Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Suicide in prisons in England and Wales from 1988 to 1995

This study is based on an examination of 377 official records (from the English Prison Service's Suicide Awareness Support Unit) of self-inflicted deaths in prisons in England and Wales for the period from 5 February 1988 to 5 November 1995. The study builds on the work of earlier researchers in the area of suicides in prisons (Topp, 1979; Dooley, 1990) and provides a detailed analysis of all self-inflicted deaths occurring in prisons in England and Wales, something never previously undertaken. In this paper we present some of the main results from our research. Copyright © 1998 Whurr Publishers Ltd.
Race, Social and Environmental Conditions, and Health Behaviors in Men

Although understanding race differences in health behaviors among men is an important step in reducing disparities in leading causes of death in the United States, progress has been stifled when using national data because of the confounding of race, socioeconomic status, and residential segregation. The purpose of this study is to examine the nature of disparities in health behaviors among African American and white men in the Exploring Health Disparities in Integrated Communities Study-Southwest Baltimore, which was conducted in a racially integrated neighborhood of Baltimore to data from the 2003 National Health Interview Survey. After adjusting for age, marital status, insurance, income, educational attainment, poor or fair health, and obesity status, African American men in National Health Interview Survey had greater odds of being physically inactive (odds ratio [OR] = 1.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 129-1.69), reduced odds of being a current smoker (OR = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.65-0.90), and reduced odds of being a current drinker (OR = 0.58; 95% CI, 0.50-0.67). In the Exploring Health Disparities in Integrated Communities Study-Southwest Baltimore sample, African American and white men had similar odds of being physically inactive (OR = 0.79; 95% CI, 0.50-1.24), being a current smoker (OR = 0.86; 95% CI, 0.60-1.23), or being a current drinker (OR = 1.34; 95% CI, 0.81-2.21). Because race disparities in these health behaviors were ameliorated in the sample where African American and white men were living under similar social, environmental, and socioeconomic status conditions, these findings suggest that social environment may be an important determinant of health behaviors among African American and white men. Public health interventions and health promotion strategies should consider the social environment when seeking to better understand men's health disparities.
Stationary biofilm growth normalizes mutation frequencies and mutant prevention concentrations in Pseudomonas aeruginosa from cystic fibrosis patients.

Bacterial biofilms play an important role in the persistent colonization of the respiratory tract in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. The trade-offs among planktonic or sessile modes of growth, mutation frequency, antibiotic susceptibility and mutant prevention concentrations (MPCs) were studied in a well-defined collection of 42 CF Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates. MICs of ciprofloxacin, tobramycin, imipenem and ceftazidime increased in the biofilm mode of growth, but not the MPCs of the same drugs. The mutation frequency median was significantly higher in planktonic conditions (1.1 × 10(-8)) than in biofilm (9.9 × 10(-9)) (p 0.015). Isolates categorized as hypomutable increased their mutation frequency from 3.6 × 10(-9) in the planktonic mode to 6 × 10(-8) in biofilm, whereas normomutators (from 9.4 × 10(-8) to 5.3 × 10(-8)) and hypermutators (from 1.6 × 10(-6) to 7.7 × 10(-7)) decreased their mutation frequencies in biofilm. High and low mutation frequencies in planktonic growth converge into the normomutable category in the biofilm mode of growth of CF P. aeruginosa, leading to stabilization of MPCs. This result suggests that once the biofilm mode of growth has been established, the propensity of CF P. aeruginosa populations to evolve towards resistance is not necessarily increased.
Statins and early clinical outcome after coronary artery bypass grafting

Evaluation of: Powell BD, Bybee KA, Valeti I et al.: Influence of preoperative lipid-lowering therapy on post-operative outcome in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Am. J. Cardiol. 99, 785–789 (2007). Lipid-lowering therapy with statins prevents progression of atherosclerotic coronary artery and vein graft disease, decreases cardiovascular events and improves long-term clinical outcome after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The impact of preoperative statin therapy on the early postoperative outcome of the coronary bypass patient remains unclear. The Mayo Clinic group reports a 0.8% absolute and 36% relative decrease of in-hospital mortality in patients receiving lipid-lowering therapy prior to elective CABG. However, after adjusting for preoperative risk factors and medications, lipid-lowering therapy was not independently associated with improved survival after surgery. This finding contradicts evidence suggesting that preoperative statin therapy favorably impacts early mortali.
Real-time PCR assay-based strategy for differentiation between active Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia and colonization in immunocompromised patients.

Diagnosis of pneumocystosis usually relies on microscopic demonstration of Pneumocystis jirovecii in respiratory samples. Conventional PCR can detect low levels of P. jirovecii DNA but cannot differentiate active pneumonia from colonization. In this study, we used a new real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay to identify and discriminate these entities. One hundred and sixty-three bronchoalveolar lavage fluids and 115 induced sputa were prospectively obtained from 238 consecutive immunocompromised patients presenting signs of pneumonia. Each patient was classified as having a high or a low probability of P. jirovecii pneumonia according to clinical and radiological presentation. Samples were processed by microscopy and by a qPCR assay amplifying the P. jirovecii mitochondrial large-subunit rRNA gene; qPCR results were expressed as trophic form equivalents (TFEq)/mL by reference to a standard curve obtained from numbered suspensions of trophic forms. From 21 samples obtained from 16 patients with a high probability of P. jirovecii pneumonia, 21 were positive by qPCR whereas only 16 were positive by microscopy. Fungal load ranged from 134 to 1.73 × 10(6) TFEq/mL. Among 257 specimens sampled from 222 patients with a low probability of P. jirovecii pneumonia, 222 were negative by both techniques but 35 were positive by qPCR (0.1-1840 TFEq/mL), suggesting P. jirovecii colonization. Two cut-off values of 120 and 1900 TFEq/mL were proposed to discriminate active pneumonia from colonization, with a grey zone between them. In conclusion, this qPCR assay discriminates active pneumonia from colonization. This is particularly relevant for patient management, especially in non-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected immunocompromised patients, who often present low-burden P. jirovecii infections that are not diagnosed microscopically.
Synthesis, physicochemical properties, and hydrogen bonding of 4(5)-substituted 1-H-imidazole-2-carboxamide, a potential universal reader for DNA sequencing by recognition tunneling.

We have developed a chemical reagent that recognizes all naturally occurring DNA bases, a so called universal reader, for DNA sequencing by recognition tunneling in nanopores.1 The primary requirements for this type of molecules are the ability to form non-covalent complexes with individual DNA bases and to generate recognizable electronic signatures under an electrical bias. 1-H-imidazole-2-carboxamide was designed as such a recognition moiety to interact with the DNA bases through hydrogen bonding. In the present study, we first furnished a synthetic route to 1-H-imidazole-2-carboxamide containing a short ω-functionalized alkyl chain at its 4(5) position for its attachment to metal and carbon electrodes. The acid dissociation constants of the imidazole-2-carboxamide were then determined by UV spectroscopy. The data show that the 1-H-imidazole-2-carboxamide exists in a neutral form between pH 6-10. Density functional theory (DFT) and NMR studies indicate that the imidazole ring exists in prototropic tautomers. We propose an intramolecular mechanism for tautomerization of 1-H-imidazole-2-carboxamide. In addition, the imidazole-2-carboxamide can self-associate to form hydrogen bonded dimers. NMR titration found that naturally occurring nucleosides interacted with 1-H-imidazole-2-carboxamide through hydrogen bonding in a tendency of dG>dC≫dT>dA. These studies are indispensable to assisting us in understanding the molecular recognition that takes place in the nanopore where routinely used analytical tools such as NMR and FTIR cannot be conveniently applied.
Meta-analysis of Efficacy and Safety of the New Anticoagulants Versus Warfarin in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of the new oral anticoagulants versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation by the meta-analyses performed for 5 studies ARISTOTLE, ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48, RE-LY, ROCKET-AF, and J-ROCKET. Methods: The events including primary efficacy endpoint (stroke and systemic embolism), ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, all-cause mortality, and myocardial infarction were used for efficacy analysis and those including major bleeding, intracranial hemorrhage, and gastrointestinal bleeding were used for safety analysis. Instead of combining both doses to 1 meta-analysis, the high-dose groups of RE-LY (150 mg twice daily) and ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 (60 mg twice daily) were combined with the single dose studies ARISTOTLE, ROCKET-AF, and J-ROCKET. A separate meta-analysis was done for the low-dose groups of RE-LY (110 mg twice daily) and ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 (30 mg twice daily). Results: The high-dose regimen had better performance than low dose in efficacy. In addition, low-dose regimen demonstrated to significantly reduce the risk of hemorrhagic stroke, all-cause mortality, and intracranial hemorrhage. Conclusions: The new oral anticoagulants demonstrated promising alternatives to warfarin in prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Long‐term treatment with methotrexate or tumor necrosis factor α inhibitors does not increase epstein‐barr virus load in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objective We previously demonstrated that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a 10-fold systemic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) overload, very similar to that observed in healthy organ transplant recipients. Our objective was to monitor EBV load over time in patients with RA receiving methotrexate, infliximab, or etanercept to detect possible immunosuppression-associated EBV dysregulation, as described in posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease. Methods The EBV load in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 19 patients receiving methotrexate, 68 patients receiving infliximab, and 48 patients receiving etanercept was monitored for durations ranging from 6 months to 5 years using a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay previously developed for that purpose. The effect of treatment duration on EBV load and the link between the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints and EBV load were analyzed by generalized estimating equations. Results Methotrexate tended to decrease EBV load over time, but this did not reach significance. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) inhibitors did not significantly modify EBV load over time. Finally, high disease activity was significantly associated with high EBV load. Conclusion Long-term usage of methotrexate or TNFα inhibitors in patients with RA does not significantly influence EBV load in PBMCs.
Is Blockade of the Renin-angiotensin System Able to Reverse the Structural and Functional Remodeling of the Left Ventricle in Severe Aortic Stenosis?

Abstract: In experimental aortic stenosis (AS), blockade of the renin-angiotensin system attenuates AS-related left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and improves survival. We tested whether candesartan, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker, favorably influences LV structure and function and improves exercise capacity in AS patients. Fifty-one patients with severe AS were randomized to receive candesartan (target dose 16 mg/d) or placebo. Eight patients discontinued treatment and the remaining 43 patients underwent echocardiography, walking test, and measurement of plasma N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (Nt-proBNP) before and after an average of 5-month treatment. No statistically significant changes in LV diameters, mass, or function were seen. The median 6-minute walking distance decreased from 390 to 368 m with candesartan (P = 0.003) and from 380 to 370 m with placebo (P = 0.523), reflecting natural progression of AS. Concomitantly, median Nt-proBNP increased from 319 to 414 ng/L with candesartan (P = 0.170) and from 413 to 561 ng/L with placebo (P = 0.035). No change with candesartan was statistically significantly different from the corresponding change with placebo. In conclusion, candesartan was well tolerated but had no favorable effects on the LV or effort tolerance. The benefits found in experimental AS of blocking the renin-angiotensin system could not be reproduced in patients with severe AS.
Predicting COPD status with a random generalized linear model

Sample classification, especially disease status prediction, is an important area of investigation for gene expression studies. Many machine learning methods have been developed to tackle this problem. To evaluate different prediction methods, the IMPROVER Challenge made several data sets available. Here we focus on one sub-challenge: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We outlined critical preprocessing steps to make training and test data comparable. We compared our recently introduced random generalized linear model (RGLM) predictor with Leo Breiman’s random forest (RF) predictor on the COPD data set. We discussed potential reasons for the superior performance of the RGLM predictor in this sub-challenge. Interestingly, we found that although several genes were highly predictive of COPD status, none were necessary to achieve accurate prediction when demographic features smoking status and age were used. In conclusion, RGLM achieved superior predictive accuracy for predicting COPD status with smoking status and age as mandatory features. Future cohort studies could evaluate whether the resulting predictor has clinical utility.
Avaliação da adequação da assistência pré-natal na rede SUS do Município do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

A persistencia de desfechos perinatais negativos no Municipio do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, sugere problemas na qualidade da assistencia pre-natal. A ultima investigacao realizada nessa cidade mostrou adequacao de apenas 38% dessa assistencia. O objetivo deste estudo e avaliar a adequacao da assistencia pre-natal na rede do SUS do Municipio do Rio de Janeiro. Foi realizado um estudo transversal, em 2007-2008, por meio de entrevistas com 2.422 gestantes em atendimento nos servicos de pre-natal de baixo risco. Para avaliacao da adequacao da assistencia, foi utilizado o indice PHPN, com as recomendacoes do Programa de Humanizacao do Pre-natal e Nascimento, do Ministerio da Saude, e um indice PHPN ampliado, em que foram acrescentados procedimentos clinico-obstetricos, prescricao de sulfato ferroso suplementar e acoes educativas. Foi encontrada adequacao de 38,5% para o PHPN e 33,3% para o PHPN ampliado. Estrategias de ampliacao da captacao precoce das gestantes e melhor utilizacao dos contatos com os servicos para a realizacao de acoes de atencao a saude sao prioritarias para a reversao desse quadro.
Individual and Combined Associations of Genetic Variants in CYP3A4, CYP3A5, and SLCO1B1 With Simvastatin and Simvastatin Acid Plasma Concentrations

Abstract: Our objective was to evaluate the associations of genetic variants affecting simvastatin (SV) and simvastatin acid (SVA) metabolism [the gene encoding cytochrome P450, family 3, subfamily A, polypeptide 4 (CYP3A4)*22 and the gene encoding cytochrome P450, family 3, subfamily A, polypeptide 5 (CYP3A5)*3] and transport [the gene encoding solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 1B1 (SLCO1B1) T521C] with 12-hour plasma SV and SVA concentrations. The variants were genotyped, and the concentrations were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in 646 participants of the Cholesterol and Pharmacogenetics clinical trial of 40 mg/d SV for 6 weeks. The genetic variants were tested for association with 12-hour plasma SV, SVA, or the SVA/SV ratio using general linear models. CYP3A5*3 was not significantly associated with 12-hour plasma SV or SVA concentration. CYP3A4*1/*22 participants had 58% higher 12-hour plasma SV concentration compared with CYP3A4*1/*1 participants (P = 0.006). SLCO1B1 521T/C and 521C/C participants had 71% (P < 0.001) and 248% (P < 0.001) higher 12-hour plasma SVA compared with SLCO1B1 521T/T participants, respectively. CYP3A4 and SLCO1B1 genotypes combined categorized participants into low (<1), intermediate (≈1), and high (>1) SVA/SV ratio groups (P = 0.001). In conclusion, CYP3A4*22 and SLCO1B1 521C were significantly associated with increased 12-hour plasma SV and SVA concentrations, respectively. CYP3A5*3 was not significantly associated with 12-hour plasma SV or SVA concentrations. The combination of CYP3A4*22 and SLCO1B1 521C was significantly associated with SVA/SV ratio, which may translate into different clinical SV risk/benefit profiles.
Noninvasive tests in the post–liver transplantation setting

We read the letter of Cholongitas et al. regarding our recently published article. There are several points we would like to make in response to their letter. First of all, the authors did probably not read the methods section of our study with sufficient attention. In the manuscript by Blasco et al., we assessed liver biopsies performed 3 months and 1 year after liver transplantation (LT) in patients who underwent transplantation from October 2000 to May 2003 (last biopsy May 2004). In the study by Carrion et al., liver biopsies were performed between July 2004 and October 2005. Thus, not a single biopsy from the first study was included in the most recent paper. Second, we never stated that transjugular liver biopsies (TJLB) could not correlate with HVPG due their inferior quality compared to percutaneous liver biopsy (PLB). We only stated that the size of TJLB was smaller than PLB; nevertheless, the correlation of TJLB and PLB to assess liver fibrosis 1 year after LT was good (kappa 0.6). Moreover, the association between the fibrosis stage assessed in TJLB (1 year after LT) and HVPG was similar than that seen with PLB (Figure 1). For space reasons, only the latter association was included in the manuscript. Indeed, we believe that the biopsy samples used in both studies were adequate; the good correlation between biopsy findings and HVPG (and more importantly with clinical outcomes) strongly support our data. Third, we did not include the size of our specimens in the study by Carrion et al. The median size was 12 mm for TJLB (size of the largest fragment if more than one) and 19 mm for PLB biopsies. We agree with the authors that it is better to have larger specimens. In fact, our tendency in TJLB is to perform two or even three passes (if required to obtain a good fragment), as it is stated in the methods section of the manuscript. Fourth, the authors certainly obtain transjugular biopsies of greater length than our group. However, we obtained TJLB of significantly greater width: because we use 16-gauge needles, our median TJLB width is 1 mm, practically double that that obtained by Cholongitas et al. This explains why the total number of complete portal tracts is similar between both studies. As a result, the arguments by Cholongitas have no basis. Finally, the most important fact of the studies by Blasco et al. and Carrion et al. is the clear association between the fibrosis stage assessed in liver biopsies and HVPG, which supports that the information provided by our liver biopsies was adequate. We agree with the authors that a liver biopsy is the only method to perform a diagnosis; this is the reason why we perform so many biopsies at our center. Nevertheless, once a diagnosis is established (i.e., hepatitis C recurrence), our study demonstrates that transient elastography (TE) detects with high accuracy individuals with significant liver fibrosis and/or portal hypertension. The latter is clinically relevant, because portal hypertension is what ultimately leads to graft loss in patients with hepatitis C recurrence after LT.
Endothelial Soluble Factors Mediate Differentiation of Circulating Endothelial Precursors

Abstract: Although endothelial progenitor cells have been used in clinical trials with promising preliminary results, the mechanism by which these cells interact with vascular wall cells and ischemic tissues remains unclear. We have previously reported that human coronary artery endothelial cells cocultured with peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) can stimulate their early differentiation toward a pre-endothelial phenotype. This study was aimed to assess possible soluble factors, released from the coculture, and involved in endothelial progenitor cell differentiation. Among cytokines and chemokines measured by means of Milliplex assay, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, endothelial growth factor, and CCL-2 were released in cocultures, and those levels were significantly higher than that found in human coronary artery endothelial cells or in PBMCs alone. To check their involvement in PBMC differentiation, blocking experiments with neutralizing antibodies were performed. Flow cytometry analysis confirmed an impairment of PBMC differentiation toward a pre-endothelial phenotype when IL-6, IL-8 and with a lesser extent CCL-2 were blocked. These data add a new insight into the mechanisms by which endothelial precursors interact with vascular wall, thus suggesting future directions in understanding and treating ischemic injury.
The transition from acute to chronic pain

Why some patients develop chronic pain after an acutely painful event remains an enigma. For example, over 90% of the population will experience acute back pain at some time in their lives. In most cases this resolves but, in a few, it does not, even though these patinets have radiologic pathology similar to those in whom the pain does improve. Similarly, there are few people who escape the hands of the surgeon. What is becoming increasingly apparent is that those who do experience the sharp end of the scalpel frequently experience persistent pain as a result of the damage caused by this instrument. The reasons for this chronic post-surgical pain are discussed in this presentation, as are possible preventative strategies.
Clinical Laboratory Medicine: Clinical Application of Laboratory Data

I had the opportunity to review a previous edition of this text 11 years ago and was impressed. That edition was a fairly comprehensive discussion of a "complex and expanding field," and the same opinion comes from reviewing this edition. The text has increased in subjects, pages, tables, and figures and now totals 724 pages. The overall organization has remained much the same, and with the index, answers or discussions can be found with relative ease. The information is presented in a concise manner and is reinforced by the 42 figures, 96 tables, and 128 shaded areas scattered throughout the text. Use of these reading aids, however, is inconsistent in that some chapters have none while others have up to 38, and it is not clear what prompts such aid. Some topics, such as hepatitis and thyroid disease, have abundant tables, while the discussion on TdT (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase) would