Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The socio-economic determinants of the health status of Roma in comparison with non-Roma in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania.

BACKGROUNDS Roma people from Central and Eastern Europe suffer some of the worst health conditions in the industrialized world. This article aims at identifying the determinants of health status among Roma in comparison with non-Roma in Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. METHODS Non-linear models were estimated for three different health indicators: self-reported health compared with the previous year, probability of reporting chronic conditions and feeling threatened by illness because of sanitary and hygienic circumstances. Ethnic origin differentiated by Roma, national population and other ethnic minorities is self-reported. The data used are from a unique data set provided by the United Nations Development Programme household survey on Roma and populations living in their close proximity for 2004. Sample sizes are 2536 for Bulgaria, 2640 for Hungary and 3292 for Romania. RESULTS After controlling for demographic variables the Roma were significantly more likely to report worse health in any indicator than the non-Roma everywhere. However, after including socio-economic variables, Roma had a significantly higher probability of reporting chronic conditions only in Romania. For the probability of feeling threatened by illness because of unhygienic circumstances, being Roma was a main determinant in Hungary and Romania, but not in Bulgaria. The results for self-reported health were inconclusive. CONCLUSIONS While these results in part support the development of health policies targeting Roma, the finding that poorly educated and less wealthy people, as well as other ethnic minorities also experience health inequalities suggests that broader multisectoral policies are needed in the countries studied.
Relationship between social support and quality of life in childbearing women during the perinatal period.

OBJECTIVE To explore demographic and social support predictors of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (mental and physical) for childbearing women in the perinatal period. DESIGN Longitudinal. SAMPLE Three public hospitals in metropolitan Brisbane, Australia. PARTICIPANTS Four hundred seventy-three (473) women recruited at 36 weeks of pregnancy, and 6 and 12 weeks following childbirth. METHODS The Short Form-12 (SF-12) Version 2 Health Survey was used to measure the mental and physical domains of HRQoL. Social support was measured using the Maternal Social Support Scale (MSSS). RESULTS Mean scores for the mental and physical domains of HRQoL were lower than population norms. Social support was found to be a significant and consistent predictor of higher HRQoL scores, particularly in the physical domain at 12 weeks following child birth and mental domain during the perinatal period. The relationship between social support and HRQoL was found to be independent of other factors including education, length of relationship with partner, age, parity, and antenatal visit. The only other significant predictor was length of relationship with partner in the mental domain at 36 weeks of pregnancy. CONCLUSION Social support is a significant and consistent predictor of a mother's HRQoL during the perinatal period. Nurses and midwives need to assess social support, rather than making assumptions based on demographic factors.
Posterior contraction in sparse Bayesian factor models for massive covariance matrices

Sparse Bayesian factor models are routinely implemented for parsimonious dependence modeling and dimensionality reduction in high-dimensional applications. We provide theoretical understanding of such Bayesian procedures in terms of posterior convergence rates in inferring high-dimensional covariance matrices where the dimension can be larger than the sample size. Under relevant sparsity assumptions on the true covariance matrix, we show that commonly-used point mass mixture priors on the factor loadings lead to consistent estimation in the operator norm even when $p\gg n$. One of our major contributions is to develop a new class of continuous shrinkage priors and provide insights into their concentration around sparse vectors. Using such priors for the factor loadings, we obtain similar rate of convergence as obtained with point mass mixture priors. To obtain the convergence rates, we construct test functions to separate points in the space of high-dimensional covariance matrices using insights from random matrix theory; the tools developed may be of independent interest. We also derive minimax rates and show that the Bayesian posterior rates of convergence coincide with the minimax rates upto a $\sqrt{\log n}$ term.
A Human Antibody that Binds to the γ-carboxyglutamic Acid Domain of Factor IX Is a Potent Antithrombotic In Vivo

Summary 10C12, a human antibody F(ab’)2, which specifically binds to the Gla domain of factor IX, interfered with all known coagulation processes that involve factor IX/IXa. These include the function of the intrinsic Xase complex and the activation of zymogen factor IX by factor XIa and by the tissue factor:factor VIIa complex. Furthermore, 10C12 potently inhibited activated partial thromboplastin clotting times (APTT) in plasma of guinea pig and rat, thus enabling in-vivo evaluation. In guinea pigs, a bolus administration of 10C12 (10 μg/kg) prevented cyclic flow variations in damaged carotid arteries without affecting coagulation or bleeding parameters. At a 100-fold higher dose, 10C12 had no effect on normal hemostasis as assessed by the cuticle bleeding time. At this dose, 10C12 was also efficacious in a rat arterial thrombosis model, substantially reducing clot weight and duration of vessel occlusion while prolonging ex-vivo APTT only 1.2-fold. The dose of heparin required to produce comparable antithrombotic effects prolonged the APTT by 12-fold and increased the tail bleeding time (TBT) by 8-fold. In contrast, 10C12 had no effect on TBT. However, rat tails showed a tendency for rebleeding which 10C12 exacerbated. In conclusion, the antithrombotic potency of the 10C12 antibody in two species provides evidence for an important role of F.IX, and its Gla domain in particular, during thrombogenesis under arterial flow conditions. The relative safety at effective doses of this fully human antibody suggests that it may have therapeutic value for treatment of thrombotic disorders. Abbreviations Gla: γ-carboxyglutamic acid; CDRs: complementarity determining regions; CVFs: cyclic flow variations; TF:F.VIIa: tissue factor:factor VIIa; APTT: activated partial thromboplastin time; PT: prothrombin time; ACT: whole blood activated clotting time; CBT: cuticle bleeding time; TBT: tail bleeding time
Nodal mantle cell lymphoma: a descriptive study from a tertiary care center in South India.

INTRODUCTION Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a type of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) with distinctive morphologic, immunophenotypic and a characteristic cytogenetic abnormality, the t(11;14)(q13;q32) and overexpression of cyclin D1. The common histologic features include effaced lymphoid architecture by a monomorphic lymphoid population with a vaguely nodular, diffuse or mantle zone growth pattern. The classic cytomorphologic features include small to medium sized lymphoid cells with irregular nuclear contours and scanty cytoplasm, closely resembling centrocytes. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective study comprises 13 cases of MCL over a period of 5½ years in our department, comprising 4% of all nodal NHL diagnosed. All cases were diagnosed on lymph node biopsy. RESULTS The mean age of the presentation was 57 years. There was a male preponderance (M:F = 2.25:1). The disease was nodal in all cases. Most patients (84.5%) had generalized lymphadenopathy and/or hepatosplenomegaly. Bone marrow involvement was seen in 81.8% of cases. Three cases showed a nodular pattern on lymph node biopsy while remaining ten had a diffuse pattern. Immunophenotyping showed positivity for CD20, CD5 and cyclin D1 and CD23 negativity. CONCLUSION Despite certain morphological similarity to other low-grade/intermediate-grade lymphomas, MCL has a characteristic appearance of its own. Since it is more aggressive than other low-grade lymphomas it needs to be accurately diagnosed.
Toxicity of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (de‐71) in chicken (Gallus gallus), mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), and American kestrel (Falco sparverius) embryos and hatchlings

Embryonic survival, pipping and hatching success, and sublethal biochemical, endocrine, and histological endpoints were examined in hatchling chickens (Gallus gallus), mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), and American kestrels (Falco sparverius) following air cell administration of a pentabrominated diphenyl ether (penta‐BDE; DE‐71) mixture (0.01–20 μg/g egg) or poly‐chlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congener 126 (3,3′,4,4′,5‐pentachlorobiphenyl; 0.002 μg/g egg). The penta‐BDE decreased pipping and hatching success at concentrations of 10 and 20 μg/g egg in kestrels but had no effect on survival endpoints in chickens or mallards. Sublethal effects in hatchling chickens included ethoxyresorufin‐O‐dealkylase (EROD) induction and histological changes in the bursa, but these responses were not observed in other species. Polychlorinated biphenyl congener 126 (positive control) reduced survival endpoints in chicken and kestrel embryos and caused sublethal effects (EROD induction, reduced bursal mass and follicle size) in chickens. Mallards were clearly less sensitive than the other species to administered penta‐BDE and PCB 126. In a second experiment, the absorption of penta‐BDE (11.1 μg/g egg, air cell administered during early development) into the contents of chicken and kestrel eggs was determined at various intervals (24 h postinjection, midincubation, and pipping). By pipping, 29% of the penta‐BDE administered dose was present in the egg contents in chickens, and 18% of the administered dose was present in kestrel egg contents. Based on uptake in kestrels, the lowest‐observed‐effect level on pipping and hatching success may be as low as 1.8 μg total penta‐BDE/g egg, which approaches concentrations detected in eggs of free‐ranging birds. Because some penta‐BDE congeners are still increasing in the environment, the toxic effects observed in the present study are cause for concern in wildlife.
Synthesis of quantitative and qualitative research: an example using Critical Interpretive Synthesis.

AIM This paper is a report of a Critical Interpretive Synthesis to synthesize quantitative research, in the form of an effectiveness review and a guideline, with qualitative research to examine the use of morphine to treat cancer-related pain. BACKGROUND Critical Interpretive Synthesis is a new method of reviewing, developed from meta-ethnography, which integrates systematic review methodology with a qualitative tradition of enquiry. It has not previously been used specifically to synthesize effectiveness and qualitative literature. Data sources. An existing systematic review of quantitative research and a guideline examining the effectiveness of oral morphine to treat cancer pain were identified. Electronic searches of Medline, CINAHL, Embase, PsychINFO, Health Management Information Consortium database and the Social Science Citation Index to identify qualitative research were carried out in May 2008. REVIEW METHODS Qualitative research papers reporting on the use of morphine to treat cancer pain were identified. The findings of the effectiveness research were used as a framework to guide the translation of findings from qualitative research using an integrative grid. A secondary translation of findings from the qualitative research, not specifically mapped to the effectiveness literature, was guided by the framework. RESULTS Nineteen qualitative papers were synthesized with the quantitative effectiveness literature, producing 14 synthetic constructs. These were developed into four synthesizing arguments which drew on patients', carers' and healthcare professionals' interpretations of the meaning and context of the use of morphine to treat cancer pain. CONCLUSION Critical Interpretive Synthesis can be adapted to synthesize reviews of quantitative research into effectiveness with qualitative research and fits into an existing typology of approaches to synthesizing qualitative and quantitative research.
Rip exposed: How ectodomain shedding regulates the proteolytic processing of transmembrane substrates

Regulated intramembrane proteolysis (Rip) controls a wide variety of cellular mechanisms such as cholesterol homeostasis, immune surveillance, cellular signaling, and β-amyloid formation in Alzheimer's disease (1). Rip of substrates is mediated by several families of intramembranously cleaving proteases (I-CLiPs), all of which perform the unique chemistry of hydrolysis within the hydrophobic lipid bilayer (2). There are four known families of I-CLiPs, each denoted by the protease that typifies each group: site-2 protease (S2P) metalloproteases, the γ-secretase and signal peptide peptidase (SPP) aspartyl proteases, and the rhomboid serine proteases. Rip cleavage of transmembrane substrates by S2P, SPP, and γ-secretase is preceded and regulated by an initial distinct cleavage in a process termed “ectodomain shedding” (Fig. 1). The reason ectodomain shedding is necessary in most Rip cases is not understood. An article in this issue of PNAS (3) has shed new light on this important question.
Warm temperature acclimation impacts metabolism of paralytic shellfish toxins from Alexandrium minutum in commercial oysters

Species of Alexandrium produce potent neurotoxins termed paralytic shellfish toxins and are expanding their ranges worldwide, concurrent with increases in sea surface temperature. The metabolism of molluscs is temperature dependent, and increases in ocean temperature may influence both the abundance and distribution of Alexandrium and the dynamics of toxin uptake and depuration in shellfish. Here, we conducted a large‐scale study of the effect of temperature on the uptake and depuration of paralytic shellfish toxins in three commercial oysters (Saccostrea glomerata and diploid and triploid Crassostrea gigas, n = 252 per species/ploidy level). Oysters were acclimated to two constant temperatures, reflecting current and predicted climate scenarios (22 and 27 °C), and fed a diet including the paralytic shellfish toxin‐producing species Alexandrium minutum. While the oysters fed on A. minutum in similar quantities, concentrations of the toxin analogue GTX1,4 were significantly lower in warm‐acclimated S. glomerata and diploid C. gigas after 12 days. Following exposure to A. minutum, toxicity of triploid C. gigas was not affected by temperature. Generally, detoxification rates were reduced in warm‐acclimated oysters. The routine metabolism of the oysters was not affected by the toxins, but a significant effect was found at a cellular level in diploid C. gigas. The increasing incidences of Alexandrium blooms worldwide are a challenge for shellfish food safety regulation. Our findings indicate that rising ocean temperatures may reduce paralytic shellfish toxin accumulation in two of the three oyster types; however, they may persist for longer periods in oyster tissue.
Diagnostic Evaluation of Pulmonary Embolism: A Computerized Tomography Based Study

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is potentially life threatening condition which requires adequate diagnosis. Since computerized tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) described the presence of a clot subjectively, an objective and quantification method to characterize plural parenchymal abnormality, pulmonary vessels and heart is needed (in order to diagnose PE). This study was directed to investigate whether the presence of plural parenchymal findings correlates with the PE and as well, it was designed to answer two basic questions based on CTPA findings done for clinical suspicion of PE: firstly, what are the plural parenchymal abnormalities associated with PE; secondly, correlation of PE with the presence of heart changes and pulmonary vessels measurements. CTPA scans were acquired for 55 patients suspected of having PE and another 50 subjects who were considered as control. The clinical signs and pleuroparenchymal abnormalities, pulmonary artery tree measurements, right ventricle and atrium diameters, Inter ventricular septum width as well as the myocardium thickening were characterized and correlated with PE. The results showed that the PE patients group has more dilated measurements than the normal control subjects. The right ventricle diameter changes were found to be significantly related to the presence of PE at p ≤ 0.001. Significant changes at p ≤ 0.005 were also noticed in the pulmonary trunk diameter as well as the right and left main pulmonary arteries with no significant changes detected in the distal portion of both pulmonary arteries diameters. The common complaints from PE patients were chest pain, shortness of breathing, lower limb swelling, tachycardia and syncope. Consolidation, ground glass opacifications, mosaic, right ventricle morphological changes and pleural effusion were present in the majority of patients undergoing CTPA for the clinical suspicion of PE. CTPA is considered as the diagnostic modality of choice in characterization of pulmonary vessels, atrium and ventricle changes as well as pleura parenchymal abnormalities in patients with or without PE.
A New Closed-Loop Control System for Isoflurane Using Bispectral Index Outperforms Manual Control

Background: Automatic control of depth of hypnosis using the Bispectral Index (BIS) can help to reduce phases of inadequate control. Automated BIS control with propofol or isoflurane administration via an infusion system has recently been described, a comparable study with isoflurane administration via a vaporizer had not been conducted yet. Our hypothesis was that our new model based closed-loop control system can safely be applied clinically and maintains the BIS within a defined target range better than manual control. Methods: Twenty-three patients, American Society of Anesthesiologists risk class I–III, scheduled for decompressive spinal surgery were randomized into groups with either closed-loop or manual control of BIS using isoflurane. An alfentanil target-controlled infusion was adjusted according to standard clinical practice. The BIS target was set to 50 during the operation. The necessity of human intervention in the control system and events of inadequate sedation (BIS <40 or BIS >60) were counted. The number of phases of inadequate control, defined as BIS ≥65 for more than 3 min, were recorded. The performance of the controller was assessed by several indicators (mean absolute deviation and median absolute performance error) and measured during the skin incision phase, the subsequent low flow phase, and the wound closure phase. Recovery profiles of both groups were compared. Results: No human intervention was necessary in the closed-loop control group. The occurrence of inadequate BIS was quantified with the mean and median values of the area under the curve and amounted to 0.360 and 0.088 for the manual control group and 0.049 and 0.017 for the closed-loop control group, respectively. In the manual control group nine phases of inadequate control were recorded, compared with one in the closed-loop control group, 10.3% to 0.5% of all observed anesthesia time. During all phases the averages of the performance parameters (mean absolute deviation and median absolute performance error) were more than 30% smaller in closed-loop control than in manual control (P < 0.05 between groups). Conclusions: Closed-loop control with BIS using isoflurane can safely be applied clinically and performs significantly better than manual control, even in phases with abrupt changes of stimulation that cannot be foreseen by the control system.
The phagocytic capacity of neurones

Phagocytosis is defined as the ingestion of particulates over 0.5 µm in diameter and is associated with cells of the immune system such as macrophages or monocytes. Neurones are not generally recognized to be phagocytic. Using light, confocal, time‐lapse and electron microscopy, we carried out a wide range of in‐vitro and in‐vivo experiments to examine the phagocytic capacity of different neuronal cell types. We demonstrated phagocytosis of material by neurones, including cell debris and synthetic particles up to 2.8 µm in diameter. We showed phagocytosis in different neuronal types, and demonstrated that debris can be transported from neurite extremities to cell bodies and persist within neurones. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated the lack of certain complement receptors on neurones but the presence of others, including integrin receptors known to mediate macrophage phagocytosis, indicating that a restricted set of phagocytosis receptors may mediate this process. Neuronal phagocytosis occurs in vitro and in vivo, and we propose that this is a more widespread and significant process than previously recognized. Neuronal phagocytosis may explain certain inclusions in neurones during disease, cell‐to‐cell spread of disease, neuronal death during disease progression and provide a potential mechanism for therapeutic intervention through the delivery of particulate drug carriers.
Parenting: a genetic-epidemiologic perspective.

OBJECTIVE To understand the relation between parenting and later psychopathology, it is important to clarify the role of genetic and environmental factors in both the elicitation and the provision of parenting behavior. METHOD A 16-item version of the Parental Bonding Instrument was administered to 1) 606 fathers and 848 mothers of an epidemiologic sample of adult female-female twin pairs, who reported on their parenting of their twins; 2) the twins (both members of 546 monozygotic and 390 dizygotic pairs), who reported on the parenting they had received from their father and mother; 3) co-twins from these pairs, who reported on the parenting provided by their father and mother to their twin sister; and 4) members of the adult twin pairs (145 monozygotic and 117 dizygotic) who both had children, who reported on the parenting they provided to their offspring. The data were subjected to model fitting decomposing three sources of variance: additive genetic factors; family, or common, environment; and an individual's unique environment. RESULTS Responses to the Parental Bonding Instrument produced three factors: parental warmth, protectiveness, and authoritarianism. According to parents, these factors were largely a common environmental experience for their children. Responses from twins, however, indicated that genetic factors played a substantial role in the elicitation of warmth from parents and a more modest role in influencing parental protectiveness and authoritarianism. While reports of twins and co-twins on protectiveness and authoritarianism yielded similar results, analysis of responses from co-twins indicated a degree of importance of genetic factors in eliciting parental warmth which was midway between that from parents' reports and twins' reports. Answers from twins as parents indicated that provision of warmth was substantially heritable, while resemblance between twins in providing protectiveness and authoritarianism was due to family environment. CONCLUSIONS The provision of parenting is influenced by attitudes derived from the parent's family of origin as well as by genetically influenced parental temperamental characteristics. The elicitation of parenting is influenced by temperamental traits of the offspring that are, in turn, under partial genetic control. Genetic factors in both parent and child are more important for warmth than for protectiveness or authoritarianism.
Cepheids: pulsation, evolution, opacity

We describe modeling of the ''beat'' and "bump" Cepheids, using the new radiative opacities. Discrepancies between these models and the evolutionary tracks for stars of appropriate mass are discussed. Finally, we point out some of the difficulties involving the long-period Cepheid sample with periods greater than 20 days.