Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HIV Coinfection and Antiretroviral Therapy Enhances Liver Steatosis in Patients with Hepatitis C, but Only in those Infected by HCV Genotype other than 3

Background Liver steatosis is a common finding in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and is associated with an increased progression of the disease. However, HCV genotype 3 steatosis presents a peculiar and virus-induced pathogenesis. We analysed the effect of HIV coinfection and antiretroviral therapy on hepatic steatosis and the effect of the steatosis on fibrosis in patients with or without HCV genotype 3 infection. Methods All consecutive HIV-infected and uninfected patients who had undergone a liver biopsy for evaluation of HCV infection at the Infectious Diseases Clinic (Modena, Italy) were included in this study. Primary outcomes were the presence or absence of steatosis or the presence of moderate or advanced fibrosis. Results A total of 284 patients were enrolled: 187 infected by HCV and 97 coinfected with HIV and HCV. In HCV genotype 3 patients, only HCV-related variables, such as plasma HCV RNA levels (odds ratio [OR] per log10 1.68, P<0.001) and estimated duration of HCV infection (OR per year 1.17, P=0.004) were associated with steatosis. In patients infected with other HCV genotypes, steatosis was associated with older age (OR per 5 years 1.47, P<0.001), with exposure to d-drugs in HIV–HCV-coinfected patients (OR 2.60, P=0.04) and specifically exposure to stavudine (OR 2.76 HIV–HCV-coinfected versus not HIV-infected patients, P=0.04). Steatosis was independently associated with bridging fibrosis only in patients infected by HCV genotype other than 3 (OR 4.03, P=0.01). Conclusions Hepatic steatosis, in both HCV-monoinfected and in HIV–HCV-coinfected patients, is strongly correlated with HCV genotype 3, probably through interactions between HCV virus and liver cells. HIV-related increase of steatosis in patients with HCV is probably related to anti-retroviral drugs, especially stavudine, in patients infected by HCV genotype other than 3.
Role of CD28 for the Generation and Expansion of Antigen-Specific CD8+ T Lymphocytes During Infection with Listeria monocytogenes1

Infection of mice with the intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes results in a strong CD8+ T cell response that is critical for efficient control of infection. We used CD28-deficient mice to characterize the function of CD28 during Listeria infection, with a main emphasis on Listeria-specific CD8+ T cells. Frequencies and effector functions of these T cells were determined using MHC class I tetramers, single cell IFN-γ production and Listeria-specific cytotoxicity. During primary Listeria infection of CD28−/− mice we observed significantly reduced numbers of Listeria-specific CD8+ T cells and only marginal levels of specific IFN-γ production and cytotoxicity. Although frequencies were also reduced in CD28−/− mice during secondary response, we detected a considerable population of Listeria-specific CD8+ T cells in these mice. In parallel, IFN-γ production and cytotoxicity were observed, revealing that Listeria-specific CD8+ T cells in CD28−/− mice expressed normal effector functions. Consistent with their impaired CD8+ T cell activation, CD28−/− mice suffered from exacerbated listeriosis both after primary and secondary infection. These results demonstrate participation of CD28 signaling in the generation and expansion of Ag-specific CD8+ T cells in listeriosis. However, Ag-specific CD8+ T cells generated in the absence of CD28 differentiated into normal effector and memory T cells.
Influences of Stress and Situation-Specific Mastery Beliefs and Satisfaction with Social Support on Well-Being and Academic Performance

The present study examined the effects of stress and cumulative situation-specific mastery beliefs and satisfaction with social support on somatic and psychological symptomatology and academic performance of 146 college men. Stress was directly related to increased symptomatology and decreased grade point average, whereas mastery beliefs were directly associated with reduced depression and anxiety. Satisfaction with social support was related to anxiety through an interaction with mastery. Neither mastery nor satisfaction with support appeared to act as a stress-buffer through a statistical interaction with stress to moderate effects of high stress. However, earlier analysis of some of the same data showed that total stress, the best predictor of each outcome in this study, was reduced by the combination of strong situation-specific mastery beliefs and high satisfaction with support for subjects who faced many stressors. The combined findings show that situation-specific mastery beliefs reduced appraisal of stress and were associated with better psychological adjustment.
Growth factor attenuation of IFNγ‐mediated hepatocyte apoptosis requires p21waf−1

Interferon gamma (IFNγ) is an important mediator of inflammatory liver damage as part of a complex cytokine network. In vitro, IFNγ induces hepatocyte apoptosis. We hypothesized that the hepatocyte response to IFN signalling is context‐dependent, and that specific growth factors, via phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI(3)K) and protein kinase B/Akt signalling pathways, confer a cytoprotective effect. We established an in vitro model of IFNγ‐mediated primary hepatocyte injury. We show that epidermal growth factor (EGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) attenuate the IFNγ‐induced hepatocyte apoptosis. IRF‐1, but not p53, is required for IFNγ‐mediated apoptosis. The loss of p21waf−1 not only sensitizes the hepatocyte to IFNγ‐mediated injury but is required for survival factor mediated cytoprotection. We show that the PI(3)K inhibitor, LY294002, partially inhibits the apoptotic response of the hepatocyte to IFNγ. In summary, we present evidence that a component of pro‐apoptotic IFNγ signalling in the primary hepatocyte occurs via the PI(3)K pathway. We show that the hepatocyte response to IFNγ is modulated by external survival factors and that this survival signalling requires p21waf−1.
Effects of panic disorder treatments on personality disorder characteristics

Ninety‐three patients with panic disorder and mild or no agoraphobia were treated for their panic disorder by using either 11 sessions of individual cognitive‐behavior therapy or imipramine. Before and after treatment, their panic disorder symptomatology was assessed, and a self‐report measure was administered to measure personality disorder characteristics [Klein et al., 1990: Wisconsin Personality Disorders Inventory]. In addition, some patients received this personality assessment again after six monthly maintenance sessions. Both treatments were equally effective in reducing panic disorder symptomatology, and both treatments had a positive influence on personality disorder characteristics. Personality disorder characteristics did not predict treatment outcome in either group. The implications of the findings for the assessment of personality and the treatment of panic disorder are discussed. Depression and Anxiety 8:14–20, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Proviral HIV-DNA predicts viral rebound and viral setpoint after structured treatment interruptions

In HIV-1-infected patients with long-term undetectable viraemia on highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART), we found that pre-HAART plasma viraemia and the baseline proviral DNA level were significantly associated with the viraemia setpoint during scheduled treatment interruptions. In long-term treated patients, pre-HAART viraemia may not be available, and in these circumstances proviral DNA, measured at the time of scheduled treatment interruption, can help to identify patients likely to reach a low viraemia setpoint after treatment interruption.
Postoperative Prophylactic Administration of &bgr;-Adrenergic Blockers in Patients at Risk for Myocardial Ischemia

Perioperative myocardial ischemia (MI) is associated with postoperative cardiac morbidity. Postoperative sympatholysis may reduce the incidence of MI. This study evaluated such a reduction postoperatively with the administration of prophylactic &bgr;-blockers in patients undergoing elective total knee arthroplasty with epidural anesthesia and postoperative epidural analgesia. One hundred seven patients were preoperatively randomized into two groups, control and &bgr;-blockers, who received postoperative esmolol infusions on the day of surgery and metoprolol for the next 48 h to maintain a heart rate less than 80 bpm. Patients were followed for ST segment depression by using a Holter monitor and adverse cardiac outcomes. Postoperative electrocardiographic ischemia was significantly more prevalent in the control group compared with the &bgr;-blocker group during esmolol blockade (0 of 52 vs 4 of 55;P = 0.04) and tended to be more common in the control group the next two days (8 of 55 vs 3 of 52;P = 0.135). In addition, the number of ischemic events (control, 50; &bgr;-blockers, 16) and total ischemic time (control, 709 min; &bgr;-blocker, 236 min) were also significantly different from the control group. Myocardial infarctions and cardiac events were more common in the control group, but these differences were not significant. Our results suggest that the use of prophylactic &bgr;-blocker therapy may reduce the incidence of postoperative MI. Implications Prophylactic &bgr; adrenergic blockade administered after elective total knee arthroplasty was associated with a reduced prevalence and duration of postoperative myocardial ischemia detected with Holter monitoring.
Acute hormonal findings after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage – report from a single center

ABSTRACT Purpose: The aim was to assess anterior pituitary hormone levels during the acute phase of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and analyze the possible association with the clinical condition and outcome. Material and methods: Forty patients with aSAH whose aneurysm was secured by endovascular coiling were enrolled. Basal secretions of cortisol, testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL), and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels were measured up to 14 days after the incident. Results: The main finding was that hypocortisolism was rare whereas testosterone deficiency was common in male patients. Furthermore, various other hormone deviations were frequent and there was wide interindividual variability. We found no association between delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI), outcome of the patients or aneurysm location, and hormone abnormalities, while both Hunt & Hess and Fisher grade were associated with low PRL levels. Hunt & Hess 5 was associated with low PRL concentration when compared to grades 1 (OR = 4.81, 95% CI 1.15–20.14, p = 0.03), 3 (OR 7.73, 95% CI 1.33–45.01, p = 0.02), and 4 (OR = 6.86 95% CI 1.28–26.83, p = 0.02). Fisher grade 4 was associated with low PRL concentration when compared to grades 3 (OR 3.37, 95% CI 1.06–10.73, p = 0.03) and 2 (OR 9.71, 95% CI 1.22–77.10, p = 0.04). Conclusion: Deviations from normal and huge interindividual differences are common in hormone levels during the acute phase of aSAH. Routine assessment of anterior pituitary function in the acute phase of aSAH is not warranted. During the follow-up in the outpatient clinic, hormone concentrations were not measured, which would have brought a more long-term perspective into our findings.
Quality of Clinical Management of Disease in Comprehensive Neighborhood Health Centers

Peer review of clinical management of patients with serious or potentially serious illness was conducted in 40 neighborhood health centers in the fields of medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, and gynecology. The majority of centers reviewed were performing at a satisfactory level in comparison to similar studies that have been performed on individual practitioners in another setting. Although a few instances were encountered where the specific provider was considered unsatisfactory, the major deficiencies were due to lack of adequately functioning systems: lack of follow-up of positive laboratory and x-ray results, inadequate hospital relationships, and poor patient compliance. No relationship was found between performance ratings and degree of pathology, length of time under care, physician-patient continuity, or whether the program was in an urban or rural area. Centers with strong backup hospital relationships and board eligible or board certified physicians had higher performance ratings than those without such resources. It is of considerable interest that findings of the less sophisticated index type of audit, which can be performed by nonphysicians, correlated reasonably well with the more sophisticated, time-consuming peer reviews which require physician input.
Strategies to improve hand hygiene practices in two university hospitals.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the strategies to improve hand hygiene practices among participants in two university hospitals. MATERIAL AND METHOD A quasi-experimental study was performed from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2004 at Siriraj Hospital and from January 1, 2004 to July 31, 2004 at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital. The study was divided into three phases; 1) pre-intervention phase to identify factors associated with non-adherence in hand hygiene practices among participants, 2) intervention phase, 3) post-intervention phase to include observations to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions on hand hygiene practices among participants. Interventions at Siriraj Hospital included distribution of posters, leaflets, rewarding healthcare workers (HCWs) who suggest the most attractive name for alcohol gel and a handwashing slogan, and a parade to boost hand hygiene practice. Interventions at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital included training, a reminder poster display, provision of alcohol-based handrubs and performance feedback. RESULTS Six hundred and forty-six HCWs were observed before and after the non-invasive procedures and 404 HCWs were observed before and after an invasive procedure at Siriraj Hospital. At Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, participants included 26 nursing personnel in the NICU. After intervention, significant improvement on handwashing was observed in both the invasive procedure (p<0.001) and non-invasive procedures (p<0.001) at Siriraj Hosptial. Significant improvement on handhygiene practice was also observed among participants at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hosptial (p=0.001). CONCLUSION Different strategies worked well in different institutions. The present study suggested the role of multi-faceted approaches to help improve handhygiene practices among HCWs.
Abnormal adipokine levels and leptin‐induced changes in gene expression profiles in multiple myeloma

Background: Studies have revealed an association between overweight/obesity and multiple myeloma. However, the factors linking a dysregulated energy metabolism to this disease have not been identified. Adipose tissue produces and secretes the adipokines leptin, adiponectin and resistin, involved in metabolism and cell growth.
Humanized NSG Mouse Models of HIV-1 Infection and Pathogenesis

J Hum Virol Retrovirol 2016, 3(2): 00087 Another alternative approach has been to implant human stem cells (HSC) into newborn NSG mice. Both models provide a suitable environment in which to partially reconstitute the human immune system. With adequate numbers of target cells, HIV-1 can replicate without interference from the mouse immune system. The NSG mouse transplantation/engraftment models are the best currently available, as they provide the highest level of human HSC engraftment compared with other immunodeficient strains [1,2].
Bile duct brushings cytology: Potential pitfalls in diagnosis

Bile duct brushings (BDB) are the method of choice for pathological diagnosis of malignancy of the hepatobiliary system in our institution. We examined results of the cytological assessment of 267 BDB and compared them with biopsies, which were available in 131 cases. Sensitivity of BDB for diagnosis of malignancy was 44% and specificity 100%, in keeping with the experience of others. The review of “false‐negative cases” reveals four main reasons for the relatively modest sensitivity of BDB in diagnosis of malignancy: poor sampling, lack of diagnostic criteria for dysplasia‐carcinoma in situ, difficulties in recognition of special tumor types, and underestimating the significance of the smear background. After a critical review and with regard to these issues, the sensitivity of BDB in our series could have been improved to 78%. We conclude that BDB can give a confident and definitive diagnosis of malignancy, which can be relied upon without a tissue biopsy. A negative result does not exclude malignancy. Diagn. Cytopathol. 16:358–363, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Secondary Earner Strategies and Family Poverty: Immigrant-native Differentials, 1960–1980 1

Since the mid-1960s, the United States has witnessed a new wave of immigration that has been characterized by dramatic increases in both the number of new arrivals entering to be reunited with kin and the flows from Asian and Latin American countries. The new immigration has given rise to concern that the United States is welcoming far too many people destined for the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder. These fears run contrary to the traditional image of immigrants as being willing to make sacrifices via labor force commitment in order to prosper economically. To address these issues, this article studies immigrant-native differentials in the ability of secondary earners (family earners other than the family head) to lift families out of poverty. Using both descriptive and multivariate techniques to analyze the 1960, 1970 and 1980 U.S. Census Public Use Samples, it compares immigrant and native families among four key race groups: white, black, Hispanic and Asian. It is shown that the ameliorative impact of secondary earners is greater for immigrant than native families; that this generalization holds for whites, blacks and Hispanics but not Asians; and that the immigrant advantage in ameliorative effects vis-a-vis natives declined noticeably over the 1960–1980 period for all but Asian families. The implications of these results for the overall trend in poverty among immigrants is discussed.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Towards quantitative in situ hybridization

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A multislice single breath‐hold scheme for imaging alveolar oxygen tension in humans

Reliable, noninvasive, and high‐resolution imaging of alveolar partial pressure of oxygen (pAO2) is a potentially valuable tool in the early diagnosis of pulmonary diseases. Several techniques have been proposed for regional measurement of pAO2 based on the increased depolarization rate of hyperpolarized 3He. In this study, we explore one such technique by applying a multislice pAO2‐imaging scheme that uses interleaved‐slice ordering to utilize interslice time‐delays more efficiently. This approach addresses the low spatial resolution and long breath‐hold requirements of earlier techniques, allowing pAO2 measurements to be made over the entire human lung in 10–15 s with a typical resolution of 8.3 × 8.3 × 15.6 mm3. PO2 measurements in a glass syringe phantom were in agreement with independent gas analysis within 4.7 ± 4.1% (R = 0.9993). The technique is demonstrated in four human subjects (healthy nonsmoker, healthy former smoker, healthy smoker, and patient with COPD), each imaged six times on 3 different days during a 2‐week span. Two independent measurements were performed in each session, consisting of 12 coronal slices. The overall pAO2 mean across all subjects was 95.9 ± 12.2 Torr and correlated well with end‐tidal O2 (R = 0.805, P < 0.0001). The alveolar O2 uptake rate was consistent with the expected range of 1–2 Torr/s. Repeatable visual features were observed in pAO2 maps over different days, as were characteristic differences among the subjects and gravity‐dependent effects. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Assessment of the strength of the lower limb muscles in subjects with stroke with portable dynamometry: a literature review

Introduction: Weakness of the lower limb muscles, which are the main impairments after stroke, is associated with reduced mobility and decreased performance in functional tasks. Therefore, the assessment of strength of these muscles is necessary, which is commonly assessed with portable dynamometry. Aims: To perform a literature review regarding the methods used to assess lower limb strength with portable dynamometry in subjects with stroke and to describe its investigated measurement properties with this population. Materials and Methods: An extensive search was performed on the MEDLINE, SCIELO, LILACS, and PEDro databases, by combining specific key words, followed by active manual search by two independent researchers. Results and Discussion: Thirty studies were included, and the muscular groups of the knee (90%) were the most assessed, followed by the ankle (66.7%) and hip (63.3%) joints. In 5% of the studies, there were not reported any descriptions related to the positioning of the subjects and the equipment, neither regarding the stabilization procedures. Only 50% provided information regarding the number of trials and only 46.7% regarding the contraction times, being three trials and 5s the most commonly applied. Only 10% provided feedback and 23.3% demonstrations, prior to data collection. Only seven studies (23.3%) investigated the measurement properties of portable dynamometry and reported moderate to high reliability levels. Final Considerations: The protocols used for the assessment of the strength of the lower limb muscles with portable dynamometry in subjects with stroke were not standardized. Moreover, only one measurement property was investigated: the reliability, which was considered adequate.
Piecing Together the Humoral and Cellular Mechanisms of Immune Thrombocytopenia

The precise mechanisms leading to platelet-targeted autoimmunity in immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) are not known. Cellular checkpoints normally regulate immunological self-reactivity during the development of B and T cells through cell deletion, receptor editing, induction of anergy, and extrinsic cellular suppression. When these checkpoints fail, tolerance to self-antigens may be lost. In this review, we summarize the various immune mechanisms contributing to the development of ITP and relate them back to the checkpoint model of autoimmunity. These mechanisms, including increased levels of lymphocyte growth factors, resistance to death signals, and loss of T-regulatory function, result in an environment permissive to the development of platelet-reactive B and T cells. The mechanisms that lead to thrombocytopenia once tolerance for platelet antigens is lost are examined, including complement-dependent and apoptotic pathways. An improved understanding of ITP pathogenesis will ultimately guide the development of better therapies.