Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Shear stress modulates the thickness and architecture of Candida albicans biofilms in a phase‐dependent manner

Biofilm formation plays an integral role in catheter‐associated bloodstream infections caused by Candida albicans. Biofilms formed on catheters placed intravenously are exposed to shear stress caused by blood flow. In this study, we investigated whether shear stress affects the ability of C. albicans to form biofilms. Candida biofilms were formed on catheter discs and exposed to physiological levels of shear stress using a rotating disc system (RDS). Control biofilms were grown under conditions of no flow. Tetrazolium (XTT) assay and dry weight (DW) measurements were used to quantify metabolic activity and biofilm mass respectively. Confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) was used to evaluate architecture and biofilm thickness. After 90 min, cells attached under no‐flow exhibited significantly greater XTT activity and DW than those under shear. However, by 24 h, biofilms formed under both conditions had similar XTT activities and DW. Interestingly, thickness of biofilms formed under no‐flow was significantly greater after 24 h than of those formed under shear stress, demonstrating that shear exposure results in thinner, but denser biofilms. These studies suggest that biofilm architecture is modulated by shear in a phase‐dependent manner.
Survey of corticioid fungi in North American pinaceous forests reveals hyperdiversity, underpopulated sequence databases, and species that are potentially ectomycorrhizal

ABSTRACT The corticioid fungi are commonly encountered, highly diverse, ecologically important, and understudied. We collected specimens in 60 pine and spruce forests across North America to survey corticioid fungal frequency and distribution and to compile an internal transcribed spacer (ITS) database for the group. Sanger sequences from the ITS region of vouchered specimens were compared with sequences on GenBank and UNITE, and with high-throughput sequence data from soil and roots taken at the same sites. Out of 425 high-quality Sanger sequences from vouchered specimens, we recovered 223 distinct operational taxonomic units (OTUs), the majority of which could not be assigned to species by matching to the BLAST database. Corticioid fungi were found to be hyperdiverse, as supported by the observations that nearly two-thirds of our OTUs were represented by single collections and species estimator curves showed steep slopes with no plateaus. We estimate that 14.8–24.7% of our voucher-based OTUs are likely to be ectomycorrhizal (EM). Corticioid fungi recovered from the soil formed a different community assemblage, with EM taxa accounting for 40.5–58.6% of OTUs. We compared basidioma sequences with EM root tips from our data, GenBank, or UNITE, and with this approach, we reiterate existing speculations that Trechispora stellulata is EM. We found that corticioid fungi have a significant distance-decay pattern, adding to the literature supporting fungi as having geographically structured communities. This study provides a first view of the diversity of this important group across North American pine forests, but much of the biology and taxonomy of these diverse, important, and widespread fungi remains unknown.
Optimal Localization of Acupuncture Points: Implications for Acupuncture Practice, Education, and Research

ABSTRACT Three basic classes of acupuncture points are described: the 361 classical (“channel”) acupoints, extra (extraordinary) points that are almost always off-channel, and Ah Shi local tender points. The classical acupuncture points are the oldest and most clinically important points. Their locations, as well as those of the extra points, have traditionally been described and taught using the Chinese “cun” measurement system, 1 cun being defined as the width of the interphalangeal joint of the thumb. Recent research demonstrates that the use of the traditional cun method to find acupuncture points is inaccurate and may lead acupuncturists to needle sites that are as far as 2 cm away from these points' actual (true) locations. Although acupuncture clinical trials in the past 2 decades have demonstrated improved reporting of the acupuncture points selected, needling techniques, and modes of needle stimulation, their methodologies do not address a fundamental issue raised by these point location studies:.
Nonhemolytic Febrile Transfusion Reactions

The conditions under which nonhemolytic febrile transfusion reactions developed in eight afebrile patients were investigated. Recipients invariably developed a reaction on transfusion of incompatible white cells if a sufficient quantity of leukocytes was infused. The sensitivity of each patient differed with respect to the number of incompatible white cells which could be tolerated without a reaction. In general, the in vivo reaction to blood from an individual donor could be predicted by the routine leukocyte agglutination test. Mild febrile reactions were inconstantly observed in three patients transfused with presumably compatible leukocytes. Further investigation suggested that the cells inducing reaction were probably incompatible, and that in vivo reactions were a more sensitive index than the in vitro test. Granulocytes, lymphocytes or platelets, separately administered, all induced febrile reactions, provided that the routine leukocyte agglutinin test demonstrated an incompatibility. There was no direct evidence that febrile reactions had occurred in response to plasma infusion. It is concluded that white cell antibodies were the primary cause of nonhemolytic febrile transfusion reactions in this series, and that the detection of white cell antibodies and preparation of leukocyte‐poor blood continue to be procedures of practical importance in modern transfusion therapy.
Arterial waveform analysis in anesthesia and critical care

Purpose of review In this review, we describe the basic principles of arterial waveform analysis (AWA) to assess cardiac output (CO) and cardiac preload. The validity of commercially based hemodynamic monitoring systems is discussed, together with their clinical applications and limitations. Recent findings Currently, three devices (the FloTrac system, PiCCO monitor, and LiDCO system) are available for measurement of AWA-based CO. In addition, dynamic preload parameters such as stroke volume variation (SVV) and pulse pressure variation (PPV) are determined, which may be useful to predict fluid responsiveness in mechanically ventilated patients. Summary AWA provides a less invasive and easy-to-use alternative for CO measurement. The validity of AWA devices has been verified in a variety of patients and circumstances, but their performance is compromised in the presence of hemodynamic instability, cardiac arrhythmias, or other factors disturbing the arterial pressure waveform. The definitive role of dynamic preload parameters like SVV and PPV is a matter of research. Large trials in which the value of early goal-directed therapy using this technology is studied in relation to outcome are urgently needed.
Ameloblastic carcinoma (spindle cell variant).

ISSN: 0031-3025 (Print) 1465-3931 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline. com/loi/ipat20 Ameloblastic carcinoma (spindle cell variant) S. B. Ismail, R. B. Zain, H. B. Yaacob & M. T. Abraham To cite this article: S. B. Ismail, R. B. Zain, H. B. Yaacob & M. T. Abraham (2009) Ameloblastic carcinoma (spindle cell variant), Pathology, 41:3, 292-295 To link to this article: http://dx.doi. org/10.1080/00313020902756345
Pyrene-based Y-shaped solid-state blue emitters: synthesis, characterization, and photoluminescence.

A series of pyrene-based Y-shaped blue emitters, namely, 7-tert-butyl-1,3-diarylpyrenes 4 were synthesized by the Suzuki cross-coupling reaction of 7-tert-butyl-1,3-dibromopyrene with a variety of p-substituted phenylboronic acids in good to excellent yields. These compounds were fully characterized by X-ray crystallography, UV/Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, DFT calculations, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. Single-crystal X-ray analysis revealed that the Y-shaped arylpyrenes exhibited a low degree of π stacking owing to the steric effect of the bulky tert-butyl group in the pyrene ring at the 7-position, and thus, the intermolecular π-π interactions were effectively suppressed in the solid state. Despite the significantly twisted nonplanar structures, these molecules still displayed efficient intramolecular charge-transfer emissions with clear solvatochromic shifts on increasing solvent polarity. An intriguing fact is that all of these molecules show highly blue emissions with excellent quantum yields in the solid state. Additionally, the two compounds containing the strongest electron-accepting groups, CN (4 d) and CHO (4 f), possess high thermal stability, which, together with their excellent solid-state fluorescence efficiency, makes them promising potential blue emitters in organic light-emitting device applications.
Body Status and Occupational Health Hazards of Female Workers : A Comparative Analysis

Objective: Health is nothing but a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing not merely the absence of disease. Health depends on life style and requires the promotion of healthy life style. Health is both a consequence of an individual’s life style and factors in determining it. Working pattern or type of work has long been known to influence human health specially. The present study was under taken to evaluate the body status and physiological stress and occupational health hazards of the female workers. Methods: According to the work load the working group was classified in to low physical work group (LPWG) and the moderate type of physical work group (MPWG). Eighty women (forty in each group), excluding pregnant women, were selected from the municipal area of Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, India, aged between 20 to 40 years. The anthropometric measurement and skin fold thickness were taken, from which the body mass index (BMI) and fat percentage were determined. The blood pressure of all the subjects was taken by mercury sphygmomanometer at resting condition. The occupational health hazards were determined by questionnaire technique. Result: The result indicates that the MPWG workers suffer in significantly (p<0.001) low weight, BMI and Fat% than that of the LPWG workers. The MPWG workers also suffer from significantly (p<0.001) higher percentage of musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) at neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, finger, cuff and feet-ankle joint. MPWG workers, hemoglobin concentration also significantly (p<0.01) lower than that of the LPWG workers. Conclusion: It may be concluded that, this study is helpful to identify the risk factor for the occurrence of different cardiovascular as well as musculoskeletal abnormalities and accordingly prevention program, regarding proper food habit be undertaken. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3126/ijosh.v4i1. 12166
The age of Roman girls at marriage

Abstract For Roman girls the legal minimum age at marriage was 12; but the law provided no sanctions and was contravened. The usual age at puberty (at least for the upper classes) was probably 13+. In fact menarche was not always a pre-condition of marriage; nevertheless marriages were usually consummated immediately. Even if pre-pubertal marriages were regarded by some as deviant, they were not exceptional and were condoned. The usual age of girls at marriage can only be guessed at from the fragmentary literary evidence, but 287 tombstones enable us to tabulate the ages of pagan and Christian girls at marriage. The modal age of the former was 12-15 (43 per cent), for the latter 15-18 (42 per cent). These inscriptions are probably most representative of the urban well-to-do. There is no serious bias towards recording low ages. Men married considerably later than girls and their deaths were recorded by their parents more frequently and until a much later age. This favouritism to boys, the early age at marr.
School Counseling Departmental Web Sites: What Message Do We Send?

School counselors have struggled to define their roles for years. The use of technology has been discussed as one method for disseminating information about school counselor roles. Content from 456 school counseling departmental Web sites was examined and results showed that the majority of Web sites did not contain information pertaining to school counselor roles, comprehensive, developmental counseling programs, or other current trends in school counseling. Suggestions for using departmental Web sites for school counselor self-advocacy are provided.
Comparison of Health Service Use Among Veterans With Methamphetamine Versus Alcohol Use Disorders

Objectives:Methamphetamine use disorders (MUD) are associated with severe health effects and psychiatric comorbidities, but little is known about the health care utilization of patients with MUD. The goal of this study was to describe health service use among veterans with MUD relative to a group of veterans with an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Methods:Using Veterans Affairs (VA) administrative data, we identified 718 patients who were diagnosed with MUD and had confirmatory drug testing. Data were compared with those of 744 patients who had diagnoses of an AUD also with confirmatory testing. We examined diagnoses and medical utilization for 5 years after their index date. Results:Patients with MUD and laboratory-confirmed recent use were younger and more likely to be diagnosed with a mood disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and a psychotic-spectrum disorder (all P values < 0.05). After statistical controls, patients with MUD were more likely to have an inpatient hospitalization (80% vs 70%, odds ratio [OR] = 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4-2.3), discharge from an inpatient admission against medical advice (23.4% vs 8.3%, OR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.9-3.7), receive care at 3 or more VA medical centers (13.1% vs 5.4%, OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.5-3.5), have a behavioral flag in the medical record (5.6% vs 1.1%, OR = 4.6, 95% CI = 2.1-10.6), and have more total missed appointments in the 5-year study period (M = 33.1 vs M = 23.5, P < 0.001). Conclusions:Among veterans with substance use disorders, those with MUD and laboratory-confirmed recent use have additional behavioral, health care utilization, and psychiatric characteristics that need to be considered in developing programs of care.
Maintaining healthy skin around an ostomy: peristomal skin disorders and self-assessment

Problems affecting the peristomal skin are common in people with an ostomy and are an important area of stoma care nurse intervention. The DialogueStudy documented the experiences of more than 3000 people with an ostomy, with a focus on quality of life (QoL) and peristomal skin condition. These factors were assessed using the Ostomy Skin Tool. At visit 1, 60% of participants had a skin disorder, with irritant contact dermatitis (48%) and mechanical trauma (21%) being the most common causes cited. Only 53% of participants with a skin disorder were aware of it. The mean DET score had improved (decreased) from 2.5 (±2.8) at visit 1 to 1.6 (±2.1) at visit 2, 6–8 weeks later (P<0.0001). The factors affecting peristomal skin included age, time since surgery, ostomy type, choice of appliance and leakage. The results demonstrate that the combination of evidence-based nursing practices and the use of a double-layer adhesive, SenSura (Coloplast A/S) improved peristomal skin condition in people with an ostomy.
Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Liver

A rare case of solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) of the liver is described. The patient was a 49-year-old man who had a 17x12xlO cm mass (2,750 g) with a firm and vaguely whorled cut surface, a scar-like central area, and pushing rather than infiltrating borders. It was located in the subcapsular parenchyma of the left lobe. The histologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural features are identical to those seen in the more common SFTs of the pleura. Those features include a variable spindle cell proliferation, scant mitotic activity, immunoreactivity for CD34 and vimentin, and the absence of necrosis. The patient underwent a partial hepatectomy and the surgical margins were free of tumor. No recurrence was detected 15 months after excision. This case adds to 12 similar previously reported cases involving the liver. A review of the literature indicates that SFT of the liver behaves in a benign fashion.
Commentary on Zeremski et al. (2016): Improvements in HCV-related Knowledge Among Substance Users on Opioid Agonist Therapy After an Educational Intervention.

Letter to editor: Zeremski et al., (2016) highlight how improving patients’ knowledge about hepatitis C virus (HCV) care can enhance adherence to treatment plans and improved treatment outcomes. In this regard we believe that patients’ knowledge of HCV care can best be optimized through community-based approaches to HCV treatment as supported by recent findings from (Wade et al., 2015; Grebely et al., 2016). The advent of such models of care provide an opportunity to embed HCV treatment within a holistic approach that also addresses related issues, especially alcohol use disorders. This is especially the case in Ireland, where alcohol use disorders are common among people who inject drugs (Ryder et al., 2009). This increases the risk of complications related to chronic HCV infection as alcohol can exacerbate HCV infection and the associated liver damage by causing oxidative stress and promoting fibrosis, thereby accelerating disease progression to cirrhosis (Batchelder et al., 2015).
Sex Differences in Cannabis Use Disorder Diagnosis Involved Hospitalizations in the United States

Objectives: The study examined sex differences in trend and clinical characteristics of cannabis use disorder (CUD) diagnosis involved hospitalizations among adult patients. Methods: We analyzed hospitalization data from the 2007–2011 Nationwide Inpatient Samples for patients aged 18–64 years (N = 15,114,930). Descriptive statistics were used to characterize demographic variables and to compare the proportions of CUD diagnosis and comorbid patterns between male and female hospitalizations. Logistic regressions were performed to examine the association of sex and other demographic variables with CUD diagnosis. Results: During the study period, 3.3% of male and 1.5% of female hospitalizations had any-listed CUD diagnoses, and both sexes presented an upward trend in the number, rate, and proportion of CUD diagnosis. Among hospitalizations for patients aged 18–25 years, about 1 in 10 males and 1 in 20 females included a CUD diagnosis, and this proportion decreased with age strata. Mental disorders accounted for the highest proportion of CUD involved inpatient hospitalizations, and female CUD involved hospitalizations included a higher proportion of mental disorders that required hospitalized care compared with male hospitalizations (41% vs 36%). In each sex group, younger age, black race, lower household income, large metropolitan residence, non-private insurance, substance use diagnosis, and mental disorders were associated with elevated odds of having CUD diagnosis. Conclusion: The large sample of clinical hospitalization data suggest an increased trend in CUD diagnosis and sex differences in several comorbidities with CUD-involved hospital admissions. Prevention and treatment for CUD should consider sex differences in clinical comorbidities.
Temporal and Gender Trends in Concordance of Urine Drug Screens and Self-Reported Use in Cocaine Treatment Studies

Objectives:To describe temporal trends in concordance, sensitivity, and specificity and to explore demographic trends in concordance in 2 outpatient treatment studies for cocaine dependence. Methods:We obtained 2229 urine drug screens (UDS) from 129 individuals, along with accompanying self-use reports (SUR). Paired SUR and UDS were considered concordant if the 2 measures of cocaine use were in agreement. The sensitivity and specificity of the SUR in predicting the UDS was also estimated. To model concordance, sensitivity, and specificity as a function of time, generalized estimating equations were used. Demographic effects on concordance among subjects who achieved 100% concordance and subjects who achieved a recently proposed 70% concordance threshold were tested. Results:During the course of our studies, both sensitivity and concordance statistically decreased; however, specificity remained relatively constant. Median concordance for all subjects was 88%. Among all subjects, concordance varied significantly by gender, with women achieving significantly higher concordance than men (96% vs 86%). Similarly, women were almost twice as likely to achieve 100% concordance as men (42% vs 22%). Finally, 80% of participants achieved the 70% concordance threshold, and no differences among demographic groups with regards to the 70% concordance threshold were observed. Conclusions:Temporal effects of concordance and sensitivity may have profound repercussions when using SUR to gauge efficacy of an experimental intervention. Furthermore, gender may differentially affect concordance. Finally, a substance abuse outcome measure that reliably combines objective and self-report data is promising, but further research is needed.
Re-Validation of the Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness,

ABSTRACT The present investigation represents a re-validation of the Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness (MUNSH) and its Negative (NAS) and Positive Affect (PAS) subscales in an institutionalized sample of elderly urban residents. Self-ratings of happiness (AVHT) and judges' ratings (JR) were used as criterion measures. Correlations between MUNSH scales and AVHT ranged from 0.75 to 0.86, while those between MUNSH scales and JR fell between 0.37 and 0.55. The findings indicate that the MUNSH is as valid for residents of large urban centres as for the smaller centres in which it was initially developed. RÉSUMÉ La présente investigation répresente une tentative de ré-évaluation de l'échelle de moral élaborée par Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUNSH) et des sous-échelles d'affects négatifs (NAS) et positifs (PAS) auprès d'un échantillon de personnes ágées, d'origine urbaine, vivant en institutions. Les auto-évaluations du moral (AVHT) et les évaluations des juges (JR) ont servi de critères de mesure. Les corrélations entre les échelles de MUNSH et les cotes AVHT s'échelonent entre 0,75 et 0,86; cependant qu'entre l'échelle MUNSH et les cotes JR, elles tombent au dessous 0,37 et 0,55. Les résultats indiquent que l'échelle MUNSH est aussi valable pour les résidents des grands centres urbains que pour ceux des petits centres, auprès de qui elle a été élaborée.