Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
(1→3)‐β‐D‐glucans and respiratory health: a review of the scientific evidence

UNLABELLED (1-->3)-Beta-D-glucan are non-allergenic structural cell wall components of most fungi that have been suggested to play a causal role in the development of respiratory symptoms associated with indoor fungal exposure. This review describes the currently available epidemiological literature on health effects of (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan, focusing on atopy, airway inflammation and symptoms, asthma, and lung function. In addition to population studies, studies in human volunteers experimentally exposed to (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan are described as well as relevant animal studies. Furthermore, the review discusses exposure assessment methods, the potential for exposure control and it concludes with identifying research needs. The observational and experimental studies reviewed suggested some association between (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan exposure, airway inflammation and symptoms, however, results were mixed and specific symptoms and potential underlying inflammatory mechanisms associated with exposure could not be identified. Large observational studies using well validated exposure assessment methods are needed to further our knowledge regarding the potential health effects of indoor (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan exposure. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS The currently available epidemiological data do not permit conclusions to be drawn regarding the presence (or absence) of an association between environmental (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan exposure and specific adverse health effects, nor is it clear from the currently available evidence which specific immunological mechanisms underlie the presumed health effects. More and larger observational studies are needed to asses whether (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan exposure plays a significant role in respiratory morbidity. In addition, existing methods to assess environmental (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan exposure require validation and further development before they can be used routinely in large scale epidemiological studies.
Temperature behaviour of the average size of nanoparticle lattices co-deposited with an amorphous matrix. Analysis of Ge + Al2O3 and Ni + Al2O3 thin films

We theoretically interpret the thermal behaviour of the average radius versus substrate temperature of regular quantum dot/nanocluster arrays formed by sputtering semiconductor/metal atoms with oxide molecules. The analysis relies on a continuum theory for amorphous films with given surface quantities, perturbed by a nanoparticle lattice. An account of the basic thermodynamic contributions is given in terms of force-flux phenomenological coefficients of each phase (Ge, Ni, Al2O3). Average radii turn out to be expressible by a characteristic length scale and a dimensionless parameter, which mainly depend upon temperature through diffusion lengths, film pressures and finite-size corrections to interfacial tensions. The numerical agreement is good in both Ge (4%) and Ni (15.4%) lattices grown at temperatures ⩽800 K, despite the lower temperature behaviour of quantum dots seeming to suggest further driving forces taking part in such processes.
Better band gaps for wide-gap semiconductors from a locally corrected exchange-correlation potential that nearly eliminates self-interaction errors

This work constitutes a comprehensive and improved account of electronic-structure and mechanical properties of silicon-nitride (Si3N4) polymorphs via van Leeuwen and Baerends (LB) exchange-corrected local density approximation (LDA) that enforces the exact exchange potential asymptotic behavior. The calculated lattice constant, bulk modulus, and electronic band structure of Si3N4 polymorphs are in good agreement with experimental results. We also show that, for a single electron in a hydrogen atom, spherical well, or harmonic oscillator, the LB-corrected LDA reduces the (self-interaction) error to exact total energy to ∼10%, a factor of three to four lower than standard LDA, due to a dramatically improved representation of the exchange-potential.
Improved management and 10-year outcomes in diabetic kidney disease in routine clinical care

Aim: To examine the impact of service re-design on management and 10-year outcomes in diabetic kidney disease in a real world setting. Methods: We established a highly structured, nurse-led diabetic kidney clinic to deliver consistent evidence-based care processes (blood pressure control (BP), glycaemic control (HbA1c), renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAAS) blockade, lipid-lowering therapy and smoking cessation) and assessed impact on death, doubling of serum creatinine, new end-stage renal disease (ESRD), new cardiovascular (CV) events and decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Results: There were 261 patients in the 10-year cohort: 9 casenotes were missing and 23 had been destroyed. Our analysis is based on 229 patients for whom we had data (1,799 patient-years of follow-up): 28 (12%) had new CV events, 22 (10%) progressed to ESRD (16 dialysis, 3 conservative treatment, 3 transplant) and 87/229 (38%) died. At last assessment, mean BP was 129/70 mmHg, HbA1c 59 mmol/mol (7.6%) and LDL-cholesterol 1.81 mmol/L. Mean rate of eGFR decline was 0.15 mL/min/month. Expressed per 100-patient-years, mortality 4.83, CV events 1.56, doubling serum creatinine 1.72, and ESRD 1.22 compare favourably with landmark trials. Conclusions: A highly structured, nurse-led, diabetic kidney clinic can translate consistent evidence-based care processes into favourable 10-year outcomes in routine clinical care.
Prevalence, patterns and factors associated with psychotropic use in older adults with intellectual disabilities in Ireland

BACKGROUND People with intellectual disability (ID) are at increased risk of exposure to psychotropic drugs and psychotropic polypharmacy because of the higher prevalence of mental health conditions present and more controversially, the use of these agents to treat challenging behaviours. Despite the fact that many adults with ID are exposed to psychotropic polypharmacy, few studies to date have focused on the patterns of use of multiple psychotropics, or factors associated with psychotropic polypharmacy, particularly in the older population. This study aims to examine the prevalence, patterns and factors associated with psychotropic use in general and psychotropic polypharmacy in particular in a representative sample of ageing people with ID. METHODS This was an observational cross-sectional study from Wave 1 of Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing; a nationally representative sample of 753 persons with ID aged between 41 and 90 years. Participants/proxy reported medicines (prescription and over the counter) taken on a regular basis; medication data were available for 736 participants (98%). Participants were divided into those with no psychotropic exposure, exposure to 1 psychotropic and psychotropic polypharmacy (2+ psychotropics). Patterns of psychotropic use were analysed. A multinomial logistic regression model identified factors associated with use of 1 psychotropic and psychotropic polypharmacy. RESULTS Overall, 59.1% (436) of the sample was exposed to any psychotropic; of these, 66.2% reported psychotropic polypharmacy. Antipsychotics were the most frequently reported psychotropic class by 43% of the sample. Living in a residential institution and having a history of reporting a mental health condition or sleep problems were associated with psychotropic polypharmacy after adjusting for confounders, while those with epilepsy were less likely to experience exposure to polypharmacy, but age, gender had no significant effect. CONCLUSIONS Psychotropic use and polypharmacy were commonplace for older adults with ID. Psychotropic use, particularly the use of psychotropic combinations, needs to be regularly reviewed for safety, efficacy and adverse effects, and rationale for use of multiple agents needs to be clear and documented.
A Case of Recurred Follicular Lymphoma in Sublingual Gland after Complete Remission

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) is a group of neoplasm affecting the lymphoid system. Follicular lymphoma is typically a slow-growing, indolent form of NHL that accounts for 1/3 of all NHL. It is one of the B-cell lymphomas, generally characterized by multiple relapses after re-sponses to a variety of therapies. When lymphoma relapses, it may occur in the same or a differ-ent part of the body from where it occurred originally. Recurrence in the primary site is most com-mon but recurrence in other parts is rarely observed. We experienced a rare case of 70-year-old woman who complained of swelling in the left mouth floor and was diagonosed with a recurrent NHL. It recurred in the sublingual gland after a complete remission of the follicular lymphoma.
Types of observational studies in medical research

Study design forms a core component of research, mainly determined by the study objectives, and it in turn further decides the type of statistical analyses to be carried out. Observational studies are devoid of the investigator′s control over assignment of a subject to the treated or control group, in contrast to interventional studies Even though randomized controlled trials are seen as the best study design, evidence shows that properly conducted observational studies give similar results, and is relevant in medical research where ethics and feasibility concerns assume great significance. Observational studies point out towards possible causal associations, are less resource intensive than trials and have a better external validity. This review article discusses various types of observational study designs such as case reports, cross sectional, cohort, case-control and nested case-control studies with real literature examples.
Ionic liquid interface at an electrode: simulations of electrochemical properties using an asymmetric restricted primitive model

We use Monte Carlo simulations of a coarse-grained model to investigate structure and electrochemical behaviours at an electrode immersed in room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs). The simple RTIL model, which we denote the asymmetric restricted primitive model (ARPM), is composed of monovalent hard-sphere ions, all of the same size, in which the charge is asymmetrically placed. Not only the hard-sphere size (d), but also the charge displacement (b), is identical for all species, i.e. the monovalent RTIL ions are fully described by only two parameters (d, b). In earlier work, it was demonstrated that the ARPM can capture typical static RTIL properties in bulk solutions with remarkable accuracy. Here, we investigate its behaviour at an electrode surface. The electrode is assumed to be a perfect conductor and image charge methods are utilized to handle polarization effects. We find that the ARPM of the ionic liquid reproduces typical (static) electrochemical properties of RTILs. Our model predicts a declining differential capacitance with increasing temperature, which is expected from simple physical arguments. We also compare our ARPM, with the corresponding RPM description, at an elevated temperature (1000 K). We conclude that, even though ion pairing occurs in the ARPM system, reducing the concentration of ‘free’ ions, it is still better able to screen charge than a corresponding RPM melt. Finally, we evaluate the option to coarse-grain the model even further, by treating the fraction of the ions that form ion pairs implicitly, only through the contribution to the dielectric constant of the corresponding dipolar (ion pair) fluid. We conclude that this primitive representation of ion pairing is not able to reproduce the structures and differential capacitances of the system with explicit ion pairs. The main problem seems to be due to a limited dielectric screening in a layer near the electrode surface, resulting from a combination of orientational restrictions and a depleted dipole density.
Single-particle fusion of influenza viruses reveals complex interactions with target membranes

The first step in infection of influenza A virus is contact with the host cell membrane, with which it later fuses. The composition of the target bilayer exerts a complex influence on both fusion efficiency and time. Here, an in vitro, single-particle approach is used to study this effect. Using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy and a microfluidic flow cell, the hemifusion of single virions is visualized. Hemifusion efficiency and kinetics are studied while altering target bilayer cholesterol content and sialic-acid donor. Cholesterol ratios tested were 0%, 10%, 20%, and 40%. Sialic-acid donors GD1a and GYPA were used. Both cholesterol ratio and sialic-acid donors proved to have a significant effect on hemifusion efficiency. Furthermore, comparison between GD1a and GYPA conditions shows that the cholesterol dependence of the hemifusion time is severely affected by the sialic-acid donor. Only GD1a shows a clear increasing trend in hemifusion efficiency and time with increasing cholesterol concentration of the target bilayer with maximum rates for GD1A and 40% cholesterol. Overall our results show that sialic acid donor and target bilayer composition should be carefully chosen, depending on the desired hemifusion time and efficiency in the experiment.
Observation of intrinsic dark exciton in Janus-MoSSe heterosturcture induced by intrinsic electric field

The nature of exciton in heterostructure exhibits distinct properties, which makes heterostructure a promising candidate for valleytronic and optoelectronic applications. Therefore, understanding of exciton behaviour in heterostructure is the key approach to design novel devices. Here, we investigate the electronic properties including quasiparticle-energy calculations (on the level of the GW approximation) and optical properties (on the level of the Bethe–Salpeter equation) of Janus-MoSSe based heterostructure. Our results show that the build-in electric field caused by spontaneous polarization of Janus-MoSSe monolayer can significantly affect the interlayer interactions within the heterostructure, giving rise to a bright-to-dark exciton transition. To shed light on this phenomenon, a theoretical model is developed, which illustrates that the dark exciton can be ascribed to a coherence cancellation at the band edge positions induced by the strong interlayer coupling. Our findings may provide a new way for modulating and developing of van der Waals heterostructure that have applications in valleytronic and optoelectronic devices.
Prospective Multicenter Study of Relapse Following Treatment for Acute Asthma Among Adults Presenting to the Emergency Department

Study objective To identify factors associated with relapse following treatment for acute asthma among adults presenting to the emergency department (ED). Design Prospective inception cohort study performed during October 1996 to December 1996 and April 1997 to June 1997, as part of the Multicenter Asthma Research Collaboration. Setting Thirty-six EDs in 18 states. Patients ED patients, aged 18 to 54 years, with physician diagnosis of acute asthma. For the present analysis, we restricted the cohort to patients sent home from the ED (n = 971), then further excluded patients with comorbid respiratory conditions (n = 32). This left 939 eligible subjects to have follow-up data. Interventions None. Measurements and results Two weeks after being sent home from the ED, patients were contacted by telephone. A relapse was defined as an urgent or unscheduled visit to any physician for worsening asthma symptoms during the 14-day follow-up period. Complete follow-up data were available for 641 patients, of whom 17% reported relapse (95% confidence interval, 14 to 20). There was no significant difference in peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) between patients who suffered relapse and those who did not. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis (controlling for age, gender, race, and primary care provider status), patients who suffered relapse were more likely to have a history of numerous ED (odds ratio [OD] 1.3 per 5 visits) and urgent clinic visits (OR 1.4 per 5 visits) for asthma in the past year, use a home nebulizer (OR 2.2), report multiple triggers of their asthma (OR 1.1 per trigger), and report a longer duration of symptoms (OR 2.5 for 1 to 7 days). Conclusion Among patients sent home from the ED following acute asthma therapy, 17% will have a relapse and PEFR does not predict who will develop this outcome. By contrast, several historical features were associated with increased risk. Further research should focus on ways to decrease the relapse rate among these high-risk patients. The clinician may wish to consider these historical factors when making ED decisions.
Facoemulsificação versus extração extracapsular manual do cristalino: análise de custos

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical and economic aspects of cataract surgery by phacoemulsification, when compared to extracapsular extraction. METHODS: A prospective study on 162 subjects was carried out at the "Hospital das Clinicas", Medical School of the University of Sao Paulo in 2002. The subjects who had cataract were randomized for surgery by phacoemulsification and by extracapsular extraction. RESULTS: In this study, phacoemulsification technique allowed the use of local anesthesia. The number of follow-up visits and the postoperative time offered quick visual restoration and clinical discharge. The use of phacoemulsification in the "Hospital das Clinicas" of the Medical School of the University of Sao Paulo contributed to quick surgery, optimized the surgery theater and showed cost-effective advantages for the hospital. CONCLUSION: According to the conditions of the "Hospital das Clinicas" of the Medical School of the University of Sao Paulo, we concluded that the total costs of cataract surgery by phacoemulsification are higher than those by extracapsular extraction, and surgery fees offered by the Public Health Service to the "Hospital das Clinicas" of the Medical School of the University of Sao Paulo have shown more cost-effective advantages for phacoemulsification than for extracapsular extraction.
Disability and Capability: Exploring the Usefulness of Martha Nussbaum's Capabilities Approach for the UN Disability Rights Convention

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) aims at empowering people with disabilities by granting them a number of civil and political, but also economic, social, and cultural rights. This is a groundbreaking agreement for all persons with disabilities, especially because it is the first human rights agreement for disabled people, and it is legally binding. For those states who signed it, it also brings various governmental obligations. Implementing the CRPD will clearly be politically challenging and also very expensive for all states, but even more so for poor ones.
Influence of neighborhood household income on early death or urgent hospital readmission.

BACKGROUND The relationship of socioeconomic status (SES) with hospital readmissions is unclear. METHODS We used population-based administrative datasets to randomly select 40,827 adult Ontarians discharged from hospital to the community. Patient postal codes were linked to average neighborhood household-income quintiles. The association of this SES measure with 30-day death or urgent readmission was measured after controlling for outcome risk using a validated index, LACE+: length of stay (L), acuity of the admission (A), comorbidity of the patient (measured with the Charlson Comorbidity Index score (C), and emergency-department use (E). RESULTS Within 1 month of discharge, 2638 (6.5%) people died or were urgently readmitted. Lower neighborhood income was significantly associated with both an increased outcome risk (P < 0.0001) and LACE+ score. After adjusting for LACE+ score, neighborhood income was no longer associated with 30-day death or urgent readmission (P = 0.21). CONCLUSIONS After accounting for known risk factors, early death or readmission is not more common in people from lower-income neighborhoods. Further study is required to determine if SES is associated with adverse postdischarge outcomes in settings without publicly funded healthcare.
A Proposed Ban on the Sale to and Possession of Caloric Sweetened Beverages by Minors in Public: Public Health and the Law

Obesity is the definitive epidemic of the modern era in the United States. Its well-documented public health impacts, especially related to children and adolescents, are horrific. Nearly one-third of American minors are overweight; over 50% of them are obese. Already, these kids suffer from multiple adverse physical and mental health conditions. Sadly, absent serious communal and individual interventions, their lives may be cut short compared to their own parents’ life expectancy. While recent surveillance suggests childhood obesity may be trending down slightly in some populations, public health experts remain concerned about the threat obesity poses to the health of America's youth. The concurrent travesty underlying childhood obesity is the relative societal failure to slow and reverse its spread.
Study of CdTe detection efficiency for medical applications using Geant4-based stochastic simulations

The determination of detection efficiency and peak-to-total ratios has been performed for rectangular CdTe detectors for various x-ray and low-energy γ-ray source configurations including parallel beams, point, and cylindrical sources. The dependence of efficiency values on axial and off-axial distances, detector thickness and area, and source dimensions has been studied. The detector model developed in this work has been validated by comparing the Monte Carlo simulated values of detector efficiency for a parallel incident beam with the available published data and good agreement has been found with discrepancies remaining within 2% throughout the energy range. Geant4 simulations show nearly 100% photopeak and total efficiency with peak-to-total ratios approaching a maximum value of 1.0 for photons in the 4–70 keV energy range. Similar high values of detection efficiency have been obtained for brachytherapy I-125 seed sources having cylindrical geometries which indicates the suitability of CdTe detectors for the calibration of sources used in therapy. The logistic power curve was found excellent for empirically fitting the photopeak efficiency variations with axial displacement of the I-125 brachy source in the horizontal configuration. Geant4 simulations clearly show that small thicknesses, of the order of 0.5 mm, of CdTe material are sufficient for attaining almost 100% detection efficiency for low-energy photons having energies up to 100 keV.
In response to "Preoperative angiotensin axis blockade therapy, intraoperative hypotension, and the risks of postoperative acute kidney injury".

We are pleased to note the response of Onuigbo et al. to our article demonstrating an increase in acute kidney injury (AKI) associated with angiotensin axis blockade (AAB) in major orthopedic surgery. Like Onuigbo et al., we also noted that intraoperative hypotension and AAB are associated with AKI. In addition, we found that AAB-associated AKI occurred independently of intraoperative hypotension. Because of our findings, we withhold angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers on the day of surgery in all patients presenting for major orthopedic surgery whose blood pressure is well controlled preoperatively. We were concerned that this practice might increase the incidence of preand postoperative hypertension in such patients, but we have been reassured by a recent article demonstrating that this does not occur in outpatient surgical patients. We caution, however, that the common sense approach of stopping AAB preoperatively to avoid possible AKI still requires evaluation by a properly conducted randomized controlled trial. Because of the prolonged systemic halflife and duration of tissue activity (>24 hours) of many AAB agents, the required preoperative cessation period of AAB may vary considerably.