Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Soluble human leukocyte antigen-g and its insertion/deletion polymorphism in papillary thyroid carcinoma: novel potential biomarkers of disease?

INTRODUCTION Human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G), a nonclassical major histocompatibility complex class I antigen, plays a pivotal role in immune tolerance and a paradoxical role in cancers. AIMS Our aims were to evaluate plasma soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) concentrations and the 14-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism of the HLA-G gene in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) or Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and to assess the possible association of these parameters with PTC aggressiveness. METHODS Samples for the analysis of sHLA-G and +14/-14-bp HLA-G polymorphism were obtained from 121 patients with HT and 183 with PTC; 245 gender- and age-matched healthy subjects served as controls. PTC histopathological aggressiveness was defined according to the last American Thyroid Association guidelines. RESULTS Positive serum antithyroid antibody titers were observed in 22% of PTC patients and lymphocyte infiltration of thyroid parenchyma at histological examination in 21%, whereas both circulating and histological autoimmunity was detectable in 12% of PTC patients. No differences in the +14/-14-bp polymorphism frequencies were observed between the study groups. The prevalence of detectable sHLA-G was lower in healthy controls (52%) as compared with both HT (57%) and PTC (62%) patients. By stratifying the study groups according to sHLA-G level of positive subjects, significantly higher plasma sHLA-G values in PTC (42.9 ± 3.3 ng/ml; P = 0.002) and HT patients (49.1 ± 2.6 ng/ml; P < 0.002) as compared with healthy controls (8.5 ± 1.8 ng/ml) were obtained. Moreover, PTC patients with detectable plasma sHLA-G levels showed a higher aggressive behavior (P < 0.04) than those without. CONCLUSIONS Although confirming the frequent association between PTC and chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, these data suggest that elevated circulating sHLA-G levels, besides an important signal of alterations of immune homeostasis, may be considered a potential, novel marker of PTC histopathological aggressiveness at diagnosis. Additional studies are needed to confirm the actual role and clinical relevance of the HLA-G complex in PTC development and progression.
High-throughput screen for detecting antimycobacterial agents

A simple, robust assay system which can be used to screen for inhibitors of mycobacterial growth has been developed. A strain of the rapidly growing saprophyte Mycobacterium aurum is used as the test organism. Inhibition of its growth is highly predictive of activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which cannot itself be used in screening because of its growth characteristics and highly infectious nature. The viability of M. aurum in the presence of a test sample is monitored by measuring the uptake of radiolabelled uracil into the cells. In a microtiter plate format, the screen has the potential for testing several thousand samples per day.
Home parenteral nutrition--an effective and safe long-term therapy for systemic sclerosis-related intestinal failure.

OBJECTIVES To examine the outcome in patients with SSc requiring parenteral nutrition (PN), and to compare their clinical characteristics with those of other SSc patients and of patients requiring PN/home parenteral nutrition (HPN) for other conditions. METHODS Retrospective review of SSc and Intestinal Failure Unit databases at a tertiary referral centre for SSc/national unit for intestinal failure over a 13-yr period. RESULTS Eight patients with SSc requiring PN during the study period were identified (2 males, 6 females: median age at commencement of PN 51 yrs, range 42-56 yrs). All patients commencing PN had bacterial overgrowth and malabsorption not responding to antibiotic therapy. The median duration of PN therapy in the eight patients was 40 months (range 0.8-192 months). Between them the eight patients had a total of 13,851 catheter-use days and only two line infections (0.14/1000 catheter days), a lower rate of line infection than in other HPN-treated patients at Hope Hospital (0.52/1000 catheter days). Three patients died during the 13-yr period, none of causes related to their PN. Six were unable to manage their HPN regime themselves, mainly because of problems with hand function. CONCLUSIONS Although patient numbers were small, our findings suggest that HPN can be safely and successfully used long-term in patients with SSc and should be considered for patients unable to maintain their nutritional status because of severe gastrointestinal involvement. Impaired hand function should not preclude SSc patients from receiving HPN: family members or community nurses may be trained in the care of the HPN line.
Predicting the Risk of Compassion Fatigue: A Study of Hospice Nurses

There is a growing interest in the clinical phenomenon of compassion fatigue and its impact on healthcare providers; however, its impact on hospice nurses is basically unknown. This study investigated the prevalence and the relationships between nurse characteristics and compassion fatigue risk. It also provided a model for predicting compassion fatigue risk. A non-experimental descriptive design using cross-sectional data and descriptive and inferential statistics was used. Nurses (N = 216) from 22 hospices across the state of Florida participated in the study. Findings revealed that 78% of the sample was at moderate to high risk for compassion fatigue, with approximately 26% in the high-risk category. Trauma, anxiety, life demands, and excessive empathy (leading to blurred professional boundaries) were key determinants of compassion fatigue risk in the multiple regression model that accounted for 91% (P < .001) of the variance in compassion fatigue risk. Knowledge of these variables may help organizations identify nurses at risk and provide interventions and preventions to maintain optimal nursing care.
Quasi‐static magnetic resonance elastography at 7 T to measure the effect of pathology before and after fixation on tissue biomechanical properties

Evaluation of imaging for cancer detection and localization can be achieved by correlation of gold‐standard histopathology with imaging data. Usage of a 3D biomechanical‐based deformable registration for correlation of the histopathology of whole‐tissue specimens with ex vivo imaging necessitates measurement of the distribution of biomechanical properties in the ex vivo tissue specimen and changes that occur during pathology fixation. To measure high‐resolution 3D distributions of Young's modulus (E) prefixation and postfixation, a quasi‐static magnetic resonance elastography method was developed at 7 T. Use of echo‐planar imaging allowed for shorter imaging times, in line with limited time frames allowable for pathology specimens. The finite element modeling algorithm produced voxel‐wise E measures, and mechanical indentation was used for comparison. An initial preclinical evaluation with canine prostate specimens (n = 5) demonstrated a consistent increase in E with fixation (P < 0.002) by a factor of 4 (±1). Increases were a function of distance from the tissue edge and correlated with fixation time (ρ = 1, P < 0.02). The technique will be used to generate population‐averaged data of E from clinical ex vivo specimens prefixation and postfixation to inform registration of whole‐mount histopathology with in vivo imaging. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Human skin‐derived stem cells migrate throughout forebrain and differentiate into astrocytes after injection into adult mouse brain

Recent evidence indicates that neural stem cell properties can be found among a mammalian skin‐derived multipotent population. A major barrier in the further characterization of the human skin‐derived neural progenitors is the inability to isolate this population based on expression of cell surface markers. Our work has been devoted to purified human skin‐derived stem cells that are capable of neural differentiation, based on the presence or absence of the AC133 cell surface marker. The enriched skin‐derived AC133+ cells express the CD34 and Thy‐1 antigens. These cells cultured in a growth medium containing epidermal growth factor (EGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) proliferate, forming spheres, and differentiate in vitro into neurons, astrocytes, and rarely into oligodendrocytes. Single cells from sphere cultures initiated from human purified AC133+ cells were replated as single cells and were able to generate new spheres, demonstrating the self‐renewing ability of these stem cell populations. Brain engraftment of cells obtained from human purified AC133+‐derived spheres generated different neural phenotypes: immature neurons and a most abundant population of well differentiated astrocytes. The AC133‐derived astrocytes assumed perivascular locations in the frontal cortex. No donor‐derived oligodendrocytes were found in the transplanted mouse brains. Several donor small, rounded cells that expressed endothelial markers were found close to the host vessel and near the subventricular zone. Thus, mammalian skin AC133‐derived cells behave as a multipotent population with the capacity to differentiate into neural lineages in vitro and, prevalently, endothelium and astrocytes in vivo, demonstrating the great plasticity of these cells and suggesting potential clinical application. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy Guidelines for Management of Cardiovascular Diseases in Patients on Chronic Hemodialysis

According to the data (as of 31 December 2011) collected by the Statistical Survey Committee of Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy (JSDT), the number of dialysis patients in our country has exceeded 300 000 and is still increasing (1). As characterized by the increased number of diabetic patients and the aging of population, cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for about 40% of the causes of death. Therefore, the prevention and treatment of CVD represent the most important clinical problems. However, the evidence of the management of CVD in dialysis patients being few, the techniques for nondialytic patients are often applied. In light of the current situation, we have prepared the guideline for the evaluation and treatment of HD patients with CVD for managing HD patients with such diseases as dyslipidemia, arteriosclerosis, blood pressure abnormalities, heart failure, ischemic heart disease, valvular heart disease, cerebrovascular disorders, and peripheral artery disease. Here we outline the substance thereof.
Risk of upgrade of atypical ductal hyperplasia after stereotactic breast biopsy: effects of number of foci and complete removal of calcifications.

PURPOSE To determine if patients with fewer than three foci of atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) who have all of their calcifications removed after stereotactic 9- or 11-gauge vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB) have a rate of upgrade to malignancy that is sufficiently low to obviate surgical excision. MATERIALS AND METHODS An institutional review board-approved, HIPAA-compliant retrospective review of 991 cases of consecutive 9- or 11-gauge stereotactic VABB performed during a 65-month period revealed 147 cases of atypia. One pathologist performed a blinded review of the results of procedures performed to assess for calcifications and confirmed ADH in 101 cases with subsequent surgical excision. Each large duct or terminal duct-lobular unit containing ADH was considered a focus and counted. Postbiopsy mammograms were reviewed to determine whether all calcifications were removed. Upgrade to malignancy was determined from excisional biopsy pathology reports. Upgrade rates as a function of both number of foci and presence or absence of residual calcifications were calculated and compared by using chi(2) tests. RESULTS Upgrade to malignancy occurred in 20 (19.8%) of the 101 cases. The upgrade rate was significantly higher in cases of three or more foci of ADH (15 [28%] of 53 cases) than in cases of fewer than three foci (five [10%] of 48 cases) (P = .02). Upgrade rates were similar, regardless of whether all mammographic calcifications were removed (seven [17%] of 41 cases) or all were not removed (nine [20%] of 45 cases) (P = .77). Upgrade occurred in two (12%) of 17 cases in which there were fewer than three ADH foci and all calcifications were removed. CONCLUSION The upgrade rate is significantly higher when ADH involves at least three foci. Surgical excision is recommended even when ADH involves fewer than three foci and all mammographic calcifications have been removed, because the upgrade rate is 12%.
Lipid digestion and absorption in early life: an update

Purpose of reviewTo highlight our understanding of digestion and absorption of dietary lipids in newborn infants, and specifically how these processes differ from those in children and adults. Recent findingsThe intestinal concentration of pancreatic triglyceride lipase (PTL) and bile salts is lower in newborns compared to later in life. Instead the PTL-related protein 2 and bile salt-stimulated lipase (BSSL) are the key enzymes secreted from pancreas, which in concerted action with gastric lipase operate to achieve efficient fat absorption during infancy. BSSL is also present in human milk which affects fat absorption and growth in breast-fed preterm infants. Under conditions of low luminal bile salt concentrations fat absorption is likely to occur from liquid crystalline product phases, which may result in absorption from an extended part of the small intestinal mucosal surfaces compared to adults. Chylomicron assembly and secretion also seem to adapt to the specific situation of the newborn. SummaryBoth fat digestion and product absorption are different in newborn infants compared to adults; other lipases are used for digestion and different physical–chemical phases may be used for product absorption. Why these differences occur is still an unsolved question of considerable importance to neonatal nutrition.
Study of construction accidents in Sri Lanka

This paper summarizes the results of a study which examined the accidents that take place at Sri Lankan construction sites as recorded in the Industrial Safety Division (ISD) of the Ministry of Labour. The paper intends to provide a profile of construction accidents in Sri Lanka compared to other industries. In addition, it portrays the occupational and demographic characteristics of the victims. The number of fatal accidents are high in the construction industry compared to other industries. The ISD data show that falls are the single most common cause of fatalities. This is followed by electrocutions and "Struck-by" incidents. Falls are more frequently associated with roofs and scaffolding. "Struck-by" incidents are the major cause of non-fatalities. Electricians and Unskilled Workers have been found to be over-represented among accident victims. Workers over 60 years of age and under 20 years of age have been found to be over-represented among fatalities.
The prevalence of polycystic ovaries in healthy women

BACKGROUND To study the prevalence of polycystic ovaries (PCO) in women of reproductive age. METHODS A total of 189 healthy volunteers aged 20-45 years were examined. The subjects were divided into two groups according to age: < or =35 and > or =36 years. Transvaginal ultrasonography was performed and blood samples were collected on cycle day 1-6. RESULTS The prevalence of PCO in the entire study population was 14.2% (27/189). In the age group of < or =35 years the prevalence was 21.6% (19/88) and in the age group of > or =36 years 7.8% (8/101). Compared to women with normal ovaries, those with PCO had significantly higher serum testosterone (T) concentrations. Women with PCO tended to have lower serum FSH concentrations and higher LH/FSH ratios than controls. Women with PCO had significantly more irregular cycles (44% vs. 19%, p=0.001) and problems in conceiving (25.9% vs. 9.2%, p=0.01) than women with normal ovaries. CONCLUSIONS The findings demonstrate that the prevalence of PCO in healthy women varies with age, being more common among women aged < or =35 years than in those aged > or =36 years. Although the hormonal parameters and clinical findings among women with PCO mimicked those of PCOS, it remains unclear if these women will later develop full-blown syndrome.
Rat model for investigating ACTH-independent angiotensin-induced aldosterone secretion

Study of the acute effects of angiotensin II (Ang II) on aldosterone secretion has been hindered by the confounding influence of Ang II-induced adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion on aldosterone secretion, and by the fact that when laboratory rats are fed standard laboratory chows that are high in sodium, the adrenal is only minimally responsive to Ang II. In this study, we report the development of a model of Ang II-induced aldosterone secretion in NaCl-deprived, dexamethasone (DEX)-treated rats. This model allows the observation of (a) a high magnitude of Ang II-induced aldosterone secretion, (b) a return of plasma aldosterone levels to baseline after stimulation, and (c) aldosterone secretion without the potentially confounding influence of ACTH stimulation.
The persistence of mind-brain dualism in psychiatric reasoning about clinical scenarios.

OBJECTIVE Despite attempts in psychiatry to adopt an integrative biopsychosocial model, social scientists have observed that psychiatrists continue to operate according to a mind-brain dichotomy in ways that are often covert and unacknowledged and suggest that the same intuitive cognitive schemas that people use to make judgments of responsibility lead to dualistic reasoning among clinicians. The goal of this study was to confirm these observations. METHOD Self-report questionnaires were sent to the 270 psychiatrists and psychologists in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University. In response to clinical vignettes, the participants rated the level of intentionality, controllability, responsibility, and blame attributable to the patients, as well as the importance of neurobiological, psychological, and social factors in explaining the patients' symptoms. RESULTS A total of 136 faculty members (50.4%) responded, and 127 were included in the analysis. Factor analysis revealed a single dimension of responsibility regarding the patients' illnesses that correlated positively with ratings of psychological etiology and negatively with ratings of neurobiological etiology. Psychological and neurobiological ratings were inversely correlated. Multivariate analyses of variance supported these results. CONCLUSIONS Mental health professionals continue to employ a mind-brain dichotomy when reasoning about clinical cases. The more a behavioral problem is seen as originating in "psychological" processes, the more a patient tends to be viewed as responsible and blameworthy for his or her symptoms; conversely, the more behaviors are attributed to neurobiological causes, the less likely patients are to be viewed as responsible and blameworthy.
Domestic radon exposure and the frequency of stable or unstable chromosomal aberrations in lymphocytes.

PURPOSE To clarify the relationship between domestic radon exposure and the occurrence of chromosomal aberrations, stable translocations especially, in peripheral blood lymphocytes. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study comprised a total of 84 nonsmoking individuals, divided into three groups according to radon concentration measurements performed in their homes: low radon concentration (<100Bq/m3, mean 67Bq/m3), medium (200-400Bq/m3, mean 293Bq/m3) or high (>800Bq/m3, mean 1737Bq/m3). Minimum residence in the present low-rise house was 10 years. The groups were matched with regard to age, gender and medical exposure. Fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) was performed using chromosome paints for chromosomes 1, 2 and 4; 1500 metaphases were scored from each individual. RESULTS Equal frequencies of translocations and also other aberrations, e.g. dicentrics and complex rearrangements, were obtained in each group. Significant correlation of translocations with age was observed, and due to the high mean age (50 years) the genome-corrected frequency of translocations was high: about one translocation in 100 metaphases. CONCLUSIONS Chronic exposure to high concentrations of domestic radon did not increase the rate of stable or unstable chromosomal aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes detected by FISH chromosome painting. A strong age effect was observed.
Impact of managed care on the treatment, costs, and outcomes of fee-for-service Medicare patients with acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE To examine the effects of market-level managed care activity on the treatment, cost, and outcomes of care for Medicare fee-for-service acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING Patients from the Cooperative Cardiovascular Project (CCP), a sample of Medicare beneficiaries discharged from nonfederal acute-care hospitals with a primary discharge diagnosis of AMI from January 1994 to February 1996. STUDY DESIGN We estimated models of patient treatment, costs, and outcomes using ordinary least squares and logistic regression. The independent variables of primary interest were market-area managed care penetration and competition. The models included controls for patient, hospital, and other market area characteristics. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS We merged the CCP data with Medicare claims and other data sources. The study sample included CCP patients aged 65 and older who were admitted during 1994 and 1995 with a confirmed AMI to a nonrural hospital. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Rates of revascularization and cardiac catheterization for Medicare fee-for-service patients with AMI are lower in high-HMO penetration markets than in low-penetration ones. Patients admitted in high-HMO-competition markets, in contrast, are more likely to receive cardiac catheterization for treatment of their AMI and had higher treatment costs than those admitted in low-competition markets. CONCLUSIONS The level of managed care activity in the health care market affects the process of care for Medicare fee-for-service AMI patients. Spillovers from managed care activity to patients with other types of insurance are more likely when managed care organizations have greater market power.
Evolution on islands

1: Grant: Patterns on islands and microevolution. 2: Barrett: The reproductive biology and genetics of island plants. 3: Berry: Evolution of small mammals. 4: Pemberton et al: The maintenance of genetic polymorphism in small island populations: large mammals in the Hebrides. 5: Thorpe, Malhotra: Molecular and morphological evolution within small islands. 6: Grant: Speciation. 7: Barton: Natural selection and random genetic drift as causes of evolution on islands. 8: Hollocher: Island hopping in Drosophila: genetic patterns and speciation mechanisms. 9: Grant, Grant: Speciation and hybridization of birds on islands. 10: Schluter: Ecological speciation in postglacial fishes. 11: Clarke et al: How 'molecular leakage' can mislead us about island speciation. 12: Grant: Radiations, communities and biogeography. 13: Losos: Ecological and evolutionary determinants of the species-area relation in Caribbean anoline lizards. 14: Ruber et al: Lake level fluctuations and speciation in rock dwelling cichlid fish in Lake Tanganyika, East Africa. 15: Prance: Islands in Amazonia. 16: Mallet, Turner: Biotic drift or the shifting balance - did forest islands drive the diversity of warningly coloured butterflies? 17: Givnish: Adaptive plant evolution on islands : classical patterns, molecular data, new insights. 18: Grant: Epilogue and questions
Evaluation of sensory recovery after reconstruction of digital nerves of the hand using muscle‐in‐vein conduits in comparison to nerve suture or nerve autografting

Muscle‐in‐vein conduits are a good alternative solution to nerve autografts for bridging peripheral nerve defects since enough graft material is available and no loss of sensation at the harvesting area is expected. The purpose of this study was to compare regeneration results after digital nerve reconstruction with muscle‐in‐vein conduits, nerve autografts, or direct suture.