Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical observation of the adverse drug reactions caused by non-ionic iodinated contrast media: results from 109,255 cases who underwent enhanced CT examination in Chongqing, China.

OBJECTIVE To analyse the pattern and factors that influence the incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) induced by non-ionic iodinated contrast media and to evaluate their safety profiles. METHODS Data from 109,255 cases who underwent enhanced CT examination from 1 January 2008 to 31 August 2013 were analysed. ADRs were classified according to the criteria issued by the American College of Radiology and the Chinese Society of Radiology. RESULTS A total of 375 (0.34%) patients had ADRs, including 281 mild (0.26%); 80 moderate (0.07%); and 14 severe (0.01%) ADRs; no death was found. 302 (80.53%) of the ADRs occurred within 15 min after examination. Patients aged 40-49 years (204 cases, 0.43%; p < 0.01) or who underwent coronary CT angiography (93 cases, 0.61%; p < 0.01) were at a higher risk of ADRs. Female patients (180 cases, 0.40%; p < 0.01) or outpatients had significantly higher incidence rates of ADRs. The symptoms and signs of most of the ADRs were resolved spontaneously within 24 h after appropriate treatment without sequelae. CONCLUSION The occurrence of ADRs is caused by the combined effects of multiple factors. The ADRs induced by non-ionic iodinated contrast media are mainly mild ones, while moderate or severe ADRs are relatively rare, suggesting that enhanced CT examination with non-ionic iodinated contrast media is highly safe, and severe adverse events will seldom occur under appropriate care. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE The study included 109,255 patients enrolled in various types of enhanced CT examinations, which could reflect ADR conditions and regulations in Chinese population accurately and reliably.
Neurodegenerative Evidence in Mice Brains with Cecal Ligation and Puncture-Induced Sepsis: Preventive Effect of the Free Radical Scavenger Edaravone

Sepsis is a major clinical challenge and septic encephalopathy is its nasty complication. The pathogenesis and underlying mechanisms of septic encephalopathy are not well understood. This study sought to fully characterize sepsis-associated biochemical and histopathological changes in brains of mice after cecal ligation and puncture, regarded as a highly clinically relevant animal model of polymicrobial sepsis. Real-time PCR analysis showed that gene expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β, were significantly up-regulated in brain tissues from septic mice, but to a much lesser extent when compared with those in peripheral tissues such as lungs. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability was significantly increased in septic mice, as determined by the measurement of sodium fluorescein and Evans blue content. Sepsis resulted in increases in NADPH oxidase activity and expression of p47phox and p67phox and up-regulation of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase in brains, indicating that superoxide, produced by NADPH oxidase, reacts with NO to form peroxynitrite, that maybe lead to the loss of BBB integrity. Light and electron microscopic examination of septic mouse brain showed serious neuronal degeneration, as indicated by hyperchromatic, shrunken, pyknotic, and electron-dense neurons. These histopathogical changes were prevented by treatment with the free radical scavenger edaravone. Together, these results suggest that sepsis can lead to rapid neurodegenerative changes in brains via free radical species production and possibly subsequent injury to the BBB. We may also provide a potentially useful therapeutic tool for treating septic encephalopathy.
Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Variability in Alzheimer's Disease

Background and Purpose Altered blood pressure (BP) and heart rate variations (HRVs) have been reported in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, it is unclear how these two manifestations are associated with AD. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate BP and heart rate variability in AD compared to that in normal controls, patients with subjective memory impairment (SMI), and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods Case-control comparisons were made among AD (n=37), MCI (n=24), SMI (n=17), and controls (n=25). All patients underwent clinical and neuropsychological assessments with 24-h ambulatory BP and Holter monitoring. Results Patients with AD had higher pulse pressures than those in other groups. In addition, AD patients experienced blunted nocturnal BP dipping associated with declining cognitive status. AD patients also had larger ranges of HRV in parasympathetic domains compared to other groups, especially at night. Conclusions Our results suggest that diurnal sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiac variability were significantly disturbed in mild cholinesterase-naive AD patients. This may be an indirect sign of disturbed integrity to the sleep-wake cycle in mild AD.
Monoamine oxidase: associations with alcohol dependence, smoking and other measures of psychopathology

Background. Many reports have appeared on associations between platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity and susceptibility to psychiatric conditions; principally alcohol dependence but also conduct disorder, other drug use and depression. Recently, it has become apparent that MAO activity is inhibited by some component of cigarette smoke, and smokers have low platelet MAO activity. Since the prevalence of smoking is higher in many of the conditions in which MAO has been implicated, the MAO susceptibility associations may be partly, or entirely, false. Methods. We have measured platelet MAO in 1551 subjects, recruited from the Australian NHMRC Twin Registry, who have provided information on alcohol use and dependence, smoking, conduct disorder, depression, attempted suicide, panic disorder and social phobia. Results. Current smoking reduced platelet MAO activity in a significant and dose-related manner, with no evidence of lower MAO in ex-smokers or in non-smoking subjects with co-twins who smoked. Alcohol use and lifetime DSM-III-R alcohol dependence history were not associated with MAO activity when smoking was taken into account. Depression, panic disorder and social phobia showed no significant associations with platelet MAO activity. Subjects with a history of serious attempts at suicide had low platelet MAO activity; but although the difference from controls was as great as the reduction associated with smoking it was not significant after correction for smoking effects. Conclusions. Although synaptic MAO activity undoubtedly plays a role in psychopathology, the concept that platelet MAO activity is a direct genetic marker of vulnerability to alcohol dependence cannot be sustained.
Long-term effects on the female mouse genital tract associated with prenatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol.

Abstract The association between treatment of pregnant women with diethylstilbestrol (DES) and reproductive tract abnormalities in their female offspring is well known. Reports of comparable in utero exposure in animals are few. In this paper, pregnant outbred mice were treated s.c. with daily doses of DES ranging from 0.01 to 100 µg/kg on Days 9 to 16 of gestation. This period corresponds with major organogenesis of the reproductive tract in the mouse. Additional groups of pregnant mice were treated during the same time interval with 100-µg/kg doses of either dimethylstilbestrol (DMS), a weakly estrogenic estructural analog of DES, or 17β-estradiol, a potent steroidal estrogen. When female offspring of mice gestationally exposed to DES were sacrificed at 12 to 18 months of age, lesions were found throughout their reproductive tracts. The vagina was characterized by excess keratinization and female hypospadias, and, at the dose of 100 µg/kg, 5 of 20 mice had epidermoid tumors of the vagina; in one of the 35 mice derived from mothers treated with DES (10 µg/kg), vaginal adenocarcinoma was observed. The cervix in the DES-exposed offspring was enlarged, even though the size of its lumen was not different from that in the controls. Stromal stimulation of the cervix was apparent, and a low incidence of benign (leiomyoma, papilloma) as well as malignant (stromal cell sarcoma, leiomyosarcoma) tumors were seen. There was evidence of stimulation in the epithelium, and stroma of the uterus and cystic endometrial hyperplasia was common; a low incidence of benign (leiomyomas) and malignant (adenocarcinoma, stromal cell sarcoma) tumors was observed. The ovaries of prenatally DES-treated females were cystic more often than were those of the corresponding controls; at the highest dose, three ovarian tumors were noted, and the fallopian tubes were inflamed and congenitally malformed. Genital tract tumors were not seen in 85 control females or in the 12 or 10 females exposed prenatally to estradiol or DMS, respectively. In fact, in 12- to 13-month-old females derived from mice exposed during pregnancy to DES (100 µg/kg), common findings, which were absent or in very low incidence in control, estradiol-treated, or DMS-treated mice, included: vaginal concretions and excess keratinization; cervical enlargement; uterine squamous metaplasia and cystic endometrial hyperplasia; and oviductal malformations. The differences in effects among DES, estradiol, and DMS may be linked to differences in relative bioavailability of the compounds to the fetal target tissue. The results presented suggest a role for different embryonic rudiments as well as for tissue components in the observed long-term effects of gestational exposure to DES on the female reproductive tract. Moreover, such prenatal studies with DES in mice may be helpful in understanding the role of estrogens in the functional development of the genital tract and may ultimately provide a useful experimental model.
A Mirror Therapy–Based Action Observation Protocol to Improve Motor Learning After Stroke

Background. Mirror therapy is a priming technique to improve motor function of the affected arm after stroke. Objective. To investigate whether a mirror therapy–based action observation (AO) protocol contributes to motor learning of the affected arm after stroke. Methods. A total of 37 participants in the chronic stage after stroke were randomly allocated to the AO or control observation (CO) group. Participants were instructed to perform an upper-arm reaching task as fast and as fluently as possible. All participants trained the upper-arm reaching task with their affected arm alternated with either AO or CO. Participants in the AO group observed mirrored video tapes of reaching movements performed by their unaffected arm, whereas participants in the CO group observed static photographs of landscapes. The experimental condition effect was investigated by evaluating the primary outcome measure: movement time (in seconds) of the reaching movement, measured by accelerometry. Results. Movement time decreased significantly in both groups: 18.3% in the AO and 9.1% in the CO group. Decrease in movement time was significantly more in the AO compared with the CO group (mean difference = 0.14 s; 95% confidence interval = 0.02, 0.26; P = .026). Conclusion. The present study showed that a mirror therapy–based AO protocol contributes to motor learning after stroke.
Researching workplace spiritualization through auto/ethnography

Studying the spiritual in workplace settings presents a significant challenge to the organizational ethnographer. Spirituality is such a fluid and deeply subjective concept that is often understood and practiced in ways that are implicit to individuals and attempts to study it in the workplace risk producing accounts that reductive and inaccurate. In an effort to craft a rigorous and representative account of the deployment of a Spiritual Management Development (SMD) initiative in large Irish services organization, I experimented with a form of autoethnography, referred to as ‘auto/ethnography’ in this article, which attempted to produce a rounded and holistic account of reactions to the initiative. The generic elements of this method are presented with a view to demonstrating the possibilities and difficulties associated with adopting this research approach to the study of workplace spirituality.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Their Combination in the Improvement of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms and Experiential Avoidance in Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Background: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and exposure with response prevention for treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have demonstrated empirical support; however, a substantial number of patients remain with clinically significant OCD symptoms after such treatments. Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and combination of ACT and SSRIs in the treatment of adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Patients and Methods: Thirty-two outpatients meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision criteria for OCD were randomly assigned to one of the three treatment conditions: ACT, SSRIs and combined treatment. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and Acceptance and Action Questionnaire were administered at pre-treatment and post-treatment. Twenty-seven patients completed the study. Data was analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), clinically significant change (CSC) and complete remission status. Results: ANCOVA revealed that patients treated with ACT and combined treatment experienced a significantly greater improvement in obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms and experiential avoidance (EA) at post-treatment compared to those treated with SSRIs alone. However, there were no significant differences between ACT and combined treatment on OC symptoms and EA. CSC and complete remission status results showed that unlike SSRI, ACT and combined treatment led to more improvement in OC symptoms. Conclusions: ACT and combined treatment are more effective than SSRIs alone in treating OC symptoms and EA. However, it appears that adding SSRIs to ACT does not increase the effectiveness of ACT in the treatment of adults with OCD in the short-term.
A Versatile Tension Distribution Algorithm for $n$ -DOF Parallel Robots Driven by $n+2$ Cables

Redundancy resolution of redundantly actuated cable-driven parallel robots (CDPRs) requires the computation of feasible and continuous cable tension distributions along a trajectory. This paper focuses on n-DOF CDPRs driven by n + 2 cables, since, for n = 6, these redundantly actuated CDPRs are relevant in many applications. The set of feasible cable tensions of n-DOF (n + 2)-cable CDPRs is a 2-D convex polygon. An algorithm that determines the vertices of this polygon in a clockwise or counterclockwise order is first introduced. This algorithm is efficient and can deal with infeasibility. It is then pointed out that straightforward modifications of this algorithm allow the determination of various (optimal) cable tension distributions. A self-contained and versatile tension distribution algorithm is thereby obtained. Moreover, the worst-case maximum number of iterations of this algorithm is established. Based on this result, its computational cost is analyzed in detail, showing that the algorithm is efficient and real-time compatible even in the worst case. Finally, experiments on two six-degree-of-freedom eight-cable CDPR prototypes are reported.
New Clinically Feasible 3T MRI Protocol to Discriminate Internal Brain Stem Anatomy

Track density imaging (TDI) is a novel MR imaging postprocessing technique based on high angular-resolution diffusion acquisitions that generate super-resolution images derived by whole-brain probabilistic streamline tractography. TDI and echo modulation curve T2 mapping were combined with simultaneous multisection acquisition to reveal anatomic detail at 7 canonical levels of the brain stem. Compared with conventional MR imaging contrasts, many individual brain stem tracts and nuclear groups were directly visualized for the first time at 3T. SUMMARY: Two new 3T MR imaging contrast methods, track density imaging and echo modulation curve T2 mapping, were combined with simultaneous multisection acquisition to reveal exquisite anatomic detail at 7 canonical levels of the brain stem. Compared with conventional MR imaging contrasts, many individual brain stem tracts and nuclear groups were directly visualized for the first time at 3T. This new approach is clinically practical and feasible (total scan time = 20 minutes), allowing better brain stem anatomic localization and characterization.
Axiomatic Assessment of FSM-Based Test Adequacy Criteria for Web Application

Compared with traditional software testing, Web application testing is quite different. It has become increasingly important to choose appropriate criteria during the testing. This paper presents a set of test adequacy criteria for FSM-based Web application, and proposes two new test criteria: complete function interaction coverage criteria and function loop interaction coverage criteria. Besides, an axioms system is proposed to assess the FSM-based Web application test coverage criteria. From this axioms system, some useful conclusions are educed as a guide for software engineers in practical testing application.
TEORIA ECONÔMICA DO SUICÍDIO: ESTUDO EMPÍRICO PARA O BRASIL

Este artigo procura analisar como variaveis economicas influenciam as taxas de suicidios d o Brasil. Para isso analisa-se um cross-section estadual do ano de 2000. Os resultados sugerem que as previsoes teoricas foram validadas em sua maioria. Foi identificada uma relacao cubica entre idade e as taxas de suicidio. Do ponto de vista regional, as regioes sul e centro-oeste possuem taxas de suicidio superiores as observadas no sudeste. Os gastos com saude apresentaram efeito negativo sobre as taxas de suicidio o que evidencia o papel das politicas publicas em saude como forma de prevencao.
Plasma insulin-like growth factor 1, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3, and risk of colorectal cancer: a prospective study in northern Sweden

Background: Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) has antiapoptotic and mitogenic effects on various cell types, and raised IGF-1 levels are increasingly being implicated as potential risk factors for cancer. Aims: To examine the relationship between IGF-1 and its major plasma binding protein, IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), and the risk of colorectal cancer. Methods: We conducted a case-control study nested within the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Cohort. IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were measured in prediagnostic plasma samples from 168 men and women who developed cancers of the colon (n=110) or rectum (n=58), and from 336 matched controls. Results: Conditional logistic regression analyses showed an increase in colon cancer risk with increasing levels of IGF-1 (odds ratios (ORs) 1.00, 1.89, 2.30, 2.66; ptrend=0.03) and IGFBP-3 (ORs 1.00, 0.91, 1.80, 1.93; ptrend=0.02). Rectal cancer risk was inversely related to levels of IGF-1 (ORs 1.00, 0.45, 0.33, 0.33; ptrend=0.09) and IGFBP-3 (ORs 1.00, 0.75, 0.66, 0.49; ptrend=0.21). Mutual adjustments between IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 did not materially alter these relationships. Conclusions: These results support earlier findings of increased risk of colon cancer in subjects with elevated plasma IGF-1. Our results however do not support the hypothesis that the risk of rectal cancer could also be directly related to IGF-1 levels.
Bioactivity Screening of Microalgae for Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, Anticancer, Anti-Diabetes, and Antibacterial Activities

Marine microalgae are considered a potentially new and valuable source of biologically active molecules for applications in the food industry as well as in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetic sectors. They can be easily cultured, have short generation times and enable an environmentally-friendly approach to drug discovery by overcoming problems associated with the over-utilization of marine resources and the use of destructive collection practices. In this study, 21 diatoms, 7 dinoflagellates and 4 flagellate species were grown in three different culturing conditions and the corresponding extracts were tested for possible antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-diabetes, antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities. In addition, for two diatoms we also tested two different clones to disclose diversity in clone bioactivity. Six diatom species displayed specific anti-inflammatory, anticancer (blocking human melanoma cell proliferation) and anti-biofilm (against the bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis) activities whereas, none of the other microalgae were bioactive against the conditions tested for. Furthermore, none of the 6 diatom species tested were toxic on normal human cells. Culturing conditions (i.e. nutrient starvation conditions) greatly influenced bioactivity of the majority of the clones/species tested. This study denotes the potential of diatoms as sources of promising bioactives for the treatment of human pathologies.
An “Ethical Mindset” – Linking OD and the Implicit Assumptions Leaders MakeWhen Reviewing the Insights of Douglas McGregor

Leadership styles and organizational development (OD) interventions are influenced by significant contextual concerns. The contextual concerns examined in this paper highlight the important potential role of ethics within OD and leadership, though ethics is only considered a central tenet within some, but not all, leadership theories. The founders of OD placed ethical issues as a central tenet to the theory and practice of OD, although the language of ethics was not specifically used. Thus, this paper invites readers to challenge themselves on the extent to which their implied leadership assumptions are in alignment OD values. Additionally, this paper showcases the role of ethics — an Ethical Mindset —in the future development of OD.
Efficient dissemination in decentralized social networks

Online social networks (OSN) have attracted millions of users worldwide. This enormous success is not without problems; the centralized architectures of OSNs, storing the users' personal data, provides ample opportunity for privacy violation — a fact that has raised the demand for open, decentralized alternatives. We tackle the research question: is it possible to build a decentralized OSN over a social overlay, i.e., an overlay network whose links among nodes mirror the social network relationships among the nodes' owners? This paper provides a stepping stone to the answer, by focusing on the key OSN functionality of disseminating profile updates. Our approach relies on gossip protocols. We show that mainstream gossip protocols are inefficient, due to the properties that characterize social networks. We then leverage these very same properties towards our goal, by appropriately modifying gossip forwarding rules. Our evaluation, performed in simulation over a crawled real-world social network, shows that our protocols provide acceptable latency, foster load balancing across nodes, and tolerate churn.
Beating the Blues: Computerised Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for the treatment of depression and anxiety with older people

Pages 6 – 7 CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION Pages 8 – 75 1.1 Context Pages 8 – 23 1.1.1 Changing Demographics of the Population Pages 8 – 10 1.1.2 Prevalence Rates of Anxiety and Depression in Older People Pages 10 – 16 1.1. 3 Impact of Depression and Anxiety in Older People Pages 16 – 22 1.1. 4 Conclusion Pages 22 – 23 1.2 Treatment for Depression and Anxiety in Older People Pages 24 – 43 1.2.