Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On specificity of 2nd generation TSH receptor autoantibody measurements.

BACKGROUND TSH receptor (TSHR) antibodies (TRAb) are the hallmark in the serological diagnosis of Graves' disease (autoimmune hyperthyroidism). Irrespective of receptor origin second generation TRAb assays have been shown to be more sensitive than original first generation assays. The specificity of both assay generations is claimed to be close to 100% for discriminating healthy individuals from Graves' disease patients. However, there are a small number of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (autoimmune hypothyroidism) patients demonstrating detectable TRAb. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred and sixty-six Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients and 72 with Graves' disease were tested in second generation assays employing porcine and recombinant human TSHR. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) were calculated for comparison. RESULTS Using a threshold of 1.5 IU/L for both assays, 7 out of 166 Hashimoto's patients demonstrated positive TRAb in the human TSHR assay whereas only 1 patient was measured positive in the porcine TSHR assay (specificity: 95.8% and 99.4%, respectively). Seventy-one out of 72 Graves' disease patients were positive in the human TSHR assay whereas 70 showed positive results in the porcine TSHR assay (sensitivity: 98.6% and 97.2%, respectively; ROC p = 0.16). CONCLUSION In this study, two commercial second generation TRAb assays with differing TSHR have been compared regarding the specificity in Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients. The slightly higher sensitivity of the human TSHR assay is obtained at the expense of a lower specificity. The impact of the different specificities should be considered due to the differing type of therapy for both patient groups.
Circulating inflammation markers and prospective risk for lung cancer.

BACKGROUND Despite growing recognition of an etiologic role for inflammation in lung carcinogenesis, few prospective epidemiologic studies have comprehensively investigated the association of circulating inflammation markers with lung cancer. METHODS We conducted a nested case-control study (n = 526 lung cancer patients and n = 592 control subjects) within the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. Control subjects were matched to lung cancer case patients on age, sex, follow-up time (median = 2.9 years), randomization year, and smoking (pack-years and time since quitting). Serum levels of 77 inflammation markers were measured using a Luminex bead-based assay. Conditional logistic regression and weighted Cox models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and cumulative risks, respectively. RESULTS Of 68 evaluable markers, 11 were statistically significantly associated with lung cancer risk (P trend across marker categories < .05), including acute-phase proteins (C-reactive protein [CRP], serum amyloid A [SAA]), proinflammatory cytokines (soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 [sTNFRII]), anti-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 1 receptor antagonist [IL-1RA]), lymphoid differentiation cytokines (interleukin 7 [IL-7]), growth factors (transforming growth factor alpha [TGF-A]), and chemokines (epithelial neutrophil-activating peptide 78 [ENA 78/CXCL5], monokine induced by gamma interferon [MIG/CXCL9], B cell-attracting chemokine 1 [BCA-1/CXCL13], thymus activation regulated chemokine [TARC/CCL17], macrophage-derived chemokine [MDC/CCL22]). Elevated marker levels were associated with increased lung cancer risk, with odds ratios comparing the highest vs the lowest group ranging from 1.47 (IL-7) to 2.27 (CRP). For IL-1RA, elevated levels were associated with decreased lung cancer risk (OR = 0.71; 95% confidence interval = 0.51 to 1.00). Associations did not differ by smoking, lung cancer histology, or latency. A cross-validated inflammation score using four independent markers (CRP, BCA-1/CXCL13, MDC/CCL22, and IL-1RA) provided good separation in 10-year lung cancer cumulative risks among former smokers (quartile [Q] 1 = 1.1% vs Q4 = 3.1%) and current smokers (Q1 = 2.3% vs Q4 = 7.9%) even after adjustment for smoking. CONCLUSIONS Some circulating inflammation marker levels are associated with prospective lung cancer risk.
Survival in pediatric dialysis and transplant patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Long-term follow-up data are few in children with ESRD. We sought to describe long-term survival, assess risk factors for death, and compare survival between two time periods in pediatric ESRD patients. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS We used a population-based retrospective cohort utilizing data from a national organ failure registry and from Canada's universal healthcare system. We included 843 children (ages, 0 to 18) initiating renal replacement therapy from 1992 to 2007 and followed them until death or date of last contact (median follow-up, 6.8 years; interquartile range, 3.0 to 10.6). We assessed risk factors for death and examined cause-specific mortality. RESULTS During 5991 patient-years of follow-up, 107 (12.7%) patients died. Unadjusted cumulative survival for the cohort was: 91.7% (95% CI, 89.8 to 93.7%) at 5 years and 85.8% (95% CI, 82.8 to 88.8%) at 10 years. Among patients commencing dialysis, overall adjusted survival was poorest among those who started dialysis at age <1 year. No secular trends in survival were noted for either dialysis or transplant patients. The proportion of incident patients receiving pre-emptive transplantation increased over time. Pre-emptively transplanted patients did not demonstrate superior adjusted survival compared with those who spent >2 years on dialysis before transplant (hazard ratio, 1.53; 95% CI, 0.63 to 3.67). CONCLUSIONS No significant improvements in survival were observed among ESRD patients over the study period. Time with transplant function had the strongest association with survival. Pre-emptive transplantation was not associated with improved survival in adjusted models.
Nurses’ knowledge of legal aspects of nursing practice in Ibadan, Nigeria

Knowledge of law that establishes a profession is essential for the professional. Nurses practice within an environment in which accountability is demanded by the professional body as well as the communities they serve. This implies that the very nature of nursing practice requires nurses to be vigilant about understanding of the law. However, there is paucity of empirical evidence of nurses’ knowledge of legal aspects of nursing. This paper presents a report of a survey of nurses’ knowledge of legal aspects of nursing in Nigeria. The descriptive study utilized a 39-item questionnaire developed by the researchers to gather information from 161 nurses from different categories of hospitals in Ibadan. A simple random technique was used in selecting respondents in each ward of the settings. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The sample consisted of 20 males (12.4%) and 141 females (87.6%) with varying years of experience. Nurses have knowledge of general law of the land (58.4%) but the majority had knowledge deficits of laws governing nursing practice (77.6%). About 57 %( 91) of nurses indicated that their hospitals have institutional policies that govern how nurses practice but only 50% knew the content and intent of the policies. The hallmark of professionalism is accountability. The best way to practice nursing effectively is being highly knowledgeable about the science and art of nursing coupled with sound knowledge of the laws that establish; control and promote nursing practice. It is therefore recommended that the stake holders in nursing be more involved in ensuring adequate knowledge of legal aspects of nursing practice to achieve the Nursing goal of quality care.
Employee engagement and performance: a systematic literature review

Abstract Scholars and practitioners indicate that low level of employee engagement at work is currently one of the most alarming global economic problems. The potential consequence of this phenomenon is declining work performance. Therefore, it becomes important to understand the concept of work engagement, its meaning for employees, and implications for employers. The article is a systematic review of the body of literature, presenting the results of research on the association between employee engagement and various performance categories. The paper’s objective is to summarize prior studies based on their ordering and categorization, identify gaps in the current knowledge, and propose an agenda for future research. The article presents these findings in a synthetic manner, offering practical and academic implications arising therefrom. Results of the review indicate that, in the case of most peer-reviewed publications, a statistically significant relation between employee engagement and numerous categories and subcategories of performance was confirmed.
Social Media Utilization in Universitas Indonesia Library

This research discusses social media utilization activities held in the UI Library as a promotional tool. The purpose of this study is to describe social media use by UI Library. The research applies the qualitative approach and case study method. Informants were chosen by using a purposive sampling technique. Results show that UI Library has utilized social media in the form of Twitter and Instagram as a means to promote the collections, services, or even the facilities there. The library also used social media to collect users’ responses, either recommendations or complaints, which were taken as evaluation materials for service improvement. This study suggests that the library should make written policy or SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) about social media management as a media of promotions and increase the number of interactions with users on Instagram. Findings from this research may also be records in order to arrange an academic library’s social media application guide, particularly in Universitas Indonesia, and on a bigger scale, in Indonesia.
Breaking bad news in clinical setting - health professionals' experience and perceived competence in Southwestern Nigeria: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND Communication skills are vital in clinical settings because the manner in which bad news is delivered could be a huge determinant of responses to such news; as well as compliance with beneficial treatment option. Information on training, institutional guidelines and protocols for breaking bad news (BBN) is scarce in Nigeria. We assessed the training, experience and perceived competence of BBN among medical personnel in southwestern Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted out among doctors and nurses in two healthcare institutions in southwestern Nigeria using an anonymous questionnaire (adapted from the survey by Horwitz et al.), which focused on the respondents training, awareness of protocols in BBN; and perceived competence (using a Five-Point Likert Scale) in five clinical scenarios. We equally asked the respondents about an instance of BBN they have recently witnessed. RESULTS A total of 113 of 130 selected (response rate 86.9%) respondents were studied. Eight (7.1%) of the respondents knew of the guidelines on BBN in the hospital in which they work. Twenty-three (20.3%) respondents claimed knowledge of a protocol. The median perceived competence rating was 4 out of 5 in all the clinical scenarios. Twenty-five (22.1%) respondents have had a formal training in BBN and they generally had significant higher perceived competence rating (P = 0.003-0.021). There is poor support from fellow workers during instances of BBN. CONCLUSION It appears that the large proportion of the respondents in this study were unconsciously incompetent in BBN in view of the low level of training and little or no knowledge of well known protocols for BBN even though self-rated competence is high. Continuous medical education in communication skills among health personnel in Nigeria is advocated.
Prolonged preoperative fasting in elective surgical patients: why should we reduce it?

Despite the abundance of evidence to the contrary, 6-8 hours of total preoperative fasting is still considered essential by many surgeons and anesthesiologists, based on the strength of old concepts. Patients frequently end up fasting for 12 hours or more because of delays and changes in operating room schedules. The metabolic response to long fasting leads to intensification of the organic response occurring after trauma, which is mainly manifested as increased insulin resistance, an acute-phase response, and loss of lean body mass. In fact, there has not been any evidence indicating that a shorter fast of 2-3 hours, which includes oral clear or carbohydrate (CHO)-rich (12.5% carbohydrates, 50 kcal/100 mL) fluids, results in an increased risk of aspiration, regurgitation, or related morbidity compared with the standard policy of "nil by mouth after midnight. " In addition, preoperative treatment with CHO-rich fluids may reduce postoperative discomfort and, for patients undergoing major abdominal surgery, may decrease the duration of postoperative hospitalization. New formulas for preoperative oral fluids containing amino acid or protein such as glutamine or whey protein are also potential candidates for early preoperative treatment and merit further study.
Diagnosis of acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis by three radiological modalities

Purpose: To compare the findings at US, CT and contrast enema (CE) with the clinical, biochemical, and surgical findings in patients with suspected acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis (ALCD) Material and Methods: The study comprised 32 consecutive patients hospitalized with clinically diagnosed ALCD. During the first 3 days of hospitalization, they were examined by US and CT of the pelvis and abdomen, and CE Results: of the 32 patients, 21 had ALCD according to the combined radiological, clinical, biochemical and surgical findings. Findings compatible with ALCD were verified by radiological examination alone in 12 patients (4 patients at US, 10 at CT, and 6 at CE). In 9 patients, only diverticula or tethering was found at either CE or CT, and the diagnoses were then supported by clinical and biochemical findings and clinical follow-up. The most common clinical symptoms and signs associated with ALCD were left lower quadrant pain, left-sided tenderness, and fever. Most patients showed elevations of the white blood-cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein, but there was no statistical difference in the stages of severity of ALCD, or between ALCD and other abdominal disorders Conclusion: Radiological examination is valuable in confirming the diagnosis of ALCD. CT was the radiological modality that best demonstrated ALCD and revealed complications (e.g. pericolic abscesses) during the course of the illness
Microstructure and resistance switching in NiO binary oxide films obtained from Ni oxidation

Oxide Resistive Random Access Memories (OxRRAM) are discussed for future high density non volatile memory chips. NiO and other simple binary transition metal oxides (such as TiO2, HfO2 or ZrO2) have recently attracted much attention. In most cases, polycrystalline oxide films are deposited by reactive sputtering on conductive substrates to form bi-stable Metal/Resistive oxide/Metal (MRM) structures. In this paper, an alternative way is explored to obtain NiO films from the controlled oxidation of a Ni metallic film. Different thermal treatments were evaluated to oxidize the metallic film with conditions preventing the complete consumption of Ni film used as bottom electrode. Process parameters of Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) route were adjusted to achieve controlled oxidation. Microstructural and electrical analyzes were performed to apprehend the influence of the process parameters on the switching behavior. Reproducible resistive switching phenomena have been demonstrated in Pt/NiO/Ni structures with threshold voltage varying from 2 to 5 V depending on oxidizing conditions.
Plant dihydroxyacetone phosphate reductases : purification, characterization, and localization.

A cytosolic form of dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) reductase was purified 200,000-fold from spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves to apparent electrophoretic homogeneity. The purification procedure included anion-exchange chromatography, gel filtration, hydrophobic chromatography, and dye-ligand chromatography on Green-A and Red-A agaroses. The enzyme, prepared in an overall yield of 14%, had a final specific activity of about 500 mumol of DHAP reduced min(-1) mg(-1) protein, a subunit molecular mass of 38 kD, and a native molecular mass of 75 kD. A chloroplastic isoform of DHAP reductase was separated from the cytosolic form by anion-exchange chromatography and partially purified 56,000-fold to a specific activity of 135 mumol min(-1) mg(-1) protein. Antibodies generated in rabbits against the cytosolic form did not cross-react with the chloroplastic isoform. The two reductases were specific for NADH and DHAP. Although they exhibited some dissimilarities, both isoforms were severely inhibited by higher molecular weight fatty acyl coenzyme A esters and phosphohydroxypyruvate and moderately inhibited by nucleotides. In contrast to previous reports, the partially purified chloroplastic enzyme was not stimulated by dithiothreitol or thioredoxin, nor was the purified cytosolic enzyme stimulated by fructose 2,6-bisphosphate. A third DHAP reductase isoform was isolated from spinach leaf peroxisomes that had been prepared by isopycnic sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The peroxisomal DHAP reductase was sensitive to antibodies raised against the cytosolic enzyme and had a slightly smaller subunit molecular weight than the cytosolic isoform.
Directional bias during mating type switching in Saccharomyces is independent of chromosomal architecture

Haploid Saccharomyces cells have the remarkable potential to change mating type as often as every generation, a process accomplished by an intrachromosomal gene conversion between an expressor locus MAT and one of two repositories of mating type information, HML or HMR. The particular locus selected as donor is dictated by the mating type of the cell, a bias that ensures productive mating type interconversion. Here we use green fluorescent protein tagging of the expressor and donor loci on chromo some III to show that this preference for donor locus does not result from a predetermined organization of chromosome III: HML and MAT as well as HMR and MAT remain separated in cells of both mating types. In fact, cells in which the inappropriate donor locus is artificially tethered to MAT still predominantly select the correct donor. We find, though, that initiation of switching leads to a rapid association of the correct donor locus with MAT. Thus, in mating type switching in Saccharomyces, donor preference is imposed at commitment to recombination rather than at physical contact of interacting DNA strands.
Population‐, intervention‐ and methodology‐related characteristics of clinical trials impact exercise efficacy during adjuvant therapy for breast cancer: a meta‐regression analysis

Significant heterogeneity was highlighted in recent meta‐analyses examining exercise effects in cancer patients, suggesting that some characteristics may moderate exercise efficacy. The objectives of this meta‐analysis are (1) to investigate the influence of methodology, population and intervention studies' characteristics on the association of exercise with fatigue, quality‐of‐life (QoL), anxiety and depression; (2) to identify exercise intervention characteristics that may maximize efficacy and evaluate the level of evidence about exercise efficacy in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.
The combination of Everolimus with Verapamil reduces ovarian weight and vascular permeability on ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: a preclinical experimental randomized controlled study

Abstract The efficacy of pathways inhibition and the combined effect of Everolimus (mTOR inhibitor) and Verapamil (CYP3A inhibitor) in ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) need to be tested. Therefore, the impact of a leucotriene receptor antagonist, an anticoagulant, a GnRH antagonist as well as Everolimus plus Verapamil (at various doses and days of administration) on an OHSS rat model was tested. Sixty three female Wistar rats were randomly divided into seven groups. The control group received saline, while the OHSS group received rec-FSH for four consecutive days. The other five groups received rec-FSH for four days and Montelukast daily, Heparin daily, GnRH antagonist daily, Everolimus plus Verapamil in the last two days (half days group) and Everolimus plus Verapamil (half dose group) daily, respectively. All groups received also hCG at the fifth day. Significantly reduced ovarian weight was observed in the Everolimus plus Verapamil groups (half days and half-dose groups) and the Montelukast group compared to the OHSS group (p = 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). The vascular permeability was significantly reduced in the Everolimus plus Verapamil group (half dose group) and the GnRH antagonist group compared to the OHSS group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.011, respectively). However, estradiol and progesterone levels did not differ significantly between the groups. Studying the inhibition of different pathways, we concluded that the co-administration of Everolimus and Verapamil (at half dose) is beneficial for reducing ovarian weight and vascular permeability in an OHSS animal model.
Altered Molecular Weight Forms of Adiponectin in Hypertension

An important link between adiponectin and hypertension has been proposed in clinical studies. In the circulation, adiponectin is predominantly present in multimeric complexes, of which high–molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin is thought to represent the biological active form. The authors investigated which role the different multimeric adiponectin isoforms play in context with hypertension as compared to total adiponectin levels. Fifty (19 normotensive/31 hypertensive) patients were included in the study. Total adiponectin and adiponectin multimers were determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and western blot. The authors analyzed associations between adiponectin multimer levels and blood pressure. Total adiponectin concentrations were not significantly different between hypertensive and normotensive patients (6.8±2.3 vs 7.5±4.2 μg/mL). HMW adiponectin was significantly lower (P<.05) and low–molecular weight adiponectin was significantly higher (P<.01) in hypertensive than in normotensive persons (3.8±1.7 vs 5.2±3.0 μg/mL and 0.9±0.5 vs 1.8±0.9, respectively). Low molecular weight was an independent predictor for the presence of hypertension (effect coefficient: 0.160–0.445; P<.001) in multivariate analyses. These results suggest that the composition of the molecular weight forms of adiponectin in hypertension are characterized by reduced HMW adiponectin, the proposed major active form of adiponectin, and increased low–molecular weight adiponectin. Moreover, the latter represents an independent predictor of prevalent hypertension, suggesting an association between adiponectin multimer composition and hypertension.