Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Review article: Use of renal registry data for research, health‐care planning and quality improvement: What can we learn from registry data in the Asia–Pacific region?

SUMMARY: We review renal registry data from the Asia–Pacific region with an emphasis on their uses in health care and in dialysis care in particular. The review aims to demonstrate the information value of registry data. While renal registry provides a useful data resource for epidemiological research, there are severe methodological limitations in its application for analytical or therapeutic research. However, it is the use of renal registry data for public health and health‐care management purposes that registry really comes into its own, and it is primarily for these that governments have invested in national patient and disease registries. We apply data from several renal registries in the Asia–Pacific region to illustrate its wide application for planning dialysis services, for evaluating dialysis practices and health outcomes, with a view to improving the quality of dialysis care. In the course of preparing the review, we have found that the quality and accessibility of renal registry data were highly variable across the region. Given the value of renal registry, every country in the Asia–Pacific region should establish one or should ensure that their current registries are better resourced and developed. Greater data sharing and collaboration among registries in the region could help advance the nephrology to serve our patients better.
Prescription Opiate Misuse Among Rural Stimulant Users in a Multistate Community-Based Study

Objectives: The purpose of the current analysis was to examine the factors associated with prescription opiate misuse among stimulant users from rural counties in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Ohio (N = 714). Methods: Multiple logistic regression was utilized to determine the independent correlates of recent (prior 6 months) prescription opiate misuse. Results: More than half of participants (53.2%) reported prescription opiate misuse in the previous 6 months. Other drug use (heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana) and anxiety (Adjusted Odds Ratio: 2.04, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.60, 2.59) were independently associated with prescription opiate misuse. Chronic pain and other health indicators were not associated with prescription opiate misuse after adjustment for covariates. Conclusions: Results indicate that illicit drug involvement and psychiatric symptoms may be driving the high rates of prescription opiate misuse among rural stimulant users. These findings have implications for the provision of treatment in resource-deprived rural areas.
Coffee Consumption is Associated with a Lower Incidence of Fatty Liver in Middle-aged Men

Whilst accumulating reports have shown the beneficial effects of coffee against chronic liver diseases, the effects of coffee against fatty liver have not yet been reported. In this cross-sectional and the follow-up studies, we investigated the effects of coffee on the production of fatty liver in healthy males, using ultrasonography. In the follow-up study, annual changes in daily coffee intake during the 5-year study period were compared between subjects who appeared to have fatty liver (fatty liver group) and those who did not appear to have fatty liver (non-fatty liver group) in the matched study according to age, body mass index (BMI) and daily exercise level. The effects of changes in daily coffee intake between both groups on the development of fatty liver were investigated after adjustments for related factors, such as BMI, daily coffee and alcohol intake and exercise level. In the cross-sectional study, the subjects with fatty liver were revealed to have a lower daily coffee intake than those without fatty liver. In the follow-up study, a significant difference in the changes in daily coffee intake was observed between the fatty liver and non-fatty liver groups with a decrease in daily coffee intake observed in the former group, compared with the change in the latter group. Further, daily coffee intake was negatively correlated with the development of fatty liver after adjustments for related factors. These findings suggest a protective effect of coffee against fatty liver.
A challenge to chronic kidney disease in Asia: The report of the second Asian Forum of Chronic Kidney Disease Initiative

Background: The Asian Forum of Chronic Kidney Disease Initiative started in 2007 in Hamamatsu, Japan when delegates from 16 countries joined together to facilitate collaboration in studying chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the Asia–Pacific region. Based on the outcome of the first meeting, the second meeting was organized as a consensus conference to frame the most relevant issues, and develop research recommendations and action plan.
Rural–Urban Differences in End-of-Life Care: Implications for Practice

Most older adults with advanced illnesses express the wish to die at home. Home-based care from home health and hospice agencies makes this possible, but there are great geographic variations in utilization. Interviews and focus groups with key constituents in home health and hospice agencies across the 8-county region of Western New York State were used to explore how rural–urban location and agency type (home health or hospice) influence variations in end-of-life care. Emergent themes were: Rural-Urban Differences (geographic challenges, market forces, and programming issues) and End-of-life Care Issues (macrosocial, mezzosocial, and microsocial factors). Implications for social work practice are discussed.
Tissue level of advanced glycation end products is an independent determinant of high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein levels in haemodialysis patients

Aim: C‐reactive protein (CRP) level predicts future cardiovascular events in patients on haemodialysis (HD). Advanced glycation end products (AGE) play a role in cardiovascular disease (CVD) in HD patients. However, which variables including tissue AGE levels are independently associated with CRP remains unknown. Therefore, whether tissue AGE and CRP levels were correlated with atherosclerosis in HD patients was examined.
Care Coordination in Military Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI)—an injury to the brain that may or may not create lasting impairment for the survivor—has been recognized as a major public health problem by the Centers for Disease Control (Langlois, Rutland-Brown, & Thomas, 2006). Ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have highlighted the problem for the military (Warden, 2006). Many soldiers are exposed to severe impact to the head resulting in TBI. As those with TBI transition to their home locality, civilian social workers and other providers will be involved in their care. This article examines the medical and emotional implications of mild TBI and offers suggestions for care of those affected, both the service member and his/her family.
Association between chronic kidney disease and small residual urine volumes in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia

Aim: It has been well described that large residual urine volumes (≥300 mL) affect renal function in advanced benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). However, it is not clear whether small residual urine volumes (<100 mL) are related to renal function. The present study was performed to examine the association between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the post‐void residual urine volume (PVR) in BPH patients.
Alteration in the phenotype of macrophages in the repair of renal interstitial fibrosis in mice

Aim: Renal interstitial fibrosis is the final common pathway determining long‐term prognosis of chronic kidney diseases, but its repair process is scarcely understood. Because recent reports indicate that M2 macrophages play important roles in the repair of various tissues, special attention was paid to the phenotypes of infiltrating macrophages in the present study when the histological changes occurring in mouse kidneys after the release of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) inducing renal fibrosis were analyzed.
Barriers Impeding Access to Primary Oral Health Care Among Farmworker Families in Central Florida

Oral health care is critical for farmworkers' families in Central Florida. There is little research regarding the access to primary oral health care, barriers, and behaviors of Mexican migrant families. Forty semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents who are farmworkers in order to understand the factors that impact dental service utilization. Other factors that were also examined related to parental decisions regarding visits to the dentist with their children. This study highlights the inconsistent and inadequate patterns of dental health care services available for women, men, and children of farmworkers in Central Florida.
Factors Associated With Diabetes-Related Distress: Implications for Diabetes Self-Management

As 7.8% of the U.S. population is affected by diabetes, health care providers are tasked with providing resources to assist patients toward self-management. Psychosocial issues have an effect on diabetes self-care. Diabetes-related distress is associated with self-management and lower A1C. This cross-sectional study seeks to understand how demographic factors, psychological orientations, support, and diabetes management behaviors predict diabetes-related distress. This study uses data from 267 adults with Type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) is a 17-item scale measuring diabetes-related distress including emotional distress, physician-related distress, regimen distress, and interpersonal distress. Hierarchical regression was conducted in four stages. The final model explains 48% of the variance in DDS. Significant factors related to lower DDS were older age, lower body mass index, higher self-efficacy, higher levels of health care provider support, and a healthy diet. Findings of this study help health care providers know where to focus to reduce diabetes-related distress. Health care provider support is significant in reducing DDS. Diabetes education may want to include strategies that increase self-efficacy and assist people with diabetes to obtain a healthy weight through a more healthful diet.
From “Employer-Employee” to “Family of Choice”: The Development of the Relationship between Philippine Worker Immigrants and Elderly Care Recipients

The current study adds to the pool of findings regarding experiences of female Philippine work immigrants employed in elderly caregiving in Israel, as they cope with their role as caregivers. Based on an analysis of the qualitative interviews with 27 Philippine women, three themes emerged. The first is the manner in which these caregivers perceive the treatment and care they give their elderly employers, taking into account the initial stage of the professional relationship, the various types of support, and the employer-employee interactions. The second theme deals with the manner in which these caregivers perceive their role once the relationship with the elderly care recipient is established and the employer’s needs and preferences become familiar; that is, once there is a clear caregiver-client relationship. The third theme deals with the manner in which the caregivers perceive their relationship with their elderly employers and with the employers’ family members, and the way they believe their employer and family perceive their role as caregivers. This stage of the relationship they define as “family of choice”. The combination of the three themes presents a comprehensive picture of positive change in terms of the caregivers perception of their role, and a shift in the manner in which they perceive their employers: from a “source of income” to “parent”.
Regular Exercise Improves Outcome in Droopy Shoulder Syndrome: A Subgroup of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

Objective: Droopy shoulder syndrome [DSS] is classified as a small subgroup of disputed neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome and characterized by drooping of the shoulders which leads to traction on the brachial plexus. The effect of exercise seems controversial in DSS. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of exercise both on clinical and radiological outcome in DSS. Methods: Thirty-four patients referred to the physical medicine and rehabilitation outpatient clinic with DSS were included in this prospective follow-up study. Of these patients, five were lost to follow-up. All patients were given home exercises and followed up for 13.7 ± 5.0 months. The patients were divided into two groups with regard to their adherence to exercise programs as regular and irregular exercise groups. The clinical outcome was assessed on the basis of pain with visual analog scale, patient's response to treatment, and radiographic changes. Results: At the end of the treatment when the two groups were compared, the patients doing regular exercise had a better improvement in pain scores [P = 0.002] and radiographic findings [P = 0.05] than the irregular exercisers. They also said they were much more satisfied with the treatment [P = 0.04]. Conclusion: Regular exercise improves outcome in DSS. Unlike previous reports, radiographic improvement can also be achieved if the objective evaluation is performed.
Interprofessional collaboration and integration as experienced by social workers in health care

ABSTRACT Interprofessional collaboration in health care is gaining popularity. This secondary analysis focuses on social workers’ experiences on interprofessional teams. The data revealed that social workers perceived overall collaboration as positive. However, concerns were made apparent regarding not having the opportunity to work to full scope and a lack of understanding of social work ideology from other professionals. Both factors seem to impede integration of and collaboration with social workers on health care teams. This study confirms the need to encourage and support health care providers to more fully understand the foundation, role, and efficacy of social work on interprofessional teams.
Seriously clowning: Medical clowning interaction with children undergoing invasive examinations in hospitals

ABSTRACT This qualitative study examined the subjective experience of children undergoing an invasive examination in the hospital when accompanied by a medical clown. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine such children and nine of their accompanying parents. The children were patients in two outpatient departments (Pediatric Gastroenterology and a Center for the Sexually Abused) in a hospital in Israel. Interviews were coded thematically using an Atlas.ti software program. Analysis of the interviews indicated that the intervention of the clown positively changed the children’s perceptions of the hospital, of experiencing the examination, and of their life narrative. Medical clowns thus appear to be a central, meaningful, and therapeutic source for children undergoing invasive examinations in hospital, as well as for their parents. Therefore, it may be advisable to incorporate medical clowns as an integral part of medical teams performing invasive procedures and to include the clowns in all stages of the hospital visit.
The experiences of emergency department use by street-involved youth: Perspectives of health care and community service providers

ABSTRACT Street-involved (SI) youth represent a significant proportion of urban homeless populations. While previous research has identified SI youth as substantial users of emergency department (ED) services and has examined their experiences of ED care, little is known about the experiences and perceptions of the service providers who assist these youth with health care related issues. Using grounded theory, individual interviews and focus groups were conducted with 20 community agency staff serving SI youth, 17 health service providers, two hospital administrators, and two hospital security personnel regarding their experiences in providing or facilitating ED care for SI youth. Results identify differences in expectations between SI youth and hospital staff, along with service issues and gaps, including relational barriers and resource constraints. Implications for practice and policy development are offered.
Tuning a ménage à trois: Co‐evolution and co‐adaptation of nuclear and organellar genomes in plants

Plastids and mitochondria arose through endosymbiotic acquisition of formerly free‐living bacteria. During more than a billion years of subsequent concerted evolution, the three genomes of plant cells have undergone dramatic structural changes to optimize the expression of the compartmentalized genetic material and to fine‐tune the communication between the nucleus and the organelles. The chimeric composition of many multiprotein complexes in plastids and mitochondria (one part of the subunits being nuclear encoded and another one being encoded in the organellar genome) provides a paradigm for co‐evolution at the cellular level. In this paper, we discuss the co‐evolution of nuclear and organellar genomes in the context of environmental adaptation in species and populations. We highlight emerging genetic model systems and new experimental approaches that are particularly suitable to elucidate the molecular basis of co‐adaptation processes and describe how nuclear‐cytoplasmic co‐evolution can cause genetic incompatibilities that contribute to the establishment of hybridization barriers, ultimately leading to the formation of new species.
Establishing the cut‐off point for the Oppositional Defiant Behavior Inventory

Abstract The purpose of the present paper was to make a detailed examination of the cut‐off point for the Oppositional Defiant Behavior Inventory (ODBI). The subjects were 56 untreated boys (age 6–15 years), who were diagnosed to have oppositional defiant disorder and who presented between December 2001 and March 2008. Controls were 690 boys with no history of contacting hospitals and no developmental or behavioral disorders at two elementary schools and two junior high schools in a city and its suburbs. It was shown that the level of opposition in boys could be evaluated regardless of the age groups by the ODBI, because there was no significant difference in the ODBI score for the one‐way analysis of variance. Based on the sensitivity (88.2%), specificity (90.0%), positive predictive value (75.0%) and negative predictive value (95.7%), a score of 20 points was thus established as a suitable cut‐off point to distinguish the children who are eligible for ODD diagnosis from those who are not.
Phenotypes from ancient DNA: Approaches, insights and prospects

The great majority of phenotypic characteristics are complex traits, complicating the identification of the genes underlying their expression. However, both methodological and theoretical progress in genome‐wide association studies have resulted in a much better understanding of the underlying genetics of many phenotypic traits, including externally visible characteristics (EVCs) such as eye and hair color. Consequently, it has become possible to predict EVCs from human samples lacking phenotypic information. Predicting EVCs from genetic evidence is clearly appealing for forensic applications involving the personal identification of human remains. Now, a recent paper has reported the genetic determination of eye and hair color in samples up to 800 years old. The ability to predict EVCs from ancient human remains opens up promising perspectives for ancient DNA research, as this could allow studies to directly address archaeological and evolutionary questions related to the temporal and geographical origins of the genetic variants underlying phenotypes.
Neuropsychological impairment and gender differences in HIV‐1 infection

Aims: Research into neuropsychological consequences of HIV has focused mainly on male subjects, and therefore very little is known about the disease in female subjects and, of course, about gender differences. The aim of the present research was therefore to investigate neuropsychological impairment rates and pattern in HIV male and female patients, with regard to the study of gender differences in tasks assessing attention, memory for texts, digits and words, psychomotor speed, verbal intelligence and abstract reasoning.
Cerebral Palsy and Perinatal Infection in Children Born at Term

METHODS: A case–control study was performed in a population-based series of children with cerebral palsy born at term (n5309) matched with a control group (n5618). The cases were divided into cerebral palsy subtypes: spastic hemiplegia, spastic diplegia, spastic tetraplegia, and dyskinetic cerebral palsy. All forms of spastic cerebral palsy were also analyzed together. All records were examined for maternal and neonatal signs of infection. Univariate and adjusted analyses were performed.
ES[S]PRIT – an Internet-based programme for the prevention and early intervention of eating disorders in college students

ABSTRACT New communication technologies offer novel possibilities for the prevention of mental illness, in which geographical and psychosocial distances often hamper help-seeking. This paper introduces ES[S]PRIT, an Internet-based eating disorders (ED) prevention programme for university students. The programme follows a stepped-care approach combining various support components of increasing intensity. These components comprise psychoeducation, symptom monitoring, supportive feedback, peer support, and professional online counselling. Participants who develop substantial ED symptoms during their participation are referred to the University Student Counselling Center. We outline the underlying concepts and various components of the programme and report first experiences with the approach in a sample of German college students. Finally, potentials of the approach are highlighted and the need for further research is stressed.
Correlations between alexithymia and pain severity, depression, and anxiety among patients with chronic and episodic migraine

Aims: Some studies have found elevated alexithymia among patients with chronic pain, but the correlations between alexithymia and the severity of pain, depression, and anxiety among migraine patients are unclear. The aims of the present study were to investigate whether individuals suffering from episodic migraine (EM) differ from those with chronic migraine (CM) in regards to depression, anxiety, and alexithymia measures and to investigate the association of alexithymia with the results of depression and anxiety test inventories and illness characteristics.
The EEG as an Aid to Diagnosis of Nervous Diseases in the Dog and Cat

— A simple technique for recording EEGs from out-patient dogs and cats is described. The EEGs which are found in a variety of pathological conditions of the central nervous system are described, and their use in diagnosis, prognosis and treatment is discussed. Resume— Une technique simple pour enregistrer l'E.E.G. chez le chien et le chat. Les E.E.G.s qui se rencontrent dans une variete de troubles du systeme nerveux central sont decrits et leur emploi dans le diagnostic, le pronostic et le traitement est discute. Zusammenfassung— Es wird eine einfache Technik zur ambulanten Aufnahme des E.E.G. von Hunden und Katzen beschrieben. Es werden die E.E.G.s beschrieben, die bei einer Vielzahl von pathologischen Veranderungen des Z.N. S. gefunden wurden und ihr Wert fur die Diagnose, Prognose und Therapie wird besprochen.