Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Examination gloves as barriers to hand contamination in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE To test the effectiveness of vinyl and latex gloves as barriers to hand contamination with gram-negative organisms and enterococci during routine hospital procedures. DESIGN AND INTERVENTIONS We studied 137 procedures during which a health care worker's gloved hand contacted a patient's mucous membrane and was thus potentially contaminated with gram-negative rods or enterococci. Quantitative hand cultures were obtained from each health care worker before and after the gloved contact using a modified glove juice method, and the exterior glove surface was also quantitatively cultured after patient contact. Used gloves were then tested for leaks using the American Society for Testing and Materials' watertight test. SETTING Harborview Medical Center, a 330-bed city-county hospital and level I regional trauma and burn center, is both a teaching facility affiliated with the University of Washington and the major provider of care to indigent and uninsured persons in Seattle-King County, Washington. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS Respiratory therapists performing endotracheal tube care on intubated intensive care unit patients, registered nurses performing digital rectal stimulation for bowel training on patients with spinal cord injury in the rehabilitation ward, and dentists performing routine dental examinations and procedures on healthy outpatients in the dental clinic. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE AND RESULTS Eighty-six of the 135 gloves cultured had gram-negative rods or enterococci on the external surface after use and were thus sources of potential hand contamination. Microbial contamination of the health care worker's hands occurred in 11 (13%; 95% confidence interval, 6% to 20%) of these 86 events, and was more frequent with vinyl (10 of 42) than latex (one of 44) gloves (P < .01). After use, glove leaks were also more frequent in vinyl gloves (26 of 61) than with latex gloves (six of 70) (P < .001). Even when leaks were present, gloves prevented hand contamination in 77% of instances and quantitative counts of microorganisms contaminating hands were 2 to 4 logs less than counts on external glove surfaces. Health care workers reported awareness of the presence of glove leaks in only seven (22%) of the 32 events in which leaks were subsequently demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS Under conditions of routine use, gloves effectively function as a protective barrier even when leaks are present. Latex gloves were less frequently associated with leaks and hand contamination. Since hand contamination occurred after 13% of exposures and cannot be readily identified by health care workers, routine hand washing should be done after each patient contact.
Stack-transistor based differential 8T SRAM cell for embedded memory applications

In this work, we present a novel 8T SRAM cell that enhances the stability of built-in data storage elements. During a read operation, the proposed cell suppresses a noise-vulnerable `0' node rising, and hence exhibiting near-ideal butterfly curve essential for robust SRAM bit-cell design. The cell itself bears an improved variability tolerance which gives much tight stability distribution across skewed process corners. Implementation results in a 130 nm CMOS technology show that the 8T cell achieves almost 100 % higher read stability compared to the standard 6T cell. The data write-ability and stability tolerance provided with the new cell are also verified under process and temperature variations.
Fish oil supplementation in type 2 diabetes: a quantitative systematic review.

OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of fish oil supplementation on lipid levels and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A comprehensive search of Medline, Embase, Lilacs, the Cochrane Clinical Trials Registry bibliographies of relevant papers, and expert input updated through September 1998 was undertaken. All randomized placebo-controlled trials were included in which fish oil supplementation was the only intervention in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Three investigators performed data extraction and quality scoring independently with discrepancies resolved by consensus. Eighteen trials including 823 subjects followed for a mean of 12 weeks were included. Doses of fish oil used ranged from 3 to 18 g/day The outcomes studied were glycemic control and lipid levels. RESULTS Meta-analysis of pooled data demonstrated a statistically significant effect of fish oil on lowering triglycerides (-0.56 mmol/l [95% CI -0.71 to -0.41]) and raising LDL cholesterol (0.21 mmol/l [0.02 to 0.41]). No statistically significant effect was observed for fasting glucose. HbA1c total cholesterol, or HDL cholesterol. The triglyceride-lowering effect and the elevation in LDL cholesterol were most marked in those trials that recruited hypertriglyceridemic subjects and used higher doses of fish oil. Heterogeneity was observed and explained by the recruitment of subjects with baseline hypertriglyceridemia in some studies. CONCLUSIONS Fish oil supplementation in type 2 diabetes lowers triglycerides, raises LDL cholesterol, and has no statistically significant effect on glycemic control. Trials with hard clinical end points are needed.
What is the role for the circumferential margin in the modern treatment of rectal cancer?

PURPOSE Treatment of rectal cancer has changed dramatically over the last decade. The worldwide introduction of total mesorectal excision in combination with the increasing use of radio(chemo)-therapy has led to an improved prognosis. One of the main prognostic factors in rectal cancer is the circumferential resection margin (CRM). Since the initial description of its clinical importance in 1986, the involvement of this margin (also called lateral or radial resection margin) has been associated with a poor prognosis. METHODS In the current review, the evidence for the importance of the CRM in more than 17,500 patients is reviewed, and the relevance of this assessment to modern treatment is assessed. RESULTS We demonstrate that, after neoadjuvant therapy (both radiotherapy and radiochemotherapy), the predictive value of the CRM for local recurrence is significantly higher than when no preoperative therapy has been applied (hazard ratio [HR] = 6.3 v 2.0, respectively; P < .05). Furthermore, involvement of the CRM is a powerful predictor of both development of distant metastases (HR = 2.8; 95% CI, 1.9 to 4.3) and survival (HR = 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3 to 2.3). In addition to the prognostic data, this review describes different modes of margin involvement, exact definitions, and factors influencing its presence. CONCLUSION CRM involvement is one of the key factors in rectal cancer treatment.
Cellular processing of temporal information in medial vestibular nucleus neurons

Quantitative descriptions of the cellular transformations from behaviorally relevant inputs into temporal patterns of firing are crucial for understanding information processing in systems of neurons and for incorporating biological properties of neurons into models of the neural control of behavior. To understand how neurons that mediate vestibulo-ocular behavior transform their inputs into temporal patterns of firing, we examined responses of medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) neurons to current injected intracellularly. MVN neurons recorded from avian brain slices fired spontaneously. Sinusoidal modulation of input current produced precisely sinusoidal modulation of firing rate. The transformation between input current and firing rate was remarkably linear: firing rate scaled linearly as a function of current amplitude, and the responses to steps of input current were predicted accurately from the linear superposition of responses to sinusoidal modulation of input current. Over the physiological range of head movement frequencies, from 0.1 to 10 Hz, peak-to-peak modulation of firing rate was relatively constant or increased slightly in most neurons. In contrast, when hyperpolarizing current was used to keep neurons below threshold for action potentials, the frequency response of the membrane potential behaved like a low-pass filter. These results imply that the membrane conductances that are active when MVN neurons fire compensate for the low-pass characteristics of the membrane to allow faithful transmission of high frequency head movement signals.
Fear, disgust, and abnormal eating attitudes: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVE Clinical descriptions of eating disorders emphasize the role of fear (e.g., fear of weight gain, weight phobia, morbid dread of fatness). The present study explored whether disgust, an emotion that is linked intimately with food, may also be an important emotional response to eating and weight-related issues in women with abnormal eating attitudes. METHOD Forty nonclinical female participants were presented with a series of food, drink, body shape, and emotion-related stimuli. They were asked to rate each on a number of responses associated with fear and disgust. In addition, participants completed standard questionnaire measures of eating attitudes, phobias, and disgust sensitivity. RESULTS Ratings of fear and disgust were higher in women with abnormal eating attitudes than in those without for high-calorie foods and for overweight body shapes, but not for drinks and slim body shapes. In response to fear and disgust relevant images, women with abnormal eating attitudes also rated emotional responses higher, but this was restricted to the appropriate emotion (i.e., higher levels of fear in response to fear stimuli and higher levels of disgust in response to disgust stimuli). CONCLUSION In women with abnormal eating attitudes, both disgust and fear responses to food and body shape issues are equally salient. Thus, an emphasis on fear in eating disorders, to the exclusion of disgust, may be unwarranted.
Auswirkungen von Komposten und von Gärgut auf dieUmwelt, Bodenfruchtbarkeit, sowie die Pflanzengesundheit: Ökologische Bewertung der organischen Substanz

Bisher war es fur Kompost und Gargut in Okobilanzen ublich, die Nahrstoffe als Substitute von Mineraldungern und die Schwermetalle als Belastungen einzusetzen. Im Vergleich zur Verbrennung, wo die organische Substanz vollstandig mineralisiert und energetisch genutzt wird, gibt es bei Kompost und Gargut eine Lucke: wie soll die organische Substanz bewertet werden? Zur Bewertung der organischen Substanz in Okobilanzen gibt es zwei grundlegend verschiedene Vorgehensweisen: 1. Einsetzen der einzelnen Effekte wie Erosionsreduktion, weniger Zugkraftbedarf, bessere Wasserhaltekapazitat, weniger Krankheitsanfalligkeit etc. mit jeweils entsprechenden LCA-Modulen 2. Globales Einsetzen von Substituten, welche die Effekte moglichst gut abbilden. Gegen die erste Vorgehensweise sprechen die luckenhafte Datenbasis, der hohe Aufwand fur die einzelnen Module und die Problematik der Interaktionen zwischen einzelnen Effekten. Das globale Einsetzen gibt ein rasterartiges Bild, das die physikalischen Effekte relativ gut abbildet, aber die biologischen Effekte (z.B. Krankheitsunterdruckung) nicht vollstandig abdecken kann. Der Vorteil dieses Ansatzes besteht darin, dass man mit bestehenden Modulen arbeiten kann und diese gleichzeitig die Interaktionen nicht storen (die alternative organische Substanz wird nur einmal angewendet und erzeugt die Effekte). Aufgrund von Machbarkeitsuberlegungen gelangt die Studie zum Schluss, dass im Moment nur das globale Einsetzen von Substituten zum Erfolg fuhren kann. Als Substitut werden fur die landwirtschaftliche Anwendung Stroh und fur die gartnerische Anwendung Torf gewahlt. Es wird angenommen, dass zwei Drittel der Menge von Kompost und Gargut in der Landwirtschaft eingesetzt wird. Das dritte Drittel, das im Gartenbau Anwendung findet, kann durch den dort ublichen Torf ersetzt werden. Die Mengen der Substituten werden aufgrund der Fahigkeit Humus zu reproduzieren berechnet. Ein Reifkompost kann fast viermal so viel Humus ersetzen wie frische organische Substanz in Stroh oder Grundungung. Es wird auf viele Wissenslucken in diesem Bereich hingewiesen.
Adherence to a Mediterranean diet and risk of incident cognitive impairment

Objective: We sought to determine the relationship of greater adherence to Mediterranean diet (MeD) and likelihood of incident cognitive impairment (ICI) and evaluate the interaction of race and vascular risk factors. Methods: A prospective, population-based, cohort of individuals enrolled in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study 2003–2007, excluding participants with history of stroke, impaired cognitive status at baseline, and missing data on Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ), was evaluated. Adherence to a MeD (scored as 0–9) was computed from FFQ. Cognitive status was evaluated at baseline and annually during a mean follow-up period of 4.0 ± 1.5 years using Six-item-Screener. Results: ICI was identified in 1,248 (7%) out of 17,478 individuals fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Higher adherence to MeD was associated with lower likelihood of ICI before (odds ratio [lsqb]OR[rsqb] 0.89; 95% confidence interval [lsqb]CI[rsqb] 0.79–1.00) and after adjustment for potential confounders (OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.76–1.00) including demographic characteristics, environmental factors, vascular risk factors, depressive symptoms, and self-reported health status. There was no interaction between race (p = 0.2928) and association of adherence to MeD with cognitive status. However, we identified a strong interaction of diabetes mellitus (p = 0.0134) on the relationship of adherence to MeD with ICI; high adherence to MeD was associated with a lower likelihood of ICI in nondiabetic participants (OR 0.81; 95% CI 0.70–0.94; p = 0.0066) but not in diabetic individuals (OR 1.27; 95% CI 0.95–1.71; p = 0.1063). Conclusions: Higher adherence to MeD was associated with a lower likelihood of ICI independent of potential confounders. This association was moderated by presence of diabetes mellitus.
Cancer risks to spouses and offspring in the family‐cancer database

It is generally accepted that cancer is caused by environmental and inherited factors but these are only partially identified. Family studies can be informative but they do not separate shared lifestyles and genes. We estimate familial risks for concordant cancers between spouses in common cancers of both sexes in order to quantify cancer risks from the shared environment. The risks are compared to those seen between parents and offspring in order to estimate the inherited component. The nation‐wide Family‐Cancer Database was used as the source of family and cancer data. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for concordant cancer in offspring by parental cancer and in spouses. Among the 23 cancer sites considered, all but two showed an increased SIR for offspring by father or mother. Only two sites, stomach and lung, showed an increase in SIR of concordant cancer among spouses. Additionally, pancreatic cancer and melanoma were increased in couples where at least one spouse was diagnosed before age 50. If both spouses presented melanoma before age 40, SIR was 3.82 for husbands. SIRs of colon, renal, and skin (squamous cell) cancers were unchanged by spouses’ concordant cancer. Shared lifestyle among spouses seems to explain only a small proportion of cancer susceptibility. Because lifestyles are likely to differ more between parents and offspring than between spouses, familial cancer risks between parents and offspring are likely to be more due to heritable rather than environmental effects. Genet. Epidemiol. 20:247–257, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A systematic review of dental recall intervals and incidence of dental caries.

BACKGROUND Dental recall interval protocols are used to prevent dental disease through regular maintenance evaluations and preventive procedures. In this systematic review, the authors examined the evidence for the rationale behind a "one-recall-interval-fits-all" protocol, such as a six-month recall interval on caries incidence. METHODS The authors searched the PubMed database and reviewed titles, abstracts and full reports. They also searched the references of each full report and used the "Related articles" feature. They used a checklist validated for randomized and nonrandomized studies to conduct a quality assessment for each article. RESULTS The authors found seven articles representing six studies that met their inclusion criteria. The results of a randomized controlled trial showed no significant differences in oral health between patients recalled every 12 months and those recalled every 24 months. The investigators of one nonrandomized controlled trial reported that a two- to three-month recall interval significantly reduced the incidence and recurrence of caries. The investigators of an additional longitudinal non-randomized controlled study that compared three-, six- and 12-month recall intervals reported caries increments of 4.4, 4.0 and 4.9, respectively. The results of two retrospective studies showed that a specific recall interval did not alter caries incidence significantly. The results from a cross-sectional study suggested that a six-month recall interval was associated with more restored teeth but less active caries. CONCLUSIONS The authors conclude that the evidence for using a one-recall-interval-fits-all protocol to reduce caries incidence was weak. Studies that addressed the impact of recall interval on caries incidence were methodologically weak. The evidence was not strong enough to support using any specific one-recall-interval-fits-all protocol for all patients. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Using a one-recall-interval-fits-all protocol for caries prevention should be re-evaluated. On the basis of evidence from the randomized controlled trial, recall intervals could be extended to every two years. Evidence from the other studies revealed conflicting results for the efficacy of using any specific recall interval protocol. Because all of these studies had serious threats to validity, clinicians may wish to consider assigning recall intervals to patients on the basis of the patients' risk of developing caries. However, a discussion of a caries risk assessment is beyond the scope of this review.
IL‐18‐induced expression of high‐affinity IL‐2R on murine NK cells is essential for NK‐cell IFN‐γ production during murine Plasmodium yoelii infection

Early production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, including IFN‐γ, is essential for control of blood‐stage malaria infections. We have shown that IFN‐γ production can be induced among human natural killer (NK) cells by coculture with Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes, but the importance of this response is unclear. To further explore the role of NK cells during malaria infection, we have characterized the NK‐cell response of C57BL/6 mice during lethal (PyYM) or nonlethal (Py17XNL) P. yoelii infection. Ex vivo flow cytometry revealed that NK cells are activated within 24 h of Py17XNL blood‐stage infection, expressing CD25 and producing IFN‐γ; this response was blunted and delayed during PyYM infection. CD25 expression and IFN‐γ production were highly correlated, suggesting a causal relationship between the two responses. Subsequent in vitro experiments revealed that IL‐18 signaling is essential for induction of CD25 and synergizes with IL‐12 to enhance CD25 expression on splenic NK cells. In accordance with this, Py17XNL‐infected erythrocytes induced NK‐cell CD25 expression and IFN‐γ production in a manner that is completely IL‐18‐ and partially IL‐12‐dependent, and IFN‐γ production is enhanced by IL‐2. These data suggest that IL‐2 signaling via CD25 amplifies IL‐18‐ and IL‐12‐mediated NK‐cell activation during malaria infection.
Nursing professional identity: an infant or one with Alzheimer

Background: Each group or profession has its own discourse. Discourses create identity, support institutions and reproduce power relationships. Professional identity of Iranian nurses, which has recently had the opportunity to represent itself in social arena, needs investigation. This study aimed to make internal aspect of this identity clear. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted by discourse analysis, using data of 23 semi-structured individual interviews and 4 focus group interviews with nurses and senior nursing students of Tehran and Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, to evaluate their professional identity. Findings: In professional self-concept, elements like spirituality value and low financial benefits were identified as well as conflicting features of holiness and humility, identity emerging, identity escape, low professional self-confidence and justice seeking, lost professional authority and pride. Conclusions: Nursing professional identity has been formed based on cultural social structure, values and beliefs governing health system. This is a spectrum of a growing and emerging identity to a developed but forgotten identity. Although nursing discourse is subordinate in health system discourse, signs of moving toward professional maturity have emerged.
Second messengers mediating activation of chloride current by intracellular GTP gamma S in bovine chromaffin cells.

1. Intracellular mechanisms and second messengers involved in chloride current activation by intracellular GTP gamma S (guanosine 5'‐O‐(3‐thiotriphosphate] in bovine chromaffin cells were studied using the whole‐cell patch‐clamp technique combined with measurements of intracellular calcium [Ca2+]i. 2. No correlation between the time of current activation and the appearance of [Ca2+]i transients was observed; intracellular introduction of sufficient EGTA (10 mM) to suppress the [Ca2+]i transients did not affect the current activation by GTP gamma S. 3. The cyclic nucleotides, cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP, did not activate the current when introduced intracellularly (50‐250 microM). The ability of GTP gamma S to activate the current decreased when cyclic GMP (250 microM), together with MgATP (2 mM), was added to the perfusate. 4. Neomycin (0.5‐1 mM), a presumed inhibitor of phospholipase C effectively prevented the current activation by GTP gamma S but it did not prevent [Ca2+]i transients. 5. Modulation of protein kinase C activity using specific inhibitors (H‐7, 300 microM; polymyxin B, 400 U/ml) or activators (phorbol ester PMA, 100 nM, 20‐90 min at 37 degrees C) did not affect the current activation by GTP gamma S nor did it cause current activation in the absence of GTP gamma S. 6. Activation of the current by GTP gamma S could be prevented by incubating the cells for 10‐15 min with 2.5 microM p‐bromophenacyl bromide (p‐BPB), an inhibitor of phospholipase A2 activity. Exogenous arachidonic acid (5‐10 microM), applied extracellularly or intracellularly, neither activated the current itself nor did it interfere with its activation by GTP gamma S. 7. Activation of the current by GTP gamma S could also be prevented by incubating the cells with 1 microM‐nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), an inhibitor of lipoxygenase, but not with indomethacin (2 microM), an inhibitor of cyclo‐oxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism. 8. It is suggested that chloride current activation by GTP gamma S in bovine chromaffin cells involves G protein‐mediated stimulation of phospholipase A2 activity and subsequent formation of lipoxygenase product(s) of arachidonic acid metabolism.