Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Vitamin D and Calcium Supplementation on Falls: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Specific receptors for vitamin D have been identified in human muscle tissue. Cross‐sectional studies show that elderly persons with higher vitamin D serum levels have increased muscle strength and a lower number of falls. We hypothesized that vitamin D and calcium supplementation would improve musculoskeletal function and decrease falls. In a double‐blind randomized controlled trial, we studied 122 elderly women (mean age, 85.3 years; range, 63–99 years) in long‐stay geriatric care. Participants received 1200 mg calcium plus 800 IU cholecalciferol (Cal+D‐group; n = 62) or 1200 mg calcium (Cal‐group; n = 60) per day over a 12‐week treatment period. The number of falls per person (0, 1, 2–5, 6–7, >7 falls) was compared between the treatment groups. In an intention to treat analysis, a Poisson regression model was used to compare falls after controlling for age, number of falls in a 6‐week pretreatment period, and baseline 25‐hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D serum concentrations. Among fallers in the treatment period, crude excessive fall rate (treatment − pretreatment falls) was compared between treatment groups. Change in musculoskeletal function (summed score of knee flexor and extensor strength, grip strength, and the timed up&go test) was measured as a secondary outcome. Among subjects in the Cal+D‐group, there were significant increases in median serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (+71%) and 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D (+8%). Before treatment, mean observed number of falls per person per week was 0.059 in the Cal+D‐group and 0.056 in the Cal‐group. In the 12‐week treatment period, mean number of falls per person per week was 0.034 in the Cal+D‐group and 0.076 in the Cal‐group. After adjustment, Cal+D‐treatment accounted for a 49% reduction of falls (95% CI, 14–71%; p < 0.01) based on the fall categories stated above. Among fallers of the treatment period, the crude average number of excessive falls was significantly higher in the Cal‐group (p = 0.045). Musculoskeletal function improved significantly in the Cal+D‐group (p = 0.0094). A single intervention with vitamin D plus calcium over a 3‐month period reduced the risk of falling by 49% compared with calcium alone. Over this short‐term intervention, recurrent fallers seem to benefit most by the treatment. The impact of vitamin D on falls might be explained by the observed improvement in musculoskeletal function.
Anatomic position of the asterion.

OBJECTIVE The asterion is defined as the junction of the lambdoid, parietomastoid, and occipitomastoid sutures. The asterion has been used as a landmark in lateral approaches to the posterior fossa. However, its reliability as a landmark comes into question considering the apparent variability of its position. This study was performed to determine the reliability of the asterion as a surgical landmark. METHODS One hundred dried skulls were obtained for study. A 2-mm drill hole was placed at the asterion on each side. The position of the drill hole on the inner surface of the skull was next determined and recorded. RESULTS The asterion was located over the posterior fossa dura in 32% on the right and 25% on the left. Its position was over the transverse or sigmoid sinus complex in 61% on the right and 66% on the left. The landmark was located above the transverse-sigmoid sinus complex in 7% on the right and 9% on the left. CONCLUSIONS The asterion is not a strictly reliable landmark in terms of locating the underlying posterior fossa dura. Its location is very often directly over the transverse-sigmoid sinus complex. Burr holes placed at the asterion may often open the bone directly over the sinus, leading to potential damage.
Lipid partitioning, incomplete fatty acid oxidation, and insulin signal transduction in primary human muscle cells: effects of severe obesity, fatty acid incubation, and fatty acid translocase/CD36 overexpression.

CONTEXT Intracellular lipid partitioning toward storage and the incomplete oxidation of fatty acids (FA) have been linked to insulin resistance. OBJECTIVE To gain insight into how intracellular lipid metabolism is related to insulin signal transduction, we examined the effects of severe obesity, excess FA, and overexpression of the FA transporter, FA translocase (FAT)/CD36, in primary human skeletal myocytes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS Insulin signal transduction, FA oxidation, and metabolism were measured in skeletal muscle cells harvested from lean and severely obese women. To emulate the obesity phenotype in our cell culture system, we incubated cells from lean individuals with excess FA or overexpressed FAT/CD36 using recombinant adenoviral technology. RESULTS Complete oxidation of FA was significantly reduced, whereas total lipid accumulation, FA esterification into lipid intermediates, and incomplete oxidation were up-regulated in the muscle cells of severely obese subjects. Insulin signal transduction was reduced in the muscle cells from severely obese subjects compared to lean controls. Incubation of muscle cells from lean subjects with lipids reduced insulin signal transduction and increased lipid storage and incomplete FA oxidation. CD36 overexpression increased FA transport capacity, but did not impair complete FA oxidation and insulin signal transduction in muscle cells from lean subjects. CONCLUSIONS Cultured myocytes from severely obese women express perturbations in FA metabolism and insulin signaling reminiscent of those observed in vivo. The obesity phenotype can be recapitulated in muscle cells from lean subjects via exposure to excess lipid, but not by overexpressing the FAT/CD36 FA transporter.
Eye Movements , Strabismus , Amblyopia and Neuro-Ophthalmology Visual Processing in Infantile Nystagmus Is Not Slow

Citation: Dunn MJ, Margrain TH, Woodhouse JM, Erichsen JT. Visual processing in infantile nystagmus is not slow. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2015;56:5094–5101. DOI:10.1167/ iovs.15-16977 PURPOSE. Treatments for infantile nystagmus (IN) sometimes elicit subjective reports of improved visual function, yet quantifiable improvements in visual acuity, if any, are often negligible. One possibility is that these subjective ‘‘improvements’’ may relate to temporal, rather than spatial, visual function. This study aimed to ascertain the extent to which ‘‘time to see’’ might be increased in nystagmats, as compared to normally sighted controls. By assessing both eye movement and response time data, it was possible to determine whether delays in ‘‘time to see’’ were due solely to the eye movements, or to an underlying deficit in visual processing.
Toward a better understanding of the gamma index: Investigation of parameters with a surface-based distance method.

PURPOSE The purpose of this work was to clarify the interactions between the parameters used in the γ index with the surface-based distance method, which itself can be viewed as a generalized version of the γ index. The examined parameters included the distance to agreement (DTA)/dose difference (DD) criteria, the percentage used as a passing criterion, and the passing percentage for given DTA/DD criteria. The specific aims of our work were (1) to understand the relationships between the parameters used in the γ index, (2) to determine the detection limit, or the minimum detectable error, of the γ index with a given set of parameters, and (3) to establish a procedure to determine parameters that are consistent with the capacity of an IMRT QA system. METHODS The surface-based distance technique with dose gradient factor was derived, and then the relationship between surface-based distance and γ index was established. The dose gradient factor for plans and measurements of 10 IMRT patients, 10 spine stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) patients, and 3 Radiological Physics Center (RPC) head and neck phantom were calculated and evaluated. The detection limits of the surface-based distance and γ index methods were examined by introducing known shifts to the 10 IMRT plans. RESULTS The means of the dose gradient factors were 0.434 mm/% and 0.956 mm/% for the SRS and IMRT plans, respectively. Key quantities (including the mean and 90th and 99th percentiles of the distance distribution) of the surface-based distance distribution between two dose distributions were linearly proportional to the actual shifts. However, the passing percentage of the γ index for a given set of DTA/DD criteria was not associated with the actual shift. For IMRT, using the standard quality assurance criteria of 3 mm/3% DTA/DD and a 90% passing rate, we found that the detection limit of the γ index in terms of global shift was 4.07 mm/4.07 % without noise. CONCLUSIONS Surface-based distance is a direct measure of the difference between two dose distributions and can be used to evaluate or determine parameters for use in calculating the γ index. The dose gradient factor represents the weighting between spatial and dose shift and should be determined before DTA/DD criteria are set. The authors also present a procedure to determine γ index parameters from measurements.
Isavuconazole Pharmacodynamic Target Determination for Candida Species in an In Vivo Murine Disseminated Candidiasis Model

ABSTRACT Pharmacodynamic (PD) studies with triazoles in the neutropenic murine disseminated candidiasis model have been performed extensively for Candida albicans. They have consistently shown that the pharmacodynamic index most closely correlated with efficacy is the ratio of the 24-h area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) to the MIC, and a target 24-h free-drug AUC/MIC ratio near 25 is associated with 50% of maximal microbiologic efficacy. We utilized this model to investigate the pharmacodynamics of isavuconazole. Isavuconazole pharmacokinetics were linear over the dose range studied. Oral-gastric doses of 640, 160, 40, and 10 mg of prodrug/kg of body weight produced peak levels of 0.51 to 25.4 mg/liter, an elimination half-life of 1 to 5 h, and an AUC from 0 h to infinity (AUC0-∞) of 0.9 to 287 mg · h/liter. The AUC/MIC ratio was the pharmacodynamic index that correlated best with efficacy (R2, 0.84). Pharmacodynamic target studies were performed using 4 C. albicans isolates with both a 24-h and a 96-h treatment duration. The strains were chosen to include previously characterized fluconazole-resistant strains. The mean 50% effective doses (ED50) (expressed in mg/kg of body weight/12 h) and associated 24-h free-drug AUC/MIC ratios were 89.3 ± 46.7 and 67.7 ± 35 for the 24-h treatment and 59.6 ± 22 and 33.3 ± 25.5 for the 96-h treatment. These differences were not statistically significant. Pharmacodynamic targets for two non-albicans Candida species were also explored. The mean ED50 (expressed in mg/kg/12 h) and associated 24-h free-drug AUC/MIC ratios were 31.2 and 6.2 for Candida tropicalis (n = 1) and 50.5 and 1.6 for Candida glabrata (n = 2). These PD targets were significantly different from C. albicans targets (P, 0.04). Isavuconazole PD targets for C. albicans are similar to those observed in this model with other triazoles. However, the PD targets for non-albicans Candida species were more than 10-fold lower than those for C. albicans (P, 0.04). This difference is similar to the species-specific PD relationships for the echinocandins. The lower PD targets for these species in this model will be important to consider in the analysis of clinical trial data and during the development of susceptibility breakpoints.
Safety Aspects of the Use of Quercetin as a Dietary Supplement

The flavonoid quercetin is frequently found in low amounts as a secondary plant metabolite in fruits and vegetables. Isolated quercetin is also marketed as a dietary supplement, mostly as the free quercetin aglycone, and frequently in daily doses of up to 1000 mg d-1 exceeding usual dietary intake levels. The present review is dedicated to safety aspects of isolated quercetin used as single compound in dietary supplements. Among the numerous published human intervention studies, adverse effects following supplemental quercetin intake have been rarely reported and any such effects were mild in nature. Published adequate scientific data for safety assessment in regard to the long-term use (>12 weeks) of high supplemental quercetin doses (≥1000 mg) are currently not available. Based on animal studies involving oral quercetin application some possible critical safety aspects could be identified such as the potential of quercetin to enhance nephrotoxic effects in the predamaged kidney or to promote tumor development especially in estrogen-dependent cancer. Furthermore, animal and human studies with single time or short-term supplemental quercetin application revealed interactions between quercetin and certain drugs leading to altered drug bioavailability. Based on these results, some potential risk groups are discussed in the present review.
Hospital and Community Isolates of Uropathogens and their Antibiotic Sensitivity Pattern from a Tertiary Care Hospital in North West India

Background: Urinary tract infection remains one of the most common infections, both in the community and in the hospital. The causative pathogen profile varies from region to region, but Escherichia coli (E. coli) remains the most common causative pathogen. The sensitivity of uropathogens to different drugs varies in different areas, and changes with time. This necessitates periodic studies of the causative uropathogens and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern. Aim: To investigate the profile of common uropathogens and assess their antibiotic sensitivity patterns to commonly used antimicrobial agents. Materials and Methods: Analysis of all urine specimens submitted for culture and sensitivity was carried out over a 1-year period in a tertiary care hospital in North West India. Urine culture was done by a semi-quantitative method. Antibiotic sensitivity was done on bacterial isolates according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute CLSI guidelines for disc diffusion susceptibility test. Data was analysed for significance using Chi square test. Results: Of a total of 6348 urine specimens received over the 1-year study period, 41.8% (2653) of the urine samples were culture positive. The most common bacterial isolate was E. coli (45.7%, 1103/2412), followed by Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (18.6%, 449/2412) and Klebsiella species (8.3%, 199/2412). The Candida species′ isolation rate was 10.3% (277/2689). The uropathogens displayed a very high level of resistance to fluroquinolones 70.3% (1084/1542)[Inpatient Department (IPD) - 70.5%(572/812), Outpatient Department (OPD) - 70.2%(512/730)] and cephalosporins 75.1%(1158/1542)[IPD - 73.8%(599/812), OPD - 76.6%(559/730)], whereas resistance to nitrofurantoin 19.8%(305/1542) [ IPD - 23.9%, OPD - 15.2%(111/730)], amikacin 32.4%(573/1769) [IPD - 36.1%(235/934), OPD - 28.1%(235/835)] and cephoperazone + sulbactam combination 22%(349/1583) [IPD - 26.2%(244/914), OPD - 15.8%(105/669)] was low. Conclusion: Empiric selection of antimicrobial agents should be based on the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of the uropathogens prevalent in that area, which is derived from epidemiological studies carried out in that environment.
Influence of nanopores on molecular polarizability and polarization currents in epoxy nanocomposites

Epoxy resin based nanocomposites with silica (SiO<sub>2</sub>), alumina (Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) and zinc oxide (ZnO) as nano fillers were fabricated to investigate the relationship between the polarization and depolarization current. The polarization and depolarization current, charge carrier mobility, absorption current and nano size free volume cavities of nano dielectric epoxy composites and their interrelation are discussed. It is observed that the current magnitude increases in the three nanocomposites with loading of nano SiO<sub>2</sub>, Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and ZnO and the peak width of each composite is greater than that of pure epoxy. Free volume studies are carried out using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). From the results it is observed that molecular polarizability decreases and charge carrier mobility increases with the incorporation of SiO<sub>2</sub>, Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and ZnO loading. This trend is typical in Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, whereas in case of SiO<sub>2</sub> the molecular polarizability is unaffected and with ZnO, molecular polarizability and charge carrier mobility decrease above 10 wt% filler. The Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> nanofillers are structurally different as compared to SiO<sub>2</sub> and ZnO fillers. It is observed that Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> has more influence on polarizability of the composite.
I used to like it but now I don't: the effect of the transfer test in Northern Ireland on pupils' intrinsic motivation.

BACKGROUND Research has suggested that the pressure of exams could undermine pupils' interest in their subjects, but almost all of this research has been conducted in laboratory settings. The Transfer Test in Northern Ireland provides an unusual opportunity to assess the effects of exam pressure in real life because some 10- and 11-year-olds sit a Transfer Test to be admitted to grammar school while others are not tested until they are 14. AIM To assess the effect of exams on pupils' interest in their subjects both during the period before the exam and after the results are known. SAMPLE The sample comprised 66 pupils preparing to sit the Transfer Test and 55 not preparing for the test. METHOD Pupils' interest in their school subjects was assessed by questionnaires administered 2 weeks before the Transfer Test and then again 2 weeks after the results were announced. RESULTS Surprisingly, prior to sitting the test, there was no significant difference in motivation between the test and no-test pupils. However, after sitting the test, the motivation of the test pupils decreased significantly relative to their no-test counterparts, despite the fact that most achieved the grades they needed for admission to grammar school. CONCLUSIONS Exams provide a valuable tool for assessing academic progress, but under some circumstances they can reduce pupils' interest in the subjects they are studying.
Does Corporate Political Activity Make Firms Less Risk Taking

Institutional theorists tend to view firmâ€™s corporate political activity (CPA) efforts as the pursuit of legitimacy which makes it more embedded in the institutional structure and subject to less uncertainty. If, as such asserts, firm behavior is shaped by taken-for-granted institutional prescriptions, how firms envision and enact risk-taking activities to the contexts in which they are embedded? This concept article aims to integrate legitimacy based view and behavioral agency model for a more comprehensive framework on risk-taking decisions of CPA-active firms. That is, both the ability as well as motivation are important to firmsâ€™ risk taking decision. The article contributes to the CPA literature and strategy research. It is not only bridging non-market strategy with market-favored outcomes, but also integrating institutional logic and the behavioral perspective for a more complete and predictive view of firmsâ€™ risk taking behavior than either theory alone. Â JEL classification numbers: C9, D4, D8Keywords: Corporate political activity, legitimacy, key decision maker, risk taking.
Mechanism of hypergammaglobulinemia by HIV infection: circulating memory B-cell reduction with plasmacytosis.

The mechanism of hypergammaglobulinemia in patients infected with HIV has remained unclear in spite of the identification of a reduction of CD4+ T cells. The amounts of CD27+ memory B cells were remarkably reduced in the peripheral blood and immunoglobulin (Ig) production was diminished in HIV-infected patients. Some of the freshly isolated patients' T cells expressed the CD70 (CD27 ligand) on the surface and the CD70 expression on both of the CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was greatly enhanced by various stimuli. It was also striking that plasmacytosis was observed in patients' bone marrow. Thus, our findings suggest that CD70 expressed spontaneously or by activation on T cells of HIV-infected patients stimulates memory B cells via CD27 and promotes their differentiation into plasma cells, resulting in the elevation of serum Ig levels and the elimination of circulating memory B cells in HIV-infected patients.
Timing of Renal Support and Outcome of Septic Shock and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. A Post Hoc Analysis of the AKIKI Randomized Clinical Trial

&NA; Rationale: The optimal strategy for initiation of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in patients with severe acute kidney injury in the context of septic shock and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is unknown. Objectives: To examine the effect of an early compared with a delayed RRT initiation strategy on 60‐day mortality according to baseline sepsis status, ARDS status, and severity. Methods: Post hoc analysis of the AKIKI (Artificial Kidney Initiation in Kidney Injury) trial. Measurements and Main Results: Subgroups were defined according to baseline characteristics: sepsis status (Sepsis‐3 definition), ARDS status (Berlin definition), Simplified Acute Physiology Score 3 (SAPS 3), and Sepsis‐related Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA). Of 619 patients, 348 (56%) had septic shock and 207 (33%) had ARDS. We found no significant influence of the baseline sepsis status (P = 0.28), baseline ARDS status (P = 0.94), and baseline severity scores (P = 0.77 and P = 0.46 for SAPS 3 and SOFA, respectively) on the comparison of 60‐day mortality according to RRT initiation strategy. A delayed RRT initiation strategy allowed 45% of patients with septic shock and 46% of patients with ARDS to escape RRT. Urine output was higher in the delayed group. Renal function recovery occurred earlier with the delayed RRT strategy in patients with septic shock or ARDS (P < 0.001 and P = 0.003, respectively). Time to successful extubation in patients with ARDS was not affected by RRT strategy (P = 0.43). Conclusions: Early RRT initiation strategy was not associated with any improvement of 60‐day mortality in patients with severe acute kidney injury and septic shock or ARDS. Unnecessary and potentially risky procedures might often be avoided in these fragile populations. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials. gov (NCT 01932190).
The Effect of Real Earnings Management on Auditor Scrutiny of Management's Other Financial Reporting Decisions

ABSTRACT Recent research reveals that accruals-based earnings management (AEM) is decreasing while real earnings management (REM) is increasing, suggesting the correlation is due to regulatory scrutiny. However, based on Correspondent Inference Theory, we predict and find that when management uses REM, auditors are more restrictive of management's subjective estimates, making it more difficult for management to use income-increasing AEM. Our experiment manipulates the presence versus absence of REM, and whether the audit difference potentially impacts the client's ability to meet an earnings target. Using a serial mediation model, we find that when auditors observe REM, they perceive these operating decisions as aggressive, leading them to perceive management as aggressive, ultimately causing greater proposed adjustments on an unrelated audit difference. We contribute to the literature by demonstrating that when auditors observe REM, their altered perceptions about management can cascade, affecting how th.