Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Left or Right Kidney in Hand-Assisted Donor Nephrectomy? A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background. There is an ongoing discussion in living renal transplantation whether the right or the left donor nephrectomy is to be preferred if both kidneys are equal, due to the lack of prospective studies. Methods. A prospective single-center randomized trial was conducted from April 2002 to September 2006, in which 60 eligible consecutive donors were randomized to either left-sided or right-sided hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (HALDN). Primary endpoint was operation time. Secondary endpoints were donor morbidity, warm ischemia time, delayed graft function, urological complications, quality of life, and graft survival. Results. Median operating time for left-sided HALDN (180 min) was significantly longer compared with right-sided HALDN (150 min; P=0.021). There were no conversions in both groups. There were no major intra- or postoperative complications. One-year graft survival rate was 96% in the left group versus 93% in the right group (P=0.625, log rank). Conclusions. Operating time of HALDN of the right kidney is significantly shorter than HALDN of the left kidney. No differences were detected in complication rates and graft survival between left and right-sided donor nephrectomy.
Sources and Occurrence of Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment

Title of Thesis: SOURCES AND OCCURRENCE OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN THE ENVIRONMENT Brian James Gangle, Master of Science, 2005 Thesis directed by: Distinguished University Professor Emerita Rita R. Colwell Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Although they have improved the health of countless numbers of humans and animals, antibiotics have been losing their effectiveness since the beginning of the antibiotic era. The use of antibiotics in raising food animals has contributed significantly to the global pool of antibiotic resistant organisms. There is no doubt that the use of antibiotics provides selective pressure that results in resistant bacteria and resistance genes. While some resistant bacteria are found naturally in the environment, pathogens and non-pathogens are released into the environment in several ways, contributing to a web of resistance that includes humans, animals, and the environment. Reviewed here are the history and scope of both antibiotics and resistance, the mechanisms of resistance, and evidence for the spread of antibiotic resistant organisms and resistance genes through humans, animals, and the environment. SOURCES AND OCCURRENCE OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN THE ENVIRONMENT by Brian James Gangle Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science 2005 Advisory Committee: Professor Rita R. Colwell, Chair Dr. Estelle Russek-Cohen Professor Sam W. Joseph ©Copyright by Brian James Gangle 2005
Chemical composition, source and formation mechanism of urban PM 2.5 in Southwest China

Despite significant improvements in air quality in recent years, the Sichuan Basin (SCB) is still facing frequent haze pollution in winter. In this study, the chemical components of PM 2.5 in a typical pollution period at the beginning of 2023 in Chengdu, a megacity in the SCB, were characterized by 45 bulk-chemical and single-particle analysis, and the PM 2.5 sources and formation mechanism of pollution were analyzed. The average mass concentration of PM 2.5 during the study period was 95.4±29.7 μg m − 3 . Organic matter (OM) was the most abundant component (35.3%), followed by nitrate (22.0%), sulfate (9.2%) and ammonium (7.8%). The aerosol particles were classified into five categories: mineral, OM, S-rich, soot and fly ash/metal particles, and most of them were in the state of internal mixing. The entire 50 observation period could be divided into two non-pollution periods (NP-1 and NP-2) and two haze periods (Haze-1 and Haze-2). With the evolution of pollution, the bulk-chemical and single-particle analysis exhibited similar characteristics, suggesting that Haze-1 was mainly caused by pollutants related to fossil fuel combustion, especially mobile sources, while Haze-2 was triggered by the rapidly increasing secondary pollutants. The PM 2.5 sources included dust (8.5%), biomass burning (3.5%), coal combustion 55 (15.5%), industrial processes (6.5%), vehicular emissions (25.6%) and secondary sources (40.5%). Analysis of WRF-Chem model results showed that the average contributions of local sources and regional transmission to pollution in Chengdu were the same (50% vs 50%). In addition, the source composition and WRF-Chem simulation results in different periods confirmed our analysis of the formation mechanisms of the two haze events.
Actividad antimicrobiana de Cuminum cyminum L.

El comino (Cuminum cyminum) es un ingrediente habitual en la comida india. Ha sido usado desde hace muchotiempo en la medicina tradicional para curar la diarrea, dispepsia y trastornos gastricos, asi como agente antiseptico.Estudios realizados en nuestro laboratorio han mostrado que el comino tiene una potente actividad antimicrobianasobre diversas especies de bacterias y hongos, tanto patogenas como no patogenas. Los estudios quimicos realizadosindican que la mayor parte de esta actividad antimicrobiana es debida al cuminaldehido [p-isopropil benzaldehido]presente en el fruto desecado de esta planta. Los estudios de concentracion minima inhibitoria (CMI) con el cuminaldehidoaislado (comparado con el cuminaldehido patron) indican que es efectivo sobre diferentes microorganismos, incluyendocepas de bacterias, levaduras y hongos.
Expert Panel on Thoracic Imaging: Arlene

categories: right ventricular (RV) findings, PA findings, and inferior vena cava (IVC)/right atrial (RA) findings. RV findings include RV/left ventricular (LV) basal diameter ratio >1 and flattening of the interventricular septum. PA findings include PA diameter >25 mm, early diastolic
Demand Shock Propagation Through an Input-output Network in Japan

Recent studies (e.g., Acemoglu et al (2012)) show that micro-level shocks propagate through an input-output network and result in aggregate fluctuations. While most previous studies report the propagation of shocks from upstream, we know little about how shocks propagate from downstream. Focusing on the sharp decline in exports from Japan during the global financial crisis and in consumption of food and accommodation services during the COVID-19 pandemic, we empirically examine how these demand shocks propagate from customers to suppliers through a firm-level input-output network. We find that the propagation of demand shocks depends on firm size and, in particular, on the mutual importance of the transaction relationship. For the case of the global financial crisis, negative demand shocks propagate from large exporters to larger suppliers because they regarded each other as their main transaction partners. In contrast, while small suppliers regarded these large exporters as their main partners, larger exporters do not see the small suppliers that way, and thus, the propagation via these transaction relationships is limited. For the case of the pandemic, negative demand shocks are transmitted from small customers even to their small suppliers. This is because many suppliers of firms that belong to pandemic-affected sectors are small, yet they are viewed as the main transaction partners by their customers. These results suggest that the mutual importance of transaction relationships determines the heterogeneity of the demand-shock propagation.
Implementation of the Diet Readiness Test to Assess Self-Efficacy and Education Effectiveness in Overweight Women

Purpose: The purpose of this evidence-based Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to assess perceived self-efficacy in overweight women who are participating in a weight loss program and the effectiveness of education being provided using the Diet Readiness Test (DRT). Background: Obesity is a rapidly growing public health problem affecting an increasing number of countries worldwide because of its prevalence, costs, and health effects. Among women between the ages of 40 and 60, more than 80% report that they are either trying to lose weight or trying to maintain weight. The overall prevalence of obesity was similar among men and women, but the prevalence of severe obesity was higher among women. Among women, 39.7% of those aged 20–39, 43.3% among those aged 40–59, and 43.3% among those aged 60 and over were characterized as being obese. Readiness to change seems to be one of the most promising factors promoting behavior change in individuals who need to modify their lifestyle for health purposes. Personal motivation can, in fact, dramatically influence treatment adherence and effectiveness as well as the choice of intervention. Self-efficacy beliefs provide the underpinning for motivation, well-being, and achievement, which are rooted in the core belief that one has the power to effect changes through one's actions. Methods: Administration of the Diet Readiness Test (DRT) to all patients coming into an identified weight loss clinic to assess perceived self-efficacy and knowledge of behaviors. Patients who completed the test moved on to receive standard education on the diet and exercise program provided in the clinic guidelines. After an eight to twelve-week period, the test was re-administered to each client to determine if perceived self-efficacy improved showing effective education.
Chronic inflammation, neuroglia dysfunction, and plasmalogen deficiency as a new pathobiological hypothesis addressing the overlap between post-COVID-19 symptoms and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndromeRunning title_ ME/CFS, post-COVID-19 symptoms and plasmalogen deficiency

After five waves of COVID-19 outbreaks, it has been recognized that a significant portion of the affected individuals developed long-term debilitating symptoms marked by chronic fatigue, cognitive difficulties (“brain fog”), post-exertional malaise, and autonomic dysfunction. The onset, progression, and clinical presentation of this condition, generically named post-COVID-19 syndrome, overlap significantly with another enigmatic condition, referred to as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Several pathobiological mechanisms have been proposed for ME/CFS, including redox imbalance, systemic and central nervous system inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Chronic inflammation and glial pathological reactivity are common hallmarks of several neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders and have been consistently associated with reduced central and peripheral levels of plasmalogens, one of the major phospholipid components of cell membranes with several homeostatic functions. Of great interest, recent evidence revealed a significant reduction of plasmalogens contents, biosynthesis, and metabolism in ME/CFS and acute COVID-19, with a strong association to symptom severity and other relevant clinical outcomes. These bioactive lipids have increasingly attracted attention due to their reduced levels representing a common Jo ur na l P re -p ro of
HSOA Journal of Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders

Diabetes is associated with decrements in cognitive function and with abnormalities in brain morphology. In addition, alterations of metabolism have been reported in the diabetic brain. Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) is a non-invasive technique that can be employed to determine the concentration of metabolites in a fully non-invasive manner under normal physiological conditions. The present article reviews major findings from 1 H MRS studies in the brain of diabetes patients, and of pre-clinical models of both insulin-dependent and insulin-resistant diabetes. Metabolic alterations measured in vivo by MRS are closely associated to events of the neurodegenerative process at cellular level, and thus allow understanding the pathophysiology of diabetes-associated brain complications. Moreover, MRS constitutes an excellent tool for tracking outcomes of therapeutic interventions. However, further studies are required to clearly establish the links between diabetes-induced alterations of metabolism, structure and function in the brain.
A Two-Year Retrospective Evaluation of Cone Beam Computed A Two-Year Retrospective Evaluation of Cone Beam Computed Tomography Indications in Pediatric, Adolescent and Adult Tomography Indications in Pediatric, Adolescent and Adult Patients Patients

Objective: The objective was to evaluate cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) indications and distribution in pediatric, adolescent and adult patients. Methods: A total of 1013 CBCT images were reviewed in detail from the electronic patient database. The patient’s age, gender, CBCT indications and acquisition sites, referral departments, reason for referral, incidental findings in the imaging field and the presence of artifacts in the CBCT images were all recorded. The European DIMITRA project recommendations were used to categorize CBCT indications in the children and the European Guidelines were used for adults. Results: From a total of 1013 images; 5.3% were from children, 9.2% were from adolescents and 85.5% from were adult patients. The most common indication was impacted permanent teeth in children (37%) and adolescents (34%) and impacted 3rd molars (28.7%) and implant dentistry (25.8%) in adults. While the most common regional image was taken from children (37%) and adolescents (43.4%), it was determined that CBCT was taken from the maxilla+mandible (37.7%) in adults. Conclusion: Our results show that while attention was paid to use CBCT in children and adolescents in accordance with clinical guidelines and taking into account radiation protection protocols, it was used in the adult patient group in cases where it is not superior to traditional methods.
PEDIATRIC AND CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE Original Studies Efficacy and Safety of Percutaneous Transluminal Balloon Dilation to Prevent Progression of Banding Site Stenosis After Bilateral Pulmonary Artery Banding

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous transluminal balloon dilation (PTBD) for the treatment of bilateral pulmonary artery banding (bil-PAB) site stenosis. Background: Although bil-PAB is an alternative initial treatment for high-risk neonates with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) or critical aortic stenosis (cAS), those patients often suffer from desaturation because of progressive stenosis of the bil-PAB sites during the interstage period. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of 11 consecutive PTBD procedures performed between 2006 and 2012 to treat bil-PAB site stenosis in four high-risk infants (three females) with HLHS or cAS. Results: PTBD was repeated twice in two patients and three times in one patient over intervals. The mean balloon diameter (BD) and BD-to-band circumference (BC) ratio were 3.1 60.5 mm and 0.31 60.06, respectively. After the procedures, the mean minimum lumen diameter was dilated significantly from 1.1 60.1 mm to 1.7 60.3 mm (P <0.01), and the mean peripheral oxygen saturation increased significantly from 75 68% to 85 64% (P <0.01). All patients reached the next stage operation involving the Norwood & bidirectional Glenn or Ross procedure, after growth. No complications such as band rupture occurred. Conclusions: For progressive stenosis of bil-PAB sites, PTBD using a balloon size that did not exceed the BC (BD around 30% of the BC) was an effective and safe procedure. V C 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Precipitation trends in mainland Portugal in the period 1941-2000.

The presence of a trend in hydrological parameters can result from the highly variable nature of hydrological processes or be related to climate variations. The purpose of this work is to contribute to a better understanding of the variability of precipitation by investigating recent trends in the temporal structure of this process in mainland Portugal. The study uses annual and monthly precipitation data from 107 locations scattered over the territory. The time span of the records is 60 years, from 1941 to 2000. The data are analysed using statistical methods (e.g. Mann-Kendall trend test). In order to take into account seasonality and serial correlation, the months of the year were analysed separately. The analyses of both annual and monthly data led to a characterization of changes in the distribution of precipitation over mainland Portugal and within the year.
Regulation of hepatobiliary transport function by nuclear receptors

The bile salt-activated farnesoid X receptor (FXR; NR1H4) controls transcription of various genes involved in bile salt synthesis and transport. We studied the physiological consequences of prolonged treatment of rats with the FXR agonist GW4046 (25 mg. kg.day for 6 days) on the kinetics of the enterohepatic cycling of cholate, the major bile salt species in rats. Pool size, fractional turnover rate, synthesis rate and cycling time of cholate were determined by stable isotope dilution and related to expression of relevant hepatic and intestinal transporters in control and GW4046-treated rats. Cholate synthesis rate was decreased by 50%, which was associated with a reduction of the cholate pool size by 45% upon GW4046 treatment. Reduced cholate synthesis coincided with a ~50% decrease in hepatic sterol 12α-hydroxylase (Cyp8b1) expression, whereas cholesterol 7αhydroxylase (Cyp7a1) expression was not significantly affected. Protein and mRNA expression of the ileal bile acid-binding protein (Ibabp), but not of the apical sodiumdependent bile salt transporter (Asbt), were increased with a shift towards more proximal parts of the ileum upon FXR activation. Despite this, fractional turnover rate and cycling time of the cholate pool as well as the calculated amount of cholate lost from the intestine per day were not significantly affected. Thus, treatment with the FXR agonist GW4046 in rats is associated with inhibition of the cholate synthesis rate and reduction of the cholate pool size. Induction of intestinal Ibabp expression does not contribute to the maintainance of the pool size in this condition of impaired bile salt synthesis.
Command secondary school teachers’ perceived usefulness of electronic media for teaching-learning in Lagos State

: The general objective of this study was to investigate the perceived usefulness of command secondary school teachers towards utilization of electronic media for teaching in Lagos State. The study was a descriptive type using quantitative approach of the survey method. Three hundred (300) teachers were randomly selected from the teachers in command secondary school (CSS) in Lagos. At the end of the survey, 280 teachers adequately responded to the questionnaire and were used for the study. A research question was raised and three hypotheses were tested for this study. Mean scores were used to answer the research question, while t-test was used to test all the 3 hypotheses. The study revealed that: (1) teachers had positive perception on the usefulness of electronic media with a grand mean value of 3.37, (2) there was no significant difference between male and female teachers’ perception on the usefulness of electronic media for teaching; (3) no significant difference between qualified and less qualified teachers in the perception on the usefulness of electronic media for teaching; and (4) no significant difference between experienced and less-experienced teachers in the perception on the usefulness of electronic media for teaching. The study concluded that teachers in CSS have the same perception about the usefulness of ICT in education. The study thus recommended that there is a need for in-house training and periodic orientation on the use of available electronic devices for the teaching and learning in the schools. Learners are to be exposed to available media in other relevant departments to complement the process.
No Significant Risk Levels (nsrls) for the Proposition 65 Carcinogens Reproductive and Cancer Hazard Assessment Section Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (oehha) California Environmental Protection Agency Summary of Findings Chemical Cancer Potency (oral) (mg/kg-day)

The oral cancer potencies of six polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[j]fluoranthene, chrysene, dibenzo[a,h]pyrene, dibenzo[a,i]pyrene, and 5-methylchrysene) were estimated from cancer dose-response data obtained from animal studies. Potency estimates obtained from newborn mouse intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection studies were converted to oral equivalent potencies. The conversions were based on data for benzo[a]pyrene for which both oral adult mouse data and i.p. newborn mouse data are available. Benzo[a]pyrene is 75 times more potent in newborn mouse i.p. studies than in adult oral studies. Therefore, to obtain oral potency estimates, the potencies estimated from the newborn mouse i.p. studies for these six polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were adjusted downward by a factor of 75. Differences in potencies between the oral and newborn i.p. studies is likely to be due to pharmacokinetic differences from different routes of administration and greater sensitivity of the neonatal mice relative to the adult mice. Risks from perinatal PAH exposure may be underestimated by the potencies presented here because exposures early in life can result in greater cancer risks than exposures occurring in adulthood and studies of adult oral benzo[a]pyrene were used in developing the adjustment factor employed here. The cancer potency estimates correspond to the upper 95 percent confidence bound on the linear term of the multistage model fit to cancer dose-response data from i.p. studies in animals, which were then adjusted downward, as described above, by a factor of 75. Dose calculations were adjusted by Doll-Armitage analysis for variable dosing over time. In cases where multiple tumor sites contribute to the cancer potency, a probability distribution of cancer potency estimates was derived using likelihood theory. The linear term (q 1) of the multistage model fit to dose response data for a given site represents the cancer potency for that site. When the chemical resulted in cancer at multiple sites, the cancer potencies for the affected sites were summed probabilistically, according to their distributions, to obtain a combined distribution. This combined distribution representing cancer potency for sites affected by a given PAH was derived through Monte Carlo analysis. The upper 95 percent confidence bound indicated by the Attachment 1 combined distribution for these treatment-related tumor sites, adjusted downward by a factor of 75, was taken as the cancer potency for the PAH. The method used to develop cancer potencies for the PAHs presented here is equivalent to a potency equivalency factor (PEF) approach, based on potencies relative to benzo[a]pyrene. The …
Phenotypic and molecular characterisation of the causal agent of mango anthracnose disease in Ghana

A study was carried out to confirm the identity of the causal agent of anthracnose, a major fungal disease of mango in Ghana. Forty-five isolates of the pathogen were obtained from diseased mango plant parts, and were identified using morphological, physiological and molecular methods. The results showed that the pathogen produced short conical spores, which were rounded at the edges and showed a negative reaction in the casein hydrolysis test. The expected 480 bp product was amplified from the DNA of the isolates in polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using species specific primers. Phylogenetic studies of the rDNA-ITS region of isolates showed they were closely related to Colletotrichum gloeosporioides identified elsewhere. All isolates were able to induce the disease on artificially inoculated fruits. The results obtained in the study were consistent with the identification of C. gloeosporioides elsewhere, and confirmed the pathogen as the causal agent of the anthracnose disease of mango in Ghana.