Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Susceptibility of lung cancer with polymorphisms of CYP1A1, GSTM1, GSTM3, GSTT1 and GSTP1 genotypes in the population of Inner Mongolia region.

BACKGROUND To study the relationship of susceptibility to lung cancer with the gene polymorphisms of CYP1A1, GSTM1, GSTM3, GSTT1, GSTP1 and smoking status in Han and Mongolian populations of Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of China. MATERIALS AND METHODS PCR-RFLP, allele-specific and multiplex PCR were employed to identify the genotypes of CYP1A1, GSTM1, GSTM3, GSTT1 and GSTP1 in a case-control study of 322 lung cancer patients diagnosed by bronchoscopy and 456 controls free of malignancy. RESULTS There is a significant difference in genotypic frequency of GSTT1 of healthy Mongolian and Han subjects. A statistically prominent association was found between CYP1A1 Msp1 (vt/vt) (OR=4.055, 95%CI:2.107-7.578, p=0.000), GSTM1 (-) (OR=2.290, 95%CI:1.467-3.573, p=0.000) and lung cancer in Mongolians. Similarly, in the Han population, CYP1A1 Msp1 (vt/vt) (OR=3.194, 95%CI:1.893-5.390, p=0.000) and GSTM1 (-) (OR=1.884, 95%CI:1.284-2.762, p=0.001) carriers also had an elevated risk of lung cancer. The smokers were more susceptible to lung cancer 2.144 fold and 1.631 fold than non-smokers in Mongolian and Han populations, respectively. The smokers who carried with CYP1A1 Msp1 (wt/vt+vt/vt), exon7 (Val/Val+Ile /Val), GSTM1 (-), GSTM3 (AB+BB), and GSTT1 (-) respectively were found all to have a high risk of lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS CYP1A1 Msp1 (vt/ vt) and GSTM1 (-) are risk factors of lung cancer in Han and Mongolian population in the Inner Mongolia region. The smokers with CYP1A1 Msp1 (wt/vt+vt/vt), CYP1A1 exon7 (Val/Val+Ile /Val), GSTM1 (-), GSTM3 (AB+BB), and GSTT1 (-) genotypes, respectively, are at elevated risk of lung cancer.
Diagnosis of alveolar and root fractures in macerated canine maxillae: a comparison between two different CBCT protocols.

OBJECTIVES To compare two small-field-of-view (FOV) CBCT protocols with different voxel sizes and number of frames for the diagnosis of root and alveolar fractures in macerated canine maxillae. METHODS 80 incisor teeth from the canine species were inserted in 80 anterior alveolar sockets of 20 canine maxillae. An operator randomly divided each maxilla site (80 sites in total) into 4 equal groups of 20 sites: 1 (sound tooth and non-fractured alveolar socket); 2 (sound tooth and fractured alveolar socket); 3 (fractured root and non-fractured alveolar socket); and 4 (fractured root and fractured alveolar socket). The CBCT images were obtained using two different protocols: normal (N) (voxel 0.20 mm, 400 frames and radiation exposure 5.6 mGy) and high definition (HD) (voxel 0.15 mm, 500 frames and radiation exposure 7.0 mGy). RESULTS Sensitivity numbers for alveolar fractures were lower than specificity, resulting in comparable areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) for both protocols. Sensitivity, specificity and AUC for N and HD protocols were very similar for root fractures. When comparing AUC for both N and HD protocols by submitting them to Student's t-test, the comparison among the curves produced statistically non-significant results for alveolar fractures and root fractures likewise. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrated that the elected protocol for the diagnosis of root and alveolar fractures was N. This protocol allowed similar diagnosis results than HD protocol; however, with a lower amount of radiation exposure for the patient (5.6 mGy for N vs 7.0 mGy for HD).
The predicted protein product of a pathogenicity locus from Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola is homologous to a highly conserved domain of several procaryotic regulatory proteins

A ca. 20-kilobase (kb) region (hrp) that controls the interaction of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola with its host (pathogenicity) and nonhost plants (hypersensitive reaction) was previously cloned and partially characterized. In this study we defined the limits and determined the nucleotide sequence of a hrp locus (hrpS), located near the right end of the hrp cluster. The largest open reading frame (ORF302) in hrpS has a coding capacity for a 302-amino-acid polypeptide. The predicted amino acid sequence of the translation product of ORF302 (HrpS) shows significant similarity to several procaryotic regulatory proteins, including the NtrC, NifA, and DctD proteins of Rhizobium spp. , the NtrC and NifA proteins of Klebsiella pneumoniae, and the TyrR protein of Escherichia coli. These proteins regulate diverse operons involved in nitrogen fixation, transport and metabolism of amino acids, and transport of C-4 dicarboxylic acids. The HrpS protein appears to be the shortest naturally occurring member of this family of proteins, corresponding for the most part to the highly conserved central domain of these proteins, which contains a putative ATP-binding site. A C-terminal segment analogous to the less-well-conserved domain, involved in DNA binding of NtrC and NifA, is also present in HrpS. These similarities suggest that HrpS is a regulatory protein. In line with this prediction is the finding that a functional hrpS gene is necessary for the activation of another hrp locus during the plant-bacterium interaction.
Psychiatric Comorbidity Among Egyptian Patients With Opioid Use Disorders Attributed to Tramadol

Objective:Opioid use disorders attributed to tramadol (OUD-T) is a public health problem in Egypt. The objective of this study was to assess the psychiatric comorbidity among patients with opioid use disorder attributed to tramadol. Methods:This study included 100 patients with opioid use disorders attributed to tramadol (according to DSM-IV-TR) and 100 control persons (matched for age, sex, and education), who were recruited from Zagazig University Hospital, Egypt. The participants were interviewed using Structured Clinical Interview for DSM disorders (SCID-I and SCID-II), Addiction Severity Index scale (patients), and urine screening for drugs. Results:Twenty-four percent of the patients used tramadol only (pure tramadol group), whereas 76% of the patients used other substances in addition to tramadol (polysubstance group). Most (91%) of the patients had tramadol dependence. Forty-nine percent of the patients had psychiatric comorbidity, especially mood disorders (59.2%), whereas only 24% of the control persons had psychiatric comorbidity, especially anxiety disorders (83.3%). The most common personality disorders among patients were borderline (24%) and antisocial (22%), whereas in control persons, the most common personality disorders were obsessive compulsive personality disorder (8%) and the avoidant personality disorder (7%). Cluster B (76.6%) was the most common category among patients (compared with 25.8% in control persons), whereas cluster C (51.6%) was the most common category among control persons (compared with 15.6% in patients). Conclusions:Most of the patients were dependent on tramadol, and approximately 3 out of 4 used many substances. Almost half of the patients had psychiatric comorbidity, and approximately 3 out of 4 had cluster B personality disorders.
Atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis: morphologic evidence obtained by carotid ultrasound.

OBJECTIVE Recent studies have suggested increased cardiovascular disease among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We undertook this study to obtain morphologic evidence of subclinical atherosclerosis in RA patients. METHODS We used high-resolution B-mode ultrasound to compare carotid artery intima-media wall thickness (IMT) between 53 postmenopausal women with RA and 53 controls matched by age, sex, and menopause status. No subject in either group had a history of atherosclerosis or its complications. We investigated the association between IMT and relevant clinical and therapeutic variables, including the impact of low-dose corticosteroid therapy (< or = 10 mg/day prednisolone). RESULTS The mean +/- SD IMT of the left and right common carotid arteries in RA patients was significantly greater than that in controls (0.77 +/- 0.09 mm versus 0.68 +/- 0.14 mm; P < 0.001). Early RA (duration < or = 1 year) was associated with lesser IMT than was RA of longer duration (0.72 +/- 0.03 mm versus 0.78 +/- 0.01 mm; P < 0.04). Prednisolone use was not associated with increased IMT (0.78 +/- 0.02 mm in nonusers versus 0.76 +/- 0.01 mm in users; P = 0.38). CONCLUSION Our data indicate that RA patients have an ultrasonic marker of early atherosclerosis consistent with an increased risk for atherosclerosis.
A survey of Plesiomonas shigelloides from aquatic environments, domestic animals, pets and humans

SUMMARY We conducted a survey during the period from 1974 to 1976, to determine the distribution of Plesiomonas shigelloides in human faeces, the intestinal contents of cattle, swine, poultry, dogs, cats, fresh water fish, and river water and sludge from wet riverbeds in the vicinity of Tokyo. Isolation of the organisms was performed by using Salmonella-Shigella (SS) agar and deoxycholate-hydrogensulphide-lactose (DHL) agar plates. P. shigelloides was isolated from 3 (0·0078%) of 38454 healthy Tokyoites, 37 (3·8%) of 967 dogs, 40 (10·3%) of 389 cats, 25 (10·2%) of 246 fresh water fish, 64 (12·8%) of 497 river water samples, and 2 of 19 (10·5%) sludge samples. Of 302 strains isolated, from dogs, cats, fresh water fish, river water and healthy carriers, 196 were typed to 50 serovars. Most of the serovars were found to be similar to strains isolated from patients with gastroenteritis due to P. shigelloides.
The Florida Initiative for Quality Cancer Care: a regional project to measure and improve cancer care.

BACKGROUND The Florida Initiative for Quality Cancer Care (FIQCC) is a physician and practice-based quality improvement project that was conceived to study the barriers to delivering quality cancer care in Florida. The ultimate goal of the FIQCC is to improve cancer care throughout the state. This report provides an overview of the development and implementation of the FIQCC. METHODS Representatives from 11 oncology practices across the state of Florida selected quality measures consistent with evidence-, consensus-, and safety-based guidelines that could be abstracted from medical records. Trained abstractors review records of all eligible patients seen by each practice and enter the data into a Web-based application. Frequencies of responses for each indicator are tabulated for overall and practice-specific level of adherence and compared among practices. Seminars are held to discuss strategies to address opportunities for improvement in the quality of cancer care identified by the survey. RESULTS Three quality of cancer indicator modules organized by diagnosis (colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer) as well as a module relating to a domain of care (psychosocial care) have been developed by FIQCC participants. All of the participating practices successfully completed data collection for the colorectal cancer and breast cancer modules as well as the psychosocial care module. To date, 1,622 charts have been successfully entered into the FIQCC database. Results from the colorectal survey confirmed high overall rates of compliance with a series of quality indicators but also identified areas for improvement. CONCLUSIONS The FIQCC is working toward becoming a statewide program that enables practicing oncologists and investigators to measure and address disparities in the delivery of quality cancer care.
Effect of zinc supplementation on observed activity in low socioeconomic Indian preschool children.

OBJECTIVES To investigate whether supplementation of zinc in preschool children is associated with improvement in observed activity levels. METHODS On 2 consecutive days, we performed 5-hour observations with momentary time sampling (instant activity every 10 minutes) in children selected from an ongoing double-blind, randomized trial of zinc supplementation. The study was conducted in Kalkaji, a low-socioeconomic urban population of New Delhi with high diarrheal incidence and rates of malnutrition. A total of 93 children (48 zinc and 45 control) 12 to 23 months of age from an ongoing community-based, randomized, controlled trial received supplements for at least 1 month before study; 71% had received supplementation for more than 120 days. Zinc gluconate (10 mg of elemental zinc) was given daily, with both zinc and control groups receiving vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, D3, and E and niacinamide in addition. RESULTS Outcomes were percentages of time spent in each of five activity levels and two groups representing high and low movement and overall rating by two activity scores. Children in the zinc group spent 72% more time performing activities in the high-movement group. Among the zinc-supplemented children, the activity rating by the children's activity rating score was 12% higher and by the energy expenditure score was 8.3% higher than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, zinc supplementation, given along with selected vitamins, was associated with significantly greater activity levels in children. The relationship between the activity increase and locomotor development needs to be investigated, as do the long-term implications of zinc supplementation in terms of developmental status and school performance.
Recent trends in acute lung injury mortality: 1996–2005*

Objective:Studies from single centers have suggested that mortality from acute lung injury (ALI) has declined over time. However, recent trends in ALI mortality from centers across the United States are unknown. We sought to determine whether recent advances in the treatment of ALI and related critical illnesses have resulted in decreased mortality from ALI. Design:Retrospective cohort study of patients enrolled in the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) Network randomized controlled trials. Setting:Adult intensive care units participating in the ARDS Network trials. Patients:2,451 mechanically ventilated patients with ALI enrolled in the ARDS Network randomized controlled trials between 1996 and 2005. Measurements and Main Results:Crude mortality was 35% in 1996–1997 and declined during each subsequent time period to a low of 26% in 2004–2005 (test for trend p < 0.0005). After adjusting for demographic and clinical covariates, including receipt of lower tidal volume ventilation and severity of illness, the temporal trend persisted (test for trend p = 0.002). When analyzed by individual causes of lung injury, there were not any statistically significant temporal trends in 60-day mortality for the most common causes of lung injury (pneumonia, sepsis, aspiration, and trauma). Conclusions:Over the past decade, there seems to be a clear temporal improvement in survival among patients with ALI treated at ARDS Network centers. Our findings strongly suggest that other advancements in critical care, aside from lower tidal volume ventilation, accounted for this improvement in mortality.
Characterization of alpha-fetoprotein effects on dendritic cell and its function as effector immune response activator

Tumor antigen alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) can promote immune tolerance toward tumor cells by inducing regulatory functions of the immune system. The purpose of this study was to characterize the effects of AFP on dendritic cells (DC) in their antitumor immune response stimulation and subsequent immune tolerance toward tumor cells. Monocytes were cultured in medium with GM-CSF and IL-4 and incubated for 6 days to generate immature DC (imDC). AFP was added into the treatment group at the beginning of the monocyte-derived DC culture. Mature DC (mDC) were generated by an addition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into the culture and incubation for another 48 hours. We observed that the addition of AFP in early DC culture was able to decrease the binding of LPS onto imDC surface, which lowered the strength of stimulation and consequently the maturity of DC. As expected, the expression of mDC surface markers, which are known to be crucial in effector cell proliferation and activation such as HLA-DR, CD40, CD80, CD83, and CD86, were confirmed to be reduced on AFP-exposed DC. DC potential in stimulating proliferation of CD4+ T cells was decreased, in line with the reduction of surface markers’ expression. Additionally, an increased secretion of cytokine TGF-β by DC was observed. In summary, AFP inhibited the effector immune responses while increasing the regulatory immune responses in DC. This might lead to tolerance toward antigens and tumor cell survival, such as in cases of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with high levels of AFP.
Effect of Delayed Admission to the Hospital on the Preoperative Prevalence of Deep-Vein Thrombosis Associated with Fractures about the Hip*

Thirteen (10 per cent) of 133 patients who had venography on admission to the hospital for a fracture about the hip had radiographic evidence of deep-vein thrombosis. Only seven (6 per cent) of the 122 patients who were seen at the hospital within two days after the fracture had evidence of thrombosis. However, six of the eleven patients who had a delay of more than two days between the fracture and admission to the hospital had evidence of thrombosis. Although there was no significant difference between these two groups with respect to the mean age, sex distribution, frequency of fracture type, or history of deep-vein thrombosis, there was a significant difference in the prevalence of thrombosis in the patients who had a delay before admission to the hospital compared with those who did not (p < 0.001). These results suggest that there is a substantial risk of venous thromboembolic disease in patients who have a fracture about the hip, regardless of whether or not they have had an operation, and that this risk increases if the time to presentation is delayed. Consequently, patients for whom there was a delay between a fracture about the hip and admission to the hospital should be considered to be at high risk for, and should be evaluated for, deep-vein thrombosis preoperatively.
Skin lesions in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Cutaneous lesions occur in up to 25% of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). These can be caused by either cutaneous seeding by leukemic cells (leukemia cutis, LC) and other malignant diseases or nonmalignant disorders. Skin infiltration with B-lymphocyte CLL manifests as solitary, grouped, or generalized papules, plaques, nodules, or large tumors. Prognosis in CLL patients with LC is rather good and many authors claim that it does not significantly affect patients' survival. However, prognosis is poor in patients in whom LC shows blastic transformation (Richter's syndrome) and when leukemic infiltrations in the skin appear after the diagnosis of CLL. Secondary cutaneous malignancies are also frequent complications in patients with CLL. A higher risk was seen in skin cancer, for which eightfold higher occurrence has been stated. There are some suggestions that alkylating agents and purine analogs may be associated with an increased incidence of secondary malignancies in CLL. Nonspecific, secondary cutaneous lesions are frequently observed in CLL patients. The most common secondary cutaneous changes seen in CLL are those of infectious or hemorrhagic origin. Other secondary lesions present as vasculitis, purpura, generalized pruritus, exfoliative erythroderma, and paraneoplastic pemphigus. An exaggerated reaction to an insect bite and insect bite-like reactions have been also observed.
Fatality risk reduction from safety belt use.

This paper presents an overview of recent estimations of safety belt effectiveness obtained using a new technique--the double-pair comparison method. By effectiveness is meant the reduction, expressed as per cent, in fatalities to a presently unbelted population that would result if all of its members were to use belts, but not otherwise change their driving behavior. The double-pair comparison method is presented more simply, with less mathematical detail and rigor, than in earlier descriptions of it. The method is applied to determine the effectiveness of three-point lap/shoulder belts in preventing fatalities to drivers and right front passengers in passenger cars of model year 1974 or later, averaged over the distribution of crashes which occur in U.S. traffic. The method is then applied to investigate the dependence of effectiveness on a variety of vehicular, accident, roadway, and environmental factors. It is reported that if all presently unbelted drivers and right front passengers were to use the provided lap/shoulder belts, but not otherwise change their behavior, fatalities to this group would decline by (43 +/- 3)%. Safety belt effectiveness for drivers is higher in single-car crashes than in multiple-vehicle crashes, but does not depend much on a variety of other vehicle factors (for example, car size), accident factors (travel speed), roadway factors (posted speed limit), and environmental factors (light versus dark).
Leptin response in patients with tuberculous pleuritis.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Tuberculous pleuritis is used as a model to understand the protective immune response in tuberculosis. It is predominated by Th1 response at the site of infection, where a possible role for the leptin, a known enhancer of Th1 response, could be speculated. Hence, we investigated leptin levels in pleural effusions in patients with both tuberculous (TP) and non-tuberculous (NTP) pleural effusion. METHODS Leptin and cytokine levels were assessed in serum and pleural fluid of TP and NTP patients (N = 20 each) by ELISA. Multivariate regression analysis were performed to find the possible determinants of leptin taking leptin as the dependent and body mass index (BMI), gender, source of leptin [i.e., serum or pleural fluid (PF)], age and disease status as independent variables. RESULTS PF leptin levels were significantly higher than serum leptin levels in both the groups however the PF leptin levels were significantly lower in TP subjects compared to NTP. The results showed that the leptin was found to be dependent on BMI but not on the other parameters. However, regression analysis based on the source of leptin showed males to be a better predictor of leptin. No correlation was observed between leptin and measured immune parameters. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrated that the decreased leptin levels were associated with reduction in BMI but not with the disease status in tuberculous pleuritis.