Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Kwaliteit van leven meten in economische evaluaties: het Nederlands EQ-5D-tarief

OBJECTIVE: To value EQ-5D health states by a general Dutch public. EQ-5D is a standardised questionnaire that is used to calculate quality-adjusted life-years for cost-utility analysis. DESIGN: Descriptive. METHOD: A sample of 309 Dutch adults from Rotterdam and surroundings was asked to value 17 EQ-5D health states using the time trade-off method. Regression analysis was applied to the valuations of these 17 health states. By means of the estimated regression coefficients, which together constitute the so-called Dutch tariff, valuations can be determined for all possible EQ-5D health states. These values reflect the relative desirability of health states on a scale where 1 refers to full health and 0 refers to death. Societal valuations are necessary in order to correct life-years for the quality of life. RESULTS: Complete data were obtained from 298 persons. Theywere representative for the Dutch population as far as age, gender and subjective health were concerned, but had a somewhat higher educational level. The estimated Dutch EQ-5D tariff revealed that the respondents assigned the most weight to (preventing) pain and anxiety or depression, followed by mobility, self-care and the activities of daily living. The Dutch tariff differed from the UK ('Measurement and Valuation of Health') tariff, which is currently used in Dutch cost-utility analyses. Compared to UK respondents, Dutch respondents assigned more weight to anxiety and depression and less weight to the other dimensions. Conclusion. The valuation of health states by this representative Dutch study group differed from the valuation that is currently used in Dutch cost-utility analyses.
Frailty and anaesthesia: what we need to know

We have an ageing population with approximately 1.25 million people in the UK aged 85 yr or more and about 20% of the total UK population classified as pensioners. Estimates suggest that this patient characteristic change will continue with the older proportion of our society projected to double and treble in another 25 and 35 yr, respectively. Unsurprisingly, given this rate of population ageing, the number of older patients undergoing surgical procedures is also increasing. While surgery frequently has benefits for the older population, they also suffer from an excess of adverse postoperative outcomes when compared with younger patients. These adverse outcomes are due in part to age-related physiological change and multimorbidity but are increasingly attributed to the influence from geriatric syndromes. These syndromes can be thought of as clinical phenotypes commonly encountered in older people which do not neatly fit into a disease category or organ-specific condition, and the pathogenesis of which is often incompletely understood. Frailty, which can be thought of as decreased physiological reserve across multiple organ systems, leading to adverse outcomes in the frail individual, as a result of even seemingly minor external stressors, is a clear example of a geriatric syndrome.
Registered Nurse Staffing and Patient and Nurse Outcomes in Hospitals: A Commentary

The authors' research group published a major article in October 2002 showing a strong effect of nurse staffing on both patient outcomes and factors related to nurse turnover in 168 Pennsylvania hospitals. This article reviews major design elements and findings of the study and discusses policy implications of this research. Even though evidence is mounting that hospital staffing is a public health issue, regulation of staffing levels remains controversial. Higher quality staffing data that incorporate information about patients' needs for nursing care are required for better administrative decision-making and research purposes. That the current nurse shortage is occurring in an era of renewed concerns about safety in hospitals offers unique opportunities for developing public policy to remedy problems with staffing and other long-standing workplace environment issues in hospital nursing.
Nurses Perceptions of their Competence in Managing Patient Situations in Acute Care

Nurses are at the forefront of recognizing and managing patient situations which may be potentially life-threatening. This study examines the nature and extent to which nursing experience and selected educational variables have on nurses’ perceptions of their competence in managing deteriorating patient situations in acute care. Self-awareness of nurses’ competence in managing these types of patient situations is critical. Benner’s Novice to Expert Model of developmental competency is the theoretical framework for this study. A survey methodology was used to gather data on the variables: years of experience in nursing, years working in current specialty, educational preparation, national certification, area of specialization, crosstraining in more than one specialty, and advanced life support or rapid response team member training. Attendance at a case review session where actual cases were reviewed was also a variable. Instrumentation included an adapted version of the Nurse Competence Scale, a thirteenitem scale related to managing patient situations. Content validity was established by an expert panel of nurses practicing in acute care in the roles of Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse Manager, and staff nurses. The setting for the study was an acute care community hospital in the Northeast. Of 212 registered nurses eligible to participate in the survey, the data producing sample of 74 subjects resulted in a 35% return rate. Using SAS, data analysis included univariate descriptive statistics and logistic regression to determine predictive values on nurses’ self-perceived competence in managing deteriorating patient situations. Of special interest was the potential association with attendance at case review sessions. Results indicate the overall score for nurses’ competence in managing patient situations is in the “good” range (between 8 and 9 on the study scale). Those who attended a case review session had higher overall scores in eleven of the thirteen aspects on the study scale. Cross-training to more than one specialty was predictive of nurses’ self-perceived competence in managing patient situations. Limitations of this study include the small sample size, and that it was conducted in one community hospital and so findings may not be generalizable to other settings. This study contributes to the knowledge base in nurse competence and nurses’ role in managing patient deterioration. Implications for nursing education and practice include integrating such competencies in program planning for orientation and continuing education.
Assessment of a Music-Based Multimedia Program for People with Dementia

Music in different forms is widely used in dementia care and several studies have shown that music-based activities support the well-being of people with dementia. The aim of this article is to describe the first results of an assessment study of a music-based multimedia program called ‘Picture Gramophone’ (PG). The assessment was carried out in dementia day care units (n= 5) in Finland, Ireland, Norway and the UK. In this article we describe the results from the first three weeks. Altogether, 28 people participated in the first interview and five dropped out over the three weeks. Most participants used the PG and, according to staff, most of them benefited from its use. Our results suggest that multimedia products can be used in dementia care if support is available and the design of the product takes into account the user requirements of people with dementia.
Prognostic Factors in the Acute Exacerbation of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Retrospective Single-center Study

Objectives Acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF-AE) has been recognized as a fatal pulmonary disorder, but the exact prognostic factors are unknown. The aim of the present study was to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with IPF-AE and identify the prognostic factors. Methods The medical records of 59 cases of IPF-AE were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical data, laboratory data, radiographic findings, treatment, and time from the onset of symptoms to the initiation of corticosteroid pulse therapy, i.e. symptom duration, and outcome were analyzed. Results The IPF Stage, Gender-Age-Physiology (GAP) Index, symptom duration, and the high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) score were significantly related to the prognosis in the univariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, the symptom duration remained a significant prognostic factor (hazard ratio of 1-day increase, 1.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.15; p=0.0427). The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of symptom duration was statistically significant for survivors versus non-survivors (area under the curve, 0.73; p=0.012). The survival period was significantly shorter in the late-treatment groups (≥5 days; n=30) than in the early-treatment groups (<5 days; n=29; log-rank test; p<0.0001). Conclusion The time interval between the onset of symptoms and the initiation of corticosteroid pulse therapy may be an independent prognostic factor in patients with IPF-AE.
Relationship between vitamin D and disease activity in some rheumatic diseases

Most people are aware that vitamin D deficiency in young children can lead to rickets, a condition where the bones become weak and soft. Many of the benefits of vitamin D relate to its role in the modulation of immune system. So, vitamin D may play role in autoimmune rheumatic diseases. There are two groups: patients group and control group. The control group included 20 healthy volunteers. Patients group included 100 rheumatic patients, 30 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 20 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 30 with osteoartheritis (OA), 10 with Behcet’s disease, 10 with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Venous blood samples were taken for determination of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum 1. 25(OH) 2 D3 levels and serum C reactive protein (CRP) levels. The disease activity in different target groups was assessed using Disease Activity Score including 28 joint counts (DAS28) in RA patients, SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) in SLE patients, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Criteria (WOMAC) in OA patients, The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria in Behcet’s patients and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) in A.S. patients. The mean value of vitamin D serum levels were significantly lower in each of RA, SLE, Behcet’s disease and AS patients (mean ± SD) (13.47 ± 8.17, 19.32 ±10.67, 17.64 ±8.79 and 17.81 ±8.11 respectively) in comparison to control group (26.61 ± 6.44, p-value ≤0.05). While, There is no significance difference between the OA (22.95 ±9.3) and control groups, as p-value of 0.178. As regard the comparison of vitamin D serum level between the active RA, SLE, OA, Behcet’s disease and AS patients and the inactive groups, the difference was found to be statistically insignificant (p-value >0.05). In the patients group DAS28 in RA patients, SLEDAI in SLE patients, WOMAC in OA patients, ACR criteria in Behcet’s patients and BASDAI in AS were significantly higher in active groups as compared with inactive groups. In the present study no association was observed between vitamin D levels and disease activity scales DAS28, SLEDAI, WOMAC, and ACR. While there is a significant negative correlation between vitamin D levels and BASDAI. Vitamin D deficiency occurs at a higher rate in patients with RA, SLE, Behcet’s disease and A.S. While, no association was observed between vitamin D levels and disease activity scales in the RA, SLE, OA, and Behcet’s disease patients. Key words: Vitamin D, immune system, rheumatic autoimmune diseases, activity and severity.
Indoor Tanning and Adolescents: Dependency or Self‐Medication?

&NA; This article was prompted by a review of a 2006 survey by Zeller and colleagues of adolescents on indoor tanning behavior. A brief overview of the study is provided. Then, pointing to the parallel between indoor tanning dependence and diagnostic criteria, the neurobiological basis for indoor tanning is expanded with discussion of the circadian cycle. Implications for clinical practice, research, and public policy are identified for this at‐risk population.
Prognostic significance of elevated cyclin B1 expression in colorectal cancer: A rapid tissue lysis and immunoblot study

AIM: To assess the prognostic value of elevated cyclin B1 expression in human colorectal cancer tissues by a rapid tissue lysis method combined with immunoblot analysis. METHODS: A previously reported rapid tissue lysis protocol was adopted to prepare tissue lysates from paired tumor and non-tumor tissues obtained from 85 colorectal cancer patients, followed by performance of immunoblot analyses to compare the levels of cyclin B1 expression in these patients. Statistical analyses were performed to determine the relevance of elevated cyclin B1 expression to patients’ clinicopathological characteristics and shorter overall survival. RESULTS: Out of 85 colorectal patients studied, only 7 (8.2%) patients exhibited elevated cyclin B1 expression in their tumor tissues. There was no association between cyclin B1 and CDC 2 expression in the tumor tissues (P > 0.05). Raised cyclin B1 expression concurred with patients’ increased carcinoembryonic antigen levels in sera (P = 0.005), but was not correlated with age, gender, and clinicopathological characteristics such as tumor size, tumor site, grade of tumor cell differentiation, depth of tumor invasion, nodal or distant metastasis, and tumor cell proliferation index. Patients with elevated cyclin B1 expression in tumor tissues significantly exhibited a poorer overall survival (median: 20.4 mo vs. 104.2 mo, P = 0.011). By Cox’s regression analysis, this correlation remained significant after adjustment for another potential factor tumor metastasis (P = 0.02), indicating that elevated cyclin B1 expression in tumor tissues could serve as an independent prognostic factor for colorectal cancer. CONCLUSION: A rapid tissue lysis and subsequent immunoblot analysis can be exploited to detect abnormal cyclin B1 expression, which has prognostic significance in human colorectal cancer.
Chemotherapeutic Effect of Essential Oil of Wedelia chinensis (Osbeck) on Inducing Apoptosis, Suppressing Angiogenesis and Lung Metastasis in C57BL/6 Mice Model

Aim of the study was to determine the effect of essential oil of Wedelia chinensis (Osbeck) on lung metastasis developed by B16F-10 melanoma cell line in C57BL/6 mice. The essential oil extracted by hydro distillation method was evaluated by GC-MS for its bioactive compounds. Male C57BL/6 mice were injected with B16F-10 melanoma cells through tail vein and simultaneously treated with the essential oil of Wedelia chinensis (Osbeck). The selected dose of drug (50 μg of essential oil) showed its cytotoxicity on B16 F-10 melanoma cell line with 65.17% of death within 24hrs in-vitro. We observed a statistically significant increase in the number of apoptotic cells in essential oil treated group when compared with the normal and cancer control groups. We have also observed an increased level of expression of apoptosis inducing molecules such as p53 and caspase-3 in treated group when compared to cancer group as an indicator of utilization of such molecules for inducing apoptosis. The present investigations indicate the effect of essential oil of Wedelia chinensis (Osbeck) in suppressing the metastatic potential of B16F-10 cells in lungs as well as tumor directed angiogenesis. It has shown a powerful apoptotic effect by increasing the levels of p53 and caspase-3 enhancing apoptotic nuclei and thereby it inhibits cancer progress. This drug can be therefore taken as a key therapeutic agent to treat cancer in future with extensive molecular studies.
Levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in tear fluid of mustard gas exposed patients with chronic dry-eye symptoms

The purpose of this study is to compare the levels of MMP-1, 2, 8, 9 in tear fluids of people exposed to mustard gas in the war between Iraq and Iran who had the chronic dry-eye symptoms compared to the normal group. In this study, 25 of the patients who were exposed to mustard gas and had chronic dry eye symptoms were compared to 25 patients as control group; consisting of 25 people who had common chronic dry eye symptoms with blepharitis and 25 healthy people as normal group. The level of MMP-1, 2, 8, 9 in tear fluid of people of these three groups was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results for levels of MMP-1 (P=0.8) and MMP-2 (P=0.54) in tear fluid of patients in comparison with normal group do not indicate any significant difference. On the other hand, the calculated levels for MMP-8 (P=0.002) and MMP-9 (P=0.01) in tear fluid of patients in comparison with normal group shows a significant increase. The differences were considered statistically significant at p< 0.05. The effects of exposure to mustard gas on eyes of chemical-injured veterans destroy meibomian glands which paves the way for evaporative dry-eye. As a result, MMPs in tear fluid of these patients increase which eventually elevates the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) levels in tear fluid and results in later eye-impairments.
What is the quality of clinical practice guidelines accessible on the world wide web for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions in physiotherapy?

Health care professionals have a duty to provide the best services available to their clients. Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) can help physiotherapists do so by providing them with access to clinical recommendations for evaluating and treating various conditions. The purpose of this study was twofold: to assess the quality of existing CPGs in physiotherapy and to create a Web-based inventory of these CPGs. Nine guidelines were selected (consisting of 61 recommendation statements) according to predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria and then independently quality assessed by four appraisers using the AGREE (Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation) Instrument. The methodological quality of these musculoskeletal CPGs was fair (mean quality score of 46.6%; range 0%–83%; [95% confidence interval {CI} 17.0%–70.5%]) depending on the specific AGREE dimension.
Mejorando la pesquisa de depresión posparto a través de un instrumento de tamizaje, la escala de depresión posparto de Edimburgo

The medicalrecords of women attended during 2002, were reviewed to detect the registry of depressivesymptoms or request for psychiatric consultations for depression. During 2003, the EPDS wasapplied to a sample of 110 women. To confirm the postpartum depression diagnosed using theinstrument, a structured psychiatric interview was administered to these women.
Effects of Pollution on Freshwater Organisms

This review includes works published in the general scientific literature during 2015 on the effects of anthropogenic pollutants on freshwater organisms. It begins with two broad sections: research reviews and broad field studies and surveys. This is followed by reviews of research categorized in sections to reflect the pollutant class. These sections include wastewater, stormwater and non‐point source pollution, nutrients, sediment cap materials and suspended clays, botanical extracts, surfactants, metals, persistent organic pollutants, pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), ionic liquids, and nanomaterials. The final section includes works describing innovations in the field of freshwater pollution research.
Modeling the risk of age-related macular degeneration and its predictive comparisons in a population in South India

Background: Objective of current study was to develop and cross-validate the prediction models for Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) by using Logistic Regression (LR) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). Methods: A population based cross-sectional epidemiologic study. The data (n=3723) were analyzed on participants aged ≥40 years in Andhra Pradesh, South India. Sub-population data from this sample was drawn by using random under sampling and random over sampling techniques to derive a risk score from the LR model. The models were compared for their predictive abilities by an Area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUROC). Results: The LR risk score was built with a score ranging from 0 to 60 for a sub-population dataset (n=213). A cut-off score of ≥30 had a sensitivity of 79% and a specificity of 69%. The predictive performance of ANN and LR was statistically equivalent (76% vs. 78%; P = 0.624). Both the models were stable and consistently obtained the same predictive accuracies in a 30-fold split-sample cross validation. Conclusions: The sensitivity analysis of the ANN model indicated the relative importance of prioritizing modifiable risk factors for AMD in order to base preventive interventions to reduce the impact of the modifiable factors on AMD.
Reviewing the definition of “elderly”

Conventionally, “elderly” has been defined as a chronological age of 65 years old or older, while those from 65 through 74 years old are referred to as “early elderly” and those over 75 years old as “late elderly. ” However, the evidence on which this definition is based is unknown. We have attempted to review the definition of elderly by analyzing data from long‐term longitudinal epidemiological studies, and clinical and pathological studies that have been accumulated at the Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology. Our recommendation might be a starting point in developing a strategy for a successful society by reviewing the definition of elderly based on comprehensive evidence in all aspects of social, cultural and medical sciences.
Alternative Echocardiographic Methods to Assess Left Ventricular Diastolic Function

The standard noninvasive method to assess left ventricular diastolic function has been pulsed Doppler echocardiographic recordings of mitral inflow early diastolic (E) and atrial (A) filling velocities and the ratio of E to A, in combination with isovolumic relaxation and deceleration times. Pulmonary venous inflow velocities (systolic, diastolic, and atrial reversal) are used to assess left atrial and left ventricular end-diastolic pressures. These measurements are influenced by changes in preload, including left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, left atrial or pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, and left ventricular volumes. Newer methods such as tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) of the mitral annulus and color M-mode recording of left ventricular diastolic flow propagation (FP) have now evolved as additional techniques for detecting abnormalities in left ventricular diastolic function that can complement the standard pulsed Doppler echocardiography methods. Both TDI and color M-mode flow FP appear to offer distinct advantages as relatively load-independent measures of diastolic function. TDI can be used for measurement of regional diastolic myocardial velocities at the mitral annulus, and it is particularly useful in identifying abnormalities of left ventricular diastolic relaxation or estimation of left ventricular filling pressures. Color M-mode FP can be used for quantification of abnormalities of left ventricular relaxation and diastolic filling characteristics of the left ventricle.