Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wisconsin Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) to improve cancer-related fatigue: a randomized, double-blind trial, N07C2.

BACKGROUND Safe, effective interventions to improve cancer-related fatigue (CRF) are needed because it remains a prevalent, distressing, and activity-limiting symptom. Based on pilot data, a phase III trial was developed to evaluate the efficacy of American ginseng on CRF. METHODS A multisite, double-blind trial randomized fatigued cancer survivors to 2000mg of American ginseng vs a placebo for 8 weeks. The primary endpoint was the general subscale of the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory-Short Form (MFSI-SF) at 4 weeks. Changes from baseline at 4 and 8 weeks were evaluated between arms by a two-sided, two-sample t test. Toxicities were evaluated by self-report and the National Cancer Institute's Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) provider grading. RESULTS Three hundred sixty-four participants were enrolled from 40 institutions. Changes from baseline in the general subscale of the MFSI-SF were 14.4 (standard deviation [SD] = 27.1) in the ginseng arm vs 8.2 (SD = 24.8) in the placebo arm at 4 weeks (P = .07). A statistically significant difference was seen at 8 weeks with a change score of 20 (SD = 27) for the ginseng group and 10.3 (SD = 26.1) for the placebo group (P = .003). Greater benefit was reported in patients receiving active cancer treatment vs those who had completed treatment. Toxicities per self-report and CTCAE grading did not differ statistically significantly between arms. CONCLUSIONS Data support the benefit of American ginseng, 2000mg daily, on CRF over an 8-week period. There were no discernible toxicities associated with the treatment. Studies to increase knowledge to guide the role of ginseng to improve CRF are needed.
Undergraduate student nurses' expectations and their self-reported preparedness for the graduate year role.

AIMS OF THE STUDY The study identifies third-year nurses' expectations of the graduate nurse role and ascertains how prepared they feel to fulfil this role. BACKGROUND The literature substantiates that the university-workplace transition is marked by differences between students' expectations of the graduate year and the realities of practice they encounter in the workforce setting. Nursing professionals and health service employers continue to debate the expectations required of the new nurse graduate. Yet there is little assessment of graduate nurses' expectations of the workplace. This study describes student nurses' expectations of the graduate year and the extent to which they regard themselves as well- or ill-prepared. DESIGN Third-year student nurses (n=105) from a 3-year Bachelor of Nursing (BN) course at a large Metropolitan University in Australia were surveyed. A group of nursing academics and their senior colleagues in the clinical setting designed a questionnaire in light of common themes derived from literature on the graduate year role. Responses were examined and analysed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS Responses revealed that student nurses tended to favour large public hospitals, and sought a good graduate programme with associated opportunities for guidance and support. Most expected to achieve good working relationships with both professional colleagues and patients. Final year students expressed some apprehension about meeting the performance expectations of the workplace, given their self-perceived lack of clinical experience. CONCLUSION When asked about their initial expectations of the workplace, third year student nurses expressed little apprehension and reported high levels on scales of organizational commitment and professionalism. The research literature suggests that divisions exist between students' expectations of the graduate year and the actual work experience. The expectations of the graduate year described in this study offer a student-centred perspective that contributes to future planning and policy directions of undergraduate curricula, graduate year programmes and nurse retention.
The Human Side of Failed Hypertension Treatment

Although hypertension is usually not associated with physical symptoms, there is survey evidence that many patients, perhaps the majority, see this condition as a cause for worry and a threat to their overall health. It is a reasonable assumption that these concerns are most manifest in patients whose blood pressures (BPs) are not well controlled. As well, there is evidence derived from psychological testing that people with hypertension experience reductions in quality of life that are proportional to their BP elevations. A recent study of attitudes in patients with selfdescribed uncontrolled or treatment-resistant hypertension by Schmieder and colleagues has established that these individuals carry a heavy emotional burden. The authors of this work reported the results of a survey conducted by the professional polling organization, Harris Interactive (New York). The survey questions had been designed in collaboration with a steering committee of hypertension experts (see Acknowledgements Section for details). The work of Harris Interactive and the committee was supported by an unrestricted grant from Medtronic. Overall, 4574 patients from the United States, Brazil, Japan, and several Western European countries with self-reported uncontrolled or treatment-resistant hypertension were surveyed. In response to the question: “How would you describe your current overall health? ” more than half of the respondents chose “poor” or “fair” rather than “good” or “excellent. ” In addition, they indicated a sense of pessimism about the probability of their BPs ever being controlled. All aspects of health appeared to be compromised by their hypertension, including a fear by many patients for their future well-being. Even personal and family relationships were found to be adversely affected.
Pulse transit time as a screening test for pediatric sleep-related breathing disorders.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate a noninvasive measure of arousal, the pulse transit time (PTT), as a screening tool for obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in an unselected population of symptomatic children, compared with overnight polysomnography (PSG). A secondary objective included comparing the diagnostic performance of PTT with continuous pulse oximetry recorded during PSG. DESIGN Prospective, blinded diagnostic comparison study using the gold standard of overnight PSG. SETTING Tertiary-care children's hospital sleep laboratory. PATIENTS An unselected, volunteer sample of 59 patients (mean age, 7.8 years) with and without adenotonsillar tissue undergoing PSG and simultaneous PTT, including patients with obesity and craniofacial syndromes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The relationship between the PTT and polysomnographic measures of OSAHS to include pulse oximetry using correlation coefficients and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. RESULTS The correlation coefficient between the PTT arousal index and PSG apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 0.70 (P<.001). Linear regression resulted in a good fit (R2=0.73) between PTT arousal index and AHI. With the use of an AHI of 1 or greater (35.6% prevalence of OSAHS) as a criteria for OSAHS, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.86 (95% confidence interval, 0.76-0.96). The optimal PTT arousal index threshold was 5.4 events per hour, which translated into a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 76%. CONCLUSIONS The PTT arousal index is highly correlated with the PSG-derived AHI and demonstrated excellent diagnostic utility for moderate and severe OSAHS. However, for mild OSAHS, PTT was barely adequate and did not significantly outperform pulse oximetry. Pulse transit time may be a useful tool to evaluate moderate to severe sleep-related breathing disorders in children.
Evidence from tunneling spectroscopy for a quasi-one-dimensional origin of superconductivity in Sr$_2$RuO$_4$

To establish the mechanism of unconventional superconductivity in Sr$_2$RUO$_4$, a prerequisite is direct information concerning the momentum-space structure of the energy gaps $\Delta_i(k)$, and in particular whether the pairing strength is stronger ("dominant") on the quasi-1D ($\alpha$ and $\beta$) or on the quasi-2D ($\gamma$) Fermi surfaces. We present scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements of the density-of-states spectra in the superconducting state of Sr$_2$RuO$_4$ for $0.1 T_C<T<T_C$, and analyze them, along with published thermodynamic data, using a simple phenomenological model. We show that our observation of a single superconducting gap scale with maximum value $2\Delta \approx 5 T_C$ along with a spectral shape indicative of line nodes is consistent, within a weak-coupling model, with magnetically mediated odd-parity superconductivity generated by dominant, near-nodal Cooper pairing on the $\alpha$ and $\beta$ bands.
Effect of glycerol and glucose on the enhancement of biomass, lipid and soluble carbohydrate production by Chlorella vulgaris in mixotrophic culture.

Biodiesel-derived glycerol is a promising substrate for mixotrophic cultivation of oleaginous microalgae, which can also reduce the cost of microalgal biodiesel. The objective of this study is to investigate the potential of using glycerol and glucose as a complex carbon substrate to produce microalgal biomass and biochemical components, such as photosynthetic pigments, lipids, soluble carbohydrates and proteins by Chlorella vulgaris . The results show that C. vulgaris can utilize glycerol as a sole carbon substrate, but its effect is inferior to that of the mixture of glycerol and glucose. The effect of glycerol and glucose could enhance the algal cell growth rate, biomass content and volumetric productivity, and overcome the lower biomass production on glycerol as the sole organic carbon source in mixotrophic culture medium. The utilization of complex organic carbon substrate can stimulate the biosynthesis of lipids and soluble carbohydrates as the raw materials for biodiesel and bioethanol production, and reduce the anabolism of photosynthetic pigments and proteins. This study provides a promising niche for reducing the overall cost of biodiesel and bioethanol production from microalgae as it investigates the by-products of algal biodiesel production and algal cell hydrolysis as possible raw materials (lipids and carbohydrates) and organic carbon substrates (soluble carbohydrates and glycerol) for mixotrophic cultivation of microalgae.
Anti-fibrotic effects of Cuscuta chinensis with in vitro hepatic stellate cells and a thioacetamide-induced experimental rat model

Abstract Context: Cuscuta chinensis Lam. (Convolvulaceae) has been used as a traditional herbal remedy for treating liver and kidney disorders. Objective: Anti-fibrotic effects of C. chinensis extract (CCE) in cellular and experimental animal models were investigated. Materials and methods: HSC-T6 cell viability, cell cycle and apoptosis were analysed using MTT assay, flow cytometry and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining techniques. Thioacetamide (TAA)-induced fibrosis model was established using Sprague Dawley rats (n = 10). Control, TAA, CCE 10 (TAA with CCE 10 mg/kg), CCE 100 (TAA with CCE 100 mg/kg) and silymarin (TAA with silymarin 50 mg/kg). Fibrosis was induced by TAA (200 mg/kg, i.p.) twice per week for 13 weeks. CCE and silymarin were administered orally two times per week from the 7th to 13th week. Fibrotic related gene expression (α-SMA, Col1α1 and TGF-β1) was measured by RT-PCR. Serum biomarkers, glutathione (GSH) and hydroxyproline were estimated by spectrophotometer using commercial kits. Results: CCE (0.05 and 0.1 mg/mL) and silymarin (0.05 mg/mL) treatment significantly (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001) induced apoptosis (11.56%, 17.52% for CCE; 16.50% for silymarin, respectively) in activated HSC-T6 cells, compared with control group (7.26%). Further, rat primary HSCs showed changes in morphology with CCE 0.1 mg/mL treatment. In in vivo studies, CCE (10 and 100 mg/kg) treatment ameliorated the TAA-induced altered levels of serum biomarkers, fibrotic related gene expression, GSH, hydroxyproline significantly (p < 0.05–0.001) and rescued the histopathological changes. Conclusions: CCE can be developed as a potential agent in the treatment of hepatofibrosis.
Apomorphine protects against MPTP‐induced neurotoxicity in mice

R‐apomorphine is a potent radical scavenger and iron chelator. The neuroprotective property of R‐apomorphine, a dopamine D1‐D2 receptor agonist, has been studied in the MPTP (N‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine) model of Parkinson's disease. Pretreatment with 5–10 mg/kg R‐apomorphine administered subcutaneously in C57BL mice protects against MPTP (24 mg/kg administered intraperitoneally) induced loss of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons as indicated by striatal dopamine content, tyrosine hydroxylase content, and tyrosine hydroxylase activity. In vitro, R‐apomorphine inhibited mice striatal MAO‐A and MAO‐B activities with IC50 values of 93 μM and 241 μM. It is suggested that the neuroprotective effect of R‐apomorphine against MPTP neurotoxicity derives from its radical scavenging and MAO inhibitory actions and not from its agonistic activity because the mechanism of MPTP dopaminergic neurotoxicity involves the generation of oxygen radical species‐induced oxidative stress.
Hearing-Impaired Children in the United Kingdom, I: Auditory Performance, Communication Skills, Educational Achievements, Quality of Life, and Cochlear Implantation

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to identify variables that are associated with differences in outcome among hearing-impaired children and to control those variables while assessing the impact of cochlear implantation. Study Design: In a cross-sectional study, the parents and teachers of a representative sample of hearing-impaired children were invited to complete questionnaires about children’s auditory performance, spoken communication skills, educational achievements, and quality of life. Multiple regression was used to measure the strength of association between these outcomes and variables related to the child (average hearing level, age at onset of hearing impairment, age, gender, number of additional disabilities), the family (parental occupational skill level, ethnicity, and parental hearing status), and cochlear implantation. Results: Questionnaires were returned by the parents of 2858 children, 468 of whom had received a cochlear implant, and by the teachers of 2241 children, 383 of whom had received an implant. Across all domains, reported outcomes were better for children with fewer disabilities in addition to impaired hearing. Across most domains, reported outcomes were better for children who were older, female, with a more favorable average hearing level, with a higher parental occupational skill level, and with an onset of hearing-impairment after 3 years. When these variables were controlled, cochlear implantation was consistently associated with advantages in auditory performance and spoken communication skills, but less consistently associated with advantages in educational achievements and quality of life. Significant associations were found most commonly for children who were younger than 5 years when implanted, and had used implants for more than 4 years. These children, whose mean (preoperative, unaided) average hearing level was 118 dB, were reported to perform at the same level as nonimplanted children with average hearing levels in the range from 80 dB to 104 dB, depending on the outcome measure. Conclusions: When rigorous statistical control is exercised in comparing implanted and nonimplanted children, pediatric cochlear implantation is associated with reported improvements both in spoken communication skills and in some aspects of educational achievements and quality of life, provided that children receive implants before 5 years of age.
Reward-dependent plasticity in the primary auditory cortex of adult monkeys trained to discriminate temporally modulated signals

Adult owl monkeys were trained to detect an increase in the envelope frequency of a sinusoidally modulated 1-kHz tone. Detection was positively correlated with the magnitude of the change in the envelope frequency. Surprisingly, neuronal responses recorded in the primary auditory cortex of trained monkeys were globally suppressed by the modulated tone. However, the contrast in neuronal responsiveness to small increases versus large increases in envelope frequencies was actually enhanced in the trained animals. The results suggest behaviorally contingent inhibitory and excitatory processes that are modulated by the probability that a particular signal predicts a reward.
The L&#233;vy Particle Swarm

Many foragers and wandering animals have been shown to follow a Levy distribution of steps and it is conjectured here that this distribution may be useful for optimization algorithms too. This paper investigates the effectiveness of replacing the particle dynamics within particle swarm optimization (PSO) by random sampling from a Levy distribution. The resulting Levy PSO is demonstrated to perform as well, or better, than a standard PSO or equivalent Gaussian models over a range of benchmark problems.
Relational Contracts and the Value of Loyalty

This paper characterizes the optimal contract for a principal who repeatedly chooses among N potential agents under the threat of holdup. Over time, the principal would like to trade with different agents; however, the possibility of ex-post opportunism allows agents to collect rents and creates a fixed cost of initiating new relationships. In the optimal contract, the principal divides agents into "insiders" with whom she trades efficiently, and "outsiders" whom she is biased against. The optimal contract is self-enforcing if the principal is sufficiently patient and can be implemented by an "employment contract" that is robust to asymmetric information. (JEL: C73, D82, D83, D86)
A parameterized analysis of the mechanical stress for co-ronary plaque fibrous caps

The fibrous cap is a protective layer of connective tissue that covers the core of an atherosclerotic plaque. The rupture of this layer has been commonly associated with acute myocardial infarctions. The thickness of the fibrous cap, the percentage of stenosed area, and the stiffness of the core were studied (commonly associated with vulnerable plaque characteristics) to quantify their effects on the cap’s mechanical stress state by performing analyses using computational fluid-structure interaction (FSI) methods. The mechanical stress levels are significantly increased within the fibrous cap structure at the upstream side of the plaque. As expected, the highest stresses occurred for a severe stenosis and a thin fibrous cap. Interestingly, a weak structural support such as a soft lipid pool beneath the fibrous cap allowed for the hemodynamic pressure gradient forces to displace the fibrous cap in the direction of the flow, resulting in higher strains and thus higher mechanical stresses in the upstream portion of the plaque cap, potentially increasing the risk of cap rupture. The peak stress behavior of the most critical cases (thin fibrous cap and soft lipid core) at various degrees of stenosis was analyzed. For mid-range stenosis from 43% to 75%, there was a plateau region revealing that mild and moderate plaques were quickly exposed to the high stress condition of severe plaques. In conclusion, the particular combination of a mild to severe stenosis, a thin fibrous cap and a soft lipid core resulted in the highest mechanical stresses calculated at the proximal side of the plaque. Mild and moderate plaques can be subjected to stresses similar to severe plaques, possibly contributing to their rupture.
Improving forecast skill by assimilation of AIRS temperature soundings

This paper uses AIRS temperature profiles derived by the AIRS Science Team Version-5 retrieval algorithm. The AIRS Science Team Version-5 retrieval algorithm is being used operationally at the Goddard DAAC in the processing (and reprocessing) of all AIRS data. The AIRS Science Team Version-5 retrieval algorithm contains two significant improvements over Version-4: 1) Improved physics allows for use of AIRS observations in the entire 4.3 µm CO2 absorption band in the retrieval of temperature profile T(p) during both day and night. Tropospheric sounding 15 µm CO2 observations are now used primarily in the generation of cloud cleared radiances HRi. This approach allows for the generation of accurate values of HRi and T(p) under most cloud conditions. 2) Another very significant improvement in Version-5 is the ability to generate accurate case-by-case, level-by-level error estimates for the atmospheric temperature profile, as well as for channel-by-channel error estimates for HRi. These error estimates are used for quality control of the retrieved products. We have conducted forecast impact experiments assimilating AIRS temperature profiles with different levels of quality control using the NASA GEOS-5 data assimilation system. Assimilation of quality controlled T(p) resulted in significantly improved forecast skill compared to that obtained from analyses obtained when all data used operationally by NCEP, except for AIRS data, is assimilated. We also conducted an experiment assimilating AIRS radiances uncontaminated by clouds, as done operationally by ECMWF and NCEP. Forecasts resulting from assimilating AIRS radiances were of poorer quality than those obtained assimilating AIRS temperatures.
Understanding the Risks of Child Neglect: An Exploration of Poverty and Parenting Characteristics

A strong association between poverty and child neglect has been established, but the mechanisms that explain this relationship have not been clearly articulated. This research takes advantage of survey and child maltreatment administrative data about families with young children and assesses the influence of poverty and parenting characteristics on subsequent child neglect. The authors find that indicators of poverty, such as perceived material hardship and infrequent employment, and parenting characteristics, such as low parental warmth, use of physical discipline, and allowing a child to engage in frequent television viewing, are predictive of child neglect. Parenting characteristics do not appear to mediate the link between perceived hardship and neglect, although they suppress the link between employment and neglect. Results from this study provide information that is highly relevant to the approach and design of child maltreatment prevention and intervention strategies.
Quantitative Analysis of Escherichia coli Metabolic Phenotypes within the Context of Phenotypic Phase Planes

In silico models of Escherichia coli metabolism have been developed to predict metabolic behavior and propose experimentally testable hypotheses. However, a thorough assessment of the metabolic phenotype requires well-designed experimentation and reproducible experimental techniques. A method for the quantitative analysis of E. coli metabolism in vivo within the framework of in silico phenotypic phase plane analysis is presented. Using this approach, we have quantitatively studied E. coli metabolism in various environmental conditions and nutritional media. Our experimental methodology, in combination with steady-state metabolic models, can be used to study biological properties and evaluate the metabolic capabilities of microbes.