Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Coronary Flow Reserve and Asymmetric Dimethylarginine Levels: New Measurements for Identifying Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis

Objective. To identify the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and healthy controls using intima-media thickness (IMT), coronary flow reserve (CFR), and the plasma concentration of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), to evaluate the correlations among ADMA, IMT, and CFR. Methods. The study involved 22 patients who fulfilled the ClASsification of Psoriatic ARthritis study group criteria for PsA and a cohort of 35 healthy controls with no history or current signs of coronary artery disease (CAD). Common carotid IMT was measured using high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography. Dipyridamole transthoracic stress echocardiography was used to evaluate CFR. Blood samples were obtained to assess ADMA levels. The clinical manifestations were recorded. All patients were treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drug, but none had received any biological or steroid therapy. Results. Plasma ADMA levels were significantly higher in the patients with PsA (0.71 ± 0.07 μmol/l vs 0.48 ± 0.07 μmol/l; p = 0.00) and CFR was significantly reduced in that group (2.86 ± 0.70 vs 3.3 ± 0.43; p < 0.01) compared to controls. Common carotid IMT was greater in the patients with PsA, but the difference was not significant (0.64 ± 0.26 mm vs 0.62 ± 0.5 mm; p = 0.65). There was a significant correlation between CFR and plasma ADMA levels in the PsA group (R = 0.28; p < 0.01), but no correlation between plasma ADMA levels and IMT (R = 0.02; p = 0.32), Disease Activity Score 28 (p = 0.52), or Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (p = 0.98). Conclusion. Our patients with PsA showed a profile of subclinical atherosclerosis. ADMA may be a useful marker of endothelial dysfunction in PsA.
Nickel‐elicited systemic contact dermatitis

20 patients with systemic contact dermatitis due to nickel are described. Of these patients, 15 were female and 5 were male. Their mean age was 24·8 years (16–51 years). All had experienced contact dermatitis in the umbilical area due to continual contact with metal belt‐buckles or buttons. Then, with long‐ or short‐term aggravation of such periumbilical dermatitis, commonly in summer, lesions spread to other sites such as the side of the neck, the flexures of the extremities, etc. All patients showed a positive patch test to nickel sulphate (2·5% in petrolatum) and the dimethylglyoxime test demonstrated the presence of free nickel on metal buttons or belt‐buckles. Punch biopsies performed in 7 patients showed subacute dermatitis. After avoidance of continual exposure to objects containing nickel and foods rich in nickel, as well as treatment with oral antihistamines and topical corticosteroids, all patients improved or cleared. It has been reported that nickel can cause systemic contact dermatitis by some internal systemic route, such as oral intake, transfusion, inhalation, implantation of metal medical devices, etc. In our patients, we found that continual local skin contact could also elicit systemic contact dermatitis.
Randomised controlled trial of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG) versus placebo in children presenting to the emergency department with acute gastroenteritis: the PECARN probiotic study protocol

Introduction Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a common and burdensome condition that affects millions of children worldwide each year. Currently available strategies are limited to symptomatic management, treatment and prevention of dehydration and infection control; no disease-modifying interventions exist. Probiotics, defined as live microorganisms beneficial to the host, have shown promise in improving AGE outcomes, but existing studies have sufficient limitations such that the use of probiotics cannot currently be recommended with confidence. Here we present the methods of a large, rigorous, randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled study to assess the effectiveness and side effect profile of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) (ATCC 53103) in children with AGE. Methods and analysis The study is being conducted in 10 US paediatric emergency departments (EDs) within the federally funded Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network, in accordance with current SPIRIT and CONSORT statement recommendations. We will randomise 970 children presenting to participating EDs with AGE to either 5 days of treatment with LGG (1010colony-forming unit twice a day) or placebo between July 2014 to December 2017. The main outcome is the occurrence of moderate-to-severe disease over time, as defined by the Modified Vesikari Scale. We also record adverse events and side effects related to the intervention. We will conduct intention-to-treat analyses and use an enrichment design to restore the statistical power in case the presence of a subpopulation with a substantially low treatment effect is identified. Ethics and dissemination Institutional review board approval has been obtained at all sites, and data and material use agreements have been established between the participating sites. The results of the trial will be published in peer-reviewed journals. A deidentified public data set will be made available after the completion of all study procedures. Trial registration number NCT01773967.
Is It Diverticular Disease or Is It Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Symptomatic diverticular disease (SYMP-DD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) share many features. Both are characterised by recurrent episodes of abdominal pain which may be slightly more frequent in IBS than SYMP-DD. They may also both exhibit an erratic bowel habit with diarrhoea, constipation and alternating types. It is important to assess anxiety, depression and somatisation since this can be increased in both types of patients and may be associated with visceral hypersensitivity. There are also significant differences between IBS and SYMP-DD. In particular, SYMP-DD patients are older, lack the female predominance seen in IBS and may often have fever with prolonged episodes of pain. For them, abnormalities of the gut are probably more important than cerebral factors, while for IBS the reverse is true. Treatments should be directed at the predominant abnormality which will vary in every patient.
The role of muscle mass in the cardiovascular response to static contractions

1. Eleven men performed static contractions with the fingers (digits II and III), forearm (handgrip) and the knee extensors (knee angle 90°) at 40% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) for 2 min. In seven of the subjects handgrip and knee extension were combined, both contractions held at 40% MVC. At the end of the contraction, cuffs were inflated to 250 mmHg for 3 min around the extremity which had been contracting. Continuous measurements were performed of force, heart rate and intra‐arterial blood pressure (a. brachialis; 20 cm proximally), before and during contraction as well as during the recovery with and without cuffs inflated.
Skeletal Unloading Causes Resistance of Osteoprogenitor Cells to Parathyroid Hormone and to Insulin‐like Growth Factor‐I

Skeletal unloading decreases bone formation and osteoblast number in vivo and decreases the number and proliferation of bone marrow osteoprogenitor (BMOp) cells in vitro. We tested the ability of parathyroid hormone (PTH) to stimulate BMOp cells in vivo by treating Sprague Dawley rats (n = 32) with intermittent PTH(1–34) (1 h/day at 8 μ g/100 g of body weight), or with vehicle via osmotic minipumps during 7 days of normal weight bearing or hind limb unloading. Marrow cells were flushed from the femur and cultured at the same initial density for up to 21 days. PTH treatment of normally loaded rats caused a 2.5‐fold increase in the number of BMOp cells, with similar increases in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineralization, compared with cultures from vehicle‐treated rats. PTH treatment of hind limb unloaded rats failed to stimulate BMOp cell number, ALP activity, or mineralization. Hind limb unloading had no significant effect on PTH receptor mRNA or protein levels in the tibia. Direct in vitro PTH challenge of BMOp cells isolated from normally loaded bone failed to stimulate their proliferation and inhibited their differentiation, suggesting that the in vivo anabolic effect of intermittent PTH on BMOp cells was mediated indirectly by a PTH‐induced factor. We hypothesize that this factor is insulin‐like growth factor‐I (IGF‐I), which stimulated the in vitro proliferation and differentiation of BMOp cells isolated from normally loaded bone, but not from unloaded bone. These results suggest that IGF‐I mediates the ability of PTH to stimulate BMOp cell proliferation in normally loaded bone, and that BMOp cells in unloaded bone are resistant to the anabolic effect of intermittent PTH therapy due to their resistance to IGF‐I.
Family resilience in low income communities: A case study of an informal settlement in KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa

Many of the people who are most vulnerable to the effects of poverty and deprivation reside in informal settlements in Africa. While there is growing evidence of the importance of family resilience, there is little documented evidence of how collective actions undertaken by families in African communities can contribute to this. In-depth interviews and focus-group sessions were conducted with single mothers residing in an informal settlement in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa to delineate the factors that contributed to their resilience. We examined the influence of social ties, self-efficacy and networks they had established beyond their immediate community on enhancing family resilience. Three key themes are discussed: determination to survive, rising above harsh economic conditions and establishing networks within and outside the community. We conclude that the foundation for building strong female-headed families lies in positive social ties, self-empowerment initiatives and tapping on established networks within and outside low income communities.
Information Content of Offer Date Revelations: A Fresh Look at Seasoned Equity Offerings

Besides the offer price discount, investment bankers use revisions in offer size from the amount originally filed to signal the issuer's quality to their buy‐side clients. Unlike the offer price discount, offer size revision not only relates to the offer date price reaction, it also predicts post‐SEO (seasoned equity offering) performance. Improved SEOs, whose offer size exceeds the amount originally registered, experience significantly positive returns during the registration period and on the offer date. More importantly, they do not underperform post‐issuance. Their complement, regular SEOs, exhibit significantly negative returns during the registration period, on the offer date, and underperform their benchmark following issuance.
Cryptocurrency: A New Investment Opportunity?

Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency to use blockchain and has been the market leader since the first bitcoin was mined in 2009. After the birth of Bitcoin with the genesis block, more than 1,000 altcoins and crypto-tokens have been created, with at least 919 trading actively on unregulated or registered exchanges. This entire class of cryptocurrencies and tokens has been classified by some tax authorities as having the same status as commodities. If cryptocurrency is viewed in the same class as commodities, how different is it in terms of its risk and return structure? This article sets out to help readers understand cryptocurrencies and to explore their risk and return characteristics using a portfolio of cryptocurrency represented by the Cryptocurrency Index (CRIX). Substantial discussions are centered on Bitcoin and its close variants. Some questions are raised about the potential of cryptocurrencies as an investment class. Results show that the return correlations between cryptocurrencies and traditional assets are low and that adding CRIX returns to a traditional asset portfolio improves risk–return performance. Sentiment analysis also indicates the CRIX has a relatively high Sharpe ratio. Although we should view the results with care, a new form of financing for cryptocurrency and blockchain start-ups is born. The disruption brought about by Bitcoin may be felt beyond payments through what is known as initial crypto-token offerings or initial token sales.
PCR detection of viral nucleic acid in fatal asthma: is the lower respiratory tract a reservoir for common viruses?

BACKGROUND There is indirect evidence implicating viral respiratory tract infections in the pathogenesis of fatal asthma. However, it is unknown whether viruses are present within the lower respiratory tract in fatal asthma. OBJECTIVES To apply a nine-virus polymerase chain reaction (PCR) panel to postmortem specimens of lower airway secretions and compare the prevalence of viral nucleic acid among patients who died of asthma, asthmatic patients who died of other causes and persons who died without lung disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS Postmortem specimens of lower airway secretions from patients who died of asthma (fatal asthma [n=10]), asthmatic patients who died of other causes (n=4) and nonasthma controls (n=6) underwent PCR for nine common respiratory viruses. The prevalence of each virus was compared among the three groups. RESULTS PCR was positive for at least one virus in 19 of 20 cases, and multiple viruses were detected in 14 of 20 cases. The prevalence of each virus was similar in the three groups studied. CONCLUSIONS In fatal asthma, lower airway secretions do not show a specific pattern of viral nucleic acid. Intriguingly, these results suggest that the lower respiratory tract may act as a potential reservoir for common respiratory viruses.
Metabolic syndrome in liver transplant recipients: Prevalence, risk factors, and association with cardiovascular events

Features of metabolic syndrome are not uncommon in patients after liver transplantation. To examine the prevalence and risk factors of posttransplantation metabolic syndrome (PTMS), the files of 252 transplant recipients (mean age, 54.5 ± 2.8 years, 57.9% male) were reviewed for pretransplant and posttransplant clinical and laboratory parameters (mean follow‐up, 6.2 ± 4.4 years). Rates of obesity (body mass index >30 kg/m2), hypertriglyceridemia (>150 mg/dL), high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol <40 mg/dL (men) or <50 mg/dL (women), hypertension, and diabetes were significantly higher after transplantation than before. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in 5.4% of patients before transplantation and 51.9% after. Besides significantly higher rates of the typical metabolic derangements (P < 0.0001), the patients with PTMS were older and heavier than those without PTMS, and they had a higher rate of pretransplant hepatitis C virus infection (P < 0.03) and more posttransplant major vascular and cardiac events (20 events in 15.2% of patients with PTMS versus 6 events in 4.9% of patients without PTMS; P < 0.007). There was no between‐group difference in mortality or causes of death (mainly related to recurrent disease, graft failure, and sepsis). Significant independent predictors of PTMS on logistic regression analysis were age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.04), pretransplant nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (OR = 3.4), body mass index (OR = 1.13), diabetes (OR = 5.95), and triglycerides (OR = 1.01). The rate of metabolic syndrome in liver transplant recipients is more than twice that reported for the general population. PTMS is associated with cardiovascular morbidity but not mortality, and it may be predicted by pretransplantation conditions. Prospective studies are required to determine the significance and management of PTMS. Liver Transpl 17:15–22, 2011. © 2011 AASLD.
In Vitro Reconstitution of an Escherichia coli RNA-guided Immune System Reveals Unidirectional, ATP-dependent Degradation of DNA Target*

Background: The CRISPR-Cas immune system protects E. coli against invasive DNA. Results: We have reconstituted this immune system in vitro using recombinant proteins. Conclusion: Degradation of invasive DNA is tightly regulated and unidirectional. Significance: Reconstitution provides an invaluable tool for understanding the CRISPR-Cas immune system. Many prokaryotes utilize small RNA transcribed from clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) to protect themselves from foreign genetic elements, such as phage and plasmids. In Escherichia coli, this small RNA is packaged into a surveillance complex (Cascade) that uses the RNA sequence to direct binding to invasive DNA. Once bound, Cascade recruits the Cas3 nuclease-helicase, which then proceeds to progressively degrade the invading DNA. Here, using individually purified Cascade and Cas3 from E. coli, we reconstitute CRISPR-mediated plasmid degradation in vitro. Analysis of this reconstituted assay suggests that Cascade recruits Cas3 to a single-stranded region of the DNA target exposed by Cascade binding. Cas3 then nicks the exposed DNA. Recruitment and nicking is stimulated by the presence, but not hydrolysis, of ATP. Following nicking and powered by ATP hydrolysis, the concerted actions of the helicase and nuclease domains of Cas3 proceed to unwind and degrade the entire DNA target in a unidirectional manner.
Brain mechanisms of involuntary visuospatial attention: An event‐related potential study

The brain mechanisms mediating visuospatial attention were investigated by recording event‐related potentials (ERPs) during a line‐orientation discrimination task. Nonpredictive peripheral cues were used to direct participant's attention involuntarily to a spatial location. The earliest attentional modulation was observed in the P1 component (peak latency about 130 ms), with the valid trials eliciting larger P1 than invalid trials. Moreover, the attentional modulations on both the amplitude and latency of the P1 and N1 components had a different pattern as compared to previous studies with voluntary attention tasks. In contrast, the earliest visual ERP component, C1 (peak latency about 80 ms), was not modulated by attention. Low‐resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) showed that the earliest attentional modulation occurred in extrastriate cortex (middle occipital gyrus, BA 19) but not in the primary visual cortex. Later attention‐related reactivations in the primary visual cortex were found at about 110 ms after stimulus onset. The results suggest that involuntary as well as voluntary attention modulates visual processing at the level of extrastriate cortex; however, at least some different processes are involved by involuntary attention compared to voluntary attention. In addition, the possible feedback from higher visual cortex to the primary visual cortex is faster and occurs earlier in involuntary relative to voluntary attention task. Hum Brain Mapp, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Review of anatomy education in Australian and New Zealand medical schools

Anatomy instruction at Australian and New Zealand medical schools has been the subject of considerable debate recently. Many commentators have lamented the gradual devaluation of anatomy as core knowledge in medical courses. To date, much of this debate has been speculative or anecdotal and lacking reliable supporting data. To provide a basis for better understanding and more informed discussion, this study analyses how anatomy is currently taught and assessed in Australian and New Zealand medical schools.
Genetic Polymorphisms of the CX3CR1 Gene Associated with HIV-1 Infections in Kenyan Population

Introduction: Repeated exposure to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) does not always result in infection. Understanding the mechanisms that confer protection against progressive infection with HIV-1 may be useful in the development of appropriate interventions. The impact of CX3CR1 polymorphisms on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) pathogenesis is controversial, with conflicting reports of their role in disease progression in HIV-1 infected individuals. The aim of this study is to characterize polymorphisms of the CX3CR1 co-receptor gene among HIV infected adults and infants in a Kenyan Population. Methods: Clinical samples were obtained from 200 HIV infected infants and 200 HIV infected adults and genotyped for the CX3CR1 gene 280M and 249I mutations. These were identified by PCR–RFLP analysis after amplification of a 588 base pair sequence of CX3CR1 gene. Results: In determining the presence of T280M and V249I haplotypes it was found that overall, infants had higher percentages of the wild type alleles at (42% and 45%), respectively compared to adults (37% and 36%) respectively. In the case of heterozygous mutants, adults had higher percentages (11% and 12%), respectively than among infants (7% and 4%), respectively. Adults also had higher percentages of homozygous mutants of (2%) compared to infants (1%). This study showed that the differences in mutations of CX3CR1 gene allele in I249 and M280 was p=0.075 and p=0.215, respectively which was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that CX3CR1 gene polymorphisms exist in Kenya though the numbers of mutations are at very low levels to warrant any meaningful impact in the population in terms of HIV-1 disease progression. It is probable that alternative mechanisms are operating in conferring resistance to HIV-I infection. Further in vitro cellular studies need to be carried out to determine the exact role of CX3CR1 gene mutations in HIV/AIDS pathogenesis.
Sharing Health Information and Influencing Behavioral Intentions: The Role of Health Literacy, Information Overload, and the Internet in the Diffusion of Healthy Heart Information

Low health literacy remains an extremely common and problematic issue, given that individuals with lower health literacy are more likely to experience health challenges and negative health outcomes. In this study, we use the first three stages of the innovation-decision process found in the theory of diffusion of innovations (Rogers, 2003). We incorporate health literacy into a model explaining how perceived health knowledge, information sharing, attitudes, and behavior are related. Results show that health information sharing explains 33% of the variance in behavioral intentions, indicating that the communicative practice of sharing information can positively impact health outcomes. Further, individuals with high health literacy tend to share less information about heart health than those with lower health literacy. Findings also reveal that perceived heart-health knowledge operates differently than health literacy to predict health outcomes.