Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of tetrabromobisphenol A on protamine content and DNA integrity in mouse spermatozoa

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is a widely used brominated flame retardant of increasing concern to human health because of its action as an endocrine disruptor. We have previously demonstrated that TBBPA is able to increase apoptosis of testicular cells and other changes in the first and second generations of mice exposed to TBBPA. However, the potential effects of TBBPA on mouse epididymal spermatozoa have not yet been investigated. Therefore, we initiated this study to determine whether TBBPA exposure could also result in increased DNA fragmentation in epididymal spermatozoa and whether it had an effect on the protamines as the major nuclear proteins. C57Bl/6J mouse pups (n = 10) were exposed to TBBPA (experimental group) during the gestation, lactation, pre‐pubertal and pubertal periods up to the age of 70 days as previously described and compared to control mouse pups (n = 10) that were not exposed. The results demonstrate that TBBPA treatment results in a significantly decreased protamine 1/protamine 2 ratio (0.362 vs. 0.494; p < 0.001), increased total protamine/DNA ratio (0.517 vs. 0.324; p < 0.001) and increased number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling positive spermatozoa (39.5% vs. 21.2%; p < 0.05) observed between TBBPA and control mice respectively. These findings indicate that TBBPA exposure, in addition to the resulting increased sperm DNA damage, also has the potential to alter the epigenetic marking of sperm chromatin through generation of an anomalous content and distribution of protamines. The possibility is now open to study whether the detected altered protamine content and DNA integrity are related to the previously observed second‐generation effects upon TBBPA exposure.
Spinal Cord Repair With Acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor as a Treatment for a Patient With Chronic Paraplegia

Study Design. We present a case of a patient with chronic paraplegia with a complete spinal cord gap resulting from a stabbing injury 4 years ago recovering after an innovative surgical strategy. Objectives. To demonstrate the clinical outcome of surgical repair with sural nerve graft with fibrin glue containing acidic fibroblast growth factor in a patient with chronic spinal cord injury. Summary of Background Data. Spinal cord injury usually causes permanent disability, and there had been not effective surgical technique to obtain satisfactory functional motor recovery, particularly in chronic patients. Previous studies have revealed that acidic fibroblast growth factor could promote axonal regeneration and reduce neuronal death in adult rats with spinal cord injury. Methods. The spinal cord gap at T11 level was bridged with 4 sural nerve grafts that redirected specific pathways from white to gray matter. The grafted area was stabilized with fibrin glue containing acidic fibroblast growth factor. Results. Before the operation, the paraplegia was identified as ASIA-C, with a motor score for the right and left legs of 12 and 0, respectively, a pinprick score of 77, and 77 on a light touch of left side limbs. His functional status improved from being wheelchair-bound to being able to ambulate independently with a walker 2-and-a-half years after surgery. At this stage, paraplegia was ASIA-D, with motor scores for the right and left legs of 15 and 12, respectively, 86 for a pinprick, and 86 for a light touch of left side limbs. Conclusions. This case demonstrated significant motor recovery attained in a patient with chronic paraplegia following a repair surgery with nerve graft and growth factor.
Preparation and In Vivo-In Vitro Evaluation of Polydatin-PhospholipidComplex with Improved Dissolution and Bioavailability

In spite of various biological activities. Polydatin showed severely limited use in the clinic applications because of its poor oral bioavailability. As a promising formulation approach, the development of polydatin phospholipid complex (PPC) was used to improve the solubility, and oral bioavailability. In this study, solvent evaporation method was employed to obtain the PPC. The formation mechanism of PPC was discussed based on the information from fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray power diffraction (XRD) tests. Besides, the in vitro dissolution and in vivo pharmacokinetic properties of PPC were also studied. The water solubility of polydatin in the complex was increased compared with pure polydatin. FT-IR spectra indicated the existence of some molecular interaction between the phospholipid molecule and polydatin. DSC and XRD results showed that PPC obtained was in the form of amorphous structure. In vitro dissolution research showed that the cumulative dissolution of PPC was 80.36% after 8 h, which was improved as compared to 63.84% of polydatin during the same period. The pharmacokinetic study showed that the AUC0-∞ of PPC and polydatin in rats were 748.2 and 340.6 μg•min/mL, which markedly indicated that phospholipid complex could contribute to a 2.2-fold increase in oral bioavailability of polydatin. In vivo-in vitro evaluation results showed that PPC was a promising approach to improve the water solubility and oral bioavailability of polydatin.
Intrathecal Pharmacology Update: Novel Dosing Strategy for Intrathecal Monotherapy Ziconotide on Efficacy and Sustainability

Intrathecal drug delivery is a well‐defined strategy to treat malignant and nonmalignant pain. Ziconotide is a well‐studied intrathecal medicine option that has many attractive qualities, as it is non‐granulomagenic, overdose or underdose is not associated with cardiopulmonary compromise or death, and is a non‐opoid analgesic. However, it has had slow adoption into pain care algorithms because it has been historically plagued with the connotation of having a narrow therapeutic window and a low sustainability rate. We introduce a novel dosing strategy to improve patient outcomes and sustainability.
Cerebrovascular Reserve and Stroke Risk in Patients With Carotid Stenosis or Occlusion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and Purpose— Impairments in cerebrovascular reserve (CVR) have been variably associated with increased risk of ischemic events and may stratify stroke risk in patients with high-grade internal carotid artery stenosis or occlusion. The purpose of this study is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize the association of CVR impairment and stroke risk. Methods— We performed a literature search evaluating the association of impairments in CVR with future stroke or transient ischemic attack in patients with high-grade internal carotid artery stenosis or occlusion. We included studies with a minimum of 1-year patient follow-up with baseline CVR measures performed by any modality and primary outcome measures of stroke and/or transient ischemic attack. A meta-analysis with assessment of study heterogeneity and publication bias was performed. Results were presented in a forest plot and summarized using a random-effects model. Results— Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria, representing a total of 1061 independent CVR tests in 991 unique patients with a mean follow-up of 32.7 months. We found a significant positive relationship between impairment of CVR and development of stroke with a pooled random effects OR of 3.86 (95% CI, 1.99–7.48). Subset analysis showed that this association between CVR impairment and future risk of stroke/transient ischemic attack remained significant regardless of ischemic outcome measure, symptomatic or asymptomatic disease, stenosis or occlusion, or CVR testing method. Conclusions— CVR impairment is strongly associated with increased risk of ischemic events in carotid stenosis or occlusion and may be useful for stroke risk stratification.
Reconceptualization of the context in language learning with a location-based AR app

Abstract In many English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts, learning is often limited to decontextualized classroom learning, and students suffer from lack of interaction and authentic opportunities for language learning. One of the recent emerging technologies, context-aware augmented reality (AR) technology can mitigate this problem for EFL classrooms. In the present study, 40 college students created scenes of gamified digital stories on a location-based AR app and shared them with other students. This study investigated how the students used the physical context and properties in their scenes and how the technology facilitated language learning. Data were collected from student learning outcomes, post-surveys, and reflection papers. The results showed that the students employed context in three different ways, a real place, a fictional setting and a blended reality, and then integrated it with their content and transformed it into a co-constructed meaning-making site. The study also discovered that the technology supported the students’ language learning in the affective, cognitive, and social domains. All elements found in the three domains were interrelated and ultimately contributed to student learning.
Color Doppler sonography in Graves' disease: value in assessing activity of disease and predicting outcome.

OBJECTIVE The aims of the study were to establish the usefulness of color Doppler sonography in assessing changes in thyroid blood flow during the course of Graves' disease and to investigate which of several variables (thyroid volume, number of intraparenchymal vessels, and blood flow in the thyroid artery) were best related to thyroid hyperfunction and therefore could be used to evaluate the course of the disease. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Fifty-six patients with Graves' disease were selected and divided on the basis of clinical and laboratory data into four groups: patients untreated at first diagnosis, patients undergoing antithyroid drug treatment, patients in remission after withdrawal of therapy, and patients having a relapse of hyperthyroidism. Ten healthy subjects served as controls. RESULTS Patients with active hyperthyroidism (at first diagnosis, during treatment, or at relapse) had a significantly enlarged thyroid (p = .005); intrathyroid vascularization, evaluated as number of vessels per square centimeter (p < .0001); and blood flow in the thyroid artery (p < .0001) compared with control subjects and with patients in remission after withdrawal of therapy. During treatment, sonographic values were slightly lower but not significantly different from those registered in patients at the onset of hyperthyroidism, indicating that normalization of vascularity does not parallel the drug-induced decrease of hormonal synthesis. Among 21 patients in remission, the nine patients who had a relapse shortly after the examination had a higher number of vessels per square centimeter (2.18 +/- 0.34 versus 1.03 +/- 0.16, p = .03) and higher flow in the thyroid artery (80.3 +/- 19.1 versus 10.6 +/- 2.3 ml/min, p = .01) than did the other 12 patients who remained in stable remission, despite normal hormonal levels in both groups. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that color Doppler sonography can be used to assess activity of Graves' disease and to predict the outcome of the disease after withdrawal of medical therapy.
Evaluating the Competitiveness of Wood Processing Industry

Wood processing industry (WPI) is a sector based on renewable natural resources of wood raw material. It can, therefore, provide sustainable growth and be competitive on the international markets. The interest of the European Union is to build economy based on renewable natural resources, meaning that it is necessary to pay increased attention to the development and support of the WPI. The aim of the article is to evaluate and compare the level and development of competitiveness of WPI in the Czech and Slovak Republics for a ten year period through the establishment of indicators based on foreign trade data of industry using mathematical and statistical methods. To reach the goal, a system of indicators measuring sectoral competitiveness was set up under the hypothesis: in the WPI the potential of competitiveness is used defi ciently. The resulting indicators have confi rmed the hypothesis and shown that, despite the fact that the WPI creates active foreign trade balance and contributes to surplus balance of the country, it achieves low values of indicators implying comparative advantage with a negative, decreasing trend, consequently meaning that industry gradually loses its competitive ability. The analysis also showed that the reason for low competitive ability of WPI is low specialization of the country in the commodity group, which was confi rmed by statistical method of correlation analysis.
Self-Esteem, Depression and Stigmatization as Determinants of Educational Attainment of Pregnant Adolescents in Delta State Nigeria

The correlating effect of self- esteem, depression and stigmatization on the educational attainment of 240 pregnant adolescents in Delta State, Nigeria was investigated. The participants responded to three valid scales. A correspondence of the participants’ educational attainment was required as well. Using Pearson product Correlation and Multiple Regression procedures to investigate the predictive capacity of the independent variables on the dependent variables, the result indicated that the three independent variables, when taken together were effective associates and related effectively with the educational attainment of pregnant adolescent. Based on these findings it was recommended that pregnant adolescent should be assisted to develop effective self esteem to shield them from depression and stigmatization as well as to self actualize and fulfill their educational dreams, the government should focus on creating an avenue for the continued education of pregnant adolescent and parents should therefore be more concerned and protective of their children in such conditions encouraging them to further their educational prospects with the consciousness of the future.
Comparison of the Airtraq and the Macintosh laryngoscope for double-lumen tube intubation: A randomised clinical trial

CONTEXT The Airtraq is a disposable optical laryngoscope that is available in a double-lumen tube version. Inserting a double-lumen tube is generally more difficult compared to conventional endotracheal intubation, mainly due to its configuration. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to compare the Airtraq with the Macintosh laryngoscope for intubation with a double-lumen tube in patients undergoing elective thoracic surgery. The main outcome was time needed for successful intubation. DESIGN Prospective, randomised clinical trial. SETTING A single centre, University Hospital of Würzburg, Germany, between July 2009 and June 2011. PATIENTS After a scout laryngoscopy with a Macintosh laryngoscope, 60 adult patients were intubated by an anaesthesiologist with either an Airtraq (n = 30) or a Macintosh laryngoscope (n = 30). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The time needed for correct intubation, checked by flexible bronchoscopy, was recorded. The intubation difficulty scale (IDS) and Cormack and Lehane grade were noted. Haemodynamic variables and any evidence of oropharyngeal trauma were documented as well as postoperative sore throat, hoarseness and dysphagia. RESULTS The mean time needed for correct intubation was 20.1 ± 16.5 s in the Airtraq group and 17.5 ± 10 s in the Macintosh group (P = 0.86). All intubations in both groups had an IDS less than 4. The Cormack and Lehane grade was I in all 30 patients in the Airtraq group; in the Macintosh group, it was I and II in 17 and 13 patients, respectively. The incidence of hoarseness was significantly higher in the Airtraq group 24 h postoperatively (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION There was no significant difference between the Airtraq and the Macintosh laryngoscopes regarding the time needed to insert a double-lumen tube during elective thoracic surgery. Only subtle enhancement of visualisation and a higher incidence of hoarseness were observed in the Airtraq group. The Airtraq device did not result in superior patient safety in this setting.
A comparison of familial and sporadic Alzheimer's disease

Using a liberal criterion, a conservative probability-based criterion, and a criterion for autosomal dominant inheritance, we classified 36%, 13.5%, and 6.4% of 311 patients, respectively, as having familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). The mean age of onset was over 70 years for all three categories of FAD. FAD and sporadic Alzheimer's disease (SAD) cases did not differ in clinical features, incidence of risk factors for dementia, or MRI or PET features. We observed earlier age of onset of AD to be related positively to longer duration of disease. Except for the autosomal dominant AD group, there was an earlier age of onset in FAD probands. The inheritance of AD from mothers was from 1.7 to 3.6 times more frequent than from fathers. Among SAD patients only, we found a preponderance of women, who were more frequently affected than would be expected from the male/female ratio in the general population of the same average age. Language performance tended to be less affected in FAD than in SAD patients, contrary to some previous reports.
Self-Reported Long Total Sleep Duration Is Associated With Metabolic Syndrome

OBJECTIVE To examine the association between total sleep duration and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) in older Chinese. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study (GBCS) was performed. Participants (n = 29,333) were aged ≥50 years. Risk of MetSyn and its components were identified for self-reported total sleep duration. RESULTS Participants reporting long (≥9 h) and short (<6 h) total sleep duration had increased odds ratio (OR) of 1.18 (95% CI 1.07–1.30) and 1.14 (1.05–1.24) for the presence of MetSyn, respectively. The relationship remained in long sleepers (OR 1.21 [1.10–1.34]) but diminished in short sleepers (0.97 [0.88–1.06]) after full adjustment. CONCLUSIONS Long sleep duration was associated with greater risk of MetSyn in older Chinese. Confirmation through longitudinal studies is needed. The mechanisms mediating the link between long sleep duration and MetSyn require further investigation.
Serous ovarian carcinoma in pregnancy

The diagnosis of ovarian carcinoma in pregnancy is rare (incidence of 0.018–0.073/1000 pregnancies). Its rarity is reflected by a paucity of cases reported in the literature. The present report concerns a case of advanced serous ovarian carcinoma in a full-term pregnancy. This was an incidental finding discovered during an emergency caesarean section for presumed fetal distress. The majority of ovarian carcinomas diagnosed in pregnancy present at early stages, are associated with a good prognosis and are non-epithelial type tumours. Advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma diagnosed in pregnancy however is associated with a poor prognosis. Case reporting should certainly contain detailed information on clinicopathological variables and treatment regimens. Longer-term maternal and neonatal outcomes are more difficult to substantiate in case reporting. The authors therefore feel that data centralisation would be beneficial in identifying optimal management strategies in these rare tumours and in other malignant tumours diagnosed and treated during pregnancy.
A comparison of lidocaine, fentanyl, and esmolol for attenuation of cardiovascular response to laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation.

BACKGROUND Laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation are known to increase sympathetic activity that may be detrimental to patients with pre-existing ischemic or hypertensive heart diseases. In order to alter the hyperdynamic consequences resulting from intubation during induction of general anesthesia, we chose esmolol, an ultra-short acting cardioselective beta-adrenergic blocker, to attenuate the cardiovascular responses during tracheal intubation in patients undergoing elective surgery. The efficacy of esmolol in this regard was carefully evaluated. METHODS Eighty ASA physical status class I or II patients undergoing elective, non-cardiac procedures were included in a randomized, single-blinded study consisting of 4 groups with each group receiving a designated drug: group A received normal saline as control, while group B, group C and group D received lidocaine 2 mg/kg, fentanyl 3 micrograms/kg and esmolol 2 mg/kg, respectively. Monitoring included EKG, pulse oximetry, capnometry and arterial pressure. All patients were premedicated with diazepam 0.1 mg/kg 30 min before induction of general anesthesia. Each designated drug was given upon induction of anesthesia (time zero). Anesthesia was induced with thiopental 5 mg/kg and succinylcholine 1.5 mg/kg, and maintained with N2O, 1% isoflurane in 50% O2 and vecuronium. Intubation was carried out 3 min after the designated drug was given. Heart rate (HR) and systolic arterial blood pressure (SBP) were obtained every min for 10 min after induction. Either chi-square test or analysis of variances (ANOVA) was used for statistical comparison. A p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS There was no difference in the demographic data among the four groups. After intubation, the incidence of tachycardia (HR > 100/min) was found in 3 of 20 (15%) patients in esmolol group, significantly lower than 17 of 20 (85%) patients in the control group, 15 of 20 (75%) patients in lidocaine group, and 11 of 20 (55%) patients in fentanyl group, respectively (p < 0.05). The incidence of hypertension (SBP > 180 mmHg) was found in 4 of 20 (20%) patients in esmolol group, significantly lower than 16 of 20 (80%) patients in control group and 14 of 20 (70%) patients in lidocaine group, respectively (p < 0.05), but not in 8 of 20 (40%) patients in fentanyl group. Besides, the incidence of hypertension in fentanyl group (40%) was significantly lower than control group (80%; p < 0.05), but not in lidocaine group (70%). CONCLUSIONS Results of this study showed that only esmolol could reliably offer protection against the increase in both HR and SBP, low dose of fentanyl (3 micrograms/kg) prevented hypertension but not tachycardia, and 2 mg/kg lidocaine had no effect to blunt adverse hemodynamic responses during laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation.