Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative on the Millennium Development Goals for Health

ABSTRACT The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) on the attainment of the health millennium development goals (MDGs) in Africa and identify other correlates of health MDGs. This way, the paper uses data from the World Bank and employs the difference in difference (DID) approach to estimate the impact of HIPC on health MDGs and to identify other determinants of health MDG attainment. The results show that the impact of HIPC on health MDGs is positive. Specifically, due to HIPC, the level of the following health MDG indicators decreased: mortality rate (infant); mortality rate (neonatal); incidence of tuberculosis; prevalence of HIV/AIDS, and mortality rate under five. However, the incidence of tuberculosis (all forms) registered an increase in Africa, even in treated groups. Our findings also indicate that MDGs for health will not be attained simultaneously because some variables that reduce mortality such as GDP per capita, natural resources and education cause HIV/AIDS.
Severe Abdominal Infections in Neutropenic Patients

Abdominal infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in neutropenic patients. We present a retrospective series of 16 patients, mostly with acute leukemia, who developed severe abdominal infections during chemotherapy-induced neutropenia between 1991 and 1997. The frequency among patients with acute leukemia was 2.35% (13 of 553). Thirteen patients presented with enterocolitis and 3 patients presented with cholecystitis. Eight patients died. Bacteremia was present in 6 patients, 4 patients suffered from proven or strongly suspected fungal infections, and 1 patient suffered from cytomegalovirus infection. Early surgical management was required in a patient with intestinal obstruction, whereas other patients could be managed conservatively. Two patients with acute cholecystitis were treated with antibiotics until the end of neutropenia and then were resected. Severe abdominal infections in neutropenic patients, which are often fatal, were caused by nonbacterial microorganisms in one-fourth of the cases and could be managed conservatively in most instances.
Effects of Prolonged Aerobic Exercise on Myocardial Responses to Ischaemia‐Reperfusion in the Rat

The effects of low‐intensity, prolonged swimming on functional recovery of the rat heart (Langendorff preparations) from ischaemia‐reperfusion (I/R) were investigated. Three groups of rats (120 days old) were used: sedentary rats (S) and rats exercised by a single bout of swimming lasting 5 (E5) or 8 h (E8), respectively. The effect of exercise on the response to I/R was related to an index of oxidative damage such as lipid peroxidation, as well as to the tissue antioxidant capacity and the response of heart tissue to in vitro oxidative stress. The intrinsic performance of E5 Langendorff preparations paced at 220 beats min−1 was also determined. A group of sedentary animals was used for H2O2‐treated preparations. The effect of antioxidant treatment on inotropic recovery during reperfusion was studied on preparations from 5 or 8 h swimming vitamin E‐treated (EVT5 and EVT8) and 5 or 8 h swimming untreated (EVU5 and EVU8) rats. Hearts from exercised animals displayed a reduced preischaemic inotropism, which in E5 rats was accompanied by an increase in the intrinsic heart rate. The lower intrinsic cardiac inotropism of E5 animals was confirmed in the paced preparations. The reduced contractility found in control hearts after addition of H2O2 to perfusion medium suggested that the low inotropism of E5 and E8 hearts was due to an exercise‐induced increase in reactive oxygen species. Inotropic recovery during reperfusion was low in the S hearts, was significantly increased in the E5 hearts, and was again reduced to the S level in the E8 hearts. In the E8 hearts the indexes of cellular damage (LDH release) and oxidative stress increased, and antioxidant capacity decreased, while in E5 hearts there was no evidence of significant changes in such parameters. Performance and reperfusion recovery of hearts from 5 h swimming rats was not affected by vitamin E treatment, while those of hearts from 8 h swimming rats was the highest observed. We suggest that the higher inotropic recovery during reperfusion in the hearts from the E5 rats is related to the negative inotropic effect of exercise. The fall in recovery following the 8 h exercise was instead related to the increased oxidative stress.
Cytoplasmic and mitochondrial Ca levels in brown adipocytes.

AIM We elucidated the mitochondrial functions of brown adipocytes in intracellular signalling, paying attention to mitochondrial activity and noradrenaline- and forskolin-induced Ca(2+) mobilizations in cold-acclimated rats. METHODS A confocal laser-scanning microscope of brown adipocytes from warm- or cold-acclimated rats was employed using probes rhodamine 123 which is a mitochondria-specific cationic dye, and the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial Ca(2+) probes fluo-3 and rhod-2. X-ray microanalysis was also studied. RESULTS The signal of rhodamine 123 in the cells was decreased by antimycin A which effect was less in cold-acclimated cells than warm-acclimated cells. Cytoplasmic and mitochondrial Ca(2+) in cold-acclimated brown adipocytes double-loaded with fluo-3 and rhod-2 were measured. Noradrenaline induced the rise in cytoplasmic Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](cyto)) followed by mitochondrial Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](mito)), the effect being transformed into an increase in [Ca(2+)](cyto) whereas a decrease in [Ca(2+)](mito) by antimycin A or carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). Antimycin A induced small Ca(2+) release from mitochondria. CCCP induced Ca(2+) release from mitochondria only after the cells were stimulated with noradrenaline. Further, forskolin also elicited an elevation in [Ca(2+)](cyto) followed by [Ca(2+)](mito) in the cells. The Ca measured by X-ray microanalysis was higher both in the cytoplasm and mitochondria whereas K was higher in the mitochondria of cold-acclimated cells in comparison to warm-acclimated cells. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that noradrenaline and forskolin evoked an elevation in [Ca(2+)](cyto) followed by [Ca(2+)](mito), in which H(+) gradient across the inner membrane is responsible for the accumulation of calcium on mitochondria. Moreover, cAMP also plays a role in intracellular and mitochondrial Ca(2+) signalling in cold-acclimated brown adipocytes.
Altered inhibition of dentate granule cells during spatial learning in an exploration task

To investigate the extent to which inhibitory interneurons control impulse flow through the dentate gyrus during spatial learning in an exploration task, dentate field potentials were recorded in response to paired stimulation of the perforant path while rats rested or explored. Recurrent inhibition of the granule cells was measured as the reduction of the second waveform when a population spike was present in the first. Both the population spike and the field EPSP (fEPSP) were suppressed at interstimulus intervals shorter than approximately 40 msec. Consistent differences were observed between potentials recorded at equivalent brain temperature in the exploration and resting (reference) conditions. During exploration, the fEPSP of the second (test) waveform was reduced further compared with reference potentials with a similar response to the first (conditioning) stimulus. This reduction was observed only when the first pulse elicited a population spike. The population spike of the second waveform was facilitated compared with reference potentials with similar fEPSP slopes. These observations suggest that exploration is coupled to increased inhibition on the perforant-path terminals or the dendrites of the granule cells, whereas the inhibition on the somata is decreased. The two phenomena were not correlated and followed different time courses. The suppression of the fEPSP decayed gradually, although it was still present at 15 min, whereas the facilitation of the population spike was stable. Together, these changes, which likely involve different populations of interneurons, may focus and amplify incoming signals from the entorhinal cortex.
Immunohistochemical and morphometric study of the development of fetal and newborn rat pancreatic islets.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to perform a detailed morphometric immunohistochemical study of the development of fetal and newborn rat pancreatic islets. METHODS Twenty-four pancreases were obtained from 19 and 21-day-old fetal rats, one and 4-day-old newborn rats. They were fixed in buffered neutral formalin, dehydrated and embedded in paraplast. Sections were stained with anti-insulin antibodies. A morphometric study was performed on the pancreatic islets at the Department of Anatomy, King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, between 2001 and 2002. RESULTS The volume density of B cells showed a gradual increase during the last days of gestation and a slight increase during the first 4 days after birth. All the other morphometric parameters showed a gradual increase during the last days of gestation and during the first days after birth. The B cell nuclear diameter and volume showed a slight increase after birth. The B cells were well stained and present in the central part of fetal and newborn islets, while, the other islet cells were present in the periphery of the islets. CONCLUSION The size of the endocrine tissue, which was represented by the islet diameter, islet volume, islet volume density, total number of islet cells, number of B cells and volume density of B cells showed a progressive increase during the perinatal period.
OPTIMIZING POLICYMAKERS’ LOSS FUNCTIONS IN CRISIS PREDICTION: BEFORE, WITHIN OR AFTER?

Recurring financial instabilities have led policymakers to rely on early-warning models to signal financial vulnerabilities. These models rely on ex-post optimization of signaling thresholds on crisis probabilities accounting for preferences between forecast errors, but come with the crucial drawback of unstable thresholds in recursive estimations. We propose two alternatives for threshold setting with similar or better out-of-sample performance: (i) including preferences in the estimation itself and (ii) setting thresholds ex-ante according to preferences only. Given probabilistic model output, it is intuitive that a decision rule is independent of the data or model specification, as thresholds on probabilities represent a willingness to issue a false alarm vis-à-vis missing a crisis. We provide real-world and simulation evidence that this simplification results in stable thresholds, while keeping or improving on out-of-sample performance. Our solution is not restricted to binary-choice models, but directly transferable to the signaling approach and all probabilistic early-warning models.
Expression of heme oxygenase‐1 in the senescent and alzheimer‐diseased brain

Heme oxygenase‐1 is a cellular stress protein expressed in brain and other tissue in response to oxidative challenge and other noxious stimuli. Using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescent labeling in conjunction with laser scanning confocal microscopy, we observed intense immunoreactivity of heme oxygenase‐1 in neurons of the hippocampus and temporal cortex of Alzheimer‐diseased (AD) brain relative to age‐matched control specimens. Furthermore, we demonstrated consistent colocalization of heme oxygenase‐1 to glial fibrillary acidic protein–positive astrocytes, neurofibrillary tangles, and senile plaques in the AD specimens. In AD hippocampus, approximately 86% of glial fibrillary acidic protein–positive astrocytes expressed heme oxygenase‐1, whereas only 6.8% of hippocampal astrocytes in normal senescent control specimens were immunopositive for heme oxygenase‐1 (p < 0.0001). In regions other than the hippocampus and neocortex, such as the substantia nigra, the proportion of astrocytes expressing heme oxygenase‐1 in the experimental group (12.8%) was not significantly different from that in the controls (6.4%, p > 0.05). Robust 32‐kd bands corresponding to heme oxygenase‐1 were observed by Western blotting of protein extracts derived from AD temporal cortex and hippocampus after sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Heme oxygenase‐1 bands were very faint or absent in protein extracts prepared from control specimens. These results indicate that heme oxygenase‐1 is significantly overexpressed in neurons and astrocytes of AD hippocampus and cerebral cortex relative to control brains. Upregulation of heme oxygenase‐1 in AD brain supports the contention that the affected tissues are experiencing chronic oxidative stress. In addition, the excessive generation of carbon monoxide, a metabolite of heme degradation, may participate in the pathogenesis of AD.
Neonatal outcomes in the setting of preterm premature rupture of membranes complicated by chorioamnionitis

Objective. To examine the outcomes of neonates born to women with chorioamnionitis in the setting of preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). Methods. A retrospective cohort study was conducted of deliveries with diagnosis of PPROM between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation at an academic medical center. Patients who delivered with the diagnosis of clinical chorioamnionitis were compared with patients who delivered without this diagnosis. Neonatal outcomes including Apgar scores, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), sepsis, pneumonia, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) were assessed. Dichotomous outcomes were compared using chi-square test. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to control for potential confounding variables. Results. Of the 1153 patients diagnosed with PPROM, 29.0% were diagnosed with chorioamnionitis prior to delivery. Neonates born to mothers with a diagnosis of chorioamnionitis in the setting of PPROM had higher incidences (34.8%) of low 5-min Apgar scores, RDS, NEC, ICH, and pneumonia compared with 22.9% in neonates born to mothers without chorioamnionitis (p < 0.001). Conclusions. Patients who develop chorioamnionitis in the setting of PPROM are at higher risk for adverse neonatal outcomes compared with patients without chorioamnionitis in the setting of PPROM.
Rooting the Eukaryote Tree by Using a Derived Gene Fusion

Single-gene trees have failed to locate the root of the eukaryote tree because of systematic biases in sequence evolution. Structural genetic data should yield more reliable insights into deep phylogenetic relationships. We searched major protist groups for the presence or absence of a gene fusion in order to locate the root of the eukaryote tree. In striking contrast to previous molecular studies, we show that all eukaryote groups ancestrally with two cilia (bikonts) are evolutionarily derived. The root lies between bikonts and opisthokonts (animals, Fungi, Choanozoa). Amoebozoa either diverged even earlier or are sister of bikonts or (less likely) opisthokonts.
Spatially adaptive multiplicative noise image denoising technique

A new image denoising technique in the wavelet transform domain for multiplicative noise is presented. Unlike most existing techniques, this approach does not require prior modeling of either the image or the noise statistics. It uses the variance of the detail wavelet coefficients to decide whether to smooth or to preserve these coefficients. The approach takes advantage of wavelet transform property in generating three detail subimages each providing specific information with certain feature directivity. This allows the ability to combine information provided by different detail subimages to direct the filtering operation. The algorithm uses the hypothesis test based on the F-distribution to decide whether detail wavelet coefficients are due to image related features or they are due to noise. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is tested for orthogonal as well as biorthogonal mother wavelets in order to study the effect of the smoothing process under different wavelet types.
Exercise During the Childbearing Year

Many women wish to continue to pursue an active life-style during pregnancy, while the pregnancy itself may provide the motivation for other more sedentary women to begin an exercise program for the sake of improved health/fitness. Also, female competitive athletes, upon becoming pregnant, may wish to continue sports performance and require careful monitoring to assure maternal-fetal safety. This review is designed to assist the perinatal educator who is in the position to advise the pregnant patient on the risks and benefits of physical activity during the childbearing year and provide suggestions for developing individualized exercise programs.
A Phase I Study of an Agonist CD40 Monoclonal Antibody (CP-870,893) in Combination with Gemcitabine in Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Purpose: This phase I study investigated the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD), safety, pharmacodynamics, immunologic correlatives, and antitumor activity of CP-870,893, an agonist CD40 antibody, when administered in combination with gemcitabine in patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). Experimental Design: Twenty-two patients with chemotherapy-naïve advanced PDA were treated with 1,000 mg/m2 gemcitabine once weekly for three weeks with infusion of CP-870,893 at 0.1 or 0.2 mg/kg on day three of each 28-day cycle. Results: CP-870,893 was well-tolerated; one dose-limiting toxicity (grade 4, cerebrovascular accident) occurred at the 0.2 mg/kg dose level, which was estimated as the MTD. The most common adverse event was cytokine release syndrome (grade 1 to 2). CP-870,893 infusion triggered immune activation marked by an increase in inflammatory cytokines, an increase in B-cell expression of costimulatory molecules, and a transient depletion of B cells. Four patients achieved a partial response (PR). 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) showed more than 25% decrease in FDG uptake within primary pancreatic lesions in six of eight patients; however, responses observed in metastatic lesions were heterogeneous, with some lesions responding with complete loss of FDG uptake, whereas other lesions in the same patient failed to respond. Improved overall survival correlated with a decrease in FDG uptake in hepatic lesions (R = −0.929; P = 0.007). Conclusions: CP-870,893 in combination with gemcitabine was well-tolerated and associated with antitumor activity in patients with PDA. Changes in FDG uptake detected on PET/CT imaging provide insight into therapeutic benefit. Phase II studies are warranted. Clin Cancer Res; 19(22); 6286–95. ©2013 AACR.
Supplemental feeding may reduce responsiveness of Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) to avian mobbing calls during gap-crossing experiments

Deforestation creates gaps in forest habitat, which can limit the movements of many avian species. Increased predation risk associated with crossing open habitats is often considered the primary impediment to crossing gaps. However, other factors such as energetic reserves may also influence these decisions. We conducted playback experiments before and after supplemental feeding of Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766)) to investigate how energetic reserves influenced gap-crossing decisions. Black-capped Chickadees were less likely to respond to playbacks, whether conducted within forests or across gaps, after supplemental feeding. This suggests that energetic reserves may have less influence on gap-crossing decisions than on the willingness of birds to respond to mobbing calls in general. We recommend that future studies investigating gap-crossing decisions using playbacks account for differences in resource availability among sampling locations, especially when making comparisons across discrete habitats.
Not a Straight Line—Patients’ Experiences of Prostate Cancer and Their Journey Through the Healthcare System

Background Cancer and its treatment can severely impact quality of life, giving rise to complex needs with respect to follow-up care. To support patient needs and increase efficiency of care with limited resources, the Swedish government has launched national reforms to redesign cancer care pathways. Objective The aim of this study was to explore how prostate cancer patients experience their journey through the healthcare system when their care is provided according to the standardized care pathway, as described in healthcare policy documents. Methods A qualitative, descriptive approach with individual interviews was used. A template of a standardized prostate cancer pathway, created together with healthcare professionals, was used during interviews. Fourteen interviews were conducted with prostate cancer patients all operated on at a midsized hospital in southeast Sweden between October 2015 and April 2016. The interviews were analyzed with qualitative content analysis and illustrated in a patient journey map. Results We identified an overall theme, “walking a tightrope,” consisting of 4 categories: “waiting,” “becoming familiar with a troublesome body,” “adjusting to a different life,” and “information challenges. ” Conclusions The clinical implementation of the standardized care pathway is described as a straight path through care, but patients described their experiences as walking a tightrope. Lack of information, especially about cancer treatment and its adverse effects, was the most common experience. Implications for Practice Our findings indicate areas where further healthcare tools could improve patient experiences of cancer treatment. This could include offering individualized information and tools to increase patient empowerment, as well as patient/caregiver collaboration (co-care).
The Effect of Creatine Kinase Inhibition on Contractile Properties of Human Resistance Arteries.

BACKGROUND Creatine kinase (CK) is a main predictor of blood pressure, and this is thought to largely depend on high resistance artery contractility. We previously reported an association between vascular contractility and CK in normotensive pregnancy, but pregnancy is a strong CK inducer, and data on human hypertension are lacking. Therefore, we further explored CK-dependency of vascular contractility outside the context of pregnancy in normotensive and hypertensive women. METHODS AND RESULTS Nineteen consecutive women, mean age 42 years (SE 1.3), mean systolic/diastolic blood pressure respectively 142.6 (SE 5.9)/85.6 (3.4) mm Hg (9 hypertensive), donated an omental fat sample during abdominal surgery. We compared vasodilation after the specific CK inhibitor 2,4-dinitro-1-fluorobenzene (DNFB; 10(-6) mol/l) to sodium nitroprusside (10(-6) mol/l) in isolated resistance arteries using a wire myograph. Additionally, we assessed predictors of vasoconstrictive force. DNFB reduced vascular contractility to 24.3% (SE 4.4), P < 0.001, compared to baseline. Sodium nitroprusside reduced contractility to 89.8% (SE 2.3). Maximum contractile force correlated with DNFB effect as a measure of CK (r = 0.8), and with vessel diameter (r = 0.7). The increase in contractile force was 16.5 mN [9.1-23.9] per unit DNFB effect in univariable and 10.35 mN [2.10-18.60] in multivariable regression analysis. CONCLUSION This study extends on our previous findings in pregnant normotensive women of CK-dependent microvascular contractility, indicating that CK contributes significantly to resistance artery contractility across human normotension and primary hypertension outside the context of pregnancy. Further studies should explore the effect of CK inhibitors on clinical blood pressure.