Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On-line computerized vectorcardiography monitoring of myocardial ischemia during coronary angioplasty: comparison with 12-lead electrocardiography.

BACKGROUND With new interventions minimizing ischemic myocardial injury, accurate and reliable techniques for the detection and continuous monitoring of myocardial ischemia are essential. We compared two techniques used for the detection of myocardial ischemia during coronary angioplasty: on-line computerized vectorcardiographic (cVCG) monitoring and the standard electrocardiography (ECG) leads or the complete 12-lead ECG. METHODS Thirty patients scheduled for routine angioplasty were included in the study. cVCG was recorded continuously. The electrodes were placed according to the lead system described by Frank and connected to a computerized system for on-line vectorcardiography. A 12-lead ECG was recorded simultaneously. The absolute variable spatial ST vector magnitude (ST-VM) and the relative variable spatial ST change vector magnitude (STC-VM) were calculated and compared with the standard 12-lead ECG for the detection of ischemia. RESULTS The sum of deviation in ST segment in all 12 standard ECG leads correlated closely with STC-VM, irrespective of which artery was occluded. STC-VM indicated ischemia during the first balloon inflation in 87% of the patients and demonstrated ischemia in more patients than the standard 12-lead ECG. Myocardial ischemia was not demonstrated by ST-VM in five out of 26 patients with ischemia according to STC-VM. In these cases, mainly directional vector changes and fewer changes in magnitude were observed. CONCLUSION Compared with 12-lead ECG, on-line cVCG is a more sensitive method of detecting myocardial ischemia during coronary angioplasty and the reading is easier and faster. Our results support STC-VM > or = 0.050 mV as the criterion for ischemia during angioplasty; ST-VM should be applied together with STC-VM.
Comparison between visual inspection of cervix and cytology based screening procedures in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND Cervical cancer continues to be a major problem in Bangladesh with approximately 18,000 new cases annually of which over 10,000 women die from it. Visual inspection of the cervix after 3-5% acetic acid (VIA) application is a simple and easy to learn method for cervical cancer screening, although cytology-based screening is more often applied in developed countries where it has successfully reduced the prevalence of cervical cancer. OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy of VIA and cytology-based primary methods for cervical cancer screening in Bangladesh. MATERIALS AND METHODS This hospital based comparative study was conducted at the VIA centre and Colposcopy Clinic of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) from October 2008 to October 2010. RESULTS Among 650 women, 74 (11.4%) were VIA+ve and 8 (1.2%) had abnormalities in their Pap smear reports. During colposcopy, 38 (7.7%) women had different grades of CIN and 4 (0.6%) had cervical cancer. The gold standard histology findings proved 20 women had CIN I, 14 had CIN II/II and 4 had cervical cancer. Among the 38 histology diagnosed abnormalities, VIA test could identify 30 abnormalities including two cervical cancers. However, Pap smear could detect only 8 cases of histological abnormalities (2 low grade and 6 had high grade lesion) and it missed all the cervical cancer cases. The sensitivity and specificity of VIA were 88.9% and 52.1%. The positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were 41.0%, and 92.6% respectively. Moreover, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of Pap smear were 33.3%, 95.8%, 75.0% and 79.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS VIA test should be used as the primary screening tool even with its low sensitivity and specificity in low resource countries like Bangladesh. False positive results may be greater, but overtreatment can be minimized by colposcopy evaluation of the VIA positive women.
Gender differences in Parkinson’s disease

Objective: To investigate gender differences in basic disease characteristics, motor deterioration and nigrostriatal degeneration in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods: We studied 253 consecutive PD patients who were not receiving levodopa or dopamine agonists (disease duration ⩽10 years). We investigated the influence of gender and oestrogen status on: (1) age at onset, (2) presenting symptom, (3) severity and progression of motor symptoms (Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale III (UPDRS-III) scores) and (4) amount and progression of nigrostriatal degeneration ([123I]FP-CIT single photon emission computed tomography measurements). Results: Age at onset was 2.1 years later in women (53.4 years) than in men (51.3 years). In women, age at onset correlated positively with parity, age at menopause and fertile life span. Women more often presented with tremor (67%) than men (48%). Overall, patients presenting with tremor had a 3.6 year higher age at onset and a 38% slower UPDRS-III deterioration. Mean UPDRS-III scores at disease onset were equal for both genders, as was the rate of deterioration. Women had a 16% higher striatal [123I]FP-CIT binding than men at symptom onset and throughout the course of PD. Conclusions: Our results suggest that, in women, the development of symptomatic PD may be delayed by higher physiological striatal dopamine levels, possibly due to the activity of oestrogens. This could explain the epidemiological observations of a lower incidence and higher age at onset in women. Women also presented more often with tremor which, in turn, is associated with milder motor deterioration and striatal degeneration. Taken together, these findings suggest a more benign phenotype in women with PD.
Latest Progress in Microsporidian Genome Research

Microsporidia are obligate intracellular pathogens of medical and ecological importance whose genomes have been studied extensively over the last decade. Such studies have focused on the remarkably reduced gene content that characterizes all known species, and some have unraveled the mechanisms that are involved in their extreme genome compaction. In the last year, a large number of new genome sequences from several divergent members of the group have been finally released and analyzed, and these have revealed the presence of many features that were previously unsuspected to exist within the group. This study aims to shortly review the most recent progress in the field of microsporidian genomics, highlighting the importance of the most recently released genome data for our understanding of the biology and evolution of this important group of parasites.
Nutritional Status and its Correlates in Equatorial Guinean Preschool Children: Results from a Nationally Representative Survey

Background In Equatorial Guinea, as a result of the recent growth of the oil industry, there is an opportunity to address important public health problems through public and private initiatives. To propose effective nutrition and public health strategies, it is important first to have reliable information on the nutritional status of the population and the underlying factors affecting it. Objective To assess the nutritional status and the prevalence of anemia among Equatoguinean children in a nationally representative sample and to identify the risk factors associated with the nutritional problems detected. Methods The study was a cross-sectional survey using a multistaged, stratified, cluster-selected sample. The survey included a sociodemographic, health, and dietary questionnaire and measurement of hematocrit and anthropometric features, from which nutritional indicators based on the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reference and the World Health Organization (WHO) standards were calculated. Logistic regression models were used for the multivariate analysis. A total of 552 children aged 0 to 60 months were surveyed. Results The overall prevalence of stunting (< −2 height-for-age z-scores [HAZ]) was 29.7% based on the NCHS reference and 35.2% based on WHO standards; the risk factors associated with stunting were age (p < .0001), low socioeconomic status (p = .01), and fishing by a member of the household (p = .003) The prevalence of mild anemia (hemoglobin < 110 g/L) was 69.3%, and that of moderate or severe anemia (hemoglobin < 80 g/L) was 8.3%. The only significant risk factor associated with moderate to severe anemia was low household socioeducational level (p = .01). Conclusions Stunting and anemia are public health problems in Equatorial Guinea. Integrated strategies, including fighting poverty and improving maternal education, should be undertaken.
Evaluation of tests of maximum kicking performance.

AIM Despite the important role of kicking in various athletic activities, the reliability of tests of maximum kicking performance has not been evaluated. The aim of the present study was to assess the reproducibility of performance of standing kick, instep kick and drop kick. METHODS Male physical education students (n=77) were tested on maximum kicking performance by means of a standard Doppler radar gun. RESULTS The maximal ball speed in the standing kick, instep kick and drop kick (averaged across the subjects and trials) were 19.8+/-1.9 m s(-1), 26.7+/-2.7 m s(-1) and 25.3+/-2.2 m s(-1), respectively. There were no significant differences in the tested performances among the consecutive kicking trials of each test. The intraclass correlation coefficients ranged between 0.94 and 0.96 (95% confidence intervals 0.93-0.97). The limits of agreement for maximum ball speed in all three tests ranged from 0.2+/-1.4 m(-1) to 0.3+/-1.3 m s(-1), suggesting that in 95% of repeated trials the ball speed might be from 1.2 m s(-1) less to 1.6 m s(-1) greater than the original estimate. The coefficients of variation for all kicking tests were between 2.6% and 3.3% (95% confidence intervals; 2.2-3.9%) suggesting a low intra-subject variability. CONCLUSIONS Due to a high reliability, relative simplicity, and a small number of participants needed to detect worthwhile changes, the evaluated kicking tests could be highly recommended for sport specific profiling and early selection of young athletes, as well as for the assessment of training procedures and other interventions applied on individual teams of elite soccer, rugby or American football players.
The variation of foF2 in the equatorial ionosphere

The ionospheric variation plays an important role in high frequency (HF) propagation. HF radio waves emitted by a transmitter at a given elevation angle may travel and reach the designated receiver via reflection off the ionosphere in a given circuit. Thus, the understanding of the variation of the ionosphere is very important for the design of the communication circuit. In the study of the ionosphere, foF2 is taken as the main parameter that reflects the ionospheric variations because the densest ionization occurs in this layer. One of the most important quantities in HF communications is the maximum usable frequency (MUF), which is the maximum frequency reflected by the ionosphere for a given circuit, and is closely related to foF2. Thus, the study of the variation of foF2 is very helpful for the HF circuit design. We investigate the behavior of foF2 values which can characterize well the F-region morphology over the equatorial region and of the relation to solar activity. Thus, we can get a better understanding of the equatorial ionosphere and provide suggestions and help on the improvement of the prediction of the equatorial ionosphere and HF circuit design.
Retrospective evaluation of the influence of the interleukin-1 genotype on radiographic bone levels in treated periodontal patients over 10 years.

BACKGROUND A difference in genetic susceptibility to plaque accumulation has been advocated to explain different responses to periodontal therapy. The purpose of this study is to assess the role of the interleukin-1 (IL-1) polymorphism on the rate of bone and tooth loss in non-smoking periodontally treated patients during maintenance. METHODS Sixty consecutive non-smoking patients (mean age 46.8 +/- 5.0) with moderate to severe periodontitis, treated and maintained for over 10 years were selected. At baseline (T0), radiographic evaluation (cemento-enamel junction [CEJ]-root apex, CEJ-bottom of defect mesial and distal, CEJ-bone crest mesial and distal, crown-root ratio) was performed. All patients received scaling and root planing; 36 patients then underwent surgical therapy. Subsequently, all patients were enrolled in a periodontal maintenance program with recall visits every 3.4 +/- 1.0 months for at least 10 years. At the latest recall visit (T2) the same radiographic measurements evaluated at baseline were taken and a DNA sample for IL-1 genetic susceptibility testing was collected and sent for analysis. RESULTS Twenty-three of the 60 patients (38.3%) were IL-1 genotype positive. A total of 52 teeth (3.3%) out of 1,566 were lost due to periodontitis between T0 and T2; 28 of 957 (2.9%) in the IL-1 genotype negative group and 24 of 609 (3.9%) in IL-1 genotype positive group. The mean variation in bone defect level (DeltaBD) averaged -0.04 mm in IL-1 genotype negative patients and 0.01 mm in IL-1 genotype positive patients. The mean variation in bone crest level (DeltaBC) averaged -0.24 mm in IL-1 genotype negative patients and -0.28 mm in IL-1 genotype positive patients. However, a few patients showed significant differences in response to therapy based on initial bone levels and genotype. IL-1 negative patients who showed minimal initial bone loss responded to the therapy better than the IL-1 positive patients. IL-1 positive patients with severe initial bone loss showed a better response to the therapy than IL-1 negative patients. CONCLUSIONS On average, there were no significant differences related to IL-1 genotype in tooth loss after 10 years in a non-smoking, well-maintained periodontal population. On an individual patient basis, the IL-1 genotype, in combination with the initial bone level, seems useful at the beginning of therapy for predicting bone level variation.
Bidirectional Current-Mode Capacitor Multipliers for On-Chip Compensation

Single-ended and two-ended bidirectional capacitor multipliers for providing on-chip compensation, soft-start, and fast transient mechanisms are proposed in this paper. The bidirectional current mode capacitor multiplier technique can effectively move the crossover frequency toward to the origin in the start-up period for a smoothly rising of the output voltage. Besides, the small time constant is set by the fast transient control circuit in order to get a higher crossover frequency. Thus, the output voltage can be regulated to its stable value as fast as it can when large load current changes. A test chip fabricated by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC) 0.35-m process verifies the correctness of the bidirectional current mode capacitor multiplier technique. Experimental results demonstrate the transient speed by our proposed technique is faster than that by conventional control by about 2 times, and there is only about 76% dropout voltage of the conventional design with off-chip compensation. The proposed circuits consume more quiescent current about 10 in single-ended capacitor multiplier and 20 in two-ended capacitor multiplier. With the proposed bidirectional current mode capacitor multiplier technique, the performance of dc-dc converters is improved significantly and the external pins and footprint area are minimized.
Histopathologic and metabolic effect of ursodeoxycholic acid treatment on PCOS rat model

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the effect of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) treatment on a polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) rat model. Thirty-two female Wistar–Albino rats were randomly divided into four groups as follows – group 1: sham group (n: 8), group 2: letrozole-induced PCOS group (n: 8), group 3: letrozole-induced PCOS plus metformin-treated (500 mg/kg) group (n: 8) and group 4: letrozole-induced PCOS plus UDCA (150 mg/kg)-treated group (n: 8). Histopathologic examination of the ovaries, circulating estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), testosterone, androstenedione, glucose, insulin and lipid profiles were evaluated. Histopathologic examination results revealed that groups 3 and 4 had significantly lower cystic and atretic follicles compared to group 2. Besides, group 4 had significantly higher antral follicles than group 2 (8.5 ± 2.9 versus 5.4 ± 1.1; p: 0.001). Furthermore, total testosterone (4.9 ± 2.8 versus 8.8 ± 2.9; p= 0.004) and insulin levels were significantly lower in group 4 compared to group 2 (1.7 ± 0.08 versus 2.1 ± 0.5; p = 0.02). However, lipid parameters, E1, E2, glucose and HOMA-IR were comparable between the groups. Our study results demonstrated that UDCA therapy improves ovarian morphology and decreases total testosterone and insulin levels.
The relationship between disability and self-care agency of Turkish people with rheumatoid arthritis.

AIM This study aims to determine the relationship between disability levels and self care agency scores in Turkish patients with rheumatoid arthritis and to investigate the factors affecting them. BACKGROUND Self-care agency is the complex acquired ability to meet one's constant requirements for care that regulates life processes, maintains or promotes the integrity of human structure, functioning and development, and promotes well-being. DESIGN AND METHODS Forty-three consecutive patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (M/F: 11/32; mean age 49.53 +/- 13.37 years; disease duration 118.32 +/- 76.55 months), being followed up by Ege University Rheumatology Outpatient Department and all fulfilling ACR 1987 criteria were included in this study. Data collection instruments used in this study were Informative-Demographic Data Form, Health Assessment Questionnaire (including disability index and pain scale) and Self-as-Carer Inventory. RESULTS The mean disability index, the mean pain score and the mean self-care agency score of patients were 0.53 (SD 0.45), 1.48 (SD 0.74) and 80.95 (SD 27.80) were respectively. Self-care agency of patients found moderate level. It was found that a positive correlation between the disability index and the self-care agency scores (r = 0.488; p < 0.01). It was found that in male (t = 0.907; p = 0.000), in patients graduate from university (F = 0.271; p = 0.001), the self-care agency was better than other patients. CONCLUSION In conclusion we found that in Turkish patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, the higher the disability rate was, the lower the self-care agency score was. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Disability, pain and their impact on self-care agency should be focused on in everyday care for Rheumatoid Arthritis patients. These areas are most important in nursing care and should be considered while organizing the medical treatment and rehabilitation programme.
Identification of motor neurons to the circular muscle of the guinea pig gastric corpus

The projections of enteric neurons to the circular muscle of the guinea pig gastric corpus were investigated systematically by using the retrogradely transported fluorescent carbocyanine dye, 1,1′‐didodecyl‐3,3,3′,3′‐tetramethyl indocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI), applied to the muscle layer or myenteric plexus in vitro. DiI‐labeled motor neuron cell bodies were located up to 6.3 mm aboral, 17 mm oral, and up to 20 mm circumferential to the DiI application site. Labeled nerve fibers ran for long distances from the DiI application site toward the greater and lesser curvatures, where they coursed parallel to the bundles of the “gastric sling” muscle. The majority of labeled cells were located toward the lesser curvature of the stomach. Nerve cell bodies that were aboral to the DiI application site were usually small, immunoreactive for choline acetyltransferase, and, thus, were likely to be excitatory motor neurons. Neurons that were located orally were larger, fewer in number, and immunoreactive for nitric oxide synthase and, thus, were likely to be inhibitory motor neurons. Application of DiI directly to the myenteric plexus filled neurons up to 15 mm aborally and up to 21 mm orally but labeled few neurons circumferentially. All nerve cells that were filled from either the circular muscle or the myenteric plexus had Dogiel type I morphological features. These results demonstrate a clear polarity of projection of inhibitory and excitatory motor neurons and a functionally continuous innervation of the circular and gastric sling muscle layers. Nonmotor neurons in the myenteric plexus were demonstrated, but neurons with Dogiel type II morphological features are apparently absent. J. Comp. Neurol. 397:268–280, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Regulation of CD163 on human macrophages: cross‐linking of CD163 induces signaling and activation

CD163 is a member of the group B scavenger receptor cysteine‐rich (SRCR) superfamily. This study describes aspects of the tissue distribution, the regulation of expression, and signal transduction after cross‐linking of this receptor at the cell surface of macrophages. CD163 showed an exclusive expression on resident macrophages (e.g., red pulp macrophages, alveolar macrophages). The expression was inducible on monocyte‐derived macrophages by glucocorticoids but not by interleukin‐4 (IL‐4), granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF), and interferon‐γ. The combination of IL‐4 or GM‐CSF with glucocorticoids resulted in a further increase. Subcellular analysis of alveolar macrophages by immunoelectron microscopy showed a plasma membrane localization of the antigen. Cross‐linking of CD163 with monoclonal antibody induced a protein tyrosine kinase‐dependent signal that resulted in (1) slow‐type calcium mobilization, (2) inositol triphosphate production, and (3) secretion of IL‐6 and GM‐CSF. The data suggest a function for the SRCR‐superfamily receptor CD163 in the regulation of inflammatory processes by macrophages. J. Leukoc. Biol. 66: 858–866; 1999.
Hormone and Seed-Specific Regulation of Pea Fruit Growth1

Growth of young pea (Pisum sativum) fruit (pericarp) requires developing seeds or, in the absence of seeds, treatment with gibberellin (GA) or auxin (4-chloroindole-3-acetic acid). This study examined the role of seeds and hormones in the regulation of cell division and elongation in early pea fruit development. Profiling histone H2A and γ-tonoplast intrinsic protein (TIP) gene expression during early fruit development identified the relative contributions of cell division and elongation to fruit growth, whereas histological studies identified specific zones of cell division and elongation in exocarp, mesocarp, and endocarp tissues. Molecular and histological studies showed that maximal cell division was from −2 to 2 d after anthesis (DAA) and elongation from 2 to 5 DAA in pea pericarp. Maximal increase in pericarp γ-TIP message level preceded the maximal rate of fruit growth and, in general, γ-TIP mRNA level was useful as a qualitative marker for expanding tissue, but not as a quantitative marker for cell expansion. Seed removal resulted in rapid decreases in pericarp growth and in γ-TIP and histone H2A message levels. In general, GA and 4-chloroindole-3-acetic acid maintained these processes in deseeded pericarp similarly to pericarps with seeds, and both hormones were required to obtain mesocarp cell sizes equivalent to intact fruit. However, GA treatment to deseeded pericarps resulted in elevated levels of γ-TIP mRNA (6 and 7 DAA) when pericarp growth and cell enlargement were minimal. Our data support the theory that cell division and elongation are developmentally regulated during early pea fruit growth and are maintained by the hormonal interaction of GA and auxin.