Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perspectives of Chinese Cancer Patients Toward Disclosure of Cancer Diagnosis to Their Minor Children.

BACKGROUND One of the issues that cancer patients with minor or adolescent children face is whether to inform children about their cancer diagnosis. Their perspectives toward this issue are underexplored in China. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore Chinese cancer parents' perspectives toward informing children of their diseases. METHODS Eighteen cancer patients with children younger than 18 years were recruited using purposive sampling. Semistructured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted using a phenomenological approach. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's approach. RESULTS Six main themes with 2 to 6 subthemes emerged: (a) inappropriate to disclose the true diagnosis to children, (b) appropriate to disclose the true diagnosis to children, (c) communication content between cancer patients and their children in regard to cancer, (d) attitude on ways of disclosing cancer diagnosis to children, (e) reflections on parenting style, and (f) unmet needs for information and support. CONCLUSIONS Perspectives of Chinese cancer parents toward truthfully disclosing their diagnosis vary, but all are for the purpose of protecting their children. Study findings indicate that Chinese cancer parents have culture-specific considerations, such as concepts of death and filial piety, which differ from studies in Western countries. Meanwhile, there are barriers between cancer parents and children in communicating about the illness and unmet needs for information and support. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Psychosocial assessments and consultations, education, and interventions need to include a focus on the dependent children of adult cancer parents.
Distribution and diet of reintroduced otters ( Lutra lutra ) on the river Ticino (northern Italy)

Abstract On the River Ticino (northern Italy), the release of a pair of otters Lutra lutra in 1997, followed by the escape of an otter female with her cub in 2001, allowed the establishment of a small population. In summer 2008, a survey has been carried out by the standard method to draw a first picture of current otter distribution. Some data about otter diet have been obtained through the analysis of 36 spraints. Otter presence has been recorded for 3 out of 10 sampling stations, corresponding to a 2.6 km long stretch of the river. Considering only this stretch, the mean number of sprainting sites per 100 m was 0.10, while the mean number of spraints per 100 m was 0.19. Fish - mainly Salmo trutta , Perca fluviatilis , Phoxinus phoxinus and Chondrostoma genei -, formed the bulk of otters’ diet. The prosecution of the reintroduction project requires an updated feasibility study which provides for management actions aimed to favour the expansion of the species in northern Italy. Riassunto Distribuzione e dieta delle lontre Lutra lutra reintrodotte sul fiume Ticino (Italia settentrionale). Il rilascio, nel 1997, di una coppia di lontra Lutra lutra sul fiume Ticino (Italia settentrionale), unitamente alla fuga, nel 2001, di una femmina con i piccoli, ha portato alla formazione di una piccola popolazione. Per ottenere un primo quadro dell’attuale distribuzione della specie, nell’estate 2008 e stata condotta un’indagine tramite il metodo standard. Inoltre, dall’analisi di 36 feci, sono stati ottenuti alcuni dati sulla dieta. La presenza della lontra e stata accertata per 3 delle 10 stazioni monitorate, corrispondenti a un tratto di fiume pari a 2.6 km. Considerando solo le stazioni positive, il numero medio di siti di marcamento per 100 m e stato pari a 0,10, corrispondente a 0,23 feci per 100 m. I pesci – in particolare Salmo trutta , Perca fluviatilis , Phoxinus phoxinus and Chondrostoma genei -, rappresentano la principale risorsa trofica della lontra. La prosecuzione del progetto di reintroduzione richiede uno studio di fattibilita che contempli interventi gestionali atti a favorire l’espansione della specie in Italia settentrionale.
Modes of physical activity reported by older adults living with osteoporosis in Canada

Background: Physical activity is recommended as an adjunct to treatment for persons living with osteoporosis. Results from numerous studies demonstrate the health benefits linked with physical activity for persons living with osteoporosis yet little is known about the types of leisure-time physical activities reported by adults living with osteoporosis in Canada. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to address two questions: (1) What is the most common mode of physical activity reported by older adults living with osteoporosis in Canada? and (2) Does the mode of physical activity reported by older adults living with osteoporosis in Canada differ between males and females? Methods: Participants were enrolled in Cycle 2.2 of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) who reported a diagnosis of osteoporosis. Males (n = 167) and females (n = 1371) responded to select demographic questions and a modified version of the Physical Activity Monitor (m-PAM). Results: Walking for exercise was the most common mode of physical activity reported by males (60.5%) and females (60.7%) followed by gardening/yard work (34.8% to 44.9%) then home-based exercise (21.6% to 23.8%). Chi-square analyses revealed sex-differences in mode of participation for 11 of 21 physical activities assessed with the m-PAM. Conclusions: Overall, the findings of this study imply consideration of sex and mode of physical activity may be key issues for health professionals and policy developers to consider in designing and implementing physical activity programs for older adults living with osteoporosis in Canada.
Time course of chemotaxis and chemokinesis of neutrophils following stimulation with IL-8 or FMLP

Polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) attend to inflammatory sites by chemotactic movement, caused by chemoattractants (CAs) like n-formyl-l-methionyl-l-leucyl-l-phenylalanine (FMLP) and interleukin-8 (IL-8). However, distinct but applicable assays for investigations of PMNs’ migration limit in vitro examination. We integrated CD15-bead-based isolation of PMNs with analysing their chemotaxis in a novel 3D-µ-Slide migration chamber. The PMNs were exposed to different concentrations of FMLP and IL-8 (1, 10 and 100 nM) and observed for 180 min in cell-physiological environment conditions. Moving PMNs’ percentage (median and interquartile range) decreased from 62% (27%) to 36% (31%) without CA, from 88% (30%) to 22% (26%) for 1 nM IL-8, from 70% (22%) to 28% (13%) for 100 nM IL-8, from 30% (23%) to 18% (46%) for 1 nM FMLP and from 76% (20%) to 28% (13%) for 100 nM FMLP. Centres of cell movement turned towards the CAs (negative values) within a single 30-min observation period: 5.37 µm (16.82 µm) without CA, −181.37 µm (132.18 µm) with 10 nM and −239.34 µm (152.19 µm) with 100 nM IL-8; −116.2 µm (69.07 µm) with 10 nM and −71.59 µm (98.58 µm) with 100 nM FMLP. FMLP and IL-8 ensure chemotaxis without increase of chemokinesis. 3D-µ-Slide chemotaxis chambers facilitate time course analyses of PMNs’ migration in stable conditions over a long time with concise distinction of chemotaxis and chemokinesis.
The Intestinal Epithelium

The mammalian intestine is a prototype of a self-renewing organ. The rapid cellular turnover is supported by proliferating progenitors located in the intestinal crypt, which is also the stem cell location. Homeostasis of the intestinal epithelium has to be under stringent control to ensure lifelong self-renewal. Processes like proliferation and differentiation (often deregulated in cancer) seem to be controlled by a relative small number of signaling pathways, including Wnt and Notch. Notch signaling is playing a crucial role in the maintenance of the intestinal homeostasis by controlling progenitors proliferation and their cell fate. In this thesis project we studied Notch signaling and its role in the murine intestine focusing on 1) Its downstream mediators; 2) The identification of the physiological Notch ligands; 3) Its role on the stem cell compartment, and 4) the potential cross talk between Notch and Wnt. Furthermore, 5) we investigated the role of Notch signaling in Wnt induced intestinal tumorigenesis. This study evidenced that Hes1 is not the unique Notch signaling mediator in the intestinal epithelium. Moreover the transcription factor Klf4 is not required for goblet cell differentiation. The in vivo role of the Notch ligands Dll1, Dll4 and Jag1 was assessed deriving inducible intestine specific single and double gene-targeted mice. Inactivation of individual ligands did not show any loss of Notch phenotype with the exception of Dll1 mutant mice. Only by deriving double mutants we identified Dll1 and Dll4 as the physiological Notch ligands in the intestine. We provided evidence for the first time that Notch1 signaling is active in intestinal stem cell. Furthermore we demonstrated that Notch signaling is required for the maintenance of intestinal stem cells, as well as for the transit-amplifying progenitor compartment. Using different genetic gain and loss-off function approaches we investigated the relation between the Notch and Wnt cascade for the maintenance of the proliferative crypt compartment. A synergistic relation was observed between Notch and Wnt in intestinal tumorigenesis. Collectively our data highlight Notch signaling as a key player for the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis.
Combined Effects of Hemoglobin A1c and C-Reactive Protein on the Progression of Subclinical Carotid Atherosclerosis

Background and Purpose— Glycohemoglobin (hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c]) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) are risk indicators for atherosclerosis. Limited information exists regarding the combined effects of inflammation and hyperglycemia. We investigated the joint effects of both parameters on early carotid atherosclerosis progression and major vascular events in diabetic and nondiabetic subjects. Methods— We analyzed the data of INVADE (Intervention Project on Cerebrovascular Diseases and Dementia in the Community of Ebersberg, Bavaria), a prospective, population-based study conducted in 3534 subjects (mean age, 69 years). In addition to common risk factors, measurements of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), hsCRP, and HbA1c were performed at baseline and after 2 years of follow-up. Results— For the entire population, IMT progression was significantly related to HbA1c (P=0.003) but not to hsCRP (P=0.06) after risk factor adjustment. The interaction hsCRP×HbA1c was highly significant (P=0.001),.
Novel approaches to identify T cell-recognized tumor antigens and to redirect T cells for adoptive immunotherapy

14 Tumor antigens (Ags) and adoptive immunotherapy are two important topics in tumor immunology. Traditional methods for identifying T cell-recognized tumor antigens and adoptive therapy using antigen-specific T cells are laborious and difficult. Rapid developments in molecular biology and immunology have allowed us to design novel strategies to achieve these two goals more efficiently. A novel strategy, SING (Signal transduction molecule-mediated, NFAT-controlled, GFP expression), for cloning T-cell recognized tumor Ags, was designed using Agspecific T cells. The SING system is an artificial Ag presentation system, in which a mouse T cell line BW5147 has been manipulated to respond to stimulation by Agspecific TCR (the resultant BW5147 cells are named BS cells). Either Ag peptide-pulsed or Ag-expressing BS cells could become transiently fluorescent (GFP"^) and puromycin resistant after TCR engagement. In combination with retrovirally mediated functional genomics, the SING strategy should allow us to isolate antigen-expressing (GFP"*") cells directly and retrieve sequences coding for tumor antigens by PGR amplification of genomic DNA firom GFP^BS cells. To investigate whether three-domain single chain T cell receptors (3D-scTCR) are able to redirect T cells to recognize tumor cells, multiple scTCR constructs were constructed and retrovirally transduced into T cells. The effects of CDS, CD28 and the complete CD3 complex on scTCR-induced T cell activation were also determined. Compared with full-length TCR (flTCR)-modified T cells and native CTLs, scTCRmodified T cells had high thresholds for response to Ag stimulation. After adoptive transfer of TCR (either scTCR or flTCR)-modified T cells into tumor-bearing mice, the in vivo tumor growth was controlled to some extent, although most TCR-modified T cell recipient mice didn't show significant signs of anti-tumor effects. This result suggests the possible application of scTCRas well as flTCR-modified T cells for adoptive immunotherapy. Finally, to accomplish the above goals, we systematically investigated the optimal conditions for transduction of murine primary T cells as well as T cell lines. Our results showed that successful infection of murine primary T cells required a combination of high titer (>10^ CFU/ml) of ecotropic retroviral vectors and proper timing of infection (within 24 hours after mitogen stimulation).
Prognostic Value of the Expression of Endogenous Hypoxia Associated Proteins Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1 Alpha (HIF-1Î±) and Carbonic Anhydrase Isoform 9 (CAIX) Expressions in Breast Carcinoma

Background: Hypoxia has been found to be related to malignant initiation, progression, increasing the occurrence of metastasis and therapy resistance in many cancer types, which made a real need for discovering drugs that could antagonize the bad effect of hypoxia in cancer, decide which patients will have benefit from such anti-hypoxia therapy then to monitor response to therapy, especially in breast carcinoma.It is important to detect degree of hypoxia in each cancer that could be done by evaluation of the expression of hypoxia-associated proteins in cancer biopsies e.g. hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) and carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) and their detailed role in breast cancer is still uncertain and gives conflicting results.Aim of the work: Aim of the work was to evaluate HIF-1α and CAIX expressions in breast carcinoma, correlating their expressions with each other, with presence of lymph node and distant metastases, with recurrence free and overall survival rates of female patients with breast cancer.Methods: We evaluated HIF-1α and CAIX expressions in sections from 90 paraffin blocks of breast carcinoma using immunohistochemistry. We analyzed correlations between their levels of expressions, clinic-pathological and prognostic parameters of our patients.Results: HIF-1α and CAIX positive expression in breast carcinoma was related to advanced stage, presence of lymph node metastases, HER2 amplified and triple negative molecular subtypes (p<0.001), higher tumor grade (p=0.001 and 0.02 respectively) and negative ER (p=0.005 and 0.008 respectively) and PR (p=0.009 and 0.027 respectively) hormonal receptors, The expression of both markers was significantly positively correlated with each other (p<0.001). HIF-1α and CAIX positive expression in breast carcinoma was associated with shortened recurrence free and overall survival rates (p<0.001). Conclusion: HIF-1α and CAIX are markers of poor prognosis of breast carcinoma patients.
Galectin-3: a potential biomarker for diagnostics of heart failure

Heart failure is a dysfunction with varied ethology; one of possible causes is anticancer treatment with anthracyclines. Rapid diagnosis is important because the disease is associated with high mortality and morbidity. The only biomarkers fully approved for diagnostics of heart failure are natriuretic peptides. They are secreted by ventricular muscle cells in response to volume and pressure overload. However, their concentration can be influenced by other factors, such as age or gender. A potential marker, not affected by these issues might be galectin-3. Current studies showed that galectin can play particularly significant role in myocardial fibrosis and inflammation. Elevated galectin-3 concentration has been observed in such cardiovascular diseases as heart failure, atherosclerosis, stroke and myocardial infarction. The review summarizes results of studies which indicate the role of galectin-3 in inducing fibrosis and cardiac remodelling (processes which influence disease progression and prognosis) and showed its potential diagnostic value.
Aspects of the ecology of some invertebrates on limestone outcrops in Moorland

In 1984-5 the carabids and staphylinids on ten isolated limestone outcrops and intervening blanket peat within the Moor House Reserve, Cumbria, were investigated. In 1986 a subsidiary study on similar habitats was made at Tailbridge Hill, Cumbria. Pitfall and window traps sampled beetles from the ground and air respectively. Numbers and alpha diversities of carabids and staphylinids were higher on the Moor House limestone outcrops than on the blanket peat. The outcrops acted as isolates to many species, but also suffered considerable contamination by adjacent peat faunas. Limestone species taken on outcrops exhibited a positive species: area relationship consistent with island biogeographical theory. Peat species taken on outcrops showed a negative species: area relationship. Overall, species of staphylinid were positively, and carabid, negatively, correlated with outcrop size. Dispersal of species between habitats was influenced by body size, degree of hygrophily and flight activity. Flight by carabids was negligible, but most staphylinids could fly. Weather conditions were probably the primary cause of this difference between taxa. Flight by staphylinids was related to the stability of the habitat or resources involved. All Nomadic species could fly whereas flight by Peat species was negligible. Limestone species showed relatively high levels of flight activity attributable to the need of many rarer species for regular dispersal between outcrops to spread the risk of extinction. The aerial fauna at Moor House had three components, with species deriving from the immediate habitat, moorland habitats nearby, or regions beyond the Reserve. A considerable influx of staphylinids (and aphids) onto the Reserve occurred in July-October as aerial plankton was carried in from the west by prevailing winds. The applicability of island biogeography theory to the Moor House system, and to 'habitat islands' in general, is discussed.
The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in a structured program of benzodiazepine withdrawal on cognitive function and sleep in the elderly: a pilot study.

Background: Benzodiazepines are prescribed for anxiety and insomnia. In majority of cases, consumption of benzodiazepines becomes chronic and accompanies risks and comorbidities affecting a wide range of cognitive abilities. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) is the first line therapy for treating insomnia. Implementation of this therapy with benzodiazepine withdrawal programs can improve sleep quality and weaning success rate. Objective: To evaluate the effect of CBT-i on cognition upon withdrawal from a prolonged benzodiazepine consumption for chronic insomnia. Methods: 24 insomniacs aged 60 years or older, after undergoing a comprehensive sleep and cognitive evaluation, were randomly assigned into two groups of CBT-i (n=12) and waitlist (n=12). While both groups followed a structured and progressive benzodiazepine withdrawal program over 16 weeks, the CBT-i group additionally received 8 sessions of CBT-i therapy. At the end of the weaning program, both groups underwent the same sleep and cognitive evaluations. Results: All of sleep diary measures improved in the CBT-i group. Both groups showed improvements in insomnia severity index (p=0.000) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (p=0.002), while the latter improved more notably in the CBT-i group (p=0.014). Actigraphy, highlighted improved sleep efficiency (p=0.000) and decreased wake after sleep onset (p=0.008) in CBT-i group. The cognitive tests showed improvements in the reading speeds (time, p=0.000; score, p=0.006) and recall copying ability (p=0.040) of the CBT-i group. Conclusion: This study, highlight the benefits of supplementing benzodiazepine withdrawal with CBT-i related to improvements in sleep quality, while also sheds some lights on its possible effects on cognition.
Elements for developing community-based interventions for adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: A scoping review

Introduction Current literature about interventions for adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is limited, which is a concern, due to the high prevalence of FASD. FASD creates lifelong physical, mental, cognitive and behavioral deficits, which impacts many aspects of daily living. Community-based interventions are necessary to better support adults with FASD and provide them with the opportunity to achieve success in their daily lives and social participation. This scoping review aimed to identify elements for developing successful community-based interventions for these individuals. Method A search was conducted in the MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and EMBASE databases and supplementary gray literature was resourced. Articles were selected based on inclusion–exclusion criteria, and a thematic analysis was completed to identify and present relevant findings. Results Seven articles met selection criteria and were included in this review. Six emerging themes were identified: inclusion of a functional context, individualized support, education for service providers, structure and routine, utilizing a strengths-based approach, and environmental adaptations. These themes were used to present the findings related to the elements necessary for developing interventions for adults with FASD. Conclusion The results indicate that the identified elements may be necessary to develop successful interventions, especially community-based interventions, for adults with FASD.
Análise de caminhamento em mudas de guaraná

A analise do coeficiente de caminhamento em mudas de guarana ( Paullinia cupana var. sorbilis H.B.K.) envolveu cinco caracteres da parte aerea e um do sistema radicular. Os dados utilizados foram obtidos de um estudo sobre o coeficiente de correlacao genetica entre caracteres da parte aerea e do sistema radicular das mesmas mudas. O carater diâmetro basal do ramo apresentou correlacao e efeitos indiretos positivos, alem de ser o carater com o maior efeito direto positivo sobre o peso da raiz. O peso seco da parte aerea, apesar de positivamente correlacionado com o peso seco da raiz, teve o maior efeito direto negativo sobre esse carater. Conclui-se, portanto, que o diâmetro basal do ramo e uma caracteristica que pode ser considerada como indicador indireto da magnitude do sistema radicular.