Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Probiotics and Severe Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an acute inflammatory process ranging from mild forms to severe disease with high rates of mortality. In this disease, enteral nutrition helps in maintaining the integrity of the gut barrier, with consequent decreased bacterial translocation, a key factor in limiting the complications in severe AP. Modulation of the intestinal flora through the administration of probiotics (PBs) has thus an intriguing rationale as possible treatment option. Their role in this setting has been investigated both in animal models and clinical trials in the last few years; however, their use has never been recommended or even cited by existing guidelines. We analyzed the literature in search of the existing data from human and animal models studies evaluating the effect of PB administration in AP to highlight existing evidence. An interesting scenario emerges from the the papers that have been evaluated. The adjunct of PBs in the treatment of AP may show some advantage in terms of the reduction of infectious complications. Nevertheless, more data on efficacy and safety from a larger and stringently designed study are eagerly waited.
Local proteins associated with methamphetamine‐induced nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurotoxicity

The present study aimed to examine the proteins involved in the methamphetamine (MA)‐induced nigrostriatal dopaminergic toxicity. Infusion of anisomycin into striatum and substantia nigra both abolished the MA‐induced striatal dopamine (DA) and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) depletions, indicating a critical role of local protein synthesis in determining such dopaminergic toxicity. Moreover, local protein synthesis blockade reversed this neurotoxicity via a temperature‐independent mechanism. We then employed a proteomic approach, two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis (2‐DE) in conjunction with mass spectrometry analysis, to identify the protein candidates associated with the MA‐induced neurotoxicity. In striatal samples, 2‐DE analysis revealed that the intensities of nine protein spots were altered by MA treatment. Mass spectrometry analysis allowed us to identify five proteins, including an up‐regulated protein, α‐synuclein, and four down‐regulated proteins, ATPase, F‐actin capping protein β subunit, ubiquitin carboxy‐terminal hydrolase/PGP 9.5, and peroxidase. MA‐altered expression levels of α‐synuclein and ubiquitin carboxy‐terminal hydrolase/PGP 9.5 in striata were confirmed by western blotting analysis. Taken together, these results suggest that local up‐regulation of α‐synuclein and down‐regulation of ubiquitin carboxy‐terminal hydrolase/PGP 9.5 could be linked to the MA‐induced dopaminergic terminal toxicity.
Some Behavioral Aspects of Forest Buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus): From Herd to Individual

Abstract The forest buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus) typically inhabits the dense rain forests of western and central Africa. We recorded the 1st data on the behavior and social interactions of forest buffalo in natural forest clearings that represent crucial places in the rain forest for feeding and social interactions among individuals. Data were collected from a buffalo herd during January 2002–January 2004 in the Bai-Hokou study area (Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, Central African Republic). We analyzed typical behaviors (i.e., grazing, resting or ruminating, and moving) of both the herd and individuals (from 16 to 24 buffalos), as well as the most frequent social interactions. Spatial distribution among buffalos in the herd, related to both distance from forest edge and to the season (wet versus dry seasons), showed that the adult male was commonly closer to the females than to juveniles. Individuals were generally further away from each other when in the vicinity of the forest edge. Moreover, at greater distances from the forest edge, the number of buffalos in the herd increased. During the wet season, the herd was generally smaller and individuals were more spread out within the same clearing. The most common behavior of the male, females, and juveniles was resting or ruminating. Behavioral interactions by adults were mainly addressed to juveniles.
The arteries of the human kidney.

A study of the arrangement of the branches of the renal arteries, and the pelvis and calyces in African, European and Indian subjects has revealed a large variety of patterns. The presence of the arteries described by Graves (1954) has been confirmed but some points must be added to his description. The number of specimens was too small to reveal statistically significant racial differences. The 107 specimens were therefore considered together, as one series.
Multiple Factor Analysis (MFA)

Multiple factor analysis (MFA, see Escofier and Pages, 1990, 1994) analyzes observations described by several “blocks" or sets of variables. MFA seeks the common structures present in all or some of these sets. MFA is performed in two steps. First a principal component analysis (PCA) is performed on each data set which is then “normalized” by dividing all its elements by the square root of the first eigenvalue obtained from of its PCA. Second, the normalized data sets are merged to form a unique matrix and a global PCA is performed on this matrix. The individual data sets are then projected onto the global analysis to analyze communalities and discrepancies. MFA is used in very different domains such as sensory evaluation, economy, ecology, and chemistry.
Assessing proficiency in adult basic life support: student and expert assessment and the impact of video recording

Self-assessment is an important aspect in the development of lifelong learning skills for medical students, crucial to maintaining a high level of competence in practice. Basic Life Support (BLS) is a skill that all health professionals must acquire and maintain competence in. This paper reports data from a study of 95 first-year graduate entry medical students at Flinders University in Australia, determining how well the students could assess their own BLS performance. These students were videotaped performing a short CPR scenario using a Resusci®Anne with SkillReporter™ (Laerdal, Norway). Using a six-point descriptive ratings scale, students graded themselves twice: once immediately after completing the task, and again after viewing a video of their performance. A single expert assessor viewed all the video recordings and, based on International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) Guidelines, graded the students using the same scale. The hypothesis was that the intervention of viewing their performance on video would improve the correlation of their ratings with the expert assessor. The results showed that the students’ assessments did not agree with the expert assessor either before (weighted κ = 0.03) or after seeing the video (weighted κ = 0.002). Possible reasons, including student attitudes and lack of benchmarking, are discussed. Self-assessment skills of students warrant further attention.
Reduced brain metabolism in hyperactive girls.

OBJECTIVE This study assesses the effect of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and gender on cerebral glucose metabolism (CMRglu), using positron emission tomography and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose. METHOD Nineteen normal (6 females; 14.3 +/- 1.3 years old) and 20 ADHD adolescents (5 females; 14.7 +/- 1.6 years old) participated in the study. An auditory continuous performance task was used during the 30-minute uptake of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose. RESULTS There were no statistically significant differences in global or regional CMRglu between ADHD (N = 20) and normal (N = 19) adolescents. However, the global CMRglu in ADHD girls (N = 5) was 15.0% lower than in normal girls (N = 6) (p = .04), while global CMRglu in ADHD boys was not different than in normal boys. Furthermore, global CMRglu in ADHD girls was 19.6% lower than in ADHD boys (p = .02) and was not different between normal girls and normal boys. Clinical rating scales did not differentiate ADHD girls from ADHD boys, nor normal girls from normal boys. CONCLUSIONS The greater brain metabolism abnormalities in females than males strongly stress that more attention be given to the study of girls with ADHD.
Diminished platelet binding in vitro by Staphylococcus aureus is associated with reduced virulence in a rabbit model of infective endocarditis

The direct binding of platelets by bacteria is a postulated central mechanism in the pathogenesis of endocarditis. To address the role of binding more definitively, we employed Tn551 insertional mutagenesis of Staphylococcus aureus parental strain ISP479 to generate an isogenic variant (strain PS12) that bound platelets minimally. As compared with the binding of ISP479, the binding of PS12 to platelet monolayers was reduced by 67.2%. Similarly, the binding of PS12 to platelets in suspension was reduced by 71.3%, as measured by flow cytometry. The low-binding phenotype was transducible into both ISP479 and S. aureus Newman. Southern blotting indicated that a single copy of Tn551 was inserted within the chromosomes of PS12 and the transductants. When tested in a rabbit model, animals inoculated with PS12 were significantly less likely to develop endocarditis and had lower densities of organisms (CFU per gram) within vegetations and a decreased incidence of renal abscess formation, as compared with animals inoculated with the parental strain. The diminished virulence of PS12 was not attributable to a reduction in the initial attachment of organisms to the damaged endocardium, since 30 min after inoculation, PS12-infected animals had microbial densities on the valve surface comparable to those seen with the parental strain. These results indicate that the direct binding of Staphylococcus aureus to platelets is a major determinant of virulence in the pathogenesis of endocarditis. Staphylococcus-platelet binding appears to be critical for pathogenetic events occurring after the initial colonization of the valve surface, such as vegetation formation and septic embolization.
Pelvic Radiation Improves Local Control After Hysterectomy for Uterine Leiomyosarcoma: A 20-Year Experience

Background: Uterine leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is associated with high rate of recurrence after surgical resection. The role of adjuvant radiation therapy in improving survival in women with uterine LMS is unclear. Methods: All cases of LMS treated from 1985 to 2005 at 11 regional medical centers were identified. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed and compared with log-rank testing. Multivariate analysis was performed to account for the potential influence of confounding factors. Results: One hundred forty-seven patients with LMS were identified. The median age of diagnosis was 51 years with the stage distribution of stage I (n = 87), II (n = 9), III (n = 25), IV (n = 25), and unknown (n = 1). One hundred forty-three underwent total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingoophorectomy. Twenty-four (17%) of these patients received adjuvant pelvic irradiation, and 63 (44%) received adjuvant and/or palliative chemotherapy. With a median follow-up of 24 months (range, 1-249 months), the median survival for the entire group was 37 months. Cox proportional hazards modeling demonstrated the presence of high tumor grade and advanced stage adversely affected survival. Although the 5-year survival for patients who received adjuvant radiotherapy was significantly higher than those who did not (70% vs 35%), this survival advantage was not sustained as the curves crossed at 90-month follow-up. Pelvic recurrence rate was lower in the radiation group (18% vs 49%; P = 0.02). Conclusions: Adjuvant radiation therapy was associated with decreased pelvic failure and a modest improvement in 5-year survival, but did not impact overall survival with extended follow-up.
Treatment of idiopathic FSGS with adrenocorticotropic hormone gel.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) has shown efficacy as primary and secondary therapy for nephrotic syndrome due to membranous nephropathy. The data on using ACTH to treat idiopathic FSGS are limited. This report describes our experience using ACTH for nephrotic syndrome due to idiopathic FSGS in the United States. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS Twenty-four patients with nephrotic syndrome from idiopathic FSGS were treated with ACTH gel at two academic medical centers between 2009 and 2012, either as part of investigator-initiated pilot studies (n=16) or by prescription for treatment-resistant FSGS (n=8). The primary outcome was remission of proteinuria. The median dose of ACTH was 80 units injected subcutaneously twice weekly. Treatment durations were not uniform. RESULTS Twenty-two patients had received immunosuppression (mean, 2.2 medications) before ACTH therapy. Six patients had steroid-dependent and 15 had steroid-resistant FSGS. At the time of ACTH initiation, the median serum creatinine (interquartile range) was 2.0 (1.1-2.7) mg/dl, estimated GFR was 36 (28-78) ml/min per 1.73 m(2), and urine protein-to-creatinine ratio was 4595 (2200-8020) mg/g. At the end of ACTH therapy, 7 of 24 patients (29%) experienced remission (n=2 complete remissions, n=5 partial remissions). All remitters had steroid-resistant (n=5) or steroid-dependent (n=2) FSGS. Two responders relapsed during the follow-up period (mean ± SD, 70±31 weeks). Adverse events occurred in 21 of 24 patients, including one episode of new-onset diabetes that resolved after stopping ACTH and two episodes of AKI. CONCLUSIONS Response to ACTH treatment among steroid-resistant or steroid-dependent patients with FSGS is low, but ACTH gel may be a viable treatment option for some patients with resistant nephrotic syndrome due to idiopathic FSGS. Further research is necessary to determine which patients will respond to therapy.
Object views: Extending the vision

A mechanism for producing views in an object-oriented system is presented. The results are analogous to database views in traditional database systems, except that the object views presented hide or expose methods as well as data. The mechanism is based on the object model's built-in facilities for defining data and procedural abstractions and for constructing new types and objects. It uses the type system and the query language of the model to support arbitrary transformations of the underlying representations in defining database views, without introducing any new mechanism specifically to support views. Careful use of the query language allows one to define updatable views. Also indicated are how abstraction and view mapping capabilities can be used to support federation of heterogeneous software and databases. <<ETX>>
Association Between Liver Transplant Center Performance Evaluations and Transplant Volume

There has been increased oversight of transplant centers and stagnation in liver transplantation nationally in recent years. We hypothesized that centers that received low performance (LP) evaluations were more likely to alter protocols, resulting in reduced rates of transplants and patients placed on the waiting list. We evaluated the association of LP evaluations and transplant activity among liver transplant centers in the United States using national Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients data (January 2007 to July 2012). We compared the average change in recipient and candidate volume and donor and patient characteristics based on whether the centers received LP evaluations. Of 92 eligible centers, 27 (29%) received at least one LP evaluation. Centers without an LP evaluation (n = 65) had an average increase of 9.3 transplants and 14.9 candidates while LP centers had an average decrease of 39.9 transplants (p < 0.01) and 67.3 candidates (p < 0.01). LP centers reduced the use of older donors, donations with longer cold ischemia, and donations after cardiac death (p‐values < 0.01). There was no association between the change in transplant volume and measured performance (R2 = 0.002, p = 0.91). Findings indicate a strong association between performance evaluations and changes in candidate listings and transplants among liver transplant centers, with no measurable improvement in outcomes associated with reduction in transplant volume.
Stigma of mental illness: An interventional study to reduce its impact in the community

Background: Research literature has documented the nature of stigma associated with mental illness (MI) and its consequences in all spheres of life of ill persons and their families. It is also suggested that there is a need to develop intervention strategies to reduce stigma. However, very little is reported about these initiatives in the Indian context. Aim: To understand the nature of stigma associated with MI in a rural and semi-urban community in India and to develop an intervention package and study its impact. Materials and Methods: The study adopted a pre- and post-experimental/action research design with a random sample of community members including persons with chronic MI and their caregivers from rural and semi-urban areas. A semi structured interview schedule was used to assess the nature of stigma. An intervention package, developed on the basis of initial findings, was administered, and two post assessments were carried out. Results: Stigmatized attitude related to various aspects of MI were endorsed by the respondents. Caregivers had less stigmatizing attitude than the members of the community. Postintervention assessments (PIAs) revealed significant changes in attitudes towards some aspects of MI and this improved attitude was sustained during the second PIA, that is, after 3 months of intervention. Conclusion: People in the rural and semi-urban community have stigmatizing attitude toward MI. Intervention package focusing on the relevant aspect of MI can be used for reducing stigma of MI.
Efficient Haemodialysis Improves the Response to Hepatitis B Virus Vaccination

Background: As patients on chronic haemodialysis (PCHD) elicit a weaker response to vaccination with recombinant hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg), we conducted this study to see how dialysis efficacy affects response to hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination. Methods: Study subjects consisted of 30 PCHD. All subjects were vaccinated with 4 × 40 µg HBsAg i.m. at 0, 1, 2, and 6 months. If a subject had an HBsAg antibody (HBsAb) level <10 IU/l after vaccination, he or she received a booster dose. Subjects were divided into groups according to the level of HBsAb: non-responders (<10 IU/l), weak responders (10–100 IU/l), and good responders (>100 IU/l). Results: The group of responders had a significantly more efficient dialysis (Kt/V) than the group of non-responders (p = 0.027). This difference was not observed between groups of non-responders and weak responders. The group of good responders had a significantly better Kt/V than the group of non-responders (p = 0.012). Good responders had a significantly better Kt/V than weak responders (p = 0.019). Kt/V values showed a significantly positive correlation with the HBsAb level (r = 0.47; p = 0.006). Conclusions: The HBV vaccination reaction was weaker in PCHD with inefficient dialysis. Efficient haemodialysis significantly improves the response to vaccination with recombinant HBsAg.
Electrophysiology of contralateral and ipsilateral visual projections to the Wulst in pigeon (Columba livia).

Evoked potentials and single unit discharges in the wulst of the pigeon were observed in response to contralateral and ipsilatcral eye stimulation. Mean latencies of the first component of the ipsilateral evoked responses following electrical stimulation of the optic nerve papilla were 14.3 msec; those from contralateral eye were 10.1 msec. Photically evoked responses showed similarly longer latencies to stimulation of the ipsilateral eye. Electrolytical lesion or reversible cooling of the rostral part of the supraoptic decussation (DSO) induced a significant decrease of ipsilaterally evoked potential amplitudes; these procedures had no effect on contralateral evoked responses. 125 wulst units activated by electrical stimulation of the optic nerve papilla were studied. 52 % of the wulst neurones responded to contralateral stimulation with first spike latencies of 7-39 msec; these were localized dorsally in the wulst. Units responding exclusively to ipsilateral stimulation (26.4%) were located ventrally an.
Antioxidant and cardioprotective effects of Garcinia indica (kokoberry), an Indian super fruit in isoproterenol induced myocardial necrosis in rats

BACKGROUND: Garcinia indica Choisy, a slender evergreen tree is endemic to the west coast of India. The dried rind of the fruit of Garcinia indica is an Indian spice and a food additive. Many therapeutic effects of the fruit have been reported in literature. OBJECTIVE: The present study investigates the cardioprotective and antioxidant activity of a hydroalcoholic extract of Garcinia indica fruit rind (GIE) in isoproterenol (ISO) induced myocardial necrosis in rats. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were treated with GIE (400 & 800 mg/kg, po) daily for 30 days and administered ISO (85 mg/kg, sc) on the last 2 days at an interval of 24 hr to induce myocardial injury. Activities of marker enzymes (AST, LDH and CK-MB) were assessed in serum and heart. The lipid peroxidation marker malondialdehyde and endogenous antioxidants viz., reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase were assayed in heart. RESULTS: Significant myocardial necrosis, depletion of GSH levels, decrease in antioxidant and marker enzyme activities in the heart homogenate, elevation in malondialdehyde levels and an increase in serum levels of marker enzymes (AST, LDH & CK-MB) was observed in ISO treated rats when compared with normal rats. Pre-treatment of GIE to ISO treated rats resulted in a significant attenuation of the ISO-elevated levels of serum marker enzymes and malondialdehyde, and restoration of the levels of the ISO-depleted marker enzymes, reduced glutathione and antioxidant enzymes. The biochemical results were corroborated by electrocardiographic and histopathological findings. CONCLUSION: It may be concluded that GIE oral treatment to ISO challenged rats augments endogenous antioxidants of rat heart, enhances scavenging of free radicals and inhibits lipid peroxidation of membrane, thereby salvaging the myocardium from the deleterious effects of ISO.