Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Approaches and techniques to avoid development or progression of acute respiratory distress syndrome

Purpose of review Despite major improvement in ventilation strategies, hospital mortality and morbidity of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remain high. A lot of therapies have been shown to be ineffective for established ARDS. There is a growing interest in strategies aiming at avoiding development and progression of ARDS. Recent findings Recent advances in this field have explored identification of patients at high-risk, nonspecific measures to limit the risks of inflammation, infection and fluid overload, prevention strategies of ventilator-induced lung injury and patient self-inflicted lung injury, and pharmacological treatments. Summary There is potential for improvement in the management of patients admitted to intensive care unit to reduce ARDS incidence. Apart from nonspecific measures, prevention of ventilator-induced lung injury and patient self-inflicted lung injury are of major importance.
Metabolic syndrome is associated to high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T elevation

Abstract Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-TnT) are associated with higher risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Our aim was to assess the relation between hs-TnT elevation and MetS in a general population sample. Materials and methods: Individuals participating in an annual health survey program between 2010 and 2016 were included in the study. Blood samples including hs-TnT levels were collected. The study population was divided into three groups based on hs-TnT levels – undetectable (<5 ng/L), intermediate (5–14 ng/L) and elevated (>14 ng/L). Results: A total of 5994 subjects were included in the study, the mean age was 48.5 and 4336 (72%) were males. Compared with subjects with undetectable hs-TnT the prevalence of MetS was higher in those with detectable and elevated levels – 392 (10%) vs. 270 (15%) and 51 (33%), respectively (p < 0.001). In a multivariate model adjusted for age, gender and multiple co-morbidities, the number of MetS components and presence of MetS were significantly associated with an increased risk for detectable hs-TnT levels (OR = 1.02 {for each component}; 95% CI [1.00–1.05], p = 0.04) and (OR = 1.13; 95% CI [1.07–1.2], p < 0.001) respectively. Only the waist, glucose and hypertension components of the MetS were significantly associated with elevated troponin. Conclusions: The MetS and its distinct components have a cumulative impact on hs-TnT levels in apparently healthy subjects.
Hypoglycemia and strict glycemic control in critically ill patients

Purpose of reviewIn contrast to patients with diabetes mellitus, data on consequences of hypoglycemia in critically ill patients are sparse. The purpose of this review is to summarize available data on prevalence of hypoglycemia, risk factors, and possible consequences of hypoglycemia in critically ill patients. Recent findingsThere is strong evidence that strict glycemic control is beneficial for critically ill patients. Recent attempts to confirm these findings have not succeeded. Instead, they have increased the fear for negative consequences of hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is four to seven times more frequent in patients treated with strict glycemic control. Risk factors for hypoglycemia are a change in nutrition without adjustment of insulin treatment, diabetes mellitus, sepsis, shock, liver failure, and the need for renal replacement therapy. Consequences of hypoglycemia in critically ill patients are not well defined, but overall current evidence suggests that beneficial effects of strict glycemic control outweigh possible negative effects of hypoglycemia. SummaryHypoglycemia should be avoided in critically ill patients, but not at the cost of less stringent glycemic control. Strict glycemic control with a low incidence of hypoglycemia can be achieved with a validated (computerized) algorithm and increased surveillance in patients with an increased risk for hypoglycemia.
When is choice a good thing? An experimental study of the impact of choice on patient outcomes

Although policy emphasises the benefits of choice, an increasing body of work points to times when choice may not always have positive consequences. The present experimental study aimed to explore the impact of choice on a number of patient outcomes in the health care setting. The study also explored the extent to which the influence of choice was affected by patient uncertainty and anticipated regret. Choice was conceptualised as consisting of two dimensions: ‘having choice’ which reflects the availability of a number of options and ‘making choice’ reflecting resolution and a desire for a choice to be made. Consecutive patients (n = 427) from four General Practices in Surrey were asked to read one of 16 vignettes which varied in terms of four independent variables (having choice, making choice, uncertainty, anticipated regret) and to rate items relating to four outcome variables (patient satisfaction, perceived control, negative emotions, information seeking). The results showed that having more choice was consistently associated with more positive patient outcomes than having no choice. Having no choice was particularly detrimental for those experiencing anticipated regret and uncertainty. In contrast, whether or not a choice was made had no impact upon any of the outcome measures. In line with current policy having choice in the health care setting is related to improved patient outcomes. The results provide some insights into the factors which influence the direction of the impact of choice. They also indicate the importance of differentiating between ‘having choice’ and ‘making choice’.
Sickness absence: A gender-focused review

Women compared with men are generally considered to have higher sickness absence rates. Also determinants of sickness absent may differ between the sexes, a relevant area of knowledge for organizations that want to fine-tune particular measures to particular determinants. The present article offers a review of the literature regarding the relationships between sickness absence and gender. Various explanations mentioned in the literature are discussed using a classification derived from the Multi-Facet Gender and Health Model. Women compared to men seem indeed more frequently absent at work but this depends on countries, age – and professional groups, and seems restricted to short-term absence. Main conclusions with respect to future research concern the desirability of context-sensitive research and the usefulness of short-term versus long-term absenteeism as an outcome variable. Additionally, we recommend to further investigate the effects of organizational and psychosocial gender-related work characteristics, gender-bias in diagnostics and treatment, as well as gender differences in specific person-related factors interacting with gender differences in work-related daily life factors.
Medication management and older patients: an individualized and systematic approach

• The aim of this action research study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an individualized education programme on older patients’ knowledge of prescribed medication. • A questionnaire for assessment of medication knowledge was used to collect data from 15 patients at two intervals, before and after an individualized education programme. Following the collection of pre-intervention data, an individualized education programme was developed for each patient. As part of the education programme patients also had an opportunity to self-administer their medication. • The results of the study showed that all participants scored higher in the post-test than the pre-test although the degree of improvement varied between participants. Patient satisfaction with the education programme was also assessed and revealed a high level of satisfaction. • The most significant finding was the importance of tailoring education programmes to meet the needs of the older person. This is borne out by case studies, which suggest that the most relevant characteristic of successful participants is a real desire to remain independent and in control of their medication. • The findings question the value of standardized programmes of medication education that treat older people as a homogeneous population. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for nurses and other healthcare professionals to individualize their teaching and learning strategies to meet the needs of older patients.
Passive-positive organ donor registration behavior: A mixed method assessment of the IIFF Model

When it comes to organ donation, the majority of American non-donors are passive-positives – they support organ donation but have yet to register as donors. A quasi-experimental, four-city, pretest/posttest study was conducted to assess the utility of the IIFF Model as a means of increasing registration among these individuals. Focus groups were used as the intervention context. In support of the model's utility, 46.6% of focus group participants signed donor cards at the end of the intervention. Extrapolated to the general population, such a finding could result in millions of new registrants. Retrospective analyses of reasons for non-registration provided before the start of the focus groups reveal that passive-positives placing culpability for non-registration on lack of knowledge or opportunity register signed-up at a rate of 63.6%. Passive-positives claiming to have put off registering because of their discomfort with thoughts of death or fear that organ donors are allowed to die so their organs can be harvested registered at a rate of 5.8%.
VARIANCE OF GENE FREQUENCIES

Inbreeding, gene frequency variance, and their corresponding effective population numbers are now commonplace terms in population genetics. The concepts and much of the theory are classical (Wright, 1921, 1931; Fisher, 1930). More recent refinements and extensions of the theory by Crow and associates (Crow, 1954; Crow and Morton, 1955; Kimura and Crow, 1963a, b) have been primarily concerned with distinguishing between the inbreeding effect on heterozygosity and on the variance of gene frequencies which are so intimately connected in finite populations. The purpose of the present paper is to relate the two in a way which the author thinks is meaningful and easy to grasp. Further, correlational measures are made compatible with probability measures of identity by descent and a simple basis is provided for the analysis of the variance of gene frequencies in experimental or natural populations. The procedure is to work with the variance of a linear function and to incorporate the role that the inbreeding and coancestry of individuals play in this variance. First, let us develop this role. We let aij index the jth allele in the ith individual and introduce a measure of frequency xij defined by
Radionuclide Tc-99m MDP imaging for diagnosis of bone tumour at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (Ghana) – An Illustrative Review

Radioisotopes are used in diagnosing primary and metastatic bone tumours because of the high sensitivity. Diagnosing bone tumours using technetium methylene diphosphonate (Tc-99m MDP) on 9 randomly selected whole-body bone scans have been demonstrated by clinical studies of patients for illustrative review. Upon sati-sfactory testing of the e.cam® Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography at the Nuclear Medicine Depart-ment (Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital), scans of patients provided essential physiologic information about the sites of bone lesions and prognosis as shown by sequential changes in tracer uptake. The bone scintigrams were clas-sified either as normal or pathologic. Of the 197 patients (91 males and 106 females) who underwent radioacti-ve whole-body bone scans in the year 2006, the peak age at bone tumour detection was between 51 and 60 yea-rs. From qualitative analyses of the reported cases, 114 patients were diagnosed with bone tumours, but ~ 17 % were found to be primary, while ~ 83 % were metastatic in nature. The observation confirmed other published data that bone tumours with origin in the cells of bone are not prevalent compared to tumours that metastasize from other parts of the body, such as breast, cervix and prostate. Breast, prostate and cervical cancers contribut-ed respectively to 34 %, 19 % and 18 % of the bone tumour cases, but only 3 % were diagnosed with osteoporo-sis (a relatively rare type of bone disease).
Molecular genetics of supernumerary tooth formation

Despite advances in the knowledge of tooth morphogenesis and differentiation, relatively little is known about the aetiology and molecular mechanisms underlying supernumerary tooth formation. A small number of supernumerary teeth may be a common developmental dental anomaly, while multiple supernumerary teeth usually have a genetic component and they are sometimes thought to represent a partial third dentition in humans. Mice, which are commonly used for studying tooth development, only exhibit one dentition, with very few mouse models exhibiting supernumerary teeth similar to those in humans. Inactivation of Apc or forced activation of Wnt/β(catenin signalling results in multiple supernumerary tooth formation in both humans and in mice, but the key genes in these pathways are not very clear. Analysis of other model systems with continuous tooth replacement or secondary tooth formation, such as fish, snake, lizard, and ferret, is providing insights into the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying succesional tooth development, and will assist in the studies on supernumerary tooth formation in humans. This information, together with the advances in stem cell biology and tissue engineering, will pave ways for the tooth regeneration and tooth bioengineering. genesis 49:261–277, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Factorial validity and measurement invariance of the Revised Physical Self-Perception Profile (PSPP-R) in three countries

The revised physical self-perception profile (PSPP-R) was constructed to measure both perceived competence and importance linked to domains of the physical self. In the present study, we tested the factorial validity of the PSPP-R, using confirmatory factor analytic approach, on samples of university students from three different countries: Sweden, Turkey, and the UK. Multi-sample covariance structure analyses were also used to test the invariance of the PSPP-R across the three national samples. First-order four-factor models, including the latent factors of sport competence, physical conditioning, body attractiveness and physical strength, demonstrated good-fit with the data both for competence and importance factors. Second-order factor models, incorporating the second-order latent domain factor of physical self-worth also exhibited good-fit with the data. Factor patterns and covariances were invariant across samples for both competence and importance scales. Item intercepts were also invariant for the importance scales, whereas partial invariance of intercepts was supported for competence scales. The results are discussed with reference to the validity of the original physical self-perception profile and cross-cultural studies on the physical self.
Epigenetics in C. elegans: Facts and challenges

Epigenetics is defined as the study of heritable changes in gene expression that are not accompanied by changes in the DNA sequence. Epigenetic mechanisms include histone post‐translational modifications, histone variant incorporation, non‐coding RNAs, and nucleosome remodeling and exchange. In addition, the functional compartmentalization of the nucleus also contributes to epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Studies on the molecular mechanisms underlying epigenetic phenomena and their biological function have relied on various model systems, including yeast, plants, flies, and cultured mammalian cells. Here we will expose the reader to the current understanding of epigenetic regulation in the roundworm C. elegans. We will review recent models of nuclear organization and its impact on gene expression, the biological role of enzymes modifying core histones, and the function of chromatin‐associated factors, with special emphasis on Polycomb (PcG) and Trithorax (Trx‐G) group proteins. We will discuss how the C. elegans model has provided novel insight into mechanisms of epigenetic regulation as well as suggest directions for future research. genesis 49:647–661, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc
Outer hair cell‐specific prestin‐CreERT2 knockin mouse lines

Outer hair cells (OHCs) in the cochlea are crucial for the remarkable hearing sensitivity and frequency tuning. To understand OHC physiology and pathology, it is imperative to use mouse genetic tools to manipulate gene expression specifically in OHCs. Here, we generated two prestin knockin mouse lines: (1) the prestin‐CreERT2 line, with an internal ribosome entry site‐CreERT2‐FRT‐Neo‐FRT cassette inserted into the prestin locus after the stop codon, and (2) the prestin‐CreERT2‐NN line, with the FRT‐Neo‐FRT removed subsequently. We characterized the inducible Cre activity of both lines by crossing them with the reporter lines CAG‐eGFP and Ai6. Cre activity was induced with tamoxifen at various postnatal ages and only detected in OHCs, resembling the endogenous prestin expression pattern. Moreover, prestin‐CreERT2 +/− (heterozygotes) and +/+ (homozygotes) as well as prestin‐CreERT2‐NN +/− mice displayed normal hearing. These two prestin‐CreERT2 mouse lines are therefore useful tools to analyze gene function in OHCs in vivo. genesis 50:124–131, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A self-directed fieldwork program to provide alternative occupational health placements for undergraduate occupational therapy students

Second-year students of undergraduate occupational therapy at the University of Newcastle, NSW, undertake a fieldwork placement in occupational health. However, sufficient placements are not always available. A new fieldwork program attempts to meet this need. Three groups of students conducted risk assessments throughout the academic year, with generally positive results. Students enjoyed the self-directed nature of the placement and the opportunity to learn generic and occupational health related skills. Although there were some limitations to the program, we believe that fieldwork placements met the learning needs of second-year students and offered them an excellent opportunity to gain practical experience related to occupational health practice in prevention.
Using a Model of Reciprocal Mentorship to Develop, Implement, and Sustain a Group-Based Exercise Program for the Frail Elderly

It is widely recognized that exercise programs for frail elders are essential to combat the effects of chronic disease while also preserving function. Staffing shortages of both professionals and paraprofessionals in long-term care limit opportunities for program development and sustainability. The purpose of this article is to describe a model that used reciprocal mentorship in order to develop, implement, and sustain a group-based exercise program for frail elders using physical therapy (PT) students, a direct care provider (DCP), and a physical therapist/educator. Unique to this design was the opportunity for reciprocal mentorship between the students and the DCP designated to the program. Students taught the DCP the exercise protocols and the DCP modeled how to successfully interact and manage the frail elders. The physical therapist/educator concurrently provided leadership to both groups. Positive changes in the both the TUG and POMA were noted with the most significant change occurring in the POMA (p = 0.03). The program has transitioned from student-led to DCP-led program that has been sustained for more than a year.
Characterization of an allelic series in the MONOPTEROS gene of arabidopsis

Patterning of numerous features of plants depends on transduction of the auxin signal. Auxin signaling is mediated by several pathways, the best understood of which relies on the function of the MONOPTEROS (MP) gene. Seven mp mutant alleles have been described in the widely used Columbia background of Arabidopsis: two extensively characterized and five only partially characterized. One of these five mp alleles appears to be extinct and thus unavailable for analysis. We show that two of the four remaining, partially characterized mp alleles reported to be in the Columbia background are in fact not in this background. We extend characterization of the remaining two Columbia alleles of mp, and we identify and characterize four new alleles of mp in the Columbia background, among which the first low‐expression allele of mp and the strongest Columbia allele of mp. These genetic resources provide the research community with new experimental opportunities for insight into the function of MP‐dependent auxin signaling in plant development. genesis 52:127–133. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
ADAPTIVE VARIATION IN BODY SIZE AND SKELETAL PROPORTIONS OF HORNED LARKS OF THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES

Beginning with the classical ideas of Bergmann and Allen (summarized by Mayr, 1963: 318-325) students of ecogeographic adaptation in the size and proportions of homeotherm vertebrates have been able to relate observed patterns of variation to one or more synthetic models. The utility of the models to understanding the adaptive importance of geographic variation within bird and mammal species has benefited from recent advancement in two areas. First, several workers, notably Hamilton (1961), Grant (1965), Rosenzweig (1968a), Fretwell (1969), James (1970), and McNab (1971), have expanded the scope of predictive hypotheses relating to ecogeographic variation. Second, by combining univariate and multivariate statistics of association with multivariate phenetic analysis (e.g., Johnston, 1969; Power, 1969a, 1970; Findley and Traut, 1970; Johnston and Selander, 1971) it has become possible to describe relatively complex ecogeographic variation in terms of objective, testable probability. This study identifies some major patterns of geographic variation in size and proportions of horned larks (Eremophila alpestris) and, by examining the relationship of climatic variation to these patterns, tries to assess their adaptive value. Horned larks are a generally common and ubiquitous summer inhabitant of open, sparsely vegetated areas of the southwestern United States (the area of this study; the species is broadly Holarctic in distribution). Breeding habitats of horned larks in this region include such diverse
Heart-related anxieties in relation to general anxiety and severity of illness in cardiology patients

Absence of an adequate reason for anxiety is a criterion for pathological anxiety. However, the presence of danger or fear-provoking stimuli may even be a risk factor for anxiety and does not exclude that there is additionally pathological anxiety too. The question is, to what degree can heart-related anxiety be explained by the severity of illness or trait anxiety? Two hundred and nine patients (37.8% women) from a cardiology inpatient unit completed the Heart-Anxiety-Questionnaire, Progression-Anxiety-Questionnaire, Job-Anxiety-Scale and the State-Trait-Anxiety-Inventory. The severity of cardiac illness was rated by the treating cardiologists using the Multidimensional Severity of Morbidity Rating. Time absent from work due to sickness was assessed as an indicator for illness-related impairment. Heart anxiety was significantly related to progression anxiety and, to a lesser extent, trait anxiety and indicators of subjective symptoms of somatic illness. No association was found with medical ratings for prognosis, multimorbidity, or reduction in life expectancy. Heart-related anxiety is a symptom of an anxiety disorder. Although partially dependent on subjective suffering, it cannot be explained by the severity of medical illness. Treatment of health-related anxieties should focus on how to cope with subjective symptoms of illness.