Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Feeding inhibition in the soil collembolan Folsomia candida as an endpoint for the estimation of organic waste ecotoxicity

Despite the increasing quantities of organic wastes that are being reused in soils, there are few studies that focus on the selection of bioassays for the ecotoxicological risk assessment of organic wastes to soils. In the present study, differences in feeding inhibition in the soil collembolan Folsomia candida were evaluated as an ecotoxicological endpoint for the assessment of risk to soils amended with polluted organic wastes. Seven organic wastes (dewatered sewage sludges, thermally dried sewage sludges, composted sewage sludges, and a thermally dried pig slurry) were tested. These wastes had different origins, treatments, and pollutant burdens, and were selected as a representative sample of the wide variety of wastes currently generated. A clear dose response was observed for this parameter, with an increase in percentage of individual feeding inhibition with increased doses of organic wastes. More significantly, feeding inhibition correlated highly with mortality and reproduction inhibition in the different wastes. Composted sludges displayed the lowest toxicity, followed by thermally dried sludge and dewatered sludge. Thermally dried pig slurry showed the highest toxicity for feeding, with lower median effective concentration (EC50) values than the lowest dose tested. Among waste physicochemical parameters and pollutants, low organic matter stability appeared to be the main predictor of potential adverse effects on soil fauna, because it correlated significantly with feeding inhibition and mortality. Furthermore, feeding inhibition tests were run over a short exposure time (less than 7 d), which, together with the results obtained, makes this bioassay a good screening tool for organic waste toxicity.
First Report of Leishmania infantum in French Guiana: Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis Imported from the Old World

ABSTRACT The first two cases of canine visceral leishmaniasis in French Guiana are described. One infected dog was most probably imported from France. A second dog was then infected with Leishmania infantum in French Guiana. These observations exemplify the intercontinental transportation theory for L. infantum.
Excretory Secretory Proteins Released during Growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (H37Ra), With Diagnostic Potential in Pulmonary and Extra Pulmonary Tuberculosis

TB immunodiagnostics based on antibody and antigen detection for early detection and monitoring tubercular infections at low cost and flexible to adapt to field laboratories are a boon to developing countries. In this context we have explored in-house developed penicillinase based ELISA assays for the detection of antigen, antibody as well as immune-complexed antigen using various excretory secretory antigenic proteins and specific antibodies. Excretory secretory protein antigens such as ES-31, ES-41, ES-43, ES-6, ES-20, ES-100 and EST-6 were studied extensively and found to be useful in various pulmonary and extra pulmonary cases of tuberculosis infection. ES-31 has shown its diagnostic potential in chronic PTB cases, ES-43 in relapse cases and ES-41 in bone and joint TB. Elevated level of ES-20 antigen was observed in patients with weak immune response in TB lymphadenitis. Detection of ES-100 antigen and antibody by penicilinase ELISA was observed to be useful in detection of TB meningitis. ES-6 antigen was shown to be useful in detection of latent infection. These proteins with antigenic properties are utilized for production of specific antibodies against them and observed to be useful in immune diagnostics for detection of specific circulating and immune complexed antigens. Further user friendly peroxidase immunoassay has been standardised and is being routinely used for suspected TB cases attending 1000 bedded Kasturba Hospital attached to medical institute on physician’s request.
Lupus in Singapore

Rheumatologists in Singapore have a long tradition of treating patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). These patients are particularly concentrated at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) the site of the first rheumatology department in Singapore. The rheumatology community in Singapore has a unique position with strong links both with rheumatologists in the Asia-Pacific region and throughout the world. Now with prospective patient databases and large numbers of patients, Singapore is an exciting place for rheumatologists to practice and study connective tissue diseases.
Association between H-ras minisatellite and colorectal cancer risk.

BACKGROUND The H-ras locus has been suggested to play an important role in susceptibility to cancer. However, the results remain controversial. METHODS In order to elucidate the potential role of the H-ras locus in colorectal carcinogenesis, 142 colorectal tumors with matched normal samples were studied for genomic instability and loss of heterozygosity (LOH), and 143 healthy samples of white blood cell DNA were examined by PCR, for H-ras allelic polymorphism. RESULTS Nine percent of colorectal cancer patients constitutionally presented at least one rare allele versus 1.4% of healthy individuals (P = 0.0034). The risk of developing colorectal cancer increased significantly with the presence of rare H-ras alleles (odds ratio = 7.10 and 95% confidence interval = 1.92-26.35). The genotype associating one common allele and one rare allele was overrepresented in cancer patients (P < 0.01). No associations were observed between the rare alleles and tumor site or with the aggressiveness of cancer. Low frequencies of LOH (5%) and genetic instability (0.7%) at the H-ras locus were found in our colorectal cancer set. CONCLUSIONS Consequently, the presence of uncommon alleles at the H-ras locus appeared to be an informative genetic marker.
Effect of CPAP on insulin resistance in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea and type 2 diabetes

West et al are to be commended for the laborious study of the impact of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on insulin resistance and glycaemic control in males with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) and type 2 diabetes ( Thorax 2007; 62 :969–74). The authors did not demonstrate an improvement in insulin sensitivity and glycaemic control in obese patients after 3 months of therapeutic CPAP compared with placebo CPAP. The presentation of the apnoea–hypopnoea index (AHI) results (shown as mean (SD, 0–100% range)) …
Treatment results of adult patients with primary bone tumours of the humerus with the use of the oncological modular endoprosthesis

Aim of the study Primary bone tumours are relatively rare, but their diagnosis and treatment is difficult and connected with a high risk of complications. The goal of this report is a retrospective evaluation of outcomes in patients with primary tumours of the humerus treated in our centre with the use of modular endoprosthetic reconstruction. Material and methods Currently, surgical treatment is a standard procedure for local therapy, with wide tumour-free margin resection after a planned multidisciplinary and individualised strategy of tumour management based on the diagnostic biopsy result. The best option for patients to avoid disability is simultaneous surgical reconstruction aiming to spare the limb and its functionality. Results In this report, we present the results of treatment of our 11 adult patients suffering from primary bone tumours of the humerus, who have undergone wide bone resection followed by reconstruction with the use of a modular MUTARS® endoprosthesis. Conclusions The study showed that prosthetic reconstruction of the resected humerus due to a primary bone tumour is safe and acceptable for patients; despite the fact that limitation of active abduction of the shoulder is up to 20 grades, this surgical procedure provides satisfactory limb function.
Prioritising minimum standards of emergency care for children in resource-limited settings

Background: There is global variation in the ability of hospital-based emergency centres to provide paediatric emergency medicine (PEM) services. Although minimum standards have been proposed, they may not be applicable in resource-limited settings. Objective:The goal was to identify reasonable minimum standards to provide safe and effective care for acutely ill children in resource-limited settings. Methods: Using previously proposed standards from the International Federation of Emergency Medicine (IFEM), a modified Delphi approach was used to reach agreement regarding minimum standards for PEM in resource-limited settings. Three rounds of surveys were electronically distributed to physicians working in resource-limited settings. Those standards with >67% agreement advanced to the subsequent round. Results: The categories of the surviving criteria included integrated service design, child and family-friendly care, initial assessment of the ill child, stabilising and treating an ill child, staff training and competence, equipment, supplies and medications, quality and safety, child protection, and advanced training and academic research. Conclusions: Experts with experience in acute care of children in resource-limited settings have prioritised standards for paediatric emergency care. They identified 26 variables in nine domains from the original IFEM list of standards and two additional free text standards for the care of acutely ill children. This list may serve as a helpful guide for emergency centres to provide medical treatment for acutely ill children in resource-limited settings.
Public health and components of particulate matter: The changing assessment of black carbon

In 2012, the WHO classified diesel emissions as carcinogenic, and its European branch suggested creating a public health standard for airborne black carbon (BC). In 2011, EU researchers found that life expectancy could be extended four to nine times by reducing a unit of BC, vs reducing a unit of PM2.5. Only recently could such determinations be made. Steady improvements in research methodologies now enable such judgments. In this Critical Review, we survey epidemiological and toxicological literature regarding carbonaceous combustion emissions, as research methodologies improved over time. Initially, we focus on studies of BC, diesel, and traffic emissions in the Western countries (where daily urban BC emissions are mainly from diesels). We examine effects of other carbonaceous emissions, e.g., residential burning of biomass and coal without controls, mainly in developing countries. Throughout the 1990s, air pollution epidemiology studies rarely included species not routinely monitored. As additional PM2.5. chemical species, including carbonaceous species, became more widely available after 1999, they were gradually included in epidemiological studies. Pollutant species concentrations which more accurately reflected subject exposure also improved models. Natural “interventions” - reductions in emissions concurrent with fuel changes or increased combustion efficiency; introduction of ventilation in highway tunnels; implementation of electronic toll payment systems – demonstrated health benefits of reducing specific carbon emissions. Toxicology studies provided plausible biological mechanisms by which different PM species, e.g., carbonaceous species, may cause harm, aiding interpretation of epidemiological studies. Our review finds that BC from various sources appears to be causally involved in all-cause, lung cancer, and cardiovascular mortality, morbidity, and perhaps adverse birth and nervous system effects. We recommend that the U.S. EPA rubric for judging possible causality of PM2.5. mass concentrations, be used to assess which PM2.5. species are most harmful to public health. Implications: Black carbon (BC) and correlated co-emissions appear causally related with all-cause, cardiovascular, and lung cancer mortality, and perhaps with adverse birth outcomes and central nervous system effects. Such findings are recent, since widespread monitoring for BC is also recent. Helpful epidemiological advances (using many health relevant PM2.5 species in models; using better measurements of subject exposure) have also occurred. “Natural intervention” studies also demonstrate harm from partly combusted carbonaceous emissions. Toxicology studies consistently find biological mechanisms explaining how such emissions can cause these adverse outcomes. A consistent mechanism for judging causality for different PM2.5 species is suggested. A list of acronyms will be found at the end of the article.
Proteomics Reveals Intersexual Differences in the Rat Brain Hippocampus

It is widely accepted that intersexual differences occur in cognitive domains, e.g., in spatial learning and memory. The hippocampus plays important roles in the consolidation of information from short‐term memory to long‐term memory and spatial navigation. However, it still remains unknown whether the hippocampal proteomic profiling differs between males and females. In this study, we investigated the intersexual differences in protein expression of hippocampi using the two‐dimensional electrophoresis analysis. In all, 33 differentially expressed proteins were characterized by matrix‐assisted laser desorption and ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and validated by Western‐blotting analysis. In line with Western‐blotting validation, the proteomic identification revealed the overexpression of glial fibrillary acidic protein in female rats' hippocampi, and the overexpression of both creatine kinase B‐type and DRP‐2 in male rats' hippocampi. The intersexual differences in hippocampal proteomic profiling are probably closely related to those in spatial learning and memory abilities. Anat Rec, 296:462–469, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Low sex hormone-binding globulin, total testosterone, and symptomatic androgen deficiency are associated with development of the metabolic syndrome in nonobese men.

BACKGROUND The metabolic syndrome (MetS), characterized by central obesity, lipid and insulin dysregulation, and hypertension, is a precursor state for cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this analysis was to determine whether low serum sex hormone levels or clinical androgen deficiency (AD) predict the development of MetS. METHODS Data were obtained from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, a population-based prospective cohort of 1709 men observed at three time points (T1, 1987-1989; T2, 1995-1997; T3, 2002-2004). MetS was defined using a modification of the ATP III guidelines. Clinical AD was defined using a combination of testosterone levels and clinical signs and symptoms. The association between MetS and sex hormone levels or clinical AD was assessed using relative risks (RR), and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated using Poisson regression models. RESULTS Analysis was conducted in 950 men without MetS at T1. Lower levels of total testosterone and SHBG were predictive of MetS, particularly among men with a body mass index (BMI) below 25 kg/m2 with adjusted RRs for a decrease in 1 sd of 1.41 (95% CI, 1.06-1.87) and 1.65 (95% CI, 1.12-2.42). Results were similar for the AD and MetS association, with RRs of 2.51 (95% CI, 1.12-5.65) among men with a BMI less than 25 compared with an RR of 1.22 (95% CI, 0.66-2.24) in men with a BMI of 25 or greater. CONCLUSIONS Low serum SHBG, low total testosterone, and clinical AD are associated with increased risk of developing MetS over time, particularly in nonoverweight, middle-aged men (BMI, <25). Together, these results suggest that low SHBG and/or AD may provide early warning signs for cardiovascular risk and an opportunity for early intervention in nonobese men.
Critical Influence of Framing Coil Orientation on Intra-Aneurysmal and Neck Region Hemodynamics in a Sidewall Aneurysm Model

BACKGROUND: Although coiling of intracranial aneurysms is thought to rely on obstruction of blood flow into the aneurysm and induction of intra-aneurysmal thrombosis, little data exist regarding the effect of coil deployment on hemodynamics. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of simulated coiling of a model aneurysm on flow and wall shear stress in the dome and neck regions using computational fluid dynamic analysis. METHODS: A spherical sidewall aneurysm on a curved parent vessel underwent simulated embolization with 1 or more computer-designed helical coils. The coils' axes had parallel, orthogonal, or transverse orientation with respect to blood flow. Pulsatile laminar flow computational fluid dynamic analysis was performed on high-resolution conformal meshes of the aneurysm-coil complex using realistic non-Newtonian blood viscosity. RESULTS: Intra-aneurysmal flow and energy flux into the dome were significantly reduced by coil insertion, with little effect on pressure distribution. Coiling increased viscosity in the distal dome with progressive spread toward the neck with greater coil packing. Coiling also decreased wall shear stress and its gradient both in the inflow zone and the downstream parent vessel. These alterations were dependent on coil orientation, with effectiveness rank order of parallel > transverse > orthogonal. CONCLUSION: We successfully modeled the hemodynamic effects of aneurysm coil embolization and uncovered a framing coil orientation dependence of dome and parent vessel hemodynamics. In addition to suggesting a pathophysiological link among coil configuration, protection from rupture, and aneurysm regrowth, these results pave the way for the analysis of aneurysm-coil complex interactions on a patient lesion-specific basis.
Dependence of Skin Ablation Depths on Er:YAG Laser Fluence

Triangulation and histological studies were made of skin ablation depths following skin treatments with a Fotona Dynamis Er:YAG laser system. The following laser handpieces were used in the study: Full beam handpieces R04 and R11; Stamping patterned handpieces PS01, PS02 and PS03; fractionated handpiece FS01 and c) Scanning fractional handpiece F22. The laser fluence (F) was found to be the major parameter that determines the ablation depth during Er:YAG skin treatments. Here, F=E/A, where E is the energy of the laser pulse, and A is the laser spot size area. Above the ablation threshold Fthr, the ablation depth (D) was found to grow approximately linearly with the fluence as D = K x (F- Fthr) where K ≈ 4 m.cm2/J. For the same fluence, ablation depths were within experimental error independent of pulse duration, pulse energy and spot size. With identical fluences, the ablation depths achieved with the full beam handpieces R04 and R11 were measured to be the same as those obtained with the patterned beam handpieces PS01, PS02 and PS03, and as well with the stamping fractionated handpiece FS01. This is due to the fact that the Fotona Dynamis patterned and stamping fractionated handpieces do not use any focusing optics to create smaller micro beams. Instead, the full beam is divided into smaller beams by a metal screen or diffractive optics. As a result, the fluence of each individual micro beam remains unchanged and is of the same top-hat spatial distribution of the full beam.
Audiological Profile in Older Children and Adolescents with Unrepaired Cleft Palate

Objective To study the audiological profile in the cleft population comprising older children and adolescents with unrepaired cleft palate and to arrive at a consensus regarding management of otitis media with effusion in this unique group. Setting Tertiary care institute in Chandigarh, Punjab, India. Design Prospective study based on all patients older than 7 years with unrepaired cleft palate, attending the plastic surgery outpatient department, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, Punjab, India, from January 2001 to December 2002. Patients with submucous cleft were excluded from the study. General characteristics, otoscopic findings, pure tone audiometry, and impedence audiometry of all patients were recorded. Results Patients’ ages ranged from 8 to 18 years, with a mean of 10.5 years. Regarding otological complaints, 86.7% were asymptomatic. Otoscopic findings revealed mild retraction as the most common finding in 50% of the ears. Type B curve was the most common tympanometric finding. The highest and lowest hearing thresholds recorded were 45 db and 15 db, respectively, with a mean of 27.11 db. Conclusion The audiological profile of this unique group, which neither had undergone palatoplasty nor had received treatment for the ear condition, demonstrates a mild to moderate hearing impairment. This definitely requires treatment, but owing to the lack of a prospective control group, it is difficult to conclude whether these patients are benefited by conservative treatment alone or by an early aggressive surgical treatment for otitis media with effusion (OME).
Hydrogen Sulfide Delays LPS-Induced Preterm Birth in Mice via Anti-Inflammatory Pathways

A major cause of preterm labor in pregnant women is intra-amniotic infection, which is mediated by an inflammatory process. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a gaseous transmitter, has been implicated to be involved in inflammatory responses. We sought to investigate whether H2S affects infectious preterm birth using the mouse model of lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced preterm birth. Administration of LPS at 0.4 mg/kg with two injections intraperitoneally (i.p.) on gestational day 14.5 induced preterm labor. LPS significantly increased leukocyte infiltration in uterus, stimulated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), CCL2 and CXCL15 in myometrium. Administration of NaHS (i.p.) delayed the onset of labor induced by LPS in a dose-dependent manner. NaHS prevented leukocyte infiltration into intrauterine tissues and inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in myometrium and decreased the levels of these cytokines in maternal circulation. H2S also decreased LPS-activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2/ nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathways in myometrium. This study provides new in vivo evidence for the roles of H2S in attenuating inflammation, and a potential novel therapeutic strategy for infection-related preterm labor.
Cancer screening and risk factor rates among American Indians.

OBJECTIVES We examined cancer screening and risk factor patterns in California using 4 different statistical tabulations of American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) populations. METHODS We used the 2001 California Health Interview Survey to compare cancer screening and risk factor data across 4 different tabulation approaches. We calculated weighted prevalence estimates by gender and race/ethnicity for cancer screening and risk factors, sociodemographic characteristics, and access to care variables. We compared AIAN men and women with members of other racial groups and examined outcomes among AIAN men and women using the 4 tabulation methods. RESULTS Although some differences were small, in general, screening and risk factor rates among American Indians/Alaska Natives were most similar to rates among Whites when the most inclusive multiracial tabulation approach was used and least similar when the more exclusive US census "single-race" approach was used. CONCLUSIONS Racial misclassification and undercounting are among the most difficult obstacles to obtaining accurate and informative data on the AIAN population. Our analysis suggests some guidelines for overcoming these obstacles.