Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of prostaglandin in the management of prelabour rupture of the membranes at term

Objective labour rupture of the membranes (PROM) in healthy primigravid women at term. Design A prospective randomized study. Setting Labour Ward, Aberdeen Maternity Hospital. Subjects 230 primigravidae at term with PROM, 1 IS allocated to be treated conservatively and 1 IS to be managed with prostaglandin treatment. Interventions In the conservatively managed group the women were observed for up to 24 h after hospital admission with PROM. The actively managed group had PGE, gel (2 mg) instilled into the posterior fornix and if contractions had not commenced, a further dose of PGE, gel (1 mg) was instilled 6 h later. In both groups, if labour had not established 24 h after admission, intravenous oxytocin was given in escalating doses. Main outcome measures PROM to delivery interval, oxytocin augmentation, mode of delivery, maternal and neonatal infective morbidity. Results There was a significant reduction in the PROM to delivery interval in the women managed actively with PGE, gel and fewer women in the PGE, group required oxytocin augmentation (31% vs 51%). The two managements groups were comparable for intrapartum analgesia, antibiotic treatment, babies requiring admission to the special care nursery unit and delivery by caesarean section. Conclusion The early use of prostaglandin is associated with a significant reduction in PROM to delivery interval without a significant increase in infective morbidity or caesarean section rate. However, the advantages of the conservative approach should not be overlooked. More work is still needed in the management of those women where uterine activity fails to establish within 24 h after PROM. To compare conservative versus prostaglandin management of pre-
Unsuspected Exposure to Cocaine in Preschool Children From a Mediterranean City Detected by Hair Analysis

We used hair testing to investigate the prevalence of unsuspected exposure to cocaine in a group of preschool children presenting to an urban pediatric emergency department without signs or symptoms suggestive of exposure. Hair samples were obtained from 90 children between 18 months and 5 years of age attending the emergency room of Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, Spain. In 85 cases, hair samples from the accompanying parent were also provided. The samples were analyzed for the presence of cocaine and benzoylecgonine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, which also determined opiates and amphetamines. Parental sociodemographics, possible drug history, and information on the child's features were recorded. Hair samples from 21 children (23.3%) were positive for cocaine (concentration range 0.3-5.96 ng/mg of hair) with 1 sample also positive for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and another for opiates. In 88% of the positive cases, cocaine was also found in the hair of the accompanying parent (15 of 17 matched parent-child hair samples). Parental sociodemographics were associated neither with children's exposure to cocaine nor with somatometry of children at birth. However, the behavioral patterns with potential harmful effects for the child's health (eg, tobacco smoking, cannabis, benzodiazepines and/or antidepressants use, and shorter breast-feeding time) were significantly higher in the parents of exposed children. A statistically higher percentage of exposed children were in the lower weight percentile group compared with the nonexposed children. In the light of these results, we advocate general hair screening to disclose exposure to cocaine and other drugs of abuse in children from risky environments, which could provide the basis for specific social and health interventions.
Aging‐induced proinflammatory shift in cytokine expression profile in rat coronary arteries

The phenotypic and functional changes of coronary arteries with aging promote ischemic heart disease. We hypothesized that these alterations reflect an aging‐induced proinflammatory shift in vascular regulatory mechanisms. Thus, in isolated coronary arteries of young (3‐month‐old) and aged (25‐month‐old) male Fischer 344 rats the expression of 96 cytokines, chemokines, and their receptors were screened by a cDNA‐based microarray technique. In aged vessels expressions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α (3.3x), interleukin (IL)‐1β (3.0x), IL‐6 (2.9x), IL‐6Rα (2.8x) and IL‐17 (6.1x) genes were significantly increased over young vessels. Quantitative reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction confirmed these results. Western blotting demonstrated that protein expressions of TNF‐α, IL‐1β, IL‐6, and IL‐17 were also significantly increased in vessels of aged rats compared with those of young rats. Immunofluorescent double labeling showed that in aged vessels IL‐1β and IL‐6 are predominantly localized in the endothelium, whereas TNF‐α and IL‐17 are localized in smooth muscle. Thus, a proinflammatory shift in the profile of vascular cytokine expression may contribute to the aging‐induced phenotypic changes in coronary arteries, promoting the development of ischemic heart disease in the elderly.
Human papillomavirus in corneal and conjunctival carcinoma.

PURPOSE To investigate the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) types, 6, 11, 16 and 18 in corneal and conjunctival carcinoma, we examined 88 dysplastic corneal and conjunctival specimens and 66 controls that had been formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded. METHODS Sections were graded for histological abnormality by light microscopy and the presence of HPV DNA was determined by polymerase chain reaction using LI consensus primers. RESULTS Human papillomavirus DNA was detected in 34 (39%) dysplasias and in five (7.5%) controls. Of dysplasias that were HPV-positive, 20 (59%) contained either types 16 or 18, 13 (38%) contained only types 6/11, while combinations of HPV types were present in 11 (32%). A histological correlation was found with HPV positivity (all genotypes) and unusually large ('epithelioid') dysplastic cells. CONCLUSION The present study demonstrates a lower incidence of HPV in corneal and conjunctival carcinoma than previously reported, but shows an unexpectedly high incidence of HPV 6/11 in conjunctival carcinomas.
The Relationship Between Anxiety Disorders and Sexual Dysfunction

In this article, we examine the relationship between anxiety disorders and SDs, using DSM-IV-TR categories, although we are conscious of the limits of this approach. In doing so, we will consider not only the dichotomy between normal and pathological functioning but also the issue of sexual satisfaction as part of wellness.
Haplotype data of mitochondrial DNA coding region encompassing nucleotide positions 11,719–12,184 and evaluate the importance of these positions for forensic genetic purposes in Iraq

Abstract Samples of 100 random healthy unrelated Iraqi male persons from the Arab ethnic group of Iraqi population were collected for mtDNA coding region sequencing by using the Sanger technique and to establish the degree of variation characteristic of a fragment. Portion of coding region encompassing positions 11,719–12,184 was amplified in accordance with the Anderson reference sequence. PCR products were purified by EZ-10 spin column then sequenced and detected by using the ABI 3130xL DNA Analyzer. This is to intend the detection of polymorphisms of mtDNA. Four new polymorphic positions 11,741, 11,756, 11,878, and 12,133 are described which may be suitable in the future to be the sources for human identification purpose in Iraq. The obtained data can be used to identify variable nucleotide positions characterized by frequent occurrence most promising for identification variants. The calculated value GD = 0.95 and RMP = 0.048 of the genetic diversity should be understood as high in the context of coding function of the analysed DNA fragment. The relatively high gene diversity and a relatively low random match probability were observed in this study.
When the Options Market Disagrees

We construct a new measure of investor disagreement from signed equity options trading volumes. Options disagreement negatively predicts stock returns over various horizons. The high disagreement stock portfolio underperforms the low disagreement portfolio by approximately 5% per year after standard risk adjustments. Disagreement increases around both positive and negative news releases and its predictive power for stock returns does not depend on the news content. The level of disagreement and its predictive effect for stock returns increase with short-selling costs in the stock market. Consistent with "agree to disagree" theories, disagreement also positively predicts stock trading volume and volatility.
Misoprostol Efficacy in Second and Third Trimester Pregnancy Terminations

Objective: Retrospective analysis and evaluating reliability and efficiency of misoprostol in 87 cases having pregnancy termination by using vaginal misoprostol between 12 and 35 weeks’ gestation. Methods: The present study was conducted at Celal Bayar University, Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic, Perinatology unit between January 2006 and November 2008. A total of 87 cases at more than 12 weeks gestation, including 8 cases having uterine scars due to previous cesarean section and 79 cases having no previous uterine surgery, underwent pregnancy termination and were retrospectively analyzed. In all the cases, the induction agent administered was vaginal misoprostol. In cases having previous cesarean delivery, following the initial dose of 200 μg between 12-24 weeks’ gestation and 100 μg at more than 24 weeks’, misoprostol was administered 200 μg every 4 hours for a period of 24 hours until contractions started. In cases having no uterine scar, following the initial dose of 400 μg between 12-24 weeks’ and 200 μg after 24 weeks’, misoprostol was added 400 μg and 200 μg every 4 hours for a period of 24 hours, respectively. If needed, the same dose scheme was repeated after a 12 hours resting period and, in case of failure, an additional method was used. Results: 53 cases (60.9%) were nulliparous and 34 cases (39.1%) were multiparous. 49 out of 87 (56%) cases were between 12 and 20 weeks’ gestation, while 38 (44%) cases were at more than 20 weeks’gestation. The median induction-to-termination interval which was 28.5 h (1-137 h) for all the cases was 30.8 h in nulliparous cases and 24.8 h in multiparous cases, and no statistically significant difference was detected (p=0.32). In 16 cases duration of pregnancy termination was over 48 h. In 10 cases (11.5%) pregnancy termination was achieved by using an additional method. Compared to the cases having no uterine scar, additional methods were used significantly more in cases having previous cesarean delivery (25% versus 10%; p=0.000). 2 cases developed complications (23%): fever and hemorrhage in one case and hemorrhage in one case. 1 case underwent cesarean section due to hemorrhage. No uterine rupture was observed in the cases. Conclusion: Using vaginal misoprostol is a fairly safe, efficient and non-invasive method in second and third trimester pregnancy termination. However, studies with wider series are needed to assess reliability of using misoprostol in cases with uterine scarring.
Radio Frequency FBG-Based Interferometer for Remote Adaptive Strain Monitoring

A radio frequency (RF) optical fiber interferometer based on dual-fiber Bragg grating is proposed for a few to tens of kilometers distance remote measurements. The interference spectrum is observed in the microwave domain by sweeping the frequency using a network analyzer. The wavelength-difference variation is naturally transferred to the RF phase-difference change after the long round-trip of the optical carriers shifting the microwave interference pattern. The sensor exhibits important advantages of easy multiplexing, stability against random perturbations, self-adaptation to temperature, and mostly importantly, a potentially much higher sensitivity compared with common wavelength-modulated optic sensors. A measurement of a strain-turned grating was accomplished with a ~6.5-km long single-mode fiber, where a high maximum sensitivity of 53.57 kHz/με was realized, which can easily be further improved by more than two orders of magnitude through various low-cost fiber dispersion components.
Charismatic Leadership Behavior and Leadership Effectiveness: The Moderating Role of Subordinates’ Emotional Intelligence and the Mediating Role of Psychological Empowerment

Theoretical research and practical cases have found that companies tend to use business leaders’ charismatic leadership behavior to promote business change and innovation. However, enterprise operating results indicate that there are great differences in the improvement effect of charismatic leadership behavior on leadership effectiveness among different enterprises. From the view of the internal psychological factors of employees, we designed a hypothesis model of the influence of charismatic leadership behavior on leadership effectiveness, by introducing the concepts of psychological empowerment and emotional intelligence of employees, to deeply explore the influence mechanism of charismatic leadership behavior on leadership effectiveness using the survey data of 207 private enterprises in China gathered from October 2015 to March 2016. Results show that the more prominent the charismatic leadership behavior, the higher the enhancement of leadership effectiveness. While the enhancement of leadership effectiveness relies on the promotion of organizational cohesion and leading character perception of employees as well as other psychological empowerment factors. Additionally, subordinates with high emotional intelligence and subordinates with low emotional intelligence are both able to significantly affect the relationship between charismatic leadership behavior and leadership effectiveness, but subordinates with high emotional intelligence are more easily able to promote job performance and job satisfaction through charismatic leadership behavior. Subordinates with low emotional intelligence, on the other hand, are more conducive to the enhancement of organizational citizenship behavior through charismatic leadership behavior. Business leaders can choose subordinates with different emotional intelligence levels based on the actual task needs. The conclusions have accordingly a great practical significance for further developing more effectively behavioral intervention strategies and improving the quality of enterprise decision-making.
Dynamic Hip Screw Compared to Condylar Blade Plate in the Treatment of Unstable Fragility Intertrochanteric Fractures

Dynamic hip screw (DHS) fixation is considered standard treatment for most intertrochanteric fractures. However, excessive sliding at the fracture site and medialisation of femoral shaft may lead in fixation failure. In contrast, fixedangled 95° condylar blade plate (CBP) has no effective dynamic capacity and causes little bone loss compared to DHS. We compared the outcome of 57consecutive unstable intertrochanteric fragility fractures treated with these two fixation methods. CBP instrumentation is more difficult requiring longer incision, operating time and higher surgeonreported operative difficulty. The six month post-operative mortality rate is 16%. Post-operative Harris hip scores were comparable between the two methods. Limb length shortening more than 20 mm was 6-fold more common with DHS. In elderly patients with unstable intertrochanteric fragility fractures, fixed angled condylar blade plate appears to be a better choice than dynamic hip screws for preventing fixation failures.
Adaptive channel equalization based on RLS algorithm

As inter-symbol interferences have a serious impact on quality of signal transmission in the transmission system of digital baseband, the techniques of adaptive channel equalization are used to eliminate or reduce inter-symbol interference. The RLS algorithm is chosen for MATALAB programming to compare eye diagram before and after equilibrium in this paper. It shows that the algorithm reduces the inter-symbol interference effectively, and achieves channel equalization.
Diamide: a new radiosensitizer for anoxic cells.

in P. fluorescens: anoxic cells are sensitized by diamide, whereas the survival of euoxic cells is unaffected by it. Sensitization of anoxic mammalian cells by diamide is unique in that the reagent causes only a small decrease in Do (approximately 30%) but completely removes the shoulder of the survival curve-i.e., the extrapolation number is reduced to one. Preliminary results indicate that a combination of diamide and the slope-modifying compound, nifuroxime, sensitizes anoxic V79 cells better than either compound alone and, in fact, better than oxygen. The results are discussed in relation to the role of endogenous nonprotein sulfhydryl in radiation sensitivity and to the possible use of diamide as a radiosensitizer for anoxic
Changes in Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Malondialdehyde Level in Patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of legal blindness in the developed world, and yet its pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Oxidative stress may play a major role in the etiology and pathogenesis of age-related disorders such as age-related macular degeneration. Catalase is an antioxidant enzyme which plays an important role in the detoxification of free oxygen radicals. Malondialdehyde is a marker that shows free radical damage. We have measured the erythrocyte activity of catalase and the serum level of malondialdehyde in 30 patients with age-related macular degeneration and 60 healthy subjects. Patients with age-related macular degeneration showed significantly lower catalase activity compared to healthy subjects (p = 0.002). Plasma malondialdehyde level of the patient group was significantly higher than that of the controls (p = 0.038).
Mnemonic and attentional roles for states of attenuated alpha oscillations in perceptual working memory: a review

Alpha oscillations are often reported to be amplified during working memory (WM) retention, serving to disengage sensory areas to protect internal representations from external interference. At the same time, contemporary views of WM postulate that sensory areas may often also be recruited for retention. I here review recent evidence that during such ‘perceptual’ WM, alpha oscillations in mnemonically relevant sensory areas are not amplified but attenuated instead. I will argue that such attenuated alpha states serve a mnemonic role and, further, that larger attenuation may support item‐specific attentional prioritisation within perceptual WM. In critically evaluating this role, I also consider (and argue against) four alternatives to a strictly mnemonic account of the available data that may also prove useful to consider in future research. Finally, I highlight key implications of these data for the study of WM and for our understanding of the functional roles of states of attenuated alpha oscillations in cognition.
Interleukin‐2 induced immune effects in human immunodeficiency virus‐infected patients receiving intermittent interleukin‐2 immunotherapy

To characterize the immunological effects of intermittent IL‐2 therapy, which leads to selective increases in CD4+ T lymphocytes in HIV‐infected patients, 11 patients underwent extensive immunological evaluation. While IL‐2 induced changes in both CD4+ and CD8+ cell number acutely, only CD4+ cells showed sustained increases following discontinuation of IL‐2. Transient increases in expression of the activation markers CD38 and HLA‐DR were seen on both CD4+ and CD8+ cells, but CD25 (α chain of the IL‐2 receptor) increased exclusively on CD4+ cells. This increase in CD25 expression was sustained for months following discontinuation of IL‐2, and was seen in naive as well as memory cells. IL‐2 induced cell proliferation, but tachyphylaxis to these proliferative effects developed after 1 week despite continued IL‐2 administration. It thus appears that sustained CD25 expression selectively on CD4+ cells is a critical component of the immunological response to IL‐2, and that intermittent administration of IL‐2 is necessary to overcome the tachyphylaxis to IL‐2‐induced proliferation.
Electrophysiological characterization of spinal neuronal response properties in anaesthetized rats after ligation of spinal nerves L5‐L6

1 Despite a number of models of nerve injury, few studies have examined how peripheral nerve injury influences spinal somatosensory processing. 2 Ligation of two (L5‐L6) of the three spinal nerves that form the sciatic nerve produces a partial denervation of the hindlimb. Following ligation, rats exhibited withdrawal responses to normally innocuous punctate mechanical and cooling stimuli (acetone) applied to the lesioned hindpaw. Such mechanical and cooling allodynia was not observed in sham‐operated rats. 3 A significantly greater proportion of spinal neurones of ligated rats exhibited spontaneous activity at post‐operative (PO) days 7–10 (P= 0.03) and 14–17 (P= 0.0001), compared with sham controls. The frequency of the spontaneous activity was significantly higher than that of the sham controls (P= 0.03 and P= 0.02 for days 7–10 and days 14–17, respectively). 4 At the earlier PO period, significantly (P= 0.02) more neurones of spinal nerve‐ligated (SNL) rats responded to brush compared with the sham controls; at the later PO period the proportion of neurones of SNL rats responsive to prod was significantly (P= 0.007) reduced compared with the sham controls. The magnitude of the evoked neuronal response of SNL rats at PO days 7–10 was comparable to that of the sham controls. The magnitudes of brush‐ and prod‐evoked neuronal responses of SNL rats were significantly smaller (P= 0.05 and P= 0.002, respectively) than the sham controls at PO days 14–17. In addition, neuronal responses of SNL rats to mechanical punctate stimuli and the C fibre‐evoked neuronal responses were significantly reduced at the later PO period, compared with sham controls. Aβ‐fibre‐induced wind‐up was not observed under any conditions. 5 These complex changes in neuronal responses are both time and modality dependent. The plasticity of some of the neuronal and behavioural responses following nerve injury was difficult to reconcile. We suggest that an interplay between pathological peripheral and central mechanisms may account for some of the changes that could contribute to allodynia and hyperalgesia.
Implantation of Pacemakers and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators in Orally Anticoagulated Patients

AL‐KHADRA, A.S. : Implantation of Pacemakers and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators in Orally Anticoagulated Patients. The safety of pacemaker and defibrillator implantations in orally anticoagulated patients using standard techniques has not been thoroughly evaluated. This article describes a prospectively collected experience in such patients. Patients presenting for device implantation who were treated with warfarin were allowed to continue therapy provided that the INR was <3.5. Implantations involved cannulation of the left axillary vein. Except for defibrillator leads, 7 Fr introducers were used, and all were leads actively fixated. The study included 47 patients who underwent implantation of permanent pacemakers (n = 39), defibrillators (n = 5), or biventricular pacemakers (n = 3). The mean INR was 2.3. The primary indication for anticoagulation was a mechanical cardiac prosthesis in 11 (24%) patients. Atrial fibrillation was present in 33 patients. There were no instances of major bleeding or hematomas requiring evacuation. One patient had a small soft hematoma, which resolved spontaneously. At 6 weeks, all patients had well‐healed scars with satisfactory pacing and sensing thresholds. In experienced centers, patients requiring treatment with warfarin may undergo implantation of pacemakers or defibrillators with minimal risk despite continuation of anticoagulation. (PACE 2003; 26[Pt. II]:511–514)