Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interrelations of socioeconomic position and occupational and leisure-time physical activity in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

BACKGROUND The interrelations between various physical activity domains have received little empirical attention in the United States. Of particular interest, given the potential applicability to traditionally underserved communities, is the nature of the association between occupational physical activity (OPA) and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA). METHODS 5448 adult men and women who participated in NHANES 1999-2000 were included in analyses. Linear regression was used to examine the bivariate and multivariable associations of OPA and education with LTPA. Generalized logit models were used to examine the association of education with OPA. RESULTS We found no association between education and LTPA. OPA was significantly positively associated with LTPA (P < .001). The association between OPA and LTPA was not strongest among those with low education and held only for men in gender-stratified analysis. Education was inversely associated with OPA (P < .001) in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS Our findings lend preliminary support to the hypothesis that OPA is an important determinant of LTPA, particularly in men. This provides additional support to calls for assessment of OPA, particularly among individuals of low social class.
Effects of topical hyaluronic acid (Sepragel®/Hylan B) on mucosal healing after endoscopic sinus surgery

Objective: To investigate the effects of hyaluronic acid (HA) (Sepragel® Hylan B; Genzyme Co., Cambridge, MA, USA) on the mucosal healing of patients who undergone functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) for chronic rhinosinusitis and/or nasal polyposis. Methods: A total of thirty-six patients were included in the study. Patients had received topical administration of HA soaked sponges to the middle meatus on one side of their nasal cavities intra-operatively at the end of the procedures. Other side of the middle meatus was free of any treatment or packing to create a control group. Postoperative endoscopic examination was performed at the 1st, 4th and 12th weeks in order to score mucosal findings regarding synechiae, mucosal hypertrophy and polyp formation on both sides. Mucosal findings were scored from 0 to 3 points (0: lesion free, 1: mild, 2: moderate, 3: severe). Results: Average scores of the mucosal cavities were compared and it was found to be significantly low for the HA administered mucosa (p<0.05). Synechia formation and mucosal hypertrophy at the 1st, 4th and 12th weeks were significantly low for the Hylan B group compared to the control group (p<0.05 for both findings). Conclusion: Topical HA has preventive effects on synechia formation and mucosal hypertrophy.
Recent Advances on Human Crowd Simulation

—Human crowd simulation is a new technology in the virtual reality field. Since it could simulate evacuation, it has strong demands in risk assessment for public buildings. In this paper we discuss the development of the main related research topics, including semantic description for virtual environments and crowd models which generate continuum human flow. Additionally, we introduce a system named Guarder that is designed for human crowd simulation and is suit for simulating evacuation in public buildings. We also demonstrate some simulation results of Guarder to show that it could efficiently simulate evacuation in a large-scale and complex environment.
Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy: insights from a community hospital

Aims To describe the actual incidence, prevalence among acute coronary syndrome patients and rate of recurrences of tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy in an emergency department of a community hospital. Methods We report the in-hospital and long-term clinical course (7.5 years follow-up) of 25 consecutive tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy patients (mean age 66.8 ± 11.76 years; F/M: 21/4) admitted to a community hospital (referring population: 97 000 inhabitants). Results The incidence rate of tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy was 0.03 cases per 1000 person-years; the prevalence was 3.0% among those with acute coronary syndrome and 7.6% among ST elevation myocardial infarction patients. Clinical presentations included mainly chest pain (n = 16, 64%) and dyspnea (n = 3, 12%). Precipitating conditions were emotional (n = 10, 40%), physical stress (n = 5, 20%) or both (n = 1, 4%); no stressors were recorded in nine patients (36%). Two patients died during hospitalization (8%). At the end of follow-up (mean time: 960.24 ± 724.34 days), all patients (n = 23) were alive and no major cardiovascular events were observed. Five patients had recurrences (22%). The mean time of recurrence was 105.4 ± 82.92 days and the clinical presentation was less severe compared with the first event: ECG had less ST involvement, ejection fraction was higher and cardiac injury biomarkers were lower. Conclusions In our population incidence and prevalence of tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy among acute coronary syndrome patients, as well as the recurrence rate of tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy, were higher than previously reported, suggesting that probably this syndrome often passes undiagnosed.
CTH02-3: Simple Concatenated Codes Using Differential PSK

In this paper, binary linear block codes with very low encoding and decoding complexity are introduced for the use as outer codes in a serial concatenated coding scheme employing differential modulations as inner codes. Using extrinsic information transfer chart based analysis and optimization the performance of the new concatenated codes is found to be within less than 1 dB of the pertinent capacity limit for the additive white Gaussian noise channel. This compares favorably with more complex benchmark schemes using e.g. outer low density parity check codes proposed recently. For decoding without channel phase estimation a low-complexity noncoherent decoder is presented, which achieves performance close to that of a coherent decoder in channels with moderate phase noise.
Standardization of Steroid Hormone Assays: Why, How, and When?

Lack of standardization of high-quality steroid hormone assays is a major deficiency in epidemiologic studies. In postmenopausal women, reported levels of serum 17β-estradiol (E2) are highly variable and median normal values differ by approximately a 6-fold factor. A particular problem is the use of E2 assays for prediction of breast cancer risk and osteoporotic fractures, where assay sensitivity may be the most important factor. Identification of women in the lowest categories of E2 levels will likely provide prognostic information that would not be available in a large group of women in whom E2 levels are undetectable by less sensitive assays. Detailed and costly methods involving extraction and chromatography in conjunction with RIA provide generally acceptable E2 results in postmenopausal serum, whereas less tedious, direct immunoassays suffer from inadequate specificity and sensitivity. Studies comparing the two types of methods generally report higher E2 values with the direct methods as a result of cross-reactivity with other steroids and reduced correlation with biological variables such as body mass index. Similar problems exist with measurements of E2 and estrone in men, and estrone and testosterone in women. Interest in mass spectrometry–based assays is increasing as potential gold standard methods with enhanced sensitivity and specificity; however, these assays require costly instrumentation and highly trained personnel. Taking all of these issues into consideration, we propose establishment of standard pools of premenopausal, postmenopausal, and male serum, and utilization of these for cross-comparison of various methods on an international basis. An oversight group could then establish standards based on these comparisons and set agreed upon confidence limits of various hormones in the pools. These criteria would allow validation of sensitivity, specificity, precision, and accuracy of current steroid hormone assay methodology and provide surrogates until a true gold standard can be developed. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16(9):1713–9)
Insights into the abnormalities of chronic renal disease attributed to malnutrition.

Low values of serum proteins and loss of lean body mass are commonly found in patients with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) and especially in dialysis patients. These abnormalities have been attributed to malnutrition (i.e., an inadequate diet), but available evidence indicates that this is not the principal cause. In contrast, there is persuasive evidence that secondary factors associated with the CRI condition cause abnormalities in protein turnover and ultimately result in low serum protein levels and loss of lean body mass. Recent reports have identified some factors that could interfere with the control of protein turnover in CRI patients, including acidosis, inflammation, and/or resistance to anabolic hormones. Each of these stimulates protein breakdown in muscle and activates a common proteolytic pathway, the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Moreover, acidosis or inflammation suppress hepatic albumin synthesis. Understanding the biochemical mechanisms that regulate the ubiquitin-proteasome and other catabolic pathways are required to identify new strategies for preventing protein deficits that are associated with CRI.
The effect of low-level laser therapy on human leukemic cells.

INTRODUCTION Laser phototherapy is used for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in patients with leukemia, although there are limited data supporting the safety of this method. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different doses of low-level laser on proliferation of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell line (KG-1a) in vitro. METHODS A plastic flask containing 5,000,000 KG-1a cultured cells was provided by Iran Pasteur Institute. KG-1a cell line has been produced from the bone marrow aspirate of a 59-year-old white male with acute myelogenous leukemia. Upon completion of the proliferation steps of KG-1a cell line, 7×10(4) cells were placed in 96-well tissue culture plates. All the surrounding wells were filled with Wright-Giemsa stain in order to prevent laser from scattering to the neighboring wells. In total, 28 plates were prepared using this method. After a forty-eight hours incubation period, irradiation was performed in continuous mode with an infrared laser of 810nm wavelength. After 24 hours, cells cultures were exposed to one, two, or three applications of laser irradiation. Irradiation exposures were performed at energy densities of 5, 10, and 20 J/cm(2) . Each experiment included 18 replicates for each application of laser and 6 replicates of negative/untreated controls. For experiments with two and three repeated exposures, the irradiation applications were separated by 48 hours. All the culture plates were incubated for seven days. Cell proliferation was evaluated using the MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay after seven days. Spectroscopy (620nm) was used to determine the optical density (OD) of both irradiated and control samples. RESULTS Significant increase in cell proliferation was seen only after two exposures at energy density of 20J/cm2 (P=0.021). CONCLUSION Although LLLT is commonly used to treat radiotherapy- or chemotherapy- induced mucositis, as long as further studies demonstrate that different wavelengths and doses of laser phototherapy are safe and effective in treatment of mucositis, clinicians should remain cautious regarding the use of this treatment modality to treat patients with malignancies.
The Measurement of End-User Computing Satisfaction

This article contrasts traditional versus end-user computing environments and report on the development of an instrument which merges ease of use and information product items to measure the satisfaction of users who directly interact with the computer for a specific application. Using a survey of 618 end users, the researchers conducted a factor analysis and modified the instrument. The results suggest a 12-item instrument that measures five components of end-user satisfaction - content, accuracy, format, ease of use, and timeliness. Evidence of the instrument's discriminant validity is presented. Reliability and validity is assessed by nature and type of application. Finally, standards for evaluating end-user applications are presented, and the instrument's usefulness for achieving more precision in research questions is explored.
Recent Progress in CFTR Interactome Mapping and Its Importance for Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) is a chloride channel found in secretory epithelia with a plethora of known interacting proteins. Mutations in the CFTR gene cause cystic fibrosis (CF), a disease that leads to progressive respiratory illness and other complications of phenotypic variance resulting from perturbations of this protein interaction network. Studying the collection of CFTR interacting proteins and the differences between the interactomes of mutant and wild type CFTR provides insight into the molecular machinery of the disease and highlights possible therapeutic targets. This mini review focuses on functional genomics and proteomics approaches used for systematic, high-throughput identification of CFTR-interacting proteins to provide comprehensive insight into CFTR regulation and function.
Effects of Combinational Procyanidins in Grape Seed Extract and Exercise on the Levels of Glucose and Blood Lipid Profile

The oxygenation process is essential for life and cellular activity, and therefore for physical exercise. During physical exercise an oxidative stress situation is produced, which can result in cellular oxidation and alterations in the immune system, causing cells to age prematurely. To prevent this, it is recommended to use high concentrations of antioxidants to minimize this process. The phenolic compounds of the flavonoid family, among which are the procyanidins, have shown neuroprotective effects, and cardioprotective effects. The cardiovascular protection and antiatherogenic effects of procyanidins have been attributed to the antioxidant properties of these phenolic compounds derived from its chemical structure. Different studies have shown the cardioprotective effects of chronic ingestion of procyanidins on models of hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia. This study aims to present the properties of these compounds and their protective effects on the cardiovascular system, setting markers of the primary action of procyanidins from grape seed extract (obtained by discarding the pulp and preserving the seeds) in plasma. A secondary aim of this study was to provide information on the molecular mechanisms by which these substances exert their cardioprotective effect and implement these into a recommended dietary regime. This would be used in appropriate doses and complement the protective and regulatory effect of exercise.
Salmonellosis in children in developing and developed countries and populations

Purpose of review The present review addresses recent developments that relate to the clinical management and prevention of childhood salmonellosis in developed and developing countries. Recent findings Invasive disease due to Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi as well as nontyphoidal salmonellae (NTS) is common in children younger than 5 years old in developing countries, and multidrug resistance is an increasingly difficult problem to manage. A new conjugate vaccine was found to be very effective in preventing typhoid fever in young Vietnamese children and was well tolerated, showing great promise for the future. Antibiotic use in the food animal industry is an important source of disease with multidrug resistant NTS strains in the developed world. Efforts for prevention are aimed at immunization of animals, control of antibiotic use in the food animal industry and careful monitoring of food-borne outbreaks. On the other hand, although the burden of NTS disease in children is far greater in developing countries, especially in tropical Africa, knowledge of even basic epidemiology is lacking. Importantly, it may be that, as Salmonella spp. acquire increasing resistance, they also acquire increasing virulence that will lead to even greater morbidity and mortality. Summary Recent developments include a better knowledge of clinical aspects of invasive salmonellosis, an increasing response to the problem of multiple antibiotic resistance (including quinolones), and excellent results from the use of a recently developed conjugate vaccine for typhoid fever in children as young as 2 years old.
Clinical and Practical Implications of Storage Media used for Tooth Avulsion

Replantation is being widely accepted as an effective treatment option for an avulsed tooth. However, the long-term fate of replanted teeth is unpredictable; it is dependent on various factors, such as the time interval between avulsion and replantation, extra-alveolar storage period (dry storage or storage media), the vitality status of pulp or periodontal tissues and the type and period of splinting. The appropriate use of storage media is an important clinical factor affecting the postoperative prognosis of avulsed teeth following replantation. Hank’s balanced salt solution and pasteurized milk are considered to be the most appropriate and clinically recommended storage media for avulsed teeth. The present review discusses the various available storage media for avulsed teeth and their potential maintenance of the vitality of periodontal ligament cells. A brief overview of the effect of clinical factors, such as the storage time, pH, and the osmolar-ity of storage media on their efficacy is included. How to cite this article Khinda VIS, Kaur G, Brar GS, Kallar S, Khurana H. Clinical and Practical Implications of Storage Media used for Tooth Avulsion. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2017; 10(2): 158-165.
Long Noncoding RNAs in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction

Rationale: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) constitute a novel class of noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression. Although recent data suggest that lncRNAs may be associated with cardiac disease, little is known about lncRNAs in the setting of myocardial ischemia. Objective: To measure lncRNAs in patients with myocardial infarction (MI). Methods and Results: We enrolled 414 patients with acute MI treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Blood samples were harvested at the time of reperfusion. Expression levels of 5 lncRNAs were measured in peripheral blood cells by quantitative polymerase chain reaction: hypoxia inducible factor 1A antisense RNA 2, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2B antisense RNA 1 (ANRIL), potassium voltage-gated channel, KQT-like subfamily, member 1 opposite strand/antisense transcript 1 (KCNQ1OT1), myocardial infarction–associated transcript, and metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1. Levels of hypoxia inducible factor 1A antisense RNA 2, KCNQ1OT1, and metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 were higher in patients with MI than in healthy volunteers (P<0.01), and levels of ANRIL were lower in patients with MI (P=0.003). Patients with ST-segment–elevation MI had lower levels of ANRIL (P<0.001), KCNQ1OT1 (P<0.001), myocardial infarction–associated transcript (P<0.001), and metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (P=0.005) when compared with patients with non–ST-segment–elevation MI. Levels of ANRIL were associated with age, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. Patients presenting within 3 hours of chest pain onset had elevated levels of hypoxia inducible factor 1A antisense RNA 2 when compared with patients presenting later on. ANRIL, KCNQ1OT1, myocardial infarction–associated transcript, and metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 were significant univariable predictors of left ventricular dysfunction as assessed by an ejection fraction ⩽40% at 4-month follow-up. In multivariable and reclassification analyses, ANRIL and KCNQ1OT1 improved the prediction of left ventricular dysfunction by a model, including demographic features, clinical parameters, and cardiac biomarkers. Conclusions: Levels of lncRNAs in blood cells are regulated after MI and may help in prediction of outcome. This motivates further investigation of the role of lncRNAs after MI.
Prognosis of diabetic patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery compared with nondiabetics: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE The influence of diabetes mellitus (DM) on mortality and morbidity in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has remained uncertain due to conflicting conclusions from clinical trials measuring the association between diabetes and perioperative risk. Therefore, a quantitative meta-analysis was undertaken to evaluate the available evidence from prospective and historic cohort clinical trials. The purpose of this study was to determine the significance and magnitude of impact of DM on mortality, morbidity and resource-related outcomes for patients undergoing CABG over the past few decades and in the contemporary setting. METHODS MEDILINE, EMBase, BIOSIS Preview, CBMDisc, CNKI and WanFang databases were searched, supplemented by hand search, without language limitations, for studies published from January 1981 to October 2008. Data extraction included study design, setting, inclusion/exclusion criteria, population characteristics, statistical method, length of follow-up and clinical outcomes. Eligible studies were assessed for quality. RESULTS Of the 132 identified studies, 24 cohort studies with a median follow-up of 4.3 years were selected for analysis. A total of 100,217 patients (28,168 with DM and 72,049 without DM), were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled RR (95% CI) for mortality of diabetic versus non-diabetic patients was significantly increased at 30 days (RR 1.64, 95% CI 1.39, 1.93), 1 year (RR 1.83, 95% CI 1.56, 2.15), 3 years (RR 1.81, 95% CI 1.58, 2.09), 5 years (RR 1.66, 95% CI 1.53, 1.79) and 10 years (RR 1.55, 95% CI 1.43, 1.68) after CABG. Significant differences were also found for DM versus non-DM patients post-CABG for perioperative cerebrovascular accidents (RR 1.52; 95% CI 1.31, 1.77), postoperative acute renal failure (RR 1.63; 95% CI 1.48, 1.79), sternal infection (RR; 1.70, 95% CI 1.41-2.04) and blood transfusion (RR 1.15; 95% CI 1.08, 1.21). No significant differences were found for postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF), postoperative myocardial infarction (MI) and re-exploration for bleeding. Insufficient and/or heterogeneous data did not allow for pooled analysis of ventilator time, ICU stay, angina recurrence, repeat revascularization, hospital stay and hospital costs. CONCLUSIONS Current evidence suggests that patients with DM who are undergoing CABG are at increased risk of mortality, stroke, renal failure, sternal infection and blood transfusion when compared to those without DM. This increased relative risk for perioperative mortality and complications has remained, despite evolving definitions of DM and practice patterns. Future randomized studies should focus on interventions targeted toward these complications to mitigate the risk for patients with DM.