Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Educational-Spiritual Intervention on The Burnout of The Parents of School Age Children with Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: Parents of children with cancer experience high levels of stress and discomfort. Religious beliefs are important sources of comfort and support for many cancer patients and their families. The present study aimed to assess the effect of educational-spiritual intervention on burnout of the parents of the children with cancer. Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 135 parents of children with cancer were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups. Data were collected through SMBQ (Shirom and Melamed Burnout Questionnaire) from both groups, before, immediately after and one month after the intervention. Educational-spiritual programs were held for six weeks, one session every week. The data were analyzed by SPSS using independent t-test, and repeated measure ANOVA. Results: The results showed that the mean burnout score before the intervention in the intervention group was 4.28±0.61 and in the control group it was 4.23±0.50; most of the parents reported moderate to high burnout. But, there was a significant difference between the intervention and control groups immediately after and one month after the intervention (t=10.16, P<0.0001). The mean burnout score in the intervention group was less than the control group. Results also showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of parental burnout in three times of measurements (F=58.62, P<0.0001). Conclusion: This study indicated that educational-spiritual intervention was effective on reduction of the burnout of the parents of the children with cancer. Due to high burnout of most of the parents, offering such a program could be beneficial for them. More studies in this regard are recommended. Trial Registration Number: IRCT2014061818144N1
Role of Leptin Signaling in the Pathogenesis of Angiotensin II–Mediated Atrial Fibrosis and Fibrillation

Background—We examined the hypothesis that leptin signaling contributes to the atrial fibrosis and atrial fibrillation (AF) evoked by angiotensin II (AngII). Methods and Results—Eight-week-old male CL57/B6 (CNT) and leptin-deficient ob/ob mice (Ob) were subcutaneously infused with AngII (2.0 mg/kg per day). Two weeks later, transesophageal burst pacing and an electrophysiological study using isolated perfused hearts were performed. Left-atrial tissues were collected to determine interstitial fibrosis by Masson trichrome staining, and the expressions of mRNAs related to inflammatory profibrotic signals were assessed. Left-atrial fibroblasts were isolated from adult Sprague-Dawley and Zucker rats. The effects of leptin (100 ng/mL) or AngII (100 nmol/L) treatment were evaluated. In CNT-AngII mice, leptin expression in the left atrium was upregulated (P<0.01). Transesophageal burst pacing induced atrial fibrillation in 88% (7/8) of CNT-AngII mice, but not in Ob-AngII mice (0/8; P<0.01). In isolated perfused hearts, atrial fibrillation was induced only in CNT-AngII mice (4/6; 67%). Interatrial conduction time was prolonged in CNT-AngII mice (P<0.01), but not in Ob-AngII mice. The upregulation of collagen 1, collagen 3, transforming growth factor-&bgr;1, &agr;-smooth muscle actin, MCP-1, F4/80, and RANTES mRNA, which was seen in CNT-AngII mice, was attenuated in Ob-AngII mice. In cultured Sprague-Dawley rat atrial fibroblasts, AngII treatment increased leptin expression (P<0.01). Addition of leptin increased transforming growth factor-&bgr;1, &agr;-smooth muscle actin, MCP-1, and RANTES expressions in Sprague-Dawley rat atrial fibroblasts, but not in Zucker rat atrial fibroblasts. Conclusions—Our results demonstrate for the first time that leptin signaling is essential for the development of atrial fibrosis and atrial fibrillation evoked by AngII.
An Analysis of Drug Delivery Dynamics via a Pediatric Central Venous Infusion System: Quantification of Delays in Achieving Intended Doses

BACKGROUND: Pediatric patients frequently receive continuous infusions of drugs via central venous catheters in the intensive care unit and the operating room. This study characterized drug delivery profiles in a quantitative laboratory model of a standard pediatric central venous infusion system. METHODS: We evaluated drug delivery via a standard pediatric 8-cm, 4-F double-lumen catheter. One syringe pump infused normal saline as the carrier fluid through a limb of a Y-piece connected to the catheter’s 22-gauge distal lumen. Through the other limb of the Y-piece, a second syringe pump infused methylene blue, the model drug, at a constant rate of 0.5 mL/h. The volume delivered was collected every minute for quantitative analysis. We compared 2 mL/h and 12 mL/h total flow rates to mimic volume delivery to a 3-kg infant, and priming of the Y-piece with the model drug, to mimic resumption of a stopped drug infusion, versus no priming, to mimic a new infusion. Drug pump system start-up performance was measured to estimate this factor’s contribution to infusion onset profiles. RESULTS: When initiating a new infusion of the model drug, the time to steady-state delivery at the catheter’s end varied significantly among the studied scenarios as measured by the time to reach half of the targeted dose (t50). Onset of delivery with a low total flow was much slower (t50 = 23.5 ± 2.1 min) than with the high flow rate (t50 = 15.7 ± 2.9 min). Priming the drug limb of the connecting Y-piece with methylene blue substantially shortened the time to steady state (low flow t50 = 12.7 ± 0.6 min, high flow t50 = 5.2 ± 0.8 min). Time to cessation of drug delivery to the end of the catheter after stopping the drug pump was substantially shorter using the high carrier flow rate (t50 = 3 ± 0.5 min) compared with the low carrier flow rate (t50 = 11.6 ± 0.8 min). Drug pump system start-up performance contributed to onset delay. CONCLUSIONS: Current infusion techniques in the pediatric care setting can result in significant, unrecognized, and potentially hazardous delays in achieving delivery of intended drug doses to the patient. Total flow rate, priming of the infusion system, the dead volume of the fluid path, and the start-up performance of the infusion pump system contribute to delays in achieving targeted rates of drug delivery.
Methods of contraception and rates of genital infections.

Bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis and candidiasis are the most common genital infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the various methods of contraception with regard to the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and vulvo-vaginitis over a period of four years. We also evaluated in the same period the rates of trichomoniasis, candidiasis, bacterial vaginosis and vulvo-vaginitis between users and non users of contraceptional methods and the relationship between ages of patients and types of contraceptives. Finally we considered the change of contraceptive use with regard to age among two different periods. The IUD users showed a significant increase of B.V. , T.v. and other bacteria and a decrease of the negatives compared to OC users. Barrier contraceptive users had a reduction (0.01 > p > 0.001) of B.V. and an increase (p < 0.001) of the negatives compared to IUD users. OC users had a significant (p < 0.05) increase in candidiasis, B.V. together with a reduction of the negatives compared to non users group. IUD users had a significant (p < 0.001) increase of B.V. and vulvo-vaginitis from other bacteria, and the reduction of the negatives. Teenagers use OC much more than adults, but less IUD (p < 0.001). The use of OC has increased and the use of IUD decreased among adults (p < 0.001). The barrier methods were seen to be statistically reduced.
THE SICKLE‐CELL and HAEMOGLOBIN C GENES IN SOME AFRICAN POPULATIONS

1. The presence or absence of sickling of red blood cells and electrophoretic mobility of haemoglobin was investigated in 729 infants between 2 months and 1 year of age and 3602 parents and other adults from various East and West African territories. The distribution of the sickle‐cell and haemoglobin C genes in the Gambia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and the Gold Coast is described.
Left Hemispheric Imbalance and Reward Mechanisms Affect Gambling Behavior

The present research used the Iowa Gambling Task to test the effect of the reward-sensitivity Behavioral Activation System–Reward (BAS-Reward) construct on the ability to distinguish between high- and low-risk decisions. To elucidate the individual differences that influence the decisional processes, making the strategies more or less advantageous, we considered the impact of the BAS motivational system and the frontal left and right cortical activity on subjects’ decisions. More specifically, the lateralization effect, which is related to the increased activation of the left (BAS-Reward-related) hemisphere, was explored by using frequency band analysis. Specifically, behavioral responses (gain/loss options), metacognition, and delta, theta, alpha, and beta band modulation (asymmetry index) were considered. Thirty subjects were divided into high-BAS and low-BAS groups. In comparison with low-BAS, the high-BAS group showed an increased tendency to opt in favor of the immediate reward (losing strategy) instead of the long-term option (winning strategy), and members of this group were more impaired in metacognitive monitoring of their strategies and showed an increased left hemisphere activation when they responded to losing choices. A “reward bias” effect was hypothesized to act for high BAS, based on a left-hemisphere hyperactivation.
The role of additive and multiplicative noise in filtering complex dynamical systems

Covariance inflation is an ad hoc treatment that is widely used in practical real-time data assimilation algorithms to mitigate covariance underestimation owing to model errors, nonlinearity, or/and, in the context of ensemble filters, insufficient ensemble size. In this paper, we systematically derive an effective ‘statistical’ inflation for filtering multi-scale dynamical systems with moderate scale gap, , to the case of no scale gap with , in the presence of model errors through reduced dynamics from rigorous stochastic subgrid-scale parametrizations. We will demonstrate that for linear problems, an effective covariance inflation is achieved by a systematically derived additive noise in the forecast model, producing superior filtering skill. For nonlinear problems, we will study an analytically solvable stochastic test model, mimicking turbulent signals in regimes ranging from a turbulent energy transfer range to a dissipative range to a laminar regime. In this context, we will show that multiplicative noise naturally arises in addition to additive noise in a reduced stochastic forecast model. Subsequently, we will show that a ‘statistical’ inflation factor that involves mean correction in addition to covariance inflation is necessary to achieve accurate filtering in the presence of intermittent instability in both the turbulent energy transfer range and the dissipative range.
Differential Expression of Glypican-3 and Insulin–Like Growth Factor-II mRNAs and Alpha-Fetoprotein and Ki-67 Markers in HCV Related Hepatocellular Carcinomas In Egyptian Patients

Background: Increasing evidence indicates that in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) abnormal gene expression, for example of glypican-3 (GPC-3) and insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II), are associated with the occurrence and progression of HCC. The objective of this study was to evaluate the differential expression of GPC-3 and IGF-II mRNAs in HCC tissues with a background of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 4 cirrhosis, in relation to Ki-67 and alpha-feto protein (AFP) tissue markers. Methods: One hundred and five patients with HCCs who had undergone hepatectomy, were included, after obtaining informed consent. Total RNA was extracted from malignant and corresponding peri-malignant liver tissues, and GPC-3 and IGF-II mRNAs in addition to beta-actin mRNA as an internal control, were evaluated in all samples by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR). Routine histopathological diagnosis as well as immunohistochemical (IHC) staining using monoclonal antibodies for Ki-67 and AFP were also performed. Result: Expression of GPC-3 mRNA was positive in all HCC malignant tissue, with overexpression in 86/105 (81.9%); in respect to the grade of the tumor (1-3 grades), while in peri-malignant tissue it was over expressed only in 20/105 (19%). The IGF-II mRNA was over expressed in only 10/105 (9.5%) malignant and peri-malignant samples. AFP was expressed in 33.3% of malignant samples but absent in peri-malignant tissues. Ki-67 expression was significantly increased in malignant compared to peri-malignant tissue. Conclusion: GPC-3 and IGF II mRNAs may be good molecular markers for HCC, especially with a background of cirrhosis due to chronic HCV infection. Significant correlations were noted with the pattern of AFP and Ki-67 expression.
Four-year follow-up of poly-L-lactic Acid cages for lumbar interbody fusion in goats.

BACKGROUND New applications of bioabsorbable polymer implants demand for histologic evaluation because a host tissue response is elicited and late complications after polymer implantation have been reported. Furthermore, in load-bearing regions an accelerated polymer degradation and foreign body reaction may be observed. METHODS Lumbar interbody fusion procedures were performed using poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) and titanium cages in 43 goats. At 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 months after surgery, sequential histologic analysis of instrumented motion segments, lymph nodes, and nervous structures was performed. Blood samples were retrieved for laboratory analysis. RESULTS No adverse local or distant histologic or systemic effects were observed during the absorption of the poly-L-lactic acid cages. Interbody fusion was maintained, and only a very mild inflammatory response was observed. In half the specimens complete absorption was observed, and in the remaining specimens an estimated 1-10% of the original PLLA was present at the 3-year follow-up. At the 4-year follow-up, five out of seven PLLA specimens showed no PLLA particles under polarized light microscopy. In the remaining two specimens an estimated 1% of the original PLLA could be observed. CONCLUSIONS Poly-L-lactic acid cages are feasible for lumbar interbody fusion, and the biocompatibility under high load bearing conditions is excellent during the complete absorption of the PLLA interbody fusion cages.
Men, Muslims, and Attitudes toward Gender Inequality

Abstract Gender-based inequality is often regarded as a salient characteristic of Muslim societies, yet few works have systematically compared the status of women in Muslim and non-Muslim communities. Fish (2011) finds a gender gap in structural indicators of inequality in Muslim-majority countries that cannot be explained by levels of economic development, raising questions about whether attitudes favoring inequality are more prominent among Muslims. We investigate the impact of structural-situational factors and religious identification on attitudes toward gender-based inequality using hierarchical-level models. We find that: (1) Muslim self-identification and the size of a country's Muslim population predict attitudes supportive of inequality; (2) an individual's gender has a stronger effect on attitudes than does religious identification; and (3) measures of structural inequality also shape attitudes. The effects of these variables remain strong when we consider other contextual elements, such as gross domestic product per capita, education, age, location in the Middle East, and fuels dependence.
A functional M196R polymorphism of tumour necrosis factor receptor type 2 is associated with systemic lupus erythematosus: a case–control study and a meta-analysis

Objectives: To perform a case–control study of a functional M196R polymorphism of tumour necrosis factor receptor type 2 (TNF-RII) in a Japanese population and a meta-analysis of all published reports on the polymorphism to investigate the association of the M196R polymorphism of TNF-RII with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods: The functional M196R polymorphism of TNF-RII was genotyped by using polymerase chain reaction combined with the subsequent single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR—SSCP) analysis for screening, followed by nucleotide sequencing for confirmation. A total of 331 patients and 359 controls were subjected to a case–control study. A meta-analysis of the available case–control studies including all published data as well as our own data was performed to investigate the association of the functional M196R polymorphism of TNF-RII with SLE. Results: Our case–control study did not show any significant association of a functional M196R polymorphism of TNF-RII with SLE, although there was a trend towards association. A meta-analysis of seven case–control studies in eight different ethnic populations including our own showed that 196M/R and 196R/R genotypes combined was significantly associated with an increased risk of SLE (odds ratio (OR) 1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04 to 1.60; p = 0.02). Stratification by ethnicity showed a more significant association in Asians, including Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.78; p = 0.006). The effect of the 196R allele on SLE was not clear in Caucasians. Conclusions: The 196R allele of the functional M196R polymorphism of TNF-RII is a risk factor for SLE, especially in the Asian population.
Modulation of Gamma-Aminobutyric AcidA Receptor Function by Thiopental in the Rat Spinal Dorsal Horn Neurons

To assess the actions of thiopental at the spinal dorsal horn level, we examined the effects of thiopental using the whole cell patch-clamp technique on mechanically dissociated rat spinal dorsal horn neurons. Thiopental, at large concentrations, elicited a current (IThio) through activation of chloride conductance, and its threshold concentration was approximately 50 &mgr;M. IThio was sensitive to bicuculline, a &ggr;-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptor antagonist, but not to strychnine, a glycine receptor antagonist. At a clinically relevant concentration (30 &mgr;M), thiopental markedly enhanced the peak amplitude of a subsaturating GABA-induced current (IGABA) but not that of a saturating GABA-induced cur-rent. Furthermore, thiopental prolonged the time constants of both desensitization and deactivation of IGABA. At a large concentration (300 &mgr;M), it inhibited the peak amplitude of IGABA, which may be the result of open-channel blockade. In addition, at 30 &mgr;M, thiopental increased the duration and decreased the frequency of GABAergic miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents. These results indicate that thiopental enhances GABAergic inhibitory transmission and suggest that GABAA receptors in the spinal cord are a potential target through which thiopental causes immobility and depresses the response to noxious stimuli.
Communication strategy use by healthcare trainees in monologues and dialogues during strategy training

The study examined the use of communication strategies in monologues and dialogues by Malaysian healthcare trainees with limited English proficiency during communication strategy training. The training focused on the use of circumlocution in individual presentation, appeal for assistance in role-play, offering assistance and lexical repetition in group discussion, stress (tonicity) in responding to questions after a presentation, and filled pauses in interviews. The speech of eight participants in the five speaking tasks were recorded and transcribed. The analysis of the 6,137-word transcript showed that monologues called into use more communication strategies than dialogues which are jointly negotiated. The participants used pauses and lexical repetition as communication strategies most often, which, in fact, is predictable considering their language proficiency. Most of the pauses were pauses filled with sounds like umm and uhh rather than fillers taught during the strategy training. The analysis revealed that the participants could use lexical repetition to appeal for assistance, request clarification and confirm comprehension but the frequencies for these strategies were low compared to discourse maintenance and topic salience marking. The strategy training helped the participants to use the strategy that was taught immediately after the training but automatisation in strategy use had not taken place.
Apoplexy in Pituitary Macroadenoma: Eight Patients Presenting in 12 Months

Abstract: Pituitary apoplexy is an ill-defined clinical entity. Some authors include hypoxic pituitary infarction, even in the absence of tumor after hemorrhagic delivery, whereas others apply this term strictly to hemorrhage within a pituitary adenoma. We conducted the present study to establish the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and outcome of pituitary apoplexy, defined as an endocrine crisis characterized by acute intense headache, with or without altered consciousness, rapid development of visual or motor ocular disorders, and pituitary failure, associated with a large pituitary adenoma. We describe 8 consecutive patients (1 woman and 7 men, aged 29-66 yr) presenting over 12 months with pituitary apoplexy. We reviewed patient charts for symptoms, imaging characteristics, hormonal data, management, pathologic findings, and outcome. We examined our pituitary tumors database for cases of macroadenoma without apoplexy occurring during the same period. In 5 patients, potential precipitating factors were present. In 6 patients (3 nonsecreting tumors, 1 free-α-subunit-secreting tumor, 1 growth hormone and prolactin-secreting tumor with acromegaly, and 1 prolactinoma), no pituitary disease was suspected before the acute event, representing 19% of newly diagnosed pituitary macroadenomas during the same period of time, a higher proportion than expected from our previously published series. The 2 other patients had known pituitary macroadenomas, a nonsecreting tumor and a prolactinoma on dopamine agonist therapy. Pituitary insufficiency at diagnosis included adrenal failure in 4 patients. Transsphenoidal tumor removal was performed 3-9 days after the onset of symptoms (mean, 5.3 d) in 7 of the 8 patients. Pathologic analysis disclosed tumor hemorrhage in 4 cases, ischemic necrosis in 2, and ischemia after intrasellar hemorrhage in 1. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging was more sensitive than computed tomography for identifying hemorrhage. The newly diagnosed prolactinoma was treated with dopamine agonist. Complete neuro-ophthalmic recovery was observed in all cases, but only 2 patients displayed normal pituitary function on follow-up. The other 6 patients required long-term hormone replacement therapy. These data show that early surgical decompression prevents persistent neuro-ophthalmic deficit, but does not prevent persistent pituitary insufficiency. Moreover, published data indicate that the efficacy of surgery for the relief of neuro-ophthalmic symptoms decreases with increasing syndrome duration. Our data confirm that apoplexy occurs most often as the inaugural manifestation of pituitary macroadenoma, and suggest a recent increase of cases of apoplexy in our area.