Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products Impairs Host Defense in Pneumococcal Pneumonia1

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia. The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a multiligand receptor that is expressed ubiquitously in the lungs. Engagement of RAGE leads to activation of multiple intracellular signaling pathways, including NF-κB and subsequent transcription of several proinflammatory mediators. To determine the role of RAGE in the innate immune response to S. pneumoniae pneumonia, RAGE-deficient (RAGE−/−) and wild-type mice were intranasally inoculated with S. pneumoniae. S. pneumoniae pneumonia resulted in an up-regulation of constitutively present RAGE expression in lung tissue, especially in the interalveolar septae. RAGE−/− mice showed an improved survival, which was accompanied by a lower bacterial load in the lungs at 16 h and a decreased dissemination of the bacteria to blood and spleen at 16 and 48 h after inoculation. RAGE−/− macrophages showed an improved killing capacity of S. pneumoniae in vitro. Lung inflammation was attenuated in RAGE−/− mice at 48 h after inoculation, as indicated by histopathology and cytokine/chemokine levels. Neutrophil migration to the lungs was mitigated in the RAGE−/− mice. In addition, in RAGE−/− mice, activation of coagulation was diminished. Additional studies examining the effect of RAGE deficiency on the early (6-h) inflammatory response to S. pneumoniae did not reveal an early accelerated or enhanced immune response. These data suggest that RAGE plays a detrimental role in the host response to S. pneumoniae pneumonia by facilitating the bacterial growth and dissemination and concurrently enhancing the pulmonary inflammatory and procoagulant response.
No functionally relevant mechanical effects of epimuscular myofascial connections between rat ankle plantar flexors

ABSTRACT Triceps surae muscles are mechanically connected by the shared Achilles tendon and by epimuscular myofascial connections. We aimed to assess the effects of proximal lengthening of gastrocnemius and plantaris muscles, imposed by changes in knee angle, on the magnitude and direction of the 3D ankle moment exerted by the soleus muscle and the mechanical interaction between ankle plantar flexor muscles during co-activation of gastrocnemius muscle, in the rat (N=9). Ankle angle was kept constant (90 deg), whereas knee angle was varied between 60 deg and 130 deg. At each knee angle, the soleus muscle was excited individually as well as simultaneously with the gastrocnemius muscle (SO+GA). The mathematical sum of individual soleus and gastrocnemius ankle moments was compared with the ankle moment exerted by SO+GA to assess nonlinear summation. Knee angle did not affect the magnitude of the soleus ankle moment (P=0.695). Moment directions in the transverse (P=0.050) and frontal (P=0.008) planes were affected by knee angle, but dissection indicated that this was not caused by length changes of the two-joint synergistic muscles. Nonlinear summation was found in the magnitude (−1.4±1.9%, mean±s.d., P<0.001) and in the frontal plane vector direction of the ankle moment (0.13±0.23 deg, P=0.003); however, the extent did not change with knee angle. Although contraction of SO+GA increased the length of the Achilles tendon compared with its length at rest, this was not dependent on the knee angle (P=0.649). Despite the fact that intermuscular force transmission per se cannot be excluded, we conclude that, in vivo, the mechanical effects of epimuscular myofascial connections between rat ankle plantar flexors are not functionally relevant. Summary: Mechanical effects of epimuscular myofascial force transmission on the joint moment exerted by rat ankle plantar flexors are not significant.
Financial Inclusion and Poverty Reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa

Financial inclusion is the provision of financial services to low-income earners. Despite the proposition in the theoretical literature that financial inclusion can bring a lot of welfare benefits to the poor, empirical investigation and conclusion to that effect are rather scanty. This paper sheds light on the potential impact that financial inclusion has on poverty reduction among low-income individuals using 35 Sub-Saharan African countries. We employ the treatment effect model and propensity score matching techniques. Our results suggest that the poor who are financially included derives net wealth benefit and larger welfare benefit than those who are not financially included.
Provision of On-Site Medical Care to Patients With Hepatitis C in Drug Treatment Units

Substance abusers are at high risk for hepatitis C (HCV) infection and also constitute a group that is medically underserved and hard to reach. We conducted a nationwide survey with 445 randomly selected drug treatment units in the United States to determine unit and patient characteristics associated with the provision of on-site medical services for HCV-infected drug users. Eighty-four percent of the 322 units that estimated having at least one HCV-infected patient reported that they provided patients with HCV-related medical care. Drug treatment units were more likely to provide at least some of this care on site if they were residential, part of a network, or affiliated with a hospital; had medical staff; and required that their patients undergo a medical examination before entering treatment. Some organizational factors appear to influence the provision of on-site medical services to HCV-positive patients in drug treatment units. Further research on the role of such factors could inform the development of effective models of care for patients with hepatitis C in drug treatment organizations.
Optimistic, but not in Control: Life-Orientation and the Theory of mixed Control

Why are some people more optimistic about their life than others? Literature on locus of control suggests that optimism is associated with the belief that one’s life outcomes are controlled by internal factors, such as ability, instead of external factors, such as powerful others or chance. Furthermore, some authors suggest that internal control beliefs interact with self-efficacy beliefs regarding their effects on outcome expectancies and thus optimism. We argue that it is not only selfefficacy that interacts, but efficacy beliefs about external factors, too. We further hypothesize that the effect of perceiving internal rather than external control on dispositional optimism depends on the difference between efficacy beliefs regarding internal and external factors. Since people can influence other people to be helpful, i.e., take proxy control, but are unlikely to influence chance, we extend this internal-versus-external view and suggest that the difference between perceived control by others and perceived control by chance affect dispositional optimism. In fact, we hypothesize that the effect of perceiving that it is other people who are in control, rather than chance, depends on the difference between efficacy beliefs regarding others and chance. A first empirical survey-based test produces substantial support for our theory. This is the first time control-efficacy interaction effects are shown for dispositional variables and for the threedimensional construct of locus of control. We replicate a gender effect on correlations of dispositional optimism with self-reported risk taking and observe a gender effect for one of our new hypotheses.
Tea polyphenols reduce glucocorticoid-induced growth inhibition and oxidative stress in broiler chickens

1. The effects of dietary polyphenols (PP) on growth and oxidative stress in the corticosterone (CTC)-treated broiler chickens model were studied. 2. Chicks (Cobb strain) were divided into 3 (CTC) × 3 (PP) blocks and given diets containing CTC at concentrations of 0, 10 and 20 mg/kg. 3. The body weight gain was lower when the birds were treated with CTC. However, the high dose of PP tended to reduce the effect of CTC. 4. The abdominal fat content, plasma triglyceride concentration and liver weight were increased by CTC and reduced by PP. 5. Muscle and liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) were elevated by CTC and these effects were reduced by PP. Plasma CTC concentration was increased by dietary CTC treatment and decreased by PP. 6. In conclusion, our results indicate that PP can minimise growth inhibition, hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress induced by CTC treatment in broiler chickens.
Length and readability of structured software engineering abstracts

Attempts to perform systematic literature reviews have identified a problem with the quality of software engineering abstracts for papers describing empirical studies. Structured abstracts have been found useful for improving the quality of abstracts in many other disciplines. However, there have been no studies of the value of structured abstracts in software engineering. Therefore this paper aims to assess the comparative length and readability of unstructured abstracts and structured versions of the same abstract. Abstracts were obtained from all empirical conference papers from the Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering Conference (EASE04 and EASE06) that did not have a structured abstract (23 in total). Two novice researchers created structured versions of the abstracts, which were checked by the papers' authors (or a surrogate). Web tools were used to extract the length in words and readability in terms of the Flesch reading ease index and automated readability index (ARI) for the structured and unstructured abstracts. The structured abstracts were on average 142.5 words longer than the unstructured abstracts (p < 0.001). The readability of the structured abstracts was better by 8.5 points on the Flesch index (p < 0.001) and 1.8 points on the ARI (p < 0.003). The results are consistent with previous studies, although the increase in length and the increase in readability are both greater than the previous studies. Future work will consider whether structured abstracts increase the content and quality of abstracts.
Endobronchial ultrasonography for mediastinal and hilar lymph node metastases of lung cancer.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Conventional radiologic procedures are frequently unreliable in the diagnosis of mediastinal and hilar lymph node metastases of lung cancer. In order to improve diagnostic accuracy, we performed endobronchial ultrasonography (EBUS) during bronchofiberscopic examinations of patients with lung cancer. METHODS AND PATIENTS To evaluate mediastinal and hilar lymph node metastases, EBUS was performed prospectively using a radial scanning probe of 20 MHz through a bronchofiberscope. RESULTS We observed hilar lymph nodes (10R, 11R superior, 11R inferior, 12R, 10L, 11L, 12L) in 20 of 37 patients who underwent EBUS, and we could clearly identify whether direct invasion of the pulmonary artery by a lymph node had occurred. Of the 27 patients who showed no hilar lymph nodes on chest CT scan, lymph node swellings < 10 mm or > or = 10 mm in diameter were identified by EBUS in 9 patients and 2 patients, respectively. Interestingly, EBUS also revealed that the pulmonary artery was directly invaded by an interlobar lymph node < 10 mm in diameter in one patient. In most patients, lymph node 7 was easily identified and was clearly differentiated from the surrounding esophagus, vessels, and mediastinal fat tissue by EBUS. However, fused lymph nodes or lymph nodes with low central density when visualized by chest CT scan were occasionally observed as independent lymph nodes by EBUS. When compared with the pathologic diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in 16 patients who underwent surgery, the most specific and sensitive method for identifying lymph node metastases were EBUS alone (92%) and EBUS in combination with CT scan (100%), respectively. The overall accuracy of EBUS was 94% for the diagnosis of direct invasion of the pulmonary arteries by a hilar lymph node. CONCLUSIONS EBUS in combination with conventional radiologic tools may contribute to improved staging, especially in surgical cases with hilar lymph node metastases.
Resection of Plexiform Neurofibromas in Children With Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Background Large plexiform neurofibromas can cause significant morbidity, functional impairment, and may be even life threatening. They most commonly arise in association with major nerve trunks and follow the distribution of the involved peripheral nerves, and can be subject to transformation into malignant peripheral nerve sheet tumors. They produce large infiltrative masses, which can involve major portions of the trunk or extremities. The main goal of this project is to analyze our surgical experience with plexiform neurofibromas excision and to describe our surgical technique that may help the surgeon to reduce intraoperative bleeding and facilitate tumor excision. Methods A retrospective chart and radiograph review was carried out for all cases of children with neurofibromatosis type 1 followed at our institution. Patients with plexiform neurofibromas of the trunk or extremities and who underwent surgical resection of the tumor were reviewed. Results Eleven female and 3 male patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 with 20 surgically treated lesions were evaluated. The mean age of the patients at time of surgery was 13.4 years (range, 2.9 to 19.1 y). The average follow-up was 65.5 months (range, 24 to 145 mo). Five lesions (25%) were surgically treated before the age of 10 years and 15 lesions (75%) were treated after the age of 10 years. Further debulking was required in 7 lesions and a below knee amputation was performed in 1 case. Conclusions The main goal of surgical resection of large lesions is to partially restore the normal appearance and function of the affected part and to ameliorate pain, when possible. One of the major complications of this particular surgery is the potential for significant blood loss. This complication seems to be particularly frequent in large plexiform neurofibromas located in those parts of the skeleton where the application of a tourniquet is not possible. Applying large retention sutures during dissection helps in minimizing bleeding and reduces the risk of complications. Level of Evidence Level IV, retrospective study. See the guidelines online for a complete description of level of evidence.
Functional genomics reveals the sole sulphate transporter of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and its relevance to the acquisition of sulphur in vivo

Sulphur is essential for some of the most vital biological activities such as translation initiation and redox maintenance, and genes involved in sulphur metabolism have been implicated in virulence. Mycobacterium tuberculosis has three predicted genes for the prototrophic acquisition of sulphur as sulphate: cysA, part of an ABC transporter, and cysA2 and A3, SseC sulphotransferases. Screening for amino acid auxotrophs of Mycobacterium bovis BCG, obtained by transposon mutagenesis, was used to select methionine auxotrophs requiring a sulphur‐containing amino acid for growth. We have characterized one of these auxotrophs as being disrupted in cysA. Both the cysA mutant and a previously identified mutant in an upstream gene, subI, were functionally characterized as being completely unable to take up sulphate. Complementation of the cysA mutant with the wild‐type gene from M. tuberculosis restored prototrophy and the ability to take up sulphate with the functional characteristics of an ABC transporter. Hence, it appears that this is the sole locus encoding inorganic sulphur transport in the M. tuberculosis complex
Pharmacist collaborative management of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of pharmacist management of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus in a community-based primary care group. STUDY DESIGN Randomized controlled trial of pharmacist management of diabetes compared with usual medical care. METHODS Patients 18 years or older with glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) levels of 9.0% or higher were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 52) or a control group (n = 51). Management in the control group included the use of registries and targeted patient outreach. The intervention group participated in the same outreach program plus medication management, patient education, and disease control by a pharmacist. RESULTS Nonparametric data showed median A1C decreases of 1.50% for the intervention group and 0.40% for the control group (P = .06). Significantly more patients in the intervention group improved their A1C level by at least 1.0% relative to the control group (67.3% vs 41.2%, P = .02). Most of this benefit was seen for patients of nonwhite race/ethnicity compared with control subjects (56.3% vs 22.7%, P = .03). Male patients showed significantly greater benefit as well, with a median A1C decrease of 1.90% vs 0.15% for controls (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS Patients with poorly controlled diabetes improved A1C levels significantly when pharmacist management was added to an aggressive organizational diabetes management program. Our results suggest that clinically trained pharmacists can help primary care providers improve diabetes management, especially among male patients and among patients of nonwhite race/ethnicity.
Psychiatric morbidity among Saudi secondary schoolteachers.

OBJECTIVES To measure the prevalence and severity of depression, anxiety, and stress among male secondary schoolteachers. METHOD A cross-sectional study was conducted during the academic session 2004/5, covering the teachers of 65 boys` secondary schools in Abha Educational Area, Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia. A study sample of 195 teachers was obtained using the random sampling technique. Data were collected using the Arabic version of the 42-item Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-42). RESULTS Out of a total 195 teachers, 189 questionnaires were returned, yielding a response rate of 96.9%. Twenty-five percent had depression 43% had anxiety, and 31% of the participants had stress. Depression, anxiety, and stress were strongly, positively, and significantly correlated. CONCLUSION Male secondary schoolteachers in Abha educational area in Saudi Arabia experienced a high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress. Additional studies are needed to find out the causes of this problem.
Household Transmission of 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1): A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: During the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, household transmission studies were implemented to better understand the characteristics of the transmission of the novel virus in a confined setting. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess and summarize the findings of these studies. We identified 27 articles, around half of which reported studies conducted in May and June 2009. Results: In 13 of the 27 studies (48%) that collected respiratory specimens from household contacts, point estimates of the risk of secondary infection ranged from 3% to 38%, with substantial heterogeneity. Meta-regression analyses revealed that a part of the heterogeneity reflected varying case ascertainment and study designs. The estimates of symptomatic secondary infection risk, based on 20 studies identifying febrile acute respiratory illness among household contacts, also showed substantial variability, with point estimates ranging from 4% to 37%. Conclusions: Transmission of the 2009 pandemic virus in households appeared to vary among countries and settings, with differences in estimates of the secondary infection risk also partly due to differences in study designs.
Author ' s personal copy Decisions from experience : Why small samples ?

In many decisions we cannot consult explicit statistics telling us about the risks involved in our actions. In lieu of such data, we can arrive at an understanding of our dicey options by sampling from them. The size of the samples that we take determines, ceteris paribus, how good our choices will be. Studies of decisions from experience have observed that people tend to rely on relatively small samples from payoff distributions, and small samples are at times rendered even smaller because of recency. We suggest one contributing and previously unnoticed reason for reliance on frugal search: Small samples amplify the difference between the expected earnings associated with the payoff distributions, thus making the options more distinct and choice easier. We describe the magnitude of this amplification effect, and the potential costs that it exacts, and we empirically test four of
Nifedipine inhibits pulmonary hypertension but does not prevent decreased lung eNOS in hypoxic newborn pigs

Fike, Candice D. , and Mark R. Kaplowitz. Nifedipine inhibits pulmonary hypertension but does not prevent decreased lung eNOS in hypoxic newborn pigs. Am. J. Physiol. 277 (Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 21): L449–L456, 1999. — Therapies to prevent the onset or progression of pulmonary hypertension in newborns have received little study compared with those in adult models. We wanted to determine whether nifedipine treatment prevents the increased pulmonary vascular resistance, blunted pulmonary vascular responses to acetylcholine, and reduced lung endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) amounts that we have found in a newborn model of chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension. Studies were performed with 1to 3-day-old piglets raised in room air (control) or 10% O2 (hypoxia) for 10–12 days. Some piglets from each group were given nifedipine (3–5 mg/kg sublingually three times a day). Pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary wedge pressure, and cardiac output were measured in anesthetized animals. Pulmonary vascular responses to acetylcholine and eNOS amounts were assessed in excised lungs. The calculated value of the pulmonary vascular resistance for nifedipine-treated hypoxic piglets (0.09 6 0.01 cmH2O·ml ·min·kg) was almost one-half of the value for untreated hypoxic piglets (0.16 6 0.01 cmH2O·ml ·min·kg) and did not differ from the value for untreated control piglets (0.05 6 0.01 cmH2O·ml ·min·kg). Pulmonary arterial pressure responses to acetylcholine and whole lung homogenate eNOS amounts were less for both nifedipine-treated and untreated hypoxic piglets than for untreated control piglets. Nifedipine treatment attenuated pulmonary hypertension in chronically hypoxic newborn piglets despite the persistence of blunted responses to acetylcholine and reduced lung eNOS amounts.
Sports and osteoarthritis

Purpose of review Participation in sports improves general health but increases the risk of osteoarthritis. This review analyzes the relationships among increased joint use, joint injuries, and injury-induced joint degeneration that causes posttraumatic osteoarthritis. The purpose is to help people who participate in sports minimize their risk of joint degeneration. Recent findings Participation in sports that cause minimal joint impact and torsional loading by people with normal joints and neuromuscular function may cause osteophyte formation, but it has minimal, if any, effect on the risk of osteoarthritis. In contrast, participation in sports that subject joints to high levels of impact and torsional loading increases the risk of injury-induced joint degeneration. People with abnormal joint anatomy or alignment, previous joint injury or surgery, osteoarthritis, joint instability, articular surface incongruity or dysplasia, disturbances of joint or muscle innervation, or inadequate muscle strength have increased risk of joint damage during participation in athletics. Summary Gaining the benefits of participation in athletics while minimizing the risk of osteoarthritis requires understanding of the relationships between sports participation and joint injury and the relationships between joint injury and joint degeneration. People who wish to participate in sports should have an evaluation of their joint structure and function, muscle strength, and neuromuscular function, and people with a history of joint injury or mild osteoarthritis should select sports that have limited risk of accelerating joint degeneration.