Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mood-stabilizing pharmacological treatment in bipolar disorders and risk of suicide.

OBJECTIVES This study investigated the association between continued mood-stabilizing treatment (lithium and anticonvulsants) in bipolar disorder (BD) and the risk of suicide. METHODS Using linkage of national registers, the association between continued mood-stabilizing treatment and suicide was investigated among all patients discharged nationwide from hospital psychiatry as an in- or outpatient in a period from 1995 to 2000 in Denmark with a diagnosis of BD. RESULTS A total of 5,926 patients were included in the study and among these 51 patients committed suicide eventually during the study period. Although the rate of suicide was higher during periods when patients purchased anticonvulsants (293 suicides per 100,000 person-years) than during periods with lithium (136 suicides per 100,000 person-years), the suicide rate decreased with the number of prescriptions in a rather similar way for patients first treated with lithium and patients first treated with anticonvulsants: patients who continued treatment with mood-stabilizing drugs had a decreased rate of suicide compared to patients who purchased mood stabilizers once only [rate ratio for anticonvulsants = 0.28, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.19-0.41; rate ratio for lithium = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.10-0.38]. Further, the rate of suicide decreased consistently with the number of additional prescriptions. Switch to or augmentation with lithium to patients initiated on anticonvulsants was associated with a significantly reduced rate of suicide (rate ratio = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.20-0.40), whereas a switch to or augmentation with anticonvulsants to patients first started on lithium showed no additional effect on the suicide rate. CONCLUSIONS Although continued treatment with anticonvulsants and continued treatment with lithium was associated with a rather similar reduction in the rate of suicide, the results suggest that treatment with lithium may have some superiority in relation to prevention of suicide.
Social networks and their role in preventing dementia

Interest in the role of social networks as a protective factor in the development of dementia over the last decade has increased with a number of longitudinal studies being published on the possible association of different lifestyles with dementia. This review examines and provides a summary of the published longitudinal studies exploring the effect of social network on dementia, with particular focus on their relevance to the Indian society. Potential cognitive and biological mechanisms mediating the effects of social networks on dementia are discussed. Results from observational studies suggest that degree of social engagement, marriage, living with someone and avoiding loneliness may have a protective effect on developing dementia that could be applicable to both Indian and western societies. A deeper analysis of the nature of social networks and dementia pertinent to Indian society is awaited.
Limited Evolution of HIV Antiretroviral Drug Resistance-Associated Mutations During the Performance of Drug Resistance Testing

We investigated the evolution of HIV reverse transcriptase (RT)– and protease-associated antiretroviral (ARV) drug resistance mutations during the time taken to perform genotypic drug resistance testing. Thirty treatment-experienced patients who were adherent to therapy and who underwent genotypic drug resistance testing provided blood samples at randomization and when reviewing the test results (baseline). Patients remained on their existing therapy between randomization and baseline. The predominant HIV strains in 10 patients (33%) either lost and/or gained primary RT inhibitor (RTI)– or protease inhibitor (PI)–associated resistance mutations during the testing period. Of the 9 patients with RT mutations, 2 lost, 5 gained, and 2 both lost and gained RTI resistance mutations. One patient gained a significant PI-associated resistance mutation on an existing PI-resistant background. The evolution that occurred in the RT may have altered the effectiveness of subsequent ARV therapy in some patients. Neither viral load at randomization, ARV drug class used at randomization, time between collection of blood samples, duration of current therapy, nor number of ARV drugs used influenced gain or loss of resistance mutations. There was a significant association between duration of previous ARV therapy and gain of RTI-associated resistance mutations (p = .02), however. In general, our results suggest that patients should continue current therapy until test results are available. A few patients would be expected to gain ARV drug-associated resistance mutations during this time, however.
The antagonist trinitrophenyl‐ATP reveals co‐existence of distinct P2X receptor channels in rat nodose neurones

1 Whole‐cell recordings were made from rat nodose ganglion neurones in culture and from human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells stably transfected to express P2X2, P2X3 or both receptor subunits. We examined the blocking actions of 2′,3′‐O‐trinitrophenyl‐ATP (TNP‐ATP) on currents evoked by the agonists ATP and α,β‐methylene ATP. 2 In cells expressing only P2X2 or P2X3 receptor subunits, the inhibition by TNP‐ATP was fitted by a single binding site model with half‐maximal concentrations of about 3 μM and 3 nM, respectively. In cells expressing both P2X2 and P2X3 receptor subunits, currents showed little or no desensitization, thus excluding contributions from homomeric P2X3 receptors. When α,β‐methylene ATP was the agonist (activating heteromeric P2X2/3 receptors), the inhibition by TNP‐ATP conformed to a single binding site (half‐maximal concentration about 3 nM). When ATP (30 μM) was the agonist, activating both heteromeric P2X2/3 as well as homomeric P2X2 receptors, the inhibition curve was biphasic (half‐maximal concentrations about 3 nM and 3 μM); the proportion of high affinity sites in all six cells tested was about 40 %. 3 In nodose ganglion neurones, the inhibition by TNP‐ATP of currents evoked by ATP (30 μM) was also clearly biphasic. In this case, individual neurones showed more variability in the proportion of high and low affinity sites for TNP‐ATP. 4 We conclude that more than one form of multimeric P2X receptor channels are functionally expressed on the cell bodies of individual nodose ganglion neurones. On the basis of sensitivity to TNP‐ATP, and other properties, one of these may correspond to the homomeric P2X2 receptor and the other(s) to heteromeric P2X2/3 receptors.
Sedentism, Storage, and the Intensification of Small Seeds: Prehistoric Developments in Owens Valley, California

Many archaeological models describe the development of restricted residential mobility, or sedentism, in prehistoric settings. Sedentism is often part of a suite of cultural changes, often accompanied by seed intensification, storage, population increase, environmental degradation, establishment of social hierarchy, and agriculture. Most models describe these changes as a series of events, with one precipitating the next. As a result, sedentism is interpreted as either a direct byproduct or a causative trigger of other societal changes. Results of excavations at the village site of Sunga'va (CA-INY-3806) are used to examine the timing of sedentism in relation to the development of storage and seed intensification in the Owens Valley of California. The site, which has evidence for two separate occupations from a period that has heretofore not been the subject of intensive research, suggests that sedentism developed at the same time or just before storage and some 800 years before seed intensification. Data do not support social models, such as the activity of aggrandizers or the stabilization of longdistance exchange networks, in these developments.
Identification of metabolic pathways of the lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxynonenal in in situ perfused rat kidney.

The metabolism of the cytotoxic lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxynonenal was studied in perfused rat kidney. We investigated the total capacity of the rat kidney to metabolize 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) and quantified the metabolites in the venous effluents as well as in the excreted urine. A rapid utilization of HNE was demonstrated, due to its immediate reactions with cellular compounds and its metabolism. During the first 3 min more than 80% of the infused HNE was metabolized in the perfused kidney. Glutathione-HNE conjugate (GSH-HNE: 35%), the corresponding alcohol 1,4-dihydroxynonene (1,4-DHN: 12%), HNE-mercapturic acid conjugate (HNE-MA: 4%), 4-hydroxynonenoic acid (HNA: 7%), tricarboxylic acid (TCA-cycle metabolites), and water (32%) were identified as primary and secondary metabolic products. We postulated that the total capacity of rat kidney to metabolize 4-hydroxynonenal with about 160-190 nmol/g wet wt/min. (initial influent concentration was 100 nmol/ml HNE) and other aldehydic products of lipid peroxidation is in the same range as that in other organs, e.g., intestine with 22 nmol/g wet wt/min (initial 70 nmol/ml HNE) (Siems et al. 1995. Life Sci. 57: 785-789) and heart with about 50 nmol/g wet wt/min (initial 10 nmol/ml HNE) (Grune et al. 1994. Cell Biochem. Funct. 12: 143-147). Compared to other organs, liver and kidney seemed to be the most important organs for the elimination of the final products of metabolism. The importance of the kidney in the formation of HNE-mercapturic acid conjugate was demonstrated (Alary et al. 1995. Chem. Res Toxicol. 8: 34-39). The selective excretion of this final metabolite of aldehyde metabolism may be of central importance in the detoxification of a number of lipid peroxidation products.
Serum nitric oxide synthase activity is a novel predictor of impaired vasorelaxation in rats

It is well documented that both acetylcholine (ACh)‐evoked arterial relaxation and brachial artery flow‐mediated vasodilatation are blunted in hypercholesterolaemic patients. However, there are no simple diagnostic methods to detect the pathology of blood vessels of patients. To establish the use of serum nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity as a diagnostic parameter for impaired vasorelaxation, animals with different levels of vascular healthiness were made by feeding Sprague–Dawley rats a normal diet, a high‐cholesterol diet (HCD) or an HCD supplemented with 10 mg/kg per day, p.o. , simvastatin, a cholesterol‐lowering drug, for 30 days. Serum total cholesterol levels, serum NOS activity and ACh‐induced vasorelaxation of the isolated aorta were determined at the end of the experiment. Consumption of HCD for 30 days resulted in an increase in serum total cholesterol, attenuated ACh‐induced nitric oxide/endothelium‐dependent aortic relaxation and decreased NOS activity. Concomitant administration of simvastatin lowered the elevated blood cholesterol levels with complete reversal of the attenuated ACh‐induced aortic relaxation and serum NOS activity. An attempt was made to correlate serum NOS activity and the magnitude of ACh‐elicited vascular relaxation among the different groups. A positive correlation (r = 0.8329; P < 0.001; n = 30) was found between serum NOS activity and vascular relaxation. This finding is a good foundation for the development of a simple and low‐cost alternative for diagnosing vascular diseases and evaluating the effectiveness of drugs on the vascular system in patients.
Desflurane-induced Preconditioning Alters Calcium-induced Mitochondrial Permeability Transition

BackgroundRecent investigations have focused on the pivotal role of the mitochondria in the underlying mechanisms volatile anesthetic-induced myocardial preconditioning. This study aimed at examining the effect of anesthetic preconditioning on mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) pore opening. MethodsAnesthetized open chest rabbits were randomized to one of four groups and underwent 10 min of ischemia, except for the sham 1 group (n = 12). Before this, they underwent a treatment period consisting of (1) no intervention (ischemic group; n = 12), (2) 30 min of desflurane inhalation (8.9% end-tidal concentration) followed by a 15-min washout period (desflurane group; n = 12), or (3) ischemic preconditioning (IPC group; n = 12). A second set of experiments was performed to evaluate the effect of a putative mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate–sensitive potassium channel antagonist, 5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD). The animals underwent the same protocol as previously, plus pretreatment with 5 mg/kg 5-HD. They were randomized to one of five groups: the sham 2 group, receiving no 5-HD (n = 12); the sham 5-HD group (n = 12); the ischemic 5-HD group (n = 12), the desflurane 5-HD group (n = 12), and the IPC 5-HD group (n = 12). At the end of the protocol, the hearts were excised, and mitochondria were isolated. MPT pore opening was assessed by measuring the amount of calcium required to trigger a massive calcium release indicative of MPT pore opening. ResultsDesflurane and IPC group mitochondria needed a higher calcium load than ischemic group mitochondria (362 ± 84, 372 ± 74, and 268 ± 110 &;m calcium, respectively; P < 0.05) to induce MPT pore opening. The sham 1 and sham 2 groups needed a similar amount of calcium to trigger mitochondrial calcium release (472 ± 70 and 458 ± 90 &mgr;m calcium, respectively). 5-HD preadministration had no effect on sham animals (458 ± 90 and 440 ± 128 &mgr;m calcium without and with 5-HD, respectively) and ischemic group animals (268 ± 110 and 292 ± 102 &mgr;m calcium without and with 5-HD, respectively) but abolished the effects of desflurane on calcium-induced MPT pore opening (362 ± 84 &mgr;m calcium without 5-HD vs. 238 ± 96 &mgr;m calcium with 5-HD; P < 0.05) and IPC (372 ± 74 &mgr;m calcium without 5-HD vs. 270 ± 104 &mgr;m calcium with 5-HD; P < 0.05). ConclusionLike ischemic preconditioning, desflurane improved the resistance of the transition pore to calcium-induced opening. This effect was inhibited by 5-HD, suggesting a link between mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate–sensitive potassium and MPT.
Psychological interventions for depression in heart failure.

BACKGROUND Heart failure is a common and growing health problem. Depression is prevalent among these patients and is associated with an increased risk of mortality, in some, but not all, studies. Depression may increase the risk of recurrent cardiac events and death, either through direct pathophysiological mechanisms such as thrombogenesis or ventricular arrhythmias, or through behavioural mechanisms. Depressed patients are less likely to adhere to their medication regimen and modify their lifestyle appropriately, thereby increasing the likelihood of recurrent cardiac events and death. The effects of psychological interventions for depression in terms of reducing depression and improving prognosis in patients with heart failure are unknown. OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of psychological interventions for depression in people with heart failure on depression and quality of life, morbidity, and mortality in these patients. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and The Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects on The Cochrane Library (Issue 3, 2003), MEDLINE (1951 to August 2003), PsycINFO (1887 to August 2003), CINAHL (1980 to August 2003) and EMBASE (1980 to August 2003). Searches of reference lists of retrieved papers were also made and expert advice was sought. Abstracts from national and international cardiology, psychology, and psychiatry conferences in 2003 and dissertation abstracts were also searched. All relevant foreign language papers were translated. SELECTION CRITERIA RCTs of psychological interventions for depression in adults (18 years or older) with heart failure. The primary outcome was a significant reduction in depression. The secondary outcomes were the acceptability of treatment, quality of life, cardiac morbidity (hospital re-admission for heart failure and non-fatal cardiovascular events), reduction of cardiovascular behavioural risk factors, health economics, and death. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts of potential studies. Two reviewers independently assessed the full papers for inclusion criteria. Further information was sought from the authors where papers contained insufficient information to make a decision about eligibility. MAIN RESULTS No RCTs of psychological interventions for depression in patients with heart failure were identified. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Depression is common among patients with heart failure. Randomised controlled trials of psychological interventions for depression in heart failure patients are needed to investigate the impact of such interventions on depression, quality of life, behavioural CVD risk factors, cardiac morbidity, health economics and mortality, given the paucity of such trials in this area and the increasing prevalence of heart failure.
Dutch translation and validation of the readiness for interprofessional learning scale (RIPLS) in a primary healthcare context

Abstract Background: Interprofessional education and collaborative practice are gradually gaining importance in the context of growing healthcare complexity. The readiness for interprofessional learning scale (RIPLS) is a well-known scale that can identify attitudinal barriers and variance across professions, which may affect educational interventions. Objectives: This study aims to translate the English RIPLS into Dutch and to test its reliability and validity. Methods: The scale was translated and back-translated by two pairs of people independently and tested for feasibility and comprehensibility. The translated scale was used with 219 general practitioners, 238 community nurses, and 53 palliative home-care nurses. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess construct validity. Confirmatory factor analysis was done to generate a fit model. Cronbach’s alpha was computed to evaluate internal consistency. Regression analysis was used to evaluate the effect of the RIPLS score on the level of learning through collaboration and to gauge the influence of the participants’ gender, age, previous palliative care education, type of practice and years in practice. Results: Confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis confirms the factor structure of the original version. The Dutch version shows good reliability (overall Cronbach’s alpha: 0.88; intraclass correlation coefficient after test-retest: 0.718 (95%CI: 0.499–0.852). The RIPLS score correlates with the amount of workplace learning during collaboration (discriminant validity: P < 0.001). Conclusion: The Dutch translation of the RIPLS is now ready for comparative studies.
Dexamethasone Increases the Frequency of Post-Dural Puncture Headache (PDPH): An Evidence Based Reality

Dexamethasone Increases the Frequency of Post-Dural Puncture Headache (PDPH): An Evidence Based Reality Fardin Yousefshahi Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Corresponding author: Fardin Yousefshahi, Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Tel: +98-2142046, E-mail: yousefshahi@tums.ac. ir
Changes in Logo Designs : Chasing the Elusive Butterfly Curve

Some logo designs are changed or updated on a regular basis while others remain unchanged for decades. If a two-factor model of exposure effects and the discrepancy hypothesis applied to preference for changes in logo designs, periodic incremental changes would be optimal. A series of empirical studies, however, discovered that the preference for changes in logo designs was better explained by social judgment theory, such that no change is preferred, but slight changes are well tolerated.
Design and Implementation of Automatic Indexing for Information Retrieval with Arabic Documents

We have put together a corpus of 242 abstracts of Arabic documents using the Proceedings of the Saudi Arabian National Conferences as a source. All these abstracts involve computer science and information systems. We also designed and built an automatic information retrieval system from scratch to handle Arabic data. The system was implemented in the C language using the GCC compiler and runs on IBM/PCs and compatible microcomputers. We have implemented both automatic and manual indexing techniques for this corpus. A long series of experiments using measures of recall and precision has demonstrated that automatic indexing is at least as effective as manual indexing and more effective in some cases. Since automatic indexing is both cheaper and faster, our results suggest that we can achieve a wider coverage of the literature with less money and produce as good results as with manual indexing. We have also compared the retrieval results using words as index terms versus stems and roots, and confirmed the results obtained by Al-Kharashi and Abu-Salem with smaller corpora that root indexing is more effective than word indexing.
CONOCIMIENTO DE LOS ESTUDIANTES DE SECUNDARIA SOBRE LOS TIPOS DE DROGAS QUE SE CONSUMEN EN SU MEDIO.

Las adicciones son un problema de salud publica. Se estima que en Mexico 3.5 millones de personas entre 12 a los 65 anos han consumido algun tipo de drogas. A pesar de los avances en los estudios, se ha dejado de lado el caracter cultural que tiene la adiccion. Con este estudio, se deseba conocer que saben los estudiantes de segundo de secundaria sobre cuales son las drogas que se consumen en su medio. Se llevo a cabo un estudio observacional con un muestreo aleatorio, con multiples etapas y proporcional al tamano en escuelas publicas y privadas. En total se estudiaron 42 escuelas del municipio de Leon, Gto. , Mexico de las cuales el 76.2% lo conformaron las escuelas publicas y el resto las escuelas privadas. Refirieron que conocen que se consumen, en su medio, 11 tipos de drogas. El 88% menciono a la cocaina en primer lugar, en segundo lugar con un 85% la marihuana, siguiendo las tachas en un 62% y el pegamento en un 49%. En cuanto a los nombres que los estudiantes le dan a las drogas, estos van desde 23 hasta los 4 nombres, siendo la marihuana a la que se le da el mayor numero de nombres, seguidos de la cocaina y el extasis.
A regulation cascade controls expression of Porphyromonas gingivalis fimbriae via the FimR response regulator

Little is known about how Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram‐negative oral anaerobe, senses environmental changes, and how such information is transmitted to the cell. The production of P. gingivalis surface fimbriae is regulated by FimS–FimR, a two component signal transduction system. Expression of fimA, encoding the fimbrilin protein subunit of fimbriae, is positively regulated by the FimR response regulator. In this study we investigated the molecular mechanisms of FimR regulation of fimA expression. Comparative transcription profiling of fimR wild‐type and mutant strains shows that FimR controls the expression of several genes including five clustered around the fimA locus. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays identify and confirm that FimR binds to the promoter region of the first gene in the fimA cluster. Gene expression analyses of mutant strains reveal a transcriptional cascade involving multiple steps, with FimR activating expression of the first gene of the cluster that encodes a key regulatory protein.