Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Serosurvey of Feral Pigs (Sus scrofa) in Eastern North Carolina.

SANDFOSS, MARK ROBERT. The Serosurvey of Feral Pigs (Sus scrofa) in Eastern North Carolina. (Under the direction of Christopher S. Deperno.) Feral pigs (Sus scrofa) survive in many climates, reproduce year-round, and are dietary generalists. In the United States, the size and range of the feral pig population has expanded, resulting in greater interaction with humans and domestic swine and increased potential for disease transmission. I conducted a serosurvey in feral pigs from eastern North Carolina to determine exposure to the zoonotic parasites, Toxoplasma gondii and Trichinella spp. Between September 2007 and March 2009, blood serum was collected from 83 feral pigs harvested at Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center, Four Oaks, North Carolina. We used a modified agglutination test (MAT) to test for T. gondii antibodies and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to test for Trichinella spp. antibodies. The seroprevalence of antibodies to T. gondii and Trichinella spp. was 27.7% and 13.3%, respectively, and three pigs, 3.6% had antibodies to both diseases. We detected an increased risk of T. gondii antibodies with age (χ2 = 6.89, P = 0.032), whereas the risk of exposure to T. gondii across years (χ1 = 1.79, P = 0.181) and sex (χ1 = 0.001, P = 0.939) were similar. In eastern North Carolina, feral pigs have been exposed to T. gondii and Trichinella spp. and may pose a health risk to domestic swine and humans. To further investigate the health risk feral pigs pose we conducted a serosurvey for antibodies to porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2), Brucella suis, pseudorabies virus (PRV), and classical swine fever (CSF) in 13 North Carolina counties and Howell Woods from September 2007 to May 2009. Feral pigs were collected by trapping and hunter harvest. At Howell
Initiation of Ventricular Fibrillation by a Single Ectopic Beat in Three Dimensional Numerical Models of Ischemic Heart Disease: Abrupt Transition to Chaos

Background: To explore the conditions most dangerous for the emergence of sustained Ventricular Tachycardia or Ventricular Fibrillation (VT/VF) a new computational model of ventricular myocardium including 2592 finite elements in three dimensions was created. Methods: The fully three dimensional model of right and left ventricular muscle was used to simulate the spread of electrical activation and the resulting electrocardiogram. Localized zones of ischemic muscle tissue were characterized by reduced conduction velocity and reduced refractory period, and VT/VF was initiated by single ectopic beats. The simulated body surface Electrocardiogram (ECG) was also computed. Results: In this system clinically realistic VT/VF is readily produced by single stimuli. Reduced conduction velocity and reduced effective refractory period in localized abnormal muscle predispose to VT/VF. Transition to chaos was abrupt. No one specific pattern of re-entry, spiral waves, or vortices could be identified that later decomposed into VT/VF. Instead, there was a wide variety of activation patterns leading to chaos, depending sensitively on initial conditions. Nonetheless, a clear border between stable vs. chaotic behavior was defined by a critical threshold impulse wavelength, the product of conduction velocity and refractory period, γ*, in local ischemic tissue. This threshold, separating stable and chaotic regimes, can be specified precisely as γ*=FV1/3 , where V is the local volume of diseased tissue and 0 γ F γ 1 is a shape factor, near 1 for compact volumes and progressively smaller for flattened volumes. When the impulse wavelength is ≤γ*, VT/VF happens. Typical values for γ* range from 1 to 3 cm. Such behavior is characteristic of classical chaotic systems. Conclusions: The patterns of muscle activation leading to self-sustaining VT/VF observed in three dimensional diseased hearts are much more complex and variable than traditional re-entry in two dimensions. Instead a model of abrupt transition to chaos emerges from the application of first-principles cardiac electrophysiology, realistic ventricular anatomy, and the pathophysiology of ischemic cardiac muscle. This phenomenon may represent a higher order form of mathematical chaos than has been previously studied.
Effects of China's Rural Insurance Scheme on Objective Measures of Health

In 2003, the Chinese government established the New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) with the goal of improving health for the country’s 800 million mostly uninsured rural residents. Using new data on objective health measures, we analyzed the program’s effectiveness in improving health for enrollees. Using longitudinal data from the China Health and Nutritional Survey from 2000 to 2009 (12 080 observations across four waves), we analyzed the impact of the NCMS on objective measures of health such as blood pressure, HbA1c, and cholesterol, as well as use of preventive care. In order to overcome inherent selection bias where less healthy people are more likely to enroll in the voluntary health insurance scheme, we used intent-to-treat and instrumental variable analysis strategies, and offered evidence that these approaches can mitigate this bias. For every additional year of NCMS coverage, the probability of seeking preventive health care increased by 0.6 percentage points (95% CI 0.1-1.0). However, we did not find evidence that the NCMS resulted in consistent improvements in objective measures of health. Sub-group analysis suggested that lower-income communities benefited more from the program, implying that the program may have resulted in some lessening of the wealth-based disparity in health. The NCMS does not appear to significantly improve objective measures of health. This is consistent with evaluations of health insurance programs in other countries, but in contrast to some previously reported improvements in self-reported health resulting from the NCMS.
Assistive Devices for Patients with Auditory Neuropathy: Hearing Aid Use

Abstract Auditory neuropathy (AN) is a hearing disorder characterized by disruption of temporal coding of acoustic signals in the auditory nerve resulting from lesions involving auditory nerve fibers, the inner hair cells, or their synapses with auditory nerve terminals. Disruption of auditory nerve discharge underlies both the absence of auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) and impairment of speech perception. AN may be related to genetic disorders or result from a wide range of other etiologies. It can be identified either as an isolated disorder (isolated AN) or associated with multisystem involvement (non-isolated AN). Effectiveness and choice of assistive devices depend crucially upon etiology, site of lesion, and stage of the disease. Cochlear implants constitute an effective rehabilitative tool able to restore speech perception in many patients with genetic AN, especially those affected by the isolated form of the disorder. Some children with isolated AN have proved to be good hearing aid users, showing satisfactory open-set speech perception abilities in the aided condition. Over 50% of children discharged from neonatal intensive care units showing the electrophysiological profile of AN (absent ABRs, presence of otoacoustic emissions) benefit from hearing aid use, the provision of amplification resulting in remarkable improvement in speech perception. It can be concluded that differences in cochlear implant outcome or hearing aid use in patients with AN are related to the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying alteration of auditory nerve discharge associated with individual etiologies.
Use Of Mouthguard Rates Among Athletes During 2009 IIHF Word U18 Championship

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of mouthguard users in the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Word U18 Championship Div. III Group B Turkey. The participants’ appreciation in the use of protective devices, such as mouthguards, during sport activities was also evaluated. In this study a 10-item questionnaire was distributed to 82 athletes of ice hokey in 2009 IIHF Word U18 Championship. The Championship composed of 4 national teams [Bulgaria (Bul), Ireland (Irl), Iceland (Isl) and Turkey (Tur)]. Of all players were males and there average ages were Bul. 16.55, Irl. 16.2, Isl. 17.0, Tur. 17.3 . The result of questionnaires indicated that none of the athletes used mouthguards while participating in sports. The use of mouthguards is rare in sports, because all of athletes wear helmets and face masks associated with their helmets. IIHF rules required that athletes, who fewer than 18 years, should wear face masks during sport activities, but not mandatory of wearing mouth guards. The same 10-item questionnaire was distributed to 16 athletes of national ice hokey team of Turkey. Athletes, who are older than 18 years, usually wear not face masks but wear helmets and moutguards. There sportsmen’s 25 % used mouthguards while participating in sports, but this number is not enough. Doctors and dentists need to recommend a more intensive education of athletes in sports medicine and sports dentistry.
West versus East: Early Globalization and the Great Divergence

This paper extends our previous work on grain market integration across Europe and the Americas in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (Dobado, Garcia-Hiernaux and Guerrero, 2012). By using the same econometric methodology, we now present: 1) a search for statistical evidence in the East of an �Early Globalization� comparable to the one ongoing in the West by mid eighteenth century; 2) a study on the integration of grain markets in China and Japan and its functioning in comparison to Western countries; 3) a discussion of the relevance of our findings for the debate on the Great Divergence. Our main conclusions are: 1) substantial differences in the degree of integration and the functioning of grain markets are observed between East and West; 2) a certain degree of integration may be reached through different combinations of factors (agents, policies, etc.) and with dissimilar effects on long-run economic growth; 3) the absence of an �Early Globalization� in the East reveals the existence of some economic and institutional limitations in this part of the world and contributed to its �Great Divergence� with the West from at least the eighteenth century. RESUMEN: Este trabajo expande nuestra investigacion previa sobre la integracion del mercado de granos en Europa y America (Dobado, Garcia-Hiernaux y Guerrero, 2012). Usando la misma metodologia econometrica, presentamos ahora: 1) la busqueda de evidencia estadistica en el Este de una �Globalizacion temprana� semejante a la encontrada en el Oeste desde mediados del siglo XVIII; 2) un estudio de la integracion de los mercados en china y Japon y su funcionamiento en comparacion con los paises occidentales; 3) una discusion de la relevancia de nuestros resultados respecto al debate sobre la �Gran Divergencia�. Nuestras principales conclusiones son: 1) encontramos diferencias sustanciales entre Este y Oeste en lo que al grado de integracion y al funcionamiento de los mercados de grano se refiere; 2) un cierto grado de integracion puede ser alcanzado mediante combinaciones diferentes de factores (agentes, politicas, etc.) y con efectos distintos sobre el crecimiento economico a largo plazo; 3) la ausencia de una �Globalizacion temprana� en el Este revela la existencia de limitaciones economicas e institucionales en esta parte del mundo y contribuyo a la �Gran Divergencia� con el Oeste desde al menos el siglo XVIII.
PS-244a Is Vitamin D Deficiency A Risk Factor For Urinary Tract Infection In Children?

Background and aims There is increasing evidence that vitamin D deficiency plays an important role in susceptibility to infections. We aimed to examine whether there is any association between serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D3) and urinary tract infections (UTI) among children. Methods Serum calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), parathormone (PTH) and serum 25(OH)D3 levels were measured in 82 children aged 2 months to 12 years with first episode of UTI, not having any risk factor for UTI, and 64 healthy control children. The age, gender, weight, height, fever, vitamin D or calcium supplementation, urinalysis and urine culture were recorded. Results The serum levels of 25(OH)D3 were significantly lower in the study group compared to healthy control group (11.69 ± 3.25 ng/mL vs. 27.57 ± 4.72 ng/mL; p < 0.001). There was statistically significant difference in serum 25(OH)D3 levels between the patients with upper UTI compared to the patients with lower UTI (8.63 ± 2.76 ng/mL vs. 14.22 ± 2.97 ng/mL; p < 0.001). The serum levels of 25(OH)D3 were significantly lower in girls compared to the boys in the study group (10.91 ± 3.42 ng/mL vs. 13.20 ± 4.38 ng/mL; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that a serum 25(OH)D3 level of < 15 ng/mL (odds ratio 3.50, 95% confidence interval 1.62–7.57; p = 0.001) was associated with UTI in children. Conclusions Our results suggest that vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for UTI in children and low serum level of vitamin D in girls is one of the reason for prone to UTI. Abstract PS-244a Table 1
Pleier-pasient-relasjonen i sykehjem — tilintetgjørelse eller virkeliggjørelse

The purpose of this article is to present the essence of experiencing meaning in life as a patient in a nursing home. Such knowledge is important for improving the quality and ethics of nursing practice in nursing homes. The research question to be answered is: «What factors contribute to the patient experiencing meaning in life in a nursing home situation? » Seventeen in depth interviews with 9 patients in a nursing home are the basis for the data collection. The study includes seven women and two men, the average age being 79 years. Data are analysed by Giorgi's (1) phenomenological method. The interviewees contribute with many stories about their own experiences of being cared for. The results point out the essence of elderly patients' experiencing meaning and meaninglessness in life. The nurse-patient-relation is central to those experiences.
ATYPICAL PARKINSONIAN DISORDERS

The diagnosis of the atypical parkinsonian disorders is relevant in clinical practice since prognosis and treatment of patients with these disorders differs from those with Parkinson's disease. In this chapter features that help characterize and differentiate progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, multiple system atrophy, and dementia with Lewy bodies are discussed and illustrated by clinical vignettes. Therapeutic options for each of these disorders are discussed.
A RADICALLY RESECTED CASE OF LUNG METASTASES FROM ADVANCED PANCREATIC CANCER, OCCURRED NINE YEARS FOLLOWING A TOTAL PANCREATECTOMY

進行膵癌(Stage IVa)膵全摘術後,外来通院中, 9年を経て血清CA19-9値の上昇から両側の肺病変が判明し2度にわたり左右の肺切除を施行し病変を摘出しえた症例を経験した. 肺病変摘出標本の病理像は粘液産生を伴う乳頭状腺癌を主体としたもので, 9年前に全摘術を施行した膵癌と酷似した病理像を示し,膵癌の肺転移と考えられた. 腎癌など他臓器からの膵転移に対して膵切除がなされた報告は比較的多いが,進行膵癌の長期生存例自体少なく,まして膵癌の遠隔臓器転移に対し根治的手術が施行されたケースは,文献検索をした限り見いだしえなかった. 長期生存を得ることの出来た症例では,例え膵癌であっても再切除あるいは転移巣切除可能な場合もあるので厳重な経過観察が必要と考えられた.
Relationship between serum adiponectin and coronary heart disease

Objective To measure adiponectin(APN) level in serum of coronary heart disease(CHD) patients and evaluate the association of APN with CHD.Methods The serum samples of 150 CHD patients confirmed by coronary angiography and 104 healthy subjects for physical examinations were collected.The levels of APN and apolipoprotein A5(apo A5) in serum were measured by ELISA.Total cholesterol(TC),triglycerin(TG),low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C) and Lp(a) were measured by 7600-020E automatic biochemistry analyzer.Results Compared to the healthy control group,the level of HDL in CHD group was apparently lower,and the levels of LDL-C,TG,Lp(a) were higher.The levels of serum APN in the patients with stable angina pectoris patients(SAP) and acute coronary syndrome(ACS) were significantly lower than those in control subjects(P 0.05),and APN level of ACS patients was lower than that of SAP(P 0.05). The concentrations of apo A5 [(209.8 ± 52.6) ng/ml]in the serum of SAP patients were lower than those of healthy controls [(231.5 ± 57.0) ng/ml](P 0.05). The concentrations of apo A5 in ACS serum [(248.6 ±54.4) ng/ml]were lower than those in SAP serum [(209.8 ± 52.6 ng/ml) ](P 0.01). Pearson correlation analysis showed that APN level after adjustment for age and sex was significantly negatively correlated with LDL-C and TG,but positively correlated with HDL-C.APN level was positively correlated with apo A5 in SAP serum.Conclusions Lower APN and higher apo A5 may be correlated with CHD of certain types and used as a new markers for prognostic evaluation of CHD patients.
Incidence, detection and integrated management of viral disease complex in Bhut Jolokia, a Chilli cultivar in Assam

Double antibody sandwich ELISA (DAS-ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays detected the infection of four viruses viz., Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Potato virus Y (PVY), Groundnut Bud Necrosis Virus (GBNV) and Chilli leaf curl virus (ChLCV) in Bhut Jolokia with 55.0% infection by CMV, 36.0% by PVY, 44.9% by GBNV and 42.5% by ChLCV in Assam. Plants were found to be infected by single virus or more than one virus together forming a disease complex. The various symptoms manifested by these viruses on Bhut Jolokia includes mosaic, puckering, dwarfing, leaf size reduction, upward and downward curling of leaves, flower bud necrosis, etc. An integrated management approach which included treatments in nursery and main field condition, was developed in order to combat the infection of the plants due to viral disease complex. Among the treatment combinations, T12 [seed treatment with imidacloprid@0.25 ml/l + nursery net+ foliar spray with imidacloprid @ 2ml/l at 15, 30, 45, 60 DAT] was the most effective in reduction of disease incidence and vector population count with maximum yield of 91.27 q/ha. Disease incidence of 14.8% (CMV+PVY), 7.4% (ChLCV), 11.1% (GBNV) with average of 11.1% and average vector population count of 3.19 nos.(aphid), 3.43 nos.(whitefly) and 16.33 nos.(thrips) were recorded in the treatment T12 which was much lesser as compared to control.
Coexistence of non-dipper hypertension with other chronic diseases

Background Hypertension is currently one of the major risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. Level of blood pressure fluctuates over a 24-hour cycle. Depending on the incidence of daily blood pressure rhythm disorders, or a lack thereof, we can distinguish dipper and non-dipper profiles. Material and methods The analysis covered medical documentation and a 24-hour blood pressure rhythm monitored by the ABPM system in selected 130 patients with diagnosed arterial hypertension, aged between 18 and 87, hospitalized in the years 2010–2014 in the Internal Medicine Department. Results It was found that hypertension frequently occurred in obese patients, with carbohydrate metabolism disorders, hyperlipidaemia and thyroid diseases. A significant correlation was observed between dipper hypertension and hyperlipidaemia, as well as between non-dipper hypertension and smoking. Conclusions Non-dipper type patients constitute a quite varied group in terms of concurrent diseases. These patients should be actively monitored for specific chronic illnesses.
Methamphetamine Use During Pregnancy: Maternal and Neonatal Implications

OBJECTIVE: To report the demographic characteristics and clinical morbidity of methamphetamine-exposed pregnancies compared with control patients in a tertiary care, urban, academic medical center. METHODS: A single-site chart review from 2000 to 2006 was conducted. International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision code 648.3x was used to identify potential study participants. Specific inclusion criteria required either a positive urine drug screen for methamphetamine use or by patient statement of methamphetamine use during pregnancy. Data from 276 identified patients were then compared with the 34,055 in the general obstetric population during the same period for various demographic factors and perinatal outcomes. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy-six patients responsible for 273 live births were identified between 2000 and 2006. Factors that were significantly associated with methamphetamine use were age younger than 20 years (9% methamphetamine compared with 16% control patients), non-Hispanic white ethnicity (55% compared with 71%), married (12% compared with 46%), preterm delivery (52% compared with 17%), low Apgar scores (6% compared with 1–2%), cesarean delivery (29% compared with 23%), and neonatal mortality (4% compared with 1%). Additionally, the maternal demographic characteristics suggested that these women were more likely to be unemployed, use other abusive substances, and have higher rates of domestic violence and adoption when compared with the control population. CONCLUSION: Methamphetamine use in pregnancy is complicated by more morbid maternal and neonatal outcomes when compared with the general obstetric population. Because the patients in this study were in a variety of ways demographically distinct, attempts to identify these patients early and intervene in an effort to improve pregnancy-related outcomes appears possible and warranted. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II
Behavioural changes after anaesthesia: Validity and liability of the Post Hospitalization Behavior Questionnaire in a Swedish paediatric population

Aim: To study the validity and liability of a Swedish translation of the Post Hospitalization Behavior Questionnaire (PHBQ) in children in Sweden. Methods: The PHBQ was translated using a back‐translation method. The subjects were 340 children, ages 2–13 y, admitted for elective surgery or diagnostic procedure with anaesthesia. The results were analysed using exploratory factor analysis with principal component analysis with Oblimin rotation. The fit to data was examined using confirmative factor analysis with a good measure of fit for the model (p>0.09 for all factors). Results: Five factors emerged as being most consistent: general anxiety‐withdrawal, eating disturbances, separation anxiety, regression‐aggression and sleep anxiety. A panel of child psychologists confirmed the face validity of factors. Internal consistency (Chronbach's alpha) was adequate (0.75–0.87) for subscales and excellent for total score (0.93). Children less than 5 y old had higher scores than older children (mean 0.046±0.018 vs −0.0089±0.014, p<0.001). There were no gender differences. Conclusion: The results support a conclusion that a five‐factor model better fits data from Swedish children than the original six‐factor model.