Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Utilisation of bivalirudin and vascular closure devices for same-day discharge after percutaneous coronary and peripheral interventions.

BACKGROUND Currently the majority of coronary and peripheral interventions are performed with an overnight stay. This increases the cost and does not reduce logistic constraints on hospital resources. We hypothesised that by combining bivalirudin with vascular closure devices we can safely discharge patients on the same day after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) without increasing their risk of bleeding. AIM To evaluate the safety and the feasibility of same-day discharge after PCI and PTA using bivalirudin and vascular closure devices. METHODS This is a retrospective analysis of 833 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous procedures in our centre between January 2007 and February 2010. The population was divided into interventional and diagnostic arms. All interventions were done with use of bivalirudin for anticoagulation and vascular closure devices for achieving haemostasis. Haemostasis in the diagnostic cohort was achieved with standard manual compression. The mean time of observation was 30 days. The mean age of patients was 64.3 years. The primary endpoint was any bleeding event meeting GUSTO criteria. The secondary endpoints included local vascular complications, major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events, time to ambulation and discharge, as well as need for overnight hospitalisation. RESULTS In 30-day observation the primary endpoint occurred in 4.0% of patients in the interventional group and in 2.6% of patients in the diagnostic group (p = 0.31). The frequency of local vascular complications was higher in the interventional group although it was not statistically significant (3.1% vs. 2.9%; p = 0.33). Patients from the interventional group were ambulated sooner compared to the diagnostic group (117.5 vs. 131 min; p = 0.003). Time to discharge was 316.4 ± 38.7 min and 214.2 ± 23.4 min for interventional and diagnostic procedures, respectively (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS PCI and PTA in the selected group of patients, with use of bivalirudin and vascular closure devices, do not appear to have increased risk of post-procedural events when compared to diagnostic procedures, and can be done safely without the need for an overnight stay.
Systemic salt loading decreases body temperature and increases heat‐escape/cold‐seeking behaviour via the central AT1 and V1 receptors in rats

Salt loading decreases body core temperature (Tcore) at neutral ambient temperature (26 °C) and increases heat‐escape/cold‐seeking behaviour in desalivated rats. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that brain angiotensin II (AII) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) are associated with these responses. Surgically desalivated rats (n= 28) were administered an injection (s.c., 10 ml kg−1) of either normal saline (154 mm, NS) or hypertonic saline (2500 mm, HS) following an intracerebroventricular injection (10 μl kg−1) of an AII AT1‐receptor antagonist (candesartan, 5 μg μl−1), an AVP V1‐receptor antagonist ((β‐mercapto‐β, β‐cyclopenta‐methylene propionyl1, O‐Me‐Tyr2, Arg8)‐vasopressin, 0.5 μg μl−1), or normal saline (154 mm). Each rat was placed in a behaviour box, first at 26 °C for 1 h to allow the measurement of baseline Tcore and movement. The ambient temperature was then elevated to 40 °C for the next 2 h, during which time the rat was able to trigger a 0 °C air reward for 30 s by moving into a specific area of the box (operant behaviour). The s.c. HS significantly decreased baseline Tcore at 26 °C (36.5 ± 0.1 °C) and increased counts of operant behaviour at 40 °C (57 ± 3) compared with results obtained following s.c. NS injection (37.4 ± 0.1 °C and 42 ± 1, respectively). These responses to s.c. HS were inhibited by the intracerebroventricular injection of AT1 (37.3 ± 0.1 °C and 43 ± 2, respectively; P < 0.05) and V1 antagonists (37.2 ± 0.2 °C and 42 ± 2, respectively; P < 0.05), although administration of both antagonists with s.c. NS had no effect. These results suggest that brain AII and AVP are involved in the decrease in Tcore observed at neutral ambient temperature and the increase in heat‐escape/cold‐seeking behaviour in response to osmotic stimulation, via the central AT1 and V1 receptors, respectively
Nausea, pain, fatigue, and multiple symptoms in hospitalized children with cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To describe the prevalence, frequency, severity, and distress of multiple symptoms in hospitalized children with cancer and to examine the overall symptom scores and global distress in patients reporting nausea, pain, and fatigue. DESIGN Descriptive design with repeated measures. SETTING Inpatient pediatric hematology-oncology unit. SAMPLE 39 inpatients (ages 10-17) diagnosed with cancer. METHODS Five-day data collection using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) Pediatric 10-18. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES Thirty-one symptoms included in the MSAS Pediatric 10-18. FINDINGS The most common symptoms (prevalence greater than 34%) were nausea, fatigue, decreased appetite, pain, and feeling drowsy. Differences in symptom experiences occurred in the presence of nausea, pain, and fatigue compared to days when they were not reported (p < 0.001). Prevalence of pain and fatigue symptoms decreased over the five days (p < 0.05), but not nausea (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Nausea, pain, and fatigue were among the most prevalent symptoms in hospitalized children with cancer; however, the most prevalent symptoms were not always the most severe or distressing. The presence of these symptoms significantly impacted symptom experience, including total burden of symptoms experienced by the child (i.e., global distress). IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Additional examination of symptom management is needed. Nausea and its related symptoms have received little attention and more effective interventions are warranted. Multidimensional scales and the use of handheld electronic devices to track symptoms may be used to provide a more comprehensive assessment and treatment of symptoms.
How Interdisciplinary Pediatric Practitioners Choose Assessments

Background. The assessment process affects the direction and quality of the services children and youth with disabilities receive. However, little is known about how practitioners choose tools and strategies to assess clients. Purpose. To identify processes practitioners use to gather information and choose methods of assessment in pediatric practice. Methods. Three focus groups were held with teams of interdisciplinary pediatric practitioners. Key themes were identified. Findings. Two primary themes emerged: “Things practitioners want to know” and “Choosing what and how to assess. ” Practitioners began the assessment process wanting to gather information about children and their environment. Practitioners then used the initial information to decide what and how to further assess as described by three subthemes: “fitting” the child, balancing formal and informal information, and professional context. Implications. Practitioners generally made individualized assessment choices for each child based on the initial information they gathered and then used a balance of formal and informal assessments. However, they were more likely to formally assess children at the level of body structures and function rather than participation, and continued to rely upon such standardized assessments to meet reimbursement and policy requirements.
Efficient MoM Simulation of 3-D Antennas in the Vicinity of the Ground

A novel fast technique is presented to account for the effect of an arbitrary soil permittivity in the analysis of ground penetrating radar antennas in the presence of a flat layered ground. We named the method fast ground coupling matrix because it is expressed as an additional method-of-moment (MoM) impedance matrix obtained from the radiation patterns of the basis/testing functions and the ground reflection coefficient. The advantage of this method is the independence of radiation patterns from the ground's physical and electromagnetic parameters (layer thickness, complex permittivity, permeability, and so on). The new matrix formulation efficiently calculates the impedance matrix due to the ground's contribution, with a loop over the ground parameters (permittivity, conductivity, and/or permeability), and changing the distance between antenna and ground. The number of samples in (complex) spectral domain is dramatically reduced by explicitly compensating truncation with aliasing errors in the spectral integration. To demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method, numerical results for 3-D metallic Vivaldi and typical dipole antennas are presented. Good agreement among the exact MoM solutions, the simulation results, and measured data is observed over an ultrawide bandwidth.
Self‐efficacy modulates the neural correlates of craving in male smokers and ex‐smokers: an fMRI study

The regulation of cue‐induced craving for cigarettes is a key factor in smoking cessation. Outcomes of smoking cessation have been linked to self‐efficacy, faith in one's own ability, in smokers. However, no study has examined the neural basis of self‐efficacy during the control of craving. We examined whether self‐efficacy can affect the neural response to smoking cues in smokers and ex‐smokers using functional magnetic resonance imaging. During scanning, participants were instructed (1) to view smoking‐related images passively, (2) to view the smoking‐related images with a strategy focused on self‐efficacy to control cue‐induced craving or (3) to view neutral images. In smokers, the self‐efficacy strategy significantly reduced self‐reported craving. This strategy was related to increased activation in the rostral medial prefrontal cortex (rmPFC) and the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex in smokers compared with ex‐smokers. Furthermore, smokers showed increased effective connectivity between rmPFC and hippocampus and between pregenual anterior cingulate cortex and parahippocampus gyrus when employing the self‐efficacy strategy compared with ex‐smokers. The magnitude of the rmPFC–hippocampus connectivity was positively correlated with self‐reported self‐efficacy. Our findings suggest that in smokers, self‐efficacy is related to activation and connectivity in brain regions involved in regulating craving and self‐assessment. The current study provides evidence for understanding the vunderlying cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms involved in the control of craving to smoke cigarettes.
Osteopontin production by TM4SF4 signaling drives a positive feedback autocrine loop with the STAT3 pathway to maintain cancer stem cell-like properties in lung cancer cells

Transmembrane 4 L6 family proteins have been known to promote cancer. In this study, we demonstrated that transmembrane 4 L6 family member 4 (TM4SF4), which is induced by γ-radiation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, is involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem cell (CSC) properties of NSCLC through the regulation of osteopontin (OPN). Forced TM4SF4 overexpression in A549 cells increased the secretion of OPN, which activates CD44 or integrin signaling and thus maintains EMT-associated CSC-like properties. OPN, known as a downstream target of β-catenin/T-cell factor 4 (TCF-4), was induced by up-regulated β-catenin via TM4SF4-driven phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3b (GSK3β). TCF4 complexed to promoter regions of OPN in TM4SF4-overexpressing A549 cells was also confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation. Knockout of either β-catenin or TCF4-suppressed OPN expression, demonstrating that both factors are essential for OPN expression in NSCLC cells. OPN secreted by TM4SF4/GSK3β/β-catenin signaling activated the JAK2/STAT3 or FAK/STAT3 pathway, which also up-regulates OPN expression in an autocrine manner and consequently maintains the self-renewal and metastatic capacity of cancer cells. Neutralizing antibody to OPN blocked the autocrine activation of OPN expression, consequently weakened the metastatic and self-renewal capacity of cancer cells. Collectively, our findings indicate that TM4SF4-triggered OPN expression is involved in the persistent reinforcement of EMT or cancer stemness by creating a positive feedback autocrine loop with JAK2/STAT3 or FAK/STAT3 pathways.
Fungal Colonization and Infection in Boston Keratoprosthesis

Purpose: To determine the incidence of and risk factors for fungal keratitis and endophthalmitis in patients with a Boston keratoprosthesis (KPro) and to determine whether surveillance cultures were helpful in predicting fungal infection. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of 182 patients (202 eyes) who received a type 1 (through cornea) or type 2 (through cornea and lid) KPro between March 1, 1990, and December 31, 2004, and who were followed for at least 1 month (range, 1 month to 13 years; mean, 2.84 years). There were 148 eyes with type 1 and 54 eyes with type 2. Beginning in late 1999, many eyes were given a prophylactic topical regimen containing vancomycin, and many eyes with type 1 KPro were given therapeutic contact lenses. Cases of fungal keratitis or endophthalmitis were analyzed. To determine the fungal colonization rate, 70 surveillance cultures of the ocular or lid surface around the KPro optic were obtained of 36 uninfected KPro eyes (35 patients) at random time-points over 1 year (August 2002 to July 2003). Results: There were 4 definite and 1 probable fungal infections in 6893 patient-months of follow-up, or 0.009 fungal infections per patient-year. These included 3 cases of definite or probable Candida endophthalmitis (C. parapsilosis, C. glabrata, and C. albicans) and 2 cases of mold keratitis (Alternaria, Fusarium). The rate was higher in eyes receiving a vancomycin-containing topical prophylactic regimen than those with on a non-vancomycin regimen (5 cases/2774 person-months vs. 0 cases/4119 person-months; P = 0.011). In eyes with type 1 KPro, the rate was higher with therapeutic contact lens wear than without (4/1682 vs. 0/3115 person-months; P = 0.015). Surveillance cultures did not predict fungal infection, and none of the 6 surveillance eyes colonized with fungi (all Candida) developed a fungal infection. The prevalence of fungal colonization in KPro eyes had not changed since our 1996 surveillance study (11% vs. 10%, P > 0.05). Conclusion: Fungal infections in KPro eyes have appeared since we introduced broad-spectrum antibiotic prophylaxis and therapeutic contact lenses 5 years ago, but the infection rate remains very low in our mostly New England-based patient population. Cleaning or replacing the contact lens on a regular basis and prescribing a short course of topical amphotericin at the first visible signs of fungal colonization may prevent these infections.
Studies on recycled aggregates-based concrete

Reduced extraction of raw materials, reduced transportation cost, improved profits, reduced environmental impact and fast-depleting reserves of conventional natural aggregates has necessitated the use of recycling, in order to be able to conserve conventional natural aggregate. In this study various physical and mechanical properties of recycled concrete aggregates were examined. Recycled concrete aggregates are different from natural aggregates and concrete made from them has specific properties. The percentages of recycled concrete aggregates were varied and it was observed that properties such as compressive strength showed a decrease of up to 10% as the percentage of recycled concrete aggregates increased. Water absorption of recycled aggregates was found to be greater than natural aggregates, and this needs to be compensated during mix design.
Notexin causes greater myotoxic damage and slower functional repair in mouse skeletal muscles than bupivacaine

Although the myotoxins bupivacaine and notexin are employed for studying processes that regulate muscle regeneration after injury, no studies have compared their efficacy in causing muscle damage or assessing functional regeneration in mouse skeletal muscles. Bupivacaine causes extensive injury in rat muscles but its effects on mouse muscles are variable. We compared functional and morphological properties of regenerating mouse extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles after notexin or bupivacaine injection and tested the hypothesis that muscle damage would be more extensive and functional repair less complete after notexin injection. Bupivacaine caused degeneration of 45% of fibers and reduced maximum force (Po) to 42% of control after 3 days. In contrast, notexin caused complete fiber breakdown and loss of functional capacity after 3 days (P < 0.05). At 7 and 10 days after bupivacaine, Po was restored to 65% and 71% of control, respectively, whereas Po of notexin‐injected muscles was only 10% and 39% of control at these time‐points, respectively (P < 0.05). At 7 and 10 days after bupivacaine, ∼30% of fibers were centrally nucleated (regenerating), whereas notexin‐injected muscles were comprised entirely of regenerating fibers (P < 0.05). The results demonstrate that notexin causes a more extensive and complete injury than bupivacaine, and is a useful model for studying muscle regeneration in mice. Muscle Nerve, 2006
Factors associated with abnormal Pap results in systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE Previous studies have suggested that women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at greater risk for cervical dysplasia than are women in the general population. However, the factors associated with abnormal Pap test results in SLE have not been well studied. We therefore aimed to determine the factors associated with lifetime occurrence of an abnormal Pap test in women with SLE, and the influence of immunosuppressive exposure on the odds of abnormal Pap test results occurring after diagnosis of SLE. METHODS Data were pooled from SLE cohorts from three centres. Self-report data were available on smoking, reproductive history, use of oral contraceptives (OC), history of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and whether the subjects had had cervical dysplasia on Pap testing. Logistic regression was used to examine the effect of these variables on the lifetime odds of cervical dysplasia. We then generated the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for the effect of immunosuppressive exposure on cervical dysplasia occurring after diagnosis of SLE. RESULTS History of STDs and use of OCs were positively associated with reports of cervical dysplasia in adjusted analyses. The ORs for the effect of immunosuppressives on abnormal Pap test occurrence (adjusted for race, age, smoking, nulliparity, OC use and history of STDs) after diagnosis of SLE was 1.6 (95% CI 1.0, 2.7). CONCLUSIONS A history of STDs and use of OCs were associated with abnormal Pap reports in this SLE sample. Immunosuppressive exposure may confer further risk to women with SLE.
Alginate synthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: environmental regulation of the algC promoter

The exopolysaccharide alginate is a major virulence factor of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains that infect the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients. The synthesis of alginate is almost uniquely associated with the pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa within the environment of the cystic fibrosis lung. The gene algC is one of the essential alginate biosynthetic genes and codes for the enzyme phosphomannomutase. In this report, we present data on the transcriptional regulation of algC expression. The activity of the algC promoter is modulated by the response regulator, AlgR1, a member of the two-component signal transduction protein family, which also regulates other alginate-specific promoters. In both mucoid (alginate-positive) and nonmucoid (alginate-negative) P. aeruginosa strains, transcriptional activation of algC increased with the osmolarity of the culture medium. This osmolarity-induced activation was found to be dependent on AlgR1. AlgR1 was found to interact directly with the algC promoter. Deletion mapping, in conjunction with mobility shift assays, showed that AlgR1 specifically bound with two regions of algC upstream DNA. A fragment spanning nucleotide positions -378 to -73 showed strong specific binding, while a fragment located between positions -73 and +187 interacted relatively weakly with AlgR1. Phosphorylation of the AlgR1 protein resulted in the stimulation of its in vitro ability to bind to the algC promoter region (a fragment spanning nucleotides -378 to -73). Transcription from the algC promoter, which has significant homology with the RNA polymerase sigma-54 (RpoN) recognition sequence, decreased in an rpoN mutant of P. aeruginosa.
Direct Real-Time PCR Quantification of Campylobacter jejuni in Chicken Fecal and Cecal Samples by Integrated Cell Concentration and DNA Purification

ABSTRACT Campylobacter jejuni is a major cause of diarrheal disease and food-borne gastroenteritis. The main reservoir of C. jejuni in poultry is the cecum, with an estimated content of 6 to 8 log10 CFU/g. If a flock is infected with C. jejuni, the majority of the birds in that flock will harbor the bacterium. Diagnostics at the flock level could thus be an important control point. The aim of the work presented here was to develop a complete quantitative PCR-based detection assay for C. jejuni obtained directly from cecal contents and fecal samples. We applied an approach in which the same paramagnetic beads were used both for cell isolation and for DNA purification. This integrated approach enabled both fully automated and quantitative sample preparation and a DNA extraction method. We developed a complete quantitative diagnostic assay through the combination of the sample preparation approach and real-time 5′-nuclease PCR. The assay was evaluated both by spiking the samples with C. jejuni and through the detection of C. jejuni in naturally colonized chickens. Detection limits between 2 and 25 CFU per PCR and a quantitative range of >4 log10 were obtained for spiked fecal and cecal samples. Thirty-one different poultry flocks were screened for naturally colonized chickens. A total of 262 (204 fecal and 58 cecal) samples were analyzed. Nineteen of the flocks were Campylobacter positive, whereas 12 were negative. Two of the flocks contained Campylobacter species other than C. jejuni. There was a large difference in the C. jejuni content, ranging from 4 to 8 log10 CFU/g of fecal or cecal material, for the different flocks tested. Some issues that have not yet promoted much attention are the prequantitative differences in the ability of C. jejuni to colonize poultry and the importance of these differences for causing human disease through food contamination. Understanding the colonization kinetics in poultry is therefore of great importance for controlling human infections by this bacterium.