Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Implementation of pediatric cervical spine clearance guidelines at a combined trauma center: Twelve-month impact

BACKGROUND Pediatric cervical spine clearance guidelines should reduce computed tomography (CT) usage in combined pediatric and adult trauma centers biased by adult CT clearance. METHODS Cervical spine clearance under age 15 years was compared 12 months before (128 patients) and after (105 patients) guideline implementation, emphasizing National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study (NEXUS) criteria when appropriate. RESULTS CT scans in patients clearable by NEXUS criteria decreased 23% (p = 0.01) and decreased by 16% in cases where radiography other than CT was indicated by guidelines (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION Guideline implementation can have an immediate effect in decreasing pediatric cervical spine CT usage and should improve across time. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Care management study, level IV.
Chromosome V loss due to centromere knockout or MAD2‐deletion is immediately followed by restitution of homozygous diploidy in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

To investigate the possibility of inducing specific chromosome loss by centromere deletion in eukaryotic cells, the yeast diploid strain ZG1, carrying three pairs of heterozygous marker genes (CAN1S/can1R, URA3/Δura3, hphMX4/HIS1), widely spread on both arms of chromosome V, was constructed. One of the two centromeres V of ZG1 was replaced by the LEU2 gene via the well‐established PCR‐mediated knockout technique. After DNA transformation, putative yeast colonies that showed loss of heterozygosity (LOH) for the three markers of chromosome V (CAN1S URA3 hphMX4) were identified among the colonies selected for leucine prototrophy. Phenotypic tests, colony‐PCR and Southern blot analysis of these cells demonstrated the physical loss of the CAN1s, URA3, and hphMX4 marker genes from the genome. Further tetrad analysis results were consistent with this conclusion; however, four‐spore viability indicated a normal chromosome number of these transformants. To verify the diploidy of the selected chromosome V, the HIS1 gene was deleted with a standard KanMX4 knockout DNA cassette. The resulting heterogeneity of the HIS1/KanMX4 markers, together with quantitative PCR and densitometric analysis on chromosome V, confirmed its diploid complement, thereby indicating that an endoreduplication event had taken place. Restitution of diploidy also occurred in MAD2‐deleted strains undergoing higher rates of spontaneous chromosome V loss, indicating a more general phenomenon that is undetectable by phenotypic analysis alone. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Differential effects on motorcortical inhibition induced by blockade of GABA uptake in humans

1 Blockade of uptake carriers of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) has been shown to modulate inhibition in cortical slices of experimental animals, although little is known about this mechanism in vivo and, in particular, in humans. 2 The effects of blockade of GABA uptake were studied using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in humans. In eight healthy volunteers several measures of cortical excitation and inhibition were obtained before and ≈2 h after ingestion of 5‐15 mg of tiagabine (TGB). 3 After TGB ingestion, the duration of the TMS‐induced silent period observable in the electromyogram of the voluntarily contracted target muscle was prolonged. Similarly, paired‐pulse inhibition of the motor‐evoked potential (MEP), as tested by delivering two magnetic shocks of equal suprathreshold intensities at 160 ms interstimulus interval (ISI), was more pronounced. In apparent contradistinction, paired‐pulse inhibition of the MEPs produced by a subthreshold conditioning stimulus delivered 3 ms prior to a suprathreshold stimulus was reduced. Paired‐pulse facilitation elicited by the same double‐shock protocol at an ISI of 10 ms was increased. 4 The prolongation of the GABAB receptor‐mediated component of the inhibitory postsynaptic potential observed with TGB in in vitro studies probably underlies the increase in cortical silent period duration. The reduction of the paired‐pulse inhibition at 3 ms, in turn, probably reflects inhibition of GABAA receptor‐mediated inhibition via presynaptic GABAB receptors. 5 These data provide in vivo evidence of differential modulation of cortical inhibition by blockade of GABA uptake. Presynaptic GABA autoreceptors may be involved in modulating cortical inhibition in the human motor cortex.
Effects and Molecular Mode of Action of Noni ( Morindacitrifolia ) Juice And Its Active Components

Morindacitrifolia, also known as noni belongs to the family Rubiaceae has been in high demand in yurvedic medicine. It has been used long since in various cultures as a medicine for cure of various ailments. This review attempts to analyze the evidence for the claim as a therapeutic cure for many diseases. This review article is presented to compile all the updated information on its phytochemical and pharmacological activities. Studies indicate fruit juice possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, apoptotic and anticancer, properties. Various effects like antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti HIV, antiboneresorption, antispasmodic, antipyretic, anti-diarrheal, anti-allergic, immunomodulation, cardiotonic, hypo-lipidemic, antimicrobial, gastro-protective have been studied. Clinical trials using this fruit juice for a variety of conditions should also be conducted. Currently the market is flooded with products with claim cure for all ailments. This review analyzes the beneficial effects of the use of Morinda Citrofolia. Evidence based result shows that consumption of noni could be beneficial both protective and curative
Identification of circulating endorepellin LG3 fragment: Potential use as a serological biomarker for breast cancer

Comparative proteome analysis was performed on the cultured media of human nontumor and malignant breast cell lines, Hs578Bst and Hs578T, respectively, in search of a serological biomarker(s) for breast cancer. Proteins in the conditioned media were separated by 2‐D PAGE and then visualized by silver‐staining. Eight proteins changed differentially by more than two‐fold were identified by MALDI‐TOF/TOF MS. Among the proteins identified, the terminal laminin‐like globular (LG3) domain of endorepellin, which was recently reported as an antiangiogenesis factor, was decreased in the cancer cell line. We confirmed the bone morphogenic protein‐1 (BMP‐1) mediated cleavage site on the N‐terminus of endorepellin LG3 fragment. This finding suggests that the LG3 fragment is specifically released by a BMP‐1 driven limited proteolytic process. The protein was also detected in plasma by Western blot analysis and selected reaction monitoring (SRM). The plasma level of the endorepellin LG3 fragment was significantly lower in breast cancer patients compared to healthy donors (p = 0.017; n = 12). The LG3 protein concentration in the control plasma was measured at approximately 3.7 pmol/mL compared to 1.8 pmol/mL in plasma from the cancer patients. We suggest that these results support the potential use of the endorepellin LG3 fragment as a new serological biomarker for breast cancer.
Creative intelligence in relatives of mental patients.

Karlsson, J. L. 1984. Creative intelligence in relatives of mental patients. —Hereditas 100: 83–86. Lund, Sweden. ISSN 0018–0661. Received May 27, 1983 First-degree relatives of psychotic patients have been found to be more successful than the general population of Iceland in attaining recognition in several fields of intellectual endeavor. In particular they distinguish themselves in areas of creative and scholarly excellence.
The evidence is in. Why are IUDs still out?: family physicians' perceptions of risk and indications.

OBJECTIVE Intrauterine devices (IUDs) for contraception are used infrequently in Canada despite their well-studied safety and efficacy. The purpose of this study was to investigate FPs' perceptions of the risks of and indications for using IUDs, as these perceptions might be a key factor in why IUDs are underused. DESIGN Mailed survey. SETTING Kingston, a midsized city in Ontario. PARTICIPANTS All FPs practising in Kingston. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was the proportion of FPs who ranked the importance of risks of and contraindications to using IUDs in keeping with rankings in established clinical guidelines.Secondary outcomes were FP IUD prescription and insertion patterns, their perceptions of patients' access to physicians who insert IUDs, and their interest in a course on IUD insertion. RESULTS Response rate was 81%. Contrary to the evidence, more than 60% of FPs thought pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy were major risks, and nearly half thought failure of IUDs was a major risk. Fewer than one-third would recommend IUDs as an option for nulliparous women, for postcoital contraception, for women with moderate-sized fibroids, or for women with pelvic inflammatory disease during the last year,though none of these are contraindications according to established clinical guidelines. About 82% of FPs prescribed IUDs, and 41% inserted them. Newer graduates were more likely than older graduates to prescribe only levonorgestrel IUDs (36% vs 8%). About 93% of survey respondents reported that patients' access to physicians who insert IUDs was not a factor in recommending IUDs to them. CONCLUSION A substantial proportion of surveyed FPs believed that the side effects of IUDs were more severe than is supported by clinical guidelines and were misinformed about the range of women who could benefit from IUDs. These misconceptions likely contribute to the low rate of IUD use in Canada.
American women's health care. A patchwork quilt with gaps.

DURING the women's health movement of the 1960s, women began to express their discontent with the traditional hierarchical model of physician-patient interaction. 1 In recent years, several developments reflect an increasing appreciation of women's health needs by the US medical profession. The recognition of systematic biases in biomedical research excluding women from clinical trials led to the establishment of the Office of Research on Women's Health at the National Institutes of Health.2 Health services researchers have reported significant disparities in the use of major diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for women compared with men.3-7 Certain women's health problems (eg, menopause, osteoporosis, breast cancer) have received increased attention and resources. Women's health care centers that offer many services at a single site have evolved as a new model for comprehensive health care.8 The number of female physicians has increased. 9 Two studies have found that, compared with male physicians, female physicians spend more
A Physical Model for Predicting Off-Track Capability in Perpendicular Recording

Off-track capability (OTC) after adjacent track squeeze is a critical and independent parameter for determining the track density in hard disk drives. A semi-elliptical equation is derived based on a physical model for the writer pole with an isosceles trapezoid shape. It explains the different behaviors of OTC versus track pitch from both squeeze directions, as well as the variation of OTC versus track pitch due to the change of skew angle. The calculated data of OTC versus track pitch are in good agreement with the experimental data measured from the drive with perpendicular magnetic recording media.
Subsequent Mortality in Medically Serious Suicide Attempts: A 5 Year Follow-Up

Objective: To document mortality in a consecutive series of 302 individuals who made medically serious suicide attempts and were followed-up for 5 years. Method: All sources of mortality were examined in a 5 year prospective study of 302 individuals who made medically serious suicide attempts. Mortality data were obtained by checks with the national mortality database and, for suicide and accidental deaths, were confirmed by review of coronial records. Results: Within 5 years of making a medically serious suicide attempt, one in 11 (8.9%) participants had died. Most deaths (59.2%) were by suicide. Comparison of mortality in this series with rates expected in a comparable general population sample showed the excess mortality was attributable to death by suicide and by motor vehicle accidents. Conclusion: Mortality among those who make medically serious suicide attempts is high. These findings imply the need for the development of enhanced and long-term treatment, follow-up and surveillance programmes for those who make medically serious suicide attempts.
Culm strength of barley : correlation among maximum bending stress, cell wall dimensions, and cellulose content.

Grass culms are known to differ in breaking strength, but there is little physicochemical data to explain the response. The fourth internode of four brittle and two nonbrittle barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) strains were used for physical and chemical studies of culm strength. Inner and outer culm diameters of brittle strains (3.6 +/- 0.2 and 5.0 +/- 0.1 millimeters) were not significantly different from those of nonbrittle strains (3.9 +/- 0.2 and 5.2 +/- 0.2 millimeters). Maximum bending stress, at which the culm was broken, was 192 +/- 34 g/mm(2) for brittle and 490 +/- 38 g/mm(2) for nonbrittle strains. Wall thickness and cell dimensions of epidermal, sclerenchyma, and parenchyma cells were measured in culm cross sections. The area of cell wall per unit cell area for each tissue was significantly correlated with the maximum bending stress (r = 0.93 for epidermis, 0.90 for sclerenchyma, and 0.84 for parenchyma). Cell walls of brittle culms had 6 to 64% as much cellulose content as those of nonbrittle culms. Maximum bending stress correlated significantly with cellulose content of the cell walls (r = 0.93), but not with the contents of noncellulosic compounds. The lower cellulose content of the brittle culm was significantly correlated with brittleness.
The combined influence of fat consumption and repeated mental stress on brachial artery flow‐mediated dilatation: a preliminary study

What is the central question of this study? Both a high‐fat meal and acute mental stress can impair conduit artery endothelial function. The objective of this study was to determine whether the combination of a high‐fat meal and repeated postprandial stressful tasks would exacerbate dysfunction versus either stimulus alone. What is the main finding and its importance? Endothelial function was modestly greater when the postprandial state was accompanied by mental stress. Thus, in healthy subjects acute stress may confer protection from a negative impact of food consumption, possibly due in part to a stress‐induced reduction in plasma phosphorus levels. These findings challenge the position of acute mental stress as universally detrimental to endothelial function.
Impact of Microfinance on Rural Households in the Philippines

This paper reports on the impact evaluation study of the Rural Microenterprise Finance Project (RMFP) in the Philippines. RMFP aimed to support efforts of the Government of the Philippines to strengthen rural financial institutions by assisting organizations that employed the Grameen Bank Approach (GBA) in providing credit to the poor. The project was implemented by the Peoples Credit and Finance Corporation (PCFC) and funded by the Asian Development Bank. The evaluation uses a quasi-experimental design with incoming clients of randomly selected participating microfinance institutions as the comparison group. An important innovation in the study is the inclusion of the appropriate number of former clients among the treatment group. Qualified non-participating households provide the control for area effects. The impact estimation uses the difference-in-difference estimation technique which effectively controls for the known sources of biases namely : nonrandom program participation (sample selection), non-random program placement, and non-random drop-out. The survey enumerated some 2,200 households divided evenly between treatment and comparison areas. It covered 116 villages spread throughout the three groups of islands (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao) and 38 microfinance institutions consisting of three types - banks, cooperatives, and non-government organizations. The survey results show the program appears to be hitting only a limited number of the intended target as majority of the existing clients and the incoming clients are found to be not poor according to official definition. The estimation results show a mildly significant positive impact on per capita income, per capita total expenditure and per capita food expenditure of loan availability. This impact, however, was found to be regressive negative on poorer households and positive only for households in the richest quartile. The program has enabled participants to reduce dependence on presumably higher-priced non-program loans as well as increased the proportion of those having savings. It has also made program clients busier with larger number of enterprises engaged in and more workers employed in these enterprises. No significant impact, however, was found on assets and human capital investments. The foregoing results led the authors to recommend that for microfinance programs to be effective as a poverty-alleviation tool there is a need to review and constantly monitor the effectiveness of the targeting procedures. In addition, it was pointed out that there maybe a need to assist the poor in selecting appropriate projects that not only ensure loan repayment but also generate ample profit as well.
Four decades of continuing innovation with fluorouracil: current and future approaches to fluorouracil chemoradiation therapy.

PURPOSE Chemoradiotherapy, the combination of external radiation therapy and concurrent chemotherapy, has been the basis for the oncologic management of many patients since its development in the 1960s. Fluorouracil (FU) chemoradiotherapy has demonstrated success in several organ sites with multiple dosing schedules that now guide the selection of oral analogs of FU to provide new chemoradiotherapy options. METHODS This article reviews the metabolism and pharmacology of FU and the advantages of administration of FU by continuous infusion or bolus. The potential role and impact of the oral fluorouracil prodrugs UFT, S-1, BOF-A2, and capecitabine as replacements for intravenous administration are discussed. The results of recent chemoradiotherapy studies with FU from 2000 to 2003 are summarized in rectal, head and neck, esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, biliary, anal, and cervical cancers. RESULTS Chemoradiotherapy with FU has the potential to widen the therapeutic window by minimizing normal tissue toxicity while maintaining effective tumor toxicity. Overall, FU chemoradiotherapy maximizes local control and, for some tumor sites (such as head and neck, pancreatic, biliary, cervical, esophageal, and gastric cancers), improves survival rates. Moreover, FU chemoradiotherapy results in improved organ preservation with excellent functional outcome in several anatomic sites including head and neck cancer, anal, and rectal cancer, with improved sphincter preservation. CONCLUSION FU chemoradiotherapy continues to play an important role in the management of many cancer sites. During the last four decades, optimal dosing schedules have produced a therapeutic gain. The introduction of oral prodrug analogs will likely further improve the results of FU therapy in several organ systems, such as the rectum, head and neck, and esophagus.
Evolution of renal oxygen content measured by BOLD MRI downstream a chronic renal artery stenosis.

BACKGROUND A decrease in renal oxygen content can be measured non-invasively by the increase of the R2* value derived from blood oxygen level-dependent magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD MRI). The aim of this study was to test if renal hypoxia occurs in kidneys downstream a chronic and unilateral renal artery stenosis. METHODS Chronic renal ischaemia was induced in rats using a calibrated clip inserted on the right renal artery. R2* was determined, using a multiple recalled gradient-echo sequence, before and once a week after a clip insertion over 4 weeks, in a group of clipped (n = 8) and sham-operated (n = 7) rats. RESULTS At baseline, in stenotic kidneys, R2* was higher in the outer stripe of outer medulla (105 ± 4.6) and the outer medulla (99 ± 2.5) than in the cortex (84 ± 2.5; P < 0.002 for comparison with both areas). R2* was unchanged in the cortex, the outer stripe of outer medulla and the outer medulla in stenotic kidneys, sham-operated kidneys and contralateral kidneys during the 4 weeks. Mean blood pressure was higher in rats with clipped kidney than in sham-operated rats from Day 11 and remained increased thereafter. The renal volume increased progressively in sham-operated kidneys and contralateral kidneys, whereas it slightly decreased in stenotic kidneys. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows that after 4 weeks, no renal hypoxia can be detected in the kidney downstream to a renal artery stenosis, suggesting that atrophy could be induced by other factors.
Fenchel Dual Gradient Methods for Distributed Convex Optimization Over Time-Varying Networks

We develop a family of Fenchel dual gradient methods for solving constrained, strongly convex, but not necessarily smooth multi-agent optimization problems over time-varying networks. The proposed algorithms are constructed on the basis of weighted Fenchel dual gradients and can be implemented in a fully decentralized fashion. We show that the proposed algorithms drive all the agents to both primal and dual optimality at sublinear rates under a standard connectivity condition. Compared with the existing distributed optimization methods that also have convergence rate guarantees over time-varying networks, our algorithms are able to address constrained problems and have better scalability with respect to network size and time for reaching connectivity. The competent performance of the Fenchel dual gradient methods is demonstrated via simulations.
Microchimerism in cord blood: Mother as anticancer drug

Maternal microchimerism (MMc) in cord blood (CB) caused by the exchange of cells at the maternal–fetal interface was first described in 1995 by Hall et al. (1). To the many known immunologic consequences of maternal–fetal cell exchange and particularly, CB MMc must now be added yet another consequence: the antitumor immunotherapeutic effect of CB transplants. Surprisingly, this effect seems to be due at least in part, to rare maternal T cells contained therein.