Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Pulmonary Rehabilitation on Hospitalizations for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Members of an Integrated Health Care System

PURPOSE: The evidence regarding the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) on health care resource use remains limited. This retrospective study evaluated the effects of PR on the primary outcome of all-cause hospitalizations and secondary outcomes of other health care use, exercise capacity, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and body weight in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a large integrated health care system. METHODS: The PR cohort included 558 patients with a COPD diagnosis, age ≥ 40 years, who were treated with a bronchodilator or steroid inhaler, participated in 1 of 13 PR programs between January 1, 2008, and August 1, 2013, and were continuously enrolled in the health plan ≥ 12 months prior to and after PR. Two non-PR control cohorts were assembled for comparison. Data were extracted from electronic health records. The 6-minute walk test and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire results were available for a subset. RESULTS: The proportion of patients who were hospitalized 12 months post-PR was lower compared with the 12 months prior (37% vs 45%, P = .001) while emergency department use was not different (52% vs 54%). Patients who declined PR for logistical reasons had a 40% higher risk of hospitalization than PR participants (relative risk = 1.40, 95% CI: 0.96-2.06, P = .08). There were significant improvements in the 6-minute walk test distance (+43 m) and the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire total score (−9.6 points) but minimal changes in weight. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding that participation in PR is associated with reductions in hospitalizations corroborates previous studies. A notable strength of this study is the capture of complete utilization data.
In psychiatrically healthy individuals, overweight women but not men have lower tryptophan levels

Abstract Gender differences in tryptophan (TRP) breakdown in obese individuals have been previously reported. This could be both contributory to, as well as a consequence of, gender differences in mood changes among obese people. To exclude the potential effect of depression on TRP breakdown and its levels in obesity, we replicated analyses in psychiatrically healthy individuals. In 1000 participants, plasma kynurenine (KYN), TRP, and the KYN/TRP ratio were compared between overweight/obese and normal-weight individuals using analysis of covariance, with adjustment for age and gender. Bivariate post hoc tests were also conducted. There were no significant relationships between KYN, TRP, or the KYN/TRP ratio and overall overweight/obese status. However, a significant gender by weight category interaction was identified for TRP only, with overweight/obese women having lower TRP than overweight/obese men (p=0.02). No gender differences in TRP were found in non-obese participants. Our study in psychiatrically healthy individuals suggested that lower TRP levels in obese women were not secondary to depression, strengthening the possibility that TRP levels could mediate depression in vulnerable women. Thus experimental manipulations of TRP levels could be used to advance theoretical knowledge, prevention, and clinical control of depression in obese women.
Text Summarization Using Sentiment Analysis for DUC Data

Text Summarization is a way of determining the key concepts that are covered in the given text under consideration. Various techniques have been presented in literature and many are used in commercially available systems. The primary aim of the present work is to find efficacy of using sentiments for text summarization. In this work we present a computationally efficient technique based on sentiments of key words in text for the purpose of summarization. Sentiment analysis is already being used in various domains for analysis of large scale text data interpretation and opinion mining. The present work shows that sentiment analysis can also be used efficiently for the purpose of text summarization. We have tested our results on the standard DUC2002 datasets, and compared our results with different summarization approaches, viz. Random indexing based, LSA based, Graph based and Weighted graph based methods for different percentages of summarization. The proposed scheme is found to be efficient, in particular for 50% summarization.
Is perceived family dysfunction related to comorbid psychopathology? A study at an eating disorder day treatment program

The role of the family in the development of eating disorders has been a predominant research focus. However, few studies of patients in an eating disorder (ED) day treatment program (DTP) have explored the relationship between self-reported family system functioning, self-reported comorbid psychopathology and current comorbid psychological symptom status. This study examined patients at presentation to an ED DTP, their self-reported perception of family functioning and the relationship with characteristics of their own comorbid psychopathology characteristics. Medical records of 51 day treatment female patients, ranging in age from 12 to 26 years, were examined by ED diagnosis and family type (using the FACES-II), and for significant differences on four self-report measures: SCL-90, EDI-2, BDI and TAS-20. Using MANOVA analyses and Bonferroni comparisons, significant differences on the self-report instruments for the entire sample and for the AN and BN patients were obtained when studying patients within different family types as defined by FACES-II. These data specific to DTP patients support previous findings for both IP and OP ED family studies. Overall, as family functioning was perceived to be more dysfunctional, the level of self-reported eating pathology and current comorbid psychological symptoms was also more severe.
An ascending reticular activating system in the brain stem.

ONE ASPECT of the relation of the brain to the mind which may be contributed to by experimental study is concerned with the neural management of wakefulness. The waking state is certainly not essential to mental activity, for in the lighter stages of sleep vivid impressions may be experienced as dreams. In states of deep sleep, unconsciousness, or coma, however, mental activity seems practically in abeyance, and interrelations of the two have been expressed succinctly by Sherrington, in concluding a moving account of arousal from sleep, with the statement, "The brain is awakening and, with it, the mind returning. " The waking state has generally been thought to depend in an important fashion upon the arousing influence at the cerebral cortex of afferent messages initiated by sensory stimulation. It is a commonplace observation that afferent impulses from within or without can arouse a sleeping subject, and reduction of sensory impressions is
The Influence of Print Advertisement Organization on Affect Toward a Brand Name

Three experiments demonstrate that the allocation of subconscious resources during the processing of ads can influence the evaluation of the brand names or logos included in the ads. The evaluation of a brand name is shown to depend on its placement relative to the ad's focal information. Increases in brand name evaluation are attributed to matching activation--the elaborated processing of nonattended material in one hemisphere when the opposing hemisphere is the primary processor of the attended material. Implications for the design and layout of print ads and for the influence of advertising on purchase behavior are discussed. Copyright 1990 by the University of Chicago.
Immunological correlates of treatment and response in stage IV malignant melanoma patients treated with Ipilimumab

ABSTRACT Introduction: Ipilimumab is effective in the treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma, but few biomarkers reliably predict treatment response. Methods: Patients were treated with Ipilimumab for metastatic malignant melanoma. Blood and serum samples were collected before and during treatment. Mononuclear cells in peripheral blood were subjected to immune phenotypic analyses and cytokine levels were measured in serum samples. Results were correlated with clinical data. Results: A total of 40 patients were included in the analyses. Clinical response were associated with an increase after one series of treatment in absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) (p = 0.008), absolute T cell count (p = 0.02) and the absolute number of activated T cells in peripheral blood (p = 0.003). A high frequency of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and a higher level of IL6 were associated with treatment failure, though not significantly. Levels of IL6 in serum above the median showed a tendency to associate with reduced survival by the 4th treatment series. Finally, treatment with Ipilimumab led to a decreased frequency of FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (p = 0.009). Conclusion: Ipilimumab leads to increased ALC, T cell count and T cell activation in malignant melanoma patients responding to treatment. A high baseline frequency of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and high levels of IL6 is associated with a reduced chance of responding to therapy.
Effect of Sirolimus Withdrawal in Patients with Deteriorating Renal Function

Sirolimus has been an important addition to immunosuppressive regimens utilized in kidney transplantation. However, sirolimus can potentiate calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) nephrotoxicity by some still uncertain mechanisms. Studies have demonstrated that withdrawal of a CNI under sirolimus immunosuppression can improve renal function. However, it has yet to be demonstrated that withdrawal of sirolimus from such a regimen can also improve renal function and reverse progressive functional deterioration. We studied 17 patients who developed deterioration of renal function while on a CNI and sirolimus. Once an established deterioration in renal function was noted, sirolimus was withdrawn from the regimen and replaced with mycophenolate mofetil. Out of 17 patients with a negative slope in 1/cr, 15 demonstrated a positive treatment effect (change to a positive slope). On aggregate, renal function improved by 18% (creatinine 2.75–2.24 mg/dL), LDL cholesterol improved, as did hematocrit values after withdrawal. The majority of patients on a CNI and sirolimus regimen who experience deterioration in renal function demonstrate improvement in renal function after withdrawal of sirolimus. This strategy may be particularly useful in those patients where CNI withdrawal is considered to be of high immunologic or metabolic risk.
Activation of FOXO1 is critical for the anticancer effect of methylseleninic acid in prostate cancer cells

Previous studies have demonstrated that physiological concentrations of methylseleninic acid (MSA) inhibits the growth of prostate cancer cells. The growth inhibitory effect could be attributed to cell cycle block and apoptosis induction. The current study was designed to investigate the involvement of forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) in the anticancer effect of MSA.
Monitoring of Water Content of Ambient Aerosol During the Pittsburgh Air Quality Study

The aerosol water content and volumetric growth factors of fine particulate matter were measured during July-August 2001 and January-June 2002 in an urban park about 6 km from downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Most of the aerosol during the study was transported to the region from other areas, and its composition and concentration were characteristic of the regional particulate matter in the northeastern United States. During the summer months the ambient aerosol practically always contained water even when the relative humidity ( RH) was as low as 30%. In contrast, during the winter the aerosol was dry below 60% RH. The spring months were characterized by a transitional behavior between these two states. The observed seasonal behavior can be explained by the aerosol acidity. The summer aerosol was acidic and retained water at low RH. The winter aerosol was neutral and became wet when the relative humidity reached the deliquescence point of ammonium nitrate. The observations during July 2001 were compared with the predictions of the thermodynamic Gibbs Free Energy Minimization (GFEMN) model and the aerosol inorganics model ( AIM), neglecting the organic aerosol contribution to water absorption. The models under-predicted water concentrations by about 35%, but no clear correlation between organic mass and the excess water was observed. On average, the contribution of the organics to water absorption appeared to be higher during the afternoon hours and when the aerosol was presumably more oxidized.
The importance of pulsatile components of hypertension in predicting carotid stenosis in older adults

Objective To evaluate pulsatile components of the blood pressure as risk markers for carotid stenosis in isolated systolic hypertension. Design Duplex scans with Doppler measures of the blood flow velocity were used to diagnose carotid stenosis in 187 participants in the Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program and in 187 normotensive and mildly hypertensive control subjects. Methods The systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse pressure, and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were selected as independent variables. A logistic regression model for carotid stenosis was used to adjust for potentially confounding risk factors. Serial models, each containing single or double blood pressure variables, were run to compare risk markers for carotid stenosis. Receiver operating characteristic curves were compared to assess the predictive value of each model. Results In the multivariate analysis, both the SBP (P = 0.005) and the pulse pressure (P < 0.001) were predictive of carotid stenosis, but the DBP and MAP were not. However, when either the SBP or the pulse pressure was included in the model, the DBP was associated negatively with carotid stenosis (P < 0.001 and P = 0.023, respectively). An increased pulse pressure and a decreased DBP were independent risk markers for carotid stenosis. Comparison of receiver operating characteristic curves indicated that the pulse pressure had superior predictive value to the SBP (P = 0.034). Conclusions The pulse pressure is the single best predictor of carotid stenosis. There is a negative correlation between the DBP and carotid stenosis for subjects with isolated systolic hypertension, but this can be demonstrated only after one has stratified for the SBP or for the pulse pressure. Thus, the pulsatile components of the blood pressure, increased pulse pressure and decreased DBP, are the most sensitive risk markers for the diagnoses of carotid stenosis.
Connection from the dorsal column nuclei to the superior colliculus in the rat: Topographical organization and somatotopic specific plasticity in response to neonatal enucleation

Somatosensory stimuli from the body to deep and intermediate strata of the superior colliculus (SC) are relayed from the dorsal column nuclei (DCN), gracile (GrN) and cuneate (CuN). Electrophysiological studies have shown that the somatosensory representation in SC is arranged into a map‐like pattern. However, there is a lack of studies confirming a morphological correlate of such an organization. On the other hand, after neonatal enucleation in rodents, somatosensory inputs ascend from their normal termination territory in intermediate and deep collicular strata to invade the more dorsally located visual strata. However, the origin of these reactive afferents has not been specified. By using anterograde (biotinylated dextran amine 10,000; BDA) and retrograde (Fluoro‐Gold; FG) tracers, we studied separately the connection from GrN and CuN to the intact and neonatally deafferented SC. GrN‐collicular afferents were found to terminate mainly within the periphery of the caudomedial SC quadrant, whereas CuN‐collicular fibers innervated primarily the lateral part of the rostrolateral and caudolateral collicular quadrants, in a way consistent with previously described functional data. Retrograde tracing experiments using FG injected in SC confirmed this topographical arrangement. Injections of BDA in GrN or CuN of neonatally enucleated rats showed that reactive fibers reaching superficial strata are only those CuN‐collicular fibers innervating the caudolateral SC quadrant, where the forelimb is represented. The present results provide an anatomical substrate for the known somatotopic organization of tactile representation in SC and further reinforce the previous proposal that the plastic reorganization of DCN‐collicular afferents following neonatal enucleation constitutes a functional compensatory response. J. Comp. Neurol. 468:410–424, 2004. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Investigating the role of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common, heterogeneous disorder of the central nervous system with a complex trait composed of both genetic and environmental factors. Recently, scientific interest has increased in defining factors that possibly contribute to brain functional plasticity; the results might be useful to assess the relationship between MS lesion burden and clinical events, as well as explaining the well‐known phenotypic heterogeneity of the disease. In this study, we explored the effect of the Val66Met brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) functional polymorphism on cognitive performances and volumetric measurements obtained by magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in a selected population of relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS) patients, with relatively short disease duration and minimal clinical disability, compared to gender, age and educational‐level matched healthy subjects. We found that in the RRMS group, the BDNF Met‐allele was significantly associated with the lower volume of cerebral grey matter (GM) (P = 0.005). Furthermore, a significant (P = 0.013) interaction effect between ‘MS‐status’ and the BDNF genotype was found for GM volumes, with the result that patients carrying the BDNF Met‐allele showed a higher risk of developing global GM atrophy than the homozygous Val/Val. No BDNF‐related impact on global neuropsychological functions resulted in either RRMS patients or controls. Our data seem to be consistent with the reported influence of BDNF in neuronal plasticity, thus suggesting that the Met‐allele might have a negative prognostic effect on cortical morphometry in RRMS patients.
Can Gangrenous Cholecystitis be Prevented?: A Plea Against a “Wait and See” Attitude

Background/Aims A delay in recognizing and treating an inflamed gallbladder may increase the risk of a necrotic evolution and represent a critical factor affecting the progression of the inflammatory process. Aim of the study is to assess the therapeutic attitude in patients with histologically proved gangrenous cholecystitis, to find out whether it could play a role in the progression of the inflammatory condition. Methodology Twenty-seven patients with gangrenous cholecystitis at histology were compared with a matched-control group with phlegmonous cholecystitis. Results Age, gender, ASA score, and concomitant diseases did not differ significantly in both groups. WBC was significantly higher (P = 0.026) in patients with gangrene. Ultrasounds were unhelpful in identifying the severity of the disease. Patients with gangrenous gallbladder showed a significantly increased (P = 0.0006) admission delay compared with controls (104.3 ± 15.3 hours vs. 59.7 ± 7.7 hours). Surgeon’s delay, morbidity and mortality were not different in both groups. Conclusion Patient’s delay before hospitalization may represent a crucial factor in the progression toward a more severe disease in acute cholecystitis. The time between symptoms onset and hospital admission (and consequently surgery) was significantly longer in patients with gangrenous cholecystitis, further emphasizing the need for an early (if not urgent) surgical treatment in acute cholecystitis, even with mild symptoms.
Antibiotic-impregnated catheters for the prevention of CSF shunt infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Context. CSF infections are a serious complication of CSF shunts and external ventricular drains (EVDs). Antibiotic-impregnated catheters (AIC) have been tried in order to minimise the risk of such infections. Objectives. To conduct a systematic review and a meta-analysis comparing AICs versus non-AICs used as ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunts or external ventricular drains (EVDs) in the neonatal population. The secondary aim was to include data from a paediatric and adult population if insufficient information was available from neonatal studies. Data sources. PubMed (March 2011), EMBASE (March 2011), CENTRAL (1980–March 2011), and CINAHL (March 2011) were searched. Study selection. Both randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies were included. Results. Only three observational studies reported on the use of AI-VP shunt catheters in the neonatal population. Meta-analysis found a statistically significant difference favouring AI shunts (RR: 0.37; CI: 0.16, 0.86; p = 0.02). Twelve studies (one RCT, 11 observational; n = 3284) compared AI versus non-AI VP shunts in a paediatric and adult population. The RCT showed a trend towards benefit using the AICs (RR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.11, 1.30; p = 0.12). A meta-analysis of the 11 observational studies showed a significant benefit in the AI group (RR: 0.37; CI: 0.23, 0.60; p = 0.0001; n = 3149). Similar benefits were noted for AI-EVDs in RCTs (RR: 0.19; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.64; p = 0.01; n = 472, two studies) and observational studies (RR: 0.31; 95 CI: 0.13, 0.74; p = 0.009; n = 2415, five studies). Conclusions. A meta-analysis of mainly observational studies suggests that AICs may be an effective way of reducing the incidence of shunt and EVD infections. Well-designed multi-centre RCTs are urgently needed.
Drug Therapies for Ulcerative Proctitis: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background:Patients with ulcerative colitis limited to the proctum are considered to have ulcerative proctitis (UP). In patients with more extensive ulcerative colitis, treatment occurs in a step-up fashion (5-ASA, corticosteroids, thiopurines, anti-TNF-&agr; agents), a strategy which has proven effective. Although treatment of UP occurs using the same step-up design, the efficacy of these therapies in UP is scarcely studied. The objectives were to systematically review the literature for randomized controlled trials studying drug therapies for induction and maintenance of remission in patients with UP. Methods:Electronic databases and reference lists of review articles were searched. The primary outcomes were clinical remission induction rate and the maintained clinical remission rate. Secondary outcomes were induction and maintenance of endoscopic and histological remission. Relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for were calculated. Results:Twenty-three studies (1834 patients) were included. Eighteen trials investigated induction and 5 studied maintenance of remission. Topical 5-ASA was significantly superior to placebo for induction (RR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.63–3.51) and maintenance (RR, 2.80; 95% CI, 1.21–6.45) of clinical remission, regardless of dose or formulation. Subgroup analysis of 5-ASA suppositories also showed superiority over placebo for induction of clinical (RR, 3.07; 95% CI, 1.70–5.55) and endoscopic remission (RR, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.85–3.77). Conclusions:Topical 5-ASA is superior to placebo for the induction and maintenance of clinical remission and for the induction of endoscopic remission. The efficacy of corticosteroids, thiopurines, and anti-TNF&agr; has been insufficiently studied in patients with UP.