Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Promoting Awareness about Psychological Consequences of Living in a Community Oppressed by the Mafia: A Group-Analytic Intervention

The effects of the Mafia have been extensively studied from sociological, economic, and historical points of view. However, little research has investigated the influence of the Mafia on individuals and communities in terms of its psychological and social impact. In order to contribute to the advancement of our understanding of the psychological effects of the Mafia on individuals and communities and to promote a participative process of social change, a group analytic intervention was conducted within a Community Based Participatory Research carried out in Corleone, a small Sicilian town with a historically recognized role in the evolution of the Mafia, as well as in the fight against its control. Qualitative findings from the group intervention revealed the development of an awareness process that allowed participants to become aware of their social unconscious anxieties and defenses and to recognize and manage the strong emotional impact related to the Mafia's presence in their lives. Highlighting how psychological processes can have negative impacts on individual and collective capacity to pursuit transformation and resilience, this article provides important insight on how clinical psychology may operate in socio-cultural contexts to promote the reconstruction of the traumatic social dimensions in the community.
Clinical experience with latanoprost: a retrospective study of 153 patients.

PURPOSE To evaluate the pressure-reducing effect of latanoprost in a clinical setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS Data from 153 consecutive patients with open angle glaucoma receiving latanoprost were recorded at baseline (n=153), 2 weeks (n=151) and 8 to 12 months (n=89) after starting latanoprost treatment. In 82 patients (54%) latanoprost was added to ongoing treatment. Two patients terminated treatment because of side effects before the first follow-up examination. RESULTS 56% (84/151) of the patients showed an intraocular pressure reduction of 20% or more after 2 weeks, regardless of baseline therapy. The difference between intraocular pressure before (24.4+/-5.8 mm Hg) and after 2 weeks of latanoprost treatment (19.9+/-6.9 mm Hg) in the total group (n=151) was highly significant (p<0.0001). The pressure reduction was significantly correlated with the pretreatment intraocular pressure level (r=0.48, p<0.0001). In the 89 patients who could be followed for 8 to 12 months no significant upward drift in mean intraocular pressure was observed, but in fourteen patients intraocular pressure increased with 5 mm Hg or more. Thirteen patients reported side effects, five of these discontinued the treatment. CONCLUSION Latanoprost is obviously an efficient pressure reducing drug which can be used in glaucoma patients as an adjunct to any ongoing therapy with the expectation of clinically relevant intraocular pressure reduction in 45-71% of the patients.
Causas de mortalidad materna en el Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, periodo 2009-2012

Introduccion: la razon de muerte materna (RMM) ha disminuido lentamente, no obstante que la OMS se propuso reducirla en un 75 % en el periodo de 1990 a 2015. Por esto es necesario continuar con el analisis de las causas para reforzar e innovar lineas de accion y asi disminuir las muertes maternas en nuestro pais. Metodos: estudio retrospectivo en el que se incluyeron casos de muerte materna que ocurrieron de 2009 a 2012, por causa directa e indirecta. La informacion se obtuvo del expediente de muerte materna, el cual es un documento ofi cial del IMSS. La defi nicion de muerte materna utilizada fue la emitida por la OMS. Las muertes indirectas se agruparon segun la decima revision de la Clasifi cacion Internacional de Enfermedades (CIE-10). Se utilizo estadistica descriptiva. Resultados: la RMM en el IMSS ha disminuido en forma lenta pero constante, pues en el 2012 se obtuvo la RMM mas baja en la institucion (26.4). Sin embargo, la preeclampsia severa-eclampsia y la hemorragia obstetrica ocuparon el primero y segundo lugar. Como causa indirecta, las enfermedades del sistema cardiovascular, y las neoplasias malignas ocuparon los primeros lugares sin subestimar las cifras de las patologias respiratorias, digestivas y endocr inas. Conclusiones: es necesario proseguir con los esfuerzos para disminuir la RMM en todos los niveles de atencion medica. Es prioritario continuar con la educacion y consejeria preconcepcional a mujeres en edad fertil y fortalecer las acciones en la planifi cacion familiar
Unicompartmental knee prostheses: in vitro wear assessment of the menisci tibial insert after two different fixation methods

Knee osteoarthritis is a complex clinical scenario where many biological and mechanical factors influence the severity of articular degenerative changes. Minimally invasive knee prosthetic surgery, with only a compartment replacement (unicompartmental knee replacement), might be a good compromise between osteotomy and total knee prosthesis. The focus of this study was to develop and validate a protocol to assess the fixation method of the femoral components in mechanical simulation, for pre-clinical validation; the wear behaviour of two different fixation frames was quantified and compared. In particular, two different wear tests were conducted using the same knee simulator, the same load profiles and the same kinematics; two different fixation methods were applied to the femoral sleds (synthetic femur and metal block). Surface characterization on both articulating bearings was performed by a roughness measuring machine and coordinate measuring machine. The wear produced by the tibial inserts using the synthetic femur was considerably higher than the wear registered by the metal-block holder. Roughness measurements on femoral sleds showed a limited number of scratches with high Rt values for the metal-block set-up; the damaged surface broadened in the case of femoral condyles and tibial inserts mounted on composite bone, but lower Rt and linear penetration values were measured. The two holding frames showed different wear activities as a consequence of dissimilar dynamic performance. Further observations should be made in vivo to prove the actual importance of synthetic bone simulations and specific material behaviour.
Predicting High Health Care Resource Utilization in a Single-payer Public Health Care System

Background: A large proportion of health care spending is incurred by a small proportion of the population. Population-based health planning tools that consider both the clinical and upstream determinants of high resource users (HRU) of the health system are lacking. Objective: To develop and validate the High Resource User Population Risk Tool (HRUPoRT), a predictive model of adults that will become the top 5% of health care users over a 5-year period, based on self-reported clinical, sociodemographic, and health behavioral predictors in population survey data. Research Design: The HRUPoRT model was developed in a prospective cohort design using the combined 2005 and 2007/2008 Canadian Community Health Surveys (CCHS) (N=58,617), and validated using the external 2009/2010 CCHS cohort (N=28,721). Health care utilization for each of the 5 years following CCHS interview date were determined by applying a person-centered costing algorithm to the linked health administrative databases. Discrimination and calibration of the model were assessed using c-statistic and Hosmer-Lemeshow (HL) &khgr;2 statistic. Results: The best prediction model for 5-year transition to HRU status included 12 predictors and had good discrimination (c-statistic=0.8213) and calibration (HL &khgr;2=18.71) in the development cohort. The model performed similarly in the validation cohort (c-statistic=0.8171; HL &khgr;2=19.95). The strongest predictors in the HRUPoRT model were age, perceived general health, and body mass index. Conclusions: HRUPoRT can accurately project the proportion of individuals in the population that will become a HRU over 5 years. HRUPoRT can be applied to inform health resource planning and prevention strategies at the community level.
Inhibitory effects of fumagillin and its analogue TNP-470 on the function, morphology and angiogenesis of an oestrogen-induced prolactinoma in Fischer 344 rats.

The process of angiogenesis occurs in many physiological states, but it is also essential for the growth of solid tumours and metastasis formation. An abnormal arterial vascularization has been shown in prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas induced by prolonged treatment with oestrogens in Fischer 344 (F344) rats. It is thought that anti-angiogenic agents might be useful in therapy for these tumours. Fumagillin and its analogue TNP-470 are known to inhibit endothelial cell proliferation selectively, but their effect on lactotroph cell secretory function and prolactinoma formation has not yet been described. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of fumagillin and TNP-470 on prolactin secretion, and morphological and vascular changes within the anterior pituitary in long-term oestrogen-treated male F344 rats in vivo and in vitro. As expected, 7 weeks after s.c. implantation of Silastic tubes containing 10 mg diethyl-stilboestrol (DES), a very high rise in serum prolactin levels was found. Both angiogenesis inhibitors injected s.c. at doses of 10 mg/kg body weight for 24 days attenuated the stimulatory effect of DES on prolactin production and release. They also diminished prolactin cell density and inhibited cell proliferation expressed as the number of anterior pituitary cells labelled with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), but the effect of TNP-470 was minor compared with fumagillin. Both angioinhibitors suppressed neo-vascularization within the anterior pituitary with similar potency but, on the other hand, they did not affect DES-induced increases in prolactin secretion from cultured rat pituitary cells and cell proliferation in vitro. In conclusion, our results provide strong evidence for the anti-tumour and anti-prolactin activity of angiogenesis inhibitors in the experimentally oestrogen-induced pituitary adenoma; this might be mediated indirectly through the inhibition of angiogenesis.
Requirements of fat-soluble vitamins for dairy cows: a review.

Knowledge about vitamins has evolved greatly since they were discovered < 100 yr ago, but the quantitative determination of the vitamin requirements of dairy cows has been difficult. Current requirements are based on data that are at least 20 yr old and, in some cases, > 50 years old. The response variables in those studies were the prevalence of overt signs of deficiency, level of milk production, reproductive performance, and vitamin concentrations in blood and tissues. Since those studies were conducted, milk production per cow has increased substantially, and the feeding and management of cows have changed (less pasture, less forage, and more total confinement). More refined measures of vitamin adequacy have been developed. Immunocompetence may be a useful tool for determining the requirements of some vitamins. Requirements that are based on measures of immune function are usually higher than those that are based on production or reproduction. The current requirements for vitamin D appear to be adequate, but the requirement for vitamin A should be increased by approximately 50% because of differences in bioavailability between beta-carotene and retinyl esters. Based on health data, the vitamin E requirement should be increased at least 500% and perhaps as much as 700% for dry cows and lactating cows.
Is Age an Independent Risk Factor for Chemically Induced Acute Myelogenous Leukemia in Children?

Secondary or therapy-related acute myelogenous leukemia (t-AML) is a rare but unfortunate consequence of treatment with certain classes of cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents or chronic exposure to high concentrations of benzene. Drugs known to produce AML following chemotherapy of primary malignancy are usually alkylating agents or topoisomerase II inhibitors. Both children and adults develop AML following treatment with these classes of antineoplastic drugs. In this review, the effect of age at treatment on a child's susceptibility to developing therapy related AML was investigated. The clinical literature describing pediatric cancer patients treated with cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents was used to characterize risk factors associated with chemical leukemogenesis in children. As demonstrated in the published literature, the risk of developing AML following chemotherapy is not reliably correlated with the age of the pediatric patient. There is no consistent evidence that indicates that younger children will be at increased risk; in fact, some studies suggest that younger children might actually display a decreased susceptibility. The age dependency of treatment-related malignancies (all types) in children appears to vary considerably with the type of secondary neoplasm in question. For example, secondary solid tumors such as breast, central nervous system (CNS), bone, and thyroid cancer are highly dependent on the age of the patient at time of diagnosis and treatment; in contrast, an age dependency for t-AML risk was not observed in these same patient populations. Predictably, the induction of t-AML in children follows a rational dose-response relationship, with increasing doses of chemotherapy resulting in greater risk. Recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cancer risk assessment guidance recommends a default assumption that children are inherently up to 10-fold more sensitive than adults to carcinogen exposures. Available scientific and medical literature does not support the hypothesis that children necessarily possess an increased risk of developing AML following leukemogenic chemical exposure.
Characterization of T Lymphocytes Infiltrating Human Pancreas Allograft Affected by Isletitis and Recurrent Diabetes

We studied a human leukocyte antigen—identical pancreas graft transplanted into an insulin-dependent (type l) diabetic patient shortly after onset of recurrent diabetes to characterize the putative autoreactive T lymphocytes mediating the lesion. The immunohistopathological analysis revealed the presence of isletitis and a selective loss of β-cells. The isletitis was mostly constituted by CD8+/T-lymphocyte receptor α,β (TCR α,β+) T lymphocytes surrounding and infiltrating the affected islets. CD4−/CD8−/TCRγ,δ+ T lymphocytes were observed within the islets. Incubation of the tissue in 15% interleukin 2 induced the migration and initial expansion of the infiltrating cells (66% CD3+lymphocytes) for up to 2 wk; most T lymphocytes in this initial isolate were CD4+ (92% CD4+ and 7% CD8+). Long-term anti-CD3 stimulation of this T-lymphocyte population induced the selectivegrowth of CD8+/TCRαβ+ (75%) and CD4−/CD8−/TCRγδ+ v(all V1δ+) (17%) T lymphocytes. Therefore, this strategy selectively expanded the T lymphocytes, found to be the predominantly islet-infiltrating cells, rather than the lymphocytes predominating in the initial isolate. Anti-CD3 did not stimulate growth of T lymphocytes in cultures of three isletitis-free pancreas graft biopsies. In a control experiment with a CD4+-rich T-lymphocyte population, long-term anti-CD3 stimulation and cloning of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-primed peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a CMV+ subject selectively induced the growth of CD4+ T-lymphocyte clones, all CMVspecific.Application of the same strategy to a CD8+ and CD3+/CD4−/CD8−/TCRγδ+ T-lymphocyterich population from a Graves' disease thyroid resulted in expansion of CD8+ but not CD4−/CD8− lymphocytes. We conclude that 1) the selective T-lymphocyte expansionproperties of anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody in long-term cultures is not dependent on thephenotype of the T lymphocytes but most likely on their activation state and 2) application of this strategy to T lymphocytes isolated from pancreas grafts transplanted into diabetic patients undergoing recurrent diabetes may allow the characterization of the putative CD8+ cells mediating type l diabetes.
Effect of electrical water bath stunning on physical reflexes of broilers: evaluation of stunning efficacy under field conditions.

The effects of different amounts and frequencies of stunning sine wave alternating current were investigated under field conditions. Seven hundred and fifty broilers were stunned in an electrical water bath with an average root mean square (RMS) current of 150, 200, and 250 mA and frequencies of 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1,200 Hz. The occurrence of corneal reflex, spontaneous eye blinking, and a positive response to a painful stimulus were monitored and recorded immediately after the stunning and at 20 s post-stun. Statistical analysis showed that the electrical stunning frequency (P=0.0004), the stunning RMS current (P<0.0001) and the interaction between stunning frequency and stunning current (P<0.0001) had a significant effect on the occurrence of animals experiencing an abolition of corneal reflex at 20 s post-stun.At a current of 150 mA, the probability of a successful stun was over 90% at 200 Hz, approximately 40% at 400 Hz, and below 5% for frequencies greater than 600 Hz. So, stunning at frequencies greater than 600 Hz cannot be recommended when a RMS current of 150 mA is applied. The maximum probability of a successful stun was obtained for a current level of 200 mA at 400 Hz and for a current level of 250 mA at 400 and 600 Hz, whereas the stunning treatments at 1,200 Hz provided the lowest probability of a successful stun. Assessment of spontaneous eye blinking and responses to comb pinching confirmed the indications coming from the analysis of corneal reflex.
Hypersomnia in bipolar depression: a comparison with narcolepsy using the multiple sleep latency test.

OBJECTIVE This study characterized objectively the hypersomnia frequently seen in the depressed phase of bipolar affective disorder. On the basis of previous work in sleep and affective disorders, it has been hypothesized that the hypersomnia is related to greater REM sleep. This hypothesis was tested by using a multiple sleep latency test to compare bipolar affective disorder with narcolepsy, a well-defined primary sleep disorder associated with known REM sleep dysfunction. METHOD Twenty-five bipolar depressed patients were selected on the basis of complaints of hypersomnia. They underwent 2 nights of polysomnography followed by a multiple sleep latency test. Data on their nocturnal sleep and daytime naps were compared with similar data on 23 nondepressed narcoleptic patients referred for sleep evaluation. RESULTS Despite their complaints of hypersomnia, no abnormalities were noted for the bipolar group in the results from the multiple sleep latency test. Contrary to the working hypothesis, REM sleep was notably absent during daytime naps in the depressed patients, in marked contrast to the findings for the narcoleptic group. CONCLUSIONS The complaint of sleepiness in the hypersomnic bipolar depressed patient appears to be related to the lack of interest, withdrawal, decreased energy, or psychomotor retardation inherent in the anergic depressed condition, rather than an increase in true sleep propensity or REM sleep propensity.
Coliforms and prevalence of Escherichia coli and foodborne pathogens on minimally processed spinach in two packing plants.

Minimally processed spinach has been recently associated with outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. This study investigated the effect of commercial minimal processing of spinach on the coliform and Escherichia coli counts and the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Shigella spp. , and Listeria monocytogenes on two types of spinach before and after minimal processing. A total of 1,356 spinach samples (baby spinach, n = 574; savoy spinach, n = 782) were collected daily in two processing plants over a period of 14 months. Raw spinach originated from nine farms in the United States and three farms in Canada. Overall, the proportion of samples positive for coliforms increased from 53% before minimal processing to 79% after minimal processing (P < 0.001). Average total coliform counts also increased significantly after processing, especially in baby spinach (mean +/- standard deviation, 1.16 +/- 0.14 log CFU/g to 2.37 +/- 0.08 log CFU/g following processing; P < 0.001). E. coli was isolated from 8.9% of the samples (mean +/- standard deviation, 1.81 +/- 0.14 log CFU/g), and no difference in prevalence or CFU counts after processing (P > 0.1) was observed. E. coli O157:H7 and Shigella spp. were not isolated from any of the samples. Salmonella and L. monocytogenes were isolated from 0.4 and 0.7% of samples, respectively. Results demonstrate that commercial minimal processing of spinach based on monitored chlorine washing and drying may not decrease microbial load on spinach leaves as expected. Further research is needed to identify the most appropriate measures to control food safety risk under commercial minimal processing of fresh vegetables.
Prevention of isoflurane-induced preconditioning by 5-hydroxydecanoate and gadolinium: possible involvement of mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium and stretch-activated channels.

BACKGROUND Both mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium (MKATP) channels (selectively blocked by 5-hydroxydecanoate) and stretch-activated channels (blocked by gadolinium) have been involved in the mechanism of ischemic preconditioning. Isoflurane can reproduce the protection afforded by ischemic preconditioning. We sought to determine whether isoflurane-induced preconditioning may involve MKATP and stretch-activated channels. METHODS Anesthetized open-chest rabbits underwent 30 min of coronary occlusion followed by 3 h of reperfusion. Before this, rabbits were randomized into one of six groups and underwent a treatment period consisting of either no intervention for 40 min (control group; n = 9) or 15 min of isoflurane inhalation (1.1% end tidal) followed by a 15-min washout period (isoflurane group; n = 9). The two groups received an intravenous bolus dose of either 5-hydroxydecanoate (5 mg/kg) or gadolinium (40 micromol/kg) before coronary occlusion and reperfusion (5-hydroxydecanoate, n = 9; gadolinium, n = 7). Two additional groups received 5-hydroxydecanoate or gadolinium before isoflurane exposure (isoflurane-5-hydroxydecanoate, n = 10; isoflurane-gadolinium, n = 8). Area at risk and infarct size were assessed by blue dye injection and tetrazolium chloride staining. RESULTS Area at risk was comparable among the six groups (29 +/- 7, 30 +/- 5, 27 +/- 6, 35 +/- 7, 31 +/- 7, and 27 +/- 4% of the left ventricle in the control, isoflurane, isoflurane-5-hydroxydecanoate, 5-hydroxydecanoate, isoflurane-gadolinium, and gadolinium groups, respectively). Infarct size averaged 60 +/- 20% (SD) in untreated controls versus 54 +/- 27 and 65 +/- 15% of the risk zone in 5-hydroxydecanoate- and gadolinium-treated controls (P = nonsignificant). In contrast, infarct size in the isoflurane group was significantly reduced to 26 +/- 11% of the risk zone (P < 0.05 vs.control). Both 5-hydroxydecanoate and gadolinium prevented this attenuation: infarct size averaged 68 +/- 23 and 56 +/- 21% of risk zone in the isoflurane-5-hydroxydecanoate and isoflurane-gadolinium groups, respectively (P = nonsignificant vs.control). CONCLUSION 5-Hydroxydecanoate and gadolinium inhibited pharmacologic preconditioning by isoflurane. This result suggests that MKATP channels and mechanogated channels are probably involved in this protective mechanism.