Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of beer, wine, and liquor intakes on bone mineral density in older men and women.

BACKGROUND Moderate intake of alcohol has been reported to have beneficial effects on bone. However, different classes of alcoholic beverages have not been investigated. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to determine the association between intake of total alcohol or individual alcoholic beverages and bone mineral density (BMD). DESIGN Adjusting for potential confounding factors, we examined alcohol intakes and BMD at 3 hip sites and the lumbar spine in 1182 men and in 1289 postmenopausal and 248 premenopausal women in the population-based Framingham Offspring cohort (age: 29-86 y). RESULTS Men were predominantly beer drinkers, and women were predominantly wine drinkers. Compared with nondrinkers, hip BMD was greater (3.4-4.5%) in men consuming 1-2 drinks/d of total alcohol or beer, whereas hip and spine BMD were significantly greater (5.0-8.3%) in postmenopausal women consuming >2 drinks/d of total alcohol or wine. Intake of >2 drinks/d of liquor in men was associated with significantly lower (3.0-5.2%) hip and spine BMD than was intake of 1-2 drinks/d of liquor in men. After adjustment for silicon intake, all intergroup differences for beer were no longer significant; differences for other alcohol sources remained significant. Power was low for premenopausal women, and the associations were not significant. CONCLUSIONS Moderate consumption of alcohol may be beneficial to bone in men and postmenopausal women. However, in men, high liquor intakes (>2 drinks/d) were associated with significantly lower BMD. The tendency toward stronger associations between BMD and beer or wine, relative to liquor, suggests that constituents other than ethanol may contribute to bone health. Silicon appears to mediate the association of beer, but not that of wine or liquor, with BMD. Other components need further investigation.
Impulsive choice predicts short-term relapse in substance-dependent individuals attending an in-patient detoxification programme

Background Impulsivity is a hallmark characteristic of substance use disorders. Recently, studies have begun to explore whether increased impulsivity in substance-dependent individuals (SDIs) is associated with a greater propensity to relapse following treatment. Despite growing recognition of its multidimensional nature, however, most studies have treated impulsivity unilaterally. Accordingly, it remains unclear whether certain facets of impulsivity are more relevant to relapse than others. The aim of the current study was to examine the relationship between multiple facets of impulsivity and short-term relapse in SDIs. As a secondary aim, we explored the role of treatment retention in this relationship. Method A personality-based impulsivity questionnaire (UPPS) and three neurocognitive tasks of impulsivity [stop-signal task (SST), delay discounting task (DDT) and Iowa gambling task (IGT)] were administered in a heterogeneous sample of 70 SDIs shortly following their entry in an in-patient detoxification programme. Mediation analyses were performed to explore whether the effects of impulsivity on relapse were mediated by treatment retention. Results Performance on two neurocognitive indices of impulsive choice (i.e. delay discounting and impulsive decision-making) significantly predicted short-term relapse. The effects of delay discounting and impulsive decision-making on relapse propensity were mediated by treatment retention. Conclusions Neurocognitive indices of impulsivity may be more sensitive to the prediction of relapse than trait-based self-report questionnaires. Post-treatment relapse in SDIs may be reduced by targeting the processes involved in impulsive choice and by improving treatment retention in SDIs with inflated impulsivity.
Food Choices and Preferences of Schoolchildren

are and closer at why children the they by many factors which the and acceptability of potential foodstuffs. within this framework, humans also stable and for as young as 4 years of has preference rankings made at one time, are good predictors of rankings made up to 51 d later. Furthermore preference rankings made by pre-school age children are highly correlated with consumption (Birch, 1979b).
High-normal blood pressure and microalbuminuria.

BACKGROUND High-normal blood pressure (BP) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk compared with optimal BP, but no study has specifically examined the association between high-normal BP and microalbuminuria, an established predictor of future cardiovascular events. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study of normotensive (systolic BP [SBP] < 140 mm Hg, diastolic BP [DBP] < 90 mm Hg) individuals without diabetes with no hypertension history enrolled in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. BP was categorized as high normal (SBP, 130 to 139 mm Hg or DBP, 85 to 89 mm Hg), normal (SBP, 120 to 129 mm Hg or DBP, 80 to 84 mm Hg), and optimal (SBP < 120 mm Hg and DBP < 80 mm Hg). We also separately examined SBP, DBP, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and pulse pressure. Microalbuminuria was defined using sex-specific cutoff values (urine albumin-creatinine ratio > or = 17 and < or = 250 microg/mg [> or =1.0 and < or =28 mg/mmol] for men and > or = 25 and < or = 355 microg/mg for women [> or =3 and < or =40 mg/mmol]). We used multivariate logistic regression to analyze the association between different BP measurements and microalbuminuria. RESULTS Compared with optimal BP, high-normal BP was significantly associated with increased odds of microalbuminuria (odds ratio [OR], 2.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.51 to 3.01). Similarly, MAP (OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.74 per 10-mm Hg increment), SBP (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.48 per 10-mm Hg increment), and DBP (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.57 per 10-mm Hg increment) were significantly associated with microalbuminuria. CONCLUSION High-normal BP is significantly associated with microalbuminuria compared with optimal BP and may be a biomarker of the increased cardiovascular risk observed in this population.
Solitomab, an epithelial cell adhesion molecule/CD3 bispecific antibody (BiTE), is highly active against primary chemotherapy‐resistant ovarian cancer cell lines in vitro and fresh tumor cells ex vivo

Solitomab is a novel, bispecific, single‐chain antibody that targets epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) on tumor cells and also contains a cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3) (T‐cell coreceptor) binding region. The authors evaluated the in vitro activity of solitomab against primary chemotherapy‐resistant epithelial ovarian carcinoma cell lines as well as malignant cells in ascites.
The economic consequences of narcolepsy.

BACKGROUND Narcolepsy is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder with a typical onset in childhood or early adulthood. Narcolepsy may have serious negative effects on health-, social-, education-, and work-related issues for people with narcolepsy and for their families. The disease may, thus, present a significant socioeconomic burden, but no studies to date have addressed the indirect and direct costs of narcolepsy. METHODS Using records from the Danish National Patient Registry (1998-2005), we identified 459 Danish patients with the diagnosis of narcolepsy. Using a ratio of 1 patient record to 4 control subjects' records, we then compared the information of patients with narcolepsy with that of 1836 records from age- and sex-matched, randomly chosen citizens in the Danish Civil Registration System Statistics. We calculated the annual direct and indirect health costs, including labor supply and social transfer payments (which include income derived from state coffers, such as subsistence allowances, pensions, social security, social assistance, public personal support for education, etc.). Direct costs included frequencies and costs of hospitalizations and weighted outpatient use, according to diagnosis-related groups, and specific outpatient costs based on data from The Danish Ministry of Health. The use of and costs of drugs were based on data from the Danish Medicines Agency. The frequencies and costs from primary sectors were based on data from The National Health Security. Indirect costs were based on income data derived from data from the Coherent Social Statistics. RESULTS Patients with narcolepsy had significantly higher rates of health-related contact and medication use and higher expenses, as compared with control subjects. They also had higher unemployment rates. The income level of patients with narcolepsy who were employed was lower than that of employed control subjects. The annual total direct and indirect costs were euro 11,654 (euro = Eurodollars) for patients with narcolepsy and euro 1430 for control subjects (p < 0.001), corresponding to an annual mean excess health-related cost of euro 10,223 for each patient with narcolepsy. In addition, the patients with narcolepsy received an annual social transfer income of euro 2588. CONCLUSION The study confirms that narcolepsy has major socioeconomic consequences for the individual patient and for society. Early diagnosis and treatment could potentially reduce disease burden, which would have a significant socioeconomic impact.
Histamine release by morphine and diamorphine in man

Intravenous morphine and diamorphine are routinely used for postoperative analgesia but the relative histamine releasing abilities of these drugs have not been compared in man. Thirty‐eight patients were randomly allocated to receive morphine (0.16 mg.kg−1) or diamorphine (0.08 mg.kg−10) after abdominal surgery. Blood samples for histamine were taken before, and at timed intervals after, opioid administration and analysed by an isotopic radioenzymatic technique. Haemodynamic parameters and pain scores were recorded before and after analgesic administration, and a series of eight basophil histamine release studies was also performed. Significant histamine release (plasma concentration > 2 ng.ml−1 or rise of > 700% baseline) occurred in 23.5% of the morphine group and 21.1% of the diamorphine group. Histamine was released earlier in those receiving diamorphine, but no significant change in haemodynamic parameters occurred, and no histamine release was demonstrated in the basophil histamine release studies. These findings suggest that morphine and diamorphine release histamine from mast cells rather than basophils.
Critical Angles of Deformity in Dupuytren's Contracture of the Little and Ring Fingers.

BACKGROUND We aimed to determine the degree of contracture in the ring and little fingers at which hand function became importantly impaired. METHODS Five activities of daily living were incorporated into a newly developed and validated Dupuytren's assessment tool (DAT). Sixty healthy participants were assessed with the DAT wearing a range of 12 dorsal blocking splints. Half wore them on their right little finger, the other half on their ring finger. These induced flexion deformities mimicking DC of the MCPJ, PIPJ and a combination of the two. The angles of flexion deformity at which important hand disability occurred were calculated using receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS Clinically important hand disability occurred for the little finger MCPJ, PIPJ and combined MCPJ and PIPJ angulation at 52.5, 67.5, and 75 degrees respectively. For the ring finger joint, the angulations were 52.5, 67.5 and 75 degrees respectively. CONCLUSIONS This information will provide information for clinicians and patients as to when clinically important disability tends to occur in DC.
Extraordinary Survival from Ordinary Resources – How So?

The ‘Composition-Based View of Firm Growth’ (CBV) is an exciting new view of the theory of the firm ‘without the benefit of resource advantages, proprietary technology, or market power’ (Luo & Child, 2015: 379). It complements existing theories – RBV, KBV, absorptive capacity, and resource management view – to create novel insights about the management of the firm (see Table 1 for detailed comparisons). Further and perhaps more importantly, Luo and Child (2015) extend the domain of application to the firm with ordinary resources to emerging economies enterprises (EEE) and smalland medium-sized enterprises (SME) with particular emphasis upon China. In short, CBV is a new view with significant application. I offer a few comments on the theory, its argumentative support, and the applications. My intent in this critique is to strengthen the CBV and end with a suggested next best research agenda for its further development. In contrast to existing theories of the firm where the firm has some comparative advantage, such as unique resources in RBV or knowledge in KBV, the Compositional-Based View considers the firm which is ‘without the benefit of resource advantages, proprietary technology, or market power’ (Luo & Child, 2015: 379). The question is then how can a firm with no obvious advantages grow or even survive? What is its competitive advantage, if only temporary? With only ordinary resources, how can it maneuver? At first glance, the firm will be driven out and die. But Luo and Child (2015) offer a compelling argument for how the firm will not be driven out and will survive.
Data Management Systems on Future Hardware: Challenges and Opportunities

Hardware development is a major driver for the development of data management systems. For example, due to the increased capacity and low cost of main memory, data management systems have shifted from disk-based to in-memory systems [1]. Recently, databases on emerging hardware have gained a lot of attractions in both academia and industry. A significant amount of research has been devoted to the design and implementation of high-performance hardwareconscious systems. We can summarize them into three main lines of research, mainly according to processor architectures.
Bangladeshi Honey: A Possible source of beneficial Aerobic Bacteria

Honey is known to have many health benefits and hence had been used as natural medicine for ages. Literature suggests that bioactive agents can come from the secondary metabolites produced by the bacteria present in honey.Existenceof several bacteria has been reported in European and Australian honeys. Therefore, the aim of this study was to isolate and identify the bacteria present in honeysavailable in Bangladesh. Honey samples from seven types of natural flowers and six commercial kinds of honeyof Bangladesh were tested in this study. Prevalence of bacteria in each sample was checked through serial dilution method. Then different types of bacteria were identified by culturing them on selective agars and biochemical tests. Presence of Micrococcus luteus(100%), Streptococcus (92%), Staphylococcus aureus(77%), Bacillus (23%), Lactobacillus (15%), Klebsiella (8%) and Escherichia coli(8%) were detected.The secondary metabolites of these bacteria can be extracted and checked for potential development as medicines from nature
Exercise training and beta-blocker treatment ameliorate age-dependent impairment of beta-adrenergic receptor signaling and enhance cardiac responsiveness to adrenergic stimulation.

Cardiac beta-adrenergic receptor (beta-AR) signaling and left ventricular (LV) responses to beta-AR stimulation are impaired with aging. It is shown that exercise and beta-AR blockade have a favorable effect on cardiac and vascular beta-AR signaling in several cardiovascular diseases. In the present study, we examined the effects of these two different strategies on beta-AR dysregulation and LV inotropic reserve in the aging heart. Forty male Wistar-Kyoto aged rats were randomized to sedentary, exercise (12 wk treadmill training), metoprolol (250 mg.kg(-1). day(-1) for 4 wk), and exercise plus metoprolol treatment protocols. Ten male Wistar-Kyoto sedentary young rats were also used as a control group. Old trained, old metoprolol-treated, and old trained plus metoprolol-treated rats showed significantly improved LV maximal and minimal first derivative of the pressure rise responses to beta-AR stimulation (isoproterenol) compared with old untrained animals. We found a significant reduction in cardiac sarcolemmal membrane beta-AR density and adenylyl cyclase activity in old untrained animals compared with young controls. Exercise training and metoprolol, alone or combined, restored cardiac beta-AR density and G-protein-dependent adenylyl cyclase activation in old rats. Although cardiac membrane G-protein-receptor kinase 2 levels were not upregulated in untrained old compared with young control rats, both exercise and metoprolol treatment resulted in a dramatic reduction of G-protein-receptor kinase 2 protein levels, which is a further indication of beta-AR signaling amelioration in the aged heart induced by these treatment modalities. In conclusion, we demonstrate for the first time that exercise and beta-AR blockade can similarly ameliorate beta-AR signaling in the aged heart, leading to improved beta-AR responsiveness and corresponding LV inotropic reserve.
Control of hepatic nitrogen metabolism and glutathione release by cell volume regulatory mechanisms.

1. Urea synthesis was studied in isolated perfused rat liver during cell volume regulatory ion fluxes following exposure of the liver to anisotonic perfusion media. Lowering of the osmolarity in influent perfusate from 305 mOsm/l to 225 mOsm/l (by decreasing influent [NaCl] by 40 mmol/l) led to an inhibition of urea synthesis from NH4Cl (0.5 mmol/l) by about 60% and a decrease of hepatic oxygen uptake by 0.43 +/- 0.03 mumol g-1 min-1 [from 3.09 +/- 0.13 mumol g-1 min-1 to 2.66 +/- 0.12 mumol g-1 min-1 (n = 9)]. The effects on urea synthesis and oxygen uptake were observed throughout hypotonic exposure (225 mOsm/l). They persisted although volume regulatory K+ efflux from the liver was complete within 8 min and were fully reversible upon reexposure to normotonic perfusion media (305 mOsm/l). A 42% inhibition of urea synthesis from NH4Cl (0.5 mmol/l) during hypotonicity was also observed when the perfusion medium was supplemented with glucose (5 mmol/l). Urea synthesis was inhibited by only 10-20% in livers from fed rats, and was even stimulated in those from starved rats when an amino acid mixture (twice the physiological concentration) plus NH4Cl (0.2 mmol/l) was infused. 2. The inhibition of urea synthesis from NH4Cl (0.5 mmol/l) during hypotonicity was accompanied by a threefold increase of citrulline tissue levels, a 50-70% decrease of the tissue contents of glutamate, aspartate, citrate and malate, whereas 2-oxoglutarate, ATP and ornithine tissue levels, and the [3H]inulin extracellular space remained almost unaltered. Further, hypotonic exposure stimulated hepatic glutathione (GSH) release with a time course roughly paralleling volume regulatory K+ efflux. NH4Cl stimulated lactate release from the liver during hypotonic but not during normotonic perfusion. In the absence of NH4Cl, hypotonicity did not significantly affect the lactate/pyruvate ratio in effluent perfusate. With NH4Cl (0.5 mmol/l) present, the lactate/pyruvate ratio increased from 4.3 to 8.2 in hypotonicity, whereas simultaneously the 3-hydroxybutyrate/acetoacetate ratio slightly, but significantly decreased. 3. Addition of lactate (2.1 mmol/l) and pyruvate (0.3 mmol/l) to influent perfusate did not affect urea synthesis in normotonic perfusions, but completely prevented the inhibition of urea synthesis from NH4Cl (0.5 mmol/l) induced by hypotonicity. Restoration of urea production in hypotonic perfusions by addition of lactate and pyruvate was largely abolished in the presence of 2-cyanocinnamate (0.5 mmol/l). Addition of 3-hydroxybutyrate (0.5 mmol/l), but not of acetoacetate (0.5 mmol/l) largely reversed the hypotonicity-induced inhibition of urea synthesis from NH4Cl. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Assignment of the Equus caballus interleukin 8 gene (IL8) to chromosome 3q14.2→q14.3 by in situ hybridization

Human interleukin 8 (IL-8) is an anti-infl ammatory cytokine. A signifi cant increase of the IL-8 concentration has been found in the plasma of marathon runners (Suzuki et al., 2000) and a similar upregulation of this interleukin was recently detected in lymphocytes of horses immediately after intense exercise (Cappelli, Verini-Supplizi, Capomaccio and Silvestrelli unpublished results). Equus caballus (ECA) IL8 full length cDNA, isolated from peripheral blood lymphocytes of an endurance horse, was sequenced (GenBank accession number AY184956). The mRNA sequence is 1089 nt in length and contains a 306 nt region that putatively codes for a 101 amino acid protein. In the framework of studying the modulation of gene expression profi les in racing horses, we report here the chromosomal location of ECA IL8 . This result adds a new type I marker to the FISH map of the horse.
Carbon dioxide re‐breathing with close fitting face respirator masks

performing direct laryngoscopy in intubated patients, many anaesthetists place the laryngoscope blade behind the tube rather than in the vallecula and so lift the epiglottis directly. It may be that the view achieved in both these situations is more akin to that revealed using a straight bladed laryngoscope – which pulls the epiglottis superiourly using traction exerted on its dorsal surface. Alternatively, the presence of a tracheal tube may obstruct the line of sight, impeding laryngoscopy. Overestimating difficulty is less hazardous than being falsely reassured of an easy conventional intubation. If one is concerned about possible difficult airway management after extubation, it is safest to remove the tube over a bougie or airway exchange device such as an Aintree Catheter. While conventional laryngoscopy following an awake fibreoptic intubation may provide useful information about a patient’s airway, making decisions about the degree of difficulty that can be expected after extubation may be unwise, even ignoring the question of tumour growth, fibrosis, oedema progression, etc. The specificity of this manoeuvre, as defined by Yentis (proportion of ‘easy’ intubation patients who are correctly identified) [2] is, like all other predictors, less than unity. The goal of airway management is to minimise the number of failed intubations ⁄ ventilation, not to minimise the number of awake intubations. Perhaps a useful maxim may be that once a patient has been fibreoptically intubated awake, one needs an unimpeachable reason not to do so again in future.