Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of glutathione S-transferase T1, M1 and P1 polymorphisms in the breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis in Asian population.

BACKGROUND Published data regarding the associations between glutathione S-transferase (GST) T1, M1 and P1 polymorphisms and breast cancer risk are inconclusive. The aim of this study is to comprehensively evaluate the genetic risk of GST genes for breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS A systematic literature search was carried out in Pubmed, Medline (Ovid), Embase, CBM, CNKI, Weipu, and Wanfang database, covering all publications (last search was performed on May 20, 2015). Statistical analysis was performed using Revman 5.2 and STATA 12.0 softwares. RESULTS A total of 12,035 cases and 13,911 controls in 34 case-control studies were included in this meta-analysis. The results suggested that the GSTM1 and GSTP1 polymorphisms can obviously increase the risk of breast cancer in Asian population (odds ratio (OR) = 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04-1.33, P = 0.008 and OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.07-1.41, P = 0.003, respectively), especially in East Asian (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.01-1.27, P = 0.03 and OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.03-1.28, P = 0.01, respectively) and hospital-based case-control study (HCC) group (OR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.11-1.56, P = 0.001 and OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.03-1.84, P = 0.03, respectively), while the association between GSTT1 null genotype and breast cancer risk is not significant (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.93-1.25, P = 0.3). CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis indicated that the GSTM1 and GSTP1 polymorphisms might significantly contribute to breast cancer susceptibility in Asian population, especially in East Asian, while the GSTT1 polymorphism might not be associated with breast cancer.
Genetic Screening for Alzheimer's Disease: What Factors Predict Intentions to Take a Test?

Abstract The authors investigated factors that predict intention to take a genetic test for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The 449 men and women were surveyed in two groups: (a) those told that a positive result meant a 90% chance of developing AD (increased certainty) and (b) those told that a positive result meant a 50% chance of developing AD (decreased certainty). Participants completed measures of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), anticipated regret, risk perception, likelihood of taking a genetic test for cancer, and AD risk factors. Just over 50% of the variance in intentions was related to TPB variables, likelihood of taking a genetic test for cancer, number of people the participants knew who had AD, experimental condition, and anticipated regret. The subjective norm was the strongest predictor of intention in the increased certainty group, whereas positive belief was the strongest predictor in the decreased certainty group.
Dietary intake, zincemia and cupremia of Cameroonian schoolchildren of Ngali II

The present study is aimed at investigating the dietary intake, zincemia and cupremia of Cameroonian schoolchildren of Ngali II. A total of 211 and 200 schoolchildren aged between 7 and 18 years were recruited during the rainy season and dry season, respectively. Information on dietary intake was collected using 7-day measured food diaries. The zincemia and cupremia of the subjects were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The energy, nutrient intakes, zincemia and cupremia obtained were compared with reference values. The energy and most nutrient intakes of these schoolchildren were higher in the rainy season than in the dry season. Energy and nutrient intakes were generally insufficient, when compared with reference values in children except zinc, iron, magnesium and vitamin E intakes and in adolescents (except magnesium and vitamin E intakes). The zincemia and cupremia of the subjects were low when compared with standard values.
Treatment option for sepsis in children in the era of antibiotic resistance

Sepsis caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms is one of the most serious infectious diseases of childhood and poses significant challenges for pediatricians involved in management of critically ill children. This review discusses the use of pharmacokinetic/dynamic principles (i.e., prolonged infusion of β-lactams and vancomycin, once-daily administration of aminoglycosides and rationale of therapeutic drug monitoring) when prescribing antibiotics to critically ill patients. The potential of ‘old’ agents (i.e., colistin, fosfomycin) and newly approved antibiotics is critically reviewed. The pros and cons of combination antibacterial therapy are discussed and finally suggestions for the treatment of sepsis caused by multidrug-resistant organisms are provided.
Diagnostic performance of CT findings in differentiation of perforated from nonperforated appendicitis.

OBJECTIVE To assess performance of CT finding in differentiation of perforated from non-perforated appendicitis in Siriraj hospital, Bangkok, Thailand and evaluate accuracy of each finding by using multidetector row computer tomography (MDCT). MATERIAL AND METHOD Between June 2006 and May 2009, all adult patients (age more than 15 years) who had a diagnosis of acute appendicitis in Siriraj Hospital that was confirmed by pathology or surgical records and received a CT scan whole abdomen or lower abdomen with contrast administration before surgical or medical treatment were included in this study. The 48 consecutive CTs of whole or lower abdomen examinations were retrospectively reviewed by two radiologists. Sensitivity specificity, and accuracy of CT compared with pathologic or surgical findings. RESULTS In 48 patients, 21 patients of non-perforated appendicitis and 27 patients of perforated appendicitis were enrolled. The CT findings of abscess, extraluminal appendicolith, and extraluminal air had the highest specificities for perforated appendicitis, 95.24%, 100%, 95.24%, respectively. The best accurate finding was defect in enhancing appendiceal wall. The CT findings of enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes at right lower quadrant region and defect in enhancing appendiceal wall had the highest sensitivities, 88.88% and 88.46%, respectively. Group 3 of combined specific findings had the best sensitivity (92.59%) and accuracy (83.3%). CONCLUSION Multi-detector CT can help to differentiate perforated from non-perforated appendicitis.
Fluid Beds: At Last, Challenging Two Entrenched Practices

Originating in the 1920' s and 1930's, two distinct fluidization arts have emerged, one for treating coarse solids and the other for fine powders. Fluidization research has tended to focus on bubbling beds of coarse solids, but designers of such beds for burning coal have learned to appreciate the importance of combustion of fine char particles in the freeboard. Designers of successful processes for powders have focused on bubble suppression. Since about 1980, combustion fluid beds of both types are challenging the conventional pulverized-coal boiler; they provide better means for controlling emissions from the combustion of high-sulfur fuels. Progress in the "bubbleless" fluidization of fine powders is increasing the fluid bed's competitiveness with the fixed-bed catalytic reactor. Efforts to advance the fluid bed for catalysis, besides increasing gas velocities beyond levels that most researchers have used in the past, must include systematic study of the level of fine particles smaller than 40 micrometers.
Functionally Active Toll‐Like Receptor 3 on Human Primary and Metastatic Cancer Cells

Toll‐like receptor 3 (TLR3) is a member of Toll‐like receptors who recognize structurally conserved molecules derived from pathogens and trigger the immune response. To clarify if TLR3, is expressed in certain tumour cell lines and whether it is functional and what is the response of these cell lines to different concentrations of poly I:C treatment, we have screened SW480, SW620, FaDu and Detroit 562 cell lines using real‐time PCR, flow cytometry and ELISA. We have shown that all these cell lines express TLR3 on mRNA and protein level but it is only functional in Detroit 562 cell line since only in these cells poly I:C treatment triggered the IL‐6 secretion. In addition, poly I:C treatment inhibited cell growth and triggered up‐regulation of IL‐12p40, IL‐8 and Il‐1α in Detroit 562 cell line. By using annexin‐V apoptosis detection kit, we have found that poly I:C triggers apoptosis in Detroit 562 cell line. We have found here that based on the results of TLR3 functionality there is a huge difference between FaDu and Detroit 562 cell lines which are of the same origin (pharynx) but FaDu is primary and Detroit 562 metastatic carcinoma. Our study also shows that Detroit 562 cell line could be a good model for cancer therapy research and development as it is responsive to TLR3 agonists which consequently drives it to apoptosis.
Reliability and validity of the visual analogue scale for disability in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain

To determine the reliability and concurrent validity of a visual analogue scale (VAS) for disability as a single-item instrument measuring disability in chronic pain patients was the objective of the study. For the reliability study a test–retest design and for the validity study a cross-sectional design was used. A general rehabilitation centre and a university rehabilitation centre was the setting for the study. The study population consisted of patients over 18 years of age, suffering from chronic musculoskeletal pain; 52 patients in the reliability study, 344 patients in the validity study. Main outcome measures were as follows. Reliability study: Spearman's correlation coefficients (ρ values) of the test and retest data of the VAS for disability; validity study: ρ values of the VAS disability scores with the scores on four domains of the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and VAS pain scores, and with Roland–Morris Disability Questionnaire scores in chronic low back pain patients. Results were as follows: in the reliability study ρ values varied from 0.60 to 0.77; and in the validity study ρ values of VAS disability scores with SF-36 domain scores varied from 0.16 to 0.51, with Roland–Morris Disability Questionnaire scores from 0.38 to 0.43 and with VAS pain scores from 0.76 to 0.84. The conclusion of the study was that the reliability of the VAS for disability is moderate to good. Because of a weak correlation with other disability instruments and a strong correlation with the VAS for pain, however, its validity is questionable.
Pilot-Scale Evaluation of Select Nitrate Removal Technologies

Abstract Due to the extensive application of artificial nitrogen-based fertilizers and animal manure on land, many water agencies face problems of increasing concentrations of nitrate in groundwater. The contamination of groundwater by nitrate may pose a significant public health problem. The threat of methemoglobinemia is well documented and reflected in the US drinking water standard of 10 mg/L as nitrate-nitrogen. Approximately 45% of Saskatchewan's population use groundwater for drinking purposes, out of which, approximately 23% (230,000) are rural residents. The water used is made available from over 48,000 privately owned wells in regions where there is an extensive application of chemical fertilizers. Biological denitrification, ion exchange, and reverse osmosis (RO) processes were selected for a field study. Field studies were conducted on these processes. The sulfur/limestone autotrophic denitrification (SLAD) process was selected to achieve biological removal of nitrate from groundwater. The feasibility of the system was evaluated under anaerobic conditions. An ion exchange study was conducted using Ionac A554 which is a strong anion exchange resin. In the case of groundwater containing low sulfate concentrations, A554 offered high nitrate removal. However, the disposal of regenerant brine can be a problem. A reverse osmosis unit with Filmtec membrane elements (FT30-Element Family) was used in the study on nitrate removal. The unit effluent average nitrate concentration was less than the maximum allowable concentration.
Sex, Power and Consent: Sex

Sex, Power and Consent: Youth Culture and the Unwritten Rules draws on the real world stories and experiences of young women and young men - as told in their own words - regarding love, sex, relationships and negotiating consent. Judicious reference to feminist and sociological theory underpins explicit connections between young people's lived experience and current international debates. Issues surrounding youth sex within popular culture, sexuality education and sexual violence prevention are thoroughly explored. In a clear, incisive and eminently readable manner, Anastasia Powell develops a compelling framework for understanding the 'unwritten rules' and the gendered power relations in which sexual negotiations take place. Ultimately Sex, Power and Consent provides practical strategies for young people, and those working with them, toward the prevention of sexual violence
Effects of Amisulpride, Risperidone and Chlorpromazine on Auditory and Visual Latent Inhibition, Prepulse Inhibition, Executive Function and Eye Movements in Healthy Volunteers

In view of the evidence that cognitive deficits in schizophrenia are critically important for long-term outcome, it is essential to establish the effects that the various antipsychotic compounds have on cognition, particularly second-generation drugs. This parallel group, placebo-controlled study aimed to compare the effects in healthy volunteers (n = 128) of acute doses of the atypical antipsychotics amisulpride (300 mg) and risperidone (3 mg) to those of chlorpromazine (100 mg) on tests thought relevant to the schizophrenic process: auditory and visual latent inhibition, prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response, executive function and eye movements. The drugs tested were not found to affect auditory latent inhibition, prepulse inhibition or executive functioning as measured by the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Battery and the FAS test of verbal fluency. However, risperidone disrupted and amisulpride showed a trend to disrupt visual latent inhibition. Although amisulpride did not affect eye movements, both risperidone and chlorpromazine decreased peak saccadic velocity and increased antisaccade error rates, which, in the risperidone group, correlated with drug-induced akathisia. It was concluded that single doses of these drugs appear to have little effect on cognition, but may affect eye movement parameters in accordance with the amount of sedation and akathisia they produce. The effect risperidone had on latent inhibition is likely to relate to its serotonergic properties. Furthermore, as the trend for disrupted visual latent inhibition following amisulpride was similar in nature to that which would be expected with amphetamine, it was concluded that its behaviour in this model is consistent with its preferential presynaptic dopamine antagonistic activity in low dose and its efficacy in the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
Pharmacists' Attitudes toward Diabetes and Their Involvement in Diabetes Education

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between pharmacists' attitudes toward diabetes and their involvement in diabetes patient education in the community setting. METHODS: Registered pharmacists in Arizona were mailed surveys regarding their attitudes toward diabetes and their involvement in diabetes patient education. Attitudes were measured using the Diabetes Attitude Scale (DAS); the types of educational skills evaluated were based on those recommended by the American Diabetes Association's Standards of Medical Care. RESULTS: Pharmacists' attitudes were significantly positive toward the need for special training for diabetes care, the importance of tight glycemic control, the team approach to care, and the preference for diabetes education in an outpatient setting (p < 0.001). The majority of the time, pharmacists provided basic patient education (52%) rather than intermediate or advanced patient education (26% and 27%, respectively). There was a negative correlation between the attitude that diabetes is a difficult disease to treat and pharmacists' involvement in diabetes patient education (p < 0.05). This indicates that, although pharmacists believe that diabetes is a treatable disease, they infrequently provide diabetes patient education. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, pharmacists had positive attitudes toward diabetes. These attitudes did not correlate with the degree of their involvement in diabetes patient education. More diabetes patient education through community pharmacists is needed.
Can routinely collected ambulance data about assaults contribute to reduction in community violence?

Background The ‘law of spatiotemporal concentrations of events’ introduced major preventative shifts in policing communities. ‘Hotspots’ are at the forefront of these developments yet somewhat understudied in emergency medicine. Furthermore, little is known about interagency ‘data-crossover’, despite some developments through the Cardiff Model. Can police-ED interagency data-sharing be used to reduce community-violence using a hotspots methodology? Methods 12-month (2012) descriptive study and analysis of spatiotemporal clusters of police and emergency calls for service using hotspots methodology and assessing the degree of incident overlap. 3775 violent crime incidents and 775 assault incidents analysed using spatiotemporal clustering with k-means++ algorithm and Spearman's rho. Results Spatiotemporal location of calls for services to the police and the ambulance service are equally highly concentrated in a small number of geographical areas, primarily within intra-agency hotspots (33% and 53%, respectively) but across agencies’ hotspots as well (25% and 15%, respectively). Datasets are statistically correlated with one another at the 0.57 and 0.34 levels, with 50% overlap when adjusted for the number of hotspots. At least one in every two police hotspots does not have an ambulance hotspot overlapping with it, suggesting half of assault spatiotemporal concentrations are unknown to the police. Data further suggest that more severely injured patients, as estimated by transfer to hospital, tend to be injured in the places with the highest number of police-recorded crimes. Conclusions A hotspots approach to sharing data circumvents the problem of disclosing person-identifiable data between different agencies. Practically, at least half of ambulance hotspots are unknown to the police; if causal, it suggests that data sharing leads to both reduced community violence by way of prevention (such as through anticipatory patrols or problem-oriented policing), particularly of more severe assaults, and improved efficiency of resource deployment.
Autoimmune encephalitis following haematopoietic stem cell transplant: a new clinical entity or a previously unrecognised one?

Central nervous system (CNS) autoimmunity, characterized by the presence of antibodies binding to brain receptors, ion channels, and related proteins (1) is increasingly recognized in children (2). Childhood-onset autoimmune encephalitis may be associated with tumours, particularly in post-pubertal girls with N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antibody encephalitis (3), but the majority of these encephalitides are presumed to have a post infectious trigger (1,4). Recently, in a large single-centre study of 164 Australian children presenting with encephalitis, 10% were identified as having an autoimmune aetiology, a frequency which surpassed that of any single virus identified (5), mirroring cases reported in the California encephalitis project, where the frequency of NMDAR antibody encephalitis surpassed that of any of the identified viral encephalitides (6). This discovery, that several forms of encephalitis result from neuronal antibodies, and are immunotherapy-responsive, has led to a paradigm shift in the diagnostic approach with a focus on how to recognize, diagnose and treat these conditions early (2).
MyD88-Dependent Responses Involving Toll-Like Receptor 2 Are Important for Protection and Clearance of Legionella pneumophila in a Mouse Model of Legionnaires' Disease

ABSTRACT Legionella pneumophila is a gram-negative facultative intracellular parasite of macrophages. Although L. pneumophila is the causative agent of a severe pneumonia known as Legionnaires' disease, it is likely that most infections caused by this organism are cleared by the host innate immune system. It is predicted that host pattern recognition proteins belonging to the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family are involved in the protective innate immune responses. We examined the role of TLR-mediated responses in L. pneumophila detection and clearance using genetically altered mouse hosts in which the macrophages are permissive for L. pneumophila intracellular replication. Our data demonstrate that cytokine production by bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) in response to L. pneumophila infection requires the TLR adapter protein MyD88 and is reduced in the absence of TLR2 but not in the absence of TLR4. Bacterial growth ex vivo in BMMs from MyD88-deficient mice was not enhanced compared to bacterial growth ex vivo in BMMs from heterozygous littermate controls. Wild-type mice were able to clear L. pneumophila from the lung, whereas respiratory infection of MyD88-deficient mice caused death that resulted from robust bacterial replication and dissemination. In contrast to an infection with virulent L. pneumophila, MyD88-deficient mice were able to clear infections with L. pneumophila dotA mutants, indicating that MyD88-independent responses in the lung are sufficient to clear bacteria that are unable to replicate intracellularly. In vivo growth of L. pneumophila was enhanced in the lungs of TLR2-deficient mice, which resulted in a delay in bacterial clearance. No significant differences were observed in the growth and clearance of L. pneumophila in the lungs of TLR4-deficient mice and heterozygous littermate control mice. Our data indicate that MyD88 is crucial for eliciting a protective innate immune response against virulent L. pneumophila and that TLR2 is one of the pattern recognition receptors involved in initiating this MyD88-dependent response.
Effects of substance P on regional ocular blood flow, intraocular pressure and blood‐aqueous barrier in rabbits

Abstract. The effect of intracameral injection of 1.0 μg of substance P (SP) on the regional ocular blood flow in albino rabbits was investigated by a method using radioactively labelled microspheres. The mean ciliary blood flow in SP‐treated eyes was 0.163 ± 0.006 g/min and in the control eyes 0.107 ± 0.004 g/min. The flow increase was 72 ± 22%. The mean difference was 0.056 ± 0.005 g/min (P < 0.01, n = 11). Infusion of 25–40 μg of substance P into one common carotid artery over 20–45 min caused a rise in intraocular pressure of 22.5 ± 1.5 cm H2O in the ipsilateral eye and of 1.6 ± 0.2 cm H2O in the contralateral one. The mean difference was 19 ± 5.3 cm H2O (P < 0.05, n = 4). The protein concentration of the aqueous humour on the ipsilateral side was higher than on the contralateral one, and there was marked extravasation of intravenously injected Evans blue in the ciliary processes in the ipsilateral eyes. Extravasation of Evans blue in the ciliary processes and a rise in intraocular pressure also occurred in two rabbits which were given in intravenous injection of SP (0.37 or 3.4 mg). It is concluded that in rabbits SP tends to increase the intraocular pressure and to cause a breakdown of the blood‐aqueous barrier and that the increase in ciliary blood flow caused by SP may play a role in these mechanisms.