Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Removal of Chlorpyrifos by Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and the Role of a Plant-Associated Bacterium

The objective of this research was to study the efficiency of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and the role of any plant-associated bacteria in removing chlorpyrifos from water. The relative growth rate (RGR) of E. crassipes in the presence of 0.1 mg/L chlorpyrifos was not significantly different from that in its absence and only slightly decreased at concentrations of 0.5 and 1.0 mg/L by ∼1.1- and ∼1.2-fold, respectively, with an observed dry weight based RGRDW for E. crassipes of 0.036–0.041 mg/g/d. The removal rate constants of chlorpyrifos in the absence of plants were low at 3.52, 2.29 and 1.84 h−1 for concentrations of 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/L, respectively, but were some 3.89- to 4.87-fold higher in the presence of E. crassipes. Chlorpyrifos removal was markedly facilitated by the presence of a root-associated bacterium, preliminarily identified as Acinetobacter sp. strain WHA. The interaction of E. crassipes and Acinetobacter sp. strain WHA provide an efficient and ecological alternative to accelerate the removal and degradation of chlorpyrifos pollution from aquatic systems including wastewater.
Neurobehavioral abnormalities in the dysbindin‐1 mutant, sandy, on a C57BL/6J genetic background

Sandy mice have a deletion mutation in the gene encoding dysbindin‐1, Dtnbp1, with consequent reduction of the protein in heterozygotes and its loss in homozygotes. The sandy mouse thus serves as an animal model of dysbindin‐1 function. As this protein is concentrated in synaptic tissue and affects transmitter release, it may affect neuronal processes that mediate behavior. To investigate the neurobehavioral effects of the Dtnbp1 mutation, we studied littermate sandy and wild‐type controls on a C57BL/6J genetic background. The three animal groups were indistinguishable in their external physical characteristics, sensorimotor skills and indices of anxiety‐like behaviors. In the open field, however, homozygous animals were hyperactive and appeared to show less habituation to the initially novel environment. In the Morris water maze, homozygous animals displayed clear deficits in spatial learning and memory with marginal deficits in visual association learning. Apart from the last mentioned deficits, these abnormalities are consistent with hippocampal dysfunction and in some cases with elevated dopaminergic transmission via D2 dopamine receptors. As similar deficits in spatial learning and memory have been found in schizophrenia, where decreased dysbindin‐1 has been found in the hippocampus, the sandy mouse may also model certain aspects of cognition and behavior relevant to schizophrenia.
Cognitive—analytical therapy — a most suitable training for psychiatrists?

Cognitive—analytical therapy (CAT) is a time-limited, integrated psychotherapy and its features have been extensively described (Ryle, [1990][1],[1995][2]). It emerged as a formal psychotherapy method in 1990 and was developed with the aim of providing psychotherapy within the NHS. As the name
Genotype‐dependent consequences of traumatic stress in four inbred mouse strains

Post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that develops in predisposed individuals following a terrifying event. Studies on isogenic animal populations might explain susceptibility to PTSD by revealing associations between the molecular and behavioural consequences of traumatic stress. Our study employed four inbred mouse strains to search for differences in post‐stress response to a 1.5‐mA electric foot shock. One day to 6 weeks after the foot shock anxiety, depression and addiction‐like phenotypes were assessed. In addition, expression levels of selected stress‐related genes were analysed in hippocampus and amygdala. C57BL/6J mice exhibited up‐regulation in the expression of Tsc22d3, Nfkbia, Plat and Crhr1 genes in both brain regions. These alterations were associated with an increase of sensitized fear and depressive‐like behaviour over time. Traumatic stress induced expression of Tsc22d3, Nfkbia, Plat and Fkbp5 genes and developed social withdrawal in DBA/2J mice. In 129P3/J strain, exposure to stress produced the up‐regulation of Tsc22d3 and Nfkbia genes and enhanced sensitivity to the rewarding properties of morphine. Whereas, SWR/J mice displayed increase only in Pdyn expression in the amygdala and had the lowest conditioned fear. Our results reveal a complex genetic background of phenotypic variation in response to stress and indicate the SWR/J strain as a valuable model of stress resistance. We found potential links between the alterations in expression of Tsc22d3, Nfkbia and Pdyn, and different aspects of susceptibility to stress.
Serum Concentrations of VEGF and TGF-&bgr;1 During Exclusive Enteral Nutrition in IBD

Background and Aim: Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is an effective method of treatment in achieving remission in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); however, its mechanism of action is still poorly understood. The objective of our study was to assess the influence of EEN on serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-&bgr;1) in children and adolescents with IBD. Patients and Methods: Thirty-nine children and adolescents with IBD (24 with Crohn disease [CD] and 15 with ulcerative colitis [UC]) and 25 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. VEGF and TGF-&bgr;1 were assessed at the baseline and after 2 and 4 weeks of EEN in CD and UC groups and once in controls using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay immunoassays. Results: At the baseline, we found increased serum VEGF in the CD versus UC group and controls (P < 0.05) and serum TGF-&bgr;1 in the UC versus CD group and controls (P < 0.05). During EEN, VEGF decreased in the UC and CD groups, whereas TGF-&bgr;1 increased in the CD group and decreased in the UC group. The CD group achieved disease remission faster than the UC group, and the weight gain of patients with CD during EEN was higher compared with patients with UC. Additionally, TGF-&bgr;1 concentration correlated with protein and energies daily intake in the CD group (R = 0.95; P < 0.05). Conclusions: Different effectiveness of EEN in achieving remission in CD and UC may result from a modification of growth factor production. EEN stimulated TGF-&bgr;1 production in CD but not in UC, which possibly resulted in higher effectiveness of EEN in this group of patients.
Vitamin D Supplementation and Status in Infants: A Prospective Cohort Observational Study

Objective: Vitamin D status in infants depends on supplementation. We examined the vitamin D status in relation to supplementation dose and scheme in infants. Patients and Methods: One hundred thirty-four infants age 6 months and 98 infants age 12 months (drop out 27%) were investigated. Vitamin D intake (diet, supplements), anthropometry, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) serum concentration at the 6th and 12th months were assessed. Results: Vitamin D intake of 1062 ± 694 IU at the 6th month was not different from that at the 12th month (937 ± 618 IU). Vitamin D intake expressed in international units per kilogram of body weight decreased from 141 ± 80 IU/kg at the 6th month to 93 ± 62 IU/kg at the 12th month (P < 0.0001), which was associated with a reduction in 25-OHD from 43 ± 20 ng/mL to 29 ± 12 ng/mL, respectively (P < 0.0001). In the subgroup of everyday supplemented infants (n = 43), vitamin D intake decreased from 143 ± 88 IU/kg at the 6th month to 118 ± 60 IU/kg at the 12th month (P < 0.05), which coincided with a reduction of 25-OHD from 40 ± 19 ng/mL to 32 ± 13 ng/mL (P < 0.01). In the subgroup with variable supplementation habits (n = 32), vitamin D intake decreased from 146 ± 79 IU/kg to 77 ± 56 IU/kg (P < 0.001), which was associated with a reduction of 25-OHD from 42 ± 21 ng/mL to 25 ± 8 ng/mL (P < 0.0001). 25-OHD concentration change between the 6th and the 12th months negatively correlated with the 25-OHD level assessed at the 6th month (r = −0.82; P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Vitamin D supplementation of infants should consider their rapid body weight increment. We postulate vitamin D daily dose close to 100 IU/kg body weight as favorable for infants up to age 12 months.
PedsQL Gastrointestinal Symptoms Module Item Development: Qualitative Methods

Objectives: The objective of the present qualitative study was to develop the items and support the content validity for the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Gastrointestinal Symptoms Module for pediatric patients with functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and organic GI diseases, hereafter referred to as GI disorders. Methods: The iterative process included multiphase qualitative methods. A literature review of GI disorders was conducted to generate domains for the focus interviews. Six pediatric gastroenterologists with extensive clinical experience in GI disorders provided expert opinion regarding the conceptual framework. A total of 98 participants, 46 pediatric patients ages 5 to 18, and 52 parents of patients ages 2 to 18 with physician-diagnosed GI disorders (chronic constipation, functional abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease [Crohn disease, ulcerative colitis], gastroesophageal reflux disease), participated in the focus interviews and cognitive interviewing phases, including think-aloud and cognitive debriefing protocols. Results: Eleven domains were derived from the qualitative methods involving patient and parent interviews and expert opinion, with content saturation achieved, resulting in 76 items. The 11 domains consisted of items measuring stomach pain, stomach upset, food and drink limits, trouble swallowing, heartburn and reflux, gas and bloating, constipation, diarrhea, worry, medicines, and communication. Conclusions: Qualitative methods involving pediatric patients and their parents in the item generation process support the content validity for the new PedsQL Gastrointestinal Symptoms Module. The PedsQL Gastrointestinal Symptoms Module is undergoing national multisite field testing as the next iterative phase.
Consuming Care and Social Services: Comparisons between Swedish-born Older People and Older People born outside Sweden

This study compared the consumption of public care and social service in Växjö municipality among people aged 55 years and over born outside Sweden and a corresponding group of Swedish-born older people. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire. The results showed significant differences in consumption of public care and social services. This study showed less usage of mobility allowances, meals-on-wheels and safety alarms among people born outside Sweden. The study also showed a higher number of sole relatives acting as caregivers among this group. Those people born outside Sweden who did receive domestic assistance and personal care services received also more extensive help (more than 14 hours/week). The majority (57.6 per cent) of those surveyed who were born outside Sweden were aged 65 to 79 years and only 32.2 per cent were 80 and over. Further study is needed to find explanations for these differences at the level of structure, organisation and actors.
Balance training in 70-year-old women

The aim of this study was to discover whether or not the balance of a group of older women could be improved using nine simple, clinical balance tests before and after a training period. A total of 34 healthy 70-year-old women volunteered for the study and they were randomised into two groups: the first received 1 hour's training twice a week for 5 weeks; the second the control group did not receive any training. The tests included: standing on one leg (a) with or without visual feedback and (b) with or without rotation of the neck; walking along a beam; walking in a figure-of-eight; and walking as fast as possible. The balance of the training group improved significantly in six out of the nine tests, whereas no such improvement was seen among the controls. We conclude that healthy women aged 70 years are able to improve their balance both when standing and walking.
Parental health and children's cognitive and noncognitive development: New evidence from the longitudinal survey of Australian children

This paper examines the effects of parental health on cognitive and noncognitive development in Australian children. The underlying nationally representative panel data and a child fixed effects estimator are used to deal with unobserved heterogeneity. We find that only father's serious mental illness worsens selected cognitive and noncognitive skills of children. Maternal poor health also deteriorates some cognitive and noncognitive outcomes of children of lone mothers only. Our results demonstrate that either failing to account for parent-child fixed effects or using child noncognitive skills reported by parents could overestimate the harmful impact of poor parental health on child development.
How to design the cost‐effectiveness appraisal process of new healthcare technologies to maximise population health: A conceptual framework

This paper presents a conceptual framework to analyse the design of the cost-effectiveness appraisal process of new healthcare technologies. The framework characterises the appraisal processes as a diagnostic test aimed at identifying cost-effective (true positive) and non-cost-effective (true negative) technologies. Using the framework, factors that influence the value of operating an appraisal process, in terms of net gain to population health, are identified. The framework is used to gain insight into current policy questions including (a) how rigorous the process should be, (b) who should have the burden of proof, and (c) how optimal design changes when allowing for appeals, price reductions, resubmissions, and re-evaluations. The paper demonstrates that there is no one optimal appraisal process and the process should be adapted over time and to the specific technology under assessment. Optimal design depends on country-specific features of (future) technologies, for example, effect, price, and size of the patient population, which might explain the difference in appraisal processes across countries. It is shown that burden of proof should be placed on the producers and that the impact of price reductions and patient access schemes on the producer's price setting should be considered when designing the appraisal process.
Tendência temporal da via de parto de acordo com a fonte de financiamento

PURPOSE:To analyze the time trend of the rates of cesarean and vaginal delivery according to the source of financing.METHODS:This was an ecological study of the time series analysis of cesarean and vaginal delivery rates according to the financing source, carried out in Maringa, Parana State, Brazil, from 2002 to 2012. Information available at the System of Information on Live Births and at the System of Hospital Information of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) was used for data collection. Moving averages were calculated for all mode of delivery rates in order to smooth random fluctuations in the series, dispersion diagrams were designed between the coefficients and years of the study, and polynomial regression models were estimated from the functional relation observed, with the level of significance set at p<0.05. RESULTS:Throughout the 11 years of the study there were 48,210 births, 77.1% by cesarean delivery and only 22.9% by vaginal delivery. A total of 22,366 procedures were financed by SUS, 54.6% of them being cesareans. Trend analysis was significant for all the regression models, demonstrating an ascending trend for cesarean delivery and a descending trend for vaginal delivery for both types of financing. The non-SUS cesarean rates always exceeded 90.0% and were more frequent than the SUS cesarean rates, even with a 36.0% increase of the latter during the study period.CONCLUSION:Based on trend analysis, cesarean deliveries will continue to increase in both health financing sources unless new actions and strategies of reduction are implemented, involving the sociocultural, demographic and obstetric characteristics of women, the training and activity of professionals in the area of obstetrics and an adequate structure of health services for providing vaginal delivery.
Radiosensitization by Thymidine Phosphorylase Inhibitor in Thymidine Phosphorylase Negative and Overexpressing Bladder Cancer Cell Lines

TAS-102 (trifluorothymidine [TFT] and thymidine phosphorylase inhibitor [TPI] in a molar ratio of 1:0.5) has activity in 5-fluorouracil resistant colon cancer. TPI is added to increase TFT's bioavailability. TFT has a dual mechanism of action by inhibiting thymidylate synthase and by its incorporation into DNA. Interesting radiosensitizing effects of TPI were recently reported. The aim of our study was to determine whether TP expression would affect radiosensitivity and to characterize the effect of TPI. Two bladder cancer cell lines RT112 (TP negative) and RT112/TP (TP overexpression) were tested for drug sensitivity and radiosensitivity (clonogenic assay), with and without TFT and/or TPI. Expression of γ H2AX was used as marker for DNA damage. RT112 cells were not more sensitive to TFT then RT112/TP cells. TPI alone did not inhibit cell growth of RT112 even at 100 μM, but inhibited that of RT112/TP by 27%. In both RT112 and RT112/TP cells 10 μM TPI did not or slightly affect radiosensitivity, but 100 μM TPI alone enhanced the radiation response (p <.05). TFT alone at 1 μM and in combination with 10 μM TPI did not affect the radiation response of both cell lines. TPI alone induced expression of ϒH2AX, which was increased in combination with radiation. In conclusion, TPI enhanced radiosensitivity at high concentrations, independent of TP expression, while TFT and TPI at a low concentration did not affect the radiosensitivity of RT112 and RT112/TP cell lines.
Separation of prescription and treatment in health care markets: A laboratory experiment

Health care is a credence good, and its market is plagued by asymmetric information. In this paper, we use a laboratory experiment to test the performance of a potential remedy discussed in the applied literature, the separation of prescription and treatment activities. We observe a significant amount of overtreatment (and a smaller nonpredicted amount of undertreatment) in our baseline environment. Requiring a different than the treating physician to provide diagnosis and prescription for free is an effective way to reduce overtreatment in our laboratory setting. This effect, however, is partially offset by an increased frequency of undertreatment. Allowing prescription and treatment physicians to independently set prices for their services reduces efficiency due to coordination failures: In sum, prices are often higher than expected benefit of patients, who in turn do not attend to the physician. Also contrary to theory, bargaining power does not play a significant role for the distribution of profits between physicians.
A implicação da família no uso abusivo de drogas: uma revisão crítica

Este artigo apresenta uma revisao critica da literatura sobre a relacao entre adolescencia, familia e uso abusivo de drogas. Discorre sobre a importância da insercao do sintoma drogadiccao no contexto familiar e sociocultural para o entendimento de sua complexidade. A familia e vista como uma das fontes de socializacao primaria do adolescente, juntamente com a escola e o grupo de amigos. As praticas educativas e os estilos de criacao da familia, com seus tres diferentes tipos de controle parental, sao ressaltados porque podem facilitar, ou nao, o uso abusivo de drogas. Os resultados das pesquisas apontam para a importância de se engajar a familia no tratamento do adicto e alguns estudos ampliam o foco para engajar contextos sociais multiplos - familia, amigos, escola, comunidade e sistema legal - no tratamento do adolescente que faz uso abusivo de drogas.
Synthesis and Antiviral Evaluation of Novel 2,3-Dihydroxypropyl Nucleosides from 2- and 4-Thiouracils

Regioselective alkylation of 2-thiouracils 1a–c and 4-thiouracils 7a,b with 2,3-O-isopropylidene-2,3-dihydroxypropyl chloride (2) afforded 2-{[(2,2-Dimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl) methyl]thio}pyrimidin-4(1H)-ones 3a–c and 4-{[(2,2-Dimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)methyl]thio} pyrimidin-2(1H)-ones 8a,b, respectively. Further alkylation with 2 and/or 2,3-O-isopropylidine-1-O-(4-toluenesulfonyl)-glycerol (4) gave the acyclo N-nucleosides 5a–c and 9a,b whose deprotection afforded 6a–c and 10a,b. 2-(Methylthio)pyrimidin-4(1H)-ones 11a–c and 4-(methylthio)pyrimidin-2(1H)-ones 14a,b were treated with 2 and/or 4 to give 12a–c and 15a,b which were deprotected to give 13a–c and 16a,b. Pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dithiones 17a–c were treated with two equivalents of 2 to give 2,4-bis{[(2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)methyl]thio}pyrimidines 18a–c. Deprotection of compounds 18a–c gave 2,4-bis[(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)thio]pyrimidines 19a-c. The activity of the deprotected nucleosides against Hepatitis B virus was evaluated and showed moderate inhibition activity against HBV with mild cytotoxicity.
Association of INSIG2 rs9308762 With ALT Level Independent of BMI

Objectives: An increasing number of people are at risk for developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Because obesity is a risk factor for NAFLD, the common variants of obesity-susceptible genes may be associated with NAFLD. Our aim was to identify whether the obesity-susceptible gene variants (rs9939609, rs9930506, and rs4783819 in fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO); rs12970134 and rs17782313 in melanocortin-4 receptor gene (MC4R); and rs7566605, rs13428113, and rs9308762 in insulin-induced gene 2 [INSIG2]) were associated with NAFLD. Methods: The case-control study recruited 1027 Chinese children ages 7 to 18 years, including 162 children with NAFLD and 865 children without NAFLD. Anthropometric measurements, alanine transaminase (ALT) detection, liver ultrasound examination, and genotyping of 8 gene variants were performed. Results: The A-allele of FTO rs9939609 was associated with increased NAFLD risk (P = 0.029, odds ratio 1.43), but was not significant after being adjusted for body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.268). We also found an association between the 2 variants (rs12970134 in MC4R and rs9308762 in INSIG2) and ALT level. For rs12970134, each additional A-allele increased ALT level by 1.87 IU/L (P = 0.032). For rs9308762, the homozygotes of the C-allele had a higher ALT level than the T-allele carriers (&bgr; = 3.19, P = 0.007). After adjustment for BMI, the former association did not exist, whereas the latter reminded significant (P = 0.003). Conclusions: The FTO rs9939609 A-allele increased risk of NAFLD and MC4R rs12970134 was associated with ALT level through an effect on BMI. The association between INSIG2 rs9308762 and ALT level was independent of BMI. The results provided evidence for identifying genetic factors of NAFLD and may be useful for risk assessment and personalized medicine of NAFLD.