Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Complementary and alternative therapies for treatment of insomnia in women in postmenopause

Abstract Menopause is an important episode in the life of women and, for the great majority of women, occurs in their fifties. The climacteric period, which is often associated with insomnia, represents one of the most important changes in the female reproductive cycle because it marks the end of reproductive capacity. Hormonal therapy has been considered the most useful and standardized method for treating menopause and climacteric-associated symptoms despite its side-effects. The present study is a review of the scientific literature about the efficacy, toxicity and safety of complementary and alternative therapies used as alternatives to hormone therapy to treat insomnia in menopausal women. Mind–body therapies and the use of isoflavonoids have exhibited promise as interventions for treating insomnia in the climacteric at our Walk-In Clinic of Sleep Disturbance at the Universidade Federal de São Paulo. This review will describe the use of complementary and alternative therapies and their effectiveness in treating insomnia in this period of a woman’s life.
What the future holds for women after menopause: where we have been, where we are, and where we want to go

Abstract With an increasing world population of postmenopausal women, providers of health care need to focus on improving the quality of life as well as the longevity of women. This review emphasizes the importance of health care for postmenopausal women, particularly the role of menopausal hormonal therapy (MHT), from the perspective of where we have been, where we are now, and where we can expect to be in the future. Use of MHT increased dramatically in the 1980s and then fell very abruptly in the early 2000s with the publications of various randomized hormonal trials, including the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). The recent publications from the WHI with 13 years of follow-up are different from the initial reports and do not show an increase in cardiovascular risk in any age group (with the exception of venous thrombosis). Breast cancer risk increased marginally with estrogen/progestogen therapy, related to duration of use, but with estrogen-alone therapy, breast cancer risk decreased significantly, as did mortality. For younger women receiving estrogen alone, there is great consistency between all randomized trials, including the WHI and observational data showing a coronary benefit and a decrease in all-cause mortality. Recent data also confirm the ‘timing hypothesis’, suggesting that younger women benefit from MHT, while older women do not exhibit this effect. In the future, we will have many more genetic and molecular tools to guide therapy and risk assessment, as we move into an era of personalized medicine. An important opportunity presents at the onset of menopause to prevent diseases which usually occur some 10 years later. Part of this preventative strategy may involve MHT.
Balancing integrity vs. risk of falling – nurses’ experiences of caring for elderly people with dementia in nursing homes

Abstract Dementia is recognized as being a major risk for falls that cause suffering and increase dependency for the individual. The purpose of this study was to explore registered nurses’ and nurse assistants’ experiences of caring for elderly people with dementia who are at risk of falling, and factors that contribute or reduce falls in this group. A phenomenographic design was chosen. Ten nurses and 18 nurse assistants with experience of fall events were strategically selected for a recorded interview. The informants were chosen from 10 nursing homes in Sweden and Norway. They were asked to describe a fall situation they had been involved in when caring for elderly people with dementia. The findings shed light on an ethical dilemma in the main category ‘Balancing integrity and autonomy versus risk of falling’ which was comprehensively related to two descriptive categories. The first one was ‘Adjusting to the older person’s condition’ with the concepts of forgetfulness, anxiety and confusion, ability to express oneself and understand, bodily build and function. The second category was ‘Adjusting the care environment’, comprising these conceptions: the physical environment, the psychosocial environment, organization and human resources. Based on the staff’s perceived difficulties in preventing falls in elderly people with dementia, there is a need for additional support or professional supervision in their work to enhance possibilities for successful fall prevention.
Cardiovascular safety of conjugated estrogens plus bazedoxifene: meta-analysis of the SMART trials

Abstract Objectives Five randomized, phase-3 trials demonstrated the efficacy and safety of conjugated estrogens/bazedoxifene (CE/BZA) in treating menopausal symptoms and preserving bone. This pooled analysis of these studies describes the cardiovascular safety of CE/BZA. Methods We pooled cardiovascular adjudicated safety data from healthy, non-hysterectomized, postmenopausal women who received ≥ 1 dose of CE 0.45 mg/BZA 20 mg (n = 1585), CE 0.625 mg/BZA 20 mg (n = 1583), any CE/BZA dose (n = 4868), or placebo (n = 1241) for up to 2 years in five trials. Venous thromboembolic events (VTEs), coronary heart disease (CHD), and cerebrovascular events were reviewed by three different independent adjudication committees and summarized using a meta-analytic approach. Results The rate of VTEs per 1000 woman-years (95% confidence interval, CI) was 0.3 (0.0–2.0) in women taking CE 0.45 mg/BZA 20 mg, 0 (0.0–1.5) in those taking CE 0.625 mg/BZA 20 mg, 0.7 (0.0–1.5) among women taking any CE/BZA dose, and 0.6 (0.0–2.9) with placebo. The incidence of stroke per 1000 woman-years (95% CI) was 0.4 (0.0–2.4), 0.2 (0.0–1.9), 0.44 (0.0–1.1), and 0.0 (0.0–1.7), respectively. The CHD rate per 1000 woman-years was 2.6 (0.0–5.6), 1.4 (0.0–3.9), 2.4 (1.00–3.7) and 2.0 (0.0–5.2). Compared with placebo, relative risk (95% CI) with any CE/BZA dose was 0.5 (0.1–1.8) for VTE, 0.5 (0.1–2.6) for stroke, and 0.63 (0.23–1.74) for CHD. Conclusions Up to 2 years of CE 0.45 or CE 0.625 mg with BZA 20 mg had an acceptable cardiovascular safety profile, with rates of stroke and CHD comparable to placebo in healthy postmenopausal women. VTE risk was low.
Design and evaluation of the gait rehabilitation robot LOPES

The goal of the work presented in this thesis was to realize a robotic device that is able provide suitable gait training to stroke patients. It is believed that motor training in general, but specifically for stroke patients should be intensive and task-specific in order to reach optimal outcome. Meanwhile, the training of severe stroke patients has proven to be physically very demanding to therapists. For this reason it is believed that robotic aids can be useful alternative for physical therapists to provide gait training. In this research we supposed a training setting in which a therapist is in control of the training, while the robot carries out the physical labor in guiding, assisting and correcting the patient.
Coffee and cardiovascular risk; an epidemiological study

textabstractThis thesis comprises several studies on the effect of coffee and caffeine on cardiovascular risk in general, and the effect on serum lipids, blood pressure and selected hemostatic variables in particular. The association between coffee use and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality was evaluated by a review of the published results of 17 cohort studies and 10 casecontrol studies. In the interpretation of the results of these studies, it is important to take into account the strong relationship of coffee consumption and other habits associated with cardiovascular disease, such as smoking and a high dietary fat intake. When these confounders are not considered in the analysis, the risk of coffee use for cardiovascular disease may be overestimated. Most case-control studies yielded positive results, i.e. coffee use was observed to increase the risk of a cardiovascular event. Casecontrol studies, however, are subject to several forms of bias which could lead to overestimation of the coffee-cardiovascular disease association. The majority of cohort studies, which are more reliable, support the hypothesis that coffee use does not affect the risk of cardiovascular disease
Selenium status in patients with autoimmune and non-autoimmune thyroid diseases from four European countries

Context: Selenium supplementation has been suggested for Hashimoto thyroiditis and Graves’ ophthalmopathy. Objective, Design: Our aim is to measure selenium status (p-Se, p-SePP), urine iodine (UI) levels and urine iodine/creatinine ratio (UI/C) in different thyroid diseases (n = 416) from four European countries and to compare the results between patients with and without thyroid autoimmunity. Results: p-Se and p-SePP showed positive correlation and did not correlate with UI/C. Also, these measurements were higher in patients from Italy in comparison with the other countries. Austria had the lowest UI/C ratios. Selenium deficiency exists in these four European countries. Selenium status was lower in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis and Graves’ disease in comparison with non-autoimmune thyroid disease patients and did not differ between autoimmune patients with or without thyroid peroxidase antibodies. The latter correlated positively with age. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that Se supplementation might have a beneficial effect in autoimmune thyroid patients.
Amebic liver abscess diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction in 14 returning travelers.

Amebic liver abscesses (ALA) are not commonly described in travelers. The ALA diagnosis is usually based on serology and Entamoeba histolytica polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a new tool. We retrospectively reviewed all ALA cases diagnosed by PCR on the liver abscess pus aspirate of patients admitted in 4 teaching hospitals in Paris, France between 2007 and 2011. Fourteen cases (10 male, median age 48 years) were included. The median lag time between return and onset of symptoms was 23 days among 10 patients (interquartile range [IQ] 18–24) whereas the remaining patients had travelled over 2 years ago.All patients had an elevated C-reactive protein level, and 11 had leukocytosis. The ALA was multiple in five patients, localized in the right lobe in 12, and higher than 5 cm in 11. Serology was initially negative in one patient, whereas PCR was positive. There was bacterial co-infection in one patient. The outcome was good. Liver puncture allows a rapid diagnosis of ALA with PCR and helps identify the association with a bacterial dual infection [corrected].
Gene–Gene Interactions of CFH and LOC387715/ARMS2 with Korean Exudative Age-related Macular Degeneration Patients

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the association and interaction of single nucleotide polymorphisms in CFH and LOC387715/ARMS2 with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a Korean population. Methods: A total of 114 exudative AMD patients and 240 normal subjects participated in the study. PCR and direct sequencing were used to screen SNPs in the CFH and in the LOC387715/ARMS2. Genotype and haplotype analyses were performed. Two-locus gene–gene interactions were evaluated by the data mining approach multifactor-dimensionality reduction method. Results: The *C/*T genotype frequency of rs1061170 in CFH showed a significant difference (OR = 1.79). Genotype and allele frequencies of rs551397 (*C/*C, OR = 2.84; *C, OR = 1.67) and rs800292 (*G/*G, OR = 2.198; *G, OR = 1.676) in CFH, and rs10490924 (T/*T, OR = 12.45; *T, OR = 4.45) and rs2736911 (*C/*C, OR = 3.21; *C, OR = 2.71) in LOC387715/ARMS2 were significantly higher in patients. In the haplotype analysis, C-T of rs2736911-rs10490924 in LOC387715/ARMS2 (OR = 4.85) and C-G of rs551397-rs800292 in CFH (OR = 2.22) predisposed significantly to AMD. After cross-validation consistency (CVC) and permutation tests, we identified the 1 marker model (rs10490924), which has a prediction accuracy of 73.5%, and the two locus model, rs10490924_ rs800292, with 75.3% balanced accuracy in predicting AMD disease risk. Conclusions: Korean individuals with the LOC387715/ARMS2 rs10490924, and to a lesser extent, CFH rs800292 variants might be at a greater risk for the development of exudative AMD. Furthermore, the risk of exudative AMD may increase significantly if these variants are both present in the two genes.
Behavioral Interventions to Enhance Smoking Cessation

In the United States, the rate of cigarette smoking has significantly declined over the past 2 decades, but much more work is needed, as almost 20% of adults still smoke and smoking continues to be the leading preventable cause of death. Furthermore, rates of smoking in certain subpopulations have remained relatively stable and have historically been neglected in smoking cessation research. Pharmacotherapy (both prescription and over-the-counter) and behavioral support are known to aid cessation, and their combination is more effective than either alone. There are significant barriers to access, use, and adherence, however, especially with pharmacotherapy. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to provide an update and overview of the numerous behavioral approaches that have been used to enhance smoking cessation. The research described can be classified into the type of approach used, the setting in which it is delivered, and the population targeted. Regardless of the classification, all the approaches attempt to provide smokers with the information, motivation, and behavioral skills thought to be necessary for achieving initial cessation and sustained abstinence. Recommendations for future research on behavioral smoking cessation are also included.
Assessment of antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of Cymbopogon winterianus leaf essential oil

The present study investigated the antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of the leaf essential oil (LEO) of Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt (Poaceae). In the acetic acid-induced writhing and formalin tests, the LEO (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the number of writhings and paw licking times in the first (0-5 min) and second (15-30 min) phases, respectively. In contrast, the LEO did not alter the latency time for mice licking the rear paws in hot-plate test. The LEO inhibited the carrageenan-induced neutrophil migration to the peritoneal cavity in a dose-dependent manner (35.5%, 42.8%, and 66.1% at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, respectively, p < 0.001). Moreover, LEO exhibited higher scavenging activity toward 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals with an IC50 (12.66 ± 0.56 μg/mL). Our present results demonstrated that the LEO has antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.
Sarcoidosis: immunopathogenetic concepts and their clinical application

Our understanding of the immunopathogenesis of sarcoidosis has been advanced by studies of bronchoalveolar lavage cells. Activated macrophages and T-cells have been identified in different compartments of the sarcoid lung and the characteristics of the activation suggest that the cells become activated in the course of a normal immune response. The immune cells communicate via a cytokine network and the measuring of cytokine levels yields subgroups of sarcoidosis patients with different courses of the disease indicating different states of activation of the disease-mediating immune cells. The causative agent of sarcoidosis has not yet been identified; however, some of the described mechanisms can be clinically applied either to detect patients at risk of deterioration or to develop new therapeutic strategies. Using these approaches methotrexate, pentoxifylline and thalidomide have been identified as drugs which effectively suppress sarcoid inflammation and the serum level of soluble interleukin-2 receptors has been delineated to be a serum marker of sarcoid inflammation. Furthermore, analysing the pulmonary cytokine network in sarcoidosis will yield new staging parameters possibly supplying prognostic information and guiding therapeutic intervention.
Physical Activity and Fruit and Vegetable Intake: Correlations between and within Adults in a Longitudinal Multiethnic Cohort

Purpose. To determine if changes in physical activity were associated with changes in fruit and vegetable intake. Design. Prospective cohort. Setting. Hawaii. Subjects. Seven hundred adults (18+ years) sampled from the general population. Measures. Computer-assisted telephone interviews conducted at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months; the International Physical Activity Questionnaire; the National Cancer Institute's Fruit and Vegetable Screener. Analysis. Between-individual correlations of each individual's mean physical activity and mean fruit and vegetable intake were estimated with Pearson correlations. Correlations of physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake within individuals over time were calculated from analysis of covariance models to factor out the variation between individuals. Results. Individuals with a higher mean physical activity duration tended to eat more fruits and vegetables (r =.30, p < .0001). Within individuals, no average correlation between physical activity and intake of fruit and vegetables was observed over time (r =.03). The variation was great in that some individuals, these behaviors changed simultaneously, but in others, they did not. Conclusion. Although individuals who are more physically active tend to eat more fruits and vegetables (i.e., there is a weak correlation between individuals), on average, individuals do not simultaneously change these behaviors. Implications are that health behaviors may not covary, or that intervention is necessary to bring about covariation in health behaviors. The great variation from individual to individual in the extent to which these two behaviors covaried needs to be studied to determine if the individual tendency for behaviors to covary could be measured and used to individually tailor multiple behavior interventions.
Antioxidant and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities of ethanol extract and pure flavonoids from Adinandra nitida leaves

Context: Adinandra nitida Merr. ex. H.L. Li (Theaceae) is an indigenous plant in south China. Its leaves have been reported to have many curative effects such as reducing blood pressure, as well as antibacterial, antioxidant, and analgesic properties, which could be used in foods and medicines. Objective: The antioxidant and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities of the main flavonoids and ethanol extract (EE) of A. nitida leaves were investigated for the first time. Materials and methods: The main flavonoids of A. nitida leaves (camellianin A, camellianin B) were prepared and their contents in EE were determined by HPLC. The antioxidant activities of the samples were measured by DPPH radical scavenging assay and Rancimat test. The ACE inhibitory activities of the samples were carried out by using an assay kit with hippuryl-glycyl-glycine as substrate. Results: The contents of camellianin A, camellianin B and apigenin in EE were determined as 41.98, 2.67, and 1.73%, respectively. The antioxidant activities of the flavonoids were far lower than that of EE in DPPH radical scavenging and Rancimat assays. However, the ACE-inhibitory activities of camellianin A, camellianin B and apigenin were higher than that of EE. Discussion and conclusion: The flavonoid content of EE was more than 45%. The high activities of EE in DPPH scavenging and Rancimat assay could be mainly attributed to compounds other than flavonoids. However, the ACE-inhibitory activity of EE could be mainly attributed to the presence of the flavonoids.
Identification of key constituents in volatile oil of Ligusticum chuanxiong based on data mining approaches

Context: Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is a complex multicomponent complex system that interacts with multiple targets and functions via multiple pathways based on the whole human system. Therefore, identification of key constituents of Chinese herbals (CH) not only plays a critical role in the quality control of CHM, but also paves a basis for redevelopment of them. Objective: Identification of key constituents in volatile oil (VO) of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort (Umbelliferae) (LCH), which is a CHM clinically used in China thousands of years ago. Materials and methods: The VO of LCH was pharmacologically demonstrated to have blood vessel activity (BVA) in vitro and chemically investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Data mining approaches were used to bridge the gap between chemical constituents (CCS) and bioactivities as well as contribute to select key constituents of LCH automatically. Results: Thirteen effective constituents of LCH with significant association with BVA were identified. Conclusion: The combination of 13 key constituents would accurately predict the bioactivities of blood vessel of LCH. Furthermore, the strategy presented here paves a strong basis for identification of key constituents of CH and elucidation of material basis of CHM.
A Silver Lining to Higher Prices at the Pump? Gasoline Prices and Teen Driving Behaviors

Purpose. Existing literature shows negative relationships between gasoline price and motor vehicle crashes, particularly among teens. This paper extends that literature by evaluating the relationship between gasoline price and self-reported risky driving among teens. Design. Observational study using multivariate empirical analysis, using pooled data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, waves 2003–2009. Setting. Secondary data from survey administered in private and public high schools across the United States. Subjects. Students in grades 9 through 12, surveyed biennially from 2003 to 2009 (n = 58,749). Measures. Outcomes are (self-reported) driving without seatbelts, driving after consuming alcohol, and moderate physical activity (like walking or bicycling). State-level retail gasoline prices constitute the main predictor variable. Analysis. Multivariate logistic models are estimated for the full sample, as well as by gender, race/ethnicity, and age. Individual characteristics, state unemployment, and state driving policies are controlled for. Standard errors are clustered at the state level. Results are reported in form of risk differences. Results. Higher gasoline prices are negatively and significantly associated with driving without seatbelts. Associations are particularly strong for males and minorities. There are fewer statistical associations between gasoline prices and driving after drinking. Higher gasoline prices are positively associated with more moderate physical activity. Conclusion. Higher gasoline prices are associated with less risky driving behaviors among teens, and they may be associated with more active forms of transportation, like walking and bicycling. The study limitations are discussed.