Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors affecting energy expenditure in a declining fur seal population

Abstract Quantifying metabolic rates and the factors that influence them is key to wildlife conservation efforts because anthropogenic activities and habitat alteration can disrupt energy balance, which is critical for reproduction and survival. We investigated the effect of diving behaviour, diet and season on field metabolic rates (FMR) and foraging success of lactating northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) from the Pribilof Islands during a period of population decline. Variation in at-sea FMR was in part explained by season and trip duration, with values that ranged from 5.18 to 9.68 W kg−1 (n = 48). Fur seals experienced a 7.2% increase in at-sea FMR from summer to fall and a 1.9% decrease in at-sea FMR for each additional day spent at sea. There was no effect of foraging effort, dive depth or diet on at-sea FMR. Mass gains increased with trip duration and were greater in the fall compared with summer, but were unrelated to at-sea FMR, diving behaviour and diet. Seasonal increases in at-sea FMR may have been due to costs associated with the annual molt but did not appear to adversely impact the ability of females to gain mass on foraging trips. The overall high metabolic rates in conjunction with the lack of any diet-related effects on at-sea FMR suggests that northern fur seals may have reached a metabolic ceiling early in the population decline. This provides indirect evidence that food limitation may be contributing to the low pup growth rates observed in the Pribilof Islands, as a high metabolic overhead likely results in less available energy for lactation. The limited ability of female fur seals to cope with changes in prey availability through physiological mechanisms is particularly concerning given the recent and unprecedented environmental changes in the Bering Sea that are predicted to have ecosystem-level impacts.
Clinical presentation of typhoid fever

Introduction: Enteric fever represents a spectrum of acute systemic febrile illness with a myriad of presentations and complications. Aims: This study was carried out to evaluate the demographic data such as age, sex, clinical features and outcome of enteric fever patients presenting in District headquarter hospital Muzuffar Garh. Material and methods: Over a period of one year all children presenting with clinical and/or laboratory diagnosis of Typhoid fever, who were admitted to the Social Security Hospital M. Garh, were evaluated. The diagnosis of enteric fever was based on a positive Salmonella typhi or paratyphi blood/stool culture and/or a Widal serodiagnosis > or =1/160 for 0 agglutinin, in the presence of evocative symptoms. Results: There were 28(66.66%) male and 14(33.33%) female patients, ranging from 1 to 12 years, with a mean age of 6 years. Predominant symptoms were fever, prostration and apathy; anorexia and abdominal pain while the predominant signs were fever, coated tongue, toxic look, hepatosplenomegaly and abdominal tendemess. Hepatomegaly was observed almost as frequently as splenomegaly. Common clinical signs of typhoid fever in adults such as relative bradycardia and rose spots were seldom documented. All patients survived from their severe illness completely. Conclusions: Although there is considerable diversity in the clinical spectrum of typhoid fever, yet a presumptive clinical diagnosis of typhoid fever may be made with a combination of clinical features so that appropriate therapy may be started at the earliest possible time to avoid the increasing drug resistance, morbidity and mortality with typhoid fever.
Is There a Place for Plasma Osteaopontin as Key Mediator in Patients with Diabetic Nephropathy

Background: micro- and macro-vasculopathies, such as nephropathy and coronary artery disease (CAD), respectively, are common in diabetes and constitute the major causes of death for in these patients. Pro-inflammatory cytokines play a critical role in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications through various biochemical and cellular pathways. Osteopontin (OPN) has been identified as a key regulator of many metabolic and inflammatory diseases including obesity, diabete and diabetic nephropathy. The aim of this study was to evaluate plasma level of osteopontin in different stages of diabetic nephropathy in type II DM, and to correlate it with the stage of nephropathy and with other measured parameters. Patients and methods:the study was conducted on 58 patients with diabetic nephropathy as well as 15 apparently healthy subjects as a control group. Patients were classified into 2 main groups according to the level of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) Group I: controlled type II DM (HbA1c 5.55%-7.6%). Group II: uncontrolled type II DM (HbA1c 7.6 %). Each group was subdivided into two subgroups (A and B) according to the presence of microalbuminuriaor macroalbuminuria (degree of nephropathy). In addition to, Group III: DM type II with end stage renal disease (serum creatinine ≥ 5mg/dl) and just starting hemodialysis (1-3 sessions Only) plasma osteopontin was measured by ELISA. Results of the study revealed significant increase of serum osteopontin in all studied groups Results: compared to normal control subjects (P 0.05). Cut ROC curve of osteopontin levels of all cases of diabetic nephropathy indicates high validity of OPN to detect positive cases of diabetic nephropathy with accuracy of 100%, andOPN is considered a high validity test in prediction of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) more than prediction of microalbumnuria. Conclusion: plasma level of osteopontin increases with the progression of diabetic nephropathy and osteopontin may be useful as a biomarker to trace disease progression as well as a potential diagnostic biomarker for the prediction of diabetic ESRD.
School-Age Outcomes in Children with Birth Weights under 750 g

Background Since the mid-1980s, increasing numbers of children with birth weights under 750 g have survived to school age. Methods We matched a regional cohort of 68 surviving children born from 1982 through 1986 with birth weights under 750 g (mean, 670 g; gestational age, 25.7 weeks) with 65 children weighing 750 to 1499 g at birth and 61 children born at term. Growth, neurosensory status, and functioning at school age in the three groups were compared. Associations of biologic and social risk factors with major developmental outcomes were examined by means of logistic-regression analyses. Results Children with birth weights under 750 g were inferior to both comparison groups in cognitive ability, psychomotor skills, and academic achievement. They had poorer social skills and adaptive behavior and more behavioral and attention problems. The mean (±SD) Mental Processing Composite score for the cohort was 87 ±15, as compared with 93 ±14 for children with birth weights of 750 to 1499 g and 100 ±13 for chil.
Physical and perceptual cooling: Improving cognitive function, mood disturbance and time to fatigue in the heat

This study investigated the effects of menthol swilling and crushed ice ingestion on cognitive function, total mood disturbance (TMD), and time to fatigue (TTF). Twelve male long‐distance runners completed three counterbalanced running trials (3 × 30 minutes at 65% VO2peak and a TTF run at 100% VO2peak) in hot, humid conditions (35.3 ± 0.3°C, 59.2 ± 2.5% relative humidity). Trials consisted of precooling with crushed ice ingestion and mid‐cooling by menthol swilling (MIX), precooling with water ingestion and mid‐cooling by menthol swilling (MENTH), and control (CON). Swilling with either 25 mL of menthol solution or placebo occurred upon entry to the heat, at 15‐minute intervals during the run and prior to the TTF run. Core temperature, forehead skin temperature, tympanic temperature, perceived thermal sensation, and TMD were significantly lower with MIX compared with MENTH and CON (P < .05). Thirst was satiated in MIX compared with CON; however, MENTH did not have a significant effect. After 90 minutes of running and post‐TTF run, fewer errors occurred in the executive control task (P < .05), as well as decision‐making and working memory (P > .05; d = 0.5‐0.79) between MIX and CON; however, MENTH had no effect compared with CON. The TTF run was significantly longer with MENTH (34.38%; P = .02) and MIX (39.06%; P = .001) compared with CON, with no difference between MENTH and MIX (P = .618). The physical reduction in core and internal head temperature seen with crushed ice ingestion may lead to improvements in cognitive function; however, both MENTH and MIX were sufficient for improving exercise performance.
Risk Factors for Incidence and Prognosis in Chondrosarcoma Patients with Pulmonary Metastasis at Initial Diagnosis

Background The incidence and prognostic factors of chondrosarcoma patients have been reported in early studies. However, the association between risk factors and the incidence or prognosis of chondrosarcoma patients with pulmonary metastasis remains unclear. Therefore, we assessed these risk factors among chondrosarcoma patients with pulmonary metastasis. Material/Methods From 1365 chondrosarcoma patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, we collected the information of 69 patients with pulmonary metastasis at the initial diagnosis of chondrosarcoma from 2010 to 2016. We investigated the incidence, risk factors, and prognostic factors for pulmonary metastasis patients by using multivariate logistic regression and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Results Data from a total of 69 (6.8%) chondrosarcoma patients with pulmonary metastasis at initial diagnosis were extracted. Patients with the following characteristics were positively associated with higher risk of pulmonary metastasis: dedifferentiated subtype, high grade of malignancy, extracompartmental tumor (Enneking B), presence of regional lymph nodes, local recurrence, large tumor size (larger than 15 cm), and being married. Older patients (older than 67 years), and patients with clear cell chondrosarcoma or large tumor size (larger than 15 cm) exhibited the worse prognosis and survival (overall and cancer-specific). Resection of the primary tumor tended to be correlated with a better prognosis. Conclusions The incidence of pulmonary metastasis in chondrosarcoma was approximately 6.8%, with poor prognosis. Identifying risk factors and their associations with the incidence and prognosis in chondrosarcoma patients with pulmonary metastasis could provide a reference for clinical surveillance and guide the design of personalized treatment plans.
Integrated stress response inhibitor reverses sex-dependent behavioral and cell-specific deficits after mild repetitive head trauma.

Mild repetitive traumatic brain injury (rTBI) induces chronic behavioral and cognitive alterations and increases the risk for dementia. Currently there are no therapeutic strategies to prevent or mitigate chronic deficits associated with rTBI. We previously developed an animal model of rTBI that recapitulates some of the cognitive and behavioral deficits observed in humans. Here we report that rTBI results in an increase in risk-taking behavior in male but not female mice. This behavioral phenotype is associated with chronic activation of the integrated stress response and cell-specific synaptic alterations in the type A subtype of layer V pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Strikingly, by briefly treating animals weeks after injuries with ISRIB, a selective inhibitor of the integrated stress response (ISR), we (i) relieve ISR activation (ii) reverse the increased risk-taking behavioral phenotype and (iii) restore cell-specific synaptic function in the affected mice. Our results indicate that targeting the ISR even at late time points after injury can permanently reverse behavioral changes. As such, pharmacological inhibition of the ISR emerges as a promising avenue to combat rTBI-induced behavioral dysfunction.
EFFICACY OF DEXMEDETOMIDINE AS AN ADJUVANT TO BUPIVACAINE FOR CAUDAL ANALGESIA IN PAEDIATRIC PATIENTS UNDERGOING LOWER ABDOMINAL SURGERIES

CONTEXT: Various adjuvants such as opioids or α2 agonists are being used to improve the quality and duration of caudal analgesia with local anesthetics. Dexmedetomidine a α2 agonist is used frequently in adult patients to enhance the local anesthetic effect. However there is little literature regarding its effectiveness in pediatric caudal analgesia. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of dexmedetomidine when used as an adjuvant to bupivacaine in increasing the duration of caudal analgesia. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of adding Dexmedetomidine to caudal Bupivacaine and observe the effect on the duration of analgesia in the post-operative period. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: One year hospital based Double Blind Randomized Controlled Trial. METHODS AND MATERIAL: Sixty children, aged 1-6 years, undergoing lower abdominal surgeries were included in this prospective randomized double-blind study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: Group I received Bupivacaine (0.25%) 1ml/kg plus 1 ml of normal saline in the caudal epidural space. Group II was administered Bupivacaine (0.25%) 1ml/ with Dexmedetomidine 2 mcg/ ml diluted to 1 ml of normal saline in the caudal epidural space. All anesthetic and surgical techniques were standardized. Heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate were monitored continuously. Surgery was started 10-15 minutes after the injection and confirming adequacy of caudal block. Duration of analgesia was assessed using FLACC scale (Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability scale). The time from administration of caudal anesthesia to the first time the FLACC score equal or greater than 4 was considered as the duration of caudal analgesia. Paracetamol suppository was used as rescue analgesia with a loading dose of 40mg/kg. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Mann-Whitney test and Student 't'test was used to compare the data obtained in the two groups. RESULTS: The demographic parameters, duration of surgery and the types of surgery were comparable in the two groups. The mean duration of analgesia was261.33 ± 31.04 min in Group I compared to 532.67 ± 47.12 min in Group II. Hence the duration of analgesia was found significantly prolonged in Group II than in Group I with p value <0.0001. CONCLUSION: We conclude that addition of Dexmedetomidine to Bupivacaine prolongs the duration and quality of
Review of Cerliponase Alfa: Recombinant Human Enzyme Replacement Therapy for Late-Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis Type 2

The objective of this review is to summarize the pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of cerliponase alfa for the treatment of late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2). Cerliponase alfa is recombinant human tripeptidyl peptidase 1 enzyme replacement therapy. A phase 1/2 trial established the efficacy and safety of cerliponase alfa for treatment of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2. Treatment with intracerebroventricular cerliponase alfa resulted in slower decline of motor and language functions compared with natural history controls. Common adverse events include convulsions, electrocardiography abnormalities, pyrexia, vomiting, and upper respiratory tract infections. Intracerebroventricular device–related adverse events also occur. Cerliponase alfa is the first therapy for neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 that targets the disease etiology. Cerliponase alfa is effective in delaying the progression of motor language decline for patients with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2.
Exosomes cloak the virion to transmit Enterovirus 71 non-lytically

ABSTRACT Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a non-enveloped virus and it can be released from host cells through a traditional cytolytic manner. Now, we showed EV71 could be spread non-lytically between cells during early viral infection. In order to explain this phenomenon, we separated supernatant fluids of rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cells cultures infected with EV71 by isopycnic gradient centrifugation. Two populations of virus particles were morphology indistinguishable by transmission electron microscope (TEM). It showed that some EV71 particles were wrapped inside extracellular vesicles which were verified to be exosomes by immunoassay and morphologic analysis. In addition, exosomes containing viral RNA were shed in plasma of EV71-infected encephalitis in children. Our findings indicate that the “non-enveloped” EV71 virions could be wrapped within exosomes which promote their spread in the absence of cell lysis. Abbreviation: EV71: enterovirus 71; EXO: exosome; RD: rhabdomyosarcoma; TEM: transmission electron microscope; HFMD: hand, foot, and mouth disease; HIV: immunodeficiency virus; HCV: hepatitis C virus; HTLV: Human T-cell lymphotropic virus; HAV: hepatitis A virus; MOI: multiplicity of infection; EVs: extracellular vesicles; VP1: viral capsid protein 1; NTA: nanoparticle tracking analysis; CNS: central nervous system
Combined Hepatocellular-Cholangiocarcinoma: Pitfalls in Diagnosis and Significance of “Stem Cell” Features

The concept of stem cell features in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is controversial, and the definitions in the World Health Organization 2010 classification are not precise, leading to variable interpretations. This report presents a case of HCC accompanied by an additional component of small oval cells without significant cytologic atypia. The morphology and immunohistochemical features of this component do not provide evidence of a distinct lineage. The features are similar to published descriptions of stem cell or progenitor cells. The discussion emphasizes the strict use of proposed criteria for identification of stem cell features in these tumors and proposes a distinct category of tumors referred to as HCCwith stem cell features. An immunohistochemical classification spanning the spectrum of HCC and cholangiocarcinoma is also proposed.
Mindfulness and Its Association With Varied Types of Motivation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Using Self-Determination Theory

Mindfulness has been shown to have varied associations with different forms of motivation, leading to a lack of clarity as to how and when it may foster healthy motivational states. Grounded in self-determination theory, the present study proposes a theoretical model for how mindfulness supports different forms of human motivation, and then tests this via meta-analysis. A systematic review identified 89 relevant studies (N = 25,176), comprising 104 independent data sets and 200 effect sizes. We used a three-level modeling approach to meta-analyze these data. Across both correlational and intervention studies, we found consistent support for mindfulness predicting more autonomous forms of motivation and, among correlational studies, less controlled motivation and amotivation. We conducted moderation analyses to probe heterogeneity in the effects, including bias within studies. We conclude by highlighting substantive and methodological issues that need to be addressed in future research in this area.
Maternal religion and breastfeeding intention and practice in the US Project Viva cohort.

BACKGROUND Religion has rarely been studied as a determinant of infant feeding practices. We examined whether religious affiliation is associated with formula feeding vs breastfeeding intention and practice in women from the United States Project Viva cohort. METHODS Between 1999 and 2002, 2128 pregnant women were recruited in the area of Boston, Massachusetts. They reported by questionnaire their religious affiliation, and their intended and practiced infant feeding mode (exclusive formula feeding vs partial vs exclusive breastfeeding) at different time points. We examined associations of religious affiliation with infant feeding intention and practice by modified Poisson regression and multinomial logistic regression adjusted for known sociodemographic confounders. RESULTS Of 1637 women with complete data, 52% reported being Catholic, 29% Protestant, 11% unaffiliated, 4% Jewish, and 4% other religion. Overall, 8.5% and 15.9% women intended and initiated exclusive formula feeding, respectively. Compared with unaffiliated women, Catholics were more at risk to intend to exclusively formula-feed their infant at birth (risk ratio [95% CI]: 6.4 [1.6-26.0]) and to exclusively formula-feed after delivery (2.4 [1.3-4.2]) and 3 months postpartum (1.3 [0.98-1.8]). The odds ratio for intending and practicing partial (vs exclusive) breastfeeding did not differ by religious affiliation at most examined time points. Associations of Protestant women with infant feeding exhibited estimates closer to unaffiliated than to Catholic women. CONCLUSIONS Catholic women are more at risk to intend and practice exclusive formula feeding than women of other religious affiliations. Our findings may help health care practitioners adapt their breastfeeding promotion to the mother's religious affiliation.
S-100β in predicting the need of hyperbaric oxygen in CO-induced delayed neurological sequels

Background: Delayed neurological sequels (DNS) have been described after carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. There is a need to find a new prognostic marker to guide the use of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy. Aim: To evaluate serum S-100β level in patients presenting with acute CO poisoning as an indicator of poisoning severity and predictor of DNS occurrence and HBO need in those patients. Methods: This prospective cohort study included patients with acute CO poisoning. On admission, carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and S-100β levels were measured. Patients were followed up for 6 months for signs of DNS. Results: Out of 50 patients, 6 only developed DNS. The mean of S-100β levels was significantly higher in patients with severe poisoning and those with DNS. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that S-100β had an area under the curve 0. 871; at a cutoff value ≥ 0.67 µg/L, its sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 77.3%, respectively. The sensitivity of S-100β was significantly higher than that of COHb, while its specificity and overall accuracy were significantly higher than those of HBO criteria. Conclusion: Serum S-100β level on admission could be a marker of poisoning severity and a predictor of CO-induced DNS development that guides the use of HBO therapy.
Relationship between Desalination Performance of Graphene Oxide Membranes and Edge Functional Groups.

High desalination efficiency in principle could be achieved by layer-by-layer graphene oxide (GO) membrane, which benefits from their entrance functionalized channels assembled by edge functionalized GO nanosheets. The effects of these edge functional groups on desalination, however, are not fully understood yet. To study the isolated influence of three typical edge functional groups, namely carboxyl (-COOH), hydroxyl (-OH), and hydrogen (-H), molecular dynamics simulation was used in this work. The results revealed that the edge volumetric blockage effect, resulting in ion permeability at G-H>G-OH>G-COOH membranes, was the dominant mechanistic effect inside the GO membranes with 7 Å inter-layer channels. The OH-edge has the same effect as the H-edge in NaCl/water selectivity because of a unique "ion pulling" effect. Moreover, the OH- and H-edge functionalized membranes with 7 Å inter-layer channels showed preferential Na+ and Cl- rejections, respectively. This kind of preference leads to a cycle of charging and neutralization in the penetrant reservoir throughout the filtration process. The results from this work suggested that it would be strategic to keep the COOH- and H-edge functional groups, to maintain the size of inter-layer channels in order to stimulate the effects of edge functional groups, and to increase the membrane porosity for designing higher desalination efficiency GO membrane.