Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cognitive–behavioural suicide prevention for male prisoners: a pilot randomized controlled trial

Background. Prisoners have an exceptional risk of suicide. Cognitive–behavioural therapy for suicidal behaviour has been shown to offer considerable potential, but has yet to be formally evaluated within prisons. This study investigated the feasibility of delivering and evaluating a novel, manualized cognitive–behavioural suicide prevention (CBSP) therapy for suicidal male prisoners. Method. A pilot randomized controlled trial of CBSP in addition to treatment as usual (CBSP; n = 31) compared with treatment as usual (TAU; n = 31) alone was conducted in a male prison in England. The primary outcome was self-injurious behaviour occurring within the past 6 months. Secondary outcomes were dimensions of suicidal ideation, psychiatric symptomatology, personality dysfunction and psychological determinants of suicide, including depression and hopelessness. The trial was prospectively registered (number ISRCTN59909209). Results. Relative to TAU, participants receiving CBSP therapy achieved a significantly greater reduction in suicidal behaviours with a moderate treatment effect [Cohen's d = −0.72, 95% confidence interval −1.71 to 0.09; baseline mean TAU: 1.39 (s.d. = 3.28) v. CBSP: 1.06 (s.d. = 2.10), 6 months mean TAU: 1.48 (s.d. = 3.23) v. CBSP: 0.58 (s.d. = 1.52)]. Significant improvements were achieved on measures of psychiatric symptomatology and personality dysfunction. Improvements on psychological determinants of suicide were non-significant. More than half of the participants in the CBSP group achieved a clinically significant recovery by the end of therapy, compared with a quarter of the TAU group. Conclusions. The delivery and evaluation of CBSP therapy within a prison is feasible. CBSP therapy offers significant promise in the prevention of prison suicide and an adequately powered randomized controlled trial is warranted.
Clustering of trend data using joinpoint regression models

In this paper, we propose methods to cluster groups of two‐dimensional data whose mean functions are piecewise linear into several clusters with common characteristics such as the same slopes. To fit segmented line regression models with common features for each possible cluster, we use a restricted least squares method. In implementing the restricted least squares method, we estimate the maximum number of segments in each cluster by using both the permutation test method and the Bayes information criterion method and then propose to use the Bayes information criterion to determine the number of clusters. For a more effective implementation of the clustering algorithm, we propose a measure of the minimum distance worth detecting and illustrate its use in two examples. We summarize simulation results to study properties of the proposed methods and also prove the consistency of the cluster grouping estimated with a given number of clusters. The presentation and examples in this paper focus on the segmented line regression model with the ordered values of the independent variable, which has been the model of interest in cancer trend analysis, but the proposed method can be applied to a general model with design points either ordered or unordered. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nasogastric decompression following esophagectomy: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

Routine use of nasogastric tubes for gastric decompression has been abolished in nearly all types of gastro-intestinal surgery after introduction of enhanced recovery after surgery programs. However, in esophagectomy the routine use of nasogastric decompression is still a matter of debate. To determine the effects of routine nasogastric decompression following esophagectomy compared with early or peroperative removal of the nasogastric tube on pulmonary complications, anastomotic leakage, mortality, and postoperative recovery. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of studies comparing early or peroperative versus late removal of nasogastric tubes. A total of seven comparative studies were included (n = 608). In two randomized trials, and one retrospective cohort study, peroperative removal of the nasogastric tube was compared with routine nasogastric decompression. In one randomized trial early removal of the nasogastric tube (on postoperative day 2) was compared with removal of the nasogastric tube on the 6th-10th postoperative day. In the remaining three trials a fast-track protocol without a nasogastric tube was compared with conventional care with a nasogastric tube during the first postoperative days. Peroperative or early removal of the nasogastric tube did not result in a significantly different rate of anastomotic leakage, pulmonary complications or mortality in individual studies, nor in the meta-analysis. In the meta-analysis, hospital stay was significantly shorter with peroperative or early removal of the nasogastric tube when all studies were included, but not when the meta-analysis was limited to randomized trials. This systematic review did not find a difference in adverse outcomes between nasogastric decompression or no nasogastric decompression following esophagectomy.
Improvement of the Flow Properties of Blood: a New Therapeutical Approach in Occlusive Arterial Disease

The general pathophysiological basis in occlusive arterial disease is the reduced flow rate of blood in the microcirculation. Blood flow in the ischemic tissue can be increased by improving the flow properties of blood. The fibrinogen concentration of blood and the deformability of red cells are two main factors determining the flow properties of blood. Ancrod, a fibrinogen-lowering substance, improves the flow properties of blood by decreasing the viscosity of blood and plasma and by desaggregation of erythrocyte aggregates. Treatment of patients suffering from severe occlusive arterial diseases with Ancrod exhibits surprisingly good results. Disappearance of rest pains and reduction in the use of analgetic drugs has been proved statistically. In the exercising muscles a local hyperosmolarity exists, which is able to decrease the deformability of red cells thereby impairing the flow in narrow capillaries. The addition of Pentoxifyllin to blood in-vitro reduces the rigidity of red cells in hyperosmolar blood samples by increasing their cellular ATP-content. Thus the reduced flow rate of hyperosmolar blood through 8 mu-capillaries could be increased twice (p less than 0.0005) by the addition of Pentoxifyllin. These in-vitro results could be the starting point of a new idea for the treatment of patients with intermittent claudication.
A Systematic Review of Outcomes and Complications of Reconstruction and Amputation for Type IIIB and IIIC Fractures of the Tibia

Background: The question of whether to recommend amputation or salvage after type IIIB and IIIC tibial fractures remains unanswered. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review to derive evidence-based recommendations concerning primary amputation versus limb salvage for type IIIB and IIIC open tibial fractures. Methods: Articles from Medline, Cinahl, and Embase that met predetermined criteria were included. Outcomes of interest included length of hospital stay, complications, rehabilitation time, quality of life, limb function, pain, and return to work data. Pooling of statistical data was performed when possible. Results: The authors reviewed 1947 articles, and 28 observational studies were included. Length of hospital stay was 56.9 days for salvage patients and 63.7 days for amputees. The most common complications after salvage attempt were osteomyelitis (17.9 percent), nonunion (15.5 percent), secondary amputation (7.3 percent), and flap failure (5.8 percent). Rehabilitation time for salvaged patients was reported as time to union (10.2 months) and time to full weight-bearing (8.1 months). Pain, quality of life, and limb function outcomes were assessed differently among studies and could not be combined. The proportion of patients who returned to work was 63.5 percent for salvage patients and 73 percent for amputees. Conclusions: The current literature offers no evidence to support superior outcomes of either limb salvage or primary amputation for type IIIB and IIIC tibial fractures. When outcomes are similar between two treatment strategies, economic analysis that incorporates cost and preference (utility) may define an optimal treatment strategy to guide physicians and patients.
Suckling Mouse Cataract Agent (SMCA)-Induced Hydrocephalus and Chronic Brain Infection in Newborn Rats

Summary Suckling mouse cataract agent (SMCA) inoculated intracerebrally in newborn rats results in persistence of infectious agent in the brain over a considerable period of time concomitant with hydrocephalus. The means by which the SMCA infection causes hydrocephalus remains obscure; a functional block in the cerebrospinal fluid pathways is postulated.
Role of Potassium in Regulation of Coronary Blood Flow.∗

Summary Intracoronary infusion of KCl sufficient to elevate coronary arterial plasma K concentration to levels of from 4.23 to 12.10 meq/l produced increases in CBF averaging 17.7%. The changes in CBF produced by KCl infusion did not parallel the changes in plasma K concentration. Infusion of 2,4-dinitrophenol or epinephrine, asphyxia, or increased aortic pressure (all factors which are known to increase myocardial oxygen consumption and coronary blood flow) did not result in the release of K from the myocardium. Therefore, it appears unlikely that K release from active myocardium is responsible for adjustment in coronary resistance which accompanies changes in metabolic activity of the myocardium.
Antimicrobial Activity of Chicken NK-Lysin Against Eimeria Sporozoites

Abstract NK-lysin is an antimicrobial and antitumor polypeptide that is considered to play an important role in innate immunity. Chicken NK-lysin is a member of the saposin-like protein family and exhibits potent antitumor cell activity. To evaluate the antimicrobial properties of chicken NK-lysin, we examined its ability to reduce the viability of various bacterial strains and two species of Eimeria parasites. Culture supernatants from COS7 cells transfected with a chicken NK-lysin cDNA and His-tagged purified NK-lysin from the transfected cells both showed high cytotoxic activity against Eimeria acervulina and Eimeria maxima sporozoites. In contrast, no bactericidal activity was observed. Further studies using synthetic peptides derived from NK-lysin may be useful for pharmaceutical and agricultural uses in the food animal industry.
Two neuropharmacological types of rabbit ON-alpha ganglion cells express GABAC receptors

The major inhibitory neurotransmitters GABA and glycine provide the bulk of input to large-field ganglion cells in the retina. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were used to characterize the glycine- and GABA-activated currents for morphologically identified ON-α ganglion cells in the rabbit retina. Cells identified as ON-α cells by light evoked currents were intracellularly stained and examined by light microscopy which revealed dendritic stratification in the vitreal half of the inner plexiform layer and confirmed their physiological identity. All Ca2+-mediated synaptic influences were abolished with Co2+, revealing two types of ON-α cell characterized by their different inhibitory current profiles. One group exhibited larger glycine- than GABA-activated currents, while the other group had larger GABA- than glycine-activated currents. Both cell types demonstrated strychnine-sensitive glycine-activated currents and bicuculline-sensitive GABAA-activated currents. Surprisingly, both cell types expressed functional GABAC receptors demonstrated by their sensitivity to TPMPA. In addition, the cells with larger glycine-activated currents also possessed GABAB receptors, whereas those with larger GABA-activated currents did not. Immunocytochemical experiments confirmed the presence of glycine, GABAA, and GABAC receptor subunits on all physiologically identified ON-α ganglion cells in this study. In addition, the GABAB receptor immunolabeled puncta were present on the cells with larger glycine-activated currents, but not on the cells with the larger GABA-activated currents. In conclusion, the presence of different functional GABA and glycine receptors determined physiologically correlated well with the specific GABA and glycine receptor immunolabeling for two neuropharmacological types of rabbit ON-α ganglion cells.
Transplantation of adipose tissue mesenchymal stem cells in experimental chronic chagasic cardiopathy.

BACKGROUND Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is a major cause of heart failure in Latin America. Tissue therapy has been investigated as a possible therapeutic option for patients with cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the effects of therapy with mesenchymal stem cells in an experimental model of chronic Chagasic cardiomyopathy. METHODS C57BL/6 mice were infected with 1000 trypomastigotes from the Colombian strain of T. cruzi and, after six months of infection, were treated with mesenchymal human stem cells from adipose tissue (STAT) or with Dulbecco/Vogt modified Eagle's minimal essential medium - DMEM (control). The treated group received two intraperitoneal injections of STAT (1x10(6) cells/dose), with a month interval between the two doses. Before and after the first and second months of treatment, the chagasic and normal control animals underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing and electrocardiography. All animals were sacrificed under anesthesia after two months of treatment for histopathological analysis of the heart. RESULTS No improvement was observed in arrhythmias and cardiovascular function in the group of animals treated with STAT; however, sections of mice hearts in this group revealed a significant reduction in the number of inflammatory cells (p<0.0001) and areas of fibrosis (p<0.01) in comparison with chagasic animals treated with DMEM. CONCLUSION Thus, it is concluded that administration of intraperitoneal STAT can reduce inflammation and fibrosis in the heart of mice chronically infected with T. cruzi; however, there were no effects on the cardiac function two months after transplantation.
The potential promoter regions on the 5′ flank sequence of the mu opioid receptor gene in lymphocytes

The human mu opioid receptor is known to mediate a variety of physiological and pharmacological effects of morphine in many tissues. However, the molecular processes that regulate the expression of the mu opioid receptor gene in immune cells are not well understood. To study regulatory elements that affect the expression of the mu opioid receptor gene in human lymphocytes (LMOR), a 2,278 bp fragment of the 5′ regulatory region of the mu opioid receptor gene was cloned and sequenced from CEM ×174 cells. The transcriptional initiation site was mapped through a primer extension assay. A series of 5′‐deleted plasmids were constructed and transiently transfected into cultured CEM ×174 cells. The data indicated that morphine up‐regulated the mRNA level of LMOR in a dose‐dependent manner, which could be blocked by the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone. Only one transcription initiation site (TIS) about 110 bp upstream of the translation start codon was identified. The regions from −372 to −253 and −2279 to −1371 located in the 5′ regulatory sequence of the mu opioid receptor gene contained enhancer elements, while the regions from −1371 to −968 and −650 to −370 possessed repressor elements. Those promoter elements were involved in the transcriptional regulation of the mu opioid receptor gene. Collectively, this data strongly indicates that the expression of the mu opioid receptor gene in lymphocytes is subject to the regulation of cis‐elements upstream from the TIS. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Techniques of Ozone Monitoring in a Mountain Forest Region: Passive and Continuous Sampling, Vertical and Canopy Profiles

Ozone is the most harmful air pollutant for plant ecosystems in the Mediterranean and Alpine areas due to its biological and economic damage to crops and forests. In order to evaluate the relation between ozone exposure and vegetation injury under on-field conditions, suitable ozone monitoring techniques were investi-gated. In the framework of a 5-year research project aimed at ozone risk assessment on forests, both continuous analysers and passive samplers were employed during the summer seasons (1994—1998) in different sites of a wide mountain region (80 x 40 km2) on the southern slope of the European Alps. Continuous analysers allowed the recording of ozone hourly concentration means necessary both to calculate specific exposure indexes (such as AOT, SUM, W126) and to record daily time-courses. Passive samplers, even though supplied only weekly mean concentration values, made it possible to estimate the altitude concentration gradient useful to correct the altitude dependence of ozone concentrations to be inserted into exposure indexes. In-canopy ozone profiles were also determined by placing passive samplers at different heights inside the forest canopy. Vertical ozone soundings by means of tethered balloons (kytoons) allowed the measurement of the vertical concentration gradient above the forest canopy. They also revealed ozone reservoirs aloft and were useful to explain the ozone advection dynamic in mountain slopes where ground measurement proved to be inadequate. An intercomparison between passive (PASSAM, CH) and continuous measurements highlighted the necessity to accurately standardize all the exposure operations, particularly the pre- and postexposure conservation at cold temperature to avoid dye (DPE) activity. Advantages and disadvantages from each mentioned technique are discussed.
Diagnostic processes in mental health: GPs and psychiatrists reading from the same book but on a different page

Objective: To explore the clinical reasoning processes underpinning diagnostic and management decision-making in treating patients presenting with psychological distress in general practice. Method: Practising GPs were invited to attend small-group workshops in which two case histories were presented. Discussion was GP-facilitated and recorded for thematic analysis. GPs provided demographic data, completed personality and attitudinal questionnaires, and answered a series of multiple-choice questions embedded in the cases. Results: GPs recognize the possibility of psychiatric disorders early in the clinical reasoning process, but are cautious about applying definitive diagnoses. GPs perceive that patients may be resistant to a psychiatric diagnosis and instead emphasize the need to build rapport and explore and exclude physical comorbidities. GPs see patients with a broad spectrum of distress, illness and impairment, in whom the initial presentation of psychological symptoms is often poorly differentiated and somatically focused, requiring elucidation over time. GPs therefore adopt a longitudinal strategy for diagnosis rather than investing heavily in cross-sectional assessment. Conclusion: GPs appear cognizant of possible psychiatric disorders and management strategies, but employ diagnostic strategies and decision-making processes that, in addition to experience and expertise, likely reflect key differences between the primary care and specialist practice settings.
Burnout in health care providers of dialysis service in Northern Italy--a multicentre study.

BACKGROUND Few data are available regarding the prevalence of burnout among dialysis health care workers. Aims of the present study were to assess and compare burnout levels in a sample of nurses and physicians working in dialysis units, and to investigate their relationships with quality of life, in a cross-sectional observational study. METHODS A total of 344 workers from 10 dialysis centres in Northern Italy completed a battery of questionnaires including the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the MOS-36 Item Short Form Health Survey [SF36: physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) component scores] and the 30-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ30). Data on social and demographic characteristics and working conditions were also collected. General Estimating Equations models were used for the analysis. RESULTS Overall, burnout scores were lower than the Italian normative sample, with no significant differences between physicians and nurses. However, 30% of nurses had high emotional exhaustion vs 18% of physicians (adjusted OR 2.38, P = 0.003). Emotional exhaustion was also predicted by number of worked hours and months worked in dialysis in the previous 2 years. Depersonalisation was predicted by male gender and bad relationship with coworkers. Having no children and having a permanent hospital position predicted low personal accomplishment. PCS was lower in nurses (50.0 vs 53.3, P < 0.001), while no significant difference was found for MCS and GHQ30. Lower PCS was associated with emotional exhaustion (P = 0.007) and GHQ30 > 5 with depersonalization (P = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS Although burnout is not a general problem in dialysis health care providers, a subgroup of them may be identified, who would benefit from supportive measures to prevent this condition. Nurses appeared more burned-out in the emotional exhaustion scale than physicians.
Comparative modeling of CASP4 target proteins: Combining results of sequence search with three‐dimensional structure assessment

Comparative modeling aims at constructing molecular models for proteins of unknown structure, by using known structures of related proteins as templates. To test the comparative modeling approach reported here, predictions for 13 target proteins were submitted during the fourth round of “blind” protein structure prediction experiment (CASP4; http://PredictionCenter.llnl.gov/casp4). Sequence identity between these target proteins and the closest known structures ranged from 13 to 58%, indicating a broad spectrum of prediction difficulty. Although this broad difficulty range required addressing a variety of issues, the most important proved to be sequence‐structure alignment for distant homology targets. The alignment step was based on structure‐based evaluation of alignment variants produced mainly with PSI‐BLAST intermediate sequence search procedure (PSI‐BLAST‐ISS). Although a fraction of correctly aligned residues in resulting models was markedly better than the average in all cases, for distant homology targets it was still considerably below the estimated achievable level. Results with CASP4 targets show that, along with the correctness of sequence‐structure alignments, effective use of multiple template structures may significantly increase accuracy of the model structure. Improvement in this area should also result in more accurate loop modeling and side‐chain prediction. Proteins 2001;Suppl 5:47–54. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.