Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of ear acupressure, massage therapy and no therapy on symptoms of dementia: a randomized controlled trial

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of ear acupressure and massage vs. control in the improvement of pain, anxiety and depression in persons diagnosed with dementia. Design: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Setting: Residential homes in Extremadura (Spain). Subjects: A total of 120 elders with dementia institutionalized in residential homes. Intervention: The participants were randomly allocated, in three groups. Control group – they continued with their routine activities; ear acupressure intervention group – they received ear acupressure treatment (pressure was applied to acupressure points on the ear); and massage therapy intervention group – they received relaxing massage therapy. Main measures: The variables pain, anxiety and depression were assessed with the Doloplus2, Cornell and Campbell scales. The study was carried out during five months; three months of experimental treatment and two months with no treatment. The assessments were done at baseline, each month during the treatment and at one and two months of follow-up. In the statistical analysis the three groups were compared with each other. Results: A total of 111 participants completed the study. Their aged ranged from 67 to 91 years old and 86 of them (77.4%) were women. The ear acupressure intervention group showed better improvements than the massage therapy intervention group in relation to pain and depression during the treatment period and at one month of follow-up. The best improvement in pain was achieved in the last (3rd) month of ear acupressure treatment (p < 0.001) being the average improvement 8.55 (4.39) with IC 95% (7.14, 9.95). Regarding anxiety, the best results were also observed in the last month of treatment. The average improvement in anxiety was 9.63 (5.00) with IC 95% (8.02, 11.23) Conclusions: Ear acupressure and massage therapy showed better results than the control group in relation to pain, anxiety and depression. However, ear acupressure achieved more improvements.
[Risk factors for HIV infection among patients infected with hepatitis C virus].

OBJECTIVE Human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus share the same routes of transmission. Currently, there is a high frequency of co-infection worldwide, especially among users of injectable drugs and in subjects with history of blood transfusions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate risk factors associated to human immunodeficiency virus infection in patients infected with hepatitis C virus. METHODS We carried out an epidemiological case-control study, including 118 patients (cases) infected by both viruses and 233 patients (controls) infected only by the hepatitis C virus. Between January 1999 and November 2001, patients responded to a questionnaire assessing sociodemographic and professional characteristics, and major risk factors for virus infection. After description and initial comparison, variables were evaluated by univariate analysis and then by multivariate logistic regression for variables selected through the maximum likelihood test. RESULTS Co-infection was associated with female sex (OR = 2.89; 95% CI: 1.16-7.08), being divorced/widow (OR = 3.91; 95% CI: 1.34-11.35), past or current use of illegal drugs (OR = 3.96; 95% CI: 1.55-10.13) and to the habit of sharing pipes or needles (OR = 10.28; 95% CI: 4.00-6.42). CONCLUSIONS Among patients infected with hepatitis C virus, female sex is a risk factor for HIV infection after adjustment for the habit of sharing pipes and needles. Being divorced/widow, use of illegal drugs, and the habit of sharing pipes and syringes were associated to co-infection.
Accumulation of 06-Methylguanine in Human Blood Leukocyte DNA during Exposure to Procarbazine and Its Relationships with Dose and Repair 1

O'-Methylguanine was measured by a competitive repair assay in blood leukocyte DNA of seven patients with Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma during therapeutic exposure to procarbazine involving three daily p.o. doses (50 mg each) for 10 days (corresponding to 2.1 mg/kg/ day for a 70-kg human). Adduci accumulation was observed in all seven cases, reaching levels up to 0.28 fmol/fig of DNA (0.45 Â¿imol/mol of guanine). In one individual, maximal levels of adduct were reached after 7 days of exposure, followed by a steady decline, whereas in all other individuals continuous accumulation was observed throughout the expo sure period. In four individuals for which data were available for Day 11 (12 to 16 h after the final intake of procarbazine), decreased amounts of 06-methylguanine were observed relative to the last previous measure ments. The accumulation of 06-methylguanine was linearly correlated (/' < 0.01) with the cumulative dose of procarbazine, with a slope of 0.011 fmol of 06-methylguanine/fig of DNA per mg/kg of body weight or 2.68 x 10"" fmol of 0" methylguanine DNA per mg/m2. (Two h after the administration of single p.o. doses of 1 to 10 mg/kg of procarbazine to rats, O'-methylguanine formation in leukocyte DNA was just under half that in liver DNA and showed a linear relationship with dose with a slope of 0.017 fmol/Ã-Ã-g of DNA per mg/kg of body weight or 5.67 x 10"" fmol of 06-methylguanine/#<g of DNA per mg/m2. A negative correlation (P < 0.05) between the rate of accumulation of 06-methylguanine in different individuals and lymphocyte O'-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (ACT) was observed, demonstrating a probable protective effect of ACT against the accumulation of 06-methylguanine during exposure to methylating agents. This observation supports the suggestion of a possible role of procarbazine-induced O'-methylguanine in the pathogenesis of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia appearing after treatment with chemotherapeutic protocols which include procarbazine, based on the finding of low lymphocyte ACT levels in patients with such therapy-related neoplastic disease (Sagher et al., Cancer Res., 48: 3084-3089, 1988). Lymphocyte ACT levels were mainly in the range of 5 to 10 fmol/MKof DNA and showed no consistent variation during procarbazine exposure.
Internet of Thing based healthcare monitoring system

Advances in the information and communication technologies have led to the emergence of Internet of Thing(IoT). IoT allows many physical devices to capture transmit data, through the internet, providing more data interoperability methods. Nowadays IoT plays an important role not only in communication, but also in monitoring, recording, storage and display. Hence the latest trend in Healthcare communication method using IoT is adapted. Monitored on a continual basis, aggregated and effectively analyzed — such information can bring about a massive positive transformation in the field of healthcare. Our matter of concern in this project is to focus on the development and implementation of an effective healthcare monitoring system based on IoT. The proposed system monitors the vital health parameters and transmits the data through a wireless communication, which is further transferred to a network via a Wi-Fi module. The data can be accessed anytime promoting the reception of the current status of the patient. In case any abnormal behavior or any vital signs are recognized, the caretaker, as well as the doctors are notified immediately through a message service or an audio signaling device (buzzer). In order to design an efficient remote monitoring system, security plays an important part. Cloud computing and password protected Wi-Fi module handles authentication, privacy and security of patient details by allowing restricted access to the database. Hence the system provides quality healthcare to all. This paper is a review of Healthcare Monitoring system using IoT.
Draft Genome Sequence of a Novel Marine Bacterium, Paraglaciecola sp. Strain S66, with Hydrolytic Activity against Seaweed Polysaccharides

ABSTRACT A novel agarolytic gammaproteobacterium, Paraglaciecola sp. S66, was isolated from marine samples of eelgrass (Zostera sp.) and sequenced. The draft genome contains a large number of enzyme-encoding genes with predicted function against several complex polysaccharides found in the cell walls of algae.
P63 and Ki-67 Expression in Dentigerous Cyst and Ameloblastomas

Statement of the Problem P63 gene is a member of TP53 and its homologous gene family. Its expression was observed in some odontogenic lesions, more expression in aggressive lesions. Purpose This study aimed to investigate the possible diagnostic impact of P63 protein on dentigerous cysts and various types of ameloblastoma. Its expression with Ki-67 proliferation marker was also compared. Materials and Method This cross-sectional retrospective study was enrolled on 25 cases of dentigerous cyst including 21 unicystic ameloblastomas and 17 conventional ameloblastomas. The expression of P63 and Ki-67 was assessed by immunohistochemical (IHC) examinations. Data were analyzed by employing Mann-Whitney and correlation coefficient tests. Results P63 expression was significantly higher in ameloblastoma than unicystic ameloblastoma and dentigerous cysts. There was no significant difference between unicystic ameloblastoma and dentigerous cyst in P63 expression. A 90% cut-off point was obtained for basal layer which gave 88% sensitivity and 78% specificity to distinguish more invasive lesions from others. There was not any correlation between P63 and Ki-67 immunostaining in the three study groups. Conclusion More aggressiveness and more invasiveness of odontogenic lesions depicted higher rate and also more intensive expression of P63. Moreover, the expression of P63 protein had not any correlation with Ki-67 protein in dentigerous cysts and ameloblastomas.
Implementation of a pharmacist medication review clinic for haemodialysis patients.

AIMS To implement the Pharmacist Medication Review Clinic and establish a sustainable clinical pharmacy service. METHODS Prospective clinical medication review conducted by trained clinical pharmacists using standardised tools. Pharmacists' intervention included medication recommendation and patient education. RESULTS From December 2007 to July 2008, medication reviews were conducted with 64 haemodialysis patients. Patients were taking on average 13 medications. Drug-related problems (DRPs) were identified in 92% of medication reviews (a total of 278 DRPs). The major DRP was non-adherence with medication regimen (33%), followed by medication requiring dose decrease (9.3%) and indication requiring new medication (8.6%). The risk factors for multiple DRPs were ethnicity, length of time on dialysis and age. New Zealand (NZ) Maori and Pacific Peoples were more likely to have more than three DRPs compared to patients of European descent. (NZ Maori: OR 7.49, 95%CI 1.15-48.9, p=0.035; Pacific Peoples: OR 5.4, 95%CI 0.96-30.34, p=0.055) and patients who spent 3.5 to 6.3 years on dialysis (OR 7.48, 95%CI 1.45-38.76, p=0.016). Patients older than 55 were less likely to have more than three DRPs compared to younger patients (OR 0.14, 95%CI 0.03-0.69, p=0.016). CONCLUSIONS Pharmacist-led medication review clinic identified drug-related problems (DRPs) and risk factors for DRPs in haemodialysis patients.
A new immune particle filter algorithm for tracking a moving target

In this paper, we first analyze the performance of standard particle filter algorithm, which mainly focuses on the sample impoverishment brought by re-sampling to resolve degeneracy phenomenon. In order to increase the diversity of particles and the number of meaningful particles, we consider the basic immune clonal selection algorithm and memory mechanism. We introduce artificial immune algorithm into particle re-sampling process, and propose a new particle filter algorithm based on immune re-sampling which is called immune particle filter. The proposed algorithm is better than the standard particle filter in particle diversity and efficiency. Finally, we show the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed immune particle filter by simulation.
CD44+/CD24− Cells Are Transit Progenitors and Do Not Determine the Molecular Subtypes and Clinical Parameters in Breast Carcinomas

CD44+/CD24− cells have been associated with breast cancer stem/progenitor cell features. However, the status of this phenotype cells in normal, benign and malignant breast tissues has not been studied, and the clinical correlation of this subpopulation in breast cancer is not fully understood. The present study sought to identify these cells in a series of normal, benign, and malignant breast tissues and explore their correlation to the molecular subtypes of breast carcinoma and conventional pathological features. Double-staining immunohistochemistry (DIHC) of CD44 and CD24 was performed on 30 normal breast tissues, 30 breast fibroadenomas (FA), 60 breast invasive ductal carcinomas (IDC), and 3 breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB-468, and MDA-MB-231). In the normal breast tissues and FAs, three phenotypes were observed including CD44+/CD24+, CD44+/CD24−, and CD44−/CD24− cells. In the IDCs, CD44−/CD24+ cells were detected, in addition to the three aforementioned phenotypes. The strong positive rate (+++, incidence >60%) of CD44+/CD24− was significantly increased from normal breast tissue, FAs to IDCs (0.0%→6.7%→21.7%). However, the CD44+/CD24− cells didn’t correlate with ages of patients, lymph node metastasis, tumor size, molecular subtypes, and the expression of ER, PR, HER-2, PS2, Bcl-2, nm23. The proportion of CD44+/CD24− cells in MCF-7, MDA-MB-468, and MDA-MB-231 was about 1, 5, and 80%, respectively. The results indicate that the CD44+/CD24− cells are transit progenitors and have no association with the molecular subtypes and clinicopathological parameters in the IDCs.
The Effects of Melatonin and L-DOPA on the Diurnal Rhythms of Free Amino Acids Content in the Rat Retina

The effects of melatonin and dopamine precursor L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) intraperitoneal administration on the rhythms of free amino acids content in the retina of rats were studied. The authors found that the levels of those amino acids, which are protein constituents but not neurotransmitters in the rat retina, change diurnally with maximum at 3-6 h after light onset. Diurnal changes of Ala, Arg, Asn, Ile, Met, Ser, Trp, and Val content persisted in the retina of rats maintained at constant darkness. This fact confirms the true circadian nature of these rhythms. Constant lighting abolished diurnal changes of the content of all amino acids with the exception of Trp. Daytime but not nighttime administration of melatonin decreased the levels of Ala, Asn, Gln, Ile, Met, and Ser down to nocturnal values. Diurnal changes of amino acids content vanished in melatonin-injected rats. The effect of melatonin administration disappeared when the protein synthesis was inhibited by cycloheximide. The effect of intraperitoneal administration of L-DOPAon the levels of free amino acids was opposite the effect of melatonin administration. L-DOPA increased nocturnal levels of Gly, Thr, Trp, and Val but had no effect on the daytime amino acids content. As in the case of melatonin administration, significant diurnal changes of amino acid levels disappeared in L-DOPA-injected rats. The authors hypothesize that melatonin and dopamine can serve as zeitgebersantagonists of amino acids content rhythms in the rat retina.
Global Gene Expression Change Induced by Major Thoracoabdominal Surgery

Objective: To test the hypothesis that major thoracoabdominal surgery induces gene expression changes associated with adverse outcomes. Background: Widely different traumatic injuries evoke surprisingly similar gene expression profiles, but there is limited information on whether the iatrogenic injury caused by major surgery is associated with similar patterns. Methods: With informed consent, blood samples were obtained from 50 patients before and after open transhiatal esophagectomy or pancreaticoduodenectomy. Twelve cases with complicated recoveries (death, infection, venous thromboembolism) were matched with 12 cases with uneventful recoveries. Global gene expression was assayed using human microarray chips. A 2-fold change with a corrected P < 0.05 was considered differentially expressed. Results: In these 24 patients, 522 genes were differentially expressed after surgery; 248 (48%) were upregulated (innate immunity and inflammation) and 274 (52%) were downregulated [adaptive immunity (antigen presentation, T-cell function)]. Hierarchical clustering of the profile reliably predicted pre- and postoperative status. The within-patient change was 3.08 ± 0.91-fold. There was no measurable association with age, malignancy, procedure, surgery length, operative blood loss, or transfusion requirements, but was positively associated with postoperative infection (3.81 ± 0.97 vs 2.79 ± 0.73; P = 0.009) and hospital length of stay (r = 0.583, P = 0.003). Venous thromboembolism and mortality each occurred in one patient, thus no associations were possible. Conclusions: Major surgery induces a quantifiable pattern of gene expression change that is associated with adverse outcome. This could reflect early impaired adaptive immunity and suggests potential therapeutic targets to improve postoperative recovery.
Dissolution of Xylose Metabolism inLactococcus lactis

ABSTRACT Xylose metabolism, a variable phenotype in strains ofLactococcus lactis, was studied and evidence was obtained for the accumulation of mutations that inactivate the xyloperon. The xylose metabolism operon (xylRAB) was sequenced from three strains of lactococci. Fragments of 4.2, 4.2, and 5.4 kb that included the xyl locus were sequenced from L. lactis subsp. lactis B-4449 (formerlyLactobacillus xylosus), L. lactis subsp.lactis IO-1, and L. lactis subsp.lactis 210, respectively. The two environmental isolates,L. lactis B-4449 and L. lactis IO-1, produce active xylose isomerases and xylulokinases and can metabolize xylose.L. lactis 210, a dairy starter culture strain, has neither xylose isomerase nor xylulokinase activity and is Xyl−. Xylose isomerase and xylulokinase activities are induced by xylose and repressed by glucose in the two Xyl+ strains. Sequence comparisons revealed a number of point mutations in thexylA, xylB, and xylR genes inL. lactis 210, IO-1, and B-4449. None of these mutations, with the exception of a premature stop codon in xylB, are obviously lethal, since they lie outside of regions recognized as critical for activity. Nevertheless, either cumulatively or because of indirect affects on the structures of catalytic sites, these mutations render some strains of L. lactis unable to metabolize xylose.
Modeling Time-Variation Over the Business Cycle (1960-2017): An International Perspective

In this paper, I explore the changes in international business cycles with quarterly data for the eight largest advanced economies (U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and Canada) since the 1960s. Using a time-varying parameter model with stochastic volatility for real GDP growth and inflation allows their dynamics to change over time, approximating nonlinearities in the data that otherwise would not be adequately accounted for with linear models (Granger et al. (1991), Granger (2008)). With that empirical model, I document a period of declining macro volatility since the 1980s, followed by increasing (and diverging) inflation volatility since the mid-1990s. I also find significant shifts in inflation persistence and cyclicality, as well as in macro synchronization and even forecastability. The 2008 global recession appears to have had an impact on some of this. I ground my empirical strategy on the reduced-form solution of the workhorse New Keynesian model and, motivated by theory, explore the relationship between greater trade openness (globalization) and the reported shifts in international business cycles. I show that globalization has sizeable (yet nonlinear) effects in the data consistent with the implications of the modelâ€”yet globalizationâ€™s contribution is not a foregone conclusion, depending crucially on more than the degree of openness of the international economy.
Venous thromboembolic events with chemotherapy plus bevacizumab: a pooled analysis of patients in randomized phase II and III studies.

PURPOSE Thromboembolism is a major source of morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer. The contribution of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy to these events remains controversial. PATIENTS AND METHODS Individual patient data were available for 6,055 patients in 10 randomized studies. Unadjusted and exposure-adjusted incidence of venous thromboembolisms (VTEs) was estimated for the overall population and by tumor type. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify risk factors for development of VTE. The safety of anticoagulant therapy in patients undergoing bevacizumab treatment was also examined. RESULTS There were no statistically significant increases in the unadjusted or exposure-adjusted incidences of all-grade VTEs for bevacizumab versus controls in the overall population or by tumor type. The unadjusted incidence in the overall population was 10.9% with bevacizumab versus 9.8% with controls (odds ratio, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.96 to 1.35; P = .13); the rate per 100 patient-years was 18.5 for bevacizumab and 20.3 for controls (rate ratio, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.77 to 1.06; P =.23). Incidences of grade 3 to 5 events were similar in both groups. Several risk factors for VTEs were identified, including tumor type, older age, poorer performance status, VTE history, and baseline oral anticoagulant use. No interactions between bevacizumab treatment and these factors were observed. For patients who had a VTE and received full-dose anticoagulation therapy, the risk of severe bleeding was low (< 1%) and unaffected by bevacizumab treatment. CONCLUSION The addition of bevacizumab to chemotherapy did not statistically significantly increase the risk of VTEs versus chemotherapy alone. The risk for VTEs is driven predominantly by tumor and host factors.
An autoregulatory element of the murine Hox‐4.2 gene.

Hox‐4.2 promoter activity was assayed by transient expression assays in P19 embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells. Cotransfection of a luciferase reporter gene construct driven by Hox‐4.2 upstream sequences with an expression vector for the Hox‐4.2 gene product resulted in a 20‐fold increase in luciferase activity. This activity was specific in that the Hox‐1.6 gene product had no effect in the same assay. Mutational analysis defined a cis‐acting element with enhancer function which conferred most of this increase. Activation was largely dependent on two TAAT/ATTA motifs within this 217 bp fragment and HOX‐4.2 bound specifically to both of these motifs. The 217 bp element maps within a highly conserved region of the human Hox‐4.2 gene (HOX4B) which has been shown to display spatial enhancer activity in mice and flies. These findings suggest a conserved autoregulatory mechanism for the control of Hox‐4.2 expression.