Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hydroxy-α sanshool induces colonic motor activity in rat proximal colon: a possible involvement of KCNK9

Various colonic motor activities are thought to mediate propulsion and mixing/absorption of colonic content. The Japanese traditional medicine daikenchuto (TU-100), which is widely used for postoperative ileus in Japan, accelerates colonic emptying in healthy humans. Hydroxy-α sanshool (HAS), a readily absorbable active ingredient of TU-100 and a KCNK3/KCNK9/KCNK18 blocker as well as TRPV1/TRPA1 agonist, has been investigated for its effects on colonic motility. Motility was evaluated by intraluminal pressure and video imaging of rat proximal colons in an organ bath. Distribution of KCNKs was investigated by RT-PCR, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry. Current and membrane potential were evaluated with use of recombinant KCNK3- or KCNK9-expressing Xenopus oocytes and Chinese hamster ovary cells. Defecation frequency in rats was measured. HAS dose dependently induced strong propulsive “squeezing” motility, presumably as long-distance contraction (LDC). TRPV1/TRPA1 agonists induced different motility patterns. The effect of HAS was unaltered by TRPV1/TRPA1 antagonists and desensitization. Lidocaine (a nonselective KCNK blocker) and hydroxy-β sanshool (a geometrical isomer of HAS and KCNK3 blocker) also induced colonic motility as a rhythmic propagating ripple (RPR) and a LDC-like motion, respectively. HAS-induced “LDC,” but not lidocaine-induced “RPR,” was abrogated by a neuroleptic agent tetrodotoxin. KCNK3 and KCNK9 were located mainly in longitudinal smooth muscle cells and in neural cells in the myenteric plexus, respectively. Administration of HAS or TU-100 increased defecation frequency in normal and laparotomy rats. HAS may evoke strong LDC possibly via blockage of the neural KCNK9 channel in the colonic myenteric plexus.
[Development of a Wellness Index for Workers].

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to develop a wellness index for workers (WIW) and examine the validity and reliability of the WIW for assessing workers' wellness. METHODS The developmental process for the instrument included construction of a conceptual framework based on a wellness model, generation of initial items, verification of content validity, preliminary study, extraction of final items, and psychometric testing. Content validity was verified by 4 experts from occupational health nursing and wellness disciplines. The construct validity, convergent validity and discriminant validity were examined with confirmatory factor analysis. The reliability was examined with Cronbach's alpha. The participants were 494 workers from two workplaces. RESULTS Eighteen items were selected for the final scale, and the results of the confirmatory factor analysis supported a five-factor model of wellness with acceptable model fit, and factors named as physical · emotional · social · intellectual · occupational wellness. The convergent and discriminant validity were also supported. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was . 91. CONCLUSION The results indicate that the WIW is a valid and reliable instrument to comprehensively assess workers' wellness, and to provide basic directions for developing workplace wellness program.
Deaf Persons and Computer Use

Deaf persons' computer use was studied (N = 227). Respondents self-administered a survey in their preferred language (voice, American Sign Language, captions, or printed English). A small nonparticipant sample was also recruited. Demographics were consistent with those in other studies of deaf people: 63% of respondents reported computer use, mostly at home; 50% of nonparticipants reported computer use. Subjects with hearing loss due to meningitis were less likely to use computers (p = .0004). Computer use was associated with English usage at home (p = .008), with hearing persons (p = .002), and with physicians and nurses (p = .00001). It was also associated with the use of Signed English as a child to communicate (p = .02), teacher use of Signed English (p = .04), and teacher use of ASL (p = .03). Two thirds of respondents reported using computers, though nonresponder data suggested less use among all deaf persons. Computer use was associated with English use and inversely associated with hearing loss due to meningitis.
Serological study of the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in asymptomatic patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus

SUMMARY Asymptomatic individuals seropositive for antibody to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were investigated for the presence of toxoplasma specific antibody. Serological examination was performed using multiple assays. Of 500 patients studied 133 had serological evidence of previous exposure to Toxoplasma gondii. Specific IgM was detected in 7 patients using ISAGA and 2 patients by DS-ELISA. The immunoglobulin-G annual seroconversion rate was calculated to be 0·75 %. The results of this study indicate 27 % of HIV positive patients in the UK are at risk of developing life-threatening secondary reactivation of cerebral toxoplasmosis in association with AIDS. A further 0·5–1 % per year may suffer primary toxoplasmosis.
Characteristics of 36 subjects reporting compulsive sexual behavior.

OBJECTIVE The authors describe the sociodemographic features, phenomenology, and psychiatric comorbidity of 36 subjects reporting compulsive sexual behavior. METHOD Twenty-eight men and eight women who responded to advertisements for "persons . who have a problem with compulsive sexual behavior" completed structured and semistructured assessments, including the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for DSM-III-R disorders (axis I) and the Structured Interview for DSM-III-R Personality Disorders, Revised (axis II). RESULTS The typical subject was a 27-year-old man who reported experiencing compulsive sexual behavior for nearly 9 years. Sexual behavior was described as excessive and poorly controlled and was associated with either subjective distress or impairment in interpersonal or occupational functioning or as overly time-consuming. Fourteen subjects (39%) reported a history of major depression or dysthymia, 15 (42%) a history of phobic disorder, and 23 (64%) a history of substance use disorder. Personality disorders were quite frequent, particularly the paranoid, histrionic, obsessive-compulsive, and passive-aggressive subtypes. The compulsive sexual behavior was quite varied and included both paraphilic (e.g., cross-dressing) and nonparaphilic (e.g., compulsive masturbation) types. CONCLUSIONS Compulsive sexual behavior may be a clinically useful concept, but it describes a heterogeneous group of individuals with substantial psychiatric comorbidity and diverse behavioral problems.
Scan Chain Adaptation through ECO

The paper proposes a Scan Chain Adaptation Through ECO (SCATE) methodology to accommodate scan chain changes at advanced physical design stage into the existing DFT compression logic and eliminates the need of re-running the complete scan insertion flow. With the proposed methodology scan chain changes can be implemented as ECO to achieve cycle time reduction with minimum overhead. It can handle last minute changes due to the addition of new scan chains or changes in scan chain lengths in existing IPs. The scope of the work is also extended to reduce the cycle time of a derivative product from a base design. Results from industrial designs in 28FDSOI and 40nm CMOS technologies show SOC test coverage of above 99% when new scan chains were included using the proposed methods. Test time gain of more than 30% was observed by adjusting the maximum scan chain lengths. Use of SCATE methodology enabled DFT modifications through ECO and saved design cycle time by avoiding loopback to fresh DFT insertion, Timing analysis and Physical design flows in industrial SOCs
Effect of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) molecular weight on the release of dexamethasone sodium phosphate from microparticles

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) molecular weight (Resomer® RG 502H, RG 503H, and RG 504H) on the release behavior of dexamethasone sodium phosphate-loaded microparticles. The microparticles were prepared by three modifications of the solvent evaporation method (O/W-cosolvent, O/W-dispersion, and W/O/W-methods). The encapsulation efficiency of microparticles prepared by the cosolvent- and W/O/W-methods increased from ∼50% to >90% upon addition of NaCl to the external aqueous phase, while the dispersion method resulted in lower encapsulation efficiencies. The release of dexamethasone sodium phosphate from PLGA microparticles (>50 µm) was biphasic. The initial burst release correlated well with the porosity of the microparticles, both of which increased with increasing polymer molecular weight (RG 504H > 503H > 502H). The burst was also dependent on the method of preparation and was in the order of dispersion method > WOW method > consolvent method. In contrast to the higher molecular weight PLGA microparticles, the release from RG 502H microparticles prepared by cosolvent method was not affected by volume of organic solvent (1.5–3.0 ml) and drug loading (4–13%). An initial burst of ∼10% followed by a 5-week sustained release phase was obtained. Microparticles with a size <50 µm released in a triphasic manner; an initial burst was followed by a slow release phase and then by a second burst.
Generalized anxiety disorder in patients with major depression: is DSM-IV's hierarchy correct?

OBJECTIVE DSM-III imposed a hierarchical relationship in the diagnosis of anxiety disorders in depressed patients, stipulating that anxiety disorders could not be diagnosed if their occurrence was limited to the course of a mood disorder. In the subsequent versions of the DSM this hierarchy was eliminated for all anxiety disorders except generalized anxiety disorder. The authors examined the validity of this remaining hierarchical relationship between mood and anxiety disorders. METHOD Psychiatric outpatients with major depressive disorder (N=332) were evaluated with a semistructured diagnostic interview and completed paper-and-pencil questionnaires on presentation for treatment. To study the validity of the DSM-IV hierarchical relationship between generalized anxiety disorder and mood disorders, the authors made a diagnosis of modified generalized anxiety disorder for patients with major depressive disorder who met all the criteria for generalized anxiety disorder except for the exclusion criterion. The analyses compared the characteristics of three nonoverlapping groups of patients with DSM-IV major depressive disorder: 1) those with coexisting DSM-IV generalized anxiety disorder, 2) those with coexisting modified generalized anxiety disorder, and 3) those with neither DSM-IV nor modified generalized anxiety disorder. RESULTS Compared to the depressed patients without generalized anxiety disorder, the depressed patients with DSM-IV and modified generalized anxiety disorder had higher levels of suicidal ideation; poorer social functioning; a greater frequency of other anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and somatoform disorders; higher scores on most subscales of a multidimensional self-report measure of DSM-IV axis I disorders; a greater level of pathological worry; and a higher morbid risk for generalized anxiety disorder in first-degree family members. The two generalized anxiety disorder groups did not differ from each other. CONCLUSIONS The findings question the validity of the DSM-IV hierarchical relationship between major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder and suggest that the exclusion criterion should be eliminated.
Do Biocides Select for Antibiotic Resistance? *

Some similarities exist between bacterial resistance to antibiotics and to biocides, and gram‐negative bacteria that have developed resistance to cationic biocides may also be insusceptible to some antibiotics. Outer membrane changes are believed to be responsible for this non‐specific increase in resistance. Efflux, another important resistance mechanism, is associated with the qacA/B gene system in staphylococci that confers low‐level resistance to cationic agents including chlorhexidine salts and quaternary ammonium compounds. It has been proposed that the introduction into clinical practice of Chlorhexidine and quaternary ammonium compounds has resulted in the selection of staphylococci containing qacA genes on multiresistance plasmids. A linkage between low‐level resistance to triclosan and to antibiotics has recently been claimed to occur in Escherichia coli, with the bisphenol selecting for chromosomally‐mediated antibiotic resistance. A key issue in many studies has been the use of biocides at concentrations significantly below those used clinically. It remains to be determined how an increase to low‐level resistance to cationic biocides can be held responsible for the selection of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria.
Effects of Ibotenate and 192IgG-Saporin Lesions of the Nucleus Basalis Magnocellularis/Substantia Innominata on Spontaneous Sleep and Wake States and on Recovery Sleep after Sleep Deprivation in Rats

The basal forebrain (BF) is known for its role in cortical and behavioral activation, and has been postulated to have a role in compensatory mechanisms after sleep loss. However, specific neuronal phenotypes responsible for these roles are unclear. We investigated the effects of ibotenate (IBO) and 192IgG-saporin (SAP) lesions of the caudal BF on spontaneous sleep–waking and electroencephalogram (EEG), and recovery sleep and EEG after 6 h of sleep deprivation (SD). Relative to artificial CSF (ACSF) controls, IBO injections decreased parvalbumin and cholinergic neurons in the caudal BF by 43 and 21%, respectively, and cortical acetylcholinesterase staining by 41%. SAP injections nonsignificantly decreased parvalbumin neurons by 11%, but significantly decreased cholinergic neurons by 69% and cortical acetylcholinesterase by 84%. IBO lesions had no effect on sleep–wake states but increased baseline delta power in all states [up to 62% increase during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep]. SAP lesions transiently increased NREM sleep by 13%, predominantly during the dark phase, with no effect on EEG. During the first 12 h after SD, animals with IBO and SAP lesions showed lesser rebound NREM sleep (32 and 77% less, respectively) and delta power (78 and 53% less) relative to ACSF controls. These results suggest that noncholinergic BF neurons promote cortical activation by inhibiting delta waves, whereas cholinergic BF neurons play a nonexclusive role in promoting wake. Intriguingly, these results also suggest that both types of BF neurons play important roles, probably through different mechanisms, in increased NREM sleep and EEG delta power after sleep loss.
State and Peculiarities of Differentiation of Small and Individual Entrepreneurship in the Regions of Russia

the analysis of the state of small business (SB) is a "catalyst" of the state of economic relations in countries with a market economy. The revival of the SB in Russia has been more than a quarter of a century, but the potential advantages of the SB are still barely perceptible. Therefore, the monitoring of the state of small business is relevant for the adoption and implementation of effective differentiated support for SB in the regions of the country. Methods of research: statistical methods, methodical approach to the classification of Russian regions by key characteristics of the state of small business; a technique of construction of system of ratings of regions on a level of small business development that allows to receive the signal information about changes occurring in SB. Information base: data from a full-scale Federal statistical observation of the state of the small business in Russia in 2010 and 2015. Results: the implementation of the proposed approach made it possible to carry out the typology of groups of regions that differ in the degree of balanced development of small business, assess the favorable business environment in the selected groups, identify a high degree of concentration of SB entities in the regions of Russia, and show that the dynamics of the small business sector as a whole across the country in decisive measure depends on its state in the regions-leaders. Keywords— Russian Federation, small business, individual entrepreneurship, small and medium entrepreneurship.
Clinical features of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis according to the El Escorial and Airlie House diagnostic criteria: A population-based study.

BACKGROUND The El Escorial and the revised Airlie House diagnostic criteria for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) classify patients into categories reflecting different levels of diagnostic certainty. We conducted a prospective, population-based study of the natural course of ALS in the Republic of Ireland during a 6-year period to examine the utility of these ALS diagnostic criteria. METHODS Using data from the Irish ALS Register, we studied the clinical features of all patients diagnosed as having ALS in Ireland throughout their illness. RESULTS Between 1993 and 1998, 388 patients were diagnosed as having ALS. Forty percent of patients reported bulbar-onset symptoms. Disease progression occurred over time: at last follow-up, 75% of all patients had bulbar signs, compared with 59% at diagnosis. When the El Escorial criteria were applied, more than half of patients (218 [56%]) had definite or probable ALS at diagnosis. Of the 165 possible and suspected ALS cases at diagnosis (trial ineligible), 110 (67%) were trial eligible at last follow-up. Of the 254 patients who had died, 229 (90%) had definite or probable ALS, whereas 25 patients (10%) remained trial ineligible at death. El Escorial category at diagnosis was not a significant prognostic indicator. Use of the Airlie House criteria had no effect on the median time from symptom onset to trial eligibility (12.9 vs 12.8 months). CONCLUSIONS The El Escorial and Airlie House diagnostic criteria are excessively restrictive. Furthermore, levels of diagnostic certainty cannot be used as prognostic indicators. Arch Neurol. 2000;57:1171-1176
Phase I trial of phenoxodiol delivered by continuous intravenous infusion in patients with solid cancer.

BACKGROUND Phenoxodiol is a multi-pathway initiator of apoptosis with broad anti-tumor activity and high specificity for tumor cells. Its biochemical effects are particularly suited to reversal of chemo-resistance, and the drug is being developed as a chemo-sensitizer of standard chemotherapeutics in solid cancers. This phase I, single-center trial was conducted to test a continuous intravenous dosing regimen of phenoxodiol in patients with late-stage, solid tumors to determine toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy. METHODS Phenoxodiol given by intravenous infusion continuously for 7 days on 14-day cycles was dose-escalated on an inter-patient basis at dosages of 0.65,1.3, 3.3, 20.0, and 27.0 mg/kg/day (three to four patients per stratum). Treatment cycles continued until disease progression. Toxicity was based on standard criteria; efficacy was based on changes in tumor burden (WHO); pharmacokinetic analysis was conducted on plasma samples at specified time points during treatment cycles. RESULTS Nineteen heavily-pre-treated patients with solid tumors received a median of three cycles of treatment (range 1-13); two patients received >or= 12 cycles. No dose-limiting toxicities were encountered, with emesis and fatigue (one patient) and rash (one patient) the only significant toxicities. Stabilized disease was the best efficacy outcome, with one patient showing stable disease at 24 weeks. Pharmacokinetics suggested a linear relationship between dosage and mean steady-state plasma concentrations of phenoxodiol. CONCLUSION A 7-day continuous infusion of phenoxodiol given every 2 weeks is well tolerated up to a dose of 27.0 mg/kg/day.
Calculation of scattering cross sections for increased accuracy in diagnostic radiology. I. Energy broadening of Compton-scattered photons.

In this work, scattering cross sections differential with respect to both the scattering angle and the energy of the scattered photon are derived in the relativistic impulse approximation for the light elements H, Be, and Al, and photon energies between 30 and 200 keV. The energy broadening of the scattered photons reflects the momentum distribution of the target electrons. It increases with both increasing atomic number of the scatterer and with scattering angle. Even in light elements, the energy broadening is comparable with the intrinsic energy resolution of modern Ge spectrometers. In reconstructing primary photon energy spectra by means of a Ge spectrometer and Compton scattering techniques, i.e., by measuring the photons incoherently scattered at a given angle, the energy resolution is markedly impaired compared to direct measurements in the primary beam. This is usually explained as an effect of the nonzero acceptance angle of the detector. It is shown, however, that the fundamental energy broadening of the scattered photons is alone sufficient as an explanation. The Compton scattering technique is valuable in determining energy spectra in clinical situations. Aspects of its optimal performance are discussed. The commonly used scattering angle of 90 degrees seems adequate. At small scattering angles, the incoherent-scattering cross section is badly known due to electron-electron interactions and, for photon energies less than 100 keV, coherent scattering contributes appreciably to the total scattering even in media of low atomic number. In cases where coherent scattering dominates and where the energy degradation of the incoherently scattered photons is small compared to the energy resolution of the spectrometer, the reconstruction is simplified. The double-differential cross sections derived can be used to simplify calculations of the Compton component of the mass-energy absorption coefficient.
High Reliability Permanent Magnet Brushless Motor Drive for Aircraft Application

Reliability is a fundamental requirement in aircraft safety-critical equipments. Its pursuing involves the adoption of protective design concepts such as fault-tolerant or redundant approaches, aiming to minimize mission failure probabilities. Multi-phase motor drives are gaining a growing interest to this extent, because they permit a boost in torque and power density, allowing the design of very compact high efficiency drives with intrinsic fault-tolerant capabilities. This paper presents a five-phase permanent magnet brushless motor drive developed for an aircraft flap actuator application. The motor is designed to satisfy the load specifications with one or two phases open or with a phase short circuited, while a failure in the rotor position sensors is remedied through a sensorless strategy. Design studies aiming to predict the faulty mode performance in case of different remedial strategies are presented. Experimental tests on the drive prototype are included, which confirm its capability to satisfy the planned degraded modes of operation.