Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perceptions, experiences and needs of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Aims To understand the perceptions, needs and experiences of patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Background Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive interstitial lung disease, with a mean life expectancy similar to some forms of cancer of 2–4 years from diagnosis. Unlike the cancer literature, which is rich with studies exploring the needs of their disease group, few publications exist on patient needs with this severe fibrotic lung disease. Design A Qualitative study which took place between 2007–2012. Methods Seventeen patients with a multidisciplinary team confirmed diagnosis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, with moderate to advanced disease severity and six of their informal carers were interviewed. An interview topic guide was developed by the researchers and service user group. The interviews were audio-recorded, semi-structured and took place at a regional respiratory and lung transplant centre in North West England. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and data analysed using Framework Analysis. Findings Three main themes were identified: ‘Struggling to get a diagnosis’; ‘Loss of the life I previously had’; and ‘Living with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis’. Patients reported struggling to get a diagnosis and coping with a life-limiting, rapidly progressive illness with no good treatment and few support structures. Conclusions There is an urgent need for a better understanding of the difficulties faced by people with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and their carers. This can be used to develop better supportive care in the United Kingdom and ultimately improve the quality of life of these patients.
Age-Specific Incidence Rates for Self-Reported Uterine Leiomyomata in the Black Women's Health Study

OBJECTIVE: Uterine leiomyomata represent a major public health problem for black women in the United States, but limited data are available on age–incidence curves in this high-risk population. We estimated overall and age-specific incidence rates for self-reported uterine leiomyomata in a large cohort of African-American women in the United States. METHODS: Data were derived from the Black Women's Health Study, an ongoing prospective cohort study of 59,000 black women from across the United States who were aged 21–69 years at baseline (ie, 1995). From March 1997 through March 2001, we followed up 22,895 premenopausal women with no prior diagnosis of uterine leiomyoma. Poisson regression was used to estimate overall and age-specific incidence rates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for self-reported uterine leiomyoma. In a subset of 248 patients who were selected randomly from the total case group, the self-reported diagnosis was verified in 96% of cases who released their medical records. RESULTS: During 76,711 woman-years of follow-up, 2,637 incident cases of uterine leiomyomata reported as confirmed by pelvic examination (n = 358), ultrasonography (n = 2,006), or hysterectomy (n = 273) were observed. Incidence rates per 1,000 woman-years were 34.4 (95% CI 33.1–35.7) for all cases combined, 29.7 (95% CI 28.5–30.9) for cases confirmed by ultrasonography or hysterectomy, and 3.6 (95% CI 3.2–4.0) for cases confirmed by hysterectomy. The incidence rate peaked at ages 40–44 years for all cases combined (incidence rate 45.6, 95% CI 42.0–49.5) and for cases confirmed by ultrasonography or hysterectomy (incidence rate 39.8, 95% CI 36.5–43.4), and peaked at ages 45–49 years for cases confirmed by hysterectomy (incidence rate 8.3, 95% CI 6.4–10.7). CONCLUSION: Overall incidence rates for self-reported uterine leiomyomata were consistent with other U.S studies in black women and confirmed a high burden of disease in this population. Age-specific incidence rates showed a later peak incidence than that observed among U.S. black women in previous studies. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-2
Efficacy and safety of nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation in pregnancy: systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS To determine the efficacy and safety of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) with or without behavioural support when used to support smoking cessation in pregnancy. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in which NRT was used with or without behavioural support to promote smoking cessation; trials providing unequal behavioural support to different trial groups were excluded. MEASUREMENTS EFFICACY self-reported smoking cessation in later pregnancy, validated where possible by biochemical measures with appropriate cut-points; infants' safety: mean and low birth weights (LBW), preterm birth, fetal demise and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions. FINDINGS Five trials, enrolling 695 pregnant, regular smokers were included in the review. The pooled risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence Interval (CI) for smoking cessation in later pregnancy after using NRT was 1.63 (0.85, 3.14). Subgroup analysis comparing studies at lower risk of bias (placebo-RCTs) with those at higher risk of bias (non-placebo-RCTs) found that efficacy estimates varied with trial design [RR (95% CI) for cessation in placebo-RCTs 1.17 (0.83, 1.65) versus 7.81 (1.51, 40.35) for non-placebo-RCTs]. Five of the seven safety outcomes were more positive among infants born to women who had used NRT, but none of the observed differences between trial groups reached statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS There is currently insufficient evidence to determine whether or not nicotine replacement therapy is effective or safe when used in pregnancy for smoking cessation; further research and, in particular, placebo-randomized controlled trials are required.
Pulling Faces: An Investigation of the Face-Distortion Aftereffect

After adaptation to a face distorted to look unnaturally thin or fat, a normal face appears distorted in the opposite direction (Webster and MacLin 1999 Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 6 647–653). When the adapting face is oriented 45° from vertically upright and the test face 45° in the opposite direction, the axis of perceived distortion changes with the orientation of the face. The magnitude of this aftereffect shows a reduction of approximately 40% from that found when both adapting and test faces are tilted identically. This finding suggests that to a large degree the aftereffect is mediated not by low-level retinotopic (image-based) visual mechanisms but at a higher level of object-based processing. Aftereffects of a similar magnitude are obtained when adapting and test images are both either upright or inverted, or for an upright adapter and an inverted test; but aftereffects are smaller when the adapter is inverted and the test upright. This pattern of results suggests that the face-distortion aftereffect is mediated by object-processing mechanisms including, but not restricted to, configurational face-processing mechanisms.
Oxysterols As Indices of Oxidative Stress in Man After Paraquat Ingestion

The aim of this study is to evaluate oxidative stress in man after paraquat ingestion by analyzing 7 f - and 7 g -hydroperoxycholest-5-en-3 g -ol (7 f - and 7 g -OOH) as well as oxysterols, cholesterol oxidation products, as indices of lipid peroxidation. Lung, kidney, and liver were collected at autopsy from seven patients with paraquat poisoning and seven controls matched for age and sex. We identified for the first time 7-ketocholesterol (7-keto) and 7-hydroxycholesterol (7 f -OH and 7 g -OH) in human kidney by LC-MS. Next, we quantified 7 f -OOH and 7 g -OOH by HPLC with postcolumn chemiluminescence as well as oxysterols by HPLC-UV. Both 7 f -OOH and 7 g -OOH detected in lung and kidney from the controls were as low as the paraquat group. In contrast, we found both 7-keto and 7 g -OH in lung and 7-keto in kidney from the paraquat group were significantly higher than from the controls. This is the first report on accumulated oxysterols in lung and kidney from human paraquat poisoning. It seems to reflect greater oxidative stress in the pathology of paraquat intoxication.
Statins in nephrotic syndrome: A new weapon against tissue injury

The nephrotic syndrome is characterized by metabolic disorders leading to an increase in circulating lipoproteins levels. Hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia in this case may depend on a reduction in triglyceride‐rich lipoproteins catabolism and on an increase in hepatic synthesis of Apo B‐containing lipoproteins. These alterations are the starting point of a self‐maintaining mechanism, which can accelerate the progression of chronic renal failure. Indeed, hyperlipidemia can affect renal function, increase proteinuria and speed glomerulosclerosis, thus determining a higher risk of progression to dialysis. 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl‐coenzyme A (HMG‐CoA) reductase is the rate‐limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis from mevalonate and its inhibitors, or statins, can therefore interfere with the above‐mentioned consequences of hyperlipidemia. Statins are already well known for their effectiveness on primary cardiovascular prevention, which cannot be explained only through their hypolipemic effect. As far as kidney diseases are concerned, statin therapy has been shown to prevent creatinine clearance decline and to slow renal function loss, particularly in case of proteinuria, and its favorable effect may depend only partially on the attenuation of hyperlipidemia. Statins may therefore confer tissue protection through lipid‐independent mechanisms, which can be triggered by other mediators, such as angiotensin receptor blockers. Possible pathways for the protective action of statins, other than any hypocholesterolemic effect, are: cellular apoptosis/proliferation balance, inflammatory cytokines production, and signal transduction regulation. Statins also play a role in the regulation of the inflammatory and immune response, coagulation process, bone turnover, neovascularization, vascular tone, and arterial pressure. In this study, we would like to provide scientific evidences for the pleiotropic effects of statins, which could be the starting point for the development of new therapeutical strategies in different clinical areas. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Deficiency of the Two-Pore-Domain Potassium Channel TREK-1 Promotes Hyperoxia-Induced Lung Injury

Objectives: We previously reported the expression of the two-pore-domain K+ channel TREK-1 in lung epithelial cells and proposed a role for this channel in the regulation of alveolar epithelial cytokine secretion. In this study, we focused on investigating the role of TREK-1 in vivo in the development of hyperoxia-induced lung injury. Design: Laboratory animal experiments. Setting: University research laboratory. Subjects: Wild-type and TREK-1-deficient mice. Interventions: Mice were anesthetized and exposed to 1) room air, no mechanical ventilation, 2) 95% hyperoxia for 24 hours, and 3) 95% hyperoxia for 24 hours followed by mechanical ventilation for 4 hours. Measurements and Main Results: Hyperoxia exposure accentuated lung injury in TREK-1-deficient mice but not controls, resulting in increase in lung injury scores, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cell numbers, and cellular apoptosis and a decrease in quasi-static lung compliance. Exposure to a combination of hyperoxia and injurious mechanical ventilation resulted in further morphological lung damage and increased lung injury scores and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cell numbers in control but not TREK-1-deficient mice. At baseline and after hyperoxia exposure, bronchoalveolar lavage cytokine levels were unchanged in TREK-1-deficient mice compared with controls. Exposure to hyperoxia and mechanical ventilation resulted in an increase in bronchoalveolar lavage interleukin-6, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, and tumor necrosis factor-&agr; levels in both mouse types, but the increase in interleukin-6 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 levels was less prominent in TREK-1-deficient mice than in controls. Lung tissue macrophage inflammatory protein-2, keratinocyte-derived cytokine, and interleukin-1&bgr; gene expression was not altered by hyperoxia in TREK-1-deficient mice compared with controls. Furthermore, we show for the first time TREK-1 expression on alveolar macrophages and unimpaired tumor necrosis factor-&agr; secretion from TREK-1-deficient macrophages. Conclusions: TREK-1 deficiency resulted in increased sensitivity of lungs to hyperoxia, but this effect is less prominent if overwhelming injury is induced by the combination of hyperoxia and injurious mechanical ventilation. TREK-1 may constitute a new potential target for the development of novel treatment strategies against hyperoxia-induced lung injury.
Occupational wood dust exposure and the risk of laryngeal cancer: a population based case-control study in Germany.

BACKGROUND To investigate the effect of exposure to wood dust on the risk of laryngeal cancer. METHODS A population-based case-control study on laryngeal cancer was conducted in South-West Germany between 1st of May 1998 to 31st of December 2000 with 257 histologically confirmed cases (236 males, 21 females), age 37 to 80 years, and 769 population controls (702 males, 67 females), 1:3 frequency matched by age and sex. Occupational exposures and other risk factors were obtained with face-to-face interviews using a detailed standardized questionnaire. The complete individual work history was assessed. Work conditions were obtained by job-specific questionnaires for selected jobs known to be associated with exposure to potential carcinogens. Additionally, a specific substance check-list was used as a method for exposure assessment. RESULTS 43 (16.7%) cases (41 males, 2 females) and 107 (13.9%) controls (105 males, 2 females) reported wood dust exposure. Numbers were almost identical for two different methods of exposure assessment; however, the agreement of these methods was around 95%. A strong effect on laryngeal cancer risk after adjustment for smoking, alcohol and education was observed for high exposure to hardwood dust (OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.3-5.2) and to softwood dust (OR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.1-4.2), as assessed by substance list. CONCLUSIONS Our findings for higher exposure to hardwood and softwood dust contribute to the evidence that wood dust, in particular from hardwood is an independent risk factor.
Regret Based Learning for UAV Assisted LTE-U/WiFi Public Safety Networks

Broadband wireless communication is of critical importance during public safety scenarios as it facilitates situational awareness capabilities for &#64257;rst responders and victims. In this paper, the use of LTE-Unlicensed (LTE-U) technology for unmanned aerial base stations (UABSs) is investigated as an effective approach to enhance the achievable broadband throughput during emergency situations by utilizing the unlicensed spectrum. In particular, we develop a game theoretic framework for load balancing between LTE-U UABSs and WiFi access points (APs), based on the users' link qualities as well as the loads at the UABSs and the ground APs. To solve this game, we propose a regret-based learning (RBL) dynamic duty cycle selection (DDCS) method for con&#64257;guring the transmission gaps in LTE-U UABSs, to ensure a satisfactory throughput for all users. Simulation results show that the proposed RBL-DDCS yields an improvement of 32% over &#64257;xed duty cycle LTE-U transmission, and an improvement of 10% over Q- learning based DDCS.
Nuclear transfer in cattle

INTRODUCTION Nuclear transfer procedures provide a unique opportunity to study nuclearkytoplasmic interactions. When employed with cattle embryos these procedures also have great potential commercial value. Cloning of bovine embryos allows for the production of several identical individuals from a single embryo of high genetic merit. These procedures have the long term potential of mass production of embryo clones from genotypes of proven performance. Nuclear transfer procedures with cattle embryos have previously been reported (Prather et al., 1987; Bondioli et al., 1990; Willadsen, 1989; Westhusin et al., 19911, and hundreds of calves from these procedures have been born. Three companies including Granada Biosciences are developing this technology for commercial application (Marx, 1988). The initial reports of nuclear transfer procedures with bovine embryos involved the fusion of individual blastomeres with unfertilized oocytes recovered from superovulated donor cows. Reliance upon this source of oocytes limits the commercial application of these procedures due to the costs involved. Barnes et al. (1993) have investigated the use of in vitro matured oocytes recovered from abattoir material for nuclear transfer and these oocytes have been used extensively in a commercial setting. In the initial experiments on nuclear transfer with bovine embryos, enucleation of the unfertilized oocyte was accomplished by halving oocytes and utilizing both halves without knowing which half was enucleated. This procedure introduces an inherent inefficiency since up to one half of the blastomeres are fused to nucleated demi-oocytes. Westhusin et al. (1992) have used the DNA specific florescence stain Hoechst 33342 to visualize the nuclear material in half oocytes ensuring that blastomeres are fused to enucleated oocytes only. These two enhancements for commercial nuclear transfer in cattle are described below. Complete procedures and results for these studies have been presented elsewhere (Barnes et al., in press; Westhusin et al., 1992).
Swedish Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture— Psychometric properties and health care staff’s perception

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Swedish and the original version of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture within a Swedish hospital setting and described health care staff’s perceptions of patient safety culture. A web-survey was used to obtain data from registered nurses, enrolled nurses and physicians (N = 1023). Psychometric properties were tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis and internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Root mean square error of approximation and other fit indices indicated psychometric properties for both versions to be acceptable. Internal consistency for the dimensions varied between 0.60 and 0.87. Staff scored the dimension “Teamwork Within Units” highest and the dimension “Hospital Management Support” the lowest. The safety was graded as very good or excellent by 58.9% of the respondents and one third had reported more than one event in the past 12 months. The questionnaire is considered to be useful for measuring patient safety culture in Swedish hospital settings. Managers have a great responsibility to work with improving patient safety culture.
New anticoagulants: A concise review

Abstract During the last 2 years, two new oral anticoagulants, dabigatran and rivaroxaban, have been approved in the United States. Phase II and Phase III clinical trials of dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban are summarized. Approach to perioperative management depends on the half-life of the medication, risk of surgical bleeding, and the patient’s renal function. No reversal agent is available for any of the new oral anticoagulants. Management of bleeding patients is based on local measures and consideration of antifibrinolytic therapy and activated factor VII or prothrombin complex concentrate infusion based on healthy volunteer and animal studies. The new oral anticoagulants provide additional options to prevent venous thromboembolism in patients after orthopedic surgery or stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation but present unique challenges compared to warfarin.
The Jubilee ISW Project - II. Observed and simulated imprints of voids and superclusters on the cosmic microwave background

We examine the integrated Sachs–Wolfe (ISW) imprint of voids and superclusters on the cosmic microwave background. We first study results from the Jubilee N-body simulation. From Jubilee, we obtain the full-sky ISW signal from structures out to redshift z = 1.4 and a mock luminous red galaxy catalogue. We confirm that the expected signal in the concordance cold dark matter (CDM) model is very small and likely to always be much smaller than the anisotropies arising at the last scattering surface. Any current detections of such an imprint must, therefore, predominantly arise from something other than an ISW effect in a CDM universe. Using the simulation as a guide, we then look for the signal using a catalogue of voids and superclusters from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We find a result that is consistent with the CDM model, i.e. a signal consistent with zero.
No evidence for human papillomavirus infection in focal cortical dysplasia IIb

The etiology of focal cortical dysplasia type IIb (FCDIIb) remains enigmatic in patients suffering from drug‐resistant epilepsy, and an aberrant activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 signaling pathway (mTORC1) was detected in this developmental brain malformation. Recently, the human papillomavirus (HPV) oncoprotein E6 has been identified as a potent activator of mTORC1, and HPV16 E6 has been described to persist in balloon cells obtained from surgical FCDIIb specimens. Although this observation was replicated by an independent second report, it contradicts current knowledge of HPV biology. HPV infects the squamous or mucocutaneous epithelium; hematogenic spread into other tissues has not been observed. In addition, brain carcinogenesis has never been reported in FCDIIb patients. Herein, we have tried to confirm 2 previous reports of HPV16 E6 infection using an independent series of 14 surgical specimens with histopathologically confirmed FCDIIb.
Natural Products as a Foundation for Drug Discovery

Many natural products have been used as drugs for the treatment of diverse indications. Although most U.S. pharmaceutical companies have reduced or eliminated their in‐house natural‐product research over the years, new approaches for compound screening and chemical synthesis are resurrecting interest in exploring the therapeutic value of natural products. The aim of this commentary is to review emerging strategies and techniques that have made natural products a viable strategic choice for inclusion in drug discovery programs. Published 2019. U.S. Government.
Impact of Tips Preliver Transplantation for the Outcome Posttransplantation

The effects of transjugular intrahepatic portocaval shunt (TIPS) on the survival of grafts and patients after liver transplantation (LTx) have only been documented in small series and with only a comparative description with non‐TIPS recipients. We evaluated 61 TIPS patients who had a subsequent LTx and compared these with 591 patients transplanted with cirrhosis without TIPS. Pretransplant characteristics were similar between groups. Graft survival at 1, 3 and 5 years post‐LTx was 85.2%, 77% and 72.1% (TIPS) and 75.3%, 69.8% and 66.1% (controls). Patient survival at the same points was 91.7%, 85% and 81.7%, respectively (TIPS) and 85.4%, 80.3% and 76.2% (controls). Cox regression showed the absence of TIPS pre‐LTx, transfusion of >5 units of blood during LTx, intensive care unit (ICU) stay post‐LTx >3 days and earlier period of transplant to be significantly associated with a worse patient and graft survival at 1 year. Migration of the TIPS stent occurred in 28% of cases, increasing the time on bypass during LTx, but was not related to graft or patient survival. TIPS may improve portal supply to the graft and reduce collateral flow, improving function. This may account for the improved adjusted graft and patient survival by Cox regression at 12 months. Long‐term survival was not affected.