Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
KNOWLEDGE OF PALLIATIVE CARE AMONGST UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS IN RURAL MEDICAL COLLEGE OF MAHARASHTRA

Introduction: The introduction of palliative care in undergraduate medical and nursing training is a necessary step in the development of formal system of education and registration of palliative care in India. The present study attempted to understand the knowledge of underdergraduate medical students pertaining to various aspects of palliative care. Material and Methods: A structured modified pretested self administered questionnaire on palliative care was used to collect information. Results: Overall poor knowledge (Mean score = 8.11 out of 17) was observed regarding palliative care. Good knowledge was observed amongst students regarding certain aspects like comprehensive approach of palliative care as 102(93.57%) students correctly stated that palliative care approach promotes not only physical but also psychosocial and spiritual well being. Nearly all (99.08%) students were well versed with components of good communications skills. Conclusion: The study revealed inadequacies in the knowledge of undergraduate medical students pertaining to palliative care.
Allogeneic blood stem cell transplantation for refractory leukemia and lymphoma: potential advantage of blood over marrow allografts.

Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) have been used rarely for allogeneic transplantation because of concerns regarding graft failure and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). We evaluated the results of allogeneic PBSC transplantation (allo-PBSCT) in 9 patients with refractory leukemia or lymphoma receiving myeloablative therapy followed by allo-PBSCT from an HLA-identical sibling donor. Three patients had relapsed 11 to 21 months after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT) and underwent allo-PBSCT using the same donor. Six patients received PBSCs as their initial allogeneic transplant. Filgrastim-mobilized PBSCs were collected from the donors in 3 to 4 aphereses and cryopreserved. The apheresis collections contained a median nucleated cell count of 16.5 x 10(8)/kg (range, 10.8 to 28.7 x 10(8), 10.7 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg (range, 7.5 to 22.5 x 10(6)), and 300.0 x 10(6) CD3+ cells/kg (range, 127.8 to 1,523.2 x 10(6)). The median recovery of CD34+ progenitor cells after freezing, thawing, and washing was 106.4% (range, 36.7% to 132.0%). All patients received filgrastim posttransplant through engraftment, and cyclosporine and methylprednisolone were used for GVHD prophylaxis. Neutrophil recovery to greater than 0.5 x 10(9)/L and greater than 1.0 x 10(9)/L occurred at a median of 9 (range, 8 to 10) and 9 days (range, 8 to 11) posttransplant, respectively, which was similar to historical controls after allo-BMT and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor therapy. Platelets recovered to greater than 20 x 10(9)/L and greater than 50 x 10(9)/L at a median of 12 (range, 8 to 25) and 15 days (range, 11 to 59), respectively, which was significantly more rapid than for the controls (P < .01). Donor cell engraftment was documented by cytogenetics, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and/or restriction fragment length polymorphisms with longest follow-up of 283 + days. Three patients developed grade 2 acute GVHD involving only the skin. Three of five evaluable patients show limited chronic GVHD. Cryopreserved, filgrastim-stimulated allogeneic PBSCs may be a suitable alternative to allogeneic marrow for transplantation with the advantage of more rapid platelet recovery. Acute GVHD was minimal despite the infusion of 1 log more CD3 cells than with marrow allografts. Further studies are required to assess long-term risks of chronic GVHD.
Identifying disease characteristics, parent experience, and coping strategies when predicting pediatric illness-related stress in parents of children with mitochondrial disease

By Brenda Ann Senger, Ph.D. Washington State University December 2013 Chair: Ruth C. Bindler Mitochondrial disease (mito) is a group of rare, in herited, chronic, life-limiting, incurable neurodegenerative disorders known to affect childre n early in life, resulting from failure of the mitochondria to turn food into energy. The diagnosi s of mito is elusive and complex, with a variety of clinical manifestations, multisystem inv ol ement, and the lack of a reliable biological marker for screening and diagnosis. The unpredictab le prognosis and erratic nature of this illness can be overwhelming to parents who bear the daily r esponsibilities of managing the child’s care. Little is known about the experience of parents car ing for a child with mito. Objective: This research explores the parent experience, disease-re lat d challenges, coping strategies, and pediatric illness-related stress in parents of chil dren with mito. Methods: Internet sampling of 231 parents of children with mito included demograp hic information and three questionnaires: Parent Experience of Childhood Illness (PECI), Copi ng Inventory for Parents (CHIP) and Pediatric Inventory for Parents (PIP). Results: Correlation analysis found significant relationships ( ρ ≤ 0.01, ρ ≤ 0.05) in illness-related parenting stress associat ed with parent age,
Annexin V as a probe of aminophospholipid exposure and platelet membrane vesiculation: a flow cytometry study showing a role for free sulfhydryl groups

Annexin V, a protein with a high affinity and a strict specificity for aminophospholipids at physiologic calcium concentrations, was used to probe platelet activation and the development of procoagulant activity. Platelet secretion was studied in parallel using VH10, a murine monoclonal antibody specific for GMP-140, an alpha-granule membrane glycoprotein. Both proteins were labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate and platelet activation was assessed by flow cytometry. Microparticles, which are shed from the platelet surface and also support procoagulant activity, were distinguished from platelets according to their associated light scattering signal. The relative ability of different inducers to trigger exposure of the procoagulant surface and microparticle formation was: ionophore A23187 = thrombin plus collagen = collagen = thrombin. The density of aminophospholipid on microparticles was higher than on remnant platelets. Platelet activation by these agonists was accompanied by GMP-140 exposure, both on platelets and microparticles. Here, thrombin was the most efficient agonist. The mechanisms responsible for the above processes were investigated using E-64-d, a specific membrane-permeable inhibitor of Ca(2+)-activated protease (calpain); tetracaine, an activator of calpain; and N-ethylmaleimide and diamide, two sulfhydryl-reactive agents. These agents were added to platelets alone or before stimulation by agonists. Calpain activity was assessed by the hydrolysis of cytoskeletal proteins as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Results showed that calpain activity is not essential for aminophospholipid translocation or for secretion. In contrast, although sulfhydryl-reactive agents alone can trigger procoagulant activity, they inhibit microvesicle formation and platelet secretion induced by the above agonists, suggesting that different mechanisms account for these phenomena. The use of annexin V in flow cytometry is a rapid method to assess procoagulant activity in platelets and the loss of phospholipid asymmetry in cell membranes.
Studying Of HCV and Its Specific Antibody in Oral Fluid

Background & Aims The possibility of the non-parenteral Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) transmission is supported by the demonstration that the actual virus is present in several body fluids, including oral fluid. From a review of the literature, many investigators have found the presence of HCV-RNA in oral fluid; however, widely contrasting results emerge, with detection rates ranging from 0-100%. This study aimed to evaluate oral fluid as a possible alternative to serum for the detection of HCV-Ab, and to determine the correlation between detection of antibodies against HCV in oral fluid and HCV-RNA positivity in the same fluid. Reported here also is the correlation between HCV-RNA positivity in serum and the detection of antibodies against it in oral fluid by testing paired serum/oral fluid samples. Methods: Paired OF and serum samples were collected from 100 patients attending the outpatient clinics in the National Institute of Liver and endemic diseases at Cairo, Egypt. For the 100 serum samples found positive for HCV-RNA, using the Real-time RT-PCR technique (ANALYTIC JENA HCV 2.0 ASSAY), 20 of the corresponding oral fluid samples tested positive for HCV-Ab using the AXIOM Anti - HCV ELISA - Version 4 (SAV). Results Our findings indicate that the HCV-Ab in oral fluid occur in about one fourth of HCV infected patients, and blood leakage into the oral cavity may possibly the main source of the oral HCV-RNA as we rejected any oral fluid sample contaminated with blood. Our findings also suggest a weak positive correlation between HCV-RNA serum Level and HCV-Ab Titer in Oral Fluid (r = 0.15). On the other hand, results showed a perfect positive correlation between HCV-Ab serum Level and HCV-Ab Titer in Oral Fluid (r = 1). In the current study, the patients were subdivided into two groups "positive & Negative" based on presence or absence of HCV-Ab in oral fluid. There was a statistically significant difference between both groups as regards ALT and Albumin by using Welch's t-test (P 0.05). Conclusion It could be concluded that HCV-Ab may present in oral fluid, which may be an effective alternative to serum antibody testing for surveillance of hepatitis C infection. Presence of HCV-RNA in oral fluid could not be demonstrated. (Khaled M. Gouda; Osama AM. Mansor; Mohammed S. Elshurbagi; Mostafa M. Elshafei and Gamil M. Abdullah. Studying Of HCV and Its Specific Antibody in Oral Fluid. J Am Sci 2015;11(2):28-35). (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.jofamericanscience. org . 4
Long and Healthy Careers? The Relationship between Occupation and Health and its Implications for the Statutory Retirement Age

This paper investigates the relationship between occupation and health, and confirms that – also in the Netherlands in recent years – workers on a lower step of the occupational ladder on average report worse health, have a higher probability of disability and die earlier than workers in higher occupations. We sketch a theoretical framework to better understand the mechanisms underlying these disparities. Using the core insights derived from this model on selection and behavioral responses to changing workplace conditions, we review and assess the economic literature to date on occupation and health. After identifying the difficulties encountered in estimating causal effects of occupational characteristics on mental and physical health, we discuss how future research may try to overcome some of the crucial identification issues. We relate our findings to current policy issues with respect to occupational safety and the statutory retirement age, and discuss how future research could contribute to improved policy advice.
Towards Privacy-Preserving and Efficient Attribute-Based Multi-Keyword Search

Searchable encryption can provide secure search over encrypted cloud-based data without infringing data confidentiality and data searcher privacy. In this work, we focus on a secure search service providing fine-grained and expressive search functionality, which can be seen as a general extension of searchable encryption and called attribute-based multi-keyword search (ABMKS). In most of the existing ABMKS schemes, the ciphertext size of keyword index (encrypted index) grows linearly with the number of the keyword associated with a file, so that the computation and communication complexity of keyword index is limited to O(m), where m is the number of the keyword. To address this shortage, we propose the first ABMKS scheme through utilizing keyword dictionary tree and the subset cover, in such a way that the ciphertext size of keyword index is not dependent on the number of underlying keyword in a file. In our design, the complexity of computation and the complexity of the keyword index are at most O(2· log (n/2)) for the worst case, but O(1) for the best case, where n is the number of keyword in a keyword dictionary. We also present the security and the performance analysis to demonstrate that our scheme is both secure and efficient in practice.
Illness Perceptions, HbA1c, And Adherence In Type 2 Diabetes In Saudi Arabia

Purpose Little is known about predictors of adherence to diabetes medication in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to investigate whether illness perceptions, beliefs about medicine, and God locus of health control beliefs were associated with adherence to medication and glycaemic control (HbA1c) in Saudi patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Patients and methods A convenience sample of 115 adults with T2D were recruited from a diabetes outpatient clinic. Validated self-reported measures of adherence to medication, illness perceptions, beliefs about medicine, and God locus of health control were administered. Patients’ most recent HbA1c levels were extracted from medical records. Multivariable logistic and linear regressions were used to examine the association between illness perceptions, beliefs about medicine and adherence to medication and HbA1c. Results More than two thirds of patients (69%) reported poor adherence to medication. All illness perceptions domains, beliefs about medicine, and God locus of health control beliefs were associated with adherence. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that older age (OR= 3.76, p= 0.023), worse consequences perceptions (OR= 0.21, p= 0.011), worse illness identity (OR= 0.23, p= 0.010), and greater illness coherence (OR= 3.24, p= 0.022) were independent predictors of adherence. Two thirds of patients (67%) had suboptimal HbA1c; and perceptions of a cyclical timeline and lower insulin effectiveness were associated with higher HbA1c. In multiple linear regression, perceptions of a cyclical timeline (β= 0.19, p= 0.040) were an independent significant predictor of HbA1c. Conclusion In Saudi Arabia, patients’ perceptions of T2D, beliefs about medicine, and God locus of control beliefs are associated with adherence. These results inform the development of interventions based on the Common-Sense Model (CSM) to encourage improved adherence and glycaemic control among Saudi patients with T2D. Further research with larger and more diverse samples is warranted to expand the generalizability of these findings.
Odontogenic cysts and odontogenic tumors in a large rural area from India. A 10-year reflection

Objectives To determine the prevalence of odontogenic cysts and tumors along with age range, sex distribution, site of presentation and also to identify the most common type of odontogenic cyst and tumor among the population of coastal Karnataka over a 10-year period. Methods Data was collected from patient records and histologically diagnosed cases of odontogenic cysts and tumors. The age, gender of patients, as well as the site of lesion was recorded. Results A total of 167 cases were retrieved. Among them, 125 cases were diagnosed as odontogenic cysts and 42 cases were odontogenic tumors. Radicular cyst was the most frequently diagnosed cyst and unicystic ameloblastoma was the most frequently diagnosed tumor. A strong predilection for males was observed for both the odontogenic cysts and odontogenic tumors. Odontogenic cysts were more commonly seen in individuals in the age range 21–41 years, while odontogenic tumors were frequently seen in individuals in the age range 1–20 years. Conclusion This study provides an epidemiological profile of odontogenic cysts and odontogenic tumors among a rural population of coastal Karnataka. There is a notable variation in demographic profile of odontogenic cysts and odontogenic tumors in this population when compared with other populations.
Abnormal serum fatty acid profile in psoriatic arthritis

Introduction Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with higher risk of cardiovascular events and metabolic syndrome than psoriasis without arthritis. Fatty acids (FA) play an important role as signaling molecules in inflammatory and metabolic pathways. The aim of the study was to evaluate serum FA concentration in patients with PsA and to investigate the correlations of FA with the clinical and biochemical markers. Material and methods We measured 14 FA serum concentrations by gas-liquid chromatography and flame-ionization detector after direct transesterification in 54 psoriatic patients (including 14 PsA patients) and 32 healthy controls. FA were divided according to their biologic properties into: saturated FA (SFA) and unsaturated FA (UFA), subdivided into monounsaturated FA (MUFA) and polyunsaturated FA (PUFA). Results The results were correlated with Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), inflammatory and biochemical markers and lipid profile. We observed an abnormal FA profile in both psoriasis and PsA. We demonstrated lower concentrations of 10 FA in psoriasis and 7 in PsA. Patients with joint disease had a significantly higher percentage of SFA (p = 0.016) and MUFA (p = 0.001) and lower percentage of PUFA (p < 0.001) than the control group. The SFA/UFA ratio was significantly higher (p = 0.02) in PsA than in psoriasis and the controls. In the group of PsA the concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (p = 0.027) and n-3 PUFA (p = 0.031) correlated inversely with PASI. Conclusions Our findings indicate a changed FA profile both in psoriasis and PsA and reflect metabolic status that may predispose to the development of metabolic syndrome.
Keratograph 5M As A Useful And Objective Tool For Evaluating The Ocular Surface In Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency

Purpose In limbal stem cell deficiency, both the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire and tear break-up time (BUT) are comparable between traditional methods and the Keratograph 5M. In this study, we aimed to correlate OSDI with Keratograph 5M interviewed OSDI, as well as slit-lamp tear BUT with Keratograph 5M noninvasive tear break-up time (NIKBUT) in limbal stem cell deficiency. Patients and methods Thirty-eight limbal stem cell-deficiency patients (76 eyes) from Virgen Macarena-Rocio Hospital (Seville, Spain) underwent this diagnostic test study. All patients completed the traditional OSDI. We measured the BUT, performed a Keratograph 5M analysis of NIKBUT first (employed for the analysis) followed by the average NIKBUT, the level of dryness, and conducted the OSDI questionnaire through an interview. For each pair of tests, we analyzed the means and applied an intraclass correlation coefficient (r), creating a Bland-Altman plot for data dispersion. Results Average values were 47.5 points (±25.8), and 47.3 points (±27.5) for traditional OSDI and Keratograph OSDI, respectively (P =0.87); the r value indicates good agreement (0.72). The Bland-Altman plot followed a linear pattern, and the results were similarly distributed. The NIKBUT mean was shorter than the BUT mean (P = 0.007); the r value indicates moderate agreement (0.574). The Bland-Altman plot formed an almost horizontal line, with almost all values between the mean and two standard deviations. Conclusion Keratograph 5M is useful for the evaluation of the ocular surface in limbal stem cell deficiency. NIKBUT can substitute BUT based on its advantages of being noninvasive, objective, with intraobserver and interobserver repeatability and reliability. The Keratograph 5M OSDI is comparable to the traditional questionnaire.
Incidence of Facial Canal Dehiscence during Otologic Surgeries

Abstract The aim of the study is to give an idea about true incidence and mostcommonlocation of fallopian canal dehiscence and to identify predictive factors associated with fallopian canal dehiscence based on preoperative clinical correlates so as to facilitate presumptive prediction of the condition. The study design pertains to a prospective study.
Efficacy and safety of topical and systemic medications: a systematic literature review informing the EULAR recommendations for the management of Sjögren’s syndrome

Objective To evaluate current evidence on the efficacy and safety of topical and systemic medications in patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (SjS) to inform European League Against Rheumatism treatment recommendations. Methods The MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane databases were searched for case-control/prospective cohort studies, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews. Results Current evidence in primary SjS patients fulfilling the 2002 criteria is based on the data from 9 RCTs, 18 prospective cohort studies and 5 case-control studies. Two Cochrane systematic literature reviews (SLRs) have reported that topical treatments for dry mouth and dry eye are safe and effective. Ocular cyclosporine A was safe and effective in two RCTs including 1039 patients with dry eye syndrome. Two Cochrane SLRs on serum tear drops and plugs showed inconsistency in possible benefits, both for symptoms and objective measures. Five RCTs reported significant improvements in oral dryness and salivary flow rates for pilocarpine and cevimeline. An RCT showed no significant placebo-differences for hydroxychloroquine 400 mg/day for the primary outcome (visual analogue scale (VAS) composite of dryness, fatigue and pain). We identified seven RCTs carried out in primary SjS patients. RCTs using infliximab, anakinra and baminercept found no placebo-differences for the primary outcomes. The two largest RCTs randomised 255 patients to receive rituximab or placebo and reported no significant results in the primary outcome (VAS composite), while prospective studies suggested efficacy in systemic disease. Conclusion The current evidence supporting the use of the main topical therapeutic options of primary SjS is solid, while limited data from RCTs are available to guide systemic therapies.
Antifungal effect of Atorvastatin against Candida species in comparison to Fluconazole and Nystatin

Background and aims Atorvastatin is a plasma cholesterol-lowering drug which applies antifungal effects by inhibiting the production of yeast cell wall ergostrol. The aim of present study was to investigate in-vitro susceptibility of candida species to atorvastatin, in comparison to nystatin and fluconazole. Methods Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFC) were determined using serial dilution. Candida strains isolated from 35 patients receiving cancer chemotherapy in Isfahan, Seyyed-al-Shohada Hospital and analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann Whitney statistical methods. Results Candida isolates included 5 strains, C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. kefyr, C. stellatoidea and C. krusei. All five strains appeared to be resistant to nystatin and fluconazole but sensitive to atorvastatin with no statistically significant difference. The MFC of atorvastatin was significantly lower in comparison to both nystatin and fluconazole for all five strains (p value<0.05). There was no significant difference between the MFCs of 5 strains for fluconazole and atorvastatin. However, MFC of nystatin differed significantly for C. albicans and C. kefyr (p=0.007). Conclusion The results showed that all strains were sensitive to atorvastatin and resistant to nystatin and fluconazole. Atorvastatin MIC for C. albicans, C. krusei and C. stellatoidea was equivalent to its serum level used to treat hyperlipidemia and was above such level for both C. glabrata and C. kefyr.