Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Adrenal Vein Sampling International Study (AVIS) for identifying the major subtypes of primary aldosteronism.

CONTEXT In patients who seek surgical cure of primary aldosteronism (PA), The Endocrine Society Guidelines recommend the use of adrenal vein sampling (AVS), which is invasive, technically challenging, difficult to interpret, and commonly held to be risky. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine the complication rate of AVS and the ways in which it is performed and interpreted at major referral centers. DESIGN AND SETTINGS The Adrenal Vein Sampling International Study is an observational, retrospective, multicenter study conducted at major referral centers for endocrine hypertension worldwide. PARTICIPANTS Eligible centers were identified from those that had published on PA and/or AVS in the last decade. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The protocols, interpretation, and costs of AVS were measured, as well as the rate of adrenal vein rupture and the rate of use of AVS. RESULTS Twenty of 24 eligible centers from Asia, Australia, North America, and Europe participated and provided information on 2604 AVS studies over a 6-yr period. The percentage of PA patients systematically submitted to AVS was 77% (median; 19-100%, range). Thirteen of the 20 centers used sequential catheterization, and seven used bilaterally simultaneous catheterization; cosyntropin stimulation was used in 11 centers. The overall rate of adrenal vein rupture was 0.61%. It correlated directly with the number of AVS performed at a particular center (P = 0.002) and inversely with the number of AVS performed by each radiologist (P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS Despite carrying a minimal risk of adrenal vein rupture and at variance with the guidelines, AVS is not used systematically at major referral centers worldwide. These findings represent an argument for defining guidelines for this clinically important but technically demanding procedure.
An audit of nutritional care delivered to elderly inpatients in community hospitals.

BACKGROUND There is continuing concern over the lack of attention to the nutritional needs of older people in hospitals. A 2-year audit project was undertaken to examine the nutritional care of inpatients in Leicestershire Community Hospitals. METHOD The methods used included analysis of menu cycles; observation of meal and drink provision, wastage, supplement usage and portion sizes; and patient satisfaction questionnaire examination. RESULTS Patient menus were nutritionally inadequate for energy, fibre and vitamin D, and protein levels were variable. The percentage of meal wastage and inadequate portion sizes were of concern. Patient satisfaction results were overall positive. CONCLUSION Patient energy intakes are a major concern with low calorie provision from menus exacerbated by a deficit in recommended portion sizes and a high percentage of meal wastage. Routine audits need to be implemented to monitor both portion size and meal wastage, and to address patient satisfaction issues to improve the overall intakes of patients. Multidisciplinary team input is required to address the above issues and additional recommendations to promote nutrition as a key component in clinical care.
Pediatric whole‐body MRI: A review of current imaging techniques and clinical applications

There are many congenital, neoplastic, inflammatory, and infectious processes in the pediatric patient for which whole‐body imaging may be of benefit diagnostically and prognostically. With recent improvements in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) hardware and software and resultant dramatically reduced scan times, imaging of the whole body with MRI has become a much more practicable technique in children. Whole‐body MRI can provide a high level of soft tissue and skeletal detail while avoiding the exposure to ionizing radiation inherent to computed tomography and nuclear medicine imaging techniques. This article reviews the more common current whole‐body MRI techniques in children and the primary pathologies for which this imaging modality may be most useful to the radiologists and referring clinicians. J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2016;44:783–793.
Understanding the delay in starting antiretroviral therapy despite recent guidelines for HIV patients retained in care

ABSTRACT Despite strong evidence of a clinical benefit from initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) immediately after diagnosis some patients remain ART naïve. We examined explanations, over a four-year period in a centralized HIV clinical cohort under universal health care, for newly diagnosed patients, while being fully engaged and retained in HIV care, delaying ART initiation for >180 days following their HIV diagnosis. All patients followed at the Southern Alberta Clinic, Calgary, Canada between 1 January 2010 and 1 January 2014 were included and followed until they moved, were lost to follow-up, died or until 1 January 2015. Of 269 patients, 56 (21.8%) deferred ART >180 days; 26 (9.7%) remained ART naïve until the end of the study. Patients delaying or deferring ART were younger, Canadian-born, and with higher CD4 counts (p < .01). “No clinical urgency” especially for patients with higher CD4 counts, was most often listed for deferring ART, however when ART was offered “patient not ready”, “unstable substance use”, “difficulties adjusting” or “wanting to wait” were often cited regardless of CD4 levels. At times ART, when offered, was adamantly declined by the patient. The physician’s assessment of a patient’s ability to adhere to lifelong ART was an issue in some cases. While structural or financial issues may impact ART initiation, our results suggest that, even in an environment of free and easy access to ART, many challenges still exist at the implementation stage. Intense efforts in both patient and physician education will be required if the benefits of early ART as recommended by the WHO in their recent guidelines, are to be achieved at the individual and population level.
Determinants of Stunting in School-Aged Children of Tehran, Iran

Background: Limited data are available indicating associates of stunting among Iranian children. This study was conducted to investigate determinants of stunting in first grade primary school children of Tehran in 2007. Method: In this case-control study, 3147 school children were selected by multistage cluster random sampling method from 5 districts of Tehran. Anthropometric measurements were done and stunting was defined as height for age less than the 5th percentile of CDC2000 cut-off points. Eighty six stunted children were identified and considered as case group. After matching for age, sex and residence area, 308 non-stunted children were randomly selected as control group. Required data were collected by trained nutritionists using questionnaires. Results: Stunting was prevalent among 3.7% of the study population (girls 4.4% vs. boys 2.8%, P < 0.05). Mean age of the studied children was 82.3 month. Children with a birth weight of >3000 g were less likely to be stunted (OR: 0.25: 95% CI: 0.11-0.54) compared with those with a birth weight of <3000 g. Being born to older mothers (>35 years) was associated with greater odds of being stunted (3.01; 1.19-7.60) compared with being born to younger mothers (<35 years). Those with fathers’ height of >160 cm were less likely to be stunted (0.04; 0.005-0.37) than those whose fathers’ height was less than 160 cm. Conclusions: We found that birth weight, maternal age and fathers’ height are the major contributing factors to stunting in this group of Iranian children. Taking into account the determinants of stunting might help policy makers designing appropriate interventions.
Variation Sharing: A Novel Numeric Solution to the Path Bias Underestimation Problem of PLS-Based SEM

The most fundamental problem currently associated with structural equation modeling employing the partial least squares method is that it does not properly account for measurement error, which often leads to path coefficient estimates that asymptotically converge to values of lower magnitude than the true values. This attenuation phenomenon affects applications in the field of business data analytics; and is in fact a characteristic of composite-based models in general, where latent variables are modeled as exact linear combinations of their indicators. The underestimation is often of around 10% per path in models that meet generally accepted measurement quality assessment criteria. The authors propose a numeric solution to this problem, which they call the factor-based partial least squares regression (FPLSR) algorithm, whereby variation lost in composites is restored in proportion to measurement error and amount of attenuation. Six variations of the solution are developed based on different reliability measures, and contrasted in Monte Carlo simulations. The authors' solution is nonparametric and seems to perform generally well with small samples and severely non-normal data.
Biomarker Responses and Decreasing Contaminant Levels in Ringed Seals (Pusa hispida) from Svalbard, Norway

Blubber was analyzed for a wide range of contaminants from five subadult and eight adult male ringed seals sampled in 2004, namely, for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), toxaphenes, chlordanes, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs). Contaminant levels were compared to previously sampled animals from the same area, as well as data from literature for other arctic wildlife species from a wide variety of locations. Ringed seals sampled in 2004 showed 50–90% lower levels of legacy contaminants such as PCBs and chlorinated pesticides compared to animals sampled in 1996 of similar age (14 subadults and 7 adult males), indicating that the decline of chlorinated contaminants observed during the 1990s in a variety of arctic wildlife species is continuing into the 21st century. The results also indicated that PBDE declined in ringed seals; levels in 2004 were about 70–80% lower than in animals sampled in 1998. This is one of the first observations of reduced exposure to these compounds and might be a first indication that restrictions of production and use of these contaminants have resulted in lower exposures in the Arctic. The PCB pattern shifted toward the less chlorinated (i.e., less persistent) PCBs, especially in adult ringed seals, possibly as a result of reduced overall contaminant exposures and a consequently lower cytochrome P-450 (CYP) induction, which results in a slower metabolism of less persistent PCBs. The overall effect would be relative increases in the lower chlorinated PCBs and a relative decreases in the higher chlorinated PCB. Possibly due to low exposure and consequent low induction levels, ethoxyresorufin O-deethylation (EROD) activity proved to be a poor biomarker for contaminant exposure in ringed seals in the present study. The close negative correlation (r 2 = 70.9%)between EROD activity and percent blubber indicates that CYP might respond to increased bioavailability of the contaminant mixtures when they are mobilized from blubber during periods of reduced food intake.
Mycosphaerella graminicola: from genomics to disease control.

UNLABELLED This Mycosphaerella graminicola pathogen profile covers recent advances in the knowledge of this ascomycete fungus and of the disease it causes, septoria tritici blotch of wheat. Research on this pathogen has accelerated since publication of a previous pathogen profile in this journal in 2002. Septoria tritici blotch continues to have high economic importance and widespread global impact on wheat production. TAXONOMY Mycosphaerella graminicola (Fuckel) J. Schröt. In Cohn (anamorph: Septoria tritici Roberge in Desmaz.). Kingdom Fungi, Phylum Ascomycota, Class Loculoascomycetes (filamentous ascomycetes), Order Dothideales, Genus Mycosphaerella, Species graminicola. HOST RANGE Bread and durum wheat (Triticum aestivum L. and T. turgidum ssp. durum L.). Disease symptoms: Initially leaves develop a chlorotic flecking, which is followed by the development of necrotic lesions which contain brown-black pycnidia. Necrosis causes a reduction in photosynthetic capacity and therefore affects grain yield. Disease control: The disease is primarily controlled by a combination of resistant cultivars and fungicides. Rapid advances in disease control, especially in resistance breeding, are opening up new opportunities for the management of the disease. USEFUL WEBSITES http://genome.jgi-psf.org/Mycgr3/Mycgr3.home. html.
Comparison of Portapres non-invasive blood pressure measurement in the finger with intra-aortic pressure measurement during incremental bicycle exercise

Background and designIn order to evaluate the accuracy of continuous, non-invasive blood pressure measurements in the finger during stress, blood pressure was measured in six patients with a Portapres Model 2 during increasing levels of bicycle exercise, using simultaneously registered intra-aortic (aortic arch) pressure as a reference. MethodsBlood pressure was measured continuously and non-invasively in the left middle finger using the Portapres Model 2 device, at the same time invasively using a pigtail catheter situated in the aortic arch at rest and during and after standardized bicycle exercise. At the end of each stress level, in accordance with the protocol of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Intrumentation, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse values were determined from the non-invasive (Portapres Model 2) and invasive measurements for 15 s each, and the mean values and standard deviations were calculated. ResultsCompared with simultaneous invasive blood pressure measurement in the aortic arch, the difference in measured blood pressure value (the value determined by the device minus the value determined invasively) at rest fell within the authorized normal range for German and European blood pressure measurement devices: systolic +1.7 ± 1.8 mmHg and diastolic –3.7 ± 6.2 mmHg. The difference in measured value increased with the stress level. ConclusionBlood pressure and pulse can be determined reliably and accurately using the Portapres Model 2, non-invasively, both at rest and at low-to-moderate levels of stress.
Inactivation and mutation of cultured mammalian cells by aluminium characteristic ultrasoft X-rays. III. Implication for theory of dual radiation action.

Microdosimetric distributions for aluminium K characteristic ultrasoft X-rays and 4He ion tract intersections are calculated and used to analyse recent biological results obtained with these radiations. Results on inactivation and mutation-induction to thioguanine resistance of both V79 Chinese hamster cells and HF19 human diploid fibroblasts in vitro are analysed in terms of the Kellerer-Rossi "theory of dual radiation action". The small quantum energy of the aluminium X-ray photons and the very short length of the secondary electrons which they produce highlight the inadequacy of the model. It is shown that the model predicts r.b. e. values in conflict with those observed unless an additional variable is introduced, but that the introduction of such a variable creates mathematical inconsistencies. The experimental evidence is contrary to the conventional usage and basis of the model.
The effect of resveratrol on prevention of the development of postoperative adhesions in a rat model

Objective. Our aim was to investigate the anti-adhesion potential of resveratrol, a phytoestrogen naturally found in wine, in a rat uterine horn model. Methods. Lesions were created by laparotomy in the uterine horn of 70 rats, randomized before the operation into seven groups consisting of ten animals each: (1) control group, no adjuvant therapy; (2) intraperitoneal (IP) application of the resveratrol dilution vehicle, 10 mg/kg, before closing the laparotomy; (3) subcutaneous (SC) injection of dilution vehicle, 10 mg/kg, 30 min before the operation; (4) IP application of resveratrol, 10 mg/kg, before closing the laparotomy; (5) SC injection of resveratrol, 10 mg/kg, 30 min before the operation; (6) IP application of resveratrol, 10 mg/kg, before closing the laparotomy and continued SC daily for 5 days; and (7) SC injection of resveratrol, 10 mg/kg, 30 min before the operation and continued SC daily for 5 days. On the 14th postoperative day adhesion scores were determined. Levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were also measured. Results. In animals treated with repeated SC resveratrol, adhesions were graded as significantly less severe than in the vehicle control group or the groups treated with resveratrol IP or IP plus SC. TAC of control group rats was significantly lower than that of animals treated with repeated SC resveratrol. Conclusion. Repeated SC resveratrol significantly reduces adhesion formation.
Role of the serotonin system in ADHD: treatment implications

A limited number of studies have considered whether the activity of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) contributes to the problems experienced by youngsters with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The aim of this article is to review this work and propose interpretations. Peripheral measures of 5-HT and its metabolite do not point to a widespread association with the diagnosis. However, separate consideration of the major domains of dysfunction (motor activity, inattention and impulsivity) support a more differentiated assessment. The marked innervation of motor regions of the brain by 5-HT projections and the clear involvement of 5-HT systems in the control of locomotion in animals suggests a likely node for dysfunction in ADHD. The few relevant studies do not show evidence of this, but more attention should be accorded to the issue. The situation is different for attention-related processes; here, there are deficiencies in perceptual sensitivity and the appropriate designation of saliency to stimulation. These are attributable, in part, to altered 5-HT activity. Marked and opposite changes of 5-HT responsivity are associated with behavioral and cognitive impulsivity. There is also a growing series of studies demonstrating preferential transmission of various genetic markers for 5-HT receptors that are expressed in ADHD. Currently, the heterogeneity of methods in this young discipline restricts the possibilities of definition of these markers and the types of ADHD in which they are expressed.
Cementless total hip replacement in 20 juveniles using BFX™ arthroplasty.

OBJECTIVE To describe outcome after a minimum of 1 year for total hip replacement (THR) using BioMedtrix BFX™ biologic fixation implants in skeletally immature dogs (6-10 months of age). STUDY DESIGN Case series. ANIMALS Dogs (n = 20). METHODS Medical records (November 2007-June 2010) of 20 dogs, 6-10 months old that had cementless THR were reviewed. Preoperative, immediate, 6-week and >1-year postoperative radiographs were compared. Clinical examination was performed at 6 weeks and >1 year postoperatively. Owner questionnaire was obtained at final follow-up. RESULTS Cementless THR using BFX™ implants was performed because of debilitating coxofemoral pain, resulting from canine hip dysplasia, after unsatisfactory outcome with medical management. Radiographs taken immediately, 6 weeks and at a mean of 29.8 months (range, 12-48 months) postoperatively revealed satisfactory implant positioning and stability. Significant change in measured cranial-caudal femoral stem fill and level (P < .001 and P = .006, respectively) were recorded at 6 weeks postoperatively without clinical significance. No further change in stem positioning occurred. Acetabular cup orientation remained unchanged throughout follow-up. Complications requiring further surgical intervention were not encountered. One minor superficial infection was recorded and treated. Lameness and pain on manipulation of the affected hip had greatly improved in all dogs by 6 weeks postoperatively. CONCLUSION Cementless THR can safely be performed in skeletally immature dogs, providing satisfactory return to normal joint function and implant survivability for at least a mean of 29.8 months.
A Single Initiating Cause of Hypertension; Potential for Primary Prevention

Peptide growth factors (PGF’s) are potent regulators of cell growth from unicellular to complex multicellular organisms. Through a combination of autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine modes of action, PGF’s control the activity of all other growth modulators including classical hormones, such as the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone (RAA) system, which they predate on the evolutionary scale [3]. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), when present, dominate this control through a process of extensive cross talk and transactivation.
Effects of detraining on responses to submaximal exercise.

Seven endurance-trained subjects were studied 12, 21, 56, and 84 days after cessation of training. Heart rate, ventilation, respiratory exchange ratio, and blood lactate concentration during submaximal exercise of the same absolute intensity increased (P less than 0.05) progressively during the first 56 days of detraining, after which a stabilization occurred. These changes paralleled a 40% decline (P less than 0.001) in mitochondrial enzyme activity levels and a 21% increase in total lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity (P less than 0.05) in trained skeletal muscle. After 84 days of detraining, the experimental subjects' muscle mitochondrial enzyme levels were still 50% above, and LDH activity was 22% below, sedentary control levels. The blood lactate threshold of the detrained subjects occurred at higher absolute and relative (i.e., 75 +/- 2% vs. 62 +/- 3% of maximal O2 uptake) exercise intensities in the subjects after 84 days of detraining than in untrained controls (P less than 0.05). Thus it appears that a portion of the adaptation to prolonged and intense endurance training that is responsible for the higher lactate threshold in the trained state persists for a long time (greater than 85 days) after training is stopped.
Loss of Phylloquinone in Chlamydomonas Affects Plastoquinone Pool Size and Photosystem II Synthesis*

Phylloquinone functions as the electron transfer cofactor at the A1 site of photosystem I. We have isolated and characterized a mutant of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, menD1, that is deficient in MenD, which encodes 2-succinyl-6-hydroxy-2,4-cyclohexadiene-1-carboxylate synthase, an enzyme that catalyzes the first specific step of the phylloquinone biosynthetic pathway. The mutant is photosynthetically active but light-sensitive. Analysis of total pigments by mass spectrometry reveals that phylloquinone is absent in menD1, but plastoquinone levels are not affected. This is further confirmed by the rescue of menD1 by addition of phylloquinone to the growth medium. Analysis of electron transfer by absorption spectroscopy indicates that plastoquinone replaces phylloquinone in photosystem I and that electron transfer from A1 to the iron-sulfur centers is slowed down at least 40-fold. Consistent with a replacement of phylloquinone by plastoquinone, the size of the free plastoquinone pool of menD1 is reduced by 20–30%. In contrast to cyanobacterial MenD-deficient mutants, photosystem I accumulates normally in menD1, whereas the level of photosystem II declines. This decrease is because of reduced synthesis of the photosystem II core subunits. The relationship between plastoquinone occupancy of the A1 site in photosystem I and the reduced accumulation of photosystem II is discussed.