Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dietary cholesterol, rather than liver steatosis, leads to hepatic inflammation in hyperlipidemic mouse models of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) involves liver lipid accumulation (steatosis) combined with hepatic inflammation. The transition towards hepatic inflammation represents a key step in pathogenesis, because it will set the stage for further liver damage, culminating in hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. The actual risk factors that drive hepatic inflammation during the progression to NASH remain largely unknown. The role of steatosis and dietary cholesterol in the etiology of diet‐induced NASH was investigated using hyperlipidemic mouse models fed a Western diet. Livers of male and female hyperlipidemic (low‐density lipoprotein receptor–deficient [ldlr−/−] and apolipoprotein E2 knock‐in [APOE2ki]) mouse models were compared with livers of normolipidemic wild‐type (WT) C57BL/6J mice after short‐term feeding with a high‐fat diet with cholesterol (HFC) and without cholesterol. Whereas WT mice displayed only steatosis after a short‐term HFC diet, female ldlr−/− and APOE2ki mice showed steatosis with severe inflammation characterized by infiltration of macrophages and increased nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) signaling. Remarkably, male ldlr−/− and APOE2ki mice developed severe hepatic inflammation in the absence of steatosis after 7 days on an HFC diet compared with WT animals. An HFC diet induced bloated, “foamy” Kupffer cells in male and female ldlr−/− and APOE2ki mice. Hepatic inflammation was found to be linked to increased plasma very low‐density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol levels. Omitting cholesterol from the HFC diet lowered plasma VLDL cholesterol and prevented the development of inflammation and hepatic foam cells. Conclusion: These findings indicate that dietary cholesterol, possibly in the form of modified plasma lipoproteins, is an important risk factor for the progression to hepatic inflammation in diet‐induced NASH. (HEPATOLOGY 2008;48:474–486.)
Nocturnal nutritional supplementation improves total body protein status of patients with liver cirrhosis: A randomized 12‐month trial

Patients with liver cirrhosis exhibit early onset of gluconeogenesis after short‐term fasting. This accelerated metabolic reaction to starvation may underlie their increased protein requirements and muscle depletion. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to test the hypothesis that provision of a late‐evening nutritional supplement over a 12‐month period would improve body protein stores in patients with cirrhosis. A total of 103 patients (68 male, 35 female; median age 51, range 28–74; Child‐Pugh grading: 52A, 31B, 20C) were randomized to receive either daytime (between 0900 and 1900 hours) or nighttime (between 2100 and 0700 hours) supplementary nutrition (710 kcal/day). Primary etiology of liver disease was chronic viral hepatitis (67), alcohol (15), cholestatic (6), and other (15). Total body protein (TBP) was measured by neutron activation analysis at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. Total daily energy and protein intakes were assessed at baseline and at 3 months by comprehensive dietary recall. As a percentage of values predicted when well, TBP at baseline was similar for the daytime (85 ± 2[standard error of the mean]%) and nighttime (84 ± 2%) groups. For the nighttime group, significant increases in TBP were measured at 3 (0.38 ± 0.10 kg, P = 0.0004), 6 (0.48 ± 0.13 kg, P = 0.0007), and 12 months (0.53 ± 0.17 kg, P = 0.003) compared to baseline. For the daytime group, no significant changes in TBP were seen. Daily energy and protein intakes at 3 months were higher than at baseline in both groups (P < 0.0001), and these changes did not differ between the groups. Conclusion: Provision of a nighttime feed to patients with cirrhosis results in body protein accretion equivalent to about 2 kg of lean tissue sustained over 12 months. This improved nutritional status may have important implications for the clinical course of these patients. (HEPATOLOGY 2008.)
Accuracy and reproducibility of transient elastography for the diagnosis of fibrosis in pediatric nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Transient elastography (TE) has received increasing attention as a means to evaluate disease progression in chronic liver disease patients. In this study, we assessed the value of TE for the prediction of fibrosis stage in a cohort of pediatric patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Furthermore, TE interobserver agreement was evaluated. TE was performed in 52 consecutive biopsy‐proven nonalcoholic steatohepatitis patients (32 males, 20 females, age 13.6 ± 2.44 years). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the prediction of “any” (≥1), significant (≥2), or advanced fibrosis (≥3) were 0.977, 0.992, and 1, respectively. Calculation of multilevel likelihood ratios showed that TE values <5, <7, and <9 kPa, suggest the presence of “any” fibrosis, significant fibrosis, and advanced fibrosis, respectively. TE values between 5 and 7 kPa predict a fibrosis stage of 1, but with some degree of uncertainty. TE values between 7 and 9 kPa predict fibrosis stages 1 or 2, but cannot discriminate between these two stages. TE values of at least 9 kPa are associated with the presence of advanced fibrosis. The intraclass correlation coefficient for absolute agreement was 0.961. Conclusion: TE is an accurate and reproducible methodology to identify pediatric subjects without fibrosis or significant fibrosis, or with advanced fibrosis. In patients in which likelihood ratios are not optimal to provide a reliable indication of the disease stage, liver biopsy should be considered when clinically indicated. (HEPATOLOGY 2008.)
Revised International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging systems in gynecologic malignancies

1958년 이래로 국제산부인과학회 (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, FIGO)는 부인암에 대한 분류와 병기에 대한 변화, 발전에 대해 해마다 보고하고 있다. FIGO의 병기결정체계는 환자의 예후를 예측하는 인자를 반영해서 환자를 분류하는 체계이다. 이러한 병기결정체계의 목적은 부인암 환자의 분류를 제공하여 여러 기관들이 치료 방법을 공유하는데 있다. FIGO의 병기결정체계는 가장 최근의 자료를 통해 매 3년마다 수정을 계속해 오고 있으며, 영상과 치료 방법을 포함한 과학적 발전에 의해 지속적인 개정이 이루어지고 있다. 2008년 자궁경부암, 자궁내막암, 외음부암 및 자궁육종에 대한 FIGO 병기결정체계가 발표되었다. 임상에 이를 적용하여 기존의 병기결정체계와의 비교를 통한 문제점을 보완하고 재수정하는 지속적인 노력이 필요하다.
Color stability of ten resin-based restorative materials.

UNLABELLED Despite significant developments to improve the optical properties of composites, color stability remains a challenge with changes still observed immediately after polymerization and after some time of storage. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the color change of ten commercially available resin composite systems immediately after polymerization, at 24 hours, and at 1 month of water storage. MATERIALS AND METHODS Five discs of two thicknesses (1 mm/3 mm) in two shades (A3/Bleach) were made from ten commercially available brands of resin composite. Color measurements were recorded with a colorimeter and expressed in terms of the CIE L*a*b* scale. Color change was calculated between baseline and immediate polymerization (ΔE*(1) ), between immediate polymerization and 24 hours (ΔE*(2) ), and between 24 hours and 1 month (ΔE*(3) ). Values ΔE* ≥ 3.3 were considered clinically unacceptable as color shifts over this threshold value may be noticeable. The results were analyzed using a three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Student-Newman-Keuls's tests. A significance level of 0.05 was used for all tests. RESULTS Color change was evidenced for all brands, shades, and thickness. The greatest color change was observed immediately after initial polymerization with ΔE* values ranging from 2.4 to 12.0. Color change after 24 hours and 1 month were significantly less than those observed after polymerization. Immediately after polymerization, only Tetric EvoCeram (Ivoclar-Vivadent, Amherst, NY, USA) showed changes below 3.3. At 24 hours, 20 out of the 40 groups including all materials in both shades and thicknesses showed changes above 3.3. At 1 month, color changes for all brands remained under 3.3. CONCLUSIONS Overall, clinically relevant color changes (ΔE* ≥ 3.3) took place immediately after polymerization of current light-activated composites. These changes were predominantly attributed to shifts in the L* and b* parameters towards the dark and blue region, respectively. Color shifts continued at 24 hours with changes in the L* and b* parameters towards the light and yellow region, respectively. After 1 month, only minor changes under the 3.3 threshold took place. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Ensuring an accurate color match of resin composite restorations to the surrounding tooth structure is a critical aspect of any esthetic restorative procedure. A better understanding of the changes taking place during the different stages of maturation and storage of composites may be of significant benefit to clinicians as this may help minimize shade mismatch issues.
Do Beef Risk Perceptions or Risk Attitudes Have A Greater Effect on the Beef Purchase Decisions of Canadian Consumers?

Cluster analysis is applied in this study to group Canadian households by two characteristics, their risk perceptions and risk attitudes toward beef. There are some similarities in demographic profiles, meat purchases, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) media recall between the cluster that perceives beef to be the most risky and the cluster that has little willingness to accept the risks of eating beef. There are similarities between the medium risk perception cluster and the medium risk attitude cluster, as well as between the cluster that perceives beef to have little risk and the cluster that is most willing to accept the risks of eating beef. Regression analysis shows that risk attitudes have a larger impact on household-level beef purchasing decisions than do risk perceptions for all consumer clusters. This implies that it may be more effective to undertake policies that reduce the risks associated with eating beef, instead of enhancing risk communication to improve risk perceptions. Only for certain clusters with higher willingness to accept the risks of eating beef might enhancing risk communication increase beef consumption significantly. The different role of risk perceptions and risk attitudes in beef consumption needs to be recognized during the design of risk management policies.
Wildland Smoke Exposure Values and Exhaled Breath Indicators in Firefighters

Smoke from forest fires contains significant amounts of gaseous and particulate pollutants. Firefighters exposed to wildland fire smoke can suffer from several acute and chronic adverse health effects. Consequently, exposure data are of vital importance for the establishment of cause/effect relationships between exposure to smoke and firefighter health effects. The aims of this study were to (1) characterize the relationship between wildland smoke exposure and medical parameters and (2) identify health effects pertinent to wildland forest fire smoke exposure. In this study, firefighter exposure levels of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and volatile organic compounds (VOC) were measured in wildfires during three fire seasons in Portugal. Personal monitoring devices were used to measure exposure. Firefighters were also tested for exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) and CO before and after their firefighting activities. Data indicated that exposure levels during firefighting activities were beyond limits recommended by the Occupational Exposure Standard (OES) values. Medical tests conducted on the firefighters also indicated a considerable effect on measured medical parameters, with a significant increase in CO and decrease in NO in exhaled air of majority of the firefighters.
Survival rates for porcelain laminate veneers with special reference to the effect of preparation in dentin: a literature review.

UNLABELLED The porcelain laminate veneer is an elective restoration, often placed in the absence of disease for purely esthetic reasons. As such, it would appear desirable that the success rate of the technique was 100%. It is therefore the purpose of this paper to review the literature on porcelain laminate veneer survival by searching dental databases containing clinical trials of porcelain veneer restorations. References of selected trials were also screened to identify relevant studies. Each paper that was included was examined to ascertain if preparation into dentin affected survival. A total of 24 papers were included in the review. It was concluded that survival rates of porcelain laminate veneers are rarely 100%, and there is reasonable evidence indicating that a veneer preparation into dentin adversely affects survival. CLINICAL RELEVANCE A review of the literature has indicated that porcelain laminate veneer survival is rarely 100%. Accordingly, patients should be made aware of this before embarking on this elective restorative technique. Clinicians should also be aware that the ideal preparation for porcelain veneers remains within enamel.
Fatalities in the Peace Corps: a retrospective study, 1984 to 2003.

BACKGROUND To determine causes of death for Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) between 1984 and 2003 and compare them with prior Volunteer death rates and with US death rates. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all PCV between 1984 and 2003 and compared them to published data for prior years and against US death rates. RESULTS Of the 66 deaths in our study period, the major causes were unintentional injury, homicide, medical illness, and suicide. Comparisons to US mortality data controlled for age, marital status, and educational attainment found equal or lower death rates among Volunteers. When compared to previous study results from 1961 to 1983, the total number of deaths, as well as the death rate per Volunteer-year, decreased. Deaths from unintentional injury, suicide, and medical illness decreased in number and rate; only homicides increased in number during our study period, but this increase did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS PCV are exposed to unique risks, but these risks have become significantly less fatal over the past 20 years when compared to prior Peace Corps data and matched US population data.
Trauma-Related Risk Factors in Mineworkers with PTSD: A Prospective Follow-Up Study

The aim of this prospective follow-up study was to investigate the role of trauma-related factors in the development of acute and chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among South African gold mineworkers involved in disabling and reportable earth-fall mine accidents. A consecutive sample of 200 mineworkers who were involved in earth-fall mine accidents was evaluated over a period of seven months. A history of previous trauma exposure was associated with both acute and chronic PTSD. Injury severity predicted acute PTSD but could not differentiate between subjects with acute PTSD that developed chronic PTSD and those whose symptoms went into remission. The intensity and severity of the precipitating earth-fall event were associated with acute and chronic PTSD. Being pinned down by rocks was the earth-fall-related event that predicted chronic PTSD most accurately. The intensity of the traumatic earth-fall event was found to be a more significant predictor for acute PTSD than previous exposure to trauma. Based on these results, recommendations were made to manage trauma in the mining sector.
The Association of Patients’ Primary Interaction Goals with Attributions for their Doctors’ Responses in Conversations about Online Health Research

Cancer diagnosis is often an unexpected, traumatic and overwhelming event for patients, and many seek clarity by researching their condition on the Internet. Conversations between patients and health care providers about patients’ Internet research could be supportive and helpful, but others may be discouraging. We explored potential differences in these conversations by soliciting open-ended responses from 238 cancer patients about their experiences talking with their health care providers about their Internet research. Our content analysis of those responses revealed that patients had 7 different goals for discussing Internet research with their health care provider, which included: seeking opinion or advice, verifying information, managing impression, learning, and testing. Additionally, patients’ perceptions about the reasons (attributions) their health care providers responded in the way they did to the Internet information included: knowledge or familiarity with the field, inexperience or lack of knowledge, open to new treatments or options, strict/particular about treatments or interpretations, collaborative/involved in decision making. Finally, we found that goals patients had for the conversations accounted, in part, for differences in the attributions that patients made. We proposed ways that health care providers and patients alike may strategize to ensure more supportive conversations about their research and health conditions.
Ex vivo effects of high‐density lipoprotein exposure on the lipopolysaccharide‐induced inflammatory response in patients with severe cirrhosis

High‐density lipoproteins (HDL) are known to neutralize lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Because patients with cirrhosis have lower HDL levels, this may contribute to LPS‐induced ex vivo monocyte overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines. However, the effects of HDL on cytokine production by monocytes from patients with cirrhosis have never been studied. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of HDL on LPS‐induced proinflammatory cytokine production in whole blood and isolated monocytes from patients with severe cirrhosis and controls. Plasma levels of HDL and cytokines were determined. The effects of reconstituted HDL (rHDL) on LPS‐induced cytokine production in whole blood were assessed by cytokine array and on tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) production in isolated monocytes. Plasma HDL levels were significantly lower in patients with cirrhosis than in controls. Plasma levels of TNF‐α and IL‐6 were significantly higher in patients with cirrhosis than in controls. Incubation of rHDL with whole blood prevented LPS‐induced TNF‐α and IL‐6 overproduction in patients with cirrhosis. LPS‐induced TNF‐α production and CD14 expression were significantly more marked in cirrhotic monocytes than in control monocytes, and both decreased significantly after rHDL incubation. LPS‐induced down‐regulation of scavenger receptor, class B, type I (SR‐BI) expression was abolished in cirrhotic monocytes. Conclusions: This study shows that rHDL abolishes the LPS‐induced overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines in whole blood from patients with severe cirrhosis. These results were confirmed in isolated monocytes from these patients. This suggests that administration of rHDL might be a useful strategy for the treatment of cirrhosis to limit LPS‐induced cytokine overproduction. (HEPATOLOGY 2009;49:175‐184.)
Application of Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) Records for Retrospective Assessment of Mercury

Because mercury (Hg) is released into the atmosphere, wildlife living in habitats located far from point sources of metal may still be at risk. Mercury accumulation, previously considered a risk for aquatic ecosystems, is also found in many wildlife terrestrial species. The aim of the present study was to examine total Hg concentrations in the brown bear (Ursus arctos) by measurement of metal in hair from museum collections in Iran. Another objective of this investigation was to characterize the risk of Hg exposure in bears in several parts of Iran. Brown bear (Ursus arctos) hair samples (n = 35) were collected from 14 provinces in Iran for analysis of Hg contamination, performed using an advanced mercury analyzer (model Leco 254 AMA, USA) according to ASTM standard D-6722. Total Hg levels in Iranian bears from all areas ranged from 115.81 to 505.82 μg/kg, with a mean of 193.39 ng/g. Mercury concentrations in brown bear hair from different provinces in Iran were as follows in descending order: Khorasan Razavi > Esfahan > Khozestan > Yazd > Lorestan > Charmahalva Bakhtiari > Bushehr > Mazandaran > Markazi > Tehran > Ardebil > Gilan > East Azerbaijan. The highest content of Hg was found in the south (206.62 ± 31.95 ng/g), whereas the lowest levels were detected in the west (167.71 ± 32.97 ng/g). Overall total Hg content in bear hair was below harmful levels for this species. A decreasing trend was noted in the period 1986–2006, which may be mainly due to reduction of global Hg emissions. Data suggest that food habits and habitat are two important factors that influence Hg accumulation in bears.
Suicide in Different Cultures

Each of the 17 papers takes a specific cultural, ethnic, or national group as its focus; and the reader finds a balance of statistical and descriptive features of suicide around the world. The wide representation of individual nations, however, reflects the voluntary participants at the conference (no papers pertaining to Africa, the Soviet Union, or the People's Republic of China are present). The work of Durkheim and his intellectual forebears made abundantly clear that cultural factors are significant in the pattern of suicide throughout the world. Suicidology is by no means a new field nor are the efforts at prevention any longer in the incipient phase. For example, Atkinson noted that every major town in Britain has a telephone emergency service for the suicidal individual who wants to communicate and receive some form of help. In general, however, the problem of the prevention of suicide has remained an elusive one,
Improved survival with nonselective beta blockers

identified in this regards. The potential role of guggulsterone in clinical medicine has been highlighted by recent studies that have demonstrated its beneficial effects in diseases ranging from systemic malignancies to morbid obesity. For instance, guggulsterone has an antiproliferative effect not just on dermatologic malignancies2 such as malignant melanomas but also on a myriad number of other localized malignancies such as breast carcinomas as well as a number of systemic hematological malignancies such as leukemias.3 These antiproliferative effects are in part due to the inhibition of tumor angiogenesis.4 Guggulsterone also effectively and remarkably induces apoptosis in cell lines derived from Barrett’s esophagitis. In fact, guggulsterone attenuates the expression of the FXR secondary to stimulation by bile acids in subjects with Barrett’s esophagitis.5 Barrett’s esophagitis is a precursor of esophageal adenocarcinoma and this inhibitory effect may have a major role to play in the near future in cancer chemoprevention in patients with Barrett’s esophagitis.6 Guggulsterone performs these functions by the suppression of nuclear factor-kappa B activation as well as signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) activation7 in tissues ranging from myeloma cells to pancreatic tissue.8 Besides anticarcinogenic properties, guggulsterone also has highly beneficial cardiovascular effects as a result of its anti-inflammatory and hypolipidemic properties9 and also prevents cytokine-mediated cytotoxicity in pancreatic beta cells.8 Guggulsterone also inhibits differentiation of adipocytes and may thus have a potential role in weight loss.10 Similarly, Lee et al. have recently shown that guggulsterone also blocks interleukin-1beta–mediated inflammatory responses in synoviocytes.11 The data from all these studies support the rapidly expanding evidence in support of the anti-inflammatory properties of guggulsterone. Clearly, guggulsterone may very well prove to be a major tool in the hands of physicians and oncologists in the fight against various systemic cancers as well as diseases such as obesity in the near future.