Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Outcome of adenotonsillectomy in children with Down syndrome and obstructive sleep apnoea

Objective To evaluate the outcome of adenotonsillectomy (AT) in a cohort of children with Down syndrome (DS) and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Design Retrospective, cross-sectional study. Setting Tertiary care centre. Patients Children with DS and OSA, without previous upper airway (UA) surgery. Interventions AT and full overnight polysomnography. Main outcome results A significant improvement of the obstructive apnoea-hypopnoea index (oAHI) after AT was obtained. No differences in sleep efficiency or sleep fragmentation were found postoperatively. Almost half of the children had persistent OSA (oAHI ≥5/hour). Results Data are presented as median (lower–upper quartile). Thirty-four children were included, median age 4.0 years (2.7–5.8), body mass index (BMI) z-score 0.81 (−0.46–1.76), and oAHI 11.4/hour (6.5–22.7). The majority presented with severe OSA (58.9%). AT was performed in 22 children, tonsillectomy in 10 and adenoidectomy in two. Postoperatively, a significant improvement of the oAHI was measured from 11.4/hour (6.5–22.7) to 3.6/hour (2.1–9.5) (p=0.001), with a parallel increase of the minimum oxygen saturation (p=0.008). Children with initially more severe OSA had significantly more improvement after UA surgery (p=0.001). Persistent OSA was found in 47.1% of the children. Conclusions AT results in a significant improvement of OSA in children with DS without a change in sleep efficiency or sleep stage distribution. Severe OSA was associated with a larger reduction of OSA severity. Almost half of the children had persistent OSA, which was not correlated to age, gender or BMI z-score.
Vagal nerve stimulation in refractory epilepsy: the first 100 patients receiving vagal nerve stimulation at a pediatric epilepsy center.

OBJECTIVE To determine the outcome of intermittent left vagal nerve stimulation on the first 100 consecutive patients treated at our pediatric epilepsy center. METHODS Patients were identified by means of operating room records. Data collected described the patient's epilepsy, previous and subsequent therapies, adverse events, nonepileptic changes, and outcomes. RESULTS Average age was 10.4 years; years of epilepsy, 8.5; total number of antiepileptic therapies, 8.4; and median monthly seizure frequency, 120. Data on seizure frequency at follow-up were available for 96 of the 100 patients. Forty-five percent of patients achieved greater than 50% reduction; and 18% had had no seizures for the last 6 months. Response was similar in patients with more than 7 years of refractory epilepsy as compared with patients with a shorter history. Magnet-generated, on-demand current reduced seizure intensity in almost half of the patients with available data. Generator infections occurred in 3 patients. Twenty-four patients had their generators removed. Subsequently, 2 of these patients died. CONCLUSIONS Seizure reduction was the same in patients younger than 12 years and 12 years or older and in patients with shorter and longer histories of refractory epilepsy. Adverse effects were few in this population, particularly in those younger than 12 years. Vagal nerve stimulation appears to be a relatively safe and potentially effective treatment for children with severely intractable epilepsy.
RADIAL VELOCITY VARIATIONS OF PHOTOMETRICALLY QUIET, CHROMOSPHERICALLY INACTIVE KEPLER STARS: A LINK BETWEEN RV JITTER AND PHOTOMETRIC FLICKER

We compare stellar photometric variability, as measured from Kepler light curves by Basri et al., with measurements of radial velocity (RV) rms variations of all California Planet Search overlap stars. We newly derive rotation periods from the Kepler light curves for all of the stars in our study sample. The RV variations reported herein range from less than 4 to 135 m s−1, yet the stars all have amplitudes of photometric variability less than 3 mmag, reflecting the preference of the RV program for chromospherically “quiet” stars. Despite the small size of our sample, we find with high statistical significance that the RV rms manifests strongly in the Fourier power spectrum of the light curve: stars that are noisier in RV have a greater number of frequency components in the light curve. We also find that spot models of the observed light curves systematically underpredict the observed RV variations by factors of ∼2–1000, likely because the low-level photometric variations in our sample are driven by processes not included in simple spot models. The stars best fit by these models tend to have simpler light curves, dominated by a single relatively high-amplitude component of variability. Finally, we demonstrate that the RV rms behavior of our sample can be explained in the context of the photometric variability evolutionary diagram introduced by Bastien et al. We use this diagram to derive the surface gravities of the stars in our sample, revealing many of them to have moved off the main sequence. More generally, we find that the stars with the largest RV rms are those that have evolved onto the “flicker floor” sequence in that diagram, characterized by relatively low amplitude but highly complex photometric variations which grow as the stars evolve to become subgiants.
Expression of transforming growth factor β and fibroblast growth factor 2 in the lens epithelium of Morioka cataract mice

In the Morioka cataract (MCT) mice, lens opacity appears at 6 to 8 weeks of age, and swollen lens fiber is electron‐microscopically observed at 3 weeks after birth. The present study was designed to characterize the expression of transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) in the lens epithelium of the MCT mice. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the expression of TGFβ in the lens epithelium of the MCT mice was stronger than that of the wild‐type ddY mice at 2 and 4 weeks after birth. The expression of TGFβ receptors (TGFβRI and TGFβRII) and FGF2 in the lens epithelium of the MCT mice was stronger than that of the wild‐type ddY mice at 4 weeks and weaker than that of the wild‐type ddY mice at 15 weeks after birth. Using real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative RT‐PCR analysis showed that expression of TGFβ1 and TGFβ2 mRNA in the lens of 2‐week‐old MCT mice was significantly higher compared to age‐matched wild‐type ddY mice. These findings indicate that the lens epithelium of MCT mice has increased expression of TGFβ before cataract affection and that changes in the expression of FGF2 as well as TGFβ may contribute to the progression of the cataract in the mice.
Olig2-dependent developmental fate switch of NG2 cells

NG2-expressing cells (NG2 cells or polydendrocytes) generate oligodendrocytes throughout the CNS and a subpopulation of protoplasmic astrocytes in the gray matter of the ventral forebrain. The mechanisms that regulate their oligodendrocyte or astrocyte fate and the degree to which they exhibit lineage plasticity in vivo have remained unclear. The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor Olig2 is required for oligodendrocyte specification and differentiation. We have found that Olig2 expression is spontaneously downregulated in NG2 cells in the normal embryonic ventral forebrain as they differentiate into astrocytes. To further examine the role of Olig2 in NG2 cell fate determination, we used genetic fate mapping of NG2 cells in constitutive and tamoxifen-inducible Olig2 conditional knockout mice in which Olig2 was deleted specifically in NG2 cells. Constitutive deletion of Olig2 in NG2 cells in the neocortex and corpus callosum but not in ventral forebrain caused them to convert their fate into astrocytes, with a concomitant severe reduction in the number of oligodendrocytes and myelin. Deletion of Olig2 in NG2 cells in perinatal mice also resulted in astrocyte generation from neocortical NG2 cells. These observations indicate that the developmental fate of NG2 cells can be switched by altering a single transcription factor Olig2.
An Examination of Veteran Health Access Around the Medicare Eligibility Age

Recent news reports suggest that veterans' health care may be inadequate. We use Health and Retirement Study data to compare utilization rates for preventative care by male veterans and nonveterans before and after the nearâ€ universal health coverage at Medicare eligibility. Larger increases in utilization rates for preventative services upon reaching Medicare eligibility at age 65 are associated with less health care adequacy before Medicare eligibility. Results suggest that health care adequacy for male veterans between the ages of 56 and 64 is at least as good as that of nonveterans and may be better. (JEL I14, J14)
A new ketoconazole topical gel formulation in seborrhoeic dermatitis: an updated review of the mechanism

Seborrhoeic dermatitis (SD) is a chronic, inflammatory skin disorder, affecting areas of the head and body where sebaceous glands are most prominent and active. The disorder commonly affects hair-bearing areas of the head, including the scalp. Involvement on the face is usually limited to the hairline, eyebrows, nasolabial folds and ears, and may occur either with or without scalp involvement. Areas of the trunk where SD may occur include the body folds and the presternal area. The aetiology of SD is unknown, although hormones and the Malassezia spp. , formerly known as Pityrosporum (naturally occurring yeasts), are thought to be involved in the development of the condition. SD responds to the use of antifungal medications such as ketoconazole, suggesting that the inflammation could be linked to the Malassezia spp. The mechanisms behind the therapeutic effect of ketoconazole for the management of SD form the basis of this review. The broad spectrum activity of Ketoconazole was reported in the early 1980s. Due to its potent effect against Malassezia spp. the development of ketoconazole for the treatment of various skin infections, in which a link was proposed with Malassezia spp. , was initiated. Later on, a number of ancillary properties were described for ketoconazole, comprising antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, sebostatic and antiproliferative effects. The incorporation of ketoconazole in an adapted vehicle further promoted its efficacy. Recently, a new anhydrous gel containing 2% ketoconazole (Xolegel™) was launched, in which all of the above properties were optimised.
Patterns of Emergency Care Use in Residential Care Settings: Opportunities to Improve Quality of Transitional Care in the Elderly

SUMMARY Emergent care is a prominent feature in the complex matrix of care transitions for vulnerable elders. This article evaluates local patterns of emergent care transport using ambulance transport data for the year 2003, analyzed by residential setting (independent senior apartments, licensed residential care and nursing homes). Significant differences were found between categories and between facilities within categories (p > .001). The more than three-fold difference in ambulance transport rate between nursing homes reinforces the need to recognize these transitions as quality indicators. Differences between senior apartments and licensed residential care settings provide initial insight suggesting opportunities for quality improvement in these community settings.
The threshold effect of monetary policy on earnings persistence

ABSTRACT This paper employs panel smooth transition regression models with monetary policy proxies (interest rate and inflation rate) as the transition variables to estimate the earnings persistence of Taiwan’s companies. The impacts of monetary policy on the persistence of systematic earnings and unsystematic earnings are lagged and different, depending on monetary policy variables in different regimes. High lagged interest rates and lagged inflation rates increase the persistence of current unsystematic earnings and reduce the persistence of current systematic earnings. Specifying 1.315% as an inflation target level and providing an environment of high interest rates can maintain stable earnings persistence.
Feto‐maternal microchimerism in connective tissue diseases

Fetal progenitor cells traffic to the mother during pregnancy and can persist in the maternal circulation for many years. Feto‐maternal microchimerism has been reported in women with scleroderma, but its contribution to the disease pathogenesis remains unclear. Furthermore, the involvement of microchimerism in other connective tissue diseases is controversial. We studied 243 females, 122of whom had previously carried a male fetus (50 healthy controls, 23 patients with scleroderma, and 49 with other connective tissue diseases). The presence of the male‐specific SRY sequence was analyzed using a kinetic quantitative ELISA PCR assay that allows detection of one to three male cells in one million female cells. The percentage of SRY‐positive samples was not different among women having borne son(s): 16% (95% confidence interval 0.07–0.29) in healthy controls, 21.7% (0.07–0.44) in patients with scleroderma and 25.5% (0.14–0.40) in patients with connective tissue diseases (p=0.25). The mean number of fetal cells was similar in the three groups. Among the 121 females who never carried a male fetus, no healthy woman was SRY positive. However, 33% of patients with scleroderma and 22.9% of women with connective tissue diseases were chimeric, a phenomenon which might be related to early miscarriage(s). Therefore, feto‐maternal microchimerism is a common event in both healthy controls and patients with connective tissue diseases, and is unlikely to represent per se a risk factor for these diseases.
In Vino Veritas? An Alternative Story of European Convergence

While some European antagonists claim that united Europe is a utopia, grounded on mental and cultural discrepancies as well as aversion to changes of any kind, this paper challenges this cultural heterogeneity by looking at the history of the EU from the perspective of alcohol consumption and its development. By using WHO data over the last 50 years I show how consumption patterns of European countries evolved over time, in terms of volumes and composition of alcohol intake per-capita, outlining the major tendencies of the (converging) European market.
SUBSTANCE USE HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH

This report provides an introduction to substance use health services research based upon the conceptual model of Andersen and Aday and demonstrates how the subsequent papers provide important insights into issues raised in this conceptual model. These issues include access and barriers to health care, needs for care, health care utilization, outcomes of care, and costs of care. We show how these issues are also expanded beyond more traditional definitions. We conclude by indicating some broad areas for further research. [Translations are provided in the International Abstracts Section of this issue. ]
Actively Growing Bacteria in the Inland Sea of Japan, Identified by Combined Bromodeoxyuridine Immunocapture and Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis

ABSTRACT A fundamental question in microbial oceanography concerns the relationship between prokaryote diversity and biogeochemical function in an ecosystem context. We combined bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) magnetic bead immunocapture and PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (BUMP-DGGE) to examine phylotype-specific growth in natural marine assemblages. We also examined a broad range of marine bacterial isolates to determine their abilities to incorporate BrdU in order to test the validity of the method for application to diverse marine assemblages. We found that 27 of 29 isolates belonging to different taxa could incorporate BrdU. BUMP-DGGE analysis revealed phylogenetic affiliations of DNA-synthesizing, presumably actively growing bacteria across a eutrophic to mesotrophic transect in the Inland Sea of Japan. We found that the BrdU-incorporating (growing) communities were substantially different from the total communities. The majority (34/56) of phylotypes incorporated BrdU and were presumably growing, and these phylotypes comprised 10 alphaproteobacteria, 1 betaproteobacterium, 11 gammaproteobacteria, 11 Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides group bacteria, and 1 unclassified bacterium. All BrdU-responsive alphaproteobacteria were members of the Rhodobacterales, suggesting that such bacteria were dominant in the growing alphaproteobacterial populations in our samples. The BrdU-responsive gammaproteobacteria belonged to the Oceanospirillales, the SAR86 cluster, the Pseudomonadales, the Alteromonadales, and the Vibrionales. Thus, contemporaneous cooccurrence of diverse actively growing bacterial taxa was a consistent pattern in our biogeochemically varied study area.
Response of nonmidline pain to percutaneous vertebroplasty.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of nonmidline symptoms in patients undergoing percutaneous vertebroplasty and the response of these symptoms to vertebroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a retrospective study performed through examination of patient records, baseline questionnaires, demographic sheets, follow-up questionnaires, reports from telephone follow-up, and pain location diagrams completed before and after percutaneous vertebroplasty. Data were gathered from 350 patient encounters, 686 vertebroplasty procedures, and 288 patients. After determining the prevalence of nonmidline pain, analysis of acquired data was performed to determine the efficacy of vertebroplasty in relieving nonmidline pain. RESULTS Nonmidline pain was present in 240 of 350 patient encounters. Major symptom areas were the ribs; hip, groin, and buttocks; and legs and thighs. Lesser areas of nonmidline symptoms were the abdomen, shoulders, and waistline. Overall there was improvement in nonmidline pain in 83% of the procedures. CONCLUSION Most patients presenting for percutaneous vertebroplasty have nonmidline pain. Vertebroplasty reduced or eliminated nonmidline pain in 76-92% of the patients in whom it was reported. Procedures involving lumbar vertebrae tended to be successful less often than others, but even in these patients the procedure was successful in approximately 75%.
Risk of Common Mental Disorders in Relation to Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome among Ethiopian College Students.

BACKGROUND The Berlin and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) are simple, validated, and widely used questionnaires designed to assess symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) a common but often unrecognized cause of morbidity and mortality. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2,639 college students to examine the extent to which symptoms of OSAS are associated with the odds of common mental disorders (CMDs). The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used to evaluate the presence of CMDs while the Berlin and ESS were used to assess high-risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and excessive daytime sleepiness, respectively. Logistic regression procedures were used to derive odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) assessing the independent and joint associations of high-risk for OSA and excessive daytime sleepiness with odds of CMDs. RESULTS Approximately 19% of students had high-risk for OSA while 26.4% had excessive daytime sleepiness. Compared to students without high-risk for OSA and without excessive daytime sleepiness (referent group), students with excessive daytime sleepiness only (OR=2.01; 95%CI: 1.60-2.52) had increased odds of CMDs. The odds of CMDs for students with high-risk OSA only was 1.26 (OR=1.26; 95%CI 0.94-1.68). Students with both high-risk for OSA and excessive daytime sleepiness, compared to the referent group, had the highest odds of CMDs (OR=2.45; 95%CI: 1.69-3.56). CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that symptoms of OSAS are associated with increased risk of CMDs. These findings emphasize the comorbidity of sleep disorders and CMDs and suggest that there may be benefits to investing in educational programs that extend the knowledge of sleep disorders in young adults.
Estimating Elasticity of Demand for Pacific Bluefin Tuna in Tsukiji Fish Market

This study estimates the price elasticity of demand for Pacific bluefin tuna in Tsukiji Market by using an instrumental variables approach. Variability in catch by purse seine vessels and fluctuations in the auctioned volume at Tsukiji Market are used as supply shocks. This study finds an elastic demand for Pacific bluefin tuna with an estimated constant own-price elasticity of demand of −2.631. There is a growing concern for the health of the Pacific bluefin tuna stock, and management measures are being discussed. This estimation of own-price elasticity of demand for Pacific bluefin tuna can contribute to future policy evaluations. Under elastic demand, a price increase is met with more than a proportionate decrease in the quantity demanded. This may pose as a challenge to the Pacific bluefin tuna fisheries.
Even a single seizure negatively impacts pediatric health‐related quality of life

Purpose: Both a single seizure and chronic recurrent seizures (epilepsy) occur commonly in childhood. Although several studies have documented the impact of pediatric epilepsy on psychosocial functioning, such as health‐related quality of life (HRQOL), no studies have examined the impact of a single seizure on HRQOL. The primary objectives of this study were: (1) to compare parent–proxy HRQOL in children with a single seizure and newly diagnosed untreated epilepsy to normative data and (2) to examine differences in parent–proxy HRQOL between children with single seizure and newly diagnosed untreated epilepsy.
Peritoneal macrophage activation indicated by enhanced chemiluminescence

A number of studies have demonstrated the ability of various bacterial preparations, protozoa, and chemicals to activate macrophages and concomitantly to enhance host resistance to both tumors and infections. Recently, viral infections have been shown to have a similar effect upon macrophage function. To better define the metabolic state of activated macrophages, we have evaluated the ability of peritoneal cells (PC) from vaccinia virus- or murine cytomegalovirus-infected or Corynebacterium parvum-treated mice to emit chemiluminescence (CL) during phagocytosis of zymosan particles or yeasts. PC from C. parvum-treated mice (1,400 microgram intraperitoneally) emitted enhanced CL over controls on days 3, 6, 14, and 21 after treatment, thereby establishing the emission of CL as a correlate of metabolic activation. Previous evidence for activation of PC from vaccinia virus-infected mice (10(8) plaque-forming units) was confirmed by demonstration of enhanced levels of CL on days 3, 6, and 13 after murine infection. Likewise, PC from mice infected with murine cytomegalovirus (10(5) plaque-forming units) 3, 6, or 13 days previously demonstrated augmented levels of CL over controls. Opsonized virus particles (vaccinia virus or murine cytomegalovirus) failed to induce the emission of CL with PC from mice infected with the isologous virus. Our data further demonstrate the immunomodulationinduced by virus infections and suggest that the detection of CL is an easily quantitated correlate of macrophage activation which may be helpful in defining metabolic alterations induced during activation.