this may be due to a lower rate of antagonistic contact between police and women (not measured here).
Distribution of Photopic Pupil Diameter in the Tehran Eye Study

Purpose: To determine the photopic pupil diameter and its determinants in a sample derived from a population-based survey in Tehran. Methods: In a cross-sectional study with a stratified random cluster sampling approach, 410 people age 14 years and over were selected from those residing in the first four municipality districts of Tehran after applying exclusion criteria, and 800 eyes (399 right eyes and 401 left eyes) were examined with the Orbscan II. The main outcome measure was the mean pupil diameter under photopic conditions, and possible correlations with potential determinants were evaluated through linear regression analyses. The design effect of a cluster sampling approach was observed and adjusted for. Results: The mean age of the participants was 40.6 ± 16.8 years and 38.8% were male. The mean photopic pupil diameter (PPD) was 3.70 mm (range 2.30 to 5.10; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.62 to 3.78). The mean PPD was 3.67 mm (95% CI, 3.54 to 3.81) in men and 3.72 mm (95% CI, 3.63 to 3.81) in women (p = 0.481). There was a significant reduction of 0.021 mm in PPD per year of aging (r = −0.49, p < 0.001). There was also a significant inverse correlation between PPD and spherical equivalent (r = −0.12, p = 0.034), while there was 0.66-mm increase in PPD with every 1.0-mm increase in the anterior chamber depth (ACD) (p < 0.001). Anisocoria, defined as a pupil diameter difference more than 0.4 mm between two eyes, was observed in 12.2% of the study population. Conclusion: While the mean PPD measured with the Orbscan II was 3.70 mm in a sample derived from a population-based survey in Tehran, the scarcity of similar studies and reports concerning the pupil diameter measured with the Orbscan II makes it difficult to draw eligible comparisons. The pupil diameter has reverse correlations with age and spherical equivalent, a direct correlation with ACD, but is not correlated with gender.
Evaluation of Noninvasive Hemoglobin Monitoring in Surgical Critical Care Patients*

Objective:To assess the clinical utility of noninvasive hemoglobin monitoring based on pulse cooximetry in the ICU setting. Design and Setting:A total of 358 surgical patients from a large urban, academic hospital had the noninvasive hemoglobin monitoring pulse cooximeter placed at admission to the ICU. Core and stat laboratory hemoglobin measurements were taken at the discretion of the clinicians, who were blinded to noninvasive hemoglobin monitoring values. Measurement and Main Results:There was a poor correlation between the 2,465 time-matched noninvasive hemoglobin monitoring and laboratory hemoglobin measurements (r2 = 0.29). Bland-Altman analysis showed a positive bias of 1.0 g/dL and limits of agreement of –2.5 to 4.6 g/dL. Accuracy was best at laboratory values of 10.5–14.5 g/dL and least at laboratory values of 6.5–8 g/dL. At hemoglobin values that would ordinarily identify a patient as requiring a transfusion (< 8 g/dL), noninvasive hemoglobin monitoring consistently overestimated the patient’s true hemoglobin. When sequential laboratory values declined below 8 g/dL (n = 102) and 7 g/dL (n = 13), the sensitivity and specificity of noninvasive hemoglobin monitoring at identifying these events were 27% and 7%, respectively. At a threshold of 8 g/dL, continuous noninvasive hemoglobin monitoring values reached the threshold before the labs in 45 of 102 instances (44%) and at 7 g/dL, noninvasive hemoglobin monitoring did so in three of 13 instances (23%). Noninvasive hemoglobin monitoring minus laboratory hemoglobin differences showed an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.47 within individual patients. Longer length of stay and higher All Patient Refined Diagnostic-Related Groups severity of illness were associated with poor noninvasive hemoglobin monitoring accuracy. Conclusions:Although noninvasive hemoglobin monitoring technology holds promise, it is not yet an acceptable substitute for laboratory hemoglobin measurements. Noninvasive hemoglobin monitoring performs most poorly in the lower hemoglobin ranges that include commonly used transfusion trigger thresholds and is not consistent within individual patients. Further refinement of the signal acquisition and analysis algorithms and clinical reevaluation are needed.
A Binational Multicenter Pilot Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial of Early Goal-Directed Mobilization in the ICU*

Objectives:To determine if the early goal-directed mobilization intervention could be delivered to patients receiving mechanical ventilation with increased maximal levels of activity compared with standard care. Design:A pilot randomized controlled trial. Setting:Five ICUs in Australia and New Zealand. Participants:Fifty critically ill adults mechanically ventilated for greater than 24 hours. Intervention:Patients were randomly assigned to either early goal-directed mobilization (intervention) or to standard care (control). Early goal-directed mobilization comprised functional rehabilitation treatment conducted at the highest level of activity possible for that patient assessed by the ICU mobility scale while receiving mechanical ventilation. Measurements and Main Results:The ICU mobility scale, strength, ventilation duration, ICU and hospital length of stay, and total inpatient (acute and rehabilitation) stay as well as 6-month post-ICU discharge health-related quality of life, activities of daily living, and anxiety and depression were recorded. The mean age was 61 years and 60% were men. The highest level of activity (ICU mobility scale) recorded during the ICU stay between the intervention and control groups was mean (95% CI) 7.3 (6.3–8.3) versus 5.9 (4.9–6.9), p = 0.05. The proportion of patients who walked in ICU was almost doubled with early goal-directed mobilization (intervention n = 19 [66%] vs control n = 8 [38%]; p = 0.05). There was no difference in total inpatient stay (d) between the intervention versus control groups (20 [15–35] vs 34 [18–43]; p = 0.37). There were no adverse events. Conclusions:Key Practice Points: Delivery of early goal-directed mobilization within a randomized controlled trial was feasible, safe and resulted in increased duration and level of active exercises.
Strengths and limitations of considering patients as ethics ‘actors’ equal to doctors: reflections on the patients’ position in a French clinical ethics consultation setting

The Clinical ethics centre in Paris offers its services equally to doctors and patients/proxies. Its primary goal is to re-equilibrate doctor-patient roles through giving greater voice to patients individually in medical decisions. Patients are present at virtually all levels, initiating consults, providing their point of view and receiving feedback. The implications of patients’ involvement are threefold. At an operational level, decision-making is facilitated by repositioning the debate on ethical grounds and introducing a dynamic of decisional partnership, although contact with patients can make it difficult to deny their demands and set the limits of our role. Ethically, it reinforces patients’ autonomy and grants them a place of veritable ethics ‘actors’, with the danger that this may become excessively autonomy oriented. Finally, at a collective level, the programme fulfils its political purpose in promoting patients’ rights and the ideal of démocratie sanitaire, but complicates balancing individual demands with collective values.
The Influence of Maternal Stress Resistance and Family Relationships on Depression in Children with Cancer

Abstract The current study proposed a theoretical model for explaining the potential influences on child adjustment to the complex and often painful treatment regimens required in the management of childhood cancer. The primary psychosocial factors of parental coping beliefs and behavior are explored, both directly and through their influence on family relationships, for their impact on child depression in pediatric oncology patients. The study sample included 27 children and their mothers with a variety of childhood cancers, whose treatment protocols were classified as either “more aggressive” (12) or “less aggressive” (15). Results indicated that maternal confidence in her coping efficacy was strongly related to the mother's use of approach coping strategies, the overall quality of the family environment, and the child's self-reported level of depression. Few significant relationships were found between demographic and disease variables (despite selection of cases for extremes in disease and treatment severity) and the psychological mediator and outcome variables. Parental education and financial status were found to function as personal resources for the mothers. Maternal confidence in her ability to cope was found to decrease with time after diagnosis. Recommendations are made for future studies to minimize the limitations inherent in the present small sample size.
The development of a thermostable CiP (Coprinus cinereus peroxidase) through in silico design

Protein thermostability is a crucial issue in the practical application of enzymes, such as inorganic synthesis and enzymatic polymerization of phenol derivatives. Much attention has been focused on the enhancement and numerous successes have been achieved through protein engineering methods. Despite fruitful results based on random mutagenesis, it was still necessary to develop a novel strategy that can reduce the time and effort involved in this process. In this study, a rapid and effective strategy is described for increasing the thermal stability of a protein. Instead of random mutagenesis, a rational strategy was adopted to theoretically stabilize the thermo labile residues of a protein using computational methods. Protein residues with high flexibility can be thermo labile due to their large range of movement. Here, residue B factor values were used to identify putatively thermo labile residues and the RosettaDesign program was applied to search for stable sequences. Coprinus cinereus (CiP) heme peroxidase was selected as a model protein for its importance in commercial applications, such as the polymerization of phenolic compounds. Eleven CiP residues with the highest B factor values were chosen as target mutation sites for thermostabilization, and then redesigned using RosettaDesign to identify sequences. Eight mutants based on the redesigns, were produced as functional enzymes and two of these (S323Y and E328D) showed increased thermal stability over the wild‐type in addition to conserved catalytic activity. Thus, this strategy can be used as a rapid and effective in silico design tool for obtaining thermostable proteins. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog. , 2010
A Retrospective Survey of Equine Acute Abdomen in a Breeding Region of Japan based on Agricultural Mutual Relief Insurance Data

We summarized the data from a mutual relief livestock insurance program, an insurance system applied under the Law of Compensation for Agricultural Damage, to determine the incidence of equine acute abdomen in the Hidaka district, a major horse-breeding region of Japan. A retrospective survey was conducted over a three year period, from January 2001 to December 2003. During this time, the number of cases of acute abdomen was 8,481 out of a total of 53,756 cases of diagnosed diseases (15.8%). During the same period, the number of cases of death due to acute abdomen was 306 out of a total of 1,106 deaths (27.7%). When a provisional population was calculated from the number of horses insured in November 2002 (45,624), the annual rates of "disease or injury" and "death or disuse" due to acute abdomen were 18.6% and 0.7%, respectively for the three year period. The most common forms of acute abdomen were intestinal tympany and constipational colic (5,455 cases, 64.3% of all acute abdomen cases); and volvulus was the most frequent cause of death (108 cases, 35.3% of the number of deaths due to acute abdomen). The incidence of intestinal obstruction, intestinal narrowing, intussusception and volvulus was highest from May to August (79 cases, 53.4% of a total of 179 cases). The mortality rate of acute abdomen was highest in those horses older than 21, followed by the range in age from 16 to 20. The removal of the factors associated with acute abdomen which are indicated in this report may be useful for prevention of acute abdomen.