Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Overview of clinical trials of hydergine in dementia.

OBJECTIVE To assess the overall effect of Hydergine (a combination drug called ergoloid mesylates) on patients with possible dementia and to investigate potential moderators of an effect. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE, EMBASE, and two proprietary databases were searched for reports of clinical trials. STUDY SELECTION Included were randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group trials in subjects with symptoms consistent with dementia performed with specified outcome instruments and sufficient statistical information to calculate effect sizes. Forty-seven (31%) of 151 trials reviewed met selection criteria. DATA EXTRACTION Potential moderating variables were extracted from each trial: sample size, inpatient-outpatient status, trial duration, age, gender, medication dose, publication year, and diagnostic grouping. Outcome measures were extracted with their associated statistics. DATA SYNTHESIS The overall combined treatment effects ("adjusted d") for three types of outcome measures were calculated. Overall, Hydergine was more effective than placebo as assessed by comprehensive ratings (d = 0.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38 to 0.56; P = .0001), clinical global ratings (d = 0.56; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.68; P = .0001), and combined neuropsychological measures (d = 0.27; 95% CI, 0.22 to 0.32; P = .0001). Inpatient status, daily doses of 4 mg or more, and vascular dementia were generally associated with larger effects. The effect in patients with possible Alzheimer's dementia was significant only for combined neuropsychological measures in five trials (d = 0.30; 95% CI, 0.16 to 0.44; P = .0001; and with a dose-response, P = .001). CONCLUSIONS Overall, ergoloid mesylates were more effective than placebo. However, the effect in patients with possible Alzheimer's dementia was very modest at best. The dose-response relation suggests that potentially effective doses may be higher than the currently approved. The circumstances of the efficacy of Hydergine remain inadequately defined.
The Evolution of Pars Plana Vitrectomy to 27-G Microincision Vitrectomy Surgery

The pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) has undergone extensive transformation since its origination approximately 45 years ago. Perhaps the most drastic changes that have led to the advent of modern-day vitrectomy have occurred predominantly within the last 2 decades; these have drastically improved the prognosis for many retinal diseases. The PPV procedure represents the core of vitreoretinal surgical management and is the basis of repair for a multitude of pathologies including retinal detachment, macular hole, vitreomacular traction, epiretinal membrane (ERM), vitreous biopsy, intraocular foreign body, endophthalmitis, vitreous hemorrhage, intraocular lens (IOL) exchange, and retrieval of dropped lens nucleus. The evolution of surgical techniques and instrumentation in PPV has allowed present-day retinal surgeons to perform vision-saving procedures in a less invasive and less risky way. Modern PPV was first developed in 1970 by Machemer during a period when vitreous opacities, retinal detachments, and vitreoretinal scarring posed a great challenge to ophthalmologists. His invention, known as the vitreous infusion suction cutter, was developed after early cataract surgeons had successfully shown that removal of vitreous was safe and well-tolerated. The vitreous infusion suction cutter was a 17-G (1.42 mm diameter) single-port instrument with combined infusion, suction, and cutting abilities that entered the vitreous cavity through a 2.3-mm sclerotomy. Initially, there was an external source of illumination, but the integration of intraocular fiberoptic illumination soon took place in 1974. Techniques were practiced on eyes considered nonoperable at the time, which consisted mainly of diabetic patients with vitreous hemorrhage and tractional bands with or without retinal detachment. By 1974, bimanual techniques involving scissors and
Initial performance of a 500 kV chopper prebuncher injection system for a 17 GHz linac

The design features of a 17 GHz chopper prebuncher injection system are described, and initial test results operating with a 500 kV low emittance electron gun and single section 17 GHz linac are presented. The 17 GHz traveling wave relativistic klystron that provides the RF power to the linac structure, and the 500 W electron gun that forms the low emittance (/spl beta//spl gamma//spl epsi/ = 3/spl pi/ mm-mradian) source for the injection system, are pulsed simultaneously using the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center HV modulator. The HV injection system is designed to produce RF bunches of 15/spl deg/ to 20/spl deg/ for injection into the linac structure, with subsequent compression to approximately 1 degree to provide sub-picosecond bunch operation over an energy range of 10 to 20 MeV with steady-state pulse currents of up to 250 mA. The use of an economical, on-line diagnostic system having the capability of accurately measuring the short RF bunch performance of the 17 GHz linac would be highly advantageous; and a simple technique of accomplishing this, using higher order mode 17 GHz cavities, is discussed.
Intracranial Self-Stabbing

BackgroundLittle is known about the psychiatric state of patients who stab themselves in the brain (intracranial self-stabbing), including whether the behavior is usually an attempt to commit suicide and whether it is performed in association with symptoms of psychotic illness. MethodA search for cases of intracranial self-stabbing in New South Wales, Australia (NSW), and a systematic search for published case reports of intracranial self-stabbing. ResultsWe located 5 cases in NSW in the last 10 years and 47 published case reports of intracranial self-stabbing since 1960. Intracranial self-stabbing was associated with a diagnosis of a psychotic illness in 27 of 49 (55%) cases in which a diagnosis was available. Intracranial self-stabbing was not always performed with the intention of committing suicide and does not usually have a fatal outcome. ConclusionsIntracranial self-stabbing appears to be an under-recognized form of self-harm that is associated with, but not limited to, psychotic illness.
Corticosterone and fear behaviour in white and brown caged laying hens

1. Physiological and behavioural measures of stress in caged hens on a commercial farm were compared between White Leghorn and brown Hyline strains, and between three tiers of cages. 2. Blood and faecal samples were collected from undisturbed birds for corticosterone measurements. Plasma corticosterone responses to a stressor were measured by the collection of blood samples after 15, 30, and 60 min of a handling stressor. Tonic immobility and novel object tests were used to measure fear behaviour. 3. Plasma corticosterone in undisturbed hens and faecal corticosterone did not differ between White Leghorn and brown Hyline hens, whereas the plasma corticosterone response to a handling stressor was greater in White Leghorns. The duration of tonic immobility, latency to first head movement and number of head movements in tonic immobility tests were greater in white than brown birds, whereas the number of inductions was less for tonic immobility tests. There were no differences between the strains in their responses to a novel object. 4. There were no differences between tiers in plasma corticosterone or corticosterone responses or tonic immobility responses, and no consistent differences in responses of birds to a novel object. 5. This is the first study in which plasma and faecal corticosterone concentrations and fear behaviour have been measured together in laying hens, and the first description of plasma corticosterone responses to handling over 60 min for caged laying hens on a commercial farm. The study has shown the value of measuring endocrine and behavioural variables together to provide objective data on characteristics of different strains of hens.
Binaural Loudness Summation for Speech and Tones Presented via Earphones and Loudspeakers

Objectives: Literature reviews of binaural loudness summation assume nearly perfect summation (i.e., a tone presented binaurally is assumed to be twice as loud as the same tone presented monaurally). However, some recent data and classroom demonstrations of this phenomenon using speech stimuli from a familiar visually present talker yield much less summation. Therefore, the following two hypotheses were tested using a preliminary procedure that controlled some, but not all, variables. First, the amount of binaural loudness summation is less for speech from a visually present talker than for recorded speech or tones. Second, the amount of binaural loudness summation is less when sounds are presented via loudspeakers than when sounds are presented via earphones. Design: Three types of stimuli (monitored live-voice [MLV] spondees, recorded spondees, and tones) were presented monaurally and binaurally across a wide range of levels. The same stimuli were presented via earphones and loudspeakers in an audiometric test booth. Eight young listeners with normal hearing judged the loudness of the stimuli using magnitude estimation. Results: The amount of binaural loudness summation was significantly less for MLV spondees than for tones or recorded spondees. Binaural loudness summation was also significantly less for loudspeaker presentation than for earphone presentation. Binaural loudness summation was found to be less than perfect (i.e., a sound presented binaurally is less than twice as loud as the same sound presented monaurally) for all conditions. The amount of binaural loudness summation was the least for MLV spondees presented via loudspeakers. Conclusions: The present results support both hypotheses and indicate that binaural loudness summation in the loudspeaker conditions is significantly less than binaural loudness summation in typical laboratory test conditions using earphones. There may be a subjective effect resulting from expectations about loudness of a familiar, visually present talker, termed here as “Binaural Loudness Constancy. ”
Assurance on Sustainability Reports: An International Comparison

ABSTRACT: Globally, companies increasingly publish separate general purpose, nonfinancial (sustainability) reports. Some of these are independently assured and assurers may or may not be from the auditing profession. We seek to understand this emerging voluntary assurance market. Using a sample of 2,113 companies (from 31 countries) that produced sustainability reports between 2002–2004, we use sequential logit analysis to identify the factors associated with the decision to voluntarily purchase assurance and the choice of assurance provider. We hypothesize that a company's need to enhance credibility through assurance and choice of assurance provider will be a function of company‐, industry‐, and country‐related factors. Our results support the argument that companies seeking to enhance the credibility of their reports and build their corporate reputation are more likely to have their sustainability reports assured, although it does not matter whether the assurance provider comes from the auditing profes.
Delayed maturation of rat lung in an environment containing nitrogen dioxide.

The maturation of lungs was monitored by morphometric quantification of the number of alveoli in rats born and raised for 75 days in “clean” air and in air containing 15 ppm of nitrogen dioxide. Although numbers of alveoli in control lungs and lungs exposed to nitrogen dioxide were comparable at birth, there was a consistent delay in maturation in the exposed lungs from the ages of 3 to 60 days. At 75 days, i.e., at the termination of the experiment, however, the deficit had been made up. Thus, the delay in maturation is probably not an appreciable factor in the attrition of alveolar surface area apparent in mature rats exposed similarly for months or years.
NMDARs in neurological diseases: a potential therapeutic target

N-methyl-D-aspartate ionotropic glutamate receptor (NMDARs) is a ligand-gated ion channel that plays a critical role in excitatory neurotransmission, brain development, synaptic plasticity associated with memory formation, central sensitization during persistent pain, excitotoxicity and neurodegenerative diseases in the central nervous system (CNS). Within iGluRs, NMDA receptors have been the most actively investigated for their role in neurological diseases, especially neurodegenerative pathologies such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. It has been demonstrated that excessive activation of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) plays a key role in mediating some aspects of synaptic dysfunction in several CNS disorders, so extensive research has been directed on the discovery of compounds that are able to reduce NMDARs activity. This review discusses the role of NMDARs on neurological pathologies and the possible therapeutic use of agents that target this receptor. Additionally, we delve into the role of NMDARs in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and the receptor antagonists that have been tested on in vivo models of these pathologies. Finally, we put into consideration the importance of antioxidants to counteract oxidative capacity of the signaling cascade in which NMDARs are involved.
Maculopapular skin rashes associated with high-dose chemotherapy: prevalence and risk factors.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence of and risk factors for maculopapular skin rashes associated with high-dose chemotherapy. DESIGN Observational pilot study. SETTING A bone marrow transplant hematology-oncology unit in a private city hospital. SAMPLE Data were collected on 14 patients who developed maculopapular rashes out of 127 patients who received high-dose chemotherapy (purposive sampling). METHODS Observation of the distribution and nature of skin rashes in relation to chemotherapy, disease, adjuvant medications, and white blood cell counts. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES Diseases, chemotherapy protocols and doses, adjuvant medications, and blood counts. FINDINGS Skin reactions ranged from mild, scattered macular or maculopapular rashes to severe rashes. Patients newly diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) who received induction protocols containing cytarabine had the most rashes, affecting 6 of 11 patients (55%). No rashes were observed on patients treated with the protocol that included high-dose corticosteroids. Patients rarely had recurrence of the rash with further courses of chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS Cytarabine doses higher than 700 mg/m2 may be a cause of maculopapular skin rashes. Patients most at risk were those newly diagnosed with AML who received induction therapy. Corticosteroids may prevent the development of skin rashes. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING No useful nursing strategy exists to prevent, lessen the intensity of, or shorten the course of a delayed hypersensitivity rash. Knowing which patients are most at risk is useful to enable close monitoring and patient and staff education.
Higher frequency of chromosome aberrations in late-arising first-division metaphases than in early-arising metaphases after exposure of human lymphocytes to X-rays in G 0

Purpose : To determine whether metaphases arising at different times after mitogen stimulation of G 0 lymphocytes differ in frequencies of X-ray-induced chromosome aberrations. Materials and methods : Human G 0 lymphocytes from peripheral blood exposed to 0, 1.5 or 3.0 Gy X-rays were stimulated to divide with the mitogen phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). First-division metaphases were distinguished from second and third divisions by chromatid labelling with 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR) and staining with Giemsa or DAPI. Cultures harvested 48, 70 and 94 h after mitogen stimulation were analysed for unstable aberrations on Giemsa-stained slides and for stable and unstable aberrations by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with painting probes for chromosomes 1, 2 and 4. Results : Frequencies of aberrations declined at the later culture periods, as expected on the basis of unstable aberrations being lost in mitotic division. When scoring was restricted to first-division metaphases, however, aberration frequencies were higher in 94-h cultures than in 48-h cultures. Conclusions : Frequencies of radiation-induced chromosome aberrations in first-division metaphases increase with culture time after mitogen stimulation. Possible explanations for this finding are a delay of damaged cells in mitogenic response or progression through divisions and heterogeneity among lymphocytes in culture kinetics and radiosensitivity. The data argue against the common assumption that all first-division cells are equivalent as indicators of radiation-induced chromosome aberrations.
The Evolution of the 10-11 June 1985 PRE-STORM Squall Line: Initiation, Development of Rear Inflow, and Dissipation

Abstract Mesoscale analysis of surface observations and mesoscale modeling results show that the 10–11 June squall line, contrary to prior studies, did not form entirely ahead of a cold front. The primary environmental features leading to the initiation and organization of the squall line were a low-level trough in the lee of the Rocky Mountains and a midlevel short-wave trough. Three additional mechanisms were active: a southeastward-moving cold front formed the northern part of the line, convection along the edge of cold air from prior convection over Oklahoma and Kansas formed the central part of the line, and convection forced by convective outflow near the lee trough axis formed the southern portion of the line. Mesoscale model results show that the large-scale environment significantly influenced the mesoscale circulations associated with the squall line. The qualitative distribution of along-line velocities within the squall line is attributed to the larger-scale circulations associated with the le.
Endothelial Vasodilator Production by Uterine and Systemic Arteries. IV. Cyclooxygenase Isoform Expression During the Ovarian Cycle and Pregnancy in Sheep1

Abstract Uterine artery endothelial production of the potent vasodilator, prostacyclin, is greater in pregnant versus nonpregnant sheep and in whole uterine artery from intact versus ovariectomized ewes. We hypothesized that uterine artery cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and/or COX-2 expression would be elevated during pregnancy (high estrogen and progesterone) and the follicular phase of the ovarian cycle (high estrogen/low progesterone) as compared to that in luteal phase (low estrogen/high progesterone) or in ovariectomized (low estrogen and progesterone) ewes. Uterine and systemic (omental) arteries were obtained from nonpregnant luteal-phase (LUT; n = 10), follicular-phase (FOL; n = 11), and ovariectomized (OVEX; n = 10) sheep, as well as from pregnant sheep (110–130 days gestation; term = 145 ± 3 days; n = 12). Endothelial and vascular smooth muscle (VSM) COX-1 protein levels and uterine artery endothelial cell COX-1 mRNA levels were compared. Using immunohistochemistry and Western analysis, the primary location of COX-1 protein was the endothelium; that is, we observed 2.2-fold higher COX-1 protein levels in intact versus endothelium-denuded uterine artery and a 6.1-fold higher expression in the endothelium versus VSM (P < 0.05). COX-2 protein expression was not detectable in either uterine artery endothelium or VSM. COX-1 protein levels were observed to be higher (1.5-fold those of LUT) in uterine artery endothelium from FOL versus either OVEX or LUT nonpregnant ewes (P < 0.05), with substantially higher COX-1 levels seen in pregnancy (4.8-fold those of LUT). Increases in uterine artery endothelial COX-1 protein were highly correlated to increases in the level of COX-1 mRNA (r2 = 0.66; P < 0.01) for all treatment groups (n = 6–8 per group), suggesting that increased COX-1 protein levels are regulated at the level of increased COX-1 mRNA. No change in COX-1 expression was observed between groups in a systemic (omental) artery. In conclusion, COX-1 expression is specifically up-regulated in the uterine artery endothelium during high uterine blood flow states such as the follicular phase and, in particular, pregnancy.
Warm and Homely or Cold and Beautiful? Sex Differences in Trading Off Traits in Mate Selection

Prior research and theory suggest that people use three main sets of criteria in mate selection: warmth/trustworthiness, attractiveness/vitality, and status/resources. In two studies, men and women made mating choices between pairs of hypothetical potential partners and were forced to make trade-offs among these three criteria (e.g., warm and homely vs. cold and attractive). As predicted, women (relative to men) placed greater importance on warmth/trustworthiness and status/resources in a potential mate but less importance on attractiveness/vitality. In addition, as expected (a) ratings of ideal standards partly mediated the link between sex and mate choices, (b) ideal standards declined in importance from long-term to short-term relationships, with the exception of attractiveness/vitality, and unexpectedly, (c) sex differences were higher for long-term (compared to short-term) mate choice. Explanations and implications are discussed.
Adoption of Gamified Systems: A Study on a Social Media Gamification Website

This study aims to understand the factors affecting the attitude towards and adoption of gamified systems, which are receiving increasing interest worldwide as they can be used for attitude change and increasing user engagement in a wide range of areas. Whether individuals use these systems because they consider them useful or if there are other motivational factors deemed important are analysed. Considering the gamification applications as new technology applications, an extended technology acceptance model TAM is used based on existing literature to explain attitude formation and adoption of gamified systems. An online survey is carried out on a social networking gamification website EmpireAvenue.com and the collected data is analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling PLS-SEM. The findings indicate that extended TAM incorporating intrinsic motivation elements enjoyment and playfulness is able to explain attitudes towards and continued use intention for a gamified system.
Prospective Teachers’ Attitudes toward Whistle-Blowing According to Type of Intelligence

This study inquires differences of whistle-blowing intentions between first and the last year student teachers through three scenarios in terms of their assumed types of intelligence. Ethical awareness with underlying reasoning of the students was investigated; and possible intentions of the students to whistle-blow were examined. The survey was conducted among 291university students. While overall ethical awareness of the students with verbal intelligence was higher than the students with mathematical intelligence in one scenario, any difference was found between the 1st and 4th year students. Besides, 1st year students’ intentions for internal, external, and identified reporting are higher than the 4th year ones. Mathematical intelligence did not make any difference between the students’ intentions to blow whistle. There is not any intention for examining whistle-blowing it in education and any evidence on the relationship between it and intelligence types in the literature. This paper is expected to contribute the literature. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013. v4n4p11