Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does Two-Year Stability for Scale Scores of Psychosocial Factors Differ by Socioeconomic Position?

Previous longitudinal studies have demonstrated the importance of measuring stability of risk factors over time to correct for attenuation bias. The present aim was to assess the stability of scores for eight psychometric scales over a 2-yr. period and whether stability differed by socioeconomic position. Baseline data were collected during 2003–2004 from 1,007 men and women ages 45 to 69 years. Follow-up data were collected in 2006 from a total of 795 men and women. Analysis showed that stability over 2 yr. was moderate and tended to be lower in groups of low socioeconomic position. It is suggested that correction of attenuation bias is relevant in longitudinal studies for psychosocial factors, especially for groups of low socioeconomic position.
Scoring systems in paediatric emergency care: Panacea or paper exercise?

Scoring systems to recognise the most ill patients, or those at risk of deterioration, are increasingly utilised in hospitals that look after paediatric inpatients. There have been efforts to implement these systems in emergency and urgent care settings, but they have yet unproven value. This is because the child or young person presenting acutely is a different cohort than the ‘treated’ ward‐based group. The majority of children presenting to emergency and urgent care settings are discharged home, and so, scoring systems need to recognise the most unwell but also assist in safe and appropriate discharge as well as highlighting those patients in need of more senior review. This article explores this conundrum, suggesting how cognitive factors have a role to play, and how scoring systems can have wider effects than just individual patient care.
Immunostimulatory potential and proteome profiling of Leishmania donovani soluble exogenous antigens

Isolation of the soluble exogenous antigens (SEAgs), its immune response study and proteome profiling is an essential prerequisite for understanding the molecular pathogenesis of Leishmania donovani. The immunostimulatory potential of L. donovani SEAgs, purified from culture of L. donovani clinical isolate, was evaluated for their ability to induce cellular responses in treated/cured hamsters. SEAgs induced significant proliferative responses in lymphocytes (SI 5·6 ± 2·3; P < 0·01) isolated from cured hamster. In addition, significant NO production in response to SEAgs was also noticed in macrophages of hamsters, mouse and human cell lines (J774A‐1 and THP1). Western blot analyses with antibodies against proteophosphoglycan (PPG; surface‐expressed and secreted molecule) of L. donovani revealed that PPG molecules are also present in L. donovani SEAgs. Mass spectrometry (MS)‐based proteome analysis of 12 protein bands of SEAgs through MALDI‐TOF/TOF endorsed the identification of some Th1‐stimulatory immunogenic proteins. These immunogenic proteins may offer increased hope for the discovery of new promising vaccine candidates against visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The overall results suggest that immunostimulatory molecules are present in the SEAgs, which may be further exploited, for developing a subunit vaccine against VL a fatal human disease.
Effect of wheat and high-moisture sorghum grain fed singly and in combination on ruminal fermentation, solid and liquid flow, site and extent of digestion and feeding performance of cattle.

Two experiments were conducted to determine how varying the proportion of wheat (W) and high-moisture sorghum grain (SG) in 80% grain dies would affect ruminal fermentation, liquid and solid flow, site and extent of digestion (Exp. 1) and feeding performance of cattle (Exp. 2). In Exp. 1, three ruminal, duodenal and ileal cannulated steers (average weight 295 kg), fed at 1.54% of body weight, were used in a six-period crossover design. Treatments were: W, 50W:50SG (W:SG) and SG. Increasing wheat level decreased ruminal pH, molar proportion of acetate, and acetate:propionate ratio (P less than .05) and increased (P less than .05) L-lactate concentration, molar proportions of propionate and valerate and total volatile fatty acid concentration. Ruminal liquid dilution and outflow rates were faster (P less than .05) and retention time was shorter (P less than .05) for the W diet. Duodenal and ileal liquid flow increased (P less than .05), and solid flow decreased (P less than .05), as dietary level of wheat increased. Apparent ruminal digestion (% of intake) of dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) was greater (P less than .01) with the wheat-containing diets. Intestinal DM and OM digestion (percent of intake) was higher (P less than .05) with the SG and W:SG diets. Ruminal, small intestine, large intestine and total tract starch digestion (percent of intake) was 93.5, 5.6, . 7, 99.8, 71.5, 20.4, 5.7, 97.6; and 48.0, 32.5, 10.5, 91.0 with the W, W:SG and SG diets, respectively. In Exp. 2, group-fed (24 pens) steers (avg initial weight 341 kg) were fed ad libitum once daily for 121 d. Treatments were: W, 67W:33SG, 33W:67SG and SG. Rates of gain (kg/d) with the W (1.32), 67W:37SG (1.33) and 33W:67SG (1.30) diets were similar (P greater than .05), but faster (P less than .05) than those with the SG diet (1.16). Feed intake was lower (P less than .01) with the W and 67W:33SG diets, but the wheat-containing diets were utilized more efficiently (P less than .01). Increasing the proportion of wheat in sorghum grain feedlot diets improved cattle performance by optimizing ruminal and post-ruminal digestion.
Community Structure Analysis of Methanogens Associated with Rumen Protozoa Reveals Bias in Universal Archaeal Primers

ABSTRACT The diversity of protozoan-associated methanogens in cattle was investigated using five universal archaeal small-subunit (SSU) rRNA gene primer sets. Methanobrevibacter spp. and rumen cluster C (distantly related to Thermoplasma spp.) were predominant. Significant differences in species composition among libraries indicate that some primers used previously to characterize rumen methanogens exhibit biased amplification.
Effects of sustainable leadership on customer satisfaction: evidence from Thailand

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate a limited empirical study into the field of sustainable leadership (SL) and customer satisfaction. Hence, the quantitative effects and relationships between SL and customer satisfaction were examined based on empirical analysis and evidence from Thailand. These relationships are of interest for studying long-term corporate success and sustainability in firms. Design/methodology/approach The research design was based on an empirical, quantitative approach using a cross-sectional survey. Convenience sampling was used, gaining responses from 440 business managers across various industries in Thailand. SL model was adopted as a theoretical framework. Findings It is evident in this study that 16 out of 23 SL practices are significantly associated with enhanced customer satisfaction. Multiple regression analyses provide evidence that strong and shared vision, innovation, staff engagement and high quality are significantly and positively expected to increase customer satisfaction. In short, the four practices are the key predictors of and drivers for superior customer satisfaction in firms. Research limitations/implications One important implication is that business owners, leaders and managers from Thailand and other emerging Asia-Pacific economies should adopt these significant practices to improve superior customer satisfaction, thereby contributing to enhanced sustainable enterprises in the long run. Since the existing study is the first investigation into studying the relationships and their effects, it needs replication and cross-validation. Originality/value Overall findings are of empirical and practical significance to expand limited knowledge in the field, with scanty empirical research to date. It offers research insights into the relationships between SL practices and customer satisfaction. Hence, it is of empirical and practical significance. Limitations and future directions are also discussed.
Early chronic ethanol exposure in rats disturbs respiratory network activity and increases sensitivity to ethanol

Chronic ethanol exposure during the fetal period alters spontaneous neuronal discharge, excitatory and inhibitory amino acid neurotransmission and neuronal sensitivity to ethanol in the adult brain. However, nothing is known about the effects of such exposure on the central respiratory rhythmic network, which is highly dependent on ethanol‐sensitive amino acid neurotransmission. In 3‐ to 4‐week‐old rats, we investigated (1) the effects of chronic ethanol exposure (10% v/v as only source of fluid) during gestation and lactation on phrenic (Phr) and hypoglossal (XII) nerve activity using an in situ preparation and on spontaneous breathing at rest in unanaesthetized animals using plethysmography; (2) the sensitivity of the respiratory system to ethanol re‐exposure in situ; and (3) the phrenic nerve response to muscimol, a GABAA receptor agonist, applied systemically in an in situ preparation. In control rats, ethanol (10–80 mm) induced a concentration‐dependent decrease in the amplitude of both XII and Phr motor outflows. At 80 mm ethanol, the amplitude of the activity of the two nerves displayed a difference in sensitivity to ethanol and respiratory frequency increased as a result of shortening of postinspiratory duration period. After chronic ethanol exposure, respiratory frequency was significantly reduced by 43%in situ and by 23% in unanaesthetized animals, as a result of a selective increase in expiratory duration. During Phr burst, the ramp was steeper, revealing modification of inspiratory patterning. Interestingly that re‐exposure to ethanol in situ elicited a dramatic inhibitory effect. At 80 mm, ethanol abolished rhythmic XII nerve outflow in all cases and Phr nerve outflow in only 50% of cases. Furthermore, administration of 50 µm muscimol abolished Phr nerve activity in all control rats, but only in 50% of ethanol‐exposed animals. Our results demonstrate that chronic ethanol exposure at an early stage of brain development depresses breathing in juvenile rats, and sensitizes the respiratory network to re‐exposure to ethanol, which does not seem to involve GABAergic neurotransmission.
An open‐labeled, randomized, multicenter phase IIa study of gambogic acid injection for advanced malignant tumors

Background Gambogic acid is a pure active compound isolated from the traditional Chinese medicinal plant gamboge (Garcinia morella Desv.). Based on the preliminary results of a phase I study, this phase IIa study compared the efficacy and safety of different dosage schedules of gambogic acid in patients with advanced malignant tumors. Methods Patients with advanced or metastases cancer who had not received any effective routine conventional treatment or who had failed to respond to the existing conventional treatment were randomly assigned to receive either 45 mg/m2 gambogic acid intravenously from Days 1 to 5 of a 2‐week cycle (Group A), or 45 mg/m2 every other day for a total of five times during a 2‐week cycle (Group B). The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Results Twenty‐one patients assigned to Group A and 26 to Group B were included in the final analysis. The ORRs were 14.3% in Group A and 0% in Group B. It was not possible to analyze the significant difference because one of the values was zero. The disease control rates (DCRs) were 76.2% in Group A and 61.5% in Group B (P=0.0456). The observed adverse reactions were mostly Grades I and II, and occurred in most patients after administration of the trial drug. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two arms. Conclusions The preliminary results of this phase IIa exploratory study suggest that gambogic acid has a favorable safety profile when administered at 45 mg/m2. The DCR was greater in patients receiving gambogic acid on Days 1‐5 of a 2‐week cycle, but the incidence of adverse reactions was similar irrespective of the administration schedule.
[Psychometric performance of the 6th version of the Addiction Severity Index in Spanish (ASI-6)].

This work analysed the psychometric properties of the 6th version of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI-6) translated and adapted to the Spanish language. A multicentre, observational and prospective design was used. A total of 258 participants were included, 217 were patients (35 stable patients and 182 unstable patients), and 41 were controls. The results show satisfactory psychometric performance of the ASI-6. The degree of the internal consistency of the standardized objective scores ranged between . 47 and . 95. As for test-retest reliability, the values were acceptable, varying from . 36 to 1. The study of the internal structure revealed a good fit to a unidimensional solution for all scales taken independently. Regarding convergent-discriminant validity, the correlations between the primary and secondary scales of the ASI-6 and the Clinic Global Impression score were low, with values from . 01 to . 26. Likewise, 8 of the 15 scales differentiated between controls and unstable patients. The psychometric properties of the ASI-6 Spanish version seem to be acceptable, though it is necessary to carry out new studies to test metric quality with independent samples of patients.
Calmodulin Inhibitors from Aspergillus stromatoides

An organic extract was prepared from the culture medium and mycelia of the marine fungus Aspergillus stromatoides Raper & Fennell. The extract was fractionated via column chromatography, and the resulting fractions were tested for their abilities to quench the fluorescence of the calmodulin (CaM) biosensor hCaM M124C‐mBBr. From the active fraction, emodin (1) and ω‐hydroxyemodin (2) were isolated as CaM inhibitors. Anthraquinones 1 and 2 quenched the fluorescence of the hCaM M124C‐mBBr biosensor in a concentration‐dependent manner with Kd values of 0.33 and 0.76 μM, respectively. The results were compared with those of chlorpromazine (CPZ), a classical inhibitor of CaM, with a Kd value of 1.25 μM. Docking analysis revealed that 1 and 2 bind to the same pocket of CPZ. The CaM inhibitor properties of 1 and 2 were correlated with some of their reported biological properties. Citrinin (3), methyl 8‐hydroxy‐6‐methyl‐9‐oxo‐9H‐xanthene‐1‐carboxylate (4), and coniochaetone A (5) were also isolated in the present study. The X‐ray structure of 5 is reported for the first time.
Implementation of a ZigBee-based high performance sensor node for the robot environment platform

In this paper, a ZigBee-based wireless sensor network is configured for the robot to effectively communicate with the environment platform where each sensor node is implemented using a high performance microcontroller. The localization and the navigation functions are also required for the robot and the functions are executed with various types of sensor information. A new type of ZigBee stack is developed using the RUM(Router Under MAC) of the Atmel Corp. and it is applied to 32-bit ARM core microcontroller for the high performance sensor data manipulation and transmission. It is verified by experiments that the wireless sensor network consisting of developed high performance sensor nodes can be effectively used for the robot environment platform.
Evidence-based medicine and limits to the literature search.

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES Searching the literature, a core requirement of evidence-based medicine has been impossibly oversold. The literature search is supposed to provide evidence independent from expert opinion, which has been deemed to be low on the evidence hierarchy. Yet freedom from expertise is not free. Paradoxically, practitioners are told to search the literature to avoid authority, but because there is too much information and too little time, they are urged to rely on authoritative digests. But the chain of errors inherent in searching literature for decision making, whether in scoping the decision, finding relevant documents, or in the document content, cannot be ignored. This article explores those errors. METHOD With examples from signal theory and decision theory, the literature search is analyzed in light of fundamental limits in the nature of informaiton. You can run from expertise but you cannot hide. Expertise is inevitably required to deal with these errors. So do-it-yourself searching is inadequate in the absence of expertise. The best decisions result from collaboration with subject matter experts and decision-making experts.
Branching tendon routing: A new tendon methodology for compact transmission

In this paper, we propose a new tendon routing method using branching tendon for driving a revolute joint. Unlike conventional tendon (or wire) widely used in the tendon transmission, the branching tendon splits into sub-tendons, and the end points of the sub-tendons are located on the same link but different positions. Thus, without using any complicated and bulky mechanism, the branching tendon can transmit the tendon force through the alternative path depending on the rotating angle of the joint. Based on this concept, the design of the branching tendon with two sub-tendons is proposed. Also, an analysis of the tension transmission path of this branching tendon is performed to increase force transmitting efficiency. By applying this branching tendon, a finger joint with a compact tendon routing path was constructed. And we have verified that the branching tendon can be used to develop robotic fingers or hand prosthetics.
Prescribing Clinicians’ Perspectives on Evidence-Based Psychotherapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Evidence-based psychotherapies (EBP) for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder are not utilized to their full extent within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). VA provides care to many persons with PTSD and has been in the forefront of clinical practice guidelines and EBP training and dissemination. Yet VA continues to find EBP implementation difficult. Veterans with PTSD often initially present to prescribing clinicians, who then help make care decisions. It is therefore critical that these clinicians correctly screen and triage appropriate mental health care. The purpose of this study was to assess VA prescribing clinicians’ knowledge, perceptions, and referral behaviors related to EBPs for PTSD and to identify facilitators and barriers to implementing EBPs within VA. We conducted qualitative interviews with 26 VA prescribing clinicians. Limited access to EBPs was the most commonly noted barrier. The clinicians we interviewed also held specific beliefs and behaviors that may delay or deter EBPs. Strategies to improve utilization also emerged. Findings suggest the need for increased access to EBPs, training to optimize the role of prescribing clinicians in helping Veterans with PTSD make appropriate care decisions, and specific organizational changes to facilitate access and effective referral systems for EBPs.
What’s in a Price? The Impact of Starting Point Bias in WTP for Information in Taiwanese Wet Markets

Traditional markets in Asian countries still account for the majority of fresh meat, fish and vegetable purchases. One of the reasons for their popularity is the relational trust between vendors and buyers. This trust may justify the limited availability of information on origin or production methods and other attributes of foods sold in these markets. However, a number of recent food safety outbreaks and food fraud cases raised consumer and government concerns on over the level information in these markets and ignited a reflection of possible action. This study aims to determine the consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for fresh meat traceability and free growth hormone information traditional markets in Taiwan. To estimate the values of information the payment card method was employed and to account for the starting point bias, the sample was divided into different treatments each with a different price of meat. A total of 2,381 completed survey were collected in mid-July, 2015. An interval regression model is utilized to examine how much consumers would be willing to pay for addition product information. The results suggest that WTP of information not consistent among groups with different starting point scenarios. There was a significant difference between respondents that were not given any indication of the price per quantity of meat and those that were prompted with a market price. Interestingly, we found that consumers treat the information of growth hormone-free examination and traceability differently.
Gingival evaluation of the pediatric cardiac patient.

PURPOSE Children with congenital cardiovascular diseases (CCDs) who suffer from dental diseases have an increased risk of infective endocarditis. In the light of recent evidence, oral inflammatory diseases may also increase the severity of their cardiovascular condition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the gingival status of children with congenital cardiovascular diseases in comparison to healthy children. METHODS Fifty 7- to 13-year-old children were included. The test group comprised 25 CCD children subdivided into three groups: (1) unrepaired ventricular septal defect; (2) aortic valve stenosis; and (3) coarctation of the aorta. The control group consisted of 25 healthy age- and gender-matched children. Gingivitis, plaque, calculus, and recession were measured on six sites per tooth on 12 teeth. RESULTS CCD children had significantly more gingivitis (P<.001), plaque (P<.001), recession (P>.02), and calculus (P<.001) than controls. Among the CCDs groups, no statistically significant differences were found for gingivitis, plaque, or recession. CONCLUSIONS Children with congenital cardiovascular diseases had a higher prevalence of periodontal disease, evidenced by gingivitis, plaque, calculus, and recession. These children should be evaluated periodontally and their oral health monitored on a 3-month basis to prevent disease development, benefit cardiovascular condition, prevent endocarditis, and improve quality and longevity of life.
Feasibility Assessment and Design Optimization of a Clutchless Multimode Parallel Hybrid Electric Powertrain

The fuel economy (FE) of the parallel hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) suffers due to significant energy losses from the wet clutches of the automatic transmission and limited engine operations. To overcome these limitations, a novel clutchless multimode parallel HEV (CMP-HEV) was proposed previously, but its operational feasibility was not proven. In this study, we propose a systematic methodology that can assess the feasibility of the CMP-HEV and efficiently optimize FE and acceleration performance of the design, simultaneously. Using the dynamic models, we assess the feasibility over the entire design spaces under two conditions: full acceleration (for drivability) and moderate acceleration (for fuel efficiency). An instantaneous optimization method is used to rapidly evaluate the full acceleration performance, and the designs with poor acceleration are considered infeasible. For the fuel efficiency, the feasibility is determined by the violation of electric motor constraints under the assumption of efficient engine operations. The feasible design sets from the assessment are used for the design optimization. Dynamic programming is applied over only the feasible design space, and the Pareto front is obtained to show the tradeoff between FE and acceleration performance. The selected final design is found superior to a comparable parallel HEV in both FE and acceleration performance perspectives.