Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recovery of Life Satisfaction in Persons with Spinal Cord Injury During Inpatient Rehabilitation

van Koppenhagen CF, Post MW, van der Woude LH, de Groot S, de Witte LP, van Asbeck FW, van den Heuvel W, Lindeman E: Recovery of life satisfaction in persons with spinal cord injury during inpatient rehabilitation. Objective: To determine the course of life satisfaction of persons with spinal cord injury and its determinants during inpatient rehabilitation and up to 1 yr after discharge. Design: Prospective cohort study of 222 persons with spinal cord injury. Measurements at the start of active rehabilitation, after 3 mos, at discharge, and 1 yr after discharge. Questions about current life satisfaction and current life satisfaction compared with life satisfaction before spinal cord injury were asked and analyzed, and the sum score Life Satisfaction Total of these questions was analyzed using a multilevel regression analysis. Person and injury characteristics and secondary impairments at each measurement were analyzed as possible determinants of the Life Satisfaction Total score. Results: Estimated Life Satisfaction Total scores improved from 5.3 (SE, 0.16) at the start of active rehabilitation up to 6.5 (0.17) at discharge and remained stable (6.5; 0.16) during the first year after discharge. Significant determinants of a positive course of life satisfaction were less pain, fewer secondary impairments, and better functional status. Conclusions: Life satisfaction already improves during inpatient rehabilitation. Functional status, pain, and secondary impairments must be treated adequately in multidisciplinary rehabilitation.
Current Problems in Neuropsychiatry: Schizophrenia, Epilepsy, the Temporal Lobe

The temporal lobe has always been an enigma. Much has been written on this mysterious area in the brain and many functions have been ascribed to it in both health and in illness. But, as seen in the newer studies of other divisions of the brain, the story of the temporal lobe is just begun. When the Glasgow Postgraduate Medical Board planned a series of conferences and symposia, one meeting was considered for a new look at the borderline between neurology and psychiatry. Temporal lobe epilepsy could serve as such an example because of the interdisciplinary approach to this problem. In March 1968, such a conference was held in the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. Twenty-one essayists including neurologists, neurophysiologists, neuropathologists, psychiatrists, anatomists, psychologists, and even sociologists, presented a wealth of current basic research material. The essays, the discussions, the comments were molded by Dr. Herrington in
Improving cervical cancer screening attendance in Finland

High attendance is essential to cervical cancer screening results. Attendance in the Finnish program is currently at 70%, but extensive opportunistic screening occurs beside the organized. A shift from opportunistic to organized screening is imperative to optimize the costs and impact of screening and minimize potential harms. We evaluated the effect of reminder letters (1st reminder) and self‐sampling test (2nd reminder) on program attendance. The study population consisted of 31,053 screening invitees in 31 Finnish municipalities. 8,284 non‐attendees after one invitation received a reminder letter and 4,536 further non‐attendees were offered a self‐sampling option. Socioeconomic factors related to participation were clarified by combining screening data to data from Statistics Finland. Reminder letters increased participation from 72.6% (95% CI 72.1, 73.1) to 79.2% (95% CI 78.8, 79.7) and self‐sampling further to 82.2% (95% CI 81.8, 82.7). Reminder letters with scheduled appointments resulted in higher increase than open invitations (10 vs. 6%). Screening of original non‐attendees increased the yield of CIN3+ lesions by 24%. Non‐attendance was associated with young age, immigrant background, lower education level and having never been married. We showed that a total attendance of well over 80% can be achieved within an organized program when the invitational protocol is carefully arranged.
Advanced Practice Nurses and Improved Outcomes

Research has demonstrated improved outcomes with advanced practice nurses (APNs) providing traditional and nontraditional care. However, some settings have decreased the number of APNs as a cost-saving measure or have required APNs to take traditional patient assignments rather than having them manage the care of the high-risk or the most complex patients. When data are collected after such a change, the cost-effectiveness is minimal when countered by the increased length of stay and complication rate of the more complex patients without the management/coordination of the APN. It is another case of immediate cost savings being more valued than longterm savings and quality of care. APNs, no matter what their patient population or practice setting, should be continually trending clinical and financial outcomes to validate their contribution to patient, family, and community health. These data should be an integral part of their point-of-service documentation to ensure appropriateness, currency, and accuracy. If the data are collected in this manner, it is less of a burden and emphasizes the research-practice link.
Gender Disparity in Indian Renal Transplantation

Background: Gender disparities are a major ethical concern in renal donation and transplantation. Relatively few Indian studies, each limited by small sample sizes, have investigated the problem of gender disparities in renal transplantation. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted using data collected from kidney transplantation centers in Kerala, a southern state of India, to analyze the gender disparity in kidney donation and transplantation. Data were collected on gender, age, and relationship of the donor to the recipient. Results: Among 592 related cases, 74.2% of donors were female and 25.8% male (p <.0001). In the case of recipients, 76.2% were male and 23.8% female (p <.0001). Among 110 unrelated donors, 30.9% were female and 69.1% male (p <.0001), while the recipients were 78.2% male and 21.8% female (p <.0001). The number of cadaver kidney transplantations (six) was too small for analysis. Conclusion: The study found that the majority of living-related donors are family members (first-degree relatives) of the affected patients, with a definite female gender disparity among donors and recipients, more pronounced than reported in other studies. This disparity was absent in the case of living-unrelated donors, however. Existing practices in the organ transplantation process should be reviewed in order to eliminate the donor gender disparity in India. Kidney transplantation registries and organ matching systems at the national, state, and district levels are necessary for accountability and regulation of the transplantation process in India.
Consumption of vegetables and fruits and risk of subtypes of head–neck cancer in the Netherlands Cohort Study

There is limited prospective data on the relationship between consumption of vegetables and fruits and the risk of head–neck cancer (HNC) subtypes [i.e., oral cavity cancer (OCC), oro‐/hypopharyngeal cancer (OHPC) and laryngeal cancer (LC)]. Therefore, we investigated these associations within the Netherlands Cohort Study, in which 120,852 participants completed a 150‐item food frequency questionnaire at baseline in 1986. After 20.3 years of follow‐up, 415 cases of HNC (131 OCC, 88 OHPC, three oral cavity/pharynx unspecified or overlapping and 193 LC) and 3,898 subcohort members were available for case–cohort analysis using Cox proportional hazards models. Total vegetable and fruit consumption was inversely associated with risk of HNC overall [multivariable‐adjusted rate ratios for highest vs. lowest quartile: 0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.44–0.85, p trend 0.002] and all HNC subtypes, with the strongest associations for OCC. Total vegetable intake and total fruit intake were also associated with a decreased risk of HNC overall and HNC subtypes. No significant interaction was found between vegetable and fruit intake and alcohol consumption or cigarette smoking. In conclusion, in this large‐scale cohort study, consumption of vegetables and fruits was associated with a decreased risk of HNC overall and all subtypes. Consumption of vegetables and fruits (or of specific groups of them) may protect against HNC and its subtypes.
Use of Power Assist Wheels Results in Increased Distance Traveled Compared with Conventional Manual Wheeling

Levy CE, Buman MP, Chow JW, Tillman MD, Fournier KA, Giacobbi P Jr: Use of power assist wheels results in increased distance traveled compared with conventional manual wheeling. Objective:To evaluate the impact of power assist wheels on the distance traveled by manual wheelchair users and analyze potential cofactors in the magnitude of response and to test the hypothesis that wheelers would travel significantly further with power assist wheels. Design:A 16-wk A (Preintervention)-B (Intervention)-A (Postintervention) repeated measures design. Seven women and 13 men (age, 43 ± 15 yrs) full-time wheelers participated. During the pre- and postintervention phases (4 wks each), participants used their own unaltered manual wheelchairs. During the 8-wk intervention phase, the manual wheels were replaced with power assist wheels. Daily distance was measured with bicycle-style odometers. A composite score of laboratory wheelchair tasks was used to classify wheelchair performance. Mixed model repeated measures analysis of variance analyzed changes across phases of the trial. A post hoc analysis tabulated the amount of days wheelers exceeded their individual daily averages in each phase by two SDs. Results:Wheelers traveled significantly greater distances during the intervention phase compared with pre- or postintervention phases regardless of baseline wheelchair performance. Wheelers who demonstrated higher baseline wheelchair performance traveled lesser average distances in the first 2 wks after receiving power assist wheels than in the subsequent 6 wks. Wheelers exceeded their individual daily averages per phase on a significantly greater number of days during the intervention phase. Conclusions:Power assist wheels enabled wheelers to travel farther and to travel beyond their usual distances on more days. Further studies may be strengthened by taking into account the 2-wk “adjustment phase” for power assist wheels.
Multiple mucin depleted foci, high proliferation and low apoptotic response in the onset of colon carcinogenesis of the PIRC rat, mutated in Apc

PIRC rats (F344/NTac‐Apc am1137) mutated in the Apc gene spontaneously develop colon tumors thus mimicking familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC) more closely than Apc‐based rodent models developing tumors mostly in the small intestine. To understand whether microscopic dysplastic lesions precede the development of macroscopic tumors, PIRC rat colon was examined for the presence of mucin depleted foci (MDF), microadenomas of the rodent and human colon. Few MDF (about 4/animal) were already present in 1‐month‐old rats and their number rapidly increases to about 250 in 8‐month‐old rats. These lesions showed Wnt signaling activation (nuclear β‐catenin accumulation) and were dramatically decreased by sulindac (320 ppm), a drug with chemopreventive activity (MDF/rat at 4 months: 156 ± 8 and 38 ± 6 in controls and sulindac‐treated rats, respectively, means ± SE, p < 0.001). Since altered proliferation and apoptosis could underlie the early phases of carcinogenesis, we studied these processes in the apparently normal colon mucosa (NM) of 1‐month‐old PIRC and wt rats. Colon proliferation (PCNA expression) was significantly higher in PIRC rats. Notably, PIRC rat NM showed resistance to apoptosis since it sustained proliferation and had lower apoptosis after a cytotoxic insult with 1,2 dimethylhydrazine. Gene expression of Myc, p21, Birc5, Ogg1, Apex1 and Sod2 were significantly up‐regulated in the NM of PIRC rat. The overall results put forward PIRC rat as useful model of colon carcinogenesis, either to study the process itself or to test in vivo chemopreventive agents in both short‐ and long‐term studies.
Bacterial Growth Response to Photoactive Quinones

Quinones are known producers of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that may be toxic in natural aquatic environments. In this study, the effects of parent quinones and their photodegradation products on bacterial growth were determined, and photochemical ROS formation rates were measured. Using 3H‐leucine incorporation to measure growth of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa and natural seawater bacterioplankton, growth inhibition was observed when samples were exposed to dichlone, chloranil and sodium anthraquinone‐2‐sulfonate (AQ2S). For seawater, compared with other quinones tested, dichlone showed the greatest toxicity in the dark, and AQ2S toxicity was greatest during simultaneous exposure to sunlight. Photodegraded chloranil and dichlone showed decreased toxicity compared with nonirradiated samples. For P. aeruginosa, AQ2S and its photodegradation products showed the greatest toxicity during simultaneous exposure to sunlight. Chloranil photodegradation products showed reduced toxicity compared with the parent compound during simultaneous exposure to sunlight. Dichlone was the only compound to show any toxicity to P. aeruginosa in the dark, and its photodegradation products were more toxic than the parent compound. Based on the results of dark and light controlled experiments measuring bacterial growth and estimated ROS production rates, ROS alone does not account for relative differences in toxicity between these quinones.
Triaging HPV‐positive women with normal cytology by p16/Ki‐67 dual‐stained cytology testing: Baseline and longitudinal data

Primary human papillomavirus (HPV)‐based screening results in a 2–5% lower specificity for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia Grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) compared to Pap cytology. To identify HPV‐positive women with CIN2+, we retrospectively evaluated the cross‐sectional and longitudinal performance of p16/Ki‐67 dual‐stained cytology in HPV‐positive women with normal cytology participating in population‐based cervical screening. Conventional Pap cytology specimens of 847 of these women derived from the VUSA‐Screen study were dual‐stained for p16/Ki‐67. Cross‐sectional clinical performance in detecting CIN3 or worse (CIN3+), and CIN2+ was compared to that of baseline HPV genotyping. Moreover, 5‐year cumulative incidence risks (CIR) for CIN3+ (CIN2+) were determined. The sensitivity of p16/Ki‐67 dual‐stained cytology for CIN3+ (CIN2+) was 73.3% (68.8%) with a specificity of 70.0% (72.8%). HPV16/18 genotyping showed a sensitivity for CIN3+ (CIN2+) of 46.7% (43.8%), with a specificity of 78.3% (79.4%). The 5‐year CIR for CIN3+ in HPV‐positive women with normal cytology was 6.9%. Testing these women with p16/Ki‐67 dual‐stained cytology resulted in a significantly lower CIN3+ 5‐year CIR of 3.3% (p = 0.017) in case of a negative test result. A negative HPV16/18 genotyping test result also led to a lower 5‐year CIN3+ CIR of 3.6%. p16/Ki‐67 dual‐stained cytology detects more than 70% of underlying CIN3+ lesions in HPV‐positive women with normal cytology at baseline and is therefore suitable for triaging these women to colposcopy. Furthermore, the CIN3+ 5‐year CIR of 3.3% after a negative dual‐stain result is significantly lower compared to the 5‐year CIR of 6.9% in women without p16/Ki‐67 dual‐stained cytology triage.
Natural incidence of Fusarium species and fumonisins B1 and B2 associated with maize kernels from nine provinces in China in 2012

Fusarium species, which can produce mycotoxins, are the predominant pathogens causing maize ear rot, a disease that results in severe economic losses and serves as a potential health risk for humans and animals. A survey was conducted in 2012 to investigate the contamination of maize by Fusarium species and fumonisins B1 and B2. A total of 250 maize samples were randomly collected from nine provinces (Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Heilongjiang, Liaoning and Ningxia) in China. Fusarium species were isolated and identified using morphological (electron microscope) and molecular methods (polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing). Fumonisins B1 and B2 were analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) with OPA (2-Mercaptoethanol, o-phthaldialdehyde) post-column derivatisation. A total of 2321 Fusarium isolates (20.7%) were obtained from all the samples. These isolates included nine Fusarium species, namely, F. graminearum, F. verticillioides, F. subglutinans, F. proliferatum, F. temperatum, F. oxysporum, F. equiseti, F. meridionale and F. chlamydosporum. The incidence of occurrence of Fusarium species in Guizhou was the highest, while in Inner Mongolia it was the lowest. F. verticillioides was the dominant species of maize ear rot in Liaoning, Sichuan, Hebei and Ningxia. F. graminearum was the dominant species in Yunnan, Guizhou and Shanxi. F. subglutinans was the dominant species in Heilongjiang. F. verticillioides and F. graminearum percentages were the same in Inner Mongolia. The incidence of fumonisins in Liaoning was high (up to 81.0%) and in Heilongjiang low (up to 10.3%). Except Shanxi, more than 50% of maize samples from other provinces were contaminated with fumonisins, with concentrations less than 500 ng g−1. About 33% of maize samples from Yunnan were contaminated with high levels of fumonisins, and average of fumonisin levels were 5191 ng g−1. Fusarium species causing maize ear rot in different areas in China were highly diverse and such areas with exposure to high levels of fumonisin contamination have a potential health risk for human and animals.
The Comparative Effectiveness of Tendon and Nerve Gliding Exercises in Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomized Trial

Objective:The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of tendon and nerve gliding exercises as a part of combined treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome. Design:Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome were randomized into three groups. All patients received conventional treatments (splint and paraffin therapy, as in group 3), but group 1 underwent additional tendon gliding exercises and group 2 underwent additional nerve gliding exercises. Each patient received a package of questionnaires and underwent physical examinations and nerve conduction study of the upper limbs before and after treatment for 2 mos. Results:Sixty patients were recruited, and 53 completed the study. There were significant improvements in symptom severity and pain scale scores in all groups. However, only group 1 showed significant improvements in their scores on functional status; the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire; and the physical domain of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire Brief Version. After adjusting for baseline data, we found significant differences in the functional status scores among the groups. Post hoc analyses detected a significant difference in functional status scores between groups 1 and 2. Conclusions:The combination of tendon gliding exercises with conventional treatments may be more effective than that of nerve gliding exercises with conventional treatments.
Furan formation during storage and reheating of sterilised vegetable purées

To this day, research for furan mitigation has mostly targeted the levels of food production and handling of prepared foods by the consumer. However, part of the furan concentrations found in commercially available food products might originate from chemical deterioration reactions during storage. A range of individual vegetable purées was stored at two different temperatures to investigate the effects of storage on the furan concentrations of shelf-stable, vegetable-based foods. After 5 months of storage at 35°C (temperature-abuse conditions), a general increase in furan concentrations was observed. The furan formation during storage could be reduced by storing the vegetable purées at a refrigerated temperature of 4°C, at which the furan concentrations remained approximately constant for at least 5 months. Following storage, the vegetable purées were briefly reheated to 90°C to simulate the effect of the final preparation step before consumption. Contrary to storage, furan concentrations decreased as a result of evaporative losses. Both refrigerated storage and the reheating step prior to consumption showed the potential of mitigation measures for furan formation in vegetable-based foods (e.g. canned vegetables, ready-to-eat soups, sauces or baby foods). Next to furan, the vegetable purées were analysed for 2- and 3-methylfuran. Tomato was very susceptible to the formation of both alkylated derivatives of furan, as opposed to the other vegetables in this study. Methylfuran concentrations rapidly decreased during storage, which was contrary to the results observed for furan. Graphical Abstract
Determination of synthetic phenolic antioxidants in soft drinks by stir-bar sorptive extraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The synthetic phenolic antioxidants butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and tert-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) were pre-concentrated by stir-bar sorptive extraction and thermally desorbed (SBSE-TD) before analysis by GC-MS. Several parameters affecting the derivatisation step and both SBSE extraction and thermal desorption were carefully optimised. When the analyses of BHA and TBHQ in their acetylated, silylated and underivatised forms were compared, the best results were obtained when the in-situ derivatisation procedure with acetic anhydride was employed. Quantification was carried out using carvacrol as the internal standard, providing quantification limits of between 0.11 and 0.15 ng ml−1, depending on the compound. Recovery assays for samples spiked at two concentration levels, 1 and 5 ng ml−1, provided recoveries in the 81–117% range. The proposed method was applied in the analysis canned soft drinks and the analytes were found in five of the 10 samples analysed. Graphical Abstract
PKC/MEK inhibitors suppress oxaliplatin‐induced neuropathy and potentiate the antitumor effects

Oxaliplatin is a key drug commonly used in colorectal cancer treatment. Despite high clinical efficacy, its therapeutic application is limited by common, dose‐limiting occurrence of neuropathy. As usual symptomatic neuropathy treatments fail to improve the patients' condition, there is an urgent need to advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of neuropathy to propose effective therapy and ensure adequate pain management. Oxaliplatin‐induced neuropathy was recently reported to be associated with protein kinase C (PKC) activation. It is unclear, however, whether PKC inhibition can prevent neuropathy. In our current studies, we found that a PKC inhibitor, tamoxifen, inhibited oxaliplatin‐induced neuropathy via the PKC/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK)/c‐Fos pathway in lumbar spinal cords (lumbar segments 4–6). Additionally, tamoxifen was shown to act in synergy with oxaliplatin to inhibit growth in tumor cells‐implanted mice. Moreover, mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) 1/2 inhibitor, PD0325901, suppressed oxaliplatin‐induced neuropathy and enhanced oxaliplatin efficacy. Our results indicate that oxaliplatin‐induced neuropathy is associated with PKC/ERK/c‐Fos pathway in lumbar spinal cord. Additionally, we demonstrate that disruption of this pathway by PKC and MEK inhibitors suppresses oxaliplatin‐induced neuropathy, thereby suggesting that PKC and MEK inhibitors may be therapeutically useful in preventing oxaliplatin‐induced neuropathy and could aid in combination antitumor pharmacotherapy.