Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prenatal Diagnosis of a Vanishing Gastroschisis With Subsequent Neonatal Bowel Complications: A Case Study

Background: Gastroschisis is a well-known birth defect in which bowel protrudes through a perforation in the fetal abdominal wall. High antenatal detection rates typically lead to good outcomes with modern neonatal treatments. Case: We describe a rare phenomenon in which gastroschisis appears to resolve antenatally, with associated bowel dilation and polyhydramnios. No evidence of an abdominal wall defect was seen at birth, but imaging was suggestive of bowel atresia. Surgical exploration showed a microcolon and most of the small bowel was absent. An extensive surgical repair was required, which resulted in short bowel syndrome. Conclusion: Gastroschisis that undergoes apparent resolution on sonography can be associated with necrosis due to strangulation of the exteriorized bowel and short bowel syndrome. This is associated with high neonatal morbidity and mortality.
Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening in the Primary Care Setting

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to implement a change in workflow to increase colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates and improve Meaningful Use scores in a primary care setting. Background and Significance: CRC is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States among men and women. Current CRC screening rates remain low, even with advanced screening options available. Meaningful Use sets specific objectives for health care providers to achieve. Documenting CRC screening status and recommending CRC screenings to patients is one of the objectives of Meaningful Use and is considered a Clinical Quality Measure (HealthIT.gov). Factors that lead to CRC screening include primary care providers (PCPs) raising the topic, involving support staff, involving patients in the decision-making process, and setting alerts in electronic health records (EHRs). Methods: The Health Belief Model and Ottawa Model of Research Use helped guide this project. The project took place at a private primary care practice. The focus was on patients between the ages of 50 and 75 years old meeting criteria for CRC. Five PCPs and five medical assistants (MAs) chose to participate in the study. Participants were given pre and post Practice Culture Assessment (PCA) surveys to measure perceptions of the practice culture. The project included a three-part practice change: PCP and MA education about CRC screening guidelines, EHR documentation and reminders, and a change of patient visit workflow which included having MAs review patient's CRC screening status before they were seen by the PCP, and handing out CRC screening brochures when appropriate. PCPs then ordered the appropriate CRC screening, and the MA documented the screening in the EHR under a designated location. CRC Screening Project Evaluation Forms were completed by MAs after each patient visit. COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING 3 Outcomes: No significant difference from pre to post survey satisfaction scores were found (t (8) = -1.542, p = . 162). Means of quantitative data were reported from the CRC screening evaluation forms; N=91. The most common method of screening chosen was colonoscopy, 87%. A strong correlation was found (r (-.293) = . 01, p <. 05) between receiving a CRC brochure and choosing a form of screening. Meaningful Use scores post intervention were inconclusive as data was not made available by the site. Conclusions: Patients are more likely to choose a screening method when the topic is raised in a primary care setting. Continued staff education on workflow is important to sustain this change. Further research is needed to evaluate cost effectiveness and sustainability of this practice
Regional Specification of the Xenopus Lateral Plate Mesoderm

Successful patterning of the embryo, from establishing the three primary axes to the regional specification of tissue progenitors is essential to generating a viable embryo. The three germ layers in the early embryo undergo patterning through slightly different mechanisms. The tissue of interest to this study is the lateral plate mesoderm (LPM), which will give rise to the lineages of the cardiovascular system and is essential for regional specification of adjacent germ layers. However, little is known about how the LPM itself undergoes regional specification and attains its intitial patterning after gastrulation. Here, I will demonstrate that a complex pattern of gene expression exists across the entire LPM shortly after gastrulation, much earlier than previously recognized. Furthermore, I will use molecular techniques to elucidate the signalling factors involved in the early patterning and regional specification the LPM. I hypothesize that both the retinoic acid (RA) and Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) signalling pathways are involved in the LPM regional specification in the neurula stage embryo. Through the use of exogenous modulators of the RA pathway, I will show that RA signalling is essential for patterning the anterior-dorsal and middle LPM domains. Secondly, by addition of a synthetic FGF receptor inhibitor I will demonstrate that FGF signalling is essential for establishing the anterior-ventral and posterior domains of the LPM and functions antagonistically to the RA pathway. I will also show that altering the activity of either of these two signalling pathways affects the specification of the early cardiovascular progenitors, particularly the cardiac and endothelial lineages. Finally I will provide preliminary evidence that one of the early LPM marker genes, hand1, is necessary for
Comparative Effectiveness of Step-up Therapies in Children With Asthma Prescribed Inhaled Corticosteroids: A Historical Cohort Study

CS Murray. M Thomas. K Richardson. DB Price. SW Turner. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2017;5(4):1082–1090.e7 Current guidelines offer a number of different choices for step-up treatment of uncontrolled asthma in children on low-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs). In this study, the authors compared the relative effectiveness of step-up treatment to fixed-dose combination (FDC) ICSs and long-acting β2-agonists as opposed to an increased dose of inhaled corticosteroids (i-ICSs) or adding a leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA). This matched cohort study included children with uncontrolled persistent asthma aged 5 to 12 years from 2 UK primary-care databases who were receiving …
Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Capacity of Mallotus repandus Ethyl Acetate Stem Extract against d-Galactosamine-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats

Mallotus repandus (M. repandus) is traditionally used to treat muscle pain, itching, fever, rheumatic arthritis, and a variety of liver disorders. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity and the antioxidant potential of the ethyl acetate stem extract of M. repandus (ESMR) against d-galactosamine (d-GalN)-induced hepatopathy, along with a possible mechanism of action in rats. In vivo hepatoprotective activity of ESMR was examined using d-galactosamine (d-GalN)-induced hepatotoxicity in Sprague–Dawley rats. For this purpose, levels of serum diagnostic markers, activity of hepatic antioxidant enzymes, and liver histo-architecture were employed to assess the protective efficacy of ESMR. Furthermore, the total phenolic, flavonoid, and tannin contents were quantitated, and the antioxidant capacity of the extract was evaluated using different methods such as 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and hydroxyl radical (OH•) scavenging assays. Intraperitoneal d-GalN injection triggered hepatotoxicity, as shown by the noticeable increase in the serum hepatic marker enzymes, bilirubin content, γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), and malondialdehyde (MDA), whereas glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase levels were significantly lower compared with that of the control. Pretreatment with ESMR reduced the hepatic enzyme levels along with bilirubin, GGT, and MDA compared to the d-GalN-intoxicated group. These results were supported by histopathological studies, where d-galactosamine caused coagulative necrosis, hemorrhage, and inflammation. However, pretreatment with ESMR ameliorated the histo-architectural changes and brought them back to normal. Results also revealed that the total polyphenolic, flavonoid, and tannin content, and total antioxidant capacity of ESMR were 136.30 ± 0.78 mg GAE/g mg, 38.72 ± 0.85 mg QE/g, 75.88 ± 0.54 mg TAE/g, and 123.16 ± 0.24 mg AAE/g, respectively. In addition, ESMR inhibited free radicals with IC50 values of 94.47 ± 0.51, 127.33 ± 0.36, 164.12 ± 0.45, and 254.14 ± 0.35 μg/mL in DPPH, NO, H2O2, and OH• free radical scavenging assays, respectively. These findings highlight the protective role of ESMR against hepatic injury induced by d-GalN, which may be attributed to its higher antioxidant properties, thereby scientifically justifying its traditional use.
Virtual reality in post-stroke upper limb rehabilitation: serious games using hand tracking

In recent years, Virtual Reality has been shown to have considerable potential as a rehabilitation tool, as it allows the creation of Virtual Environments providing multiple stimuli that can motivate, engage or distract the patients. Moreover, VR applications may meet the four basic principles of rehabilitation: intensity, task oriented training, biofeedback and motivation, all pivotal factors for the success of rehabilitation programs. Aware of this potential, and concerned with the lack of motivation of stroke patients while performing repetitive upper limb movements, a group of professionals working at a national rehabilitation center contacted the university to develop VR games aimed at increasing motivation by providing everyday life context to the movements. This dissertation establishes the initial iteration towards the addition of VR to the occupational therapy routine in the rehabilitation center, including the assessement of requirements for the applications to be developed, establishment of the system architecture, development of rehabilitation game prototypes and integration with a backend database server and a configuration web page. The work was concluded with a formal usability and satisfaction study with patients residing at the rehabilitation center.
Redefinición de hipertensión arterial y consideraciones en la gestación y en la preeclampsia. Introducción al simposio

En noviembre de 2017 apareció la Guía conjunta de diversas sociedades de los EE. UU. , lideradas por el Colegio Americano de Cardiología y la Asociación Americana de Hipertensión, para la Prevención, Detección, Evaluación y Manejo de la Hipertensión Arterial en Adultos. La Guía determinaba nuevas categorías de presión arterial (PA) en los adultos: Normal < 120/< 80 mmHg, Presión arterial elevada 120-129/< 80 mmHg, Hipertensión estadio 1: 130-139/80-89 mmHg, e Hipertensión estadio 2: > 140/> 90 mmHg. Interesados en conocer la opinión de expertos en la materia solicitamos manuscritos sobre su parecer de las repercusiones que pudieran tener la disminución de los valores de PA en la población general de adultos y en las mujeres gestantes y en aquellas con preeclampsia.
Correlation of Tie2 in Acute Leukemia with Disease Behaviour and Lineage Selection

Angiopoietins and TIE2 are necessary for blood and lymphatic vessel remodeling during embryonic, postnatal development and homeostasis of the mature vasculature and expected to be a valuable marker in acute leukemia. The present study aimed to assess the expression of TIE2 and angiopoietin-2 in acute leukemia and its correlation with disease behaviour. The study included 62 patients and 19 sex- and age-matched healthy controls, divided into 2 groups, 21 Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) patients, and 41 Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) patients and 19 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. Bone marrow (BM) aspirate examination, Immunophenotyping and assessment of TIE2 expression for peripheral or BM samples by Flow cytometer and serum angiopoietin-2 by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The study results showed that TIE2 & Angiopoietin2 were expressed in AML patients more than ALL patients. In ALL patients CD45 and CD5 showed statistically significant correlation with TIE2 but CD45, CD14 showed statistical significance correlation with Angiopoietin2 in AML patients. CD33 was correlated with TIE2 and Angiopoietin2 in AML patients. ROC curve for TIE2 in ALL Cut off >3.8 AUC 0.977 with Sensitivity 90.5% & Specificity 94.7% P-value941 AUC 0.753 with Sensitivity 71.4% & Specificity 78.9% P-value0.002 While in AML TIE2 Cut off>4.8 AUC 0.997 with Sensitivity 95.1% & Specificity 100% P-value1838 AUC 0.871 with Sensitivity 60.9% & Specificity100% P-value <0.001. Univariate logistic regression Analysis of leukemic patients showed that Angiopoietin2, TIE2, WBCs count, Platelets count were Statistically Significant. The present study concluded that TIE2 and angiopoietin-2 positive expression are independent prognostic factor in adult acute leukemia and its expression could characterize a group of acute leukemic patients with monocytic lineage.
Minimization of Childhood Maltreatment Is Common and Consequential: Results from a Large, Multinational Sample Using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire

Childhood maltreatment has diverse, lifelong impact on morbidity and mortality. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) is one of the most commonly used scales to assess and quantify these experiences and their impact. Curiously, despite very widespread use of the CTQ, scores on its Minimization-Denial (MD) subscale—originally designed to assess a positive response bias—are rarely reported. Hence, little is known about this measure. If response biases are either common or consequential, current practices of ignoring the MD scale deserve revision. Therewith, we designed a study to investigate 3 aspects of minimization, as defined by the CTQ’s MD scale: 1) its prevalence; 2) its latent structure; and finally 3) whether minimization moderates the CTQ’s discriminative validity in terms of distinguishing between psychiatric patients and community volunteers. Archival, item-level CTQ data from 24 multinational samples were combined for a total of 19,652 participants. Analyses indicated: 1) minimization is common; 2) minimization functions as a continuous construct; and 3) high MD scores attenuate the ability of the CTQ to distinguish between psychiatric patients and community volunteers. Overall, results suggest that a minimizing response bias—as detected by the MD subscale—has a small but significant moderating effect on the CTQ’s discriminative validity. Results also may suggest that some prior analyses of maltreatment rates or the effects of early maltreatment that have used the CTQ may have underestimated its incidence and impact. We caution researchers and clinicians about the widespread practice of using the CTQ without the MD or collecting MD data but failing to assess and control for its effects on outcomes or dependent variables.
Do Chronic Middle Cerebral Artery Stenoses Represent an Embolic Focus

Background and Purpose It remains uncertain whether the annual stroke risk of 7% to 8% in middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis is of embolic or hemodynamic origin. Preliminary reports provide evidence of emboli exiting from acute MCA stenoses, detected by transcranial Doppler (TCD) sonography. With multirange monitoring before and after the stenosis, TCD monitoring may help for the first time to differentiate microemboli exiting from the MCA stenosis from those with a source proximal to the MCA stenosis. We searched for microembolic signals (MES) using multigated monitoring in patients with chronic MCA stenoses. Methods Fifty-eight patients with 78 chronic stenoses of the MCA were enrolled in the study. Additional sources of embolism were ruled out by extensive clinical workup. Twenty-four patients were treated with coumarin, whereas 28 patients received aspirin. The remaining 6 patients discontinued their medication after a few weeks. The sample volume of the multirange probe was placed on either side o.
Predictive data mining approaches in medical diagnosis: A review of some diseases prediction

Article history: Received: October 18, 2018 Received in revised format: December 20, 2018 Accepted: January 8, 2019 Available online: January 8, 2019 Due to the increasing technological advances in all fields, a considerable amount of data has been collected to be processed for different purposes. Data mining is the process of determining and analyzing hidden information from different perspectives to obtain useful knowledge. Data mining can have many various applications, one of them is in medical diagnosis. Today, many diseases are regarded as dangerous and deadly. Heart disease, breast cancer, and diabetes are among the most dangerous ones. This paper investigates 168 articles associated with the implementation of data mining for diagnosing such diseases. The study concentrates on 85 selected papers which have received more attention between 1997 and 2018. All algorithms, data mining models, and evaluation methods are thoroughly reviewed with special consideration. The study attempts to determine the most efficient data mining methods used for medical diagnosing purposes. Also, one of the other significant results of this study is the detection of research gaps in the application of data mining in health care. © 2019 by the authors; licensee Growing Science, Canada.
Caractérisation de l'interaction des collagènes de défense avec la calréticuline de Trypanosoma cruzi et CR1/CD35

Les collagenes de defense (C1q, MBL, ficolines) sont capables de reconnaitre de nombreux motifs a la surface des elements du non soi ou du soi altere, via leurs domaines globulaires C-terminaux. Ils peuvent egalement interagir avec certains recepteurs presents a la surface des cellules humaines ou de pathogenes. Nous nous sommes interesses dans un premier temps a la calreticuline de Trypanosoma Cruzi (TcCRT), une proteine qui interviendrait dans les mecanismes d'evasion de ce parasite. Dans le but de realiser des etudes fonctionnelles et structurales de la TcCRT, nous avons produit differents fragments recombinants. Nous ne sommes cependant pas parvenus a obtenir un echantillon nous permettant d'accomplir nos objectifs, nous conduisant a reporter nos efforts sur l'etude d'un autre recepteur, CR1/CD35. Il a ete montre precedemment que CR1/CD35 pouvait interagir avec C1q et la MBL, probablement par ses modules CCP 22-30. Cette interaction pourrait etre impliquee dans l'elimination des complexes immuns, la phagocytose ou encore des mecanismes de signalisation cellulaire. A l'aide d'un fragment recombinant comprenant les modules CCP 22-30 de CR1, nous avons confirme par SPR l'interaction avec C1q et la MBL. Nous avons egalement montre pour la premiere fois que CR1 pouvait interagir avec les ficolines L, H et M par ce meme domaine. Nos resultats indiquent que cette interaction prendrait majoritairement place dans la region collagene de C1q, de la MBL et de la ficoline L, probablement a proximite du site de fixation des proteases. L'utilisation de fragments tronques de CR1 CCP 22-30, nous permet de proposer l'hypothese que les modules CCP 24 et 25 de CR1 seraient le site majoritaire de fixation des collagenes de defense. Ces donnees ouvrent la voie a des etudes structurales et fonctionnelles visant a approfondir notre connaissance des interactions CR1 – collagene de defense et de leur role physiologique.
Expression of Endothelin-1, Endothelin-Converting Enzyme, and Endothelin Receptors in Chronic Heart Failure

Background—Elevated plasma levels of endothelin (ET)-1 have been reported in association with heart diseases, including heart failure. Furthermore, it has been suggested that ET-1 acts as a local autocrine/paracrine factor with biological activities such as vasoconstriction, mitogenesis, and inotropic effects on the heart. This study investigated alterations of ET-1, ET receptor, and endothelin-converting enzyme (ECE) expression in left ventricular myocardium from patients with end-stage heart failure. Methods and Results—mRNA concentrations of ETA and ETB receptors, prepro-ET-1 (ppET-1), and ECE in left ventricles from nonfailing donors hearts (NF) and from patients with end-stage chronic heart failure (NYHA functional class IV) due to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) were compared by use of a competitive reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction technique. There was no significant difference in mRNA expression for ppET-1, ECE-1, and ETA receptors, whereas a significant reduction of ETB-receptor mRNA w.
Phospholipids and fatty acyl composition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as affected by oxygen and low growth temperature.

A strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, previously shown to be able to complete the fermentation of grape must at low temperature, was grown in the presence and in the absence of oxygen at 10 and 25 °C in order to investigate about the effects of low growth temperature on the phospholipids (PLs) and on the fatty acyl (FA) composition of the yeast cells. Both anaerobic and aerobic cells grown at the lower temperature showed a much higher amount of total PLs due to the increased amount of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylcholine, whereas the cellular concentration of the other PLs, namely phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylserine, was not significantly modified. The amount of unsaturated FAs of whole cells was almost unaffected by the lower growth temperature, but a very significant increase of their quantity was observed in the phospholipidic fraction of cells grown at 10 °C. No significant modifications in the mean fatty acid chain length of both whole cells and PLs were observed, demonstrating that this parameter is practically temperature-independent. These results point out that low growth temperatures stimulate both the synthesis of PLs and the increase of their unsatura- tion degree, without significantly affecting the amount of unsaturated FAs of whole cells.
Distale Femurfrakturen extraartikulär und intraartikulär

Zusammenfassung Distale Femurfrakturen sind komplexe Verletzungen, die zunehmend bei älteren Patienten auftreten. Trotz moderner Osteosyntheseverfahren treten nach wie vor in über 13% der Fälle Komplikationen auf. Dieser Artikel gibt einen Überblick über Diagnostik, Versorgungsstrategie und mögliche Fallstricke, die bei der Therapie zu beachten sind.