Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Post-traumatic growth among elderly women with breast cancer compared to breast cancer-free women

Abstract Background. Although breast cancer (BC) may have negative psychological sequelae, it may also be experienced as an existential challenge, which can derive personal growth. Only one study has been conducted, however, on whether women with BC experience more post-traumatic growth (PTG) than BC-free women. We examined PTG in women with and without BC and whether the characteristics and treatment of BC were associated with PTG. Material and methods. We used data from the questionnaire administered in the Diet, Cancer and Health cohort and included 774 women with BC and 666 randomly sampled BC-free women aged 63–81 years. PTG was measured with the PTG inventory, for which the women identified their own traumatic or life-changing event. Linear regression was used to compare PTG in women with and without BC and to examine the association between BC characteristics and treatment and PTG. Results. Although women with BC experienced significantly more PTG in the domains ‘appreciation of life’ and ‘relating to others’ compared to BC-free women, no statistically significant difference in overall PTG was observed according to BC status, indicating that PTG is not limited to women with BC. Tumor size, number of positive lymph nodes, having undergone mastectomy and having received endocrine treatment were positively associated with overall PTG and/or specific PTG domains, implying that the severity of disease plays a role in the development of PTG. Conclusion. In order to avoid unnecessary pressure for personal growth, healthcare professionals should not expect that women with BC experience more PTG than BC-free women.
A New Zone-Control Induction Heating System Using Multiple Inverter Units Applicable Under Mutual Magnetic Coupling Conditions

This paper proposes a new “zone-control induction heating” (ZCIH) system consisting of two or more sets of a high-frequency inverter unit and a work coil. The work coils are wound around a single susceptor as close as possible to reduce a leakage magnetic flux. The inverters independently control the amplitude of each coil current to adjust the power provided to the work coil and/or the heat generated in each zone of the susceptor. As a result, the ZCIH system enables a temperature uniformity not only in a heating-up period but also in a temperature-maintaining period. Theoretical analysis derives the control performance of the current amplitude, and implies that the phase-angle control of the coil current is required to adjust the current amplitude in a wide range. This paper presents experimental results obtained from a laboratory setup and a six-zone prototype for semiconductor processing.
Morphology of the Venous System of the Heart in the Van Cat

Morphology of the veins draining the heart was studied in the Van cat. Veins draining the heart were the great cardiac vein, the middle cardiac vein, the right cardiac veins and the smallest cardiac veins. No anastomosis was observed between the terminal branches of the paraconal interventricular vein and the subsinuosal interventricular vein. The coronary sinus was formed by the great cardiac vein and the middle cardiac vein. The origins of the right cardiac veins had significant variations. The right semicircumflex vein was observed in three (50%) cats, and it terminated at the middle cardiac vein.
Culture in business process management: a literature review

Purpose – Business process management (BPM) is a management approach that developed with a strong focus on the adoption of information technology (IT). However, there is a growing awareness that BPM requires a holistic organizational perspective especially since culture is often considered a key element in BPM practice. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of existing research on culture in BPM.Design/methodology/approach – This literature review builds on major sources of the BPM community including the BPM Journal, the BPM Conference and central journal/conference databases. Forward and backward searches additionally deepen the analysis. Based on the results, a model of culture's role in BPM is developed.Findings – The results of the literature review provide evidence that culture is still a widely under‐researched topic in BPM. Furthermore, a framework on culture's role in BPM is developed and areas for future research are revealed.Research limitations/implications – The analy.
Arterial input functions for dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI: Requirements and signal options

Cerebral perfusion imaging using dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) has been the subject of considerable research and shows promise for basic science and clinical use. In DSC, the MRI signals in brain tissue and feeding arteries are monitored dynamically in response to a bolus injection of paramagnetic agents, such as gadolinium (Gd) chelates. DSC has the potential to allow quantitative imaging of parameters such as cerebral blood flow (CBF) with a high signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) in a short scan time; however, quantitation depends critically on accurate and precise measurement of the arterial input function (AIF). We discuss many requirements and factors that make it difficult to measure the AIF. The AIF signal should be linear with respect to Gd concentration, convertible to the same concentration scale as the tissue signal, and independent of hematocrit. Complicated relationships between signal and concentration can violate these requirements. The additional requirements of a high SNR and high spatial/temporal resolution are technically challenging. AIF measurements can also be affected by signal saturation and aliasing, as well as dispersion/delay between the AIF sampling site and the tissue. We present new in vivo preliminary results for magnitude‐based (ΔR2*) and phase‐based (Δϕ) AIF measurements that show a linearity advantage of phase, and a disparity in the scaling of Δϕ AIFs, ΔR2* AIFs, and ΔR2* tissue curves. Finally, we discuss issues related to the choice of AIF signal for quantitative perfusion imaging. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fixed combination of manidipine and delapril in the treatment of mild to moderate essential hypertension: Evaluation by 24‐hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring

This present study assessed the antihypertensive efficacy of the fixed combination of manidipine and delapril by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in patients with hypertension inadequately controlled by monotherapy with either component. After a 2‐week placebo period, 55 mild to moderate hypertensive patients were randomized to manidipine 20 mg o.d. or delapril 30 mg b.i. d. for 4 weeks. After this period, 30 patients, aged 30–76 years (18 males and 12 females) whose diastolic blood pressure was not adequately controlled (≥90 mmHg) by monotherapy were treated with the fixed combination of manidipine 10 mg plus delapril 30 mg o.d. for 8 weeks. A 24‐h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring recording was performed at the end of the placebo washout, of the monotherapy and of the combination therapy. Blood pressure control over the 24 h was quantified by the trough‐to‐peak ratio and the smoothness index. As compared to placebo, the fixed combination of manidipine and delapril produced a statistically significant (p<0.01) decrease in sitting clinic (18±9/14±5 mmHg) and 24‐h blood pressure (12±7/10±5 mmHg) without affecting heart rate. This reduction was greater than that observed with single components. At the end of the 8‐week combination treatment period, the rate of normalilized patients was 73%. Treatment with the fixed combination was associated with a positively high smoothness index (1.2±0.7/13.8±0.8) and with a relatively good trough‐to‐peak ratio (0.46/0.60). The combination of manidipine and delapril produced significant and smooth reductions in blood pressure values, which persisted over the 24‐h dosing interval. These results support the use of fixed manidipine‐delapril combination in the treatment of mild to moderate hypertensive patients inadequately controlled by monotherapy.
Factors associated with inappropriate complementary feeding practices among children aged 6-23 months in Tanzania.

Inappropriate complementary feeding is one of the major causes of undernutrition among young children in Tanzania. Prevalence of newly developed World Health Organization complementary feeding indicators and their associated factors were determined among 2402 children aged 6-23 months in Tanzania using data from the 2010 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey. The survey used a multistage cluster sample of 10 300 households from the eight geographical zones in the country. The prevalence of the introduction of soft, semi-solid or solid foods among infants aged 6-8 months was 92.3%. Of all the children aged 6-23 months, the prevalence of minimum dietary diversity, meal frequency and acceptable diet were 38.2%, 38.6% and 15.9%, respectively. Results from multivariate analyses indicated that the main risk factors for inappropriate complementary feeding practices in Tanzania include young child's age (6-11 months), lower level of paternal/maternal education, limited access to mass media, lack of post-natal check-ups, and poor economic status. Overall, complementary feeding practices in Tanzania, as measured by dietary diversity, meal frequency and acceptable diet, are not adequately met, and there is a need for interventions to improve the nutritional status of young children in Tanzania.
Associations of HIV testing and late diagnosis at a Japanese university hospital

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to clarify the rate of late diagnosis of HIV infection and to identify relationships between the reasons for HIV testing and a late diagnosis. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted among HIV-positive patients at the Jikei University Hospital between 2001 and 2014. Patient characteristics from medical records, including age, sex, sexuality, the reason for HIV testing and the number of CD4-positive lymphocytes at HIV diagnosis, were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 459 patients (men, n=437; 95.2%) were included in this study and the median age at HIV diagnosis was 36 years (range, 18–71 years). Late (CD4 cell count <350/mm3) and very late (CD4 cell count <200/mm3) diagnoses were observed in 61.4% (282/459) and 36.6% (168/459) of patients, respectively. The most common reason for HIV diagnosis was voluntary testing (38.6%, 177/459 patients), followed by AIDS-defining illness (18.3%, 84/459 patients). Multivariate analysis revealed a significant association of voluntary HIV testing with non-late and non-very-late diagnoses and there was a high proportion of AIDS-defining illness in the late and very late diagnosis groups compared with other groups. Men who have sex with men was a relative factor for non-late diagnosis, whereas nonspecific abnormal blood test results, such as hypergammaglobulinemia and thrombocytopenia, were risk factors for very late diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Voluntary HIV testing should be encouraged and physicians should screen all patients who have symptoms or signs and particularly hypergammaglobulinemia and thrombocytopenia, that may nonspecifically indicate HIV infection.
Apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism and total serum cholesterol level in Iranian population.

BACKGROUND Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is known as a major regulator of blood lipid levels in humans. A number of APOE gene allelic variants have been reported including E2, E3 and E4. Recent studies suggested a role for APOE in obesity and increased Body Mass Index (BMI) and plasma lipid levels in obese children. AIM The aim of this study was to examine the association between APOE genetic variants and the BMI and lipid profile in an Iranian cohort. SETTING AND DESIGN Samples were obtained from subjects who participated in a study based on the WHO-designed MONICA (multinational monitoring of trends and determinants in cardiovascular disease) study for coronary artery disease risk assessment in Zone 17 of Tehran. The study was approved by the local ethical committee. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects included in this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS Subjects (n=320) were recruited. The level of triglyceride (TG) and total serum cholesterol was tested for all subjects in this study. Genotyping for APOE was carried using polymerase chain reaction-Restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP)technique. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Levels of significance were determined using contingency tables by either Chi-square or Fisher exact analysis using the STATA (v8) software. The analysis of regression and significance of differences for level of cholesterol and TG was established by one-way analysis of variance followed by Dunnett post hoc multiple comparison tests using SPSS software Version 11.5. RESULTS The frequency of allele E2 was significantly higher in patients with total serum cholesterol level <200 mg/dl (P 0.01 OR 2.1 95% CI 1.1-4.2). CONCLUSION The association found in this study between allele E2 and lower total cholesterol level had been reported in previous studies. We have also observed that the frequency of genotype E2/E3 and E2/E4 was significantly higher in patients with normal total serum cholesterol level compared to patients with abnormal cholesterol (P=0.003 OR 2.4 95% CI; 1.3-4.6). Our data needs to be repeated in a larger population with more information for serum LDL and HDL levels and their subgroups.
The protective role of autophagy against aging and acute ischemic injury in kidney proximal tubular cells

In kidney, proximal tubules consume a large amount of energy in the process of electrolyte reabsorption. These tubules contain large quantities of mitochondria which provide the energy for this reabsorption. Proximal tubules are susceptible to many kinds of insults such as ischemia-reperfusion injury and nephrotoxic substrates, but little is known of the factors that counteract cellular stress signaling pathways. Autophagy mediates bulk degradation and recycling of cytoplasmic constituents to maintain cellular homeostasis. We demonstrated the critical role of autophagy in normal proximal tubule function and protection against acute tubular injury.
Development of a reliable self-report outcome measure for pragmatic trials of communication therapy following stroke: the Communication Outcome after Stroke (COAST) scale

Objective: To develop and validate a clinically feasible measure of communication effectiveness for people with any type of communication problem following stroke. Design: Cross-sectional, interview-based, psychometric study, building on the development phase for construction of the Communication Outcome after Stroke (COAST) scale. Setting: A community sample from the northwest of England, UK. Subjects: One hundred and two people with communication problems (aphasia and/or dysarthria) following a stroke, within the previous 4—12 months. Interventions: Administration of the COAST scale, on two occasions, within a two-week period, and collection of demographic and other data relating to disability, degree of aphasia (where appropriate) and hospital diagnosis of aphasia/dysarthria. Main measures: Acceptability (missing values), reliability (internal consistency and test—retest reliability) and item analysis (item redundancy). Results: Ninety-seven (visit 1) and 98 (visit 2) respondents provided usable data for the psychometric analysis. The 29-item COAST scale showed good acceptability (few missing values, sample spread 28—100%), internal consistency and test—retest reliability for the scale (α = 0.95; ICC = 0.90) and its subscales (α = 0.65—0.93; ICC = 0.72—0.88), but possible item redundancy. A revised scale of 20 items was produced, demonstrating good internal consistency and test—retest reliability (α = 0.83—92; ICC = 0.72—0.88). Conclusions: The COAST is a patient-centred, practical and reliable measure that can be used to assess self-perceived communication effectiveness for people with aphasia and/or dysarthria. Further testing on construct validity and responsiveness to change is needed before the measure can be firmly recommended for use within clinical practice and research.
Vermiculite Worker Mortality: Estimated Effects of Occupational Exposure to Libby Amphibole

Objective: To examine the relationship between cumulative fiber exposure (CFE) and mortality in a retrospective cohort study of vermiculite workers exposed to Libby amphibole (n = 1862). Methods: Extended Cox regression was used to estimate the hazards associated with CFE as a time-dependent covariate of multiple-cause mortality. Results: The Cox models for mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and non-malignant respiratory disease were significant with rate ratios that increased monotonically with CFE. The model for deaths due to cardiovascular disease was also significant (rate ratio for CFE ≥44.0 f/cc-y vs <1.4 f/cc-y was 1.5; 95% confidence interval = 1.1 to 2.0). Conclusions: By using a within-cohort comparison, the results demonstrate a clear exposure-response relationship between CFE and mortality from asbestos-related causes. The finding of an association between CFE and cardiovascular mortality suggests persons exposed to Libby amphibole should be monitored for this outcome.
Intertriginous epidermal dysmaturation from pegylated liposomal doxorubicin

Background: A new formulation of doxorubicin (pegylated liposomal doxorubicin) has been developed to attenuate the systemic side effects produced by this agent. Although pegylated liposomal doxorubicin has a much lower risk for cardiotoxicity, it has been associated with cutaneous side effects that differ from, and may also be more frequent than, those produced by the free form of the drug.
Families of optimal order finite elements on rectangle and box grids for the Stokes equations

It is shown that the Qk+1-Qk mixed element, approximating the velocity by the continuous Qk+1 polynomials and the pressure by the discontinuous Qk polynomials on rectangle and box grids, provides the optimal order of approximation for solving the stationary Stokes equations, for all k ≥ 2. A new element, Qk+1,k × Qk,k+1-Qk, is proposed and shown as an optimal order method, where different degrees of polynomials in x and y are used for different components of the vector velocity. An efficient iterative method is presented which guarantees the iterates converge to the optimal solution and the discrete pressure function is produced as a byproduct of the iteration. Numerical tests are provided confirming the theory.
Determination of Tripolyphosphate and Related Hydrolysis Products in Processed Shrimp

The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for regulating the use of polyphosphates in seafood. Sodium tripolyphosphate is the most commonly used polyphosphate in the processed shrimp industry; and current regulations limit its use in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice. The potential exists for economic fraud through mislabeling or excessive use of tripolyphosphate. At this point; the Agency is more concerned with excessive water uptake in treated samples than the amount of phosphate found in the product. However, there is a need for methodology which can 1) provide confirmation of the presence of tripolyphosphate in shrimp and 2) correlate the results obtained for added water with the use and/or abuse of tripolyphosphate.
Interleukin-10 gene promoter polymorphism and susceptibility to liver cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Liver cirrhosis is the end-stage of various liver diseases, which has a poor prognosis and determined by deterioration of hepatic functional capacity and consecutive development of hepatic complications. We investigated the role of IL-10-592 A/C, IL-10-819 C/T and IL-10-1082 A/G gene polymorphisms on the development of liver cirrhosis. METHODOLOGY A 1:2 matched case-control study was conducted, including 266 patients from 302 Military Hospital. Genotyping of IL-10-592 A/C, IL-10-819 C/T and IL-10-1082 A/G were performed in a 384-well plate format on the Sequenom MassARRAY platform. RESULTS Multivariate regression analyses showed that subjects carrying the IL-10-592 CC variant had a significant increased risk of liver cirrhosis (OR: 1.83, 95% Cl: 1.10-3.03), and IL-0-592 A/C showed a significant increased risk in recessive model (OR: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.15-3.45). We found those carrying IL-10-592 CC genotype had a heavy increased risk of liver cirrhosis in those with positive chronic hepatitis B, with an OR (95% CI) of 2.46 (1.35-4.42), and a significant interaction was observed between the IL-10-592 A/C genotype and chronic hepatitis B infection (P = 0.036). Those carrying IL-10-819 C/T and IL-10-1082 A/G variants had non-significant increased risk of liver cirrhosis. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that IL-10-592A/C gene polymorphism would enhance the risk for liver cirrhosis, and this gene variant has interaction with chronic hepatitis B infection in Asian population.
Effect of monensin sodium on histological lesions of naturally occurring bovine paratuberculosis.

Of 19 adult cows naturally infected with paratuberculosis, 13 were treated with monensin sodium and six remained untreated. At the beginning of the study, the severity of the histological lesions was assessed from biopsy samples of ileum, liver, mesenteric lymph node and rectal mucosa. From the data acquired it was possible to assign the animals so that the lesions in the two groups were similar (P=0. 8323). Monensin was administered in the feed, which contained 147.5 mg/kg, and each treated cow received 450 mg of monensin daily for 120 days. At the end of this period all cows were killed and histopathological findings in the ileum, liver, mesenteric lymph node and rectal mucosa were compared with the initial findings. A scoring system showed that monensin had a beneficial effect in the ileum (P=0.077), liver (P=0.0322) and rectal mucosa (P=0.0578), but under the conditions of the experiment no such effect could be demonstrated in mesenteric lymph node (P=0.3599). There appeared to be an overall effect on all tissues taken together (P=0.1335). The effect of monensin may have been due to both a halting and a reversal of the pathological process. In all but one of the six untreated cows, the lesions worsened during the course of the experiment.
Viral-Associated Nonmelanoma Skin Cancers: A Review

Nonmelanoma skin cancers are the most common malignancies in the United States, with over 1.3 million patients diagnosed yearly. Several types of nonmelanoma skin cancer and precancerous lesions have an associated viral pathogenesis, including epidermodysplasia verruciformis, verrucous carcinoma, bowenoid papulosis, Kaposi sarcoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and, most recently, Merkel cell carcinoma. It is now widely accepted that high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) play a key role in pathogenesis of cervical and anogenital cancer. Currently, 108 types of HPV have been discovered. They can be divided into genera including alpha, beta, and gamma HPVs, which comprise the majority of cutaneous HPVs. The relationship between viruses and cancer is a popular focus of research in an era of AIDS and organ transplantation, where immunosuppression is not uncommon. The incidence of viral-related malignancies in these populations is increasing. Because of the widespread nature of these cutaneous malignancies, an evaluation of these conditions is valuable. This review of the literature will focus on the histologic aspects of viral-associated skin malignancies, as well as the epidemiology, etiology, and clinical aspects of these diseases.