Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and Associated Factors of Taking Intermittent Preventive Treatment in Pregnancy in Sierra Leone

Malaria infection during pregnancy is a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that gestational and congenital malaria can be prevented by using intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP). IPTp-SP is a full therapeutic course of antimalarial medicine administered during pregnancy as a component of antenatal care. This study’s objective was to assess the prevalence and predictors of IPTp-SP uptake in pregnancy in Sierra Leone. This study was based on the fifth round of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS 5) conducted in Sierra Leone in 2016. Participants were 8526 women aged between 15–49 years. Outcome variables were uptake of IPTp-SP during the last pregnancy. Data were analysed using cross-tabulation and logistic regression methods. Results showed that the prevalence of taking IPTp-SP was 94.81% (92.40, 96.14), and that the prevalence of taking at least three doses was 93.24% (92.50, 94.81). In the multivariate logistic regression, education, parity, and antenatal care (ANC) use were significant predictors of IPTp-SP uptake. Women with higher education had lower odds of taking IPTp-SP (Odds Ratio = 0.647, 95%CI = 0.444, 0.943); having higher parity (>4) was associated with lower odds of taking IPTp-SP (OR = 0.663; 95%CI = 0.442, 0.994) and adequate ANC use increased the odds of taking IPTp-SP in both urban (OR = 1.450, 95%CI = 1.158, 3.128) and rural areas (OR = 1.903, 95%CI = 1.069, 1.966). In contrast, the positive association between ANC visits and adequate doses of taking IPTp-SP was true for rural women only (OR = 1.408, 95%CI = 1.174, 1.689). In conclusion, the use of IPTp-SP is close to being universal, with the prevalence being relatively higher in the rural areas. Based on our findings, promoting adequate antenatal care visits should be regarded as a key strategy to improve the use of IPTp-SP in Sierra Leone. Further studies could focus on exploring other predictors of IPTp-SP uptake that are not captured by MICS in Sierra Leone.
Effects of azathioprine and its metabolites on inflammatory cytokines in human nasal polyp organ cultures

Oral steroids are recommended for the treatment of nasal polyps (NPs), but prolonged use is avoided because of side effects. Topical steroids can also control NPs without significant complications; however, the response to this is partially successful, and additional therapies are needed to treat glucocorticoid‐resistant NPs. Azathioprine (AZA) and its first metabolite 6‐mercaptopurine (6‐MP) are important immunosuppressants used for the therapy of various diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of AZA and 6‐MP on inflammatory cytokines in organ‐cultured NPs.
Not quite city and not quite rural: Active lifestyle beliefs in peri-urban Australians.

ISSUE ADDRESSED Residents of peri-urban Australia face health inequalities compared to city dwellers. Active lifestyles provide many benefits that could improve the health of this population; however, peri-urban Australians are more likely to be inactive and sedentary. The aim of this study was to identify the physical activity and sedentary behaviour-related beliefs of peri-urban Australians. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with adult residents of peri-urban, southern Queensland. Participants (N = 8) were recruited from a related study, purposefully selected to ensure diversity. Data were analysed by thematic analysis. Interviews were conducted until data and inductive-thematic saturation were reached. RESULTS Three themes were identified, representing beliefs about intrapersonal, interpersonal/socio-cultural and physical environmental factors relevant to active lifestyles among peri-urban Australians. Active lifestyle behaviours were perceived as beneficial for health. Social interaction was described as an important outcome of physical activity. Features of the physical environment negatively impacted the perceived difficulty of performing physical activity and avoiding sedentary behaviour. CONCLUSIONS Active lifestyle strategies that support social interaction through physical activity and participation in sports may be particularly useful in peri-urban environments where opportunities for social interaction are limited. Such strategies should also take into account contextual factors that negatively impact active lifestyle control beliefs (eg, distance). SO WHAT? : This study provides insight into factors that may influence the active lifestyles of peri-urban Australians. This information can be used to develop contextually relevant strategies designed to encourage physical activity, discourage sedentary behaviour and assist to relieve health disparities faced by this population.
Surgical Treatment of Pancreatic Fistula

Background: Pancreatic fistula remains a significant problem in pancreatic disease, trauma and surgery. Whilst improved diagnostic and treatment techniques, including endoscopic approaches, have resulted in considerably improved outcomes, surgical intervention remains an important aspect of treatment but has been relatively poorly documented. Aims: The aims were to review the recent world literature on the relative incidence of pancreatic fistula and the results of surgical treatment. Results: The pancreatic fistula rate following partial pancreato-duodenectomy was 421 (12.9%) in 3,268 patients in 13 large series; 80 (13.0%) in 671 patients after left pancreatectomy in 6 large series, and 28 (11.9%) in 243 patients after pancreatic trauma in 4 recent series. The success rate of surgical procedures for external pancreatic fistulae was 101 (90.2%) in 112 patients with an overall mortality of 7 (6.3%) reported in 9 series. For internal pancreatic fistulae the success rate of surgical treatment was 61 (92%) in 66 patients with an overall mortality of 6 (9%) reported in 7 series. Conclusions: The treatment of established pancreatic fistula remains challenging. Although surgical treatment is reserved for patients who have failed all other treatments, the success rate is 90–92% but with a mortality of 6–9%.
Shorter cryoballoon applications times do effect efficacy but result in less phrenic nerve injury: Results of the randomized 123 study

The second‐generation cryoballoon significantly improves outcome of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) but may cause more complications than the first generation. Currently, no consensus regarding optimal cryoballoon application time exists. The 123‐study aimed to assess the minimal cryoballoon application duration necessary to achieve PVI (primary endpoint) and the effect of application duration on prevention of phrenic nerve injury (PNI).
Exposure to household air pollution from biomass cookstoves and self-reported symptoms among women in rural Honduras

ABSTRACT Household air pollution from combustion of solid fuels is an important risk factor for morbidity and mortality, causing an estimated 2.6 million premature deaths globally in 2016. Self-reported health symptoms are a meaningful measure of quality of life, however, few studies have evaluated symptoms and quantitative measures of exposure to household air pollution. We assessed the cross-sectional association of self-reported symptoms and exposures to household air pollution among women in rural Honduras using stove type (traditional [n = 76]; cleaner-burning Justa [n = 74]) and 24-hour average personal and kitchen fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations. The odds of prevalent symptoms were higher among women using traditional stoves vs Justa stoves (e.g. headache: odds ratio = 2.23; 95% confidence interval = 1.13–4.39). Associations between symptoms and measured PM2.5 were generally consistent with the null. These results add to the evidence suggesting reduced exposures and better health-related quality of life among women using cleaner-burning biomass stoves.
PGS Scaffolds Promote the In Vivo Survival and Directional Differentiation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Restoring the Morphology and Function of Wounded Rat Uterus

Intrauterine adhesion (IUA) causing infertility and recurrent miscarriage of reproductive female mammals usually results from endometrium injury. Nevertheless, there is no efficient therapeutic method to avoid IUA. Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are an important cell source for tissue regeneration. This study designs and explores the ability of BMSC‐loaded elastic poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) scaffold to prevent IUA and compares the effect of PGS with poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA) and collagen scaffolds in resumption of damaged rat uteruses. The 3D architecture provided by PGS scaffolds favors the attachment and growth of rat BMSCs. In vivo bioluminescence imaging shows that compared with direct BMSC intrauterine injection, PLGA, and collagen scaffolds, the PGS scaffold significantly prolongs the retention time of BMSCs in a wounded rat uterus model. More importantly, BMSCs can directly differentiate into endometrial stromal cells after transplantation of PGS/BMSCs constructs, but not PLGA/BMSCs and collagen/BMSCs. It is found that the level of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF‐β1), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), vascular endothelial growth factor, and insulin‐like growth factors in the injured endometrium adjacent to PGS/BMSCs constructs is higher than those of rats receiving PLGA/BMSCs, collagen/BMSCs, or BMSCs intrauterine transplantation. Besides, transplantation of PGS/BMSCs leads to better morphology recovery of the damaged uterus than PLGA/BMSCs and collagen/BMSCs. The receptive fertility of PGS/BMSCs is 72.2 ± 6.4%, similar to the one of collagen/BMSCs, but significantly higher than 42.3 ± 3.9% in PLGA/BMSCs. Taken together, PGS/BMSCs may be a promising candidate for preventing IUA.
Adsorption of picloram on clays nontronite, illite and kaolinite: equilibrium and herbicide-clays surface complexes

Abstract The picloram (PCM) adsorption on nontronite, illite and kaolinite was studied at pH 3, 5 and 7. The adsorption isotherms had well-fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich models equations. The interactions of PCM with the clay mineral surfaces exhibited an anionic profile adsorption, with a decrease in adsorption when the pH increases. The PCM adsorption capacity increases in the following order: kaolinite < illite < nontronite. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of PCM-clay samples revealed that the picloram molecule does not enter into the clays basal space. The interaction of PCM with clays surface sites through nitrogen of the pyridine ring was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Due to the anionic form of PCM, the adsorption onto the external and edges surface sites of the clay minerals was proposed.
Metformin Treatment Suppresses Melanoma Cell Growth and Motility through Modulation of microRNA Expression

Melanoma is a highly aggressive cancer with high mortality in advanced stages. Metformin is an oral biguanide drug used for diabetes and has demonstrated positive effects on cancer prevention and treatment. Herein, we found that metformin significantly suppressed melanoma cancer cell motility and growth through inducing cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and promoting cell apoptosis. Using the next-generation sequencing approach, we identified three upregulated microRNAs (miRNA; miR-192-5p, miR-584-3p, and miR-1246) in melanoma cells treated with metformin. Among these, we examined the roles of miR-192-5p and miR-584-3p and discovered that they significantly suppressed melanoma cell motility. Furthermore, they inhibited melanoma cell growth through destroying cell cycle progression and inducing cell apoptosis. Using microarray and bioinformatics approaches for identifying putative target genes, Epidermal growth factor (EGF) containing fibulin-like extracellular matrix protein 1 (EFEMP1) gene for miR-192-5p and an isoform of the secretory carrier membrane proteins (SCAMP3) gene for miR-584-3p could be silenced through targeting their 3′UTR region directly. EFEMP1 and SCAMP3 knockdown significantly suppressed melanoma cell growth, but only EFEMP1 knockdown inhibited its motility abilities. Our findings indicated that miR-192-5p and miR-584-3p might contribute to metformin-induced growth and motility suppression in melanoma cells through silencing their target genes EFEMP1 and SCAMP3.
Inflammation and Aortic Pulse Wave Velocity: A Multicenter Longitudinal Study in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by a low prevalence of traditional risk factors, an increased aortic pulse‐wave velocity (aPWV), and an excess of cardiovascular events. We have previously hypothesized that the cardiovascular risk excess reported in these patients could be explained by chronic inflammation. Here, we tested the hypothesis that chronic inflammation is responsible for the increased aPWV previously reported in IBD patients and that anti‐TNFa (anti‐tumor necrosis factor‐alpha) therapy reduce aPWV in these patients. Methods and Results This was a multicenter longitudinal study. We enrolled 334 patients: 82 patients with ulcerative colitis, 85 patients with Crohn disease, and 167 healthy control subjects matched for age, sex, and mean blood pressure, from 3 centers in Europe, and followed them for 4 years (range, 2.5–5.7 years). At baseline, IBD patients had higher aPWV than controls. IBD patients in remission and those treated with anti–TNFa during follow‐up experienced an aortic destiffening, whereas aPWV increased in those with active disease and those treated with salicylates (P=0.01). Disease duration (P=0.02) was associated with aortic stiffening as was, in patients with ulcerative colitis, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein during follow‐up (P=0.02). All these results were confirmed after adjustment for major confounders. Finally, the duration of anti–TNFa therapy was not associated with the magnitude of the reduction in aPWV at the end of follow‐up (P=0.85). Conclusions Long‐term anti–TNFa therapy reduces aPWV, an established surrogate measure of cardiovascular risk, in patients with IBD. This suggests that effective control of inflammation may reduce cardiovascular risk in these patients.
Interest of High-Dose Pulse Corticosteroid Therapy Combined with Methotrexate for Severe Alopecia Areata: A Retrospective Case Series

Background: The combination of systemic pulse corticosteroids and methotrexate in the treatment of severe alopecia areata has never been reported. Objective: The objective of this work was to give arguments for the efficacy and safety of this combined treatment. Methods: This was a retrospective case series of patients treated with intravenous 500 mg methylprednisolone per day for 3 consecutive days monthly during 3 months plus methotrexate initiated at the end of the second pulse regimen. We reviewed all case notes of patients who received this regimen between January 1 2007 and December 1 2010. Results: Twenty patients were treated. Data on hair regrowth at month 12 were available for all patients; 14 patients were still receiving the treatment on December 1 2010, 2 patients were lost of follow-up, and 4 patients had stopped the treatment. Of the 14 patients who were still receiving the treatment regimen at month 18, 10 (10/20, 50%) had total hair regrowth and 4 (4/20, 20%) had incomplete but satisfactory hair regrowth. The treatment was well tolerated. Conclusion: The initial treatment by pulse intravenous corticosteroids may influence the overall response. This approach should be evaluated in a larger series of patients.
Cannabis Dependence or Abuse in Kidney Transplantation: Implications for Posttransplant Outcomes.

BACKGROUND Cannabis is categorized as an illicit drug in most US states, but legalization for medical indications is increasing. Policies and guidance regarding cannabis use in transplant patients remain controversial. METHODS We examined a database linking national kidney transplant records (n=52,689) with Medicare claims to identify diagnoses of cannabis dependence or abuse (CDOA) and associations (adjusted hazard ratio, 95% LCL aHR95% UCL) with graft, patient and other clinical outcomes. RESULTS CDOA was diagnosed in only 0.5% (n=254) and 0.3% (n=163) of kidney transplant recipients in the years before and after transplant, respectively. Patients with pretransplant CDOA were more likely to be aged 19-30 and black race, and less likely to be obese, college-educated, and employed. After multivariate and propensity adjustment, CDOA in the year before transplant was not associated with death or graft failure in the year after transplant, but was associated with posttransplant psychosocial problems such as alcohol abuse, other drug abuse, noncompliance, schizophrenia and depression. Further, CDOA in the first year posttransplant was associated with an approximately 2-fold increased risk of death-censored graft failure (aHR 1.592.293.32), all-cause graft loss (aHR 1.502.092.91), and death (aHR 1.061.793.04) in the subsequent 2 years. Posttransplant CDOA was also associated with cardiovascular, pulmonary, and psychosocial problems, and with events such as accidents and fractures. CONCLUSIONS While associations likely, in part, reflect associated conditions or behaviors, clinical diagnosis of CDOA in the year after transplant appears to have prognostic implications for allograft and patient outcomes. Recipients with posttransplant CDOA warrant focused monitoring and support.
Exploring caregiving-related experiences among Chinese American and European American family caregivers of persons with mental illness

Family caregivers (FCs) of people with mental illness (PMI) experience caregiving-related distress. These challenges tend to be greater for Asian American families due to acculturative stress and structural barriers to services. However, little is known about caregiving-related experiences among FCs of PMI within a cultural context. By using an exploratory approach, we examined the experience of caregiver distress and the influence of cultural values on caregiving in European American and Chinese American FCs. In collaboration with community-based agencies, a combination of convenience and snowball sampling methods were used to recruit Chinese American and European American caregivers who co-reside with PMIs. Two focus groups with each ethnic group with 57 participants (30 Chinese and 27 European American) were conducted. Thematic analysis indicates that FCs experience intense emotions, health/mental health problems, and a negative impact on their personal/social lives. Whereas Chinese American FCs reported shame, lack of knowledge, and over-protectiveness of PMIs, European American FCs reported the need for advocacy on behalf of the PMI. Findings indicate a need for: 1) greater awareness of the caregiving experience on wellbeing of FCs; 2) an understanding of how cultural values may influence caregiver experience; and 3) developing culturally relevant prevention and intervention services that can support FCs from diverse cultural contexts.
Net Acid Excretion and Urinary Organic Anions in Idiopathic Uric Acid Nephrolithiasis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Idiopathic uric acid nephrolithiasis, which is closely associated with obesity and the metabolic syndrome, is increasing in prevalence. Unduly acidic urine pH, the quintessential pathophysiologic feature of this disease, is in part explained by inadequate excretion of the principal urinary buffer ammonium. The role of net acid excretion in the pathogenesis of uric acid nephrolithiasis is incompletely understood. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS We compared acid-base parameters of patients with idiopathic uric acid nephrolithiasis with matched control subjects under controlled diets in an inpatient metabolic unit. Measurements included fasting blood and 24-hour urine chemistries and 24-hour urine metabolomic analysis. Comparisons between groups included analysis of covariance models controlling for urine pH or body mass index. RESULTS Subjects with idiopathic uric acid nephrolithiasis had lower urine pH (5.5 versus 5.9; P<0.001) and higher net acid excretion (60 versus 43 mEq/24 h; P<0.001), with the excess H+ carried by nonammonium buffers. In all subjects, there was a positive relationship of net acid excretion with higher body mass index in spite of strictly controlled equivalent dietary acid intake. This relationship was most evident among control subjects (r=0.36; P=0.03). It was attenuated in patients with idiopathic uric acid nephrolithiasis whose net acid excretion remained fixedly high and ammonium excretion remained low relative to net acid excretion, resulting in low urine pH over a wide body mass index range. Urinary metabolomics was performed to attempt to identify excess organic acids presented to the kidney in idiopathic uric acid nephrolithiasis. Among the tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates and amino acid and lipid metabolites analyzed, 26 organic anions with acid dissociation constants values in the range of urine pH showed greater protonation. However, protons carried by the identified organic acids did not entirely account for the higher titratable acidity seen in idiopathic uric acid nephrolithiasis. CONCLUSIONS Higher acid load to the kidney, resulting in higher urinary net acid excretion, is an important factor in the pathogenesis of idiopathic uric acid nephrolithiasis.
Dried-Fruit Storage: An Analysis of Package Headspace Atmosphere Changes

The quality of packaged dried foods depends on storage conditions and is determined largely by the initial gas composition inside and the transference through the container. The aim of this work was to analyze the O2 and CO2 concentrations within the internal atmosphere of the packaging. In this study, dried apricots and raisins were packaged in glass jars and polypropylene trays thermosealed with different polymers, and stored at 5, 15, 25, and 35 °C. Some trays were flushed with nitrogen just before sealing. In addition, the work relates to other previous papers to investigate the effect of these gases and packages on the stored products, and compares the influence of permeable and impermeable containers on food quality parameters. When packages were flushed with nitrogen before sealing, the O2 level in the headspace increased until the outside O2 concentration was reached. The CO2 concentration increased over time, regardless of the initial atmosphere. Nitrogen had a great influence on the concentration of O2, but not on that of CO2. Finally, this paper shows that the films and initial gas used in this study had no significant effect on the quality of the stored dried fruit.