Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Survival after subsequent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-small cell lung cancer in patients with malignant thymoma.

BACKGROUND Survivors of malignant thymoma (MT) are at an increased risk of developing subsequent neoplasms. We compare overall survival (OS) between MT survivors who developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and patients with first primary NHL (NHL-1) or NSCLC (NSCLC-1), respectively. METHODS Using the population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for 1973 through 2013, 273,313 patients who had NHL-1, 21 patients with MT-NHL, 566,819 patients with NSCLC-1, and 38 patients with MT-NSCLC were identified. Univariate and multivariate models were used to assess the impact of various factors on OS. RESULTS The observed-to-expected ratio among MT patients was 2.63 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.40-4.49; P<0.05] for NHL and 1.90 (95% CI, 1.33-3.63; P<0.05) for lung cancer. On univariate analysis, MT history did not worsen OS for NHL [hazard ratio (HR), 1.46; 95% CI, 0.87-2.47; P=0.16] or NSCLC (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.61-1.29; P=0.53). On multivariate analysis, MT history was found to be an adverse prognostic indicator on OS for NHL (HR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.20-3.42; P=0.008), but not NSCLC (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.60-1.25; P=0.45). CONCLUSIONS Patients who develop NHL after MT have inferior survival than those with first primary NHL. A history of MT does not have an adverse prognostic impact on subsequent NSCLC. Clinicians must be aware of the intrinsic risk for subsequent malignancies after MT and the potential adverse impact of MT history on NHL prognosis but not NSCLC.
Relationships among sociodemographic markers, behavioral risk, and sexually transmitted infections in U. S. female Marine Corps recruits.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of sociodemographic factors and constructs derived from the Information, Motivation, and Behavioral Skills (IMB) model on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and a composite STI risk score in female Marine Corps recruits. METHODS Data were collected in 1999 to 2000 through self-administered questionnaires and laboratory-confirmed tests of STIs. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess factors associated with sexual risk and STIs. RESULTS Recruits with the highest STI risk scores were younger, single, had high STI knowledge, less positive condom attitudes, perceptions of higher STI risk, perceived that sex is more likely and enjoyable under the influence of alcohol, and were heavy alcohol and drug users before recruit training entry. Recruits diagnosed with STIs had higher STI risk scores, had last sexual partners who were non-Caucasian, and resided in rural locations before recruit training entry. CONCLUSIONS A significant proportion of young women entering the Marine Corps present with STIs and/or recent sexual behavior that put them at risk for acquiring STIs despite high group means for prevention skills. Deficiencies in STI/human immunodeficiency virus knowledge and motivation to reduce risk (denoted by negative attitudes toward condom use and acceptance of the connection between sex and substance use) are possible targets for intervention.
Utilization of Pharmacist Responders as a Component of a Multidisciplinary Sepsis Bundle

Background: Sepsis and septic shock remain a significant burden on the US health care system. A multidisciplinary response system (Coordinated Response to Sepsis, CaRTS) that included a pharmacist responder was implemented for patients with newly suspected sepsis. Objective: To evaluate the time to appropriate antibiotic administration among patients with the CaRTS intervention compared with historical controls. Method: The CaRTS intervention included an electronic order set as well as activation of a multidisciplinary team of pharmacy and nursing personnel to coordinate resuscitation and medication administration. The CaRTS group was compared to historical controls. The primary outcome of the study was the proportion of patients with appropriate antibiotic administration within 1 hour of recognition of sepsis. Secondary outcomes included achievement of mean arterial pressure (MAP) ≥65 mm Hg and central venous pressure (CVP) of 8 to 12 mm Hg within 6 hours. Result: The CaRTS intervention was used for 49 patients and 59 historical controls were included for analysis. Patients with the CaRTS intervention had a greater than 20 times higher odds of antibiotic administration within 1 hour compared with controls (odds ratio [OR] 22.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 7.5-69) and were more likely to have a CVP ≥8 mm Hg at 6 hours (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.0-5.6) compared with controls. CaRTS patients achieved statistically nonsignificant increases in MAP ≥65 mm Hg (OR 2.2, 95% CI 0.7-7.7). Conclusion: Utilization of a multidisciplinary sepsis bundle that included a pharmacist responder improved the proportion of patients receiving appropriate antibiotics within 1 hour of recognition of sepsis compared to historical controls.
Tissue distribution of the ND4/11778 mutation in heteroplasmic lineages with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy

Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a maternally inherited eye disease most commonly caused by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) point mutation at position 11778, 3460, or 14484. Approximately 14% of families show heteroplasmy for the pathogenic mutations but little is known about the mutational burden in different tissues of these heteroplasmic individuals. Consequently, estimating the risks of visual loss is difficult. This study presents quantitative mutation analyses of tissues representing all embryonal layers in two families heteroplasmic for the 11778 mutation. These analyses show that a high amount of mutated mtDNA in leukocytes is correlated with a high proportion of mutated mtDNA in other tissues. Hum Mutat 9:412–417, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Elafin (SKALP/Trappin-2/proteinase inhibitor-3) Is Produced by the Cervix in Pregnancy and Cervicovaginal Levels Are Diminished in Bacterial Vaginosis

Objectives. To examine cervicovaginal elafin production in pregnancy and determine its relationship in bacterial vaginosis. Study Design. Samples of cervicovaginal secretions were collected from women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies (n = 112) below 20 weeks gestation. Bacterial flora was assessed using Nugent’s criteria, and levels of elafin were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent serologic assay (ELISA). Elafin expression in the cervix was also examined by immunohistochemistry. In vitro expression of elafin was examined using cervix and vaginal cell lines. Results. Elafin is expressed in the cervical glandular epithelium. Elafin was found in all 112 samples of cervicovaginal secretions and levels were diminished in women with bacterial vaginosis (P < .05). Interleukin 1β (IL-1β) stimulated elafin expression in cells derived from the endocervix, but not in those derived from the vaginal epithelium. Conclusions. Elafin is a component of cervicovaginal secretions in pregnancy, and levels are diminished in bacterial vaginosis. It may be an important component of innate immunity in the lower genital tract.
A role for neuropeptide W in the regulation of feeding behavior.

Neuropeptide W (NPW) is a novel hypothalamic peptide that activates the previously described orphan G protein-coupled receptors, GPR7 and GPR8. Two endogenous molecular forms of NPW that consist of 23- and 30-amino acid residues were identified. The localization of GPR7 and GPR8 in some hypothalamic regions of primary importance in the regulation of feeding behavior has provided a springboard for investigation of the role of NPW in the central nervous system. In this study we examined the effects of NPW on feeding and energy expenditure in rats. Single intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of NPW23 and NPW30 to free-feeding rats suppressed dark phase and fasting-induced food intake at similar effective doses. Continuous i.c. v. infusion of NPW using an osmotic minipump suppressed feeding and body weight gain over the infusion period. Conversely, i.c. v. administration of anti-NPW IgG stimulated feeding. Furthermore, i.c. v. administration of NPW increased body temperature and heat production. These data raise the possibility that NPW functions as an endogenous catabolic signaling molecule in the brain. Further investigation of the biochemical and physiological functions of NPW will help us to better understand the hypothalamic regulation of energy homeostasis.
Atomistic modeling of thermodynamic equilibrium and polymorphism of iron

We develop two new modified embedded-atom method (MEAM) potentials for elemental iron, intended to reproduce the experimental phase stability with respect to both temperature and pressure. These simple interatomic potentials are fitted to a wide variety of material properties of bcc iron in close agreement with experiments. Numerous defect properties of bcc iron and bulk properties of the two close-packed structures calculated with these models are in reasonable agreement with the available first-principles calculations and experiments. Performance at finite temperatures of these models has also been examined using Monte Carlo simulations. We attempt to reproduce the experimental iron polymorphism at finite temperature by means of free energy computations, similar to the procedure previously pursued by Müller et al (2007 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 19 326220), and re-examine the adequacy of the conclusion drawn in the study by addressing two critical aspects missing in their analysis: (i) the stability of the hcp structure relative to the bcc and fcc structures and (ii) the compatibility between the temperature and pressure dependences of the phase stability. Using two MEAM potentials, we are able to represent all of the observed structural phase transitions in iron. We discuss that the correct reproductions of the phase stability among three crystal structures of iron with respect to both temperature and pressure are incompatible with each other due to the lack of magnetic effects in this class of empirical interatomic potential models. The MEAM potentials developed in this study correctly predict, in the bcc structure, the self-interstitial in the 〈110〉 orientation to be the most stable configuration, and the screw dislocation to have a non-degenerate core structure, in contrast to many embedded-atom method potentials for bcc iron in the literature.
Reactivity to potential cross‐reactive foods in fruit‐allergic patients: implications for prescribing food avoidance

Background: Prescribing therapeutic elimination diets in patients with fruit allergy should include recommendations on which other foods of the same family or group may be safely consumed. Evidence‐based data on the management of fruit allergy are lacking; therefore, advice may vary from just avoiding the offending fruit, to overly restrictive diets of the entire botanical family. The aims of this investigation were to assess clinical reactivity to potential cross‐reactive foods in fruit‐allergic patients, and the implications for prescribing specific therapeutic elimination diets.
Mortality among British Columbia pilots.

We studied the mortality experience of all pilots who died in the province of British Columbia between 1950 and 1984, using proportional mortality ratios (PMR) and proportional cancer mortality ratios (PCMR). There were 341 deaths during that time in males whose usual occupation was listed as pilot. The PMR for aircraft accidents was significantly elevated (PMR = 3196, 95% C.I. 2810, 3634), and the PMR for atherosclerotic heart disease was significantly depressed (PMR = 47, 95% C.I. 30, 70). Although based on small numbers of deaths, and not statistically significant, elevated PCMRs were seen for cancers of the colon, brain, and nervous system, as well as for Hodgkin's disease. These findings suggest the need for further epidemiologic studies of commercial airline pilots.
The physiology of rodent beta‐cells in pancreas slices

Beta‐cells in pancreatic islets form complex syncytia. Sufficient cell‐to‐cell electrical coupling seems to ensure coordinated depolarization pattern and insulin release that can be further modulated by rich innervation. The complex structure and coordinated action develop after birth during fast proliferation of the endocrine tissue. These emergent properties can be lost due to various reasons later in life and can lead to glucose intolerance and diabetes mellitus. Pancreas slice is a novel method of choice to study the physiology of beta‐cells still embedded in their normal cellulo‐social context. I present major advantages, list drawbacks and provide an overview on recent advances in our understanding of the physiology of beta‐cells using the pancreas slice approach.
Changes in sleep patterns in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To explore whether spontaneous hypertension is associated with a change in sleep pattern in rats. DESIGN Adult male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were compared to normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) on their normal daytime sleep pattern. PARTICIPANTS Ten WKY and 10 SHR. INTERVENTIONS All rats had electrodes implanted for polygraphic recordings. Weeks later, a 5-hour daytime sleep-weakfulness recording session was analyzed. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Electroencephalogram and electromyogram signals were subjected to continuous power spectral analysis, from which mean power frequency of the electroencephalogram and power of the electromyogram were quantified. Active waking (AW), quiet sleep (QS), and paradoxical sleep (PS) were defined every 8 seconds from corresponding mean power frequency and electromyogram power readings. Analysis of heart-rate variability was derived from the electrocardiogram signals. Macrostructural analysis of sleep revealed that SHR were characterized by fewer QS and PS episodes and eventually shorter accumulated QS and PS times as compared to WKY. SHR also had more QS-to-AW transitions but fewer QS-to-PS transitions. Microstructural analysis revealed that SHR were associated with more-frequent interruptions during QS. Analysis of heart-rate variability indicated that SHR had similar R-R intervals and lower high-frequency (0.6-2.4 Hz) power but a higher ratio of low-frequency (0.06-0.6 Hz) power to high-frequency power during the daytime recording as compared to WKY. CONCLUSIONS As compared to WKY, SHR may have less sleep time, poorer sleep quality, and a greater tendency to wake up from QS. Such changes in sleep may be concomitant with cardiac autonomic changes. Our methodology offers a convenient yet effective way to study the constitution, sequence, and interruption of sleep in the rat.
Purification of goat immunoglobulin G by immobilized metal‐ion affinity using cross‐linked alginate beads

The alginate beads obtained by cross‐linking of the polymer by epichlorohydrin were charged with Cu(II). The copper‐charged beads could be directly used as a immobilized‐metal‐affinity‐chromatographic medium for purification of goat IgG. The best results in the packed‐bed mode were obtained by using beads charged with 95.4 μmol/ml Cu(II). We found that we could recover 97.4% IgG with an 8‐fold purification.
A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Nalbuphine ER Tablets for Uremic Pruritus

Background: Pruritus is a distressing hallmark of the uremic condition, affecting approximately 60% of hemodialysis patients. Abnormal endogenous opioid ligand activity at μ and κ-opioid receptors has been postulated as a mechanism in uremic pruritus. Nalbuphine is a μ-opioid antagonist and κ-opioid agonist. Methods: In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 373 hemodialysis patients with moderate or severe uremic pruritus were randomized in a 1: 1:1 ratio to nalbuphine extended-release tablets 120 mg (NAL 120), 60 mg (NAL 60), or placebo and treated for 8 weeks. Three hundred seventy-one were analyzed for efficacy. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline to treatment weeks 7 and 8 in itching intensity on a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS, 0 [no itching]; 10 [worst possible itching]) using an intent-to-treat approach. The aim was to evaluate the safety and antipruritic efficacy of NAL. Results: The mean duration of itching was 3.2 years. From a baseline NRS of 6.9 (1.5), the mean NRS declined by 3.5 (2.4) and by 2.8 (2.2) in NAL 120 mg and the placebo groups, respectively (p = 0.017). There was no evidence of tolerance. A trend for less sleep disruption due to itching (p = 0.062, NAL 120 vs. placebo) was also observed. There were no significant differences between NAL 60 vs. placebo. Serious adverse events occurred in 6.7, 12.7, and 15.4% in the NAL 120, NAL 60, and placebo groups respectively. Conclusions: In this largest-to-date randomized controlled trial in uremic pruritus, NAL 120 durably and significantly reduced the itching intensity among hemodialysis patients.
Rural migration and agrarian reform in Russia: a research note.

This study focuses primarily on trends in rural-urban migration in Russia and the former Soviet Union. "New data suggest that a historic shift in migration patterns is underway in Russia, a change that may have profound long-term effects on agrarian reform and the nature of the Russian countryside. We begin with a short review of past rural migration trends and the rural demographic situation, in part using archival data for an oblast in central Russia. We will then present new data on rural migration. Finally, we assess the implications of rural migratory trends for agrarian reform in Russia. "
Management of patients with acute myocardial infarction at five academic medical centers: clinical characteristics, resource utilization, and outcome.

BACKGROUND Although variability in management of cardiovascular syndromes has been demonstrated among regions, the extent to which variability exists among academic medical centers in different countries in uncertain. METHODS This retrospective cohort study includes data on consecutive patients (n = 694) with acute myocardial infarction who were admitted to five teaching hospitals from different countries (84, Brigham and Women's Hospital, USA; 97, Iizuka Hospital, Japan; 64, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil; 62, Universitätsklinikum Charité, Germany; and 387, Hôpital Cantonal Universitaire de Genève, Switzerland) during a one-year period. Data were collected via chart review on clinical characteristics, rates of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, complications and mortality, length of stay, and one-year follow-up outcomes. RESULTS Patients' clinical characteristics varied among these institutions, with the lowest prevalence of antero-septal myocardial infarction at the US hospital. The US hospital had the lowest rate of use of thrombolytic therapy and did not have the highest rate for any invasive procedure. Average length of stay ranged from 7.7 +/- 4.3 days in the US hospital to 47.2 +/- 27.9 days in the Japanese hospital. There were no differences in one-year mortality among the four institutions (4% to 8%, P = 0.881) for which data were available. CONCLUSIONS In this nonrandom sample of academic medical centers, the use of aggressive therapies for acute myocardial infarction was at least as common at non-US as US hospitals. Length of stay was much shorter at the US hospital. Despite these variations in management, evidence for differences in outcomes at one year were not detected.
High Incidence of Paralytic Ileus After Bortezomib Treatment of Antibody-Mediated Rejection in Kidney Transplant Recipients: Report of 2 Cases.

B a proteasome inhibitor, approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), capable of eliminating plasma cells responsible for the synthesis of antibodies, has recently been shown to be useful in the treatment of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) in kidney transplantation (KT). Mild to moderate gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity associated with Bortezomib is a frequent adverse event (AE), commonly presenting as nauseas and diarrhea, with exceptional cases of paralytic ileus described in MM patients. From 2010, bortezomib has been used in our center as a rescue therapy for patients with refractory AMR, defined as the persistence of histological signs of AMR and renal dysfunction, despite standard therapy consisting of rituximab (400 mg), 5 or 6 sessions of plasma exchanges (PE) and IVIG (100 mg/kg after each PE). Patients with refractory AMR received 1.3 mg/m of bortezomib intravenous post-PE in days 1, 4, 8, and 11, IVIG (100 mg/kg) and a total of 5 to 6 sessions of PE. So far, a total of 7 patients have been treated, and 2 patients have developed paralytic ileus immediately after treatment. Case 1 was a 49-year-old woman, diagnosed with endstage renal disease of unknown etiology, who received an ABO-incompatible living donor KT in February 2014. Biopsy-proven AMR was diagnosed early after transplantation without the presence of donor-specific antibodies and was treated with rituximab, IVIG, and PE plus maintenance immunosuppression with tacrolimus extended release
Accelerated Menopause With Ovary-Sparing Hysterectomy?

Does hysterectomy hasten the onset of ovarian failure? In this issue, Trabuco et al (see page 819) add to the literature supporting an increased frequency of diminished ovarian reserve and probable early ovarian failure after ovary-sparing hysterectomy. Natural menopause is defined as the absence of menstruation for 12 months secondary to depletion of functional ovarian follicles. The period of ovarian aging typically is marked by loss of reproductive function in a woman’s 40s and menopause in her 50s. In 2001, the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW) developed a classification system to better characterize this period of waning and depleted ovarian function, which categorizes women as being in the reproductive, menopausal transition, or postmenopausal state. A previous study evaluating normal ovaries removed from women between the ages of 26 and 52 years demonstrates a significant decline in primordial and nongrowing follicle pools with advancing STRAW stages. Ovarian reserve is a term used primarily to reflect the quantity of oocytes, but when combined with age also reflects quality. Ovarian reserve testing was developed primarily for infertility evaluations to improve appraisal of reproductive potential and allow for better counseling of the couple before treatment. Anatomically, ovarian reserve best correlates with the nongrowing follicular pool, which includes primordial, intermediate, and primary follicles. A number of biomarkers have been developed to test for ovarian reserve noninvasively, including early follicular phase follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol, inhibin B, antimüllerian hormone levels, and antral follicle counts. Studies have demonstrated significant changes in these ovarian reserve markers across the STRAW stages. One of the drawbacks of a number of these biomarkers is variation during the different stages of the menstrual cycle. Antimüllerian hormone is a homodimeric glycoprotein belonging to the transforming growth factor-b family of growth factors and primarily produced by the granulosa cells of primary, preantral, and antral follicles. Because antimüllerian hormone is made by the granulosa cells of follicles that are in the gonadotropin-independent phase of development, its level remains fairly constant within and between menstrual cycles. This minimal variation throughout the menstrual cycle makes it a unique marker of ovarian reserve that can be drawn independent of the stage of the menstrual cycle. Previous studies have demonstrated a reduction in ovarian function after ovary-sparing hysterectomy as well as other gynecologic procedures. In 1986, Souza et al demonstrated histologic evidence of reduced follicular reserve 1 year after hysterectomy for symptomatic uterine leiomyomas. A number of studies have further evaluated ovarian reserve using biomarkers in women undergoing hysterectomy. In 2011, Moorman et al published results from the Prospective Research on Ovarian Function See related article on page 819.