Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Renal artery stenosis and mean platelet volume

Objective: Increased mean platelet volume (MPV) has been reported in various atherosclerotic diseases. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between the atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) and various hematological parameters including MPV. Methods: This study was performed with a retrospective review of the angiographic images of patients who underwent renal angiography at Bülent Ecevit University catheter laboratory between January 2004 and December 2009. The patients were trichotomized into three groups based on the presence and severity of renal artery stenosis (RAS). Group 1 included patients with a critical RAS (33 patients; 18 female (F), 15 male (M); mean age 61.6±11.5 years), group 2 consisted of patients with non-critical RAS (26 patients; 15 F, 11 M; mean age 58.1±11.3 years), and group 3 was composed of patients without RAS (69 patients; 38 F, 31 M; mean age 53.5±11.9 years). Demographic data, complete blood count, and biochemical parameters were compared between the groups. Results: Comparison of the hematological parameters revealed that MPV and platelet distribution width were significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 and 3 (8.96±0.99 fL versus 8.35±0.76 fL, 8.31±0.79 fL, respectively; p=0.001; 16.53±0.58% versus 16.19±0.56%, 16.29±0.53%, respectively; p=0.04). Conclusion: MPV levels are higher in patients with ARAS. Considering both the effect of platelets on atherosclerosis and their close association with other risk factors, MPV level may be an important factor in pathogenesis of ARAS.
Familial aggregation of human helminth infection in the Poyang lake area of China with a focus on genetic susceptibility to schistosomiasis japonica and associated markers of disease

SUMMARY Human helminthiases are common in China, especially in rural areas where sanitation conditions are poor. Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are predominantly found in the southern provinces. Schistosoma japonicum is also endemic to southern China. Here we review the prevalence of helminth infections and polyparasitism in China, and discuss the interactions between helminth parasites in the co-infected host. It is clear that STHs are more prevalent in rural China than previously suggested emphasizing the need for systematic control of STHs. Further, the need for improved sanitation and hygiene conditions to prevent parasite transmission is highlighted. We provide supporting evidence for human genetic susceptibility to both single helminth infection and polyparasitism, and suggest that susceptibility to helminths infections may not be independent of one or the other. We demonstrate an association between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variants in IL-5 and symptomatic S. japonicum infection and discuss the potential role of IL-5 in other helminth infections. Fundamental to disease and morbidity control is adequate and effective diagnosis and surveillance of disease. We discuss the role of sICAM-1 and TNFR-I and -II as candidate markers for schistosome-induced hepatomegaly and fibrosis, and their potential for assessing disease stage and progression in schistosomiasis.
RE-ENCULTURATION: CULTURALLY CONGRUENT INTERVENTIONS FOR MäORI WITH ALCOHOL- AND DRUG-USE-ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS IN NEW ZEALAND*

Generally, the relationship between culture and substance use has been explored in two ways. Firstly, high rates of substance use and related problems amongst indigenous and migrant populations generated interest in genetics and cultural susceptibility. Acculturation-strain type theories suggested the stress of culture-change increased the risk of substance use and related harm. Secondly, there has been an increasing emphasis on taking account of the diversity of social, psychological, and cultural factors in the assessment and treatment of alcohol- and drug-use-associated problems. Utilization of ethnocultural factors as a means to promote recovery from alcohol- and drug-use-associated problems is a feature of culturally congruent interventions. Mäori are the indigenous people of New Zealand, and this paper outlines the background to the increasing inclusion of customary Mäori values, beliefs, and practices in interventions in the development of culturally congruent programs.
Modeling to find the top bloggers using Sentiment Features

Weblogs are discussion forums empowering individuals to express their views and opinions. Blogosphere is the virtual world of all the blogs covering wide variety of social issues. The bloggers with the abilities to influence and sway other users' opinions are known as the influential bloggers. Identification of the influential bloggers has vast applications in online marketing, advertising and electronic commerce. Several models for identifying the influential bloggers are proposed in the relevant literature. However, the sentiment expressed by a blogger in a blog post is not explored. In this paper, we propose a model based on the integration of activity and recognition modules. The number of blog posts and quantitative analysis of sentiment expressed in blog posts represent a blogger's activity. The recognition represents the influence and reputation of a blogger in a social community. The experiments have been carried out using the social media blog of TechCrunch. The evaluation of the proposed model, MIBSF, using the performance evaluation measures prove that sentiment expressed in a post should be considered as an important factor for identifying influential bloggers. The findings also indicate that MIBSF shows better results to find the influential bloggers as compared to the existing methods.
The Development of Diagnostic Real-Time Taqman PCRs for The Four Pathogenic Avian Mycoplasmas

Abstract Four avian mycoplasmas are commonly recognized as poultry pathogens: Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), Mycoplasma synoviae (MS), Mycoplasma meleagridis (MM), and Mycoplasma iowae (MI). The avian mycoplasmas are associated with respiratory disease, synovitis and arthritis, poor performance, skeletal deformities, and embryo mortality. Three main approaches are used for the diagnosis of avian mycoplasmosis: isolation and identification, detection of antibodies, and molecular detection of the organism's nucleic acid by PCR. In recent years real-time PCR technology has revolutionized the way clinical microbiology laboratories diagnose infectious diseases, but so far only a limited number of diagnostic real-time PCRs have been proposed for avian mycoplasma diagnostics. We developed a complete set of reliable diagnostic real-time TaqMan PCR assays for the four pathogenic avian mycoplasmas. The selected genomic targets of the developed assays were species specific and intraspecifically conserved and included the 16S–23S intergenic spacer Region of MS and MM, the upstream Region to the 16S ribosomal DNA of MI, and highly conserved foci of the mgc2 gene of MG. The four assays were demonstrated to be highly specific and sensitive to their target avian mycoplasma, with detection limits of one copy per reaction mix for the MG assay and 10 copies per reaction mix for the MS, MM, and MI assays. We believe that the incorporation of the developed assays in avian mycoplasma diagnostics will contribute to the accuracy, efficiency, and feasibility of diagnosis of these pathogens.
Projected impact of travoprost versus both timolol and latanoprost on visual field deficit progression and costs among black glaucoma subjects.

PURPOSE We compared differences associated with use of travoprost and latanoprost on both progression of perimetric loss over time and associated costs among black patients. METHODS Patients with primary open-angle glaucome or ocular hypertension were randomly assigned to one of four arms in a 12-month, double-masked study: travoprost (0.004% or 0.0015%), latanoprost (0.005%), or timolol (0.5%). Forty-nine patients received 0.004% travoprost, 43 received latanoprost, and 40 received timolol. We applied algorithms found in published studies that link intraocular pressure (IOP) control to visual field progression and calculated the likelihood of visual field deterioration based on IOP data. This was used to estimate differences in medical care costs. RESULTS The average IOP was lower for patients receiving travoprost than for patients receiving latanoprost or timolol (17.3 versus 18.7 versus 20.5 mm Hg respectively, P < .05). Travoprost-treated patients had a smaller predicted change in visual field defect score (VFDS) than latanoprost-treated patients and timolol-treated patients, and significantly fewer were expected to demonstrate visual field progression. Medical care costs would be higher for latanoprost-treated and timolol-treated patients. CONCLUSIONS Recent studies have provided algorithms linking IOP control to changes in visual fields. We found that treatment with travoprost was associated with less visual field progression and potential cost savings.
The combined use of virtual reality exposure in the treatment of agoraphobia.

INTRODUCTION This study compares the differential efficacy of three groups of treatments for agoraphobia: paroxetine combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy, paroxetine combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy and virtual reality exposure, and a group with only paroxetine. METHODOLOGY 99 patients with agoraphobia were finally selected. Both combined treatment groups received 11 sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy, and one of the groups was also exposed to 4 sessions of virtual reality treatment. Treatments were applied in individual sessions once a week for 3 months. RESULTS The three treatment groups showed statistically significant improvements. In some measures, combined treatment groups showed greater improvements. The virtual reality exposure group showed greater improvement confronting phobic stimuli. CONCLUSIONS Treatments combining psychopharmacological and psychological therapy showed greater efficacy. Although the use of new technologies led to greater improvement, treatment adherence problems still remain.
When Will Collective Action Be Effective? Violent and Non-Violent Protests Differentially Influence Perceptions of Legitimacy and Efficacy Among Sympathizers

Collective action will be effective in achieving broader social change goals to the extent that it influences public opinion yet the degree to which collective action “works” in changing opinion is rarely studied. Experiment 1 (n = 158) showed that, consistent with a logic of strategic non-violence, non-violent collective action more effectively conveys a sense of the illegitimacy of the issue and the efficacy of the group, thereby promoting support for future non-violent actions. Experiment 2 (n = 139) explored the moderating role of allegations of corruption. A social context of corruption effectively undermined the efficacy and legitimacy of non-violent collective action, relative to support for violence, thereby promoting (indirectly) support for future extreme action. The implications of this research, for the logic of strategic non-violence and mobilizing supportive public opinion, are discussed.
A meta-analysis of self-regulated learning in work-related training and educational attainment: what we know and where we need to go.

Researchers have been applying their knowledge of goal-oriented behavior to the self-regulated learning domain for more than 30 years. This review examines the current state of research on self-regulated learning and gaps in the field's understanding of how adults regulate their learning of work-related knowledge and skills. Self-regulation theory was used as a conceptual lens for deriving a heuristic framework of 16 fundamental constructs that constitute self-regulated learning. Meta-analytic findings (k=430, N=90,380) support theoretical propositions that self-regulation constructs are interrelated-30% of the corrected correlations among constructs were . 50 or greater. Goal level, persistence, effort, and self-efficacy were the self-regulation constructs with the strongest effects on learning. Together these constructs accounted for 17% of the variance in learning, after controlling for cognitive ability and pretraining knowledge. However, 4 self-regulatory processes-planning, monitoring, help seeking, and emotion control-did not exhibit significant relationships with learning. Thus, a parsimonious framework of the self-regulated learning domain is presented that focuses on a subset of self-regulatory processes that have both limited overlap with other core processes and meaningful effects on learning. Research is needed to advance the field's understanding of how adults regulate their learning in an increasingly complex and knowledge-centric work environment. Such investigations should capture the dynamic nature of self-regulated learning, address the role of self-regulation in informal learning, and investigate how trainees regulate their transfer of training.
N1-(3-Cyclohexylbutanoyl)-N2-[3-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)propyl]guanidine (UR-AK57), a Potent Partial Agonist for the Human Histamine H1- and H2-Receptors

Both the histamine H1-receptor (H1R) and H2-receptor (H2R) exhibit pronounced species selectivity in their pharmacological properties; i.e., bulky agonists possess higher potencies and efficacies at guinea pig (gp) than at the corresponding human (h) receptor isoforms. In this study, we examined the effects of NG-acylated imidazolylpropylguanidines substituted with a single phenyl or cyclohexyl substituent on H1R and H2R species isoforms expressed in Sf9 insect cells. N1-(3-Cyclohexylbutanoyl)-N2-[3-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)propyl]guanidine (UR-AK57) turned out to be the most potent hH2R agonist identified so far (EC50 of 23 nM in the GTPase assay at the hH2R-Gsα fusion protein expressed in Sf9 insect cells). UR-AK57 was almost a full-hH2R agonist and only slightly less potent and efficacious than at gpH2R-Gsα. Several NG-acylated imidazolylpropylguanidines showed similar potency at hH2R and gpH2R. Most unexpectedly, UR-AK57 exhibited moderately strong partial hH1R agonism with a potency similar to that of histamine, whereas at gpH1R, UR-AK57 was only a very weak partial agonist. Structure/activity relationship studies revealed that both the alkanoyl chain connecting the aromatic or alicyclic substituent with the guanidine moiety and the nature of the carbocycle (cyclohexyl versus phenyl ring) critically determine the pharmacological properties of this class of compounds. Collectively, our data show that gpH1R and gpH R do not necessarily exhibit preference for bulky agonists 2compared with hH1R and hH2R, respectively, and that UR-AK57 is a promising starting point for the development of both potent and efficacious hH1R and hH2R agonists.
Main findings from the prospective Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

Purpose of review To provide a comprehensive overview on the main findings from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. This prospective multicenter study initiated in 1980 (N = 3596, baseline age 3–18 years) has followed up study participants over 30 years to investigate childhood risk factors for cardiometabolic outcomes in adulthood. Recent findings Childhood BMI, socioeconomic status, parental risk factor status, as well as genetic polymorphisms are independent predictors of adult obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Results from the Young Finns Study and other follow-up studies have shown that conventional childhood risk factors, such as dyslipidemia, obesity, elevated blood pressure and smoking, are predictive of subclinical atherosclerosis in young adults. Recent findings suggest that childhood lifestyle (diet, physical activity) is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis and its progression in adulthood. Concerning the timing of risk factor measurements, they seem to be predictive of adult atherosclerosis from the age of 9 onwards. From a clinical point of view, a recent observation suggesting that the adverse cardiometabolic effects of childhood overweight/obesity are reversed among those who become nonobese adults, provides optimism during the days of obesity epidemic. Summary Current data suggest that childhood risk factors are associated with higher risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in adulthood. Future studies among aging cohorts followed since childhood will provide data on their influence on clinical cardiovascular outcomes.
Norrie disease gene sequence variants in an ethnically diverse population with retinopathy of prematurity.

PURPOSE Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of visual loss in the pediatric population. Mutations in the Norrie disease gene (NDP) are associated with heritable retinal vascular disorders, and have been found in a small subset of patients with severe retinopathy of prematurity. Varying rates of progression to threshold disease in different races may have a genetic basis, as recent studies suggest that the incidence of NDP mutations may vary in different groups. African Americans, for example, are less likely to develop severe degrees of ROP. We screened a large cohort of ethnically diverse patients for mutations in the entire NDP. METHODS A total of 143 subjects of different ethnic backgrounds were enrolled in the study. Fifty-four patients had severe ROP (Stage 3 or worse). Of these, 38 were threshold in at least one eye (with a mean gestational age of 26.1 weeks and mean birth weight of 788.4 g). There were 36 patients with mild or no ROP, 31 parents with no history of retinal disease or prematurity, and 22 wild type (normal) controls. There were 70 African American subjects, 55 Caucasians, and 18 of other races. Severe ROP was noted in 29 African American subjects, 17 Caucasians, and 8 of other races. Seven polymerase chain reaction primer pairs spanning the NDP were optimized for denaturing high performance liquid chromatography and direct sequencing. Three primer pairs covered the coding region, and the remaining four spanned the 3' and 5' untranslated regions (UTR). RESULTS Six of 54 (11%) infants with severe ROP had polymorphisms in the NDP. Five of the infants were African American, and one was Caucasian. Two parents were heterozygous for the same polymorphism as their child. One parent-child pair had a single base pair (bp) insertion in the 3' UTR region. Another parent-child pair had two mutations: a 14 bp deletion in the 5' UTR region of exon 1 and a single nucleotide polymorphism in the 5' UTR region of exon 2. No coding region sequence changes were found. No polymorphisms were observed in infants with mild or no ROP, or in the wild type controls. CONCLUSIONS Of the six sequence alterations found, five were novel nucleotide changes: One in the 5' UTR region of exon 2, and four in the 3' UTR region of exon 3. The extent of NDP polymorphisms in this large, racially diverse group of infants is moderate. NDP polymorphisms may play a role in the pathogenesis of ROP, but do not appear to be a major causative factor.
The role of juxtapapillary duodenal diverticula in biliary stone disease.

BACKGROUND Duodenal diverticula are acquired lesions found more often in older patients; when located near the major duodenal papilla they are called juxtapapillary. The prevalence of juxtapapillary duodenal diverticula (JDD) in the general population is around 20%; they are often associated with biliary lithiasis. This study assessed the association between JDD and biliary stone disease, particularly choledocholithiasis. METHODS Four hundred fifty ERCPs were performed in 420 patients from 1995 through 1999. The results for 300 ERCPs that were performed in 285 patients for suspected biliary lithiasis were analyzed. RESULTS JDD were present in 21.42% of the 420 patients; most were found in patients in the eighth and ninth decades of life. Patients with JDD had bile duct stones alone more often than patients without JDD (44% vs. 24%). According to their features, these bile duct stones were characterized as mainly primary. The existence of JDD influences bile duct diameter irrespectively of the presence of bile duct stones. CONCLUSIONS JDD are important causative factors in the formation of bile duct stones.
The effect of moderate to heavy alcohol consumption on neuropsychological performance as measured by the repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status.

BACKGROUND Excessive alcohol use is associated with damage to the structure and function of the brain and impairment of cognition and behavior. Traditional test batteries used to assess cognitive performance in alcoholics are extensive and costly, limiting their use across various clinical and research settings. The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) is a relatively new instrument that attempts to overcome some of these limitations. As yet the individual effect of moderate to heavy alcohol consumption on RBANS performance has not been examined. The primary aim of this study was to explore and quantify differences in performance between controls and drinkers on the RBANS and to examine the influence of age, gender, and alcohol use patterns on test performance. METHODS Data from a subset of "Using Our Brains" (UoB) donors (n = 28) still actively drinking and meeting criteria for moderate to heavy alcohol use (30 to 80 g of ethanol per day) (Harper, 1988) and 28 matched controls (age, education, and premorbid Intelligence Quotient) were compared. RESULTS Participants in the alcohol group performed below the healthy control group on the visuospatial and immediate memory index, and also on the RBANS total score p < 0.001 and showed a greater decline in RBANS scores from estimated cross-sectional premorbid levels. There was a positive association between alcohol ingestion in the preceding 12 months and the language index p < 0.03 and the semantic fluency subtest (p < 0.03). Age was negatively associated with story memory (p < 0.02), coding (p < 0.001), list recognition (p < 0.01), story recall (p < 0.03), and figure recall (p < 0.02). CONCLUSION Our results suggest that the RBANS is able to detect and characterize differences in verbal fluency, visuospatial skills, components of declarative memory, and psychomotor speed between healthy controls and moderate to heavy active alcohol users. Executive functions, commonly affected by alcoholism and not included in the RBANS, require assessment with additional measures.
Adhesion Barrier Use After Myomectomy and Hysterectomy: Rates and Immediate Postoperative Complications

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate use rates and immediate postoperative complications of the use of an adhesion barrier in myomectomy or hysterectomy. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study. Using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we examined the records of women with primary discharge diagnosis of uterine myoma during the period 2003–2011. We evaluated use rates and complications among 473,788 women treated by myomectomy or hysterectomy. RESULTS: Of 473,788 women treated by myomectomy or hysterectomy, adhesion barrier was used in 3,392 of 62,563 myomectomies (5.4%) and 5,590 of 411,225 hysterectomies (1.4%). The rate of ileus after myomectomy in the nonbarrier group (1,290/59,171 [2%]) was lower than in the barrier group (109/3,392 [3%]; adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.50 [1.22–1.83]) and similar after hysterectomy (10,329/405,635 [2.5%] compared with 288/5,590 [5%]; adjusted OR 1.97 [1.75–2.23]). Postoperative fever was also higher in the adhesion barrier group after myomectomy (4.4% compared with 2.9%, adjusted OR 1.44 [1.21–1.71]) as well as after hysterectomy (2.5% compared with 1.6%, OR 1.65 [1.40–1.96]). Small bowel obstruction after hysterectomy in the nonbarrier group (804/405,635 [0.2%]) was less frequent than in the barrier group (23/5,590 [0.4%]; OR 1.90 [1.25–2.89]), but not after myomectomy. CONCLUSION: Although the use of adhesion barrier remains very low, the use is associated with a slightly higher incidence of fever and ileus after myomectomy and hysterectomy and with bowel obstruction after hysterectomy.