Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Independent Factors for Prediction of Poor Outcomes in Patients with Febrile Neutropenia

Background Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a life-threatening condition that requires urgent management in the emergency department (ED). Recent progress in the treatment of neutropenic fever has underscored the importance of risk stratification. In this study, we aimed to determine independent factors for prediction of poor outcomes in patients with FN. Material/Methods We retrospectively evaluated 200 chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenic patients who visited the ED. Upon arrival at the ED, clinical data, including sex, age, vital signs, underlying systemic diseases, laboratory test results, estimated GFR, blood cultures, CRP, radiologic examinations, and Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) score of all febrile neutropenic patients were obtained. Outcomes were categorized as “poor” if serious complications during hospitalization, including death, occurred. Results The platelet count <50 000 cells/mm3 (OR 3.90, 95% CI 1.62–9.43), pulmonary infiltration (OR 3.45, 95% CI 1.48–8.07), hypoproteinemia <6 g/dl (OR 3.30, 95% CI 1.27–8.56), respiratory rate >24/min (OR 8.75, 95% CI 2.18–35.13), and MASCC score <21 (OR 9.20, 95% CI 3.98–21.26) were determined as independent risk factors for the prediction of death. The platelet count <50 000 cells/mm3 (OR 3.93, 95% CI 1.42–10.92), serum CRP >50 mg/dl (OR 3.80, 95% CI 1.68–8.61), hypoproteinemia (OR 7.81, 95% CI 3.43–17.78), eGFR ≤90 ML/min/1.73 m2 (OR 3.06, 95% CI 1.13–8.26), and MASCC score <21 (OR 3.45, 95% CI 1.53–7.79) were determined as independent risk factors for the prediction of poor clinical outcomes of FN patients. Platelet count, protein level, respiratory rate, pulmonary infiltration, CRP, MASCC score, and eGFR were shown to have a significant association with outcome. Conclusions The results of our study may help emergency medicine physicians to prevent serious complications with proper use of simple independent risk factors besides MASCC score.
The leader region of Laminin B1 mRNA confers cap-independent translation

Translation initiation of eukaryotic mRNAs generally occurs by cap-dependent ribosome scanning. However, certain mRNAs contain internal ribosome entry sites (IRES) allowing cap-independent translation. Several of these IRES-competent transcripts and their corresponding proteins are involved in tumourigenesis. This study focused on IRES-driven translation control during the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of hepatocytes that reflects crucial aspects of carcinoma progression. Expression profiling of EMT revealed Laminin B1 (LamB1) to be translationally upregulated. The 5′-untranslated region (UTR) of LamB1 was potent to direct IRES-dependent mRNA utilization of a bicistronic reporter construct. Stringent assays for cryptic promoter and splice sites showed no aberrantly expressed transcripts, suggesting that the reporter activity provided by the leader region of LamB1 mRNA exclusively depends on IRES. In accordance, LamB1 expression increased upon negative interference with cap-dependent translation by expression of human rhinovirus 2A protease or heat shock of cells. Finally, the enhanced expression of LamB1 during EMT correlated with an elevated IRES activity. Together, these data provide first evidence that the 5′-UTR of LamB1 contains a bona fide IRES that directs translational upregulation of LamB1 during stress conditions and neoplastic progression of hepatocytes.
Incidence, etiology, timing, and risk factors for clinical failure in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

BACKGROUND The etiology of clinical failure in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) may be related or unrelated to pulmonary infection. The objective of this study was to define the incidence, etiology, timing, and risk factors associated with clinical failures related to CAP vs those unrelated to CAP. METHODS Observational retrospective study of consecutive CAP patients. All patients who experienced clinical failure were identified. Cases were presented to a review committee that defined, by consensus, etiology, timing, and risk factors for clinical failures related to CAP. RESULTS Among 500 patients who were enrolled in the study, clinical failure was identified in 67 (13%). Clinical failure was related to CAP in 54 patients (81%). The most common etiologies for clinical failure related to CAP were severe sepsis (33%), acute myocardial infarction (28%), and progressive pneumonia (19%). All cases of severe sepsis occurred in the first 72 h of hospitalization. The most common etiology for clinical failure unrelated to CAP was the development of hospital-acquired pneumonia (45%). At the time of hospital admission, factors associated with clinical failure related to CAP were advanced age, congestive heart failure, hypotension, abnormal gas exchange, acidosis, hypothermia, thrombocytopenia, and pleural effusion. CONCLUSIONS The development of severe sepsis early during hospitalization is the primary etiology for clinical failure related to CAP. To achieve early treatment intervention, physicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for severe sepsis in hospitalized patients with CAP. To decrease the number of clinical failures unrelated to CAP, interventions need to be developed at the local level to improve the processes of care for patients with pneumonia.
Suppressive effect of oral administration of branched‐chain amino acid granules on oxidative stress and inflammation in HCV‐positive patients with liver cirrhosis

Aim: In chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, it is thought that both chronic persistent inflammation and oxidative stress contribute to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and it has been reported that long‐term oral supplementation with branched‐chain amino acid (BCAA) granules could inhibit liver carcinogenesis. However, the extent of the involvement of these factors remains obscure.
Effects of pH and Suspended Matter on the Physico-Chemical Properties of Black Liquor from Alkali-Oxygen Pulping of Rice Straw

Black liquor (BL) can be regarded as the energy and alkali resource of the pulping mill. In this work, the effects of the characteristics of black liquor derived from the alkali-oxygen pulping of rice straw were studied. Through analyses of the chemical and physical properties, especially the thermodynamics properties, which depend on suspended matter and alkalinity, it was shown that the removal of the suspended matter from the black liquor could effectively improve its thermodynamic properties, particularly in making its solids content reach up to more than 56% at the turning point of its viscosity. Moreover, sodium salt played an important role in the presence of macromolecules and silica in the BL. When the BL was adjusted to pH = 11 with NaOH, the filtered BL had the lowest silica content, the highest volumetric isothermal expansivity (VIE), was more susceptibility to thermal cracking, and was more suitable for processing for alkali recovery.
Hypothermia induced by baclofen, a possible index of GABAB receptor function in mice, is enhanced by antidepressant drugs and ECS

1 Intraperitoneal injection to mice of the γ‐aminobutyric acidB (GABAB) receptor agonist (±)‐baclofen induces a dose‐dependent decrease in rectal temperature. 2 Injection of (–)‐baclofen intracerebroventricularly at doses that had no effect when given peripherally induced a marked hypothermia. (+)‐Baclofen was without effect. 3 The decrease in rectal temperature induced by (–)‐baclofen when injected intraperitoneally was highly correlated with an increase in sedation. 4 Repeated administration of amitriptyline (10 mg kg−1 daily for 14 days) resulted in mice displaying an enhanced temperature and sedation response to injection of (±)‐baclofen (5 mg kg−1) 24 h after the last dose of antidepressant. 5 An enhanced hypothermic response was also seen following repeated administration of zimeldine, mianserin or desipramine (all 10 mg kg−1 daily for 14 days) or repeated electroconvulsive shock (ECS; 5 ECS over 10 days) 24 h after the last treatment. 6 A single administration of any of the antidepressant drugs or ECS or repeated administration of the anxiolytic drug flurazepam (20 mg kg−1 daily for 14 days) did not alter the baclofen‐induced hypothermic response. 7 Administration of (±)‐baclofen (5 mg kg−1) daily for 5 or 14 days attenuated the baclofen‐induced hypothermic response. However, one pretreatment dose did not alter the response. 8 It has previously been reported that repeated baclofen administration decreases GABAB receptor number in the brain while repeated administration of antidepressant drugs and ECS increases the density of this receptor. The current data therefore suggest that baclofen‐induced hypothermia may provide a simple index of GABAB receptor function in the brain and strengthens the evidence that GABAB receptor function is enhanced by antidepressant drugs and ECS.
Cold Acclimation in Genetically Related (Sibling) Deciduous and Evergreen Peach (Prunus persica [L.] Batsch) (II. A 60-Kilodalton Bark Protein in Cold-Acclimated Tissues of Peach Is Heat Stable and Related to the Dehydrin Family of Proteins)

In several plant species, certain cold-regulated proteins share unique properties. These proteins are (a) heat stable and (b) hydrophilic and are related to the Group 2 late embryogenesis abundant or dehydrin family of proteins. Our previous work with sibling deciduous and evergreen peach genotypes demonstrated a correlation between the level of accumulation of certain bark proteins and cold-acclimation potential of these tissues. Here we identify a 60-kD bark protein in peach (Prunus persica [L.] Batsch), PCA60 (“peach cold acclimation”), that is accumulated during cold acclimation and is heat stable. Immunological studies indicated that this protein is related to the dehydrin family of proteins and accumulates at much higher levels in the bark tissues of the deciduous genotype than in the evergreen. Amino acid composition indicated that the 60-kD protein has a compositional bias for glycine (24%), glutamic acid/glutamine (11.4%), aspartic acid/asparagine (10%), and threonine (9.6%), contains relatively low levels of aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine and tyrosine), and is rich in hydrophilic amino acids. A novel characteristic of the 60-kD cold-acclimation protein is the presence of a repeating nine-amino acid sequence. A five-amino acid stretch, which is included within this repeating motif, shares striking homology with other cold-regulated proteins and dehydrins.
Trump Gave Them Hope: Studying the Strangers in Their Own Land

This article argues that a set of recent books published in advance of the 2016 U.S. presidential election provides a road map for understanding its outcome and a research agenda for political communication scholars in the years ahead. This article focuses on sociologist Arlie Hochschild’s Strangers in Their Own Land, a field study that documents the roles that identity, narratives, and emotions play in shaping the political beliefs and behavior of White Tea Party supporters. Building on these insights, through an analysis of 123 content analyses published in Political Communication between 2003-2016, we demonstrate gaps in our field and argue that scholarship can grow analytically and empirically by accounting for the findings of these books. We conclude with suggestions for future research into people’s perceptions of identity, group status, deprivation, and political power, as well as the role of media, political actors, and social groups in creating these narratives of American politics.
Psychosocial consequences of gestational trophoblastic disease 1 23 PSYCHOSOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF GESTATIONAL TROPHOBLASTIC DISEASE

Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) comprises a spectrum of interrelated diseases including partial and complete molar pregnancy and choriocarcinoma with varying propensity for invasion and metastasis [1—4]. Despite the presence of widespread metastases, persistent gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) is highly curable with chemotherapy [2—6]. However, psychological shock is anticipated and understandable when the woman and her partner discover that their pregnancy is considered potentially cancerous and life threatening. It is within this context that we address short and long-term issues central to psychological, social, sexual, and overall quality of life adaptation. Although a cure is generally anticipated, inherent psychosocial stressors exist for the patient and her partner. These stressors include loss of a pregnancy, a potentially life threatening diagnosis, surgical treatment and/or chemotherapy, and delay of future pregnancy. This diagnosis consequently poses a challenge to the woman and her partner since both are required to rapidly shift their sense of hopefulness and joy related to the pregnancy to a necessary challenge to manage a potentially life threatening condition. This unique set of circumstances has led to investigation of the psychosocial impact of GTD. This chapter outlines several issues considered germane to a comprehensive understanding of the psychosocial implications of a GTD diagnosis. First, a brief discussion of interpretations of childbearing is reviewed to provide a foundation to understand the distress which may occur if a pregnancy is threatened and abruptly halted, as is the case with GTD. This discussion is then supported by data relevant to reproductive concerns after GTD. Second, psychosocial issues of GTD are presented, illustrating the sense of threat and anxiety often associated with this diagnosis. Third, perspectives on potential relationship issues and sexual dysfunction are reviewed. Finally, recommendations for future directions in an integrated clinical care and research approach are provided.
Nutrition and Osteoporosis: Preliminary data of Campania Region of European PERsonalised ICT Supported Service for Independent Living and Active Ageing

Background: Bone impairment and malnutrition are associated with significant disability and mortality. PERSSILAA is an European project developing health services to detect and prevent frailty in older adults by addressing cognitive, physical and nutritional. Methods: Subjects underwent anthropometric measurements, calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS) scan and PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea) questionnaire. Aim: To investigate the association between adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) and bone health. Results: 87 subjects (4 males and 83 females) 70.1±4.9 aged, were examined. Mean Body Mass Index (BMI) was 28.7±4.7(kg/m2): in particular 28 subjects (32.2%) resulted obese, 42 (48.3%) overweight, and only 17 (19.5%) with normal weight. Mean T score was −1.2±1.2: in particular 13 subjects (14.9%) resulted osteoporotic; 43 (49.5%) osteopenic; and 31 (35.6%) with normal bone mineral density. Regarding adherence to MD, 9 subjects (10.3%) were poorly adherent; 41 (47.2%) average adherent; 37 (42.5%) highly adherent. T-score was associated with PREDIMED score and osteoporotic subjects presented the lowest PREDIMED score (5.8±2.2). Conclusions: These preliminary data show a significant correlation between the adherence to the MD and bone health parameters. The association between MD and bone health highlights the potential beneficial effects of nutritional interventions promoting a Mediterranean food pattern, as safe adjuvant treatment in ageing.
Short- and long-term effects of litter size manipulation in a small wild-derived rodent

Iteroparous organisms maximize their overall fitness by optimizing their reproductive effort over multiple reproductive events. Hence, changes in reproductive effort are expected to have both short- and long-term consequences on parents and their offspring. In laboratory rodents, manipulation of reproductive efforts during lactation has however revealed few short-term reproductive adjustments, suggesting that female laboratory rodents express maximal rather than optimal levels of reproductive investment as observed in semelparous organisms. Using a litter size manipulation (LSM) experiment in a small wild-derived rodent (the common vole; Microtus arvalis), we show that females altered their reproductive efforts in response to LSM, with females having higher metabolic rates and showing alternative body mass dynamics when rearing an enlarged rather than reduced litter. Those differences in female reproductive effort were nonetheless insufficient to fully match their pups’ energy demand, pups being lighter at weaning in enlarged litters. Interestingly, female reproductive effort changes had long-term consequences, with females that had previously reared an enlarged litter being lighter at the birth of their subsequent litter and producing lower quality pups. We discuss the significance of using wild-derived animals in studies of reproductive effort optimization.
Autonomous motivation and meta-cognitive strategies as predictors of academic performance: Does intrinsic motivation predict academic performance?

本研究の目的は, 中学生における内発的な学習動機づけと同一化的な学習動機づけの学業成績に対する影響の相違を検討することであった。 特に, メタ認知的方略との関連に着目し, 学業成績に対する影響の相違について, 本研究では, 以下の仮説を立てた。 それらは(1) 内発的な学習動機づけは学業成績を予測しないのではないか, (2) 同一化的な学習動機づけはメタ認知的方略を介して学業成績を予測するであろう, であった。 研究1では自己決定理論に基づく学習動機尺度が作成され, 尺度の信頼性と妥当性が確認された。 研究2ではパス解析により因果モデルが作成され, 仮説が支持された。 本研究の結果より, 学業成績に対する同一化的な学習動機づけの重要性が示唆された。
UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) Retraining automatic action tendencies changes alcoholic patients’ approach bias for alcohol and improves treatment outcome

The present study focused on the manipulation of a bias in the action tendency to approach alcohol. Past research has demonstrated this bias in problem drinkers using different Abstract This study tested the effects of a new cognitive-bias modification (CBM) intervention that targeted an approach bias for alcohol in 214 alcoholic inpatients. Patients were assigned to one of two experimental conditions, in which they were explicitly or implicitly trained to make avoidance movements (pushing a joystick) in response to alcohol pictures, or to one of two control conditions, in which they received no training or sham training. Four brief sessions of experimental CBM preceded regular inpatient treatment. In the experimental conditions only, patients’ approach bias changed into an avoidance bias for alcohol. This effect generalized to untrained pictures in the task used in the CBM and to an Implicit Association Test, in which alcohol and soft-drink words were categorized with approach and avoidance words. Patients in the experimental conditions showed better treatment outcomes a year later. These findings indicate that a short intervention can change alcoholics’ automatic approach bias for alcohol and may improve treatment outcome.
The Dual Role of HLA-G in Cancer

We here review the current data on the role of HLA-G in cancer based on recent findings of an unexpected antitumor activity of HLA-G in hematological malignancies. For the past decade, HLA-G has been described as a tumor-escape mechanism favoring cancer progression, and blocking strategies have been proposed to counteract it. Aside from these numerous studies on solid tumors, recent data showed that HLA-G inhibits the proliferation of malignant B cells due to the interaction between HLA-G and its receptor ILT2, which mediates negative signaling on B cell proliferation. These results led to the conjecture that, according to the malignant cell type, HLA-G should be blocked or conversely induced to counteract tumor progression. In this context, we will here present (i) the dual role of HLA-G in solid and liquid tumors with special emphasis on (ii) the HLA-G active structures and their related ILT2 and ILT4 receptors and (iii) the current knowledge on regulatory mechanisms of HLA-G expression in tumors.
Correlation of reduced social communicational and interactional skills with regional grey matter volumes in schizophrenia patients

Objective Recent studies have detected similarities between autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. We investigated structural abnormalities associated with autistic-like traits in patients with schizophrenia by voxel-based morphometry. Methods Patients with schizophrenia and healthy subjects were evaluated by the adult version of the social responsiveness scale (SRS-A), which is sensitive to autistic traits and symptoms even under subthreshold conditions, and magnetic resonance imaging. Results There were significant decreases in the anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral hippocampi, cerebellums, and right insula of patients with schizophrenia, compared with healthy subjects. We found significant negative correlations of the social communication and interaction (SCI) score, a subscale of SRS-A, with grey matter volume in the left posterior superior temporal region of schizophrenia patients. When subscales of SCI were examined separately in schizophrenic patients, negative correlations were observed between the social cognition score and the volumes of the left posterior superior temporal region, and between social motivation and the posterior cingulate cortex. Conclusion We found significant negative correlation between the SCI score and the grey matter volume in the left posterior superior temporal region of schizophrenia patients. This area was the region affected in previous studies of autistic spectrum disorders. Further, this area was associated with the theory of mind. Schizophrenia patients not necessarily show the impairment of SCI, nor this correlated region was not always the point with schizophrenia-specific change. However, we reveal the relationship between the left posterior superior temporal gyrus and the severity of the SCI in schizophrenia by using with SRS-A.
The Acute Phase Reactant Orosomucoid-1 Is a Bimodal Regulator of Angiogenesis with Time- and Context-Dependent Inhibitory and Stimulatory Properties

Background Tissues respond to injury by releasing acute phase reaction (APR) proteins which regulate inflammation and angiogenesis. Among the genes upregulated in wounded tissues are tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) and the acute phase reactant orosomucoid-1 (ORM1). ORM1 has been shown to modulate the response of immune cells to TNFα, but its role on injury- and TNFα-induced angiogenesis has not been investigated. This study was designed to characterize the role of ORM1 in the angiogenic response to injury and TNFα. Methods and Results Angiogenesis was studied with in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo angiogenesis assays. Injured rat aortic rings cultured in collagen gels produced an angiogenic response driven by macrophage-derived TNFα. Microarray analysis and qRT-PCR showed that TNFα and ORM1 were upregulated prior to angiogenic sprouting. Exogenous ORM1 delayed the angiogenic response to injury and inhibited the proangiogenic effect of TNFα in cultures of aortic rings or isolated endothelial cells, but stimulated aortic angiogenesis over time while promoting VEGF production and activity. ORM1 inhibited injury- and TNFα-induced phosphorylation of MEK1/2 and p38 MAPK in aortic rings, but not of NFκB. This effect was injury/TNFα-specific since ORM1 did not inhibit VEGF-induced signaling, and cell-specific since ORM1 inhibited TNFα-induced phosphorylation of MEK1/2 and p38 MAPK in macrophages and endothelial cells, but not mural cells. Experiments with specific inhibitors demonstrated that the MEK/ERK pathway was required for angiogenesis. ORM1 inhibited angiogenesis in a subcutaneous in vivo assay of aortic ring-induced angiogenesis, but stimulated developmental angiogenesis in the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. Conclusion ORM1 regulates injury-induced angiogenesis in a time- and context-dependent manner by sequentially dampening the initial TNFα-induced angiogenic response and promoting the downstream stimulation of the angiogenic process by VEGF. The context-dependent nature of ORM1 angioregulatory function is further demonstrated in the CAM assay where ORM1 stimulates developmental angiogenesis without exerting any inhibitory activity.