Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age-related joint space narrowing independent of the development of osteoarthritis of the shoulder

Purpose: It is commonly accepted that the glenohumeral joint space remains unchanged until the onset of osteoarthritis, at which point progressive degenerative changes, and joint space narrowing occur. The aim of this study was to evaluate the radiographic width of the glenohumeral joint space in patients of different ages: Those with otherwise normal radiographs, those with a history of instability, those with calcific tendonitis, and those with a radiologic diagnosis of osteoarthritis. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, two independent investigators measured the glenohumeral joint width on true anteroposterior and axillary views of standardized shoulder radiographs taken from 2002 to 2009. The digital image resolution was 0.01 mm. Group I comprised 60 patients with normal shoulder radiographs, Group II comprised 53 patients with instability but normal radiographs, Group III comprised 109 patients with radiologically proven calcific tendonitis, and Group IV comprised 120 patients with manifest osteoarthritis. Results: The interobserver reliability (r) was 0.621-0.862. The mean joint space width was significantly different among Groups I-IV (central anteroposterior: 4.28 ± 0.75 mm, 3.12 ± 0.73 mm, 2.87 ± 0.80 mm, and 1.47 ± 1.07 mm, respectively; P = 0.001; central axillary: 6.12 ± 1.09 mm, 3.92 ± 0.77 mm, 3.34 ± 0.84 mm, and 1.08 ± 1.12 mm, respectively; P = 0.001). There was a significant negative correlation between the joint space width and age at all measured levels in both projections (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The glenohumeral joint space width decreases with increasing age beginning in early adulthood, and this effect is enhanced by osteoarthritis. Level of Evidence: Level II, retrospective study.
Why Do Foster Care Placements Disrupt? An Investigation of Reasons for Placement Change in Foster Care

This study examines the reasons for placement changes in foster care and analyzes determinates of the rate of behavior‐related placement change. Findings indicate that 20 percent of all changes are behavior related. Older age, externalizing behaviors, and emotional abuse increase the hazard of behavior‐related changes. The risk is lower when the child spends more days in kinship care. Having numerous system‐ or policy‐related moves does not increase risk of behavior‐related changes. Risk is highest during the 100 days after entry into care, suggesting that factors contributing to behavior‐related placement change might be present when a child enters care.
Increased preoperative collection of autologous blood with recombinant human erythropoietin therapy in tertiary care hospitals of Jammu

INTRODUCTION To study whether the administration of recombinant human erythropoietin increases the amount of autologous blood that can be collected before orthopaedic surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a randomized controlled trial of recombinant human erythropoietin in 68 adults scheduled for elective orthopedic procedures. The patients received either erythropoietin 600 units/kg of body weight or placebo intravenously every 5(th) day prior to each phlebotomy for 21 days during which time up to 5 units of blood was collected. Patients were excluded from donation when their hematocrit values were less than 33%. All patients received iron sulphate 325mg orally 3 times daily. The mean number of units collected per patient was 4.33 ± 0.4 for erythropoietin group and 3.05± 0.71 for the placebo group. RESULTS The mean packed red cell volume donated by patients who received erythropoietin was 32% greater than that donated by patients who received placebo (196.3 vs. 169.4 ml, p<0.05). 68% in the placebo group and 9% of patients treated with erythropoietin were unable to donate ≥4 units. No adverse effects were attributed to erythropoietin. While participating in the study, complications developed in 2 patients one in each group necessitating their removal from the study. CONCLUSION We conclude that recombinant human erythropoietin increases the ability of the patients about to undergo elective surgery to donate autologous blood units.
Wearable technology for patients with brain and spinal cord injuries

Abstract Studies have shown that patients who practice functional movements at home in conjunction with outpatient therapy show higher improvement in motor recovery. However, patients are not qualified to monitor or assess their own condition that must be reported back to the clinician. Therefore, there is a need to transmit physiological data to clinicians from patients in their home environment. This paper presents a review of wearable technology for in-home health monitoring, assessment, and rehabilitation of patients with brain and spinal cord injuries.
Evaluating measurement error in readings of blood pressure for adolescents and young adults

Abstract Readings of blood pressure are known to be subject to measurement error, but the optimal method for combining multiple readings is unknown. This study assesses different sources of measurement error in blood pressure readings and assesses methods for combining multiple readings using data from a sample of adolescents/young adults who were part of a longitudinal epidemiological study based in Cebu, Philippines. Three sets of blood pressure readings were collected at 2-year intervals for 2127 adolescents and young adults as part of the Cebu National Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Study. Multi-trait, multi-method (MTMM) structural equation models in different groups were used to decompose measurement error in the blood pressure readings into systematic and random components and to examine patterns in the measurement across males and females and over time. The results reveal differences in the measurement properties of blood pressure readings by sex and over time that suggest the combination of multiple readings should be handled separately for these groups at different time points. The results indicate that an average (mean) of the blood pressure readings has high validity relative to a more complicated factor-score-based linear combination of the readings.
La gastrostomía endoscôpica percutânea. Realidad en la prâctica nutricional clínica intra y extrahospitalaria

Background. This study aimed to review our experience during 8 years in the use of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and its application in home enteral nutrition (HEN). Material. We studied 207 patients (56 womenand 151 men) who had undergone a PEG from the beginning of 1994 to the end of 2002 as they needed prolonged enteral nutrition (> 4 weeks). In those cases in which home enteral nutrition was programmed, the patients/relatives were trained in the techniques and care of the PEG and EN, and the control was done through the nutrition out-patient clinic. Results. Mean duration time of the PEG was 640 days and 175 patients (84.6%) needed PEG for more than 60 days and 135 for more than 6 months. Mean calorie supply was 1,730 ′ 288 Kcal/day. Administration mode was by intermittent infusion due to seriousness in 162 cases and continuous infusion through volemetric pump in 45 patients. In 2 patients with hyperemesis gravidarum, percutaneous endoscopic gastrojejunostomy (PEGJ) was done in the 3rd and 4th month of pregnancy, the pregnancy finishing successfully by vaginal delivery. Performance of PEG facilitated hospital discharge and programming of home enteral nutrition in 195 patients (94%). The most frequent complications were gastrostomy infection that occurred in 41 patients and the appearance of granuloma in the ostomy in 34 cases. Only one patient died in direct relationship due to peritonitis after PEG. Conclusion. Our study includes the advantages of PEG as an enteral nutrition technique, permitting the establishment of a home enteral nutrition program with limited incidence of complications and very low mortality.
Home blood pressure measurements: Advantages and disadvantages compared to office and ambulatory monitoring

Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) is an easy and standardized tool to measure blood pressure (BP) at home, which is recommended by several national and international guidelines to obtain reliable BP values. It is a useful and dependable measure of BP, which can add information to the more common and standardized methods, such as office (OBPM) and ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM), and sometimes substitute for them. Along with ABPM, HBPM detects out-of-office BP levels, helping to identify the white-coat effect and masked hypertension. Moreover, the large number of BP measurements obtained with HBPM has been demonstrated to be associated with future cardiovascular events and to provide information on day-to-day variability; this is a new aspect, the clinical significance of which is still under evaluation. By giving patients a more active role in the management of their chronic disease, HBPM can improve treatment adherence. The present review focuses on all these aspects and describes the pros and cons of HBPM use compared to OBPM and ABPM. In conclusion, although some aspects need to be clarified, the scientific evidence collected so far should encourage the more widespread use of HBPM in clinical practice.
La violencia en las mujeres usuarias de los servicios de salud en el IMSS y la SSA

Objective. To compare the prevalence of violence and determine its risk factors among women who use Mexican Social Services (IMSS) clinics and do not have access to social security services. Material and Methods. Sociodemographic data linked to domestic violence reported by women attending the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) health services was analyzed. Bivariate and multivariate analysis was performed using STATA V.7. Results. Psychological violence in IMSS women was 18% followed by physical violence (9.1%), sexual (6.7%) and economic (5%). Prevalence of violence in women with no social security care was psychological (21.4%), physical (10.5%), sexual (7.5%) and economical (5%). Women between 25 and 44 years of age with basic schooling and married and with family background of violence were the most affected. The daily consumption of alcohol by their partners was an important predictor of domestic violence. Conclusion. Violence in women with no social security is higher. Partner’s alcohol intake pattern is an important risk factor. Detection of domestic violence in the clinical setting is necessary to recognize its real magnitude as a social problem.
Comparative analysis of activity of coagulation Factors V and VIII and level of fibrinogen in fresh frozen plasma and frozen plasma

Background: The aim of this study was to analyse and compare the activity of factor V, VIII and fibrinogen level in fresh frozen plasma and frozen plasma frozen after 8 hrs but within 24 hours after phlebotomy. Materials and Methods: Fresh frozen plasma separated from whole blood within 8 hours was compared with plasma separated within 24 hours after phlebotomy in terms of coagulation factors V and VIII and level of fibrinogen by standard methods using semi automated coagulometer sysmex CA50. Results: Longer storage of whole blood before processing resulted in significant decrease (18.4%) in activity of factor VIII but the fall in activity of factor V (6.52%) or level of fibrinogen (1.81%) was not significant. Discussion: These data suggest that there is good retention of coagulation factors in both types of plasma. Although there is significant fall in activity of factor VIII, but it is an acute phase reactant and raised in most of the diseases so it is suggested that frozen plasma would be an acceptable product for most patients requiring fresh frozen plasma.
Percutaneous ultrasound-guided renal biopsy; A comparison of axial vs. sagittal probe location

Abstract Background. Renal biopsy is an important method for diagnosis of renal parenchymal abnormalities. Here, we compare the effectiveness and complications of percutaneous ultrasound-guided renal biopsy using axial vs. sagittal probe locations. Methods. In a cross-sectional survey, in 2012, patients with a nephrologist order were biopsied by a radiology resident. Renal biopsy was done on 15 patients using axial (A group) and the same number of biopsies done with sagittal probe location (S group). The two groups were compared in term of the yields and complications of each method. Results. In the A group, the ratio of glomeruli gathered to the number of obtained samples was significantly higher than in the S group. Nine patients in the A group (60%) required only two samplings, whereas 66.7% in the S group required more than two attempts. Microscopic hematuria was more common in the A; conversely, gross hematuria was less common in the A group. Meagre hematomas were more frequent in the S group. When compared with hemoglobin level before biopsy, its level 24 hours after biopsy was similar within groups. Conclusion. Our study shows that percutaneous ultrasound-guided renal biopsy using axial probe provides better yield with fewer efforts and fewer serious complications.
Are there common core features of apathy in different neuropsychiatric samples as assessed by the Apathy Evaluation Scale?

Background: Previous factor analyses of the Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) have indicated the presence of one main factor comprising core symptoms of apathy. However, the factor structure of the AES has not been determined in patient samples with cerebrovascular disorders. Aims of the study were to 1) examine the factor structure of the AES in two patient samples with cerebrovascular disorders (stroke and subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH)) and to compare these results with those from a study of young patients with first-episode psychosis, 2) identify common items loading on the main factors and 3) examine whether these items could be used as an abbreviated scale for stroke and SAH patients. Methods: Factor analysis was conducted on AES data for all patients (stroke: n=85; SAH: n=76; first-episode psychosis; n=104). Psychometric properties were explored. A second factor analysis was conducted on the stroke and SAH sample, based on common items loading on the main factor in all three samples. Results: A common main factor representing apathy was present in all samples. Ten common items loaded highest on the apathy factor in all samples. A scale consisting of these 10 items had sound psychometric properties for stroke and SAH patients (Cronbach's alpha=0.91 and 0.95, respectively). Conclusions: The results suggested that common core items of apathy can be identified in various samples of patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms. We suggest a 10-item version of the AES that may be employed for assessing apathy in patients with SAH and stroke.
Suicidality among Norwegian youth: Review of research on risk factors and interventions

Background and Aim: Published research on suicidality among Norwegian youth and publications describing interventions were summarized in order to access the current status of knowledge building via empirical research. Method: A systematic Medline search identified 29 studies on risk factors on the entire spectrum of suicidal phenomena from self-harm without suicidal ideation to completed suicide with the mean age at/under 25 years. A specialist Norwegian journal, Suicidologi, was searched for additional matter, especially interventions. Result: Most studies focussed on psychological and psychiatric risk factors of attempted suicide. Other suicidal phenomena, psychosocial and societal risk factors, and impact of interventions were hardly studied. Depression, previous suicidal behaviour, alcohol use and non-intact parental unit were consistent significant risk factors found in suicide and attempted suicide studies. Conclusion: Supporting non-intact parental units and the maintenance of intact parental units along with early detection and management of suicide attempts, depression and alcohol use should be targeted as suicide prevention interventions among adolescents.
Factors at medical school and work related to exhaustion among physicians in their first postgraduate year

Background: Burnout and stress is frequently reported in young physicians but longitudinal studies are sparse. Exhaustion is a core facet of burnout. Aims: To study individual and environmental medical school predictors and associated working conditions of postgraduate exhaustion, with a reference to gender. Methods: Two cohorts of junior doctors (n=253, 58% women) graduated from Karolinska Institutet were assessed in medical school (2002 and 2005) and in their first postgraduate year (2003 and 2006). Baseline measures were: Performance-based self-esteem (PBSE), study conditions (Higher Education Stress Inventory, HESI) and exhaustion, and at follow-up exhaustion (Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, OLBI) and Learning climate in the clinic. Regression analyses on postgraduate exhaustion (OLBI) were performed in four steps. First PBSE gender and age was entered, second study conditions (HESI), third working conditions (Learning climate in the clinic), and finally we controlled for exhaustion at final year of medical school. Results: Response rate was 73%. Worries about future endurance/capacity (WFEC; HESI) predicted postgraduate exhaustion, but not PBSE, when baseline exhaustion was controlled for. Women's higher exhaustion scores were explained by their higher WFEC. A positive Learning climate was negatively associated with exhaustion. Conclusions: High WFEC was a risk factor of exhaustion to which women were more subjected. Students with high doubts of themselves may benefit from specific programmes in medical school, addressing this risk. A positive Learning climate at follow-up seemed protective, although no conclusions on direction of causality can be made. The effect of PBSE needs further study.
When is adult hippocampal neurogenesis necessary for learning? Evidence from animal research

Abstract The hippocampus is a key brain structure involved in the short- and long-term processing of declarative memory. Since adult hippocampal neurogenesis was first found, numerous studies have tried to establish the contribution of newborn neurons to hippocampus-dependent cognitive functions. However, this large amount of research has generated contradictory results. In this paper, we review the body of evidence investigating the relationship between hippocampal neurogenesis and learning to conclude the functional role of adult-born hippocampal neurons. First, factors that could explain discrepancies among experiments are taken into account. Then, in addition to methodological differences, we emphasize the importance of the age of the newborn neurons studied, as to how their maturation influences both their properties and potential functionality. Next, we discuss which declarative memory components could require involvement of adult hippocampal neurogenesis, taking into consideration the representational demands of the task, its difficulty and the level of performance reached by the subject. Finally, other factors that could modulate neurogenesis and memory, such as stress levels or previous experience of the animal, should also be taken into consideration in interpreting experiments focused on neurogenesis. In conclusion, our analysis of published studies suggests that new adult-born neurons, under certain circumstances, have a crucial and irreplaceable role in hippocampal learning.
A controlled evaluation of an intensive, peer- led, schools-based, anti-smoking programme

There is increasing interest in health promotion interventions which seek to change behaviour through local cultural diffusion by trained opinion-formers. This study adapted this approach to schools settings. Popular pupils in years 8 and 9 (aged 12 to 14) were recruited for intensive training by specialist staff on how to intervene effectively in everyday situations to promote smoking cessation and prevention of smoking uptake among their peers. Data on smoking behaviour, plus saliva samples for cotinine testing, were collected pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and three months post-intervention in two intervention and two control schools. Most differences in behaviour between intervention and control schools were not statistically significant. However, baseline ex-smokers (11 per cent of the sample and a larger group than baseline regular smokers) were significantly more likely still to be abstinent in the intervention, as opposed to the control, schools. Given the relative paucity of evidence of effective anti-smoking programmes in schools, these results are sufficiently encouraging to justify a full-scale randomised controlled trial evaluation.
Raloxifene in breast cancer prevention

Background: Raloxifene is a benzothiophene, selective estrogen receptor modulator with estrogen-agonist effects in the skeleton and the cardiovascular system but estrogen-antagonist effects in the uterus and the mammary gland. This compound was first approved in different countries for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Objective/methods: We performed a literature search to review available preclinical and clinical data that has led to the recent FDA approval of raloxifene as a chemopreventive agent for breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Results/conclusions: Different placebo-controlled trials indicated that raloxifene is effective in reducing invasive breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women. In a recent comparative study, a similar efficacy between raloxifene and tamoxifen for breast cancer prevention was demonstrated, but raloxifene showed a more favorable safety profile.
Statistical inference of regulatory networks for circadian regulation

Abstract We assess the accuracy of various state-of-the-art statistics and machine learning methods for reconstructing gene and protein regulatory networks in the context of circadian regulation. Our study draws on the increasing availability of gene expression and protein concentration time series for key circadian clock components in Arabidopsis thaliana. In addition, gene expression and protein concentration time series are simulated from a recently published regulatory network of the circadian clock in A. thaliana, in which protein and gene interactions are described by a Markov jump process based on Michaelis-Menten kinetics. We closely follow recent experimental protocols, including the entrainment of seedlings to different light-dark cycles and the knock-out of various key regulatory genes. Our study provides relative network reconstruction accuracy scores for a critical comparative performance evaluation, and sheds light on a series of highly relevant questions: it quantifies the influence of systematically missing values related to unknown protein concentrations and mRNA transcription rates, it investigates the dependence of the performance on the network topology and the degree of recurrency, it provides deeper insight into when and why non-linear methods fail to outperform linear ones, it offers improved guidelines on parameter settings in different inference procedures, and it suggests new hypotheses about the structure of the central circadian gene regulatory network in A. thaliana.