Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of implementation of COTPA-2003 in Bengaluru city, India: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Tobacco as a slow and modern epidemic remains a serious public health problem for the country. Despite the existence of a comprehensive law to reduce tobacco burden, India still faces the uphill task of its acceptance and successful implementation. Aim: To assess the implementation of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act 2003 (COTPA)-2003 (Section 4, 6b, and 7) in public places of Bengaluru city and to assess the awareness of the head of these institutions/offices regarding COTPA-2003 and its enforcement in their premises. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 175 public places selected as sources of data using cluster random sampling. The tool in the form of a checklist was prepared based on the sections of COTPA-2003 (Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products' Act), and data were recorded through direct observation. A structured interview was conducted of the institutional heads regarding the implementation of COTPA-2003 in their premises. Informed consent was obtained from the institutional heads or in-charges of the public places. Results: Section 4 (Prohibition of smoking in public places) was not complied by 58%. Only 16.7% educational institutions complied with the Section 6b (Prohibition of sale of tobacco products near educational institutions). More than 50% of the head of the institutions were unaware of their role in the implementation of this law. Conclusion: Although the law has been drafted comprehensively, it is implemented only to a certain extent. Hence, all concerned departments and ministries responsible for meeting the framework convention on tobacco control objectives and enforcing COTPA, at central and state levels, should act urgently and in coordination.
Comparison of allopathic and herbal medicine for the treatment of Entamoeba histolytica: A double blind clinical trial

This parallel, randomized, double blind clinical trial was designed to compare allopathic drugs [a combination of metronidazole + diloxanide furoate (MDF)] with Endemali (herbal product) for therapeutic cure rate and side effects in order to find out the most suitable drug for this killer disease. This double blind randomized clinical trial was conducted in two areas of Karachi, Pakistan after approval from ethical committee of Hamdard University. All those confirmed for Entamoeba histolytica were included in the study. One hundred and seventy one patients selected for the study were randomly allocated to two arms of 86 and 85 for allopathic and herbal treatment, respectively. However 78 in allopathic and 75 in herbal group completed the study. Main outcome variable was treatment success or failure. Secondary outcome measures included side effects and association with age and sex. No significant difference was observed in the socio economic and demographic variables at the baseline. No significant difference was found between the cure rate of MDF and Endemali; hence both drugs were equally effective in treating amoebiasis. Significant differences were reported for the side effects observed among the two groups and the price. The failure rate for the two drugs was 28.7%. It is concluded that both Endemali and MDF are equally effective in treating amoebiasis. However, Endemali has fewer side effects than MDF. New drugs need to be researched for the treatment of E. histolytica because of high failure rate of the two drugs against this killer organism. Key words: Comparison, Entamoeba histolytica, amoebiasis, herbal, Endemali, metronidazole, diloxanide furoate, clinical trial, double blind, parallel.
Current Therapy in Equine Medicine 2

This volume of the standard reference presents a unique version of modern therapy in equine medicine. Chapters cover therapeutics, duties of a veterinarian, problems of draft horses and mules, as well as exotic diseases and their signs, treatment, and regulations. Also discusses both common and unusual diseases of the horse, including alimentary tract, cardiovascular, foal, respiratory, skin, and more. The index includes entries for volume 2 to provide quick access to previous topics covered in this series.
Efectos de la privación de sueño (PS) sobre la neurogénesis hipocampal

La neurogenesis adulta en el giro dentado (GD) del hipocampo es un proceso que involucra la proliferacion, diferenciacion, maduracion, migracion e incorporacion de neuronas jovenes en la capa granular del GD. Estas neuronas nacientes maduran en un lapso de 3-4 semanas y luego se incorporan en circuitos neurales hipocampales preestablecidos, donde participan en funciones cognitivas, entre las que se encuentran la adquisicion y la retencion de la memoria espacial, las cuales se consolidan durante el sueno. En la presente revision describimos los principales hallazgos que relacionan la PS fragmentada o total con cambios en la neurogenesis del GD, asi como sus posibles consecuencias en los procesos mentales. Ademas, se analizan algunos posibles mecanismos implicados en este deterioro, tales como la ritmicidad circadiana, los receptores de melatonina y algunos factores de crecimiento.
Medical Reserve Corps Volunteers' Ability and Willingness to Report to Work for the Department of Health During Catastrophic Disasters

Abstract : Local public health systems must have the capacity to meet the surge requirements of a health emergency that requires an extraordinary increase in activity including the rapid prophylaxis of an effected community. According to recent studies of paid healthcare professionals, approximately forty percent may be unable or unwilling to report to work during catastrophic disasters, but these questions have not yet been asked in the volunteer community. The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a group of medical volunteers with a primary mission of support to the public health system during periods of surge. This thesis surveyed the members of a county health department MRC to determine their ability and willingness to volunteer in a public health emergency. The survey also elicited information on barriers and enablers to response and perceptions of community preparedness. Both significant differences in the responses of paid versus volunteer health professionals regarding their ability and willingness and striking similarities in their responses regarding barriers and enablers to report to work were identified. Volunteer motivation, cognitive dissonance and the nature of self selected volunteers are examined as they relate to these findings and strategies to strengthen the ability and willingness of MRC units to respond with the public health system are suggested.
Incomplete expansion of transcatheter aortic valves is associated with propensity for valve thrombosis.

OBJECTIVES Clinical and subclinical leaflet thromboses are increasingly recognized complications following transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Identification of the risk factors is important to mitigate the occurrence of leaflet thrombosis in transcatheter aortic valves (TAVs) and ensure their long-term function. The goal of this study was to determine the effect of incomplete expansion of TAVs on the likelihood of leaflet thrombosis following transcatheter aortic valve replacement. METHODS Using experimental and computational methods, 3-dimensional unsteady flow fields of 26-mm SAPIEN 3 valves expanded to 3 different diameters (i.e. 26.0 mm, 23.4 mm and 20.8 mm) were determined in patient-specific geometries. The diameters corresponded to 100%, 90% and 80% stent expansion, respectively. To address the potential difference in the likelihood of leaflet thrombosis, blood residence time (i.e. stasis) and viscous shear stress on the surface of TAV leaflets were quantified and compared. RESULTS The results indicated that TAV underexpansion increased blood stasis on the TAV leaflets. Blood residence time on the surface of the leaflets after 80% and 90% TAV expansion on average was 9.4% and 4.1% more than that of the fully expanded TAV, respectively. In addition, areas of blood stasis time of more than 0.5 s, which are highly prone to platelet activation, increased linearly as the degree of TAV underexpansion increased. CONCLUSIONS Incomplete expansion of TAVs increases blood stasis on the surface of TAV leaflets. Regions of blood stasis promote platelet activation and thrombotic events. TAV underexpansion can therefore increase the risk of leaflet thrombosis in patients with transcatheter aortic valve replacement.
Dealing with maedi visna in UK sheep flocks

Background: Maedi visna (MV) is considered to be one of the ‘iceberg diseases’ of sheep; a group of infectious, production-limiting diseases which are endemic to the UK. Characterised by slow, progressive onset, these diseases lie undetected and can have a large impact on flock efficiency. This group of diseases also includes border disease, caseous lymphadenitis, ovine Johne’s disease and ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma. The prevalence and effects of these diseases within different UK flock types remains unknown. Aim of the article: To highlight the increasing importance of MV within the national flock. Here, we discuss the production effects, diagnosis and control options for MV.
The Personalization of Conversational Agents in Health Care: Systematic Review

Background The personalization of conversational agents with natural language user interfaces is seeing increasing use in health care applications, shaping the content, structure, or purpose of the dialogue between humans and conversational agents. Objective The goal of this systematic review was to understand the ways in which personalization has been used with conversational agents in health care and characterize the methods of its implementation. Methods We searched on PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and ACM Digital Library using a predefined search strategy. The studies were included if they: (1) were primary research studies that focused on consumers, caregivers, or health care professionals; (2) involved a conversational agent with an unconstrained natural language interface; (3) tested the system with human subjects; and (4) implemented personalization features. Results The search found 1958 publications. After abstract and full-text screening, 13 studies were included in the review. Common examples of personalized content included feedback, daily health reports, alerts, warnings, and recommendations. The personalization features were implemented without a theoretical framework of customization and with limited evaluation of its impact. While conversational agents with personalization features were reported to improve user satisfaction, user engagement and dialogue quality, the role of personalization in improving health outcomes was not assessed directly. Conclusions Most of the studies in our review implemented the personalization features without theoretical or evidence-based support for them and did not leverage the recent developments in other domains of personalization. Future research could incorporate personalization as a distinct design factor with a more careful consideration of its impact on health outcomes and its implications on patient safety, privacy, and decision-making.
Endocan Expression Profile in Different Grades of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background: Oral cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies and presents increasing incidence and mortality trends in the world, with a mortality rate of 14.33. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) constitutes 90 of all malignancies in the oral cavity. In spite of new therapeutic strategies, the risk of metastasis and mortality rate is still very high. Methods: A total of 54 samples (18 samples of each grade) were collected from the archives of the Pathology Department of Be’sat Educational Hospital, Hamadan, Iran from 2000 to 2017. The specimens were processed for immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. Besides, the samples were stained with Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) method for vasculogenic mimicry (VM) detection. Results: The chi-square test showed statistically significant differences between the expression level of endocan and lesion grade in the research groups (P = 0.025), lesion grade and VM formation (P = 0.001), and tumor grade and microvessel density (MVD) count (P = 0.000). Conclusions: The results suggest that endocan mediates tumor progression possibly via a few mechanisms such as cancer stem cells (CSCs), epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and VM formation. Further studies are required to reveal the mechanisms, by which the endocan acts as an oncogene. In addition, endocan could be considered as one of the tumor markers and a possible new target for cancer therapy. © 2019, Author(s).
CLINICAL EXAMINATION FOR INTOXICATION IN CASES OF SUSPECTED DRUNKEN DRIVING

FINLAND IS ONE OF THE FEW COUNTRIES IN WHICH, DUE TO THE LACK OF A STATUTORY BLOOD ALCOHOL LIMIT, THE CLINICAL EXAMINATION FOR INTOXICATION HAS RETAINED A DECISIVE IMPORTANCE IN COURT. TO CLARIFY THE VALUE OF THE CLINICAL EXAMINATION FOR INTOXICATION, INFORMATION WAS GATHERED FROM THE LARGEST INSTITUTE IN FINLAND CONTINUOUSLY PERFORMING THESE EXAMINATIONS AND ANALYZED BY COMPUTER. FORTY-EIGHT VARIABLES WERE USED, INCLUDING PERFORMANCE ON 13 CLINICAL TESTS, DEGREE OF INTOXICATION, BLOOD ALCOHOL VOLUME, AGE, SEX, SOCIAL STATUS, DELAY TIME OF TEST, DISEASE AND PREVIOUS MEDICATION, ALCOHOL INGESTED, DELAY TIME OF TEST, AND PHYSICIAN'S EXPERIENCE. MANY SERIOUS SOURCES OF ERROR WERE LOCATED. AT LOW BLOOD ALCOHOLS THERE WAS FOUND SIGNIFICANT OVERDIAGNOSIS OF THE DEGREE OF INTOXICATION.
Activation and Regulation of NFκB during Acute Inflammation

Abstract During the acute inflammatory response, there is induction of a mediator cascade which functions to activate residential macrophages and recruit blood leukocytes to the site of the inflammatory insult. Dysregulation of this process can cause an exaggerated inflammatory response and lead to tissue injury. Recent studies have focused on the transcription factor NFκB, which controls the gene expression of many pro-inflammatory mediators. Under normal conditions, NFκB is retained in the cytosol by inhibitory proteins of the IκB family. In response to an inflammatory insult, IκB proteins are degraded and the free NFκB complex translocates to the nucleus where it initiates gene transcription. An understanding of the in vivo mechanisms leading to the activation of NFκB, and the regulatory mechanisms that exist to limit this activation, may lead to the development of novel new therapeutic options for inflammatory injury. In this review we will discuss the current knowledge of the role of NFκB in the development of acute inflammation, as well as the regulatory mechanisms that exist to prevent the activation of NFκB and resolve inflammatory tissue injury.
Fatal Abdominal Stabbing: A Confusing Picture in Differentiating Homicide and Suicide

Background : Differentiating between homicide and suicide can be difficult and even impossible. In this report, we presented a fatal stabbing injury, which made a challenge in the verification of the manner of death. Case Report : A 45-year-old man was found dead in his workplace with a knife beside him. His mouth was closed with a scarf, his clothes were intact, and no evidence of a struggle was observed in the scene investigation. There was a vertical stab wound on the midline of the victim’s belly and his intestines were tangled out of the wound. In the autopsy, no defense wound was found. There was blood in the abdominal cavity and retroperitoneal region and several perforations were observed in the intestine and liver along the superficial wound. Painful death and torturous extraction of visceral organs resembled homicide, but nothing indicative of hostility and homicide was found by the forensic exploration and police investigation. Finally, the manner of death was assigned as suicide and the cause of death was a hemorrhagic shock as a result of sharp force injuries. Conclusion : This case represents a bizarre suicide, which is rare and highly suspicious of homicide. In such mysterious cases, the evidence of autopsy and crime scene and police investigation should be regarded to make a decision.
Immunological and hemostatic responses to ventricular assist device support

Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are critical in the treatment of advanced heart failure, but continue to be plagued by infection, bleeding and thrombosis. Immunity may be affected by VADs, though most paradigms were developed in older-generation pumps and may not currently be applicable. Similarly, hemostasis and platelets may be impacted by device type, though the patient’s health may also influence outcomes. Temporal immune cell activation and thrombosis biomarkers levels were evaluated across several contemporary pumps. This relationship was further studied in vitro through development of a method for visualizing cellular deposition onto opaque materials. An improved understanding of the cellular effects of VADs was sought through a comparative evaluation of these pumps, and this understanding may aid in the development of predictive indices of adverse events and influence future device design. Patients implanted with a currently-utilized VAD did not experience changes to adaptive immunity reported with previous-generation devices. However, infection was still an ongoing risk for these patients. Further investigation found the impact of VADs on immunity was greater than that of similar surgeries, especially among innate immunity. Granulocyte activation was elevated following VAD implantation, and was significantly pronounced in one model, suggesting an influence of design on immune cells. Granulocyte activation promotes extravasation and apoptosis, suggesting a pathway for decreased cellular immunity. Pre-operative hepatic dysfunction had immediate and long lasting hemostatic effects on VAD patients. Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score was found to be a positive pre-operative predictor of post-implant bleeding, blood product consumption and elevation of thrombosis biomarkers. MELD score was also found to be a stronger predictor of immediate post-operative bleeding than device type, underscoring the importance of patient pre-operative health on post-operative outcomes. With this difficult hemostatic environment, improvement of the blood-contacting surfaces of rotary VADs may reduce complications. A flow chamber for real-time visualization of platelet deposition onto surfaces of opaque VAD materials under physiologically-relevant conditions was developed. This was accomplished through the novel combination of fluorescently-marked platelet-rich-plasma and translucent hemoglobin-depleted red blood cells. This method enables the hemocompatibility assessment of a wide range of implantable materials.
Distribution of high-risk human papillomavirus genotype prevalence and attribution to cervical precancerous lesions in rural North China

Objective Precise prevention is more desired for cervical cancer due to the huge population, high prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in China and the vision of screen-and-treat strategies in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Considerations of combining type-specific prevalence and attribution proportion to high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia are informative to more precise and effective region-specific cervical cancer prevention and control programs. The aim of the current study was to determine the genotype distribution of HPV and attribution to cervical precancerous lesions among women from rural areas in North China. Methods A total of 9,526 women participated in the cervical cancer screening project in rural China. The samples of women who tested positive for HPV were retested with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based HPV genotyping test. The attribution proportion of specific high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) types for different grades of cervical lesions was calculated by using the type contribution weighting method. Results A total of 22.2% (2,112/9,526) of women were HR-HPV positive and HPV52 (21.7%) was the most common HR-HPV genotype, followed by HPV58 (18.2%), HPV53 (18.2%) and HPV16 (16.2%). The top three genotypes detected in HR-HPV-positive cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)1 were HPV16 (36.7%), HPV58 (20.4%), HPV56 (15.3%). Among CIN2+, the most frequent genotypes were HPV16 (75.6%), HPV52 (17.8%), HPV58 (16.7%). HPV16, 56, 58, 53, 52, 59, 68, and 18 combined were attributed to 84.17% of all CIN1 lesions, and HPV16, 58, and 52 combined were attributed to 86.98% of all CIN2+ lesions. Conclusions The prevalence of HR-HPV infection among women from rural areas in North China was high and HPV16, HPV58, HPV52 had paramount attributable fraction in CIN2+. Type-specific HPV prevalence and attribution proportion to cervical precancerous lesions should be taken into consideration in the development of vaccines and strategy for screening in this population.
Evaluation of Association Methods for Analysing Modifiers of Disease Risk in Carriers of High‐Risk Mutations

There is considerable evidence indicating that disease risk in carriers of high‐risk mutations (e.g. BRCA1 and BRCA2) varies by other genetic factors. Such mutations tend to be rare in the population and studies of genetic modifiers of risk have focused on sampling mutation carriers through clinical genetics centres. Genetic testing targets affected individuals from high‐risk families, making ascertainment of mutation carriers non‐random with respect to disease phenotype. Standard analytical methods can lead to biased estimates of associations. Methods proposed to address this problem include a weighted‐cohort (WC) and retrospective likelihood (RL) approach. Their performance has not been evaluated systematically. We evaluate these methods by simulation and extend the RL to analysing associations of two diseases simultaneously (competing risks RL—CRRL). The standard cohort approach (Cox regression) yielded the most biased risk ratio (RR) estimates (relative bias—RB: −25% to −17%) and had the lowest power. The WC and RL approaches provided similar RR estimates, were least biased (RB: −2.6% to 2.5%), and had the lowest mean‐squared errors. The RL method generally had more power than WC. When analysing associations with two diseases, ignoring a potential association with one disease leads to inflated type I errors for inferences with respect to the second disease and biased RR estimates. The CRRL generally gave unbiased RR estimates for both disease risks and had correct nominal type I errors. These methods are illustrated by analyses of genetic modifiers of breast and ovarian cancer risk for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers.