Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pancreatic atrophy after allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation

A 59-year-old man presented with weight loss and fatty diarrhoea. He had been treated by allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (SCT) for relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma in 2007. Transplantation had been complicated by chronic graftversus-host-disease (GvHD) of the skin and the liver, for which he received ciclosporin and prednisolone. In 2010 he developed insulin-dependent diabetes, which was, at that time, believed to be steroid-induced. Faecal fat was 76 g/d (normal < 7). Computerized tomography (CT) of the abdomen showed an atrophic pancreas with calcification (left). No cysts, fluid or abscess collections were seen. There was a volume loss of more than 50% compared to a pre-transplantation scan, which had shown a normal pancreas (right). The patient was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and malabsorption due to endocrine and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, most likely caused by pancreatic GvHD. Pancreatic atrophy, defined as volume loss shown by comparison of preand post-transplant CT scans, occurs in 16 7% of patients treated with allogeneic SCT for a haematological malignancy (Nakasone et al, 2010). It shows a significant association with chronic GvHD of the gastrointestinal tract. Pancreatic atrophy is likely to reflect GvHD affecting the pancreas. This is supported by the results of a review of pancreatic histology in 26 patients undergoing autopsy within 3 months of transplantation (Foulis et al, 1989). In this group, 4 out of 14 patients with recent systemic GvHD had pathological changes in the pancreas consistent with GvHD. However, pancreatic atrophy with calcification could also be the result of subclinical chronic pancreatitis, which is strongly associated with the use of ciclosporin and glucocorticoids. Steatorrhoea develops in 4 8% of the patients with acute and/or extensive chronic GvHD (Grigg et al, 2003) but does not always occur when there is pancreatic atrophy. This probably reflects the large reserve capacity of the exocrine pancreas. In our patient, treatment with a pancreatic enzyme supplement was initiated, which resulted in significant symptomatic improvement. Within 2 weeks the fatty diarrhoea resolved completely and his weight increased and remained stable.
Effectiveness of a bed alarm system to predict falls in an acute care setting

Aims and objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness that the inclusion of a software program has on the ability to prevent fallsamong inpatients in an acute care facility. Background: Despite routine assessments and a myriad of interventions, inpatient falls occur at rates between 1.3 and 8.9 per1,000 patient days. The software used at the study site has the ability to correlate time, patient activity, and unit activity prior toa fall event. Design: A retrospective chart review. Methods: Medical record of 31 randomly selected patients, who experienced a fall while receiving inpatient care at the studysite, were reviewed. Demographic, health specific, and activity data were captured. Descriptive and correlational analyses wereused to determine if the software program was effective. Results: The software program, when used in additional to routine assessments, identified a higher-than-normal interruptionsfor the care provider correlated with a fall. Patients who are prescribed antidepressants constitute a newly identified at-riskpopulation. Conclusions: Interventions aimed at preventing falls among inpatients need to be multi-faceted, and any assessment needs tobe tailored to the specific health and demographic variables of the population. Relevance to clinical practice: Implementation of the software program used at this study site would assist, but not prevent,falls among inpatients, specifically those identified as high-risk.
Diagnostic performance of general dental practitioners after lecture in identifying post-menopausal women with low bone mineral density by panoramic radiographs.

OBJECTIVES Mandibular cortical erosion detected on panoramic radiographs may be useful for identifying post-menopausal women with low skeletal bone mineral density (BMD). The purposes of this study were to calculate the diagnostic performance of general dental practitioners (GDPs) who attended a lecture on identifying post-menopausal women with low BMD from findings on panoramic radiographs and to evaluate the influence of GDPs' age on diagnostic performance. METHODS After a 1 h lecture, 111 GDPs were asked to classify the mandibular cortex (normal or eroded) on panoramic radiographs obtained from 100 post-menopausal women who have had skeletal BMD assessment. Low BMD was defined as a BMD T score of -1.0 or less. Diagnostic performance was analysed by comparing two groups classified by mandibular cortex (women with normal cortex and women with any eroded cortex) with those classified by BMD (women with normal BMD and women with low BMD). RESULTS The mean sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, accuracy and likelihood ratio for a positive risk result were 73.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]; 71.3 to 74.7%), 49.0% (95% CI; 46.4 to 51.5%), 66.9% (95% CI; 66.0 to 67.8%), 57.0% (95% CI; 55.8 to 58.2%), 62.9% (95% CI; 62.1 to 63.7%) and 1.51 (95% CI; 1.44 to 1.58), respectively. GDPs' age did not influence diagnostic performance. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that 73.0% of women who had low skeletal BMD can be identified by GDPs after a lecture on the use of panoramic radiographs as an aid in diagnosing low BMD; however, the diagnostic performance may not be influenced by GDPs' age.
Deviation from niche optima affects the nature of plant–plant interactions along a soil acidity gradient

There is increasing recognition of the importance of niche optima in the shift of plant–plant interactions along environmental stress gradients. Here, we investigate whether deviation from niche optima would affect the outcome of plant–plant interactions along a soil acidity gradient (pH = 3.1, 4.1, 5.5 and 6.1) in a pot experiment. We used the acid-tolerant species Lespedeza formosa Koehne as the neighbouring plant and the acid-tolerant species Indigofera pseudotinctoria Mats. or acid-sensitive species Medicago sativa L. as the target plants. Biomass was used to determine the optimal pH and to calculate the relative interaction index (RII). We found that the relationships between RII and the deviation of soil pH from the target's optimal pH were linear for both target species. Both targets were increasingly promoted by the neighbour as pH values deviated from their optima; neighbours benefitted target plants by promoting soil symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, increasing soil organic matter or reducing soil exchangeable aluminium. Our results suggest that the shape of the curve describing the relationship between soil pH and facilitation/competition depends on the soil pH optima of the particular species.
Projected costs of colorectal cancer treatment in New Zealand in the absence of population screening.

AIM To estimate volumes and costs of health services required for new cases of colorectal cancers in New Zealand from 2014 to 2026 in the absence of population screening. METHOD Annual incidence of colorectal cancer, by stage, location and age was estimated for 2006-2026 based on NZ cancer registry data for 2001-2005. Treatment protocols were determined based on current best practice. An economics forecasting model was developed to estimate annual volumes and costs of health services to treat new cases of colorectal cancer expected to present each year from 2014 to 2026. Survival rates and other model parameters were drawn from the literature. Costs are presented at 2011 prices. RESULTS Annual health service costs of new colorectal cancer presentations in New Zealand are estimated to increase from approximately $83.6 million in 2014 to $100.2 million by 2026, if no systematic screening programme is introduced. The majority of these costs will be for surgery and colonoscopies. CONCLUSION These results provide a baseline against which to compare the level of resources required if a population screening programme is introduced. Planning is necessary to manage costs and services for colorectal cancer, even without a systematic population screening programme.
Effect of astaxanthin supplementation on muscle damage and oxidative stress markers in elite young soccer players.

AIM The purpose of the current study was to examine the effect of Astaxanthin (Asx) supplementation on muscle enzymes as indirect markers of muscle damage, oxidative stress markers and antioxidant response in elite young soccer players. METHODS Thirty-two male elite soccer players were randomly assigned in a double-blind fashion to Asx and placebo (P) group. After the 90 days of supplementation, the athletes performed a 2 hour acute exercise bout. Blood samples were obtained before and after 90 days of supplementation and after the exercise at the end of observational period for analysis of thiobarbituric acid-reacting substances (TBARS), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), superoxide anion (O2•¯), total antioxidative status (TAS), sulphydril groups (SH), superoxide-dismutase (SOD), serum creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). RESULTS TBARS and AOPP levels did not change throughout the study. Regular training significantly increased O2•¯ levels (main training effect, P<0.01). O2•¯ concentrations increased after the soccer exercise (main exercise effect, P<0.01), but these changes reached statistical significance only in the P group (exercise x supplementation effect, P<0.05). TAS levels decreased significantly post- exercise only in P group (P<0.01). Both Asx and P groups experienced increase in total SH groups content (by 21% and 9%, respectively) and supplementation effect was marginally significant (P=0.08). Basal SOD activity significantly decreased both in P and in Asx group by the end of the study (main training effect, P<0.01). All participants showed a significant decrease in basal CK and AST activities after 90 days (main training effect, P<0.01 and P<0.001, respectively). CK and AST activities in serum significantly increased as result of soccer exercise (main exercise effect, P<0.001 and P<0.01, respectively). Postexercise CK and AST levels were significantly lower in Asx group compared to P group (P<0.05) CONCLUSION The results of the present study suggest that soccer training and soccer exercise are associated with excessive production of free radicals and oxidative stress, which might diminish antioxidant system efficiency. Supplementation with Asx could prevent exercise induced free radical production and depletion of non-enzymatic antioxidant defense in young soccer players.
Impact of LMP-1 expression on clinical outcome in age-defined subgroups of patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

We read with interest the report by Jarrett et al[1][1] on the association between latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection of Hodgkin-Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells and clinical outcome of patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). Using Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA (EBER) in situ hybridization
Altered distribution and expression of protein tyrosine phosphatases in normal human skin as compared to squamous cell carcinomas

Amounts and subcellular localizations of 4 protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) were compared in cultured normal human keratinocytes, an immortalized keratinocyte cell line, and 2 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) lines. Cellular localizations for PTPs were determined in biopsies of normal human skin and SCCs. Compared to normal keratinocytes, SCC cell lines had higher levels of PTP‐1B and T‐cell PTP and comparable levels of PTP‐1C or PTP‐1D. The subcellular localization of each PTP was similar in the 3 types of keratinocytes with PTP‐1B localizing to the endoplasmic reticulum, T‐cell PTP exclusively found in the nucleus, PTP‐1C localized to the plasma membrane, cytosol and nucleus, and PTP‐1D present in both cytosol and nucleus. Compared to normal skin, immunoreactive PTP‐1B was markedly increased in the invasive margins of SCCs while T‐cell PTP was generally increased in tumors. PTP‐1C immunostaining varied between cells with no obvious difference between normal and neoplastic tissues. The intensity and distribution of immunoreactive PTP‐1D varied greatly between cells within tumors. These differences in amounts and in cellular and subcellular localization of these PTPs, especially those differences in invasive margins of SCCs, may reflect the diverse roles these PTPs play in the proliferation and invasive potential of neoplastic keratinocytes.
"If God wanted me yesterday, I wouldn't be here today": religious and spiritual themes in patients' experiences of advanced cancer.

BACKGROUND This study sought to inductively derive core themes of religion and/or spirituality (R/S) active in patients' experiences of advanced cancer to inform the development of spiritual care interventions in the terminally ill cancer setting. METHODS This is a multisite, cross-sectional, mixed-methods study of randomly-selected patients with advanced cancer (n = 68). Scripted interviews assessed the role of R/S and R/S concerns encountered in the advanced cancer experience. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed. Theme extraction was performed with interdisciplinary input (sociology of religion, medicine, theology), utilizing grounded theory. Spearman correlations determined the degree of association between R/S themes. Predictors of R/S concerns were assessed using linear regression and analysis of variance. RESULTS Most participants (n = 53, 78%) stated that R/S had been important to the cancer experience. In descriptions of how R/S was related to the cancer experience, five primary R/S themes emerged: coping, practices, beliefs, transformation, and community. Most interviews (75%) contained two or more R/S themes, with 45% mentioning three or more R/S themes. Multiple significant subtheme interrelationships were noted between the primary R/S themes. Most participants (85%) identified 1 or more R/S concerns, with types of R/S concerns spanning the five R/S themes. Younger, more religious, and more spiritual patients identified R/S concerns more frequently (beta = -0.11, p < 0.001; beta = 0.83, p = 0.03; and beta = 0.89, p = 0.04, respectively). CONCLUSIONS R/S plays a variety of important and inter-related roles for most advanced cancer patients. Future research is needed to determine how spiritual care can incorporate these five themes and address R/S concerns.
Improving Culture Efficiency of Cucumis metuliferus Protoplasts

Although we have made great progress in developing resistance to root – knot nematodes in cucumber, no source has been created or screened to resistance to M. incognita, the main species affecting cucumber (9, 10). Resistance to M. incognita exists in horned cucumber (Cucumis metuliferus), but efforts by many research groups (including our own) to make crosses of Cucumis species with cucumber have failed. Somatic hybridization using protoplast fusion is an alternative for utilizing C. metuliferus germplasm. Plants have been regenerated from protoplasts isolated from C. sativus (2, 4, 7), but not from C. metuliferus. To apply protoplast fusion, a reliable technique for isolating and culturing C. metuliferus protoplasts is often a prerequisite. Several reports suggest that large improvements in plating efficiency can be made by culturing protoplasts in a medium solidified with agarose (2, 3, 8).
Microbiologic profile of endodontic infections from HIV- and HIV+ patients using multiple-displacement amplification and checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization.

OBJECTIVE To compare the microbiota of endodontic infections in necrotic pulp from HIV-negative and HIV-positive subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS Root canal samples from necrotic pulp were collected from 40 HIV- and 20 HIV+ subjects. Pulps were amplified using multiple displacement amplification (MDA). Then, checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization was employed to assess the levels of 107 microbial taxa. The percentage of DNA probe count and the percentage of teeth colonized by each test species were investigated. Significant differences between groups regarding proportions of taxa and prevalence of the test species were sought using the Mann-Whitney test and the Chi-square analysis, respectively. RESULTS The most prevalent taxa detected were Dialister pneumosintes, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Streptococcus sobrinus, Corynebacterium diphteriae, and Helicobacter pylori among HIV- subjects and D. pneumosintes, Prevotella tannerae, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Parvimonas micra, Prevotella nigrescens, and Corynebacterium diphtheriae among HIV+ individuals. D. pneumosintes, C. diphtheria, and C. albicans were the most abundant species in the HIV- group, whereas the predominant taxa in HIV+ samples were P. tannerae, D. pneumosintes and Olsenella uli. P. tannerae, O. uli, Veilonella dispar, Bacteroides fragilis, and Actinomyces meyeri were significantly more abundant in HIV+ samples. CONCLUSIONS There were significant differences in the prevalence and proportions of specific microbial taxa between HIV- and HIV+ individuals. The root canal microbiota may represent a reservoir of important oral and medical pathogens, mainly in HIV+ individuals.
Relationship Between Different Measures of Aerobic Fitness and Repeated-Sprint Ability in Elite Soccer Players

da Silva, JF, Guglielmo, LGA, and Bishop, D. Relationship between different measures of aerobic fitness and repeated-sprint ability in elite soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 24(8): 2115-2121, 2010-The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between physiological variables related to aerobic fitness (maximal oxygen uptake: &OV0312;o2max; the minimum velocity needed to reach &OV0312;o2max: v&OV0312;o2max; velocity at the onset of blood-lactate accumulation: vOBLA) and repeated-sprint ability (RSA) in elite soccer players. Twenty-nine Brazilian soccer players (17.9 ± 1.0 years; 178.7 ± 5.2 cm; 73.6 ± 6.7 kg; 11.1 ± 1.3% body fat) from 2 national level teams (A, B) took part in the study. Subjects first performed an incremental test on a treadmill to determine their &OV0312;o2max, v&OV0312;o2max and vOBLA. After at least 48 hours, subjects performed an RSA test consisting of 7 34.2-m sprints interspersed with 25 seconds of active recovery, to determine the mean time (MT), the fastest time (FT) and the Sprint decrement (Sdec). Pearson product moment correlations and multiple regressions were used to assess the relationship between aerobic fitness and RSA variables (FT, MT, Sdec, [La] Peak). An analysis of variance, followed by a post hoc test (Tukey), was used to compare the 7 sprints of the RSA test. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. A significant negative correlation was found between both vOBLA and v&OV0312;o2max and MT during the RSA test (r = −0.49, p < 0.01; r = −0.38, p < 0.05, respectively). There were also negative correlations between Sdec and vOBLA (r = −0.54), v&OV0312;o2max (r = −0.49) and &OV0312;o2max (r = −0.39). The multiple regression revealed that the aerobic (vOBLA) and anaerobic (FT) components explained approximately 89% of the variance of MT. The results of this study demonstrated that RSA is more strongly correlated with vOBLA and v&OV0312;o2max than the more commonly measured &OV0312;o2max.
Pituitary Gonadotrophic and Ovarian Function in Women Treated with Clomiphene Citrate

Serial estimations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH), as well as of oestrogens and pregnanediol have been performed in the urine of 5 women suffering from a variety of gynaecological conditions associated with infertility who were treated with clomiphene citrate at different dose levels. One subject became pregnant following medication; in the other 4 evidence for ovulation was present in one and was at best equivocal in the remaining 3. The effect of the compound on urinary FSH and LH levels was variable as was the pattern of urinary steroid excretion following medication; in 2 subjects a rise of oestrogen output preceded that of LH excretion. The study confirms previous observations indicating that atypical luteal function may follow clomiphene administration and underlines the fact that wide variations of hormonal response to the compound can occur.
Sodium signals in cerebellar Purkinje neurons and Bergmann glial cells evoked by glutamatergic synaptic transmission

Glial cells express specific high‐affinity transporters for glutamate that play a central role in glutamate clearance at excitatory synapses in the brain. These transporters are electrogenic and are mainly energized by the electrochemical gradient for sodium. In the present study, we combined somatic whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings with quantitative Na+ imaging in fine cellular branches of cerebellar Bergmann glial cells and in dendrites of Purkinje neurons to analyze intracellular Na+ signals close to activated synapses. We demonstrate that pressure application of glutamate and glutamate agonists causes local Na+ signals in the mM range. Furthermore, we analyzed the pharmacological profile, as well as the time course and spatial distribution of Na+ signals following short synaptic burst stimulation of parallel or climbing fibers. While parallel fibers stimulation resulted in local sodium transients that were largest in processes close to the stimulation pipette, climbing fibers stimulation elicited global sodium transients throughout the entire cell. Glial sodium signals amounted to several mM, were mainly caused by sodium influx following inward transport of glutamate and persisted for tens of seconds. Sodium transients in dendrites of Purkinje neurons, in contrast, were mainly caused by activation of AMPA receptors and had much faster kinetics. By reducing the driving force for sodium‐dependent glutamate uptake, intracellular sodium accumulation in glial cells upon repetitive activity might provide a negative feedback mechanism, promoting the diffusion of glutamate and the activation of extrasynaptic glutamate receptors at active synapses in the cerebellum. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cardiovascular Complications in Eating Disorders

Eating disorders (mainly anorexia and bulimia) affect about 5 million persons each year in countries as the United States, and around 3% of young women in western countries have an eating disorder (Becker et al., 1991; Sullivan, 1995). Despite these figures, eating disorders are still not considered a serious type of mental disorder in some countries, resulting in a health care crisis for those currently suffering from these disorders, as well as for their families (Klump et al., 2009). Anorexia nervosa is a severe and potentially fatal disease with high rate of morbidity and mortality. One review has estimated the aggregate mortality rate at 0.56 % per year, or approximately 5.6 % per decade (Sullivan, 1995). At least one third of all deaths in patients with anorexia nervosa are estimated to be due to cardiac causes, mainly sudden death (Isner et al., 1985; Neumarker, 1997; Sharp & Freeman, 1993). Furthermore, the fact that many of these patients are not under medical control leads to the risk of potentially fatal complications, sometimes being underestimated . With respect to anorexia nervosa, it is an eating disorder characterized by a voluntary restriction of the intake, which causes significant weight loss and may reach severe malnutrition and death. Most often affects women (estimated ratio of 10:1) aged between 12 and 25 years, the adolescence being the time of highest risk. It has not been certain whether mortality rates are high for other eating disorders, such as bulimia nervosa and eating disorder not otherwise specified, the latter being the most common eating disorder diagnosis (Kaye, 2009).