LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Potential genetic biomarkers in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer disease: APOE and BIN1.

BACKGROUND/AIM
Alzheimer disease (AD) is triggered by interactions of multiple genetic and environmental factors. The APOE gene E4 allele is the best-known risk factor for AD, yet it represents a small ratio of genetic factors. According to genome-wide association studies, the BIN1 gene is the second important risk factor for AD, following the APOE gene. We aimed to identify a novel biomarker indicating susceptibility to AD by investigating APOE alleles and BIN1 gene polymorphisms in a Turkish population.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
Fifty-three AD patients and 56 controls were included to examine polymorphism and allele frequency of the APOE and BIN1 genes. Genomic DNAs were isolated from whole blood by SDS/proteinase K treatment, phenol-chloroform extraction, and ethanol precipitation. RFLP was done for identification of polymorphisms in the APOE gene and allele-specific PCR was used for the BIN1 gene.


RESULTS
Frequency of the APOE E4 allele was higher in the AD patient group, while the frequency of the E2 allele was higher in controls. The E4/E4 genotype was detected in the AD patient group, while this genotype was not observed in the controls. The frequencies of BIN1 alleles were similar in both groups.


CONCLUSION
There was a strong association between AD and the APOE E4 allele, while no such relation was observed with BIN1 gene polymorphism.
Relationship between objective responses in phase I trials and potential efficacy of non-specific cytotoxic investigational new drugs.

BACKGROUND
Although the evaluation of new investigational drugs in phase I, II and III trials requires considerable time and patient resources, only a few of these drugs are ultimately established as anticancer drugs.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
We collected papers of phase I trials by a Medline search using the key words 'Neoplasms/Drug Therapy in MeSH' and 'Phase I' for the period from 1976 to 1993. A drug was defined as 'effective' if a regimen including the drug produced positive results in at least one phase III trial. We analyzed the relationship between objective (complete and partial) responses in phase I trials and the effectiveness of agents in phase III trials.


RESULTS
A total of 399 single-agent phase I trials of cytotoxic agents in adult patients with solid tumors were obtained. Further clinical investigation was not recommended in 36 trials (9%) because of severe toxicity. In the remaining 363 trials, 174 drugs were evaluated and the median number of trials for each drug was two (range one to nine). Objective responses were observed in 495 (4.1%) of 12 076 patients, 178 (49%) of 363 trials, and 115 (66%) of 174 drugs. Of the 174 drugs, 48 (28%) were considered to be effective. Percentages of effective drugs rose as the number of responders in phase I trials increased. Logistic regression analyses showed the number of responders to be significantly associated with drug effectiveness [odds ratio = 1.16 (1.06-1.27), P = 0.001 for 174 drugs; odds ratio = 1.16 (1.05-1.28), P = 0.0038 for 363 trials]. Although 10 active drugs failed to produce an objective response in phase I trials, seven of them produced a tumor regression of <50%, and three reportedly produced objective responses in phase I trials conducted before 1975. The numbers of responders among patients with lung, ovarian, breast or colorectal cancer, but not those among patients with lymphoma, melanoma, sarcoma or renal-cell carcinoma, were associated significantly with drug effectiveness against the respective tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
Objective responses observed in phase I trials are important for determining the future development of an anticancer drug.
The effect of post-synthesis aging on the ligand exchange activity of iron oxide nanoparticles.

HYPOTHESIS
Ligand exchange is a widely-used method of controlling the surface chemistry of nanomaterials. Exchange is dependent on many factors including the age of the core particle being modified. Aging of the particles can impact surface structure and composition, which in turn can affect ligand binding.


EXPERIMENTS
To quantify the effects of aging on ligand exchange, we employed a technique to track the exchange of radiolabeled 14C-oleic acid with unlabeled, oleic acid bound to iron oxide nanoparticles. Liquid scintillation counting (LSC) was used to determine the amount of 14C-oleic acid adsorbing to the particles throughout the duration of the exchange for particles aged for 2days, 7days, and 30days.


FINDINGS
Results revealed an increase in the total amount of ligands exchanged with aging up to 30days. Kinetic analysis of these results revealed a significant decrease in the overall rate of ligand exchange between 2 and 30days. The change in extent of adsorption with age could suggest increased availability of free binding sites. A follow-up study comparing exchange with oxidized and unoxidized particles suggested this increase in ligand adsorption may be due to changes in the Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio on the surface as the particles aged.
Histological study of motor innervation to long nuclear chain intrafusal fibers in the muscle spindle of the cat

Several muscle spindles of the cat tenuissimus muscle were cut in serial, 1-gmm thick transverse sections and stained with toluidine blue in search for long nuclear chain intrafusal muscle fibers. Five complete poles of the long chain fibers were located. Each fiber pole displayed one plate-type motor ending situated in the extracapsular fiber region. The endings were supplied by myelinated motor axons that originated from intramuscular nerve fascicles containing motor axons to extrafusal muscle fibers. One of the endings was innervated by a collateral from a motor axon that supplied an extrafusal end-plate. Ultrastructurally, the long chain endings resembled extrafusal end-plates. They were more complex, in terms of prominence of sole-plate and degree of postjunctional folding, than any other intrafusal ending present in the spindles. The motor endings of the long chain fibers were assumed to be the terminals of static (fast) skeletofusimotor axons, which preferentially innervate the longest nuclear chain fibers of cat muscle spindles.
A Stabilization Device That Promotes the Efficiency of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation during Ambulance Transportation to the Level as under Non-Moving Conditions

BACKGROUND
The survival rate of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is low, and measures to improve the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) during ambulance transportation are desirable. We designed a stabilization device, and in a randomized crossover trial we found performing CPR in a moving ambulance with the device (MD) could achieve better efficiency than that without the device (MND), but the efficiency was lower than that in a non-moving ambulance (NM).


PURPOSE
To evaluate whether a modified version of the stabilization device, can promote further the quality of CPR during ambulance transportation.


METHODS
Participants of the previous study were recruited, and they performed CPR for 10 minutes in a moving ambulance with the modified version of the stabilization device (MVSD). The primary outcomes were effective chest compressions and no-flow fraction recorded by a skill-reporter manikin. The secondary outcomes included back pain, physiological parameters, and the participants' rating about the device after performing CPR.


RESULTS
The overall effective compressions in 10 minutes were 86.4±17.5% for NM, 60.9±14.6% for MND, 69.7±22.4% for MD, and 86.6%±13.2% for MVSD (p<0.001). Whereas changes in back pain severity and physiology parameters were similar under all conditions, MVSD had the lowest no-flow fraction. Differences in effective compressions and the no-flow fraction between MVSD and NM did not reach statistical significance.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of the modified device can improve quality of CPR in a moving ambulance to a level similar to that in a non-moving condition without increasing the severity of back pain.
A theory for eLearning

Nichols, M. (2003). A theory for eLearning. Educational Technology & Society, 6(2), 1-10, Available at http://ifets.ieee.org/periodical/6-2/1.html ISSN 1436-4522. © International Forum of Educational Technology & Society (IFETS). The authors and the forum jointly retain the copyright of the articles. Permission to make digital or hard copies of part or all of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than IFETS must be honoured. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, to republish, to post on servers, or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from the editors at kinshuk@massey.ac.nz. A theory for eLearning
Prevalence and factors associated with hardcore smoking in Poland: Findings from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (2009–2010)

BACKGROUND
Estimating the prevalence of hardcore smoking and identifying linked factors is fundamental to improve planning and implementation of effective tobacco control measures. Given the paucity of data on that topic, we aimed to assess the prevalence of and factors associated with hardcore smoking in Poland.


METHODS
We used data from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS). GATS is a representative, cross-sectional, household based survey conducted in Poland between 2009 and 2010. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore the associations of socio-demographic and smoking related variables with hardcore smoking among daily smokers.


RESULTS
The prevalence of hardcore smoking was 10.0% (13.0% among men and 7.3% among women) in the whole population of Poland at age 26 years and above. Hardcore smokers constitute 39.9% (41.6% among men and 37.7% among women) of all daily smokers in analyzed age frame. Being older, having started smoking at earlier ages, living in large cities (in women only), being less aware of negative health effects of smoking, having less restrictions on smoking at home was associated with higher risk of being hardcore smoker. Educational attainment and economic activity were not associated with hardcore smoking among daily smokers.


CONCLUSIONS
High prevalence of hardcore smokers may be a grand challenge for curbing non-communicable diseases epidemic in Poland. Our findings should urge policy makers to consider hardcore smoking issues while planning and implementing tobacco control policies. Prevention of smoking uptake, education programs, and strengthening cessation services appeared to be the top priorities.
Effects of blood pressure lowering on outcome incidence in hypertension: 2. Effects at different baseline and achieved blood pressure levels--overview and meta-analyses of randomized trials.

BACKGROUND
Relevant clinical questions not approached by randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of blood pressure (BP)-lowering treatment can be explored by meta-analyses stratified by clinical criteria.


OBJECTIVES
Investigating whether all grades of hypertension benefit from BP-lowering treatment and which are the target BP levels to maximize outcome reduction.


METHODS
Of the 68 RCTs of intentional and nonintentional BP-lowering, those without baseline antihypertensive drugs were stratified by the average baseline SBP and DBP (hypertension grades 1, 2, and 3). RCTs with or without baseline treatment were considered for investigating the effects of mean achieved SBP/DBP across three SBP cutoffs and two DBP cutoffs. Risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) (random-effects model), standardized to 10/5 mmHg SBP/DBP reduction, and absolute risk reductions of seven fatal and nonfatal outcomes were calculated. Differences between relative and absolute risk reductions in the different strata of baseline or achieved SBP/DBP were evaluated by trend or heterogeneity analyses.


RESULTS
In 32 RCTs (104,359 individuals), significant outcome reductions were found independently of the hypertension grade, with no trend toward risk ratio changes with increasing baseline BP. A secondary analysis limited to RCTs on grade 1 hypertension at low-to-moderate risk showed significant outcome reductions [risk ratio: stroke 0.33 (0.11-0.98), coronary events 0.68 (0.48-0.95), and death 0.53 (0.35-0.80)]. In 32 RCTs (128,232 individuals), relative and absolute outcome reductions were significant for the SBP differences across 150 and 140 mmHg cutoffs. Below 130 mmHg, only stroke and all-cause death were significantly reduced. Absolute outcome reduction showed a significant trend to decrease, the lower the SBP cutoff considered. In 29 RCTs (107,665 individuals), outcomes were significantly reduced across DBP cutoffs of 90 and 80 mmHg. After excluding RCTs with baseline DBP less than 90 mmHg, only stroke reduction was significant at achieved DBP less than 80 mmHg.


CONCLUSION
Meta-analyses favor BP-lowering treatment even in grade 1 hypertension at low-to-moderate risk, and lowering SBP/DBP to less than 140/90 mmHg. Achieving less than 130/80 mmHg appears safe, but only adds further reduction in stroke.
Imaging characteristics of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis

 Background. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a nonmalignant disorder of immune regulation, with overproduction of cytokines and diminished immune surveillance. Symptoms are nonspecific and may affect multiple organs, including the central nervous system. Neuroimaging findings have been described in case reports and small series; body imaging findings have not been described extensively. Objective. To summarize findings of the most frequently performed imaging studies of the brain, chest and abdomen in patients with HLH. Materials and methods. Retrospective review of chest radiographs and CT, abdominal ultrasound and CT, brain CT and MRI, skeletal surveys, and autopsy data. Results. Twenty-five patients were diagnosed and treated for HLH at our institution over an 11-year period; 15 patients (60%) died. Common chest radiograph findings included alveolar-interstitial opacities with pleural effusions, often with rapid evolution and resolution. Hepatosplenomegaly, gallbladder wall thickening, hyperechoic kidneys and ascites were common abdominal findings, which resolved after therapy in some cases. Brain-imaging studies revealed nonspecific periventricular white-matter abnormalities, brain-volume loss and enlargement of extra-axial fluid spaces. Three infant cases, one with intracranial hemorrhage, one with multiple pathologic rib fractures and one with diaphyseal periosteal reaction involving multiple long bones on skeletal survey, raised suspicion of child abuse at presentation. Abuse was not substantiated in any case. Conclusions. Clinicians and radiologists should be aware of the radiographic manifestations of HLH, which are nonspecific and overlap with infectious, inflammatory and neoplastic disorders. Findings in the chest (similar to acute respiratory distress syndrome) and abdomen may progress rapidly and then regress with institution of appropriate anti-HLH therapy. CNS findings may be progressive. In some infants, initial imaging findings may mimic nonaccidental trauma.
Imaging via Compressive Sampling

Image compression algorithms convert high-resolution images into a relatively small bit streams in effect turning a large digital data set into a substantially smaller one. This article introduces compressive sampling and recovery using convex programming.
The alopecias associated with vitamin D-dependent rickets type IIA and with hairless gene mutations: a comparative clinical, histologic, and immunohistochemical study.

OBJECTIVE
To establish the unique and common clinical and microscopic characteristics of the alopecias associated with vitamin D-dependent rickets (VDDR) type IIA and with hairless gene mutations.


DESIGN
A comparative clinical, histologic, and immunohistochemical study of the alopecias in 6 patients with VDDR IIA and 4 patients with atrichia with papular lesions (APL) and/or alopecia universalis congenita (AUC) (hereinafter "APL/AUC").


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Clinical data were gathered from medical records, personal interviews, and physical examinations. Histologic and immunohistochemical studies were performed on 6 scalp punch biopsy specimens from each of the 2 studied groups.


RESULTS
The alopecias in VDDR IIA and APL/AUC showed similar clinical, histologic, and immunohistochemical features. The clinical presentation of the VDDR alopecia resembled either the APL phenotype (ie, with papules and milia) or the AUC phenotype (without papules and milia). The main histologic findings included void infundibula; absence of the lower two thirds of the hair follicles, often replaced by vertically oriented irregular epithelial structures or epithelial cysts; irregular epithelial structures, often with small cysts in the middle and lower dermis; and small, medium, and large keratinizing cysts at all levels of the dermis. The larger epithelial cysts in the upper dermis stained positively for cytokeratin (CK) 10, which suggests an infundibular derivation, whereas the remaining irregular epithelial structures and cysts in the middle and lower dermis stained positively most frequently for CK17, CK19, and CD34, which suggests an outer root sheath derivation.


CONCLUSIONS
The alopecias associated with VDDR IIA and with hairless gene mutations show striking clinical and microscopic similarities. Disintegration of the lower two thirds of the hair follicles seems to be the underlying defect, and a common pathogenetic pathway might be involved.
Influencia familiar sobre la conducta alimentaria y su relación con la obesidad infantil

Eating behavior and childhood obesity: family influences. Eating behavior involves all actions that define the relation between human beings and food. It is accepted that feeding habits are acquired through eating experiences and practices learned from the familiar and social context in early childhood. Besides the role of the social context, it is also assumed that familiar factors, both common family environment and genetic inheritance, have an important influence on food intake and eating behavior linked with childhood obesity. Research on food intake and childhood obesity has been traditionally focused on the amount and type of foods in the usual diet. However, it is an increasing interest to understand the link between eating behavior and obesity using questionnaires. There are several psychometric tools that have been developed specifically to deal with human eating behavior. This review summarizes the family influences, both genetic and non-genetic, on childhood feeding behavior and their relation to childhood obesity.
Mammography screening behaviors of women exposed prenatally to diethylstilbestrol.

BACKGROUND
In utero diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure is a risk factor for rare development of vaginal and cervical cancer and may potentially be a risk factor for breast cancer. Mammography use in this population is relatively unknown; therefore, this study aims to determine if in utero DES exposure is associated with the frequency of mammography screening examinations while considering demographic and clinical factors.


METHODS
Using combined DES cohort questionnaire data, self-reported mammography screening over the past 5 years (2001-2006) was analyzed in women aged ≥45 years. Binary logistic regression assessed if DES exposure was associated with mammography use after adjustment for benign breast disease (BBD), previous cancer diagnosis, and whether insurance access influenced screening use.


RESULTS
Overall, the frequency of mammography examinations was similar for both DES-exposed and unexposed women. DES-exposed (n=2986) and unexposed women (n=1397) over the age of 44 reported receiving ≥3 mammography examinations in the past 5 years (73.8% and 74.0%, respectively). After adjustment, DES exposure was not associated with ≥3 mammograms in the past 5 years compared to ≤2 examinations (odds ratio [OR] 1.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.86-1.17), p=0.99).


CONCLUSIONS
In utero DES exposure was not associated with mammography use, nor was health insurance status or a BBD or cancer diagnosis. Because of the potential elevated risk for breast cancer in women exposed prenatally to DES, continued monitoring of standard mammography recommendations is recommended for this group, which is predominantly over the age of 45.
The potential utility of urinary biomarkers for risk prediction in combat casualties: a prospective observational cohort study

INTRODUCTION
Traditional risk scoring prediction models for trauma use either anatomically based estimations of injury or presenting vital signs. Markers of organ dysfunction may provide additional prognostic capability to these models. The objective of this study was to evaluate if urinary biomarkers are associated with poor outcomes, including death and the need for renal replacement therapy.


METHODS
We conducted a prospective, observational study in United States Military personnel with traumatic injury admitted to the intensive care unit at a combat support hospital in Afghanistan.


RESULTS
Eighty nine patients with urine samples drawn at admission to the intensive care unit were studied. Twelve patients subsequently died or needed renal replacement therapy. Median admission levels of urinary cystatin C (CyC), interleukin 18 (IL-18), L-type fatty acid binding protein (LFABP) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) were significantly higher in patients that developed the combined outcome of death or need for renal replacement therapy. Median admission levels of kidney injury molecule-1 were not associated with the combined outcome. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the combined outcome were 0.815, 0.682, 0.842 and 0.820 for CyC, IL-18, LFABP and NGAL, respectively. Multivariable regression adjusted for injury severity score, revealed CyC (OR 1.97, 95 % confidence interval 1.26-3.10, p = 0.003), LFABP (OR 1.92, 95 % confidence interval 1.24-2.99, p = 0.004) and NGAL (OR 1.80, 95 % confidence interval 1.21-2.66, p = 0.004) to be significantly associated with the composite outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
Urinary biomarker levels at the time of admission are associated with death or need for renal replacement therapy. Larger multicenter studies will be required to determine how urinary biomarkers can best be used in future prediction models.