Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vitamin D level is associated with mortality predictors in ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by Acinetobacter baumannii.

INTRODUCTION Vitamin D plays a role in host defense and is known to be associated with mortality in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). We aimed to evaluate the relationships between vitamin D levels and predictors of mortality in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumanii (XDR A. baumanii). METHODOLOGY A retrospective single-center study was conducted in an 18-bed adult ICU of a teaching hospital, including all patients with VAP due to XDR A. baumanii. Levels of 25(OH)D, procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), n-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP), as well as clinical scores (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment [SOFA], Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation [APACHE II], Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score [CPIS) were recorded. RESULTS Forty-for patients were studied over six months. All patients had vitamin D deficiency. The 28-day mortality in patients with 25(OH)D levels ≤ 10 ng/mL was higher than in patients with 25(OH)D > 10ng/mL (p = 0.001). The fourth- and seventh-day SOFA scores (p= 0.04 and p= 0.001) and first- and fourth-day procalcitonin levels (p = 0.03 and p = 0.004) were higher in patients with 25(OH)D levels ≤ 10 ng/mL. The clinical scores (SOFA, CPIS, and CEPPIS) and biomarkers (NT-proBNP, PCT) were negatively correlated with 25(OH)D levels in all study groups. CONCLUSIONS Severe vitamin D deficiency was associated with adverse outcome in VAP due to XDR A. baumanii. Vitamin D levels may be a prognostic predictor of VAP. It is also important to evaluate the effect of rapid vitamin D replacement on mortality.
Measuring attitudes towards interprofessional learning. Testing two German versions of the tool "Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale" on interprofessional students of health and nursing sciences and of human medicine

Objective: In order to verify the methodological quality of two versions of a tool for measuring attitudes towards interprofessional learning, we adapted – in terms of translation and scale form – the Heidelberg Version [1] of Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale - RIPLS [2], a methodologically controversial tool that had been translated into German, and compared both the original and new versions. Method: Three items were reworded and the scale form altered (from five to four levels), leading to the Halle Version that was validated by means of a cognitive pretest (n=6). Both questionnaires were completed by students taking the interprofessional degree program in Health and Nursing Sciences (HNS) and by students of Human Medicine. The test quality of both tools was examined by analyzing the main components and reliability using the scales allocation of the items as according to Parsell and Bligh [2]. Results: The questionnaires were randomly assembled and distributed to 331 students. The response was n=320 (HNS n=109; Medicine n=211). The Halle Version “RIPLS-HAL” of the questionnaire was completed by n=166 and the Heidelberg Version “RIPLS-HDB” by n=154. In the main component analysis the data could not depict the scale patterns of the original Australian tool. The reliability values of both the Heidelberg and Halle versions were only satisfactory for the “Teamwork and Collaboration” and “Professional Identity” scales. Conclusions: The German version of the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale has only limited suitability for recording the attitude towards interprofessional learning. The present versions can be regarded as an approach towards developing a more suitable tool.
The relationship between personality traits and post-traumatic stress disorder among EMS personnel and hospital emergency staffs

Aims: EMS personnel and hospital emergency staffs experience many stressful situations which predispose them to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between personality traits and PTSD among EMS personnel and hospital emergency staffs in Kerman, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013. All 180 EMS personnel and 321 hospital emergency staffs affiliated to Afzalipour, Shafa, Bahonar, and Shahid Beheshti hospitals and the National EMS System, Kerman, Iran, were recruited by using the census method. The NEO Five-Factor Inventory and the Mississippi combat-related PTSD scale were used for data collection. The SPSS v. 19 was employed for conducting the Chi-square, the Pearson’s correlation, the independent-samples t, and the one-way analysis of variance tests. Results: EMS personnel’s PTSD was significantly correlated with personality traits of conscientiousness and neuroticism (P-value<0.01). In the hospital emergency staffs group, PTSD was correlated with personality traits of conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness (P-value<0.05). The means of hospital emergency staffs and EMS personnel’s PTSD scores were 97.02±21.51 and 89.30±19.17, respectively. Conclusions: EMS personnel and hospital emergency staffs experience great levels of occupational stress and hence, are at great risk for PTSD. Both EMS personnel and hospital emergency staffs have personality traits which predispose them to PTSD. Consequently, health authorities need to implement in-service stress management programs for them and use personality traits as a condition for employing new EMS personnel and hospital emergency staffs. Please cite this paper as: Sheikhbardsiri H, Sarhadi M, Abdollahyar A, Dastres M, Sheikh Rabari A, Aminizadeh M. The relationship between personality traits and post-traumatic stress disorder among EMS personnel and hospital emergency staffs. Iran J Crit Care Nurs. 2015;8(1):35-42.
Hunting Dogs in the Lowland Neotropics

Once absent in much of Amazonia, dogs are now commonly used for hunting throughout the lowland Neotropics. Although some ethnographers have questioned their usefulness, dogs are particularly effective in pursuits of several mammalian prey species. The return rates of hunting with dogs appear to compare favorably with those of hunting with firearms, and dogs may be especially beneficial in anthropogenic habitats. There is considerable cross-cultural variation in the training and care of dogs. Good hunting dogs typically receive better care than their less-talented conspecifics. Mortality rates for dogs in the Neotropics are high, and the causes of death include malnutrition and attacks by other animals. Although isolated Neotropical societies may not have initially recognized the overall value of hunting dogs, a more likely explanation for the absence of dogs in prehistoric Amazonia is the high mortality of dog populations in the region. Additional research is needed to resolve ethnological questions about the use of dogs in the lowland Neotropics.
Frequency of systemic lupus erythematosus in different ethnic groups in Hawaii.

A survey of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients was conducted in civilian general hospitals on Oahu, Hawaii for the years 1970-75. One hundred sixty-eight cases were ascertained, of which 107 were considered "definite. " Age-adjusted prevalence rates per 100,000 were estimated for definite cases at the end of 1975 as follows: white 5.8, Chinese 24.1, Filipino 19.9, part-Hawaiian 20.4, and Japanese 18.2. There was a heavy preponderance of females in each ethnic group, averaging 90% of the definite cases overall. Review of vital statistics for the United States and Hawaii during this period showed age-adjusted SLE mortality rates per million as follows: U.S. white 3.04, U.S. non-white 8.82, Hawaii white 1.89, Hawaii non-white 14.46. The cause of the very high SLE prevalence and mortality in the Oriental and Polynesian people of Hawaii is not clear.
Hepatitis B vaccination practices in hospital newborn nurseries before and after changes in vaccination recommendations.

BACKGROUND Routine use of hepatitis B vaccine for low-risk newborns was suspended on July 7, 1999, because of concern about the potential risk of thimerosal, a mercury-containing vaccine preservative. Reinstatement of the birth dose was recommended when a thimerosal-free vaccine became available. OBJECTIVE To explore changes in hepatitis B vaccination practices for newborns related to the revised recommendations for low-risk infants (in this study, the terms newborn and infant are used interchangeably). DESIGN A telephone survey of a random sample of 1000 US hospitals. PARTICIPANTS Nurse managers, nursery directors, and staff nurses of the newborn nurseries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Nursery vaccination practices before and after July 7, 1999, and the availability and use of thimerosal-free vaccine. RESULTS Interviews were conducted with 773 (87%) of 886 eligible hospitals. Before July 7, 1999, 78% of the hospitals reported vaccination practices that were consistent with recommendations at that time, although only 47% vaccinated all low-risk infants at birth. After July 7, 1999, almost all hospitals discontinued vaccination of low-risk infants, in accordance with the recommendation change; however, there was a 6-fold increase in the number of hospitals that were not vaccinating all high-risk infants. After the introduction of thimerosal-free vaccine, only 39% of the hospitals reported vaccinating all low-risk infants. CONCLUSIONS Most hospital nurseries altered their newborn hepatitis B vaccination practices consistent with changes in national recommendations. However, unintended consequences included the failure of some hospitals to continue vaccinating all high-risk infants and the delay in reintroducing vaccination for low-risk newborns after the introduction of a thimerosal-free vaccine. Assessments of the appropriateness of this country's response to the threat of thimerosal in vaccines should consider these findings.
NAD+/NADH and/or CoQ/CoQH2 ratios from plasma membrane electron transport may determine ceramide and sphingosine‐1‐phosphate levels accompanying G1 arrest and apoptosis

To elucidate possible biochemical links between growth arrest from antiproliferative chemotherapeutic agents and apoptosis, our work has focused on agents (EGCg, capsaicin, cis platinum, adriamycin, anti‐tumor sulfonylureas, phenoxodiol) that target tNOX. tNOX is a cancer‐specific cell surface NADH oxidase (ECTO‐NOX protein), that functions in cancer cells as the terminal oxidase for plasma membrane electron transport. When tNOX is active, coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) of the plasma membrane is oxidized and NADH is oxidized at the cytosolic surface of the plasma membrane. However, when tNOX is inhibited and plasma membrane electron transport is diminished, both reduced coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinol) and NADH would be expected to accumulate. To relate inhibition of plasma membrane redox to increased ceramide levels and arrest of cell proliferation in G1 and apoptosis, we show that neutral sphingomyelinase, a major contributor to plasma membrane ceramide, is inhibited by reduced glutathione and ubiquinone. Ubiquinol is without effect or stimulates. In contrast, sphingosine kinase, which generates anti‐apoptotic sphingosine‐1‐phosphate, is stimulated by ubiquinone but inhibited by ubiquinol and NADH. Thus, the quinone and pyridine nucleotide products of plasma membrane redox, ubiquinone and ubiquinol, as well as NAD+ and NADH, may directly modulate in a reciprocal manner two key plasma membrane enzymes, sphingomyelinase and sphingosine kinase, potentially leading to G1 arrest (increase in ceramide) and apoptosis (loss of sphingosine‐1‐phosphate). As such, the findings provide potential links between coenzyme Q10‐mediated plasma membrane electron transport and the anticancer action of several clinically‐relevant anticancer agents.
Reconfigurable bandpass filter based on split ring resonators and vanadium dioxide (VO2) microwave switches

In this paper, we present the design, fabrication and characterization of the first tunable bandpass filter that combines split ring resonators (SRRs) and vanadium dioxide (VO2)-based microwave switches. The device consists on a pair of coupled SRRs, feed by means of tapped microstrip lines, that can be connected to metallic patches by electronically activating the VO2-based switches. Through the fast and reversible Semiconductor-to- Metal Transition (SMT) of the VO2 thin films, the electrical characteristics of the SRRs are modified so that their resonance frequency, and as a result the central frequency of the bandpass filter can be electrically tuned. The fabricated filter, designed to operate in the X-band, exhibits a tuning range of nearly 10% where its electrical characteristics (bandwidth, insertion losses, etc.) are roughly preserved.
Epidemiologicl and Genetic Studies of Enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Goat and Human

The objective of the present study was to investigate the epidemiological and genetic relationships of classical enterotoxins of S. aureus in goat's raw milk, meat and food handlers in Toukh city in Qaluobia governorate, Egypt. A total of 100 goat, s raw milk and meat samples (50 of each) were collected from randomly distributed herds in streets for buying milk and in public markets for peddler meat. Hand and nasal swabs were collected from milkers and butchers (30 of ech). All samples were subjected for bacteriological examination for isolation and identification of S. aureus. Isolates were underwent reversed passive latex agglutination technique for detection of enterotoxigenic S. aureus. A multiplex PCR assay could successfully amplify the diagnostic DNA bands of 270bp, 165bp, 69bp and 306bp of genes for staphylococcal enterotoxins A, B, C, and D respectively. PCR was applied on the serologically identified 16 (20.25%) isolates out of 79 S. aureus which isolated from the examined goat's food samples and human handlers by using one universal forward and reverse primers, specific for each individual toxin gene. None of the samples was positive for SEE indicating the zoonotic and genetic relationships.
Adaptor Protein GRB2 Promotes Src Tyrosine Kinase Activation and Podosomal Organization by Protein-tyrosine Phosphatase ϵ in Osteoclasts*

Background: Protein-tyrosine phosphatase ϵ (cyt-PTPe) dephosphorylates and activates Src to promote osteoclast adhesion. Results: The adaptor protein GRB2 binds phosphorylated cyt-PTPe and recruits Src, thus promoting its activation. Conclusion: GRB2 links cyt-PTPe to Src downstream of activated integrins in osteoclasts. Significance: GRB2-mediated recruitment may constitute a general mechanism by which cyt-PTPe activates Src and related kinases. The non-receptor isoform of protein-tyrosine phosphatase ϵ (cyt-PTPe) supports adhesion of bone-resorbing osteoclasts by activating Src downstream of integrins. Loss of cyt-PTPe reduces Src activity in osteoclasts, reduces resorption of mineralized matrix both in vivo and in cell culture, and induces mild osteopetrosis in young female PTPe KO mice. Activation of Src by cyt-PTPe is dependent upon this phosphatase undergoing phosphorylation at its C-terminal Tyr-638 by partially active Src. To understand how cyt-PTPe activates Src, we screened 73 Src homology 2 (SH2) domains for binding to Tyr(P)-638 of cyt-PTPe. The SH2 domain of GRB2 bound Tyr(P)-638 of cyt-PTPe most prominently, whereas the Src SH2 domain did not bind at all, suggesting that GRB2 may link PTPe with downstream molecules. Further studies indicated that GRB2 is required for activation of Src by cyt-PTPe in osteoclast-like cells (OCLs) in culture. Overexpression of GRB2 in OCLs increased activating phosphorylation of Src at Tyr-416 and of cyt-PTPe at Tyr-638; opposite results were obtained when GRB2 expression was reduced by shRNA or by gene inactivation. Phosphorylation of cyt-PTPe at Tyr-683 and its association with GRB2 are integrin-driven processes in OCLs, and cyt-PTPe undergoes autodephosphorylation at Tyr-683, thus limiting Src activation by integrins. Reduced GRB2 expression also reduced the ability of bone marrow precursors to differentiate into OCLs and reduced the fraction of OCLs in which podosomal adhesion structures assume organization typical of active, resorbing cells. We conclude that GRB2 physically links cyt-PTPe with Src and enables cyt-PTPe to activate Src downstream of activated integrins in OCLs.
Functional significance of novel neurotrophin‐1/B cell‐stimulating factor‐3 (cardiotrophin‐like cytokine) for human myeloma cell growth and survival

Summary. Cytokines of the gp130 family, particularly interleukin 6 (IL‐6), play a central role in the growth and survival of malignant plasma cells. Recently, novel neurotrophin‐1 (NNT‐1)/B cell‐stimulating factor‐3 (BSF‐3), also reported as cardiotrophin‐like cytokine (CLC), was identified as a cytokine belonging to the gp130 family. BSF‐3, similar to IL‐6, exerts regulatory effects on normal B cell functions, but its functional significance in haematological malignancies has not been defined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biological effects and signalling pathways that are induced by BSF‐3 in malignant plasma cells. Recombinant human BSF‐3 was found to have growth stimulatory activity on plasmacytoma cell lines and primary tumour cells. In addition, BSF‐3 was able to protect from Dexamethasone (Dex)‐induced apoptosis. BSF‐3 stimulated cell growth could not be inhibited by neutralizing anti‐IL‐6 or anti‐IL‐6 receptor antibodies, but was abrogated by anti‐gp130 antibodies. In INA‐6.Tu11 cells, a subline of the IL‐6‐dependent human plasma cell line INA‐6 expressing gp130 and the receptor for leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), stimulation with BSF‐3 induced tyrosine phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). AG490, an inhibitor of Janus kinases, decreased BSF‐3 induced cell growth in a dose‐dependent manner. This correlated with a reduction of STAT3 phosphorylation levels, while p44/42 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation was not affected. In conclusion, BSF‐3 is a novel myeloma growth and survival factor with a potential role in the pathophysiology of the disease.
Trying Before Buying: The Moderating Role of Online Reviews in Trial Attitude Formation Toward Mobile Applications

ABSTRACT Online reviews on mobile app marketplaces help consumers evaluate whether a mobile app fits their needs before upgrading or purchasing it. This study explores how online reviews influence trial attitude formation, a process that naturally bears on cognitive structure as much as on users’ emotional responses to online experience. We experimentally manipulate the valence (positive vs. negative) and consistency (one-sided vs. two-sided) of online reviews exposed to participants in a laboratory-controlled app trial scenario considering two different aspects of use (hedonic and functional). We find that review valence and consistency alter the emotional process during trial attitude formation but do not affect the cognitive process. In particular, negative reviews compared to positive reviews and two-sided reviews compared to one-sided reviews are more influential in trial attitude formation. Interestingly, two-sided reviews weaken the emotional process during the use of functional apps, but strengthen it during the use of hedonic apps. The study contributes to the literature by identifying the moderating role of online reviews on product trial experience, which in turn influences the formation of product attitudes. The findings help app developers and marketers understand how to elicit positive evaluations during app trials by highlighting the importance of online reviews.
Red wine raises plasma HDL and preserves long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in rat kidney and erythrocytes

The effects of red wine and ethanol on plasma lipoproteins and the fatty acid composition of kidney lipids and erythrocytes phospholipids were studied. Lipid peroxidation is one of the main deleterious effects of oxidant attack on biomolecules, due to the disruption of the structural integrity of membranes. The vulnerability of the kidney to oxidative damage has been partly attributed to its high content of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Antioxidants, such as flavonoids, would be a means of reducing the risk of oxidative damage to membranes. Nutritional sources rich in antioxidants, including those provided by wine, are expected to attenuate the effects of oxidative challenges. Adult rats were fed red wine rich in flavonols, ethanol (125 ml/l), or alcohol-free red wine. The control group drank water. After 10 weeks, blood samples served to measure plasma lipoproteins and antioxidant capacity. Kidney lipids and erythrocyte phospholipids were extracted. The samples were assayed by GLC. Energy intake did not differ between all the groups, but the weight gain of the ethanol group was less than the other three groups. Blood HDL and triacylglycerols were increased by both ethanol and red wine. Ethanol decreased arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids in both kidney lipids and erythrocyte phospholipids, as compared with either water, red wine or alcohol-free red wine groups. These results indicate that non-alcoholic components of red wine could contribute to avoiding the unfavourable effects of ethanol on plasma lipoproteins, kidney lipids and membrane erythrocyte phospholipids.
A risk analysis model with an ecological perspective on DDT and malaria control in South Africa.

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants granted a controversial exemption for some countries to continue using DDT. DDT has a history of use in malaria control, but widespread concern about health risks led to declining use. A science-based policy analysis of existing published literature was conducted to consider DDT toxicology and malaria risk in South Africa to generate data for a model that tests DDT risks and benefits in relation to infant mortality. This study investigated one aspect of DDT toxicology and risk analysis, and in the process, provided an insight into the effects of scrutinising risks and benefits more carefully than by means of aggregated data. When comparing infant mortality risk from malaria with infant mortality from DDT the results suggested that the net benefit of DDT application relies on certain assumptions associated with the toxicity of DDT. When the analytical model was run based on the best estimates available of the impact of DDT on infant mortality, the costs of DDT application outweighed the potential benefits in areas of low endemicity. According to this analytical method the only situation where DDT for malaria control had a clear net benefit in relation to infant mortality was when the malaria mortality rate was very high (e.g. the equivalent of a malarial epidemic). Our assessment concluded that the net benefits of DDT indoor residual spraying for malaria control are at best marginal and recommends consideration of less toxic, cost effective alternatives such as insecticidal nets.
How good are the fits to the experimental velocity profiles in vivo

A new velocity profile equation for the description of microcirculatory blood flow in vivo was proposed in 2009. However various recently published papers still use the assumption of parabolic velocity profile (Poiseuille flow). The purpose of this work was to evaluate the performance of 3 different fitting cases: 1) best parabolic fit, 2) axial fit with the proposed equation and 3) best fit with the proposed equation. Twelve experimental velocity profiles measured by particle image velocimetry in mouse venules were used to compare the fitting efficiency of the 3 cases on the basis of the velocity relative error (RE) expressed as average ± SE (standard error) at ten different radial segments (REj with 1 ≤ j ≤ 10). The parabolic best fit (case 1) leads to serious deviations from the real velocity distribution (RE10 = 65% ± 2%). The proposed equation axial fit (case 2) slightly overestimates blood velocity distribution near the vessel wall but the was below + 12% and it requires only one experimental value near the vessel axis, measurable using the Doppler Effect. The proposed equation best fit (case 3) approximates the experimental data without any serious bias but requires a complete velocity profile data set.