Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lactose Maldigestion Revisited: Diagnosis, Prevalence in Ethnic Minorities, and Dietary Recommendations to Overcome It

Currently, an estimated 25% of Americans and 75% of individuals worldwide seem to suffer from lactose maldigestion. The authors' objective was to evaluate current prevalence of lactose maldigestion/intolerance in populations of various ethnic groups, examine the severity of symptoms, and recommend ways in alleviating them. In the United States, 25% of people who are lactose maldigesters are ethnic minorities. Earlier estimates report that ∽50% of Hispanic, almost 100% of Asian, and ∽80% of African Americans suffer from lactose maldigestion. There is evidence linking lactose maldigestion as a factor contributing to low calcium intake, leading to subsequent osteoporotic fractures. Although bone mineral density is higher in African and Hispanic American men and women compared to white and Asian Americans, osteoporosis is still a concern in those populations. Recent studies suggest that current estimates of lactose maldigestion may be grossly overestimated. Clinical trials show that even those individuals who do maldigest lactose could overcome adverse symptoms by a few simple dietary strategies. In addition, new research points to possible manipulation of colonic microflora toward alleviating symptoms.
THE USE OF BUCCAL FAT PAD FOR ORO-ANTRAL-COMMUNICATION CLOSURE

Introduction: This report compares the use of a buccal fat pad (BFP) to Oro-Antral–Fistula (OAF) closure. Materials & Methods: BFP was used as a pedicle graft to OAF closure in 13 patients. Five of the patients underwent primary closure with BFP and 8 patients were treated with BFP after an unsuccessful closure with a buccal advancement flap. The BFP was left uncovered to epithelialize in all patients. Results: The BFP healed without complication within 3 to 4 weeks in all patients. The surface of the fat converted to normal mucosa. Conclusion: The findings support the idea that BFP is a useful, safe, and easy method to close OAF, especially recurrent OAF.
Effective Detection of Epidemiologically Significant Persistent Infections of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is one of the most important viral pathogens of cattle. Cows persistently infected (PI) with BVDV are the primary reservoirs and major sources for transmission of this virus to susceptible animals. However, some animals PI with BVDV lack easily isolated virus in serum (atypical PI) by virus isolation. These atypical PI animals could be misdiagnosed based on serum-based screening methods. The ability of atypical PI animals to transmit virus to susceptible herdmates in a normal pastural environment has not been evaluated. In this infectivity study, groups of four naive calves were exposed for 28 days to either an animal PI with BVDV (positive control group), a BVDV negative animal (negative control group), or an atypical PI animal (experimental group). Serum and whole blood samples for isolation of BVDV were collected from all animals on days 0, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, and 28 and for serum neutralization assays on days 0 and 28 (exposure = day 0). All calves in the experimental group became viremic during the exposure period and had seroconverted by the end of
Predictors of Partial Nephrectomy Utilization and Inequities of Care in the Treatment of Renal Cell Carcinoma in Canada

Compared to radical nephrectomy (RN), partial nephrectomy (PN) leads to improved renal function preservation. However, PN may be infrequently utilized, particularly in patients susceptible to chronic kidney disease. We conducted a population-based, retrospective, observational study using the Canadian Institute for Health Information Discharge Abstract Database. All patients treated for a renal mass with either RN or PN from April 1, 1998 to March 31, 2008 were included in the analysis. Using descriptive statistics and multivariable regression modelling, we demonstrated low uptake of PN (17.5% overall); year, age, geographic region, Charlson score, hospital volume, and physician volume were independently associated with PN use, whereas DM, HTN and income quintile were not. In this contemporary analysis PN continues to be underutilized, and the rate of PN in DM, HTN and the elderly was less than expected given their known relationship to chronic renal failure.
Mental Health and its Related Factors in Pregnant Women in Health Centers of Kuhdasht, Iran

Background: Although pregnancy is a natural and physiological phenomenon, during pregnancy women are exposed to physical and psychological changes, which can affect the health of the mother and fetus. This study aimed to evaluate mental health and its related factors in women during pregnancy. Methods: This cross-sectional study has studied 250 pregnant women, who referred to Kuhdasht health centers in Lorestan province in 2010. The cluster sampling method was performed. Data was collected by the GHQ-28 questionnaire and analyzed using the chi-square test and by SPSS16 software. Results: The results revealed that 31.6% of the women with a mean age of 26.4 ± 6.1 were suspected to have mental health disorders. Based on the results, the prevalence of mental disorders was 34.4%, 23.1% and 40.2% in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy, respectively. There was a significant correlation between mental health disorders and some personal and socioeconomic factors. Conclusion: The results of this study showed a high percentage of mental health disorders among pregnant women and showed the necessity of paying attention to mental health among pregnant women. Therefore, it is necessary to plan for appropriate care in order to prevent the occurrence of mental disorders among this vulnerable group. Keywords: Mental health disorders, Pregnant women, General health questionnaire, GHQ-28
H E ] 2 2 Ja n 20 10 Multi-wavelength Searches for Particle Dark Matter

If dark matter particles pair annihilate into stable Standard Model particles, a population of energetic, non-thermal electrons and positrons is necessarily produced. The secondary radiation resulting from the energy losses of this non-standard population (including synchrotron and inverse Compton up-scattering of background radiation photons) in turn produces a peculiar multi-wavelength spectrum, extending from radio to gamma-ray frequencies. We give here an overview of multi-wavelength searches for dark matter, including the expected injection spectrum and production rate of electrons and positrons from dark matter annihilation, the computation of the effects of propagation and energy losses and the actual multi-wavelength emission. We then outline the application of this general framework to the case of galaxy clusters (specifically Coma, 1E 0657-56 the so-called Bullet cluster and Ophiuchus) and of dwarf spheroidal galaxies (including Draco, Fornax, Ursa Minor and Carina). We also review the application of multi-wavelength search strategies to our own Milky Way, and more specifically to the Galactic center environment, to dark galactic mini-halos and to the so-called WMAP haze and other radio data. We argue that multi-wavelength observations will complement gamma-ray observations as probes of particle dark matter, since the expected luminosities at different frequencies are generically comparable. The indirect search for dark matter with astronomical observations at various frequencies is therefore a crucial and indispensable element in the quest for the fundamental nature of dark matter. This contribution appeared as chapter 27, pp. 547-564, of ‘Particle Dark Matter: Observations, Models and Searches’ edited by Gianfranco Bertone, Copyright 2010 Cambridge University Press. Hardback ISBN 9780521763684, http://cambridge.org/us/catalogue/catalogue.asp? isbn=9780521763684
Awareness of Snake bite and its first aid management in rural areas of Maharashtra

Background: Cause of ‘unacceptable incidence’ of snake bite fatalities is that people try out all kinds of ‘bizarre remedies’ initially. Objectives: To study the knowledge about the types of snakes and their identification and to ascertain the knowledge about first aid. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out in 10 adopted villages under Rural Health Training Centre, from July 2011 to June 2012. Out of 2272 households, a proportionate sample was selected and one representative from each household was further selected at random. Results: The awareness about first aid measures was less in all subjects but the knowledge about symptoms of snake bite was higher in majority of subjects. It was observed that knowledge about types of snakes was significantly higher in 12-20 years of age group (p <0.05). Out of 49 survived cases of total 68 cases, 8 cases were given wrong first aid. Use of mantriks, sucking of blood was practiced in few cases. In most of the cases the nearest health facility is not in a reachable distance, taking more than 30 minutes to reach and no transport facility is available to reach nearest health centre. Hence, in order to prevent untimely death, there is a need to provide knowledge regarding first aid treatment of snake bite to the villagers.
[Oral contraceptives and breast cancer: a case-control study]

The aim was to investigate the association between breast cancer and the duration of use of oral contraceptives (OCs) and age it started to be used in a population of Pelotas Southern Brazil. There were identified 250 incident cases of breast cancer in patients aged 20-60 years from records of pathology laboratories and there were enrolled 1020 controls drawn from hospital and neighborhood population. For 90 cases identified in Pelotas 270 hospital controls and 270 neighborhood controls were selected for another 78 cases in Pelotas 234 controls were selected and for 82 cases from other municipalities 246 hospital controls were selected. Controls were matched by age. Adjusted analysis was performed using conditional logistic regression. No association between OC use and breast cancer was found (odd ratio (OR) = 1.1; confidence interval (CI) 95% 0.7-1.6 for hospital controls and OR = 0.9; CI 95% 0.6-1.6 for neighborhood controls) neither for different duration of use or starting age. To increase the test power 250 cases and all 1020 controls were analyzed together and an odds ratio of 1.6 (CI 95% 1.0-2.4) was found for women older than 45 years of age who had been using OCs for 5 years or more. No evidence was found of a general association between OC use and breast cancer. When analyzing the whole date set with all neighborhood and hospital controls together for women older than 45 years of age who had been using OCs for more than 5 years it was found an increased risk almost statistically significant (p = 0.05). (authors)
Do Enrollees In 'Look-Alike' Medicaid And SCHIP Programs Really Look Alike? Based on one state's experiences, Medicaid enrollees still need much more assistance in gaining access to the care they are entitled to.

The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), passed by Congress in 1997, has been implemented by states in many different forms, thus creating many natu- ral experiments about insurance coverage for low-income children. In Georgia, SCHIP chil- dren are enrolled in a Medicaid look-alike program, PeachCare for Kids, with nearly the same administrative rules and providers as in the Medicaid program. Comparing the expe- riences of PeachCare and Medicaid children thus allows us to examine the impact of popu- lation differences on utilization and satisfaction. We find that Medicaid children, controlling for many demographic characteristics, report both less use of services and lower satisfac- tion with services used. Evidence presented here supports three possible explanations for these differences: Medicaid families are less familiar with and supportive of systems re- quiring use of an assigned primary care physician, the families face more nonprogram bar- riers to using care, and physicians have different responses to the two programs. B eginning i n 1 9 97 the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) gave states broad discretion in defining benefits, eligibility, admin- istrative features, and providers.As a result, comparisons between any two plans allow program managers to assess the impact of design decisions that may have been based on little or no prior research.Additional comparisons can be made between the experiences of children in Medicaid and in SCHIP, controlling for program differences, to understand how near-poor families differ from poor fami- lies.Such knowledge could be useful to states in knowing how to market SCHIP, design appropriate incentives, and work with provider panels to improve access. In Georgia a unique opportunity exists to examine population differences, since children enrolled in SCHIP (PeachCare for Kids) are enrolled in the same primary care case management (PCCM) program that serves the state's Medicaid
Will drug-eluting stents bankrupt the healthcare system? Are Drug-Eluting Stents Cost-Effective? It Depends on Whom You Ask C ONTROVERSIES IN C ARDIOVASCULAR M EDICINE

Drs Ryan and Cohen nicely summarize the issue of drug-eluting stent (DES) cost-effectiveness. I think that we are in agreement about many points, including the following: (1) Among nondiabetic patients, DES are cost-effective only when reference vessel diameters are small ( (cid:2) 3.0 mm) or when coronary lesions are long; (2) among diabetic patients, DES are not cost-effective when reference vessel diameters are large ( (cid:1) 4.0 mm) 1 ; and (3) The universal use of DES is associated with high incremental costs per patient and a substantial increase in global healthcare costs. These points make it clear that across-the-board use of DES is not cost-effective. The universal use of DES is expensive at current prices and leads to many patients receiving DES with little, if any, clinical benefit. Reserving DES for patients at high risk of restenosis is financially responsible and will have minimal, if any, adverse clinical consequences. I would like to emphasize 1 further point. The universal use of DES will not, by itself, bankrupt the US healthcare system. The indiscriminate use of expensive healthcare interventions that are only borderline cost-effective cannot be sustained indefinitely, however. Healthcare resources are limited; DES use necessarily competes for funding with other healthcare interventions. Examining the cost-effectiveness of DESs in isolation, without taking into account competing healthcare interventions, is naive. If we are not financially responsible in the use of healthcare technology, we can and will eventually bankrupt the healthcare system.
Les mécanismes de régulation du métabolisme lipidique par les peptides QRFP (pyroglutamylated RF-amide peptides)

Anti-obesity therapies mostly focused on development of centrally-acting drugs, which also promote weight loss properties. Many studies have documented the relevance of neuroendocrine peptides in the hypothalamus and their influence on the regulation of energy balance. Some neuropeptides have been reported to be expressed and secreted by the adipose tissue where they modulate lipid metabolism, reflecting the importance between hypothalamus and adipose tissue. Among neuropeptides that regulate appetite, QRFP (pyroglutamylated RF-amide peptides) was reported to have hyperphagic properties associated with an increase of adipose mass over lean mass in mice. Both QRFP and its receptor GPR103 are expressed in the hypothalamus of many spices. However, whether QRFP peptides and its receptor are involved in peripheral lipid metabolism is still unknown. This thesis focused on the peripheral effects of QRFP and the role of its receptor on adipose tissue. The results presented here show that QRFP-43 and -26 have direct adipogenic effects on both 3T3-L1 adipocytes and isolated adipocytes from white adipose tissue (WAT). Indeed, we found that prepro-QRFP and the GPR103B receptor, which is one of the two GPR103 sub-types found in mice, are expressed in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and in WAT isolated adipocytes. When mice are fed with high-fat diet, prepro-QRFP expression was reduced whilst GPR103B was increased in different WAT. In human omental adipocytes, both prepro-QRFP and GPR103 are expressed. QRFP treatment on 3T3-L1 adipocytes inhibits isoproterenol (ISO) induced-lipolysis and promotes adipognesis trought fatty acid uptake and expression of key adipogenic transcription factors, PPAR- (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ) and C/EBP- (CCAAT-enhancer binding protein ). The functionality of the GPR103B receptor was studied using short hairpin RNA to knock down its expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Knockdown of GPR103B resulted in complete loss of QRFP peptides antilipolytic effects and fatty acid uptake. GPR103B signaling
Measuring Health Belief Model components in adopting preventive behaviors of cervical cancer

Introduction:Cervical cancer is the second prevalent women cancer in the world . This cancer is found preventable because of having the prolong time before the appearance, its complications and the available proper screening program and possibility of the primary lesion treatment . This cancer could rarely be diagnose without appearing its malignant symptoms. Since the Health Belief Model (HBM) is one of the applicable praxeology model in health education to prevent and control of diseases and to determine the reasons of acceptation of health issues, therefor this investigation is aimed to determine Health Belief Model components in adopting preventive behaviors in cervical cancer in women aged 20-65 In Jahrom /Fars province/ of Iran was conducted. Materials and Method:This descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study was carried out on 213 married 20-65 year-old women chosen by a cluster sampling point method. The data was gathered by a valid and reliable questionnaire including demographic variables and Health Belief Model components and interview method. The data were analyzed by using descriptive and analytical statistics (Chi square test, in-depended T-Test , Pearson correlation coefficient and Regression)by SPSS-16. Probability values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results: The results showed that mean age of the study group was 40.42± 12.22 and only 5.9% of them had a good knowledge about the cervical cancer and preventive behaviors of it. 31.6% of the studied women had at least one time examined for Pap smear test and only 7.9% of them with the test performed this test on a regular intervals. Test regression analysis showed that all components of the HBM have an effective role in behavior and self-efficacy had the most impact (P=0.001). In addition, there was a significant difference between the mean HBM components (perceived barriers, perceived benefits, behavior and knowledge ) in women who have a history of papsmear test with them who had not. (P=0.027, P=0.035, P=0.003, P=0.01). Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that there is little knowledge about cervical cancer among women in Jahrom that needs to be increased. Long-term educational programs is recommended based on the HBM with particular notice on preventive behaviors of cervical cancer.
β1-adrenoceptor blockade treatment of right ventricular dysfunction caused by pulmonary hypertension

Failure of the right ventricle (or ventricular) (RV) is the leading cause of death in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), however no treatments specifically target the failing RV. β1-adrenoceptor blockers (β-blockers, BB) reduce mortality in left heart failure but current clinical guidelines caution against their use in PAH. Recent studies suggest β-blockers may be beneficial in PAH however the mechanisms remain unknown. The present study sought to establish whether the β1- blocker metoprolol (10 mg/kg/day) improved survival and function in a rat model of PAH induced by monocrotaline (60 mg/kg, MCT), and to elucidate the mechanisms responsible. Daily metoprolol or placebo was administered 15 days post-monocrotaline injection. PAH resulted in severe RV hypertrophy, dysfunction and heart failure by median day 23 in placebo treated rats (FAIL), whereas metoprolol extended the median survival to day 31 (MCT+BB). RV function measured by echocardiography and catheterisation was severely impaired in FAIL, but was partially restored in MCT+BB on day 23±1. Metoprolol appeared to act primarily on the myocardium and not the vasculature. Contractile abnormalities in isolated FAIL RV cardiomyocytes included increased cell volume, negative force and Ca2+ transient response to faster pacing, increased stiffness to stretch and shorter resting sarcomere length. Reduced creatine kinase activity was found in FAIL; creatine kinase inhibition reproduced characteristics of FAIL in healthy cells, whereas exogeneous creatine kinase reversed the shorter sarcomere length in FAIL cells. Contractile and Ca2+ handling properties of MCT+BB cells were partially or fully restored relative to healthy cells. Capillary density was reduced in FAIL and partially restored in MCT+BB; computer modelling indicated fewer areas of hypoxia in MCT+BB RV. Assessment of FAIL RV mitochondria revealed reduced creatine-coupled respiration but no other detectable defects. Metoprolol improved survival, Ca2+-handling, contractility, oxygen delivery and diastolic properties of PAH rats. β-blockers represent a novel myocardium-specific therapy to target the failing RV in PAH.
Restorative Effects of Multi-Sensory Perception in Urban Green Space: A Case Study of Urban Park in Guangzhou, China

Urban green space is believed as a beneficial landscape for mental restoration in the urban settings. This study aims to examine the restorative quality of the urban green space from a multi-sensory perspective, focusing on both direct and indirect connections between visual, auditory, and tactile sensations and mental restoration. Two hundred and fifty park users of Tianhe Park in Guangzhou, China, were surveyed. Data were collected regarding their three types of sensations, i.e., the perceived mental restoration, health-related behavioral activities and emotional responses in the urban park. As a result, visual and auditory sensation were found to be linked with mental restoration directly and indirectly, while the tactile sensation was only associated with mental restoration indirectly; and health-related behaviors and emotional response mediated the relations between the three sensations and mental restoration significantly. It is concluded that the greater effects of auditory sensation and the under-studied potential effects of tactile sensation on mental restoration should be more emphasized in the future design of urban park. This is expected to contribute to the high restorative quality of the urban green space and promote public health.
Infant milks in the UK

A report on the composition and monitoring of infant formula milks in the UK is available to download from the Caroline Walker Trust website. The report is of interest to health professionals supporting mothers and babies and to professional bodies and Government departments with an interest in infant health. The report highlights the lack of objective information available and the weakness of systems to monitor and regulate infant formula.