Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Post traumatic stress disorder and resilience in veterans who served in the South African border war.

OBJECTIVE The psychological impact of the South African border war on veterans has received little or no attention. This study determined the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and extent of resilience among a cohort of veterans. METHOD Of 1527 former students who matriculated from a Johannesburg high school from 1975 to 1988, only 109 were reachable for convenience and snowballing recruitment into this study. An anonymous, internet-based questionnaire was used to obtain information on demography, combat exposure, drug and alcohol use, traumatic events in later life, and recourse to medication and counselling. The Impact of Event Scale - Revised (IES-R) assessed for PTSD and the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale (CDRISC) measured resilience. Data were processed with STATA; version 11 statistical software package. Analysis included Chi square test and regression analysis. RESULTS The response rate was 49.5% (n=54). The prevalence of PTSD was 33% and significantly associated with combat exposure (p=.012). Despite high prevalence of PTSD in those exposed to combat, 94% showed normal to above-normal level of resilience. CD-RISC scores showed no association with the IES-R. Only current cannabis use was significantly linked with PTSD (p=.044). CONCLUSION Although the prevalence of PTSD found in this sample was higher than in comparable international studies, this cohort of former SA national servicemen, showed high levels of resilience. The current use of cannabis within the context of prior exposure to military national service or combat should prompt clinicians to screen for the presence of PTSD-associated symptoms.
Himalayan Bioresource Rhodiola imbricata as a promising radioprotector for nuclear and radiological emergencies

In recent years, a lot of interest has been generated world over in the area of radioprotection for first responders going to work in the hot zones at the incident site. A large number of molecular drugs have been screened for radioprotective efficacy, but with little success. The requirement of differential radioprotection necessitates a holistic approach, which can be realized using herbs in view of their multifaceted mode of action. Our earlier studies showed the radioprotective potential of Rhodiola imbricata, a Himalayan high-altitude plant. In this study, our focus has been to compare the pro-oxidant/antioxidant activities of three fractionated extracts of R. imbricata. The aqueous fraction exhibited significant (P < 0.05) pro-oxidant activity (up to 100 μg/ml) under metal ion-induced stress ± flux [transition metal (Fe/Cu) ± 0.25 kGy]. A decrease in the dielectric constant of the solvent system utilized for extraction, exhibited a significant (P < 0.05) negative correlation (–0.955) with mean protection potential of lipid against radiation flux. Such an effect was visualized as a significant shift from pro-oxidant to antioxidant activity in methanolic fraction (dielectric constant = 33), as compared to aqueous fraction (dielectric constant = 80). Aqueous fraction is predominantly pro-oxidant at maximal concentrations, indicating its anticancer potential. The presence of transition metals modulates such a biphasic activity differentially in various fractions, i.e., the conversion of Fe(III) or Cu(II) to Fe(II) or Cu(I), respectively, due to the presence of certain bioactive constituents (electron donation at lower concentrations), favors pro-oxidant activity. On the other hand, certain other active constituents involved in metal ion chelation contributed to the overall antioxidant activity. The methanolic fraction exhibited significant antioxidant activity up to 250 μg/ml, which contributed to its radioprotective efficacy. The aquo-methanolic fraction exhibited (disparate properties), i.e., concentration-dependant cytotoxicity (up to 250 μg/ml) and cytoprotection at 1000 μg/ml. R. imbricata, in general, exhibited a significant solvent-dependant variation in radioprotective efficacy. In conclusion, solvent extraction and dose are crucial in bioactivity modulation and R. imbricata could be developed as a potential prophylactic radiation countermeasure for use in nuclear and radiological emergencies.
Cardiology or primary care for heart failure in the community setting: process of care and clinical outcomes.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Severity of illness, treatment choices, and clinical outcomes may vary with physician training. This study was performed to determine whether such differences exist among patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) treated by cardiologists and by noncardiologists in the community hospital setting. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Ten acute-care community hospitals. PATIENTS, MEASUREMENTS, AND RESULTS: Two thousand four hundred fifty-four patients with CHF were identified and followed up for 6 months after hospital discharge. Patients who were not treated by a cardiologist (group I; n = 977) were compared with patients whose attending physician was a cardiologist (group II; n = 419) and patients who received consultative care from a cardiologist (group III; n = 1,058). When compared with group I patients, group II patients were more likely to receive the recommended diagnostic tests and treatment strategies, although some of these differences could be explained by variations in the case mix. Group II patients had higher hospital charges, but lower CHF readmission rates and better postdischarge quality-of-life measures. No differences in adjusted mortality rates were observed. CONCLUSIONS In the community-hospital setting, the clinical practices of cardiologists are more compatible with published treatment guidelines than the clinical practices of other physicians. The benefits of cardiology specialty care include lower CHF readmission rates and better postdischarge quality-of-life measures, rather than lower mortality rates, fewer hospital charges, or shorter length of stay.
Blood Flow in the Cerebral Capillary Network: A Review Emphasizing Observations with Intravital Microscopy

Capillary perfusion in the brain is characterized by an essentially continuous flow of erythrocytes and plasma in almost all capillaries. Rapid fluctuations and spatial heterogeneity or red blood cell (RBC) velocity (0.5–1.8 mm/s) within the capillary network are present. In addition, low‐frequency (4–8 cpm) synchronous oscillations in RBC velocity in the capillary network emerge when perfusion to cerebral tissue is challenged. Despite the tortuous, three‐dimensional architecture of microvessels, functional intercapillary anastomoses are absent. At rest, red cells travel through the capillary network in 100–300 ms along 150‐ to 500‐μm‐long paths. Physiological challenges elicit sizable changes in RBC velocity with a minor role for capillary recruitment, change in capillary diameter, or flow shunting. During acute hypoxia, RBC velocity increases in all capillaries; the corresponding response to hypercapnia is more complex and involves redistribution of capillary flow toward more homogeneous perfusion. The response of capillary flow to decreased perfusion pressure reflects autoregulation of cerebral blood flow but also involves intranetwork redistribution of RBC flow between two populations of capillaries, postulated as thoroughfare channels and exchange capillaries. Flow reserve may be provided by the thoroughfare channels and may help maintain flow velocity and capillary exchange and protect the microcirculation from perfusion failure. Isovolemic hemodilution increases RBC velocity three‐ to fourfold and increases RBC flux to a moderate degree with a relatively small decrease in capillary hematocrit, under normal and compromised arterial blood supply. In cerebral ischemia, leukocyte adhesion is enhanced and appears reversible when the ischemia is moderate but may be progressive when the injury is severe. The observed flow behavior suggests the presence of a physiological regulatory mechanism of cerebral capillary flow that may involve communication among various microvascular and parenchymal cells and utilize locally acting endothelial and parenchymal mediators such as endothelium‐derived relaxing factor or nitric oxide.
First thousand rectal cancer cases--local recurrence and survival.

In the period 1990 - 2002, 1674 patients with colorectal carcinoma were operated in the First Surgical Clinic, Third Department for Colorectal Surgery. In 1264 cases (75.5%) rectal carcinoma was the indication for surgical treatment. Sphincter saving procedures (SSP) were performed in 824 (65.2%), abdominoperineal resections (APR) in 340 (26.9%) and resections of rectum with definitive stoma (Hartmann procedure) in 100 (7.9%) patients. We analyzed 1095 cases where curative SSP or APR were performed. All cases where curative resection was not possible because of liver metastases or inability to excise all macroscopic disease were excluded. In the group of patients where SSP was performed (767 cases), there were 26.6% high colorectal anastomoses (8cm from anal verge), 65.4% with low (4-8cm from anal verge) and 8.0% with intersphincteric coloanal anastomosis (cm from anal verge). Patohistological exam showed 5.3% Dukes A, 53.1% Dukes B, 36.5% Dukes C and 4.9% Dukes D. In the APR group (328 cases) there were 1. ,5% Dukes A, 32.4% Dukes B, 62.1% Dukes C and 3.5% Dukes D. In this study we analyzed local recurrence and five-year survival in both groups. Recurrence of the disease was registered in 325 (29.6%) out of 1095 patients. Local recurrence was found in 81 (7.,4%) patients. In the SSP group recurrence occured in 215 (28.0%) out of 767 curative resections. Local recurrence alone was found in 53 patients (6.9%). SSP group was also divided into two subgroups; in the first group TME was performed and in second transection of mesorectum was carried out. Analyzing local recurrence in these two groups, in the TME group it was 7.6% and in the transection group 5.6%. In the APR group recurrence was registered in 110 (33.5%) out of 328 patients while local recurrence alone was found in 28 (8.5%) cases. Analyzing mortality we found that 234 (21.4%) out of 1095 patients died during follow-up. In the SSP group 154 out of 767 patients (20.1%) died. In the TME group mortality was 21.7% and in the transection group 16.9%. Mortality in the APR group showed that 80 out of 328 (24.4%) patients died during follow-up. Analysis by the Kaplan-Meier's test shows cumulative survival of 0.69 for all cases. In the SSP group cumulative survival is 0.72 and in the APR group 0.64 with statistically significant difference (p .001). In the TME group cumulative survival is 0.75 and in the transection group 0. ,72 with statistically significant difference (p .05). We believe that performing SSP should be encouraged whenever it is possible because there is no difference in local recurrence rates and survival compared to APR. Transection of mesorectum can safely be performed in most cases with tumors located more than 8 cm form anal verge. We believe that exact preoperative staging and preoperative radiotherapy could improve results.
Pregnancy and the risk of HIV-1 acquisition among women in Uganda and Zimbabwe

Objective:Several studies have suggested that pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of HIV-1 acquisition. We used data from a large, prospective study of hormonal contraception and HIV-1 to evaluate the effect of pregnancy on the risk of HIV-1 acquisition. Design:A multicenter prospective cohort study. Methods:We examined 4439 women from family planning sites in Uganda and Zimbabwe contributing 31 369 follow-up visits during 1999–2004. Participants were aged 18–35 years, and had received pregnancy and HIV-1 testing quarterly for 15–24 months. Using proportional hazards modeling, we compared the time to HIV-1 acquisition among four groups: pregnant women, non-pregnant lactating (NP/L) women, and women neither pregnant nor lactating (NP/NL) who were either using or not using hormonal contraception. Results:A total of 211 participants became HIV-1 infected (2.7 per 100 woman-years; wy), including 13 pregnant women (1.6 per 100 wy), 33 NP/L women (2.7 per 100 wy), 126 NP/NL women using hormonal contraception (2.9 per 100 wy), and 39 NP/NL women not using hormonal contraception (2.7 per 100 wy). In multivariable analysis adjusting for site, age, living with partner, risky sexual behaviors, and incident vaginal, cervical and herpes simplex virus 2 infections, neither pregnant, NP/L, nor NP/NL women using hormonal contraception were at an increased risk of HIV-1 acquisition compared with NP/NL women not using hormonal contraception. Conclusion:Neither pregnancy nor lactation placed women at increased risk of HIV-1 acquisition in this multisite, prospective study of African women. This information is important in planning interventions to reduce HIV-1 acquisition among women.
BRAIN IMAGING: Tapping movements according to regular and irregular visual timing signals investigated with fMRI

Whole-head functional MR images were acquired while 10 subjects were asked to tap with their right index ®nger in synchrony with a visual stimulus appearing regularly with a frequency of 1.5 Hz, or irregularly with a mean frequency of 1.5 Hz. Performance data show that during regular tapping most taps were close to stimulus onset. However, when the subjects paced their tapping according to the irregular stimuli, most taps appeared about 300 ms after the onset of the pacing stimuli. Comparing the brain activations resulting from regular tapping with those from irregular tapping, we found increased activation in left precuneus only. Comparing irregular versus regular tapping shows increased activity in right cerebellar nuclei and vermis, left ventrolateral thalamus, left sensorimotor cortex, left and right pre-SMA and left SMA proper. These results show that during irregular pacing the motor areas are more strongly activated than during regular pacing. In addition, further neural systems are involved in the motor control during irregular pacing: cerebellar vermis and a cerebellothalamo-cortical system. The latter is supposedly involved in error correction in the context of visually guided movements. NeuroReport 11:1301±1306 & 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Reducing Colorectal Anastomotic Leakage with Tissue Adhesive in Experimental Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background:Anastomotic leakage after gastrointestinal surgery remains a challenging clinical problem. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of TissuCol (fibrin glue), Histoacryl Flex (n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate), and Duraseal (polyethylene glycol) on colorectal anastomotic healing during experimental colitis. Methods:We first performed colectomy 7 days after 10 mg trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis to validate a rat TNBS-colitis-colectomy model. Subsequently, this TNBS-colitis-colectomy model was used in 73 Wistar rats that were stratified into a colitis group (CG, no adhesive), a TissuCol group (TG), a Histoacryl group (HG), and a Duraseal group (DG). Anastomotic sealant was applied with one adhesive after constructing an end-to-end hand-sewn anastomosis. Clinical manifestations, anastomotic bursting pressure, and immunohistochemistry of macrophage type-one (M1) and type-two (M2) was performed on postoperative day (POD)3 or POD7. Results:TNBS-caused mucosal and submucosal colon damage and compromised anastomotic healing (i.e., abscess formation and low anastomotic bursting pressure). On POD3, higher severity of abscesses was seen in CG. Average anastomotic bursting pressure was 53.2 ± 35.5 mm Hg in CG, which was significantly lower than HG (134.4 ± 27.5 mm Hg) and DG (95.1 ± 54.3 mm Hg) but not TG (83.4 ± 46.7 mm Hg). Furthermore, a significantly higher M2/M1 index was found in HG. On POD7, abscesses were only seen in CG (6/9) but not in other groups; HG had the lowest severity of adhesion. Conclusions:We describe the first surgical IBD model by performing colectomy in rats with TNBS-induced colitis, which causes intra-abdominal abscess formation and compromises anastomotic healing. Anastomotic sealing with Histoacryl Flex prevents these complications in this model. Alternative activation of macrophages seems to be involved in its influence on anastomotic healing.
The Demand for Football in Portugal

The aim of this study is to identify variables that influence the stadium attendance in Portugal, and how these variables may affect decision management. Deriving a demand curve for stadium attendance in the Portuguese First Division Football League for 898 matches of five seasons (2010/2011-2014/2015), the results highlight five main explicative variables: cost, habit persistence, expected quality, team performance, and outcome uncertainty. With regard to outcome uncertainty, we employ the framework proposed by Humphreys and Zhou and we conclude for the importance of alternative factors affecting consumer choice like loss aversion and home win preference.
The acute phase inflammatory response to maximal exercise testing in children and young adults with sickle cell anaemia

Although individuals with sickle cell anaemia (SCA) have elevated baseline inflammation and endothelial activation, the acute phase response to maximal exercise has not been evaluated among children with SCA. We measured the acute phase response to maximal exercise testing for soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM) as well as interleukin 6 (IL6), total white blood cell (WBC) count, C‐reactive protein (CRP) and D‐dimer in a cohort of children with SCA and matched controls at baseline, immediately after, and 30, 60 and 120 min following exercise. Despite higher baseline levels of all biomarkers except CRP, the acute phase response from baseline to immediately after exercise was significantly greater in subjects versus controls for CRP (2·1 vs. 0·2 mg/l, P = 0·02) and D‐dimer (160 vs. 10 μg/l, P < 0·01) only. Similar between‐group trends were observed over time for all biomarkers, including sVCAM, IL6, total WBC, CRP and D‐dimer. Lower fitness, defined by peak oxygen consumption (VO2), was independently associated with greater acute phase responses to exercise for sVCAM. Our results suggest maximal exercise may not be associated with any greater escalation of endothelial activation or inflammation in SCA and provide preliminary biomarker evidence for the safety of brief, high‐intensity physical exertion in children with SCA.
Effect of Environmental Conditions on the Fluoride Sensitivity of Acid Production by S. sanguis NCTC 7865

Growth and environmental conditions affected the fluoride (F) sensitivity of acid production by Streptococcus sanguis NCTC 7865. Cells grown glucose-limited in a chemostat were generally more sensitive than those harvested from cultures in which there was an excess of glucose (amino acid-limited). There was no consistent relationship between the growth rate of cells and their F sensitivity. Slower-growing cells (mean generation time = 14 hr) were more sensitive than those growing quickly when glucose was the limiting nutrient, whereas the faster growing cells from the glucose-excess culture were most susceptible. The pH of the environment markedly affected the F sensitivity of cells: 2 mM F- was sufficient to abolish acid production by cells incubated at pH 5.0, whereas 24 mM F-did not totally inhibit glycolysis at pH 7.0 or 8.0. Regardless of pH and growth conditions, the cationic composition of the environment had the most pronounced effect on acid production and fluoride sensitivity. Cells washed and re-suspended in KCl were more acidogenic and more sensitive to F than the same cells treated with saline. At pH 7.0 and 8.0, saline-washed cells were comparatively unaffected by F, while glycolysis by the same cells at the same pH but washed in KCl could be inhibited by up to 80%. These results suggested that F inhibition could not be explained merely on the basis of HF uptake at low pH values. Since it has been shown previously that the activity of the energized membrane is maintained by K+ and dissipated in the presence of Na+, it was proposed that proton motive force (pmf) might be involved in the uptake of F-.
Association between Aurora‐A kinase polymorphisms and age of onset of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer in a Caucasian population

Aurora‐A kinase is considered a potential cancer susceptibility gene that encodes a centrosome‐associated, cell cycle‐regulated serine/threonine kinase. We studied two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the coding region of Aurora‐A, 91T‐to‐A (F31I) and 169G‐to‐A (V57I). We studied the influence of these two polymorphisms on age of onset of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). Genotyping of the Aurora‐A polymorphisms was carried out on 125 Caucasian with mismatch repair (MMR) gene mutations with real‐time pyrophosphate DNA sequencing. For the 91T‐to‐A polymorphism, we found that patients with HNPCC who were homozygous for the wild‐type allele developed colorectal cancer (CRC) 7 years earlier than patients who were homozygous or heterozygous for the mutant allele. The169G‐to‐A polymorphism did not have a significant influence on risk for HNPCC. However, when we did haplotype analysis for these two polymorphisms, the 91A‐169G haplotype was associated with protection from HNPCC at an earlier age. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
New Oxidative Stress Markers Useful in the Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis in Children: Thiol/Disulfide Homeostasis and the Asymmetric Dimethylarginine Level.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate 2 new oxidative stress markers, thiol/disulfide homeostasis status and the asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) level, in children with acute appendicitis (AA) and to evaluate their diagnostic utility. METHODS This case-control study included 45 patients with AA and 35 healthy children. Age, sex, white blood cell count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level, ultrasonographic findings, thiol/disulfide homeostasis parameters (native and total thiol levels, native thiol/total thiol ratios [antioxidant parameters], and disulfide, disulfide/native thiol, and disulfide/total thiol ratios [oxidant parameters]), and the ADMA level were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS The native and total thiol levels, and the native thiol/total thiol ratio, were significantly lower, and the disulfide level and disulfide/native thiol and disulfide/total thiol ratios significantly higher, in the AA compared with the control group (all P < 0.001). The ADMA level was significantly higher in a perforated versus nonperforated subgroup of AA patients, but the thiol/disulfide homeostasis parameters did not differ significantly between the two subgroups. In addition, the hs-CRP level and appendiceal wall thickness were higher in the perforated subgroup. The thiol/disulfide antioxidant parameters and ADMA level correlated negatively with the white blood cell count, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and the hs-CRP level, in the AA group, but correlated positively with oxidant parameters. The sensitivity and specificity of the disulfide/native thiol and disulfide/total thiol ratios were high when used to diagnose AA, whereas the sensitivity of the ADMA level was high when used to diagnose perforated appendicitis. CONCLUSIONS Thiol/disulfide homeostasis and the ADMA level, together with certain other parameters, may be useful biomarkers of AA in children.