Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk Factors for Symptomatic Avascular Necrosis in Childhood-onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Objective. To examine the frequency and risk factors for symptomatic avascular necrosis (AVN) in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE). Methods. A single-center, nested, matched, case-control design was used. There were 617 patients with cSLE followed at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Lupus Clinic between July 1982 and June 2013 included in the study. The AVN cohort consisted of 37 patients identified with clinical findings of symptomatic AVN and diagnosis was confirmed by 1 or more imaging modalities. Three controls were matched to each patient with AVN by date and age at diagnosis. Baseline clinical, laboratory, and treatment characteristics were compared between patients with AVN and controls by univariable analyses and if statistically significant, were included in a multivariable logistic regression model. Results. A total of 37/617 patients (6%) developed symptomatic AVN in 91 joints during followup at SickKids. The mean duration to disease was 2.3 years. The hip was the most commonly involved joint (26/37, 70%). Compared with the matched non-AVN cohort, patients with AVN had a higher incidence of central nervous system (CNS) involvement and nephritis, required greater cumulative prednisone (PRED) from cSLE diagnosis to AVN, received a greater maximal daily PRED dose, and had more frequent use of pulse methylprednisolone therapy. Multivariable regression analysis confirmed major organ involvement (CNS disease and/or nephritis) and maximal daily PRED dose as significant predictors of symptomatic AVN development. Conclusion. Patients with cSLE with severe organ involvement including nephritis and CNS disease and higher maximal daily dose of PRED are more likely to develop symptomatic AVN.
Serum zinc and copper concentrations and socioeconomic status in a large Persian cohort

Abstract Background: We have previously reported that serum zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) are affected by a number of factors. In the current investigation we have investigated the association between serum Zn and Cu concentrations and socio-economic factors in an Iranian population. Materials and methods: A Persian sample population (n = 2233; n = 1106 (49.5%) males and n = 1127 (50.5%) females) was recruited by cluster-stratified sampling. Individuals were aged 15-65 years, and included urban and rural residents of the Great Khorasan province, Iran. Anthropometric measurements, serum Zn and Cu analysis and socio-economic status were determined using standard protocols. Results: The mean serum Cu and Zn concentrations for the whole group were 14.7±3.3 μmol/L (range 4.5-28.4 μmol/L), and 11.7±1.9 μmol/L (range 3.6-28.3 μmol/L) respectively, and the mean serum Zn:Cu ratio for the group was 0.83±0.2. The highest mean copper concentrations were found in the age range 50-59 years (p < 0.01). The total population of urban residents had higher serum zinc (p <0.01) and lower serum copper concentrations (p <0.05) than rural residents. Poorly educated male subjects had significantly higher serum concentrations of copper than males in the other subgroups (p <0.001). Serum Cu and Zn:Cu ratio were associated with height and body mass indices (p <0.01). Conclusion: Low serum zinc and copper appears to be common in Persian individuals. Urbanization and also educational attainment may contribute to changes in serum levels of Cu and Zn. This is probably related to lifestyle habits.
Investigating Risk Factors for Internet Gaming Disorder: A Comparison of Patients with Addictive Gaming, Pathological Gamblers and Healthy Controls regarding the Big Five Personality Traits

Engaging in online games has become increasingly important as a part of leisure activity in adolescents and adults. While the majority of people use these games in a healthy way, epidemiological studies show that some develop excessive use and symptoms that are related to those of substance-related addictions. Despite increasing research concerning the epidemiology of internet gaming disorder (IGD), predisposing factors have been examined to a lesser extent. Knowing about specific risk factors would help clarify the nosological features of IGD and enhance prevention and intervention. This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between personality traits and IGD. A total of 115 patients meeting the criteria for IGD were compared to 167 control subjects displaying either regular or intense use of online games. Additionally, 115 patients meeting diagnostic criteria for pathological gambling were included. IGD was associated with higher neuroticism, decreased conscientiousness and low extraversion. The comparisons to pathological gamblers indicate that low conscientiousness and low extraversion in particular are characteristic of IGD. An integration of personality variables into an etiopathological model describing presumable mechanisms fostering and maintaining addictive online gaming is proposed. This model could be helpful for the theoretical understanding of addictive gaming, public health campaigns and psychoeducation within therapeutic settings.
Determinants of unmet needs for healthcare and sexual health counselling among Ugandan university students with same-sex sexuality experience

Background Research from sub-Saharan Africa has shown that persons with same-sex sexuality experience are at elevated risk for ill health due to sexual risk taking, stigma, and discrimination. However, studies of healthcare seeking among young people in this region with same-sex sexuality experience are limited. Objective To identify determinants of unmet healthcare and sexual health counselling needs, respectively, among Ugandan university students with experience of same-sex sexuality. Design In 2010, 1,954 Ugandan university students completed a questionnaire assessing socio-demographic factors, mental health, alcohol usage, sexual behaviours, and healthcare seeking. The study population consisted of those 570 who reported ever being in love with, sexually attracted to, sexually fantasised about, or sexually engaged with someone of the same sex. Results Findings showed that 56% and 30% reported unmet healthcare and sexual health counselling needs, respectively. Unmet healthcare needs were associated with poor mental health and exposure to sexual coercion (OR 3.9, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 2.7–5.7; OR 2.0, 95% CI: 1.3–3.0, respectively). Unmet sexual health counselling needs were significantly associated with poor mental health (OR 3.2, 95% CI: 2.1–4.8), exposure to sexual coercion (OR 2.6, 95% CI: 1.7–3.9), frequent heavy episodic drinking (OR 3.3, 95% CI: 1.9–5.8), and number of sexual partners (OR 1.9, 95% CI: 1.04–3.3). The associations between poor mental health, sexual coercion, and unmet healthcare needs (AOR 4.2, 95% CI: 2.1–8.5; AOR 2.8, 95% CI: 1.3–5.8) and unmet needs for sexual health counselling (AOR 3.3, 95% CI: 1.6–7.1; AOR 2.7, 95% CI: 1.4–5.4) persisted after adjustment for socio-demographic factors, number of sexual partners, and frequent heavy episodic drinking. Conclusions These findings indicate that exposure to sexual coercion and poor mental health may influence healthcare seeking behaviours of same-sex sexuality experienced students. Targeted interventions that integrate mental health and trauma response are critical to meet the health needs of this population.
Janus kinase 3-activating mutations identified in natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.

UNLABELLED The molecular pathogenesis of natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is not well understood. We conducted whole-exome sequencing and identified Janus kinase 3 (JAK3) somatic-activating mutations (A572V and A573V) in 2 of 4 patients with NKTCLs. Further validation of the prevalence of JAK3 mutations was determined by Sanger sequencing and high-resolution melt (HRM) analysis in an additional 61 cases. In total, 23 of 65 (35.4%) cases harbored JAK3 mutations. Functional characterization of the JAK3 mutations support its involvement in cytokine-independent JAK/STAT constitutive activation leading to increased cell growth. Moreover, treatment of both JAK3-mutant and wild-type NKTCL cell lines with a novel pan-JAK inhibitor, CP-690550, resulted in dose-dependent reduction of phosphorylated STAT5, reduced cell viability, and increased apoptosis. Hence, targeting the deregulated JAK/STAT pathway could be a promising therapy for patients with NKTCLs. SIGNIFICANCE Gene mutations causing NKTCL have not been fully identified. Through exome sequencing, we identified activating mutations of JAK3 that may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of NKTCLs. Our findings have important implications for the management of patients with NKTCLs.
GraphGen: Adaptive Graph Processing using Relational Databases

Graph querying and analytics are becoming an increasingly important component of the arsenal of tools for extracting different kinds of insights from data. Despite an immense amount of work on those topics, graphs are largely still handled in an ad hoc manner, in part because most data continues to reside in relational-like data management systems, and because graph analytics/querying typically forms a small portion of the overall analysis pipelines. In this paper we describe an end-to-end graph analysis framework, called GraphGen, that sits atop an RDBMS, and supports graph querying/analytics through: (a) defining graphs as transformations over underlying relational datasets (as Graph-Views) and (b) specifying queries or analytics on those graphs using either a high-level language or Java programs against a simple graph API. Although conceptually simple, GraphGen acts as an abstraction/independence layer that opens up many opportunities for adaptively optimizing graph analysis workflows, since the system can decide where to execute tasks on a per-task basis (in database or outside), how much of the graph to materialize in memory, and what types of in-memory representations to use (especially critical when the graphs are larger than the input datasets, as is often the case). At the same time, by providing the ability to write arbitrary programs against the graphs, GraphGen removes a major expressivity limitation of many existing graph analysis systems, which only support limited programming frameworks. We describe the GraphGen DSL, loosely based on Datalog, that includes both graph specification and in-line analysis capabilities. We then discuss many optimization challenges in building GraphGen, that we are currently working on addressing.
CARDIOPULMONARY ARREST OUTCOME IN NEMAZEE HOSPITAL, SOUTHERN IRAN

Background: Many factors are important determinants in the outcome of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) such as quality of CPR, age of patients, co morbidities, time and location of arrest, and skill of rescuers. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of CPR in Shiraz, southern Iran. Methods: From October 2007 to March 2008, all patients who received in-hospital CPR in Nemazee Hospital affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences were enrolled. Two standard scales of ROSC (Return of Spontaneous Circulation) and DR (Discharge Rate) were used to evaluate the efficacy of CPR. Results: Two hundred and seventy one patients (45.1%) had ROSC while 329 (54.9%) died immediately after resuscitation. Among ROSC patients, 18 (6.6%) cases were discharged from the hospital (3% of study population). Conclusion: Although ROSC was comparable with developed countries, but the DR was lower. It shows that in our area, post-resuscitation care needs more attention in relation to organized trainings and the skills in postresuscitation care together with expansion of the facilities.
Acupuncture mechanisms: Anesthesia, analgesia and protection on organ functions

Acupuncture, as a healing art in traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used to treat various diseases. In the history of acupuncture anesthesia, in the past decades, mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia has been widely investigated, and in recent years, acupuncture protection on organ functions has attracted great interest. This review summarized the research progress on mechanisms of acupuncture for analgesia and its protection against organ function injury in anesthesia, and its perspective of analgesia, immunomodulation, neuroendocrine regulation and multiple organ protection. The current evidence supports that acupuncture analgesia and its organ protection in anesthesia is associated with the integration of neuroendocrine-immune networks in the level of neurotransmitters, cytokines, hormones, neuronal ensembles, lymphocytes, and endocrine cells. Although the mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia and its organ protection are still not completely understood, basic as well as clinic researches on the mechanisms and applications of acupuncture and related techniques are being carried out.
What Works in Substance Abuse Treatment Programs for Offenders?

The purpose of this article is to review current empirical research on the effectiveness of drug treatment programs, particularly those for prisoners, parolees, and probationers. The authors reviewed empirical research published after the year 2000 that they classified as Level 3 or higher on the Maryland Scale. Participants in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), therapeutic communities, and drug courts had lower rates of drug use and crime than comparable individuals who did not receive treatment. Several different types of pharmacological treatments were associated with a reduced frequency of drug use. Those who received contingency management tended to use drugs less frequently, particularly if they also received cognitive-behavioral therapy. Finally, researchers reported that drug use and crime were lower among individuals whose treatment was followed by an aftercare program. Effective treatment programs tend to (a) focus on high-risk offenders, (b) provide strong inducements to receive treatment, (c) include several different types of interventions simultaneously, (d) provide intensive treatment, and (e) include an aftercare component.
Pregnancy Loss and Carotid Intima–Media Thickness in Mexican Women

Background Cardiovascular disease in women often develops without conventional risk factors. Prenatal loss is a common pregnancy outcome that may result in physiological changes can increase the potential future risk of cardiovascular disease. Insufficient information exists regarding the impact of pregnancy loss on early markers of cardiovascular disease risk. Methods and Results Cross‐sectional analysis of 1767 disease‐free women from the MTC (Mexican Teachers' Cohort) who had been pregnant was used to evaluate the relationship between pregnancy loss and carotid intima–media thickness (IMT). Participants responded to a questionnaire regarding their reproductive history, risk factors, and medical conditions. We defined pregnancy loss as history of miscarriage and/or stillbirth. Trained neurologists measured IMT using ultrasound. We log‐transformed IMT and defined subclinical carotid atherosclerosis (SCA) as IMT ≥0.8 mm and/or plaque. We used multivariable linear and logistic regression models to assess the relation of pregnancy loss, IMT, and SCA. The mean age of participants was 49.8±5.1 years. The prevalence of pregnancy loss was 22%, and we observed SCA in 23% of participants. Comparing participants who reported a pregnancy loss and those who did not, the multivariable‐adjusted odds ratio for SCA was 1.52 (95% confidence interval, 1.12–2.06). Women who experienced a stillbirth had 2.32 higher odds (95% confidence interval, 1.03–5.21) of SCA than those who did not. Mean IMT appeared to be higher in women who reported a pregnancy loss relative to those who did not; nevertheless, this was not statistically significant. Conclusions Pregnancy loss could be linked to cardiovascular disease later in life. The key findings of our study await confirmation and further investigation of the potential underlying mechanisms for this association is required.
No Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in One-Carbon Metabolism Genes with Prostate Cancer Risk

One-carbon metabolism mediates the interconversion of folates for the synthesis of precursors used in DNA synthesis, repair, and methylation. Inadequate folate nutrition or compromised metabolism can disrupt these processes and facilitate carcinogenesis. In this study, we investigated associations of 39 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in 9 one-carbon metabolism genes with risk of prostate cancer using 1,144 cases and 1,144 controls from the Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort. None of these SNPs were significantly associated with prostate cancer risk, either overall or in cases with advanced prostate cancer. Thus, our findings do not support the hypothesis that common genetic variation in one-carbon metabolism genes influences prostate cancer risk. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(12):3612–4)
Atypical meningiomas: is postoperative radiotherapy indicated?

OBJECT The role of postoperative radiation therapy after surgery for atypical meningiomas remains controversial. In this retrospective cohort study, the authors examine the recurrence rates for atypical meningiomas after resection (with or without adjuvant radiotherapy) and identify which factors were associated with recurrence. METHODS Of 90 patients with atypical meningiomas who underwent surgery between 1999 and 2009, 71 (79%) underwent gross-total resection (GTR) and 19 (21%) underwent subtotal resection (STR); 31 patients received adjuvant radiotherapy. All tumors were pathology-confirmed WHO Grade II atypical meningiomas. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with recurrence-free survival. RESULTS Among 90 patients, 17 developed tumor recurrence (81% recurrence-free survival at 5 years). In the overall group, adjuvant radiotherapy reduced the recurrence rate to 9% from 19% at 5 years (p = 0.048). After STR, adjuvant radiotherapy significantly reduced recurrence from 91% to 20% (p = 0.0016). However, after GTR, adjuvant radiotherapy did not significantly reduce the recurrence rate (16.7% without radiation therapy vs 11.8% with radiation therapy) (p = 1.00). Five factors independently predictive of tumor recurrence included mitotic index, sheeting, necrosis, nonuse of radiation therapy, and STR. Further recursive partitioning analysis showed significant increases in risk for patients older than 55 years with mitoses and sheeting. CONCLUSIONS Adjuvant radiotherapy was effective at lowering recurrence rates in patients after STR but delivered no significant improvement in patients after GTR. Given that rates after GTR were similar with or without adjuvant radiotherapy, close observation without postoperative radiation therapy may be a viable option for these patients. Patients older than 55 years and those with mitoses noted during pathological examination had a significant risk of recurrence after GTR; for these patients, postoperative radiotherapy is recommended.
Late Onset Status Epilepticus as a Sign of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disabling neurologic disease with a wide spectrum of symptoms and clinical signs in which epileptic seizures may be the first observable symptom. Epilepsy is a common condition with a frequency of 0.5-1% in a normal population. The exact prevalence of epileptic seizures in patients with MS is still a matter of controversy. The reported prevalence rates range between 1.7 and 7.5% (1-6). Similar frequency rates in a general population have also been reported in a recent study (7). Meanwhile, when compared with that expected in the general population, a 3-fold increase in risk for developing epilepsy has been estimated (8).
Altholactone induces reactive oxygen species-mediated apoptosis in bladder cancer T24 cells through mitochondrial dysfunction, MAPK-p38 activation and Akt suppression.

Human bladder cancer is an aggressive tumor which frequently resists chemotherapy. Therefore, the search for new therapeutic agents is of great importance. Altholactone, isolated from Goniothalamus sp. , has been reported to inhibit the growth of various types of cancer cells. However, no prior research has been conducted to demonstrate the antiproliferative potential of altholactone on bladder cancer. In the present study, we characterized the effect of altholactone on cell growth and apoptosis in bladder cancer T24 cells. Treatment with altholactone resulted in a significant reduction in cell viability, induction of apoptosis and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in T24 cells. Furthermore, our results revealed that altholactone-induced apoptosis was associated with decreased expression of Akt phosphorylation and activation of MAPK‑p38. Altholactone treatment was also found to result in a significant loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, Bcl-2 downregulation and caspase-3 activation. Pretreatment of T24 cells with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) significantly inhibited activation of caspase-3 and MAPK-p38 and prevented inactivation of Akt and Bcl-2. Taken together, our data demonstrate that altholactone induces ROS-dependent apoptosis in T24 cells via a novel mechanism involving inhibition of Akt and provide the rationale for further in vivo and preclinical investigation of altholactone against bladder cancer.
Direct Effects of Hepatitis B Virus-Encoded Proteins and Chronic Infection in Liver Cancer Development

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide with currently limited treatment options. Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection accounts for HCC development in more than 50% of cases. The lifetime risk of HBV carriers to develop cirrhosis, liver failure or HCC is estimated to be as high as 15-40%. Although several pathways and triggers contributing to HCC development have been described, many features of hepatocellular carcinogenesis and the attributed direct role of viral factors remain elusive. Host genetic factors, the geographic area and epidemiologic factors, as well as the direct risk related to chronic HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, account for geographical and gender differences of HCC prevalence. There is growing evidence that hepatocarcinogenesis is a multistep process. Human HCC is typically preceded by chronic inflammation and apoptotic and nonapoptotic cell death with compensatory liver proliferation. However, we still lack a thorough understanding of the common underlying molecular mechanisms. High levels of HBV replication and chronicity of inflammation are known to independently increase the risk for HCC. A direct carcinogenic role of viral factors is very likely to contribute to liver cancer since HCC is known to also occur in noncirrhotic livers of individuals with an inactive chronic or even with occult HBV infection with no significant histological signs of inflammation or cytopathic effects. Furthermore, synergistic or independent viral risk factors for primary liver cancer development have been described, such as HBV genotype, integration of viral DNA into the host genome and direct effects of viral proteins. A broader understanding of these viral factors in hepatocarcinogenesis might give rise to new diagnostic and therapeutic means in the future. We review the current state of research in liver cancer development and focus on the role of direct viral factors in HBV infection.