Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Physical Activity on Menopausal Symptoms in Non-Vigorously Active Postmenopausal Women

Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when regular menstrual periods cease, due to a natural change in sex hormones, which may be accompanied by unwelcome symptoms. PURPOSE: To determine whether physical activity is associated with a reduction in menopausal symptoms (hot flashes, insomnia, numbness, fatigue, headaches, psychological symptoms, urogenital symptoms and physical symptoms). Providing that symptom differences among activity levels exist, a secondary purpose was to suggest an adequate level of physical activity for relief of menopausal symptoms. METHODS: Women (n=401) who were not taking hormone replacement therapy completed two questionnaires based on a 7-day recall of an average week: the Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (Godin & Shephard, 1985) and the Menopausal Index (St. Germain, Peterson, Robinson, & Alekel, 2001). Women were divided into quintiles according to their physical activity scores (1=least active, 5=most active) and compared for menopausal symptoms using first a MANCOVA with covariate percent fat, as this was the only covariate that had significant group mean differences. Secondly a MANOVA with the appropriate post-hoc analysis was conducted. RESULTS: The mean (SD) age of the participants was 58.2 (6.3), the mean years postmenopausal was 6.7 (6.0), the mean percent body fat was 37.4 (5.6) %, and 16.5% had a previous hysterectomy. Univariate tests did not identify significant group differences for hysterectomy (p=0.774) or time since menopause (p=0.440); however, there were significant group differences for percent body fat (p=0). The MANCOVA was not significant between physical activity groups with percent fat as a covariate (Wilks’ Lamda p = 0.126). The MANOVA indicated a significant group main effect of physical activity on menopausal symptoms
TGF-β switches from tumor suppressor to prometastatic factor in a model of breast cancer progression

The TGF-β signaling network plays a complex role in carcinogenesis because it has the potential to act as either a tumor suppressor or a pro-oncogenic pathway. Currently, it is not known whether TGF-β can switch from tumor suppressor to pro-oncogenic factor during the course of carcinogenic progression in a single cell lineage with a defined initiating oncogenic event or whether the specific nature of the response is determined by cell type and molecular etiology. To address this question, we have introduced a dominant negative type II TGF-β receptor into a series of genetically related human breast–derived cell lines representing different stages in the progression process. We show that decreased TGF-β responsiveness alone cannot initiate tumorigenesis but that it can cooperate with an initiating oncogenic lesion to make a premalignant breast cell tumorigenic and a low-grade tumorigenic cell line histologically and proliferatively more aggressive. In a high-grade tumorigenic cell line, however, reduced TGF-β responsiveness has no effect on primary tumorigenesis but significantly decreases metastasis. Our results demonstrate a causal role for loss of TGF-β responsiveness in promoting breast cancer progression up to the stage of advanced, histologically aggressive, but nonmetastatic disease and suggest that at that point TGF-β switches from tumor suppressor to prometastatic factor.
Fathers' mental health during the ante-and postnatal periods: Knowledge, recommendations and interventions

This paper discusses what we know about paternal depression during the perinatal period and if there are any effective interventions for it. Available prevalence estimates suggest that depression experienced by men perinatally may be elevated and specific and/or related to this significant life stage. Currently, there is a paucity of research evaluating how depression during the perinatal period manifests differently in men than women and if men cope with their depression in ways different to women. There is also a lack of studies comparing the risk factors of paternal depression during the perinatal period and the risk factors for general depression in men. Studies showed that paternal perinatal depression not only affects the men, but their children as well. On reviewing the studies on interventions, it is clear that further randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions are needed to establish efficacious and cost-effective treatment protocols for men.
Lifetime racism and blood pressure changes during pregnancy: implications for fetal growth.

OBJECTIVE Research suggests that exposure to racism partially explains why African American women are 2 to 3 times more likely to deliver low birth weight and preterm infants. However, the physiological pathways by which racism exerts these effects are unclear. This study examined how lifetime exposure to racism, in combination with maternal blood pressure changes during pregnancy, was associated with fetal growth. METHODS African American pregnant women (n = 39) reported exposure to childhood and adulthood racism in several life domains (e.g., at school, at work), which were experienced directly or indirectly, meaning vicariously experienced when someone close to them was treated unfairly. A research nurse measured maternal blood pressure at 18 to 20 and 30 to 32 weeks gestation. Standardized questionnaires and trained interviewers assessed maternal demographics. Neonatal length of gestation and birth weight data were collected from medical charts. RESULTS Childhood racism interacted with diastolic blood pressure to predict birth weight. Specifically, women with two or more domains of indirect exposure to racism in childhood and increases in diastolic blood pressure between 18 and 32 weeks had lower gestational age adjusted birth weight than the other women. A similar pattern was found for direct exposure to racism in childhood. CONCLUSIONS Increases in diastolic blood pressure between the second and third trimesters predicted lower birth weight, but only when racism exposure in childhood (direct or indirect) was relatively high. Understanding pregnant African American women's lifetime direct and indirect experiences with racism in combination with prenatal blood pressure may improve identification of highest risk subgroups within this population.
Liver Fibrosis Indices for Identifying Patients at Low Risk of Developing Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Eradication of HCV

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis C can develop after sustained virological response (SVR) to antiviral therapy for HCV, that is, the eradication of HCV, and effective surveillance systems for HCC should be established for this population. We retrospectively evaluated the utility of three laboratory liver fibrosis indices (aspartate aminotransferase-platelet ratio index [APRI], FIB-4 index and Forns index) for identifying patients at low risk of HCC development after SVR, for whom the termination of surveillance for HCC can be considered. Methods APRI, FIB-4 index and Forns index scores were calculated based on laboratory data prior to anti-HCV therapy and at 24 weeks after the end of anti-HCV therapy (SVR24) in 522 patients with SVR who continued surveillance for HCC after SVR. The associations between HCC development and laboratory indices at both points were analysed. Results Twenty-one patients developed HCC after SVR during 2.3–24.4 years follow-up. Whereas HCC developed even in patients with low APRI or FIB-4 index scores, no patients with low Forns index scores developed HCC after SVR. These results were confirmed in a separate cohort of 309 patients who achieved SVR (HCC developed in 17 patients during 1.7–21.6 years follow-up). Conclusions Forns index, especially assessed prior to anti-HCV therapy, was a useful laboratory liver fibrosis index for identifying patients at low likelihood of HCC after SVR. This index may be used as one of indicators to consider the termination of surveillance for HCC after the eradication of HCV.
Comparison of different methods for quantification of urinary leakage in incontinent women

To evaluate different methods for assessment of diagnosis and severity of urinary incontinence, 72 women underwent two consecutive 24 hours pad tests, a 1 hour pad test, a stress test, urodynamic examination, and a voiding‐cysto‐urethrography. The results were analysed and related to clinical findings.
The New Cholesterol Treatment Guidelines from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association, 2013: What Clinicians Need to Know

Abstract The new American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association blood cholesterol guidelines of 2013 are the first major revision of cholesterol therapy guidance in over a decade. Commonly used low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) target goals have been abrogated in favor of intensity of statin therapy, more in line with data from randomized clinical trials. Four groups of adult patients have been identified from these studies who will most benefit from statins: patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD); patients with primary elevations of LDL-C ≥ 190 mg/dL; diabetic patients between age 40 and 75 years without ASCVD whose LDL-C is between 70 and 189 mg/dL; and patients between age 40 and 75 years without ASCVD or diabetes with LDL-C between 70 and 189 mg/dL and an estimated 10-year ASCVD risk of 7.5% or higher. This last primary prevention group has engendered the most controversy because the newly recommended risk calculator may overestimate risk or the 7.5% threshold may be too low, thereby subjecting too many patients to statins unnecessarily. This review summarizes the latest guidelines and pertinent evidence, and provides case examples to help clinicians familiarize themselves with the new recommendations.
What Does the Community Say: Key Informant Perceptions of Rural Prescription Drug Use

This article presents data from four groups of rural Key Informants—Community leaders, educators, health care providers and justice/law enforcement officials—to understand the nonmedical use and misuse of prescription drugs. Seventy key informants were purposively selected from two counties in Appalachian Kentucky. Key informants indicated that the nonmedical use of prescription drugs is complex and has historical roots. Two pathways, or entry points, into the nonmedical use and misuse of prescription drugs were identified: physical pain and recreational use. Data show trends with regard to drug use patterns, drug use education, involvement with the criminal justice system and the role of economics in the prescription drug use problem. Key Informants underscored a common theme that the rural prescription drug problem was fueled by a cultural acceptance of drug misuse. Recommendations are presented for services and research.
Evidence concerning the medical management of caries.

Caries is an infectious, chronic and cumulative disease. It seriously affects quality of life and creates considerable expense for individuals and communities. The disease can be managed by acting on biofilm formation and maturation, by modifying the kinetics of apatite solution or with a combination of the two processes. This can be achieved by mechanical and chemical control of plaque, appropriate use of fluorides, controlling diet and salivary flow, when possible. Many of these factors depend on the patient’s co-operation. Decisions concerning treatment are influenced by two questions: the scientific evidence for the different alternatives available and each patient’s individual caries risk. The use of different fluoride regimes, depending on the individual risk, remains the most scientifically proven method for avoiding the appearance of new lesions and curbing the speed at which existing ones progress. Chemical control of plaque using chlorhexidine is indicated for patients at high microbiological risk; it is more effective at controlling caries when used in combination with fluorides. Fissure sealing is an effective means of controlling occlusal caries of the molars when the patient’s caries risk and the eruptive age of the tooth are taken into account.
Ca2+ Nanodomain-Mediated Component of Swelling-Induced Volume-Sensitive Outwardly Rectifying Anion Current Triggered by Autocrine Action of ATP in Mouse Astrocytes

The volume-sensitive outwardly rectifying (VSOR) anion channel provides a major pathway for anion transport during cell volume regulation. It is typically activated in response to cell swelling, but how the channel senses the swelling remains unclear. Meanwhile, we recently found that in mouse astrocytes the channel is activated by an inflammatory chemical mediator, bradykinin, without cell swelling and that the activation is regulated via high concentration regions of intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in the immediate vicinity of open Ca2+-permeable channels, so-called Ca2+ nanodomains. Here we investigated whether a similar mechanism is involved in the swelling-induced VSOR channel activation in the astrocytes. A hypotonic stimulus (25% reduction in osmolality) caused the [Ca2+]i rises in the astrocytes, and the rises were abolished in the presence of an ATP-degrading enzyme, apyrase (10 U/ml). Application of ATP (100 µM) under isotonic conditions generated the current through VSOR channels via Ca2+ nanodomains, as bradykinin does. The current induced by the hypotonic stimulus was suppressed by ∼40% in the Ca2+-depleted condition where the ATP-induced VSOR current was totally prevented. Thus the swelling-induced VSOR channel activation in mouse astrocytes is partly regulated via Ca2+ nanodomains, whose generation is triggered by an autocrine action of ATP.
Autonomic dysfunctions in patients with scorpion sting: early predictors of severe disease -

Background: Scorpion sting envenomation is a common medical emergency accounting for nearly 2.8% of annual intensive cardiac care unit admissions and much more outpatient visits. Symptomatology and severity of envenomation varies greatly. Autonomic storm may end up in loss of life. Methods: This is a clinical study conducted between April 2011 and February 2013. Patients with moderate to severe envenomation were examined at frequent intervals for various autonomic manifestations. Various demographic, clinical and electrocardiogram (ECG) changes were studied for their association with severity of envenomation. Results were statistically evaluated for their significance. Results: A total of 106 patients were studied with a mean age of 27.25 years and peak incidence between 11 and 30 year age groups. 91% reached the hospital within 12 h. 7.55% of the patients had Grade 2, 74.53% had Grade 3 and 17.92% had Grade 4 disease, all grades were common in 11-30 age group. Autonomic disturbances; profuse sweating seen in 72.6% of the patients that showed a strong correlation with pulmonary edema and ECG manifestations (p ≤ 0.0001). Pulmonary edema was present in 37.7% of the patients. Excessive salivation was seen in 28.3%, and persistent nausea and vomiting were seen in 24.5%, both were associated with severe cardio-pulmonary manifestations. Hypotension was present in 14.2% of patients that was associated with poor prognosis (p ≤ 0.0001). Conclusions: Scorpion sting envenomation is a life-threatening problem requiring immediate attention. Presence of autonomic dysfunctions; profuse sweating, excessive salivation, persistent nausea and vomiting, hypotension at presentation are poor prognostic factors.
A Self-Organizing Neural Model of Motor Equivalent Reaching and Tool Use by a Multijoint Arm

This paper describes a self-organizing neural model for eye-hand coordination. Called the DIRECT model, it embodies a solution of the classical motor equivalence problem. Motor equivalence computations allow humans and other animals to flexibly employ an arm with more degrees of freedom than the space in which it moves to carry out spatially defined tasks under conditions that may require novel joint configurations. During a motor babbling phase, the model endogenously generates movement commands that activate the correlated visual, spatial, and motor information that are used to learn its internal coordinate transformations. After learning occurs, the model is capable of controlling reaching movements of the arm to prescribed spatial targets using many different combinations of joints. When allowed visual feedback, the model can automatically perform, without additional learning, reaches with tools of variable lengths, with clamped joints, with distortions of visual input by a prism, and with unexpected perturbations. These compensatory computations occur within a single accurate reaching movement. No corrective movements are needed. Blind reaches using internal feedback have also been simulated. The model achieves its competence by transforming visual information about target position and end effector position in 3-D space into a body-centered spatial representation of the direction in 3-D space that the end effector must move to contact the target. The spatial direction vector is adaptively transformed into a motor direction vector, which represents the joint rotations that move the end effector in the desired spatial direction from the present arm configuration. Properties of the model are compared with psychophysical data on human reaching movements, neurophysiological data on the tuning curves of neurons in the monkey motor cortex, and alternative models of movement control.
Audiological practices and findings post HPCSA position statement: Assessment of children aged 0 - 35 months

Background. Early detection of hearing loss is important to ensure optimal development, and may be influenced by the audiological assessment process. Objective. To describe the actual practices and audiological findings with regard to the assessment of 0 - 35-month-old children referred for a hearing assessment at a public hospital. Methods. A retrospective record review was conducted. The study sample comprised 100 participant files. Results. The mean age of initial hearing screening was 13.1 months. Of the participants, 99% received an initial hearing screening and 44% received a second hearing screening. Only four of the eight participants who were referred underwent auditory brainstem response testing and were diagnosed with hearing loss. These four participants were diagnosed after the age of 2 years. The audiological protocol differed from that recommended by the Health Professions Council of South Africa, resulting in limited diagnostic assessment results. Conclusion. The study highlighted gaps in the practice of recommended, age-appropriate audiological protocols as well as the ages at which the initial hearing screenings were conducted, which affects early diagnosis of hearing loss.
Choices of drugs for self-treatment of malaria among adult women in a Nigerian city: Implications for the success of the ongoing 'roll back' malaria programme

Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Benue State University, P. M. B. 102119, Makurdi, Nigeria. Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Benue State University, P. M. B. 102119, Makurdi, Nigeria. Department of Surgery, College of Health Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria. Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, College of Health Sciences, Benue State University, P. M. B. 102119, Makurdi, Nigeria. Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar P. M. B. 1115, Calabar, Nigeria. Department of Histopathology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria. Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria. Department of Family Medicine, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital Uyo, Nigeria.
Detection of pregnancy in horses by breath analysis using differential ion mobility spectrometry (DMS)

Introduction: First results of pilot studies in human medicine, regarding the analysis of volatile organic breath compounds (VOC) for diagnostic purposes by means of spectrometric techniques encouraged us to investigate, whether one of these techniques is useful in veterinary medicine. Material and methods: A portable spectrometric system – Differential Ion Mobility Spectrometry (DMS) – was utilised in a first pilot study in equine species. Breath samples of fifteen pregnant and ten non-pregnant mares were taken in these first investigations. Clusters of VOC's were evaluated using a special statistical algorithm and compared to serum levels of sexual hormones. Results: It was possible to detect significant differences in clusters of exhaled peaks between pregnant and non-pregnant mares and discriminate between both groups with a statistical level of at least more than 95%. Calculating these clusters it is visible that certain VOC's were increased (cluster 17, 30, 72) in pregnancy, new clusters, not detectable in non-pregnant occurred in breath of pregnant animals (Cluster 24), or visible clusters with reduced peaks in pregnancy (cluster 68) were found. Surprisingly it was possible to identify a cluster (cluster 3) of VOC in breath which correlates with the estrone sulphate level in serum inversely. Discussion: Veterinarians do a lot of work detecting pregnancy in farm animals. It would be very useful to replace this physically hard job by another detection method, like the analysis of volatile organic compounds in breath. The authors appreciate the financial support of the German Federal Ministry of Economics (Berlin Germany, registration number VF 090056).
Effect of Ultrasound Therapy on Fracture Healing in Rabbits

Abstract Maiti, S.K. , Kumar, N. , Singh, G.R. and Hoque, M. 2003. Effect of ultrasound therapy on fracture healing in rabbits. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 24: 25–32. The effect of two different doses of ultrasound on fracture healing was studied in 12 adult New Zealand white rabbits divided equally in 3 groups (A, B and C). In all animals, midshaft transverse fracture of both the ulnae was created under thiopental (2.5%) anaesthesia. Ultrasound therapy at the rate of pulsed (1:1) 1W/cm2 and continuous 3W/cm2 were given on every alternative day (10 treatments), starting from day 4 post-fracture in groups A and C, respectively. Group B with no therapy served as control. Resolution of inflammatory swelling and pain was earlier in group A followed by groups B and C. Rectal temperature, Hb, TLC and DLC did not vary significantly at various stages of observations in all the three groups. In group A, periosteal proliferation started as early as on day 10 post-operatively and complete obliteration of fracture gap by bridging callus was observed on day 30. Remodeling of bridging callus and well-developed periosteal continuity were evident oil day 40 PO. Group C revealed pathological fracture and delayed and mal-union. Whereas, in control group B, fracture healing was comparatively slow, delayed and the defect site was well visible till day 40 PO. Histopathological observations further confirmed the radiological and clinical findings. No physiological side effects and other complications were observed in any group.
Tafenoquine: A New 8- Aminoquinoline

Malaria remains one of the major health hazards, with high associated morbidity and mortality in addition to having a crippling effect on the economy. Worldwide, malaria is the cause of morbidity in 300500 million people annually, out of whom, 2-3 1 million die . The disease is endemic within most tropical and subtropical regions of the world but 90% of all malaria deaths currently occur in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Africa, official figures show that a child dies of malaria every 45 seconds and the disease is 2 responsible for 20% of all childhood deaths . In Zambia, an estimated 3 million cases are said to occur every year and in the year 2006, the estimated 3 number of deaths because of the disease was 6,484 . The parasites responsible for malaria include P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale and P. malariae. P. vivax and P. ovale exhibit the exoerythrocytic stage responsible for relapses, but of critical importance in Sub-Saharan region is P. falciparum.