Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of early and late treatments of low-intensity, high-frequency mechanical vibration on bone parameters in rats

Abstract Low-intensity, high-frequency mechanical vibration (LHMV) has shown to increase bone formation. However, studies comparing the effectiveness of early- and late-treatments of LHMV to counteract bone loss have not been documented. This study was designed to compare the effects of early- and late-treatments of LHMV (at 30 Hz/0.6 g, 20 min per day/five days per week, for 12 weeks) on bone parameters in ovariectomized (Ovx) rats. Thirty days after ovariectomy, 40 adult rats were randomly divided into four groups: GI (early control group); GII treated with LHMV 3 weeks after Ovx (early treatment); GIII (late control group) and GIV treated with LHMV twelve weeks after Ovx (late treatment). Bone mineral density (BMD) was analyzed before Ovx and after treatments. Then, animals were killed, and the femurs were collected and their length and diaphysis diameter were measured; the distal femurs were taken and processed for histomorphometry and polarized light microscopy for collagen fibers analysis or subjected to immunohistochemistry of cleaved caspase-3 in osteocytes. Statistical analysis was done by ANOVA followed by the Bonferroni post hoc test (p < 0.05). BMD was similar among the groups before Ovx, but after treatments, it was significantly higher in GII and GIV compared with their control groups (p < 0.05). Femur length and cortical bone thickness were similar among the groups, but the diaphysis diameter of GII was higher compared with GI. Trabecular bone area was higher in the vibrated groups, but it was greater in GII (p < 0.05). Also, the vibrated groups showed the higher content collagen fibers and lower presence apoptotic osteocytes (positive caspase-3 immunoreactivity) when compared with the other groups (p < 0.05). These results suggest that both early- and late-treatments with LHMV counteract bone loss, being the early treatment more effective than the late treatment.
Outcomes among black patients with stage II and III colon cancer receiving chemotherapy: an analysis of ACCENT adjuvant trials.

BACKGROUND Among patients with resected colon cancer, black patients have worse survival than whites. We investigated whether disparities in survival and related endpoints would persist when patients were treated with identical therapies in controlled clinical trials. METHODS We assessed 14,611 patients (1218 black and 13,393 white) who received standardized adjuvant treatment in 12 randomized controlled clinical trials conducted in North America for resected stage II and stage III colon cancer between 1977 and 2002. Individual patient data on covariates and outcomes were extracted from the Adjuvant Colon Cancer ENdpoinTs (ACCENT) database. The endpoints examined in this meta-analysis were overall survival (time to death), recurrence-free survival (time to recurrence or death), and recurrence-free interval (time to recurrence). Cox models were stratified by study and controlled for sex, stage, age, and treatment to determine the effect of race. Kaplan-Meier estimates were adjusted for similar covariates to control for confounding. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS Black patients were younger than whites (median age, 58 vs 61 years, respectively; P < .001) and more likely to be female (55% vs 45%, respectively; P < .001). Overall survival was worse in black patients than whites (hazard ratio [HR] of death = 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11 to 1.34, P < .001). Five-year overall survival rates for blacks and whites were 68.2% and 72.8%, respectively. When subsets defined by sex, stage, and age were analyzed, overall survival was consistently worse in black patients. Recurrence-free survival was worse in black patients than whites (HR of recurrence or death = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.24, P = .0045). Three-year recurrence-free survival rates in blacks and whites were 68.4% and 72.1%, respectively. In contrast, recurrence-free interval was similar in black and white patients (HR of recurrence = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.97 to 1.19, P = .15). Three-year recurrence-free interval rates in blacks and whites were 71.3% and 74.2%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Black patients with resected stage II and stage III colon cancer who were treated with the same therapy as white patients experienced worse overall and recurrence-free survival, but similar recurrence-free interval, compared with white patients. The differences in survival may be mostly because of factors unrelated to the patients' adjuvant colon cancer treatment.
Follow-up of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Dexamethasone to Decrease the Duration of Ventilator Dependency in Very Low Birth Weight Infants: Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at 4 to 11 Years of Age

OBJECTIVE. High doses of dexamethasone reduce the risk of chronic lung disease among premature infants but may increase the risk of developmental impairments. The objective of this study was to compare developmental outcomes beyond infancy for children who, as neonates, participated in a randomized trial of dexamethasone. PATIENTS AND METHODS. One hundred eighteen children with birth weights <1500 g were randomly assigned at 15 to 25 days of life to a 42-day tapering course of dexamethasone or placebo. All 95 survivors were assessed by using standardized measures of developmental outcome at least once at or beyond 1 year of age, and 84 were examined at 4 to 11 years. For this follow-up study, the outcome of primary interest was death or major neurodevelopmental impairment, which was defined as cerebral palsy, cognitive impairment, or blindness. RESULTS. On the basis of each child's most recent follow-up, the rates of major neurodevelopmental impairments were 40% for the dexamethasone group and 20% for the placebo group. The higher impairment rate for the dexamethasone group was mainly attributed to a higher prevalence of cerebral palsy. Rates of the composite outcome of death or major neurodevelopmental impairment were 47% and 41%, respectively. CONCLUSION. A 42-day tapering course of dexamethasone, which was shown previously to decrease the risk of chronic lung disease in very low birth weight infants, does not increase the risk of the composite outcome of death or major neurodevelopmental impairment.
From the Trenches: A Global Survey of Anti-TIP NGOs and Their Views of U.S. Efforts

ABSTRACT Amid the academic and policy critiques of the United States’ 15-year push to eliminate human trafficking, the perspective of the nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working with anti-trafficking advocacy and services has been largely ignored. This article presents the results of a global survey of nearly 500 anti-trafficking NGOs working in 133 countries and is the first NGO-focused survey of its kind. Based on the results of the survey, we provide an overview of the anti-trafficking NGO sector as a whole, detail the relationship between anti-trafficking NGOs and the United States and account for some of the variation in NGO opinions of U.S. efforts. Notably, we find that NGOs are remarkably satisfied with U.S.-led efforts—despite their acknowledged flaws—and that NGOs believe that American anti-TIP policies are important and, on balance, helpful. These results also provide a warning for the future of the United States’ anti-trafficking advocacy, suggesting that the United States avoid politicizing its annual Trafficking in Persons Report.
Topical steroids eye drops in conjunctival reactive lymphoid hyperplasia

Rationale: Conjunctival lymphoproliferative lesions constitute a significant diagnostic challenge and it is essential to exclude neoplastic lesions. Histopathological and immunohistochemical tests are very useful in establishing the correct diagnosis. Reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (RLH) is part of a spectrum of lymphocytic infiltrative disorders. Evidence is scarce regarding appropriate treatment of conjunctival RLH. We report a case treated with topical corticosteroid. Patient concerns: A 40 year-old female presented with a 7-month history of a slow growth tumor in the superior conjunctiva of the right eye. Slit-lamp examination demonstrated salmon colored lesion in the upper conjunctiva, with little conjunctival injection, but no significant neovascularization. There was no eyelid involvement. Diagnoses: Ultrasound biomicroscopy showed lesion depth (1.53 mm) and larger diameter (10.73 mm). Pathological examination revealed a chronic inflammatory process with conjunctival folicular hyperplasia. The immunohistochemistry examination showed predominance of CD20, CD23, and CD 3 e CD 5. Intervention: We started topic prednisolone 1% 6 times daily. Outcomes: Six months after starting treatment, the lesion completely resolved, without any side-effects or recurrence during three-year follow-up period. Lessons: Conjunctival RLH can be managed in various ways, depending on patient symptonm, comorbities, and disease distribution. Surgical resection with cryotherapy, radiotherapy, systemic corticosteroids, subconjunctival triamcinolone, and rituximab are some options. There is no strong evidence in the literature of conjunctival RLH successfully treated with topical eye drops corticosteroid. In this report, we obtained completely resolution of conjunctival RLH with topical corticosteroid. Conclusion: Topical eye drops corticosteroids are an alternative treatment for selected cases of conjuncitval RLH with no orbital or eyelid involvement.
Long‐term outcome of the Malmö Preventive Project: mortality and cardiovascular morbidity

Abstract. Berglund G, Nilsson P, Eriksson K‐F, Nilsson J‐Å, Hedblad B, Kristenson H, Lindgärde F (University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden). Long‐term outcome of the Malmö Preventive Project: mortality and cardiovascular morbidity. J Intern Med 2000; 247: 19–29.
Transition from bare metal to drug eluting stenting in contemporary US practice: Effect on incidence and predictors of clinically driven target lesion revascularization

Background: The performance of drug eluting stents (DES) and impact on every day practice in the USA, where complex, nonselective cases are the rule, remain unknown. Methods: The Brigham and Women's Hospital interventional experience in the bare metal stents (BMS) (6/2002 to 2/2003) and after abrupt and near universal adoption of DES (4/2003 to 9/2004) were compared. Demographic, procedural and in‐hospital outcomes for all consecutive cases where investigated. Predictors and angiographic characteristics of patients returning for clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) in both eras were analyzed. Results: Of 2,555 DES cases (3,061 lesions, 87.9% Cypher, 12.1% Taxus), 47 underwent TLR during follow‐up (68 lesions, 2.2%). Of the 1,731 BMS cases (1,798 lesions), 162 underwent clinically indicated TLR (209 lesions, 11.6%), representing an 81% DES era TLR risk reduction. Multivariate predictors of TLR in the DES era: left main lesion (LM) (odds ratio (OR) 7.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.33–17.53, P < 0.01, treatment of restenosis (OR 5.96, CI 3.21–11.08, P < 0.01), and diabetes (OR 1.68, CI 0.92–3.04, P = 0.07). Predictors of restenosis in the BMS era included additional clinical, lesion, and stent characteristics, while LM lesion was absent. Angiographic patterns of stent restenosis differed in the DES (focal) and BMS (diffuse) era. Conclusions: The transition from BMS to DES in the setting of a large USA hospital practice is safe and associated with significant reduction in clinically driven TLR. Treatment of specific lesions types (repeat restenosis, distal LM) and diabetic patients remain suboptimal and warrant further investigation. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Microglial Activation and Neurological Symptoms in the SIV Model of NeuroAIDS: Association of MHC-II and MMP-9 Expression with Behavioral Deficits and Evoked Potential Changes

HIV-1 causes cognitive and motor deficits and HIV encephalitis (HIVE) in a significant proportion of AIDS patients. Neurological impairment and HIVE are thought to result from release of cytokines and other harmful substances from infected, activated microglia. In this study, the quantitative relationship between microglial activation and neurological impairment was examined in the simian immunodeficiency model of HIVE. Macaque monkeys were infected with a passaged, neurovirulent strain of simian immunodeficiency virus, SIV(mac)239(R71/17E). In concurrent studies, functional impairment was assessed by motor and auditory brainstem evoked potentials and by measurements of cognitive and motor behavioral deficits. Brain tissue was examined by immunohistochemistry using two markers of microglia activation, MHC-II and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). The inoculated animals formed two groups: rapid progressors, which survived 6-14 weeks postinoculation, and slow progressors, which survived 87-109 weeks. In the rapid progressors, two patterns of MHC-II expression were present: (1) a widely disseminated pattern of MHC-II expressing microglia and microglial nodules in cortical gray matter and subcortical white matter, and (2) a more focal pattern in which MHC-II expressing microglia were concentrated into white matter. Animals exhibiting both patterns of microglial activation showed mild to severe changes in cognitive and motor behavior and evoked potentials. All rapid progressors showed expression of MMP-9 in microglia located in subcortical white matter. In the slow progressors MHC-II and MMP-9 staining was similar to uninoculated control macaques, and there was little or no evidence of HIVE. These animals showed behavioral deficits at the end of the disease course, but little changes in evoked potentials. Thus, increases in MHC-II and MMP-9 expression are associated with development of cognitive and motor deficits, alterations in evoked potentials, and rapid disease progression.
Gentamicin and Renal Function: Lessons From 15 Years' Experience of a Pharmacokinetic Service for Extended Interval Dosing of Gentamicin

Background: Extended interval dosing (EID) of gentamicin most commonly involves dosing every 24 hours, but patients with impaired renal function may require a longer dose interval. This study examines a large database of patients treated with gentamicin from 1996 to 2010 to see how many patients with renal impairment would have benefited from dose intervals >24 hours and to define the incidence of nephrotoxicity. Methods: All patients aged ≥16 years who had received gentamicin by EID over the 14-year period and had concentration data available were examined. End points included the numbers (%) achieving the target peak concentration [predicted maximum gentamicin concentration (Cmax)] >10 mg/L, the target trough concentration at 24 hours [predicted minimum gentamicin concentration (Cmin24)] <0.5 mg/L, and the target area under the curve over 24 hours of 70–100 mg/L·h. How these related to various creatinine clearance (CLcr) groupings was also examined, as was the number who developed nephrotoxicity (increase in creatinine of ≥0.04 mmol/L). Results: After exclusions, information was available on 4523 patients. Of these, 96% achieved the target Cmax, 83% the target Cmin24, and 54% the target area under the curve over 24 hours. Of the 73% of patients with CLcr ≥60 mL/min, 98% and 97% achieved the target Cmax and Cmin24, respectively. Of the 19% of patients with CLcr of 40–59 mL/min, 94% and 61% achieved the target Cmax and Cmin24, respectively. Of the 8% of patients with CLcr of 20–39 mL/min, 83% and 15% achieved the target Cmax and Cmin24, respectively. Nephrotoxicity, “probably” because of gentamicin, was observed in approximately 4% of the patients studied, which was irreversible in 25% of these (ie, 1% overall). Conclusions: Extending the dose interval of gentamicin to >24 hours is useful in patients with renal impairment to achieve the aims of EID. These results support initial dose intervals for gentamicin of 24, 36, and 48 hours for patients with CLcr ≥60, 40–59, and 20–39 mL/min, respectively. Irreversible nephrotoxicity was observed in approximately 1% of the patients studied.
Discussion of Charles Engel and Feng Zhu’s paper

This is a creative and thought-provoking paper. In many ways, it covers familiar ground for students of open economy macroeconomics, but the contribution of the paper is to uncover some surprising and novel empirical findings within this terrain. What the paper does is to explore a series of exchange rate “puzzles” that have been widely recognised and studied in the literature, but it then asks whether these puzzles appear equally perplexing when there is no nominal exchange rate movement; ie under pegged exchange rate regimes. After all, if money was completely neutral and monetary policy irrelevant, we should see no difference in the behaviour of goods and assets prices between fixed and flexible regimes.
Assembly and Solution Structure of the Core Retromer Protein Complex

Retromer is a peripheral membrane protein complex that has pleiotropic roles in endosomal membrane trafficking. The core of retromer possesses three subunits, VPS35, VPS29 and VPS26, that play different roles in binding to cargo, regulatory proteins and complex stabilization. We have performed an investigation of the thermodynamics of core retromer assembly using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) demonstrating that VPS35 acts as the central subunit to which VPS29 and VPS26 bind independently. Furthermore, we confirm that the conserved PRLYL motif of the large VPS35 subunit is critical for direct VPS26 interaction. Heat capacity measurements of VPS29 and VPS26 binding to VPS35 indicate extensive binding interfaces and suggest conformational alterations in VPS29 or VPS35 upon complex formation. Solution studies of the retromer core using small‐angle X‐ray scattering allow us to propose a model whereby VPS35 forms an extended platform with VPS29 and VPS26 bound at distal ends, with the potential for forming dimeric assemblies.
Examining the links between teachers support, academic efficacy, academic resilience, and student engagement in Bahrain

Article history: Received 22 April 2018 Received in revised form 4 July 2018 Accepted 14 July 2018 The core drive of the current study was to investigate that how individual psychological capital resources including academic efficacy and academic resilience influence student engagement. Secondly, the study was also intended to test the direct and moderating role of teachers’ support on the prior relationships. This study was designed to assess the masters’ students in the Kingdom of Bahrain due to the dearth of research in the domain. Hence, we collected students’ 350 responses from a total of five private universities in the Kingdom of Bahrain. We employed structural equation modeling for the analysis purpose using SmartPLS software. Drawing upon Conservation of Resource Theory, the findings suggested significant positive impact of academic efficacy and academic resilience on student engagement. Accordingly, the results also landed support for significant positive relationship between teachers support and student engagement. Notably, the bootstrapping procedures also reported significant moderation of teachers’ support on the relationship of academic efficacy and academic resilience with student engagement. The presented study attempted to fill a void by examining such relationships due to the reason that previous researchers have largely ignored the role teachers’ support towards furthering the capitalization of individual psychological resources for better student engagement. Our study, lastly forwards robust recommendations and suggestions for future researchers.
Association between genes on chromosome 19p13.2 and panic disorder

Panic disorder (PD) is a severe and disabling mental disorder, which is moderately heritable. In a previous study, we carried out a genome-wide association study using patients with PD and control individuals from the isolated population of the Faroe Islands and identified chromosome 19p13.2 as a candidate region. To further investigate this chromosomal region for association with PD, we analysed eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in three candidate genes – small-nuclear RNA activating complex, polypeptide 2 (SNAPC2), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7 (MAP2K7) and leucine-rich repeat containing 8 family, member E (LRRC8E) – these genes have previously been directly or indirectly implicated in other mental disorders. A total of 511 patients with PD and 1029 healthy control individuals from the Faroe Islands, Denmark and Germany were included in the current study. SNPs covering the gene region of SNAPC2, MAP2K7 and LRRC8E were genotyped and tested for association with PD. In the Faroese cohort, rs7788 within SNAPC2 was significantly associated with PD, whereas rs3745383 within LRRC8E was nominally associated. No association was observed between the analysed SNPs and PD in the Danish cohorts. In the German women, we observed a nominal association between rs4804833 within MAP2K7 and PD. We present further evidence that chromosome 19p13.2 may harbour candidate genes that contribute towards the risk of developing PD. Moreover, the implication of the associated genes in other mental disorders may indicate shared genetic susceptibility between mental disorders. We show that associated variants may be sex specific, indicating the importance of carrying out a sex-specific association analysis of PD.
The Prostate 68 : 1681 ^ 1688 ( 2008 ) Unmethylated E-CadherinGene Expression is SignificantlyAssociatedWithMetastaticHuman ProstateCancerCells in Bone

BACKGROUND. The concurrent determination of methylation status of E-cadherin gene and E-cadherin protein expression remains scant in metastatic prostate cancer cells in bone, the most prevalent site for metastatic growth. Therefore, the study was undertaken to ascertain the methylation status of E-cadherin gene, a most frequent and known epigenetic mechanism of its regulation, and the protein expression in prostate tissue biopsy specimen. METHODS. The methylation of E-cadherin gene was determined by methylation specific-PCR and the protein expression by immunohistochemical method in the consecutive sections of each prostate tissue biopsy specimen. RESULTS. The unmethylated E-cadherin gene and homogeneous E-cadherin protein expression was significantly associated with BPH as compared to the primary prostate carcinoma (Fisher’s Exact P< 0.001). A significant association was observed between the concurrent methylated gene and markedly reduced expression of the protein in the primary prostate cancer cells as compared to the BPH cells, suggesting methylation-dependent regulation of the gene expression in these cases. In contrast to the primary cancer, a highly significant increase in the frequency of metastatic prostate cancer cells in bone exhibited the concurrent expression of unmethylated gene and homogeneous protein (Fisher’s Exact P< 0.001). CONCLUSIONS. The study clearly demonstrated a significant association of the concurrent expression of unmethylated E-cadherin gene and E-cadherin protein with metastatic prostate cancer cells in bone, and that its expression may have a role in the intercellular adhesion in the formation of metastatic lesions in bone. Prostate 68: 1681–1688, 2008. # 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.