Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Medication-related problems in ambulatory hemodialysis patients: a pooled analysis.

BACKGROUND Medication-related problems are common in hemodialysis (HD) patients. These patients often require 12 medications to treat 5 to 6 comorbid conditions. Medication-related problem research reports cannot be generalized to the entire HD population because data are obtained from single centers and limited numbers of patients. We conducted a pooled analysis to gain additional insight into the frequency, type, and severity of medication-related problems and extrapolated the data to the entire US HD population. METHODS Articles were identified through a MEDLINE search (1962 to March 2004). Seven studies were included in the analysis. Medication-related problems were categorized into the following 9 categories: indication without drug therapy, drug without indication, improper drug selection, subtherapeutic dosage, overdosage, adverse drug reaction, drug interaction, failure to receive drug, and inappropriate laboratory monitoring. A medication-related problem appearance rate was determined. RESULTS We identified 1,593 medication-related problems in 395 patients (51.2% men; age, 52.4 +/- 8.2 years; 42.7% with diabetes). The most common medication-related problems found were inappropriate laboratory monitoring (23.5%) and indication without drug therapy (16.9%). Dosing errors accounted for 20.4% of medication-related problems (subtherapeutic dosage, 11.2%; overdosage, 9.2%). The medication-related problem appearance rate was 5.75e(-0.37x), where x equals number of months of follow-up (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION HD patients experience ongoing medication-related problems. Reduction in medication-related problems in dialysis patients may improve quality of life and result in decreased morbidity and mortality. Pharmacists are uniquely trained to detect and manage medication-related problems. Pharmacists should be an integral member of the dialysis health care team.
A Matrix Form of Fibronectin Mediates Enhanced Binding ofStreptococcus pyogenes to Host Tissue*

The pathogenic Gram-positive bacteriumStreptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus) binds to fibronectin via protein F. In this study, we have investigated the binding properties of protein F to various multimeric tissue forms of fibronectin that appear on cell surfaces and in the extracellular matrix. We show that binding of S. pyogenes through protein F is more efficient to an in vitro-derived polymerized form of fibronectin (superfibronectin) than to soluble fibronectin immobilized in a solid phase. In addition, Chinese hamster ovary cells overexpressing the α5β1 integrin produced an increased amount of a fibronectin matrix and consequently bound a higher number of S. pyogenes cells. Inhibition and direct binding assays using purified proteins demonstrated that binding to a fibronectin matrix involved both domains of protein F (UR and RD2) that have previously been implicated in interactions with fibronectin. Using intact S. pyogenes bacteria in which various domains of protein F were expressed as hybrids with the surface-exposed region of an unrelated protein, we revealed that, in contrast to the predominantly UR-mediated binding to soluble fibronectin, the maximal binding to the fibronectin matrix required RD2 in addition to UR. Since in some infections S. pyogenes may initially encounter a matrix form of fibronectin, these results suggest that UR and RD2 may be important for the initiation of streptococcal infectious processes.
An improved expert intelligent PID algorithm in AQM network

The traditional PID controller parameters are hard to tune timely under the rapid changes of the dynamic network circumstances, which affect the PID algorithm's control effects on network data flows. To alleviate the problem, a novel AQM algorithm based on PID controller is proposed, called the improved expert intelligent PID algorithm (IEI-PID). By combining expert knowledge with PID and adding more detail control rules, the algorithm receive better control effect. The NS2 simulation has been done to compare IEI-PID with classic PID algorithm (CPID) and expert intelligent PID algorithm (EI-PID), and the former has superior performance.
On the Decidability of Formulae Involving Continuous and Closed Functions

The satisfiability problem for a syllogistic embracing 6, E, Boolean set operations, the Kuratowski topological closure operation, and continuous and closed maps between topological spaces, along with the operations of point evaluation, set image, and inverse set image, is solved for formulae that meet a particular syntactic non-circularity property. The unquantified interpreted language E2 to be considered has infinitely many sorts of variables, each corresponding to a different topological space. Three kinds of variables are available, namely, individual, set, and map variables. Individual variables of a given sort are supposed to range over the universe of that sort, whereas set variables range over the subsets of the appropriate universe. Finally, each map variable ranges over the collection of continuous or closed maps between two appropriate topological spaces.
Molecular characterization of the gene encoding high-level mupirocin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus J2870

The nucleotide sequence of the ileS gene conferring high-level resistance to mupirocin in Staphylococcus aureus J2870 has been determined. The gene sequence is substantially different from that of the native ileS gene of S. aureus, indicating that high-level resistance to mupirocin results from the acquisition of a novel ileS gene.
The influence of genomics on outcome after cardiovascular surgery

&NA; Recent findings in molecular research suggest that the outcome of cardiovascular surgery is at least partly determined by the individual patient's genetic predisposition to react to surgical trauma and extracorporal circulation. The activation of cellular as well as humoral cascades occurs in the perioperative period, and influences the extent of pro‐ and anticoagulation and proand anti‐inflammation. These events contribute to the incidence and severity of perioperative ischaemia or organ dysfunction, and thus determine adverse outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Candidate genes that are possibly involved in the development of adverse outcomes not only consist of genes relevant to the field of coagulation and inflammation, but also genes functioning in lipid metabolism, ion channels, membrane integrity and others. Genomic variations may prove to serve as future diagnostic tools for the risk stratification of patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol 15:3‐8. © 2002 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
BMD at Multiple Sites and Risk of Fracture of Multiple Types: Long‐Term Results From the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures

In a large cohort of U.S. women aged 65 and older, we report the relationships of BMD measured at several sites, and subsequent fracture risk at multiple sites over >8 years of follow‐up. Although we found almost all fracture types to be related to low BMD, the overall proportion of fractures attributable to low BMD is modest.
Combining Expert Opinions

Readers of the article “A new way to ask the experts: Rating radioactive waste risks” by Richard A. Kerr (News & Comment, [8 Nov., p. 913][1]) may be left with the impression that the elicitation and mathematical combination of expert opinion is a technique invented by earth scientists. In fact, this method has been in use for several decades. Notable applications of the formal elicitation of probabilities from experts in the 1970s include the Rasmussen report on nuclear reactor safety ([1][2]), the National Academy of Sciences study of the depletion of stratospheric ozone ([2][3]), and the National Defense University study of global warming ([3][4]). Furthermore, there is a substantial body of social science literature on the elicitation and combination of expert judgment. Two conclusions can be drawn from experience and psychological research on elicitation of probability judgments: (i) if done properly and with care, it can be a valuable tool for quantifying uncertainty, and (ii) the apparent simplicity of the technique hides methodological pitfalls that can lead to misleading results. Alternative question-framing and response modes are just two examples of the types of methodological choices that can influence the elicited probabilities. Just as in earth sciences or biomedical research, appropriate background and training are necessary for researchers who conduct expert judgment studies. 1. 1. [↵][5] 1. R. J. Rasmussen 2. et al. , Reactor Safety Study: An Assessment of Accident Risks in U.S. Commercial Nuclear Power Plants [NUREG-75/014 (WASH-1400), Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC, 1975]. 2. 2. [↵][6] U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Environmental Impact of Stratospheric Flight: Biological and Climate Effects of Aircraft Emissions in the Stratosphere (National Research Council, Washington, DC, 1975). 3. 3. [↵][7] Climate Change to the Year 2000 (National Defense University, Washington, DC, 1978). [1]: /lookup/volpage/275/913 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: #ref-3 [5]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1. in text" [6]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2. in text" [7]: #xref-ref-3-1 "View reference 3. in text"
The effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound exposure on gingival cells.

BACKGROUND Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) has been used in fracture treatment to shorten the time needed for biologic wound healing. Clinical trials applying LIPUS in implant dentistry have reported accelerated soft-tissue healing and osseointegration. However, details of the clinical effects of LIPUS have not been well characterized. Connective tissue growth factor (CCN2/CTGF) plays an important role in wound healing and angiogenesis in periodontal tissue. In this study, we focus on the effect of LIPUS on gingival epithelial cells and the role of CCN2/CTGF therein. METHODS Gingival epithelial cells (GE1) were cultured in six-well cell-culture plates for 24 hours at 37°C with 5% CO(2), and then exposed to LIPUS for 15 minutes at 3-MHz frequency and 40-mW/cm(2) power. Total RNA was extracted after LIPUS exposure and analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction to detect CCN2/CTGF. Additionally, total protein from each sample after LIPUS exposure was immunoblotted with anti-CCN2/CTGF antibody. RESULTS LIPUS exposure increased the mRNA level of CCN2/CTGF on exposure, and the level was significantly greater at 0 and 15 minutes after LIPUS exposure compared to the control. Western blotting analysis showed intense staining of CCN2/CTGF for 60 minutes after LIPUS exposure. The results demonstrate that LIPUS exposure accelerates soft-tissue healing by increasing CCN2/CTGF on exposure, in addition to its effects on bone formation. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate that LIPUS exposure accelerates soft-tissue healing by increasing connective tissue growth factors via a mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway on exposure.
Self-tuning fault-tolerant digital PID controller for MIMO analogue systems with partial actuator and system component failures

A new methodology is presented to synthesize a digitally redesigned, active, self-tuning, fault-tolerant proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller for multi-input–multi-output (MIMO) analogue systems to against partial actuator and system component failures. The fault-tolerant control (FTC) scheme possesses the ability to accommodate for system failures automatically and maintains the acceptable overall system performance in the event of partial actuator and system component failures. The theoretically well-designed analogue PID controller is refined using the continuous-time linear-quadratic regulator approach to have the high-gain property. Then, a predication-based digital redesign technique is utilized to discretize the cascaded MIMO analogue PID controller for finding a low-gain digital PID controller. Besides, a self-tuning FTC scheme with a modified Kalman filter algorithm is proposed, which is not only for the control system design but also for the faulty system recovery. The designed scheme can easily be implemented using digital processors. An illustrative example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.
Activation of suprachiasmatic nuclei and primary visual cortex depends upon time of day

The human suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the master biological clock, is a small (∼2 mm3) and deep structure located in the anterior hypothalamus. Previous methods do not allow in vivo study of the human SCN in a non‐invasive manner. Therefore, we explored blood oxygen level‐dependent (BOLD)‐functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with OFF–ON–OFF block‐designed visual stimuli to record the activities in the ‘SCN and peri SCN in the anterior hypothalamus’ (SCN+) and the primary visual area V1 using a 3T Siemens scanner and six normal subjects. We found that: (i) the BOLD‐fMRI response to light and the mean of percentage activation in the SCN+ at midday was significantly less than that at night; and (ii) the number of activated voxels in most of the visual area V1 at midday was significantly higher than that at night. We conclude that BOLD‐fMRI responses to light in the SCN+ and the V1 areas vary with time of day. This conclusion is consistent with: (i) the previously measured phase–response curve to light [J. Physiol. , 549.3 (2003) 945] for the SCN activity at critical intensity threshold; and (ii) the interaction of the melanopsin‐based signals with the rod‐cone signals at the ‘giant’ retinal ganglion cells [Nature, 433 (2005) 749] for the V1 activity.
Hemodynamic Effects of the Nitric Oxide Donor DETA/NO in Mice

(Z)‐1‐[N‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐N‐(2‐ammonioethyl)amino]diazen‐1‐ium‐1,2‐diolate (DETA/NO) is a recently synthesized member of NO‐releasing, polyamine zwitterions, the so‐called NONOates, that spontaneously liberate NO in aqueous solutions. The aim of this study was to determine the hemodynamic effects of DETA/NO in normotensive and hypertensive mice. Male Swiss Outbred mice were implanted with TA11PA‐C20 blood pressure devices (Data Sciences International, USA). After recovery (7–10 days), blood pressure was monitored for 10 days while mice were receiving saline (0.1 ml/20 g/day, s.c.). Mice were then treated every four hours for 1 day with either DETA/NO 60 mg/kg i.p. or the inactive metabolite, diethylenetriamine 38 mg/kg (molar equivalent) i.p. After a 2 week wash‐out period, mice were treated with adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH: 500 µg/kg/day, s.c.) for 10 days and re‐challenged with DETA/NO or diethylenetriamine. Results were expressed as mean ± SEM. After 10 days of saline treatment, baseline systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) were similar for animals subsequently receiving DETA/NO or the amine (123 ± 1/95 ± 3 and 124 ± 1/92 ± 0.2 mmHg) respectively. DETA/NO induced a profound fall in BP [Systolic: 74 ± 4 mmHg (− 40 ± 3%); Diastolic: 46 ± 4 mmHg (− 52 ± 4%)] and an increase in heart rate [729 ± 33 bpm (32 ± 2%)] within the first 80 minutes. Diethylenetriamine had no effect. ACTH treatment increased BP in both groups (137 ± 16/108 ± 12 and 161 ± 1/142 ± 1 mmHg) respectively. DETA/NO induced a profound fall in blood pressure [Systolic: 92 ± 11 mmHg (− 32 ± 7%); Diastolic: 68 ± 10 mmHg (− 35 ± 10%)] and an increase in heart rate [613 ± 36 bpm (18 ± 6%)] within the first 80 minutes. Again diethylenetriamine had no significant effect. There was no significant effect on body weight with any treatment. Thus DETA/NO has potent blood pressure lowering effects in both normotensive and hypertensive mice.
Efficacy of Chlorhexidine Varnish for the Prevention of Adult Caries

The Prevention of Adult Caries Study, an NIDCR-funded multicenter, double-blind, randomized clinical trial, enrolled 983 adults (aged 18-80 yrs) at high risk for developing caries (20 or more intact teeth and 2 or more lesions at screening) to test the efficacy of a chlorhexidine diacetate 10% weight per volume (w/v) dental coating (CHX). We excluded participants for whom the study treatment was contraindicated or whose health might affect outcomes or ability to complete the study. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either the CHX coating (n = 490) or a placebo control (n = 493). Coatings were applied weekly for 4 weeks and a fifth time 6 months later. The primary outcome (total net D1-2FS increment) was the sum of weighted counts of changes in tooth surface status over 13 months. We observed no significant difference between the two treatment arms in either the intention-to-treat or per-protocol analyses. Analysis of 3 protocol-specified secondary outcomes produced similar findings. This trial failed to find that 10% (w/v) chlorhexidine diacetate coating was superior to placebo coating for the prevention of new caries (Clinicaltrials.gov registration number NCT00357877).
Potential risks of orthodontic therapy: a critical review and conceptual framework

This review examines some of the potential risks of orthodontic therapy along with their evidence base. The risks of orthodontic treatment include periodontal damage, pain, root resorption, tooth devitalization, temporomandibular disorder, caries, speech problems and enamel damage. These risks can be understood to arise from a synergy between treatment and patient factors. In general terms, treatment factors that can influence risk include appliance type, force vectors and duration of treatment whilst relevant patient factors are both biological and behavioural. Hence, the natural variation between orthodontic treatment plans and patients gives rise to variations in risk. A good understanding of these risks is required for clinicians to obtain informed consent before starting treatment as well as to reduce the potential for harm during treatment. After considering each of these risks, a conceptual framework is presented to help clinicians better understand how orthodontic risks arise and may therefore be mitigated.
Two Failed Replications of the Watching Eyes Effect

The watching eyes effect refers to the phenomenon that people behave more altruistically than usual when an eye-image is present in their environment. In this paper, we report two failed replications of the watching eyes effect. In both Studies 1 and 2, participants decided how many coins out of a seven coin endowment (each coin worth 100 Japanese yen) to allocate to a subsequent participant, under the assumption that the prior participant may have left them some coins. In Study 1, participants anonymously made their allocation decision while seated in front of a poster depicting either an eye-image or a geometric pattern. In Study 2, to increase the saliency of the watching eyes, participants were instructed to place the coins in envelopes (one for self and one for the subsequent participant) printed with either an eye-image or a geometric pattern. In both Studies 1 and 2, the number of coins that participants allocated to subsequent participants did not significantly differ between the eye-image and control conditions. Moreover, the proportion of participants who allocated at least one coin to subsequent participants was not significantly different across the two conditions. In our studies, altruism was not increased by watching eyes.
Selective Feature Combination and Automatic Shape Categorization of 3D Models

It is the key problems in 3D model retrieval to obtain good feature and classify models efficiently. Although many feature extraction methods have been proposed, none is adapted to all models. Moreover, it still relies on manual work to classify models. To solve these problems, firstly, the paper proposes a series of selective combination methods which automatically decide each feature’s appropriate weight. The experiments conduct on PSB show that the combined feature performs much better than the best single feature. Secondly, the paper proposes the iterative clustering process to obtain the shape-based 3D models classification based on the combined feature. Experiment shows that the method can classify 91% models of Princeton Shape Benchmark.
Adipositas im Kindes- und Jugendalter

: The prevalence of obesity in children and young adults in Germany has dramatically increased during the last decades. We investigated the impact of an one year outpatient intervention including physical training, psychotherapy and nutrition counselling on psychological status and course of weight of 19 adolescents who were diagnosed with obesity (intervention group, IG). The following questions were of particular interest: Is there a difference between children with obesity (n = 19, mean age 12.4 years) and controls (without obesity and overweight, control group, CG, n = 38, matched for age and sex) regarding the extent of emotional and behavioural problems, self-esteem and physical complaints? Does the intervention lead to a decrease of these problems as rated by the adolescents and mothers? Can we find a significant reduction of the BMI-SDS after one year training in the IG? The group comparisons between the IG and the CG revealed lower feelings of self-esteem, more self rated physical complaints, higher values on measures of depression/anxiety and attention problems in the CBCL for children with obesity, compared with controls. After one year training adolescents' psychological well being increased significantly while the BMI-SDS only decreased moderately. We conclude that children with obesity can benefit from receiving outpatient intervention if psychological and medical aspects are considered.
Aqueous two-phase polymer systems as tools for the study of a recombinant surface-expressed Escherichia coli hemagglutinin

The surface expression of an integral membrane hemagglutinin, HRA1, cloned from Escherichia coli O9: H10:K99 in heterologous E. coli strains was studied by utilizing a variety of polyethylene glycol-dextran and dextran-Ficoll aqueous two-phase polymer systems. Bacteria containing plasmids that encoded the hemagglutinin were found to partition differently from both the host bacteria lacking the plasmid and the original hemagglutinating strain in several of these systems. By using molecular biological techniques, the origin of the partition difference was unambiguously correlated to the expression of HRA1, providing evidence independent of the agglutination phenotype that the protein was accessible to the surrounding milieu. It was demonstrated by using bacterial partition in charge-sensitive systems that the agglutination event was not likely to be due to the presence of a nonspecific positively charged surface protein, as HRA1-expressing clones showed no less affinity for the relatively positive polyethylene glycol-rich upper phase than did control bacteria. This work demonstrates the utility of aqueous polymer two-phase systems for the study of surface-expressed recombinant proteins, due to the sensitivity of the systems and the presence of excellent controls (the host bacteria before plasmid introduction). In cloning and expression studies of surface-associated proteins, two-phase aqueous polymer systems could be used as an alternative to antibody production for the monitoring of surface expression, and these systems may give valuable information on the surface exposure of the protein.