Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the MTT and MABA assays for rapid screening of the in vitro activity of synthetic chalcones against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Background: The chalcone scaffold (1,3-diaryl-2-propen-i-ones) has the advantage of easy chemical modification and has been shown to possess biological activity against a variety of organisms, including a wide range of anti-TB activity. The focus of this study was 2-fold: firstly, to compare the performance of the colorimetric MTT and MABA assays for screening synthetic chalcones, and secondly, to evaluate the activity of fluorinated and non-fluorinated chalcones against drug susceptible and resistant clinical strains of M. tuberculosis. Materials and methods: Twenty seven chalcones and chromenochalcones were screened against the laboratory strain M. tuberculosis H37Rv, using a microtitre plate MTT assay at 7 days. The MIC for 20 active compounds was subsequently determined using the MABA, MTT and the macroscopic broth assays at 7, 14 and 21 days, extracellular activity against clinical isolates of varying drug susceptibility patterns and genotypes using the MTT assay, intracellular activity in a macrophage model and eukaryotic cytotoxicity using Vero cells. Results and discussion: No significant difference in the MICs, or increase in the MICs was observed over time between the MABA (p = 0.209) and the MTT (p = 0.207) assays, in contrast to the gold standard, the macroscopic broth assay (p = 0.000). Fluorinated and non-fluorinated chalcones displayed moderate activity (32128 μg/mL) against MDRand XDR-TB isolates, no significant activity against intracellular H37Rv and low selectivity for M. tuberculosis. The elevated MICs and lack of intracellular activity may be explained by the precipitation of the compounds indicating low solubility, with the exception of IV and XVI. Conclusions: The MTT assay is a more cost effective drug susceptibility testing method than the MABA assay for the rapid in vitro screening of the activity of chalcones against M. tuberculosis.
Olfaction Is Related to Motor Function in Older Adults

Background Among older adults, both olfaction and motor function predict future cognitive decline and dementia, suggesting potential shared causal pathways. However, it is not known whether olfactory and motor function are independently related in late life. Methods We assessed cross-sectional associations of olfaction with motor and cognitive function, using concurrent data on olfactory function, mobility, balance, fine motor function, manual dexterity, and cognition in 163 Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging participants aged 60 and older without common neurological diseases (n = 114 with available cognitive data). Using multiple linear regression, we adjusted for age, sex, race, smoking history, height, and weight for mobility and balance, and education for cognition. We used multiple linear regression to test whether olfaction-motor associations were independent of cognition and depressive symptoms. Results Olfactory scores were significantly associated with mobility (usual gait speed, rapid gait speed, 400-m walk time, and Health ABC Physical Performance Battery score), balance, fine motor function, and manual dexterity (all p < .05). In those with available cognitive data, additional adjustment for depressive symptoms, verbal memory, or visuoperceptual speed demonstrated especially strong independent relationships with challenging motor tasks such as 400-m walk and nondominant hand manual dexterity (p < .005). Conclusions This study demonstrates for the first time that, in older adults, olfactory function is associated with mobility, balance, fine motor function, and manual dexterity, and independent of cognitive function, with challenging upper and lower extremity motor function tasks. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine if olfactory performance predicts future mobility and functional decline.
Sarcomas de útero después de tratamiento con tamoxifeno por cáncer

• Propósito: Descripción de dos casos de sarcomas en mujeres que recibieron tamoxifeno después del tratamiento quirúrgico de cáncer de mama. • Material y métodos:Se describen dos casos de dos mujeres de 74 y 53 años que recibieron tratamiento con 20 mg diarios de tamoxifeno después del tratamiento quirúrgico de un cáncer de mama. Cuatro y dos años después de iniciar el tratamiento, desarrollaron un tumor Mülleriano mixto maligno heterólogo (Estadio III) y un sarcoma del estroma endometrial (Estadio I). • Discusión:Los carcinosarcomas y otros sarcomas uterinos son raros, y ocurren en menos del 4% de los tumores uterinos. En la mayoría de los estudios se refieren tasas altas de estos tumores en mujeres postmenopáusicas, con cáncer de mama, tratadas con tamoxifeno, en comparación a las no tratadas, especialmente aquellas expuestas a largos periodos de tratamiento.
Evaluation of Radiofrequency Ablation as a Method for Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the fifth most common neoplasm in the World and the third most common cause of cancer related death (1). It accounts for 7.4% of all cancers in males and 3.2% of all cancers in females (2). An early diagnosis of HCC is required for the institution of treatments considered to be curative. On this basis, screening of each patient with liver cirrhosis should be performed by ultrasound and by measurements of serum alphafetoprotein (AFP) at 6-months interval (3). There are different methods for active management of HCC, many factors related to the tumour itself and to the patient may make a tumour unresectable (4). Radio frequency ablation (RFA) is the most common therapy used in patients not suitable for resection. In RFA, an electric current that is passed into the tumour tissue via an electrode tip results in heat generation and coagulative necrosis (5). The advantage of radio frequency is the small number of sessions needed to obtain tumour necrosis (6). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the radiofrequency thermal ablation as a method for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Standardized tuberculosis treatment outcome monitoring in Europe

Consensus-based recommendations have been developed by a Working Group of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) on uniform reporting of tuberculosis (TB) treatment outcome data in countries in Europe. The main purpose of treatment monitoring is to find out how many of the potential infectious TB patients notified were declared cured at the end of treatment. Following the uniform case definitions as defined in 1996, emphasis is placed on cohort analysis of definite cases of pulmonary TB. The Working Group recommends using a minimal set of six mutually exclusive categories of treatment outcome: cure, treatment completed, failure, death, treatment interrupted, and transfer out. More detailed subsets may be chosen. Treatment outcome is expressed as a percentage of the total number of cases notified. Analysis should be separate for new and retreatment cases. Treatment outcome data have to be collected at the local level and passed on to regional and national authorities on an ongoing basis. Evaluation of treatment results becomes, preferably, an inbuilt component of national monitoring of programme performance. Because of the long duration of treatment, it is recommended that analysis is carried out in the first quarter of the calendar year that follows a full year after the last patient was enrolled. Feedback is essential. Treatment outcome results should become an inseparable part of the annual report on tuberculosis.
Epidemiological profile of women with breast cancer treated in hospital philanthropic reference / Perfil epidemiológico de mulheres com câncer de mama tratadas em hospital filantrópico de referência

RESUMO: O estudo objetivou tracar o perfil epidemiologico das mulheres com diagnostico de neoplasia maligna de mama que fizeram tratamento em um Hospital Filantropico de referencia em oncologia de Teresina no ano de 2010. Trata-se de um estudo epidemiologico de carater descritivo e avaliativo, com abordagem quantitativa. Os dados foram coletados por meio da revisao de prontuarios eletronicos de mulheres que realizaram tratamento em 2010 para CA de mama. Constatou-se que a maioria e de raca parda, casada, com ensino fundamental completo, do lar e procedente do interior do Piaui. A combinacao de ultrassom mamaria, mamografia e biopsia foi mais utilizada como metodo diagnostico. O estadiamento mais incidente corresponde ao grau II, em quadrante superior externo da mama. Somente 15% das pacientes evidenciaram metastase, sendo a maioria em regiao ossea. Do total de pacientes, 78,8% realizaram algum tratamento cirurgico, 61,3% fizeram radioterapia e 77,5% quimioterapia. Observou-se que 48,8% das mulheres obtiveram alta do tratamento com seguimento pelos cinco anos posteriores. O acesso melhorado aos servicos de saude e as modalidades diagnosticas exerce influencia significante na sobrevida das mulheres com câncer de mama. No entanto, muitas mulheres ainda procuram tardiamente os servicos de saude o que faz piorar o prognostico.
The long-term relationship between high-intensity volunteering and physical activity in older African American women.

OBJECTIVES Experience Corps (EC) places older volunteers in public elementary schools in 20 cities across the country. The EC program in Baltimore is a health promotion intervention designed to improve the academic outcomes of children and increase older adult volunteer physical activity. We sought to determine if there were sustained increases in physical activity with participation in EC. METHODS Seventy-one African American women volunteers in the Baltimore EC were compared with 150 African American women in the Women's Health and Aging Studies (WHAS) I and II; all were aged 65-86 years with comparable Social Economic Status, frailty, and self-reported health status. Using a regression model, we evaluated physical activity adjusting for a propensity score and time of follow-up over 3 years. RESULTS EC volunteers reported a sustained increase in physical activity as compared with the comparison cohort. Baseline physical activity for individuals with a median propensity score was 420 kcal/wk for both groups. At 36 months, EC volunteers reported 670 kcal/week compared with 410 kcal/week in WHAS (p = .04). Discussion These findings suggest that high-intensity senior service programs that are designed as health promotion interventions could lead to sustained improvements in physical activity in high-risk older adults, while simultaneously addressing important community needs.
Healing-in of root analogue titanium implants placed in extraction sockets. An experimental study in the beagle dog.

The aim of this study was to test whether healing of extensive transosseous defects in the calvaria can successfully be achieved using guided bone regeneration. The results demonstrated complete osseous bridging of the skull defect in the test specimen. In the control specimen, fibrous connective tissue occupied the area of the skull defect.
Interference from previous distraction disrupts older adults' memory.

OBJECTIVES Previously relevant information can disrupt the ability of older adults to remember new information. Here, the researchers examined whether prior irrelevant information, or distraction, can also interfere with older adults' memory for new information. METHOD Younger and older adults first completed a 1-back task on pictures that were superimposed with distracting words. After a delay, participants learned picture-word paired associates and memory was tested using picture-cued recall. In 1 condition (high interference), some pairs included pictures from the 1-back task now paired with new words. In a low-interference condition, the transfer list used all new items. RESULTS Older adults had substantially lower cued-recall performance in the high- compared with the low-interference condition. In contrast, younger adults' performance did not vary across conditions. DISCUSSION These findings suggest that even never-relevant information from the past can disrupt older adults' memory for new associations.
Formal and informal care in an urban and a rural elderly population : Who? When? What?

ENGLISH This thesis explored informal and formal care in relation to physical and mental functioning in an urban and a rural setting in Sweden. Three different study populations were used: eight cohabiting couples where one of the spouses was the primary caregiver for a partner with dementia; an urban and a rural elderly population (75+ years) participating in the Kungsholmen Project in central Stockholm; or in the Kungsholmen-Nordanstig Project in the county of Hälsingland. Both projects are longitudinal, population-based studies on aging and dementia, using the same standardized protocols in both areas. Study I. A qualitative approach, following spouses who were primary caregivers for a demented partner, was chosen to describe types and patterns of caring activities. The findings demonstrate the intricacy and multidimensionality of the caregiving situation, as well as the varied time-consuming caring activities and tasks performed by informal carers. Spouses found the caregiving role rewarding in terms of experiencing nearness and a feeling of togetherness. Study II. In a rural elderly population, the amount of informal in-home care was much greater than formal in-home care, and also greater among demented than nondemented persons. We found an association between the severity of cognitive decline and the amount (hours per day) of informal care, while this pattern was weaker regarding formal care. Study III. A study of all institutionalized elderly inhabitants in a rural community showed that having dementia increased the amount of total care time (hours per day). The presence of dementia added more than nine hours, while each loss of one ADL function added 2.9 hours. The estimated cost for institutional ADL-care time increased with more than 85% for people being dependent in 5-6 ADL activities, compared to persons with no functional dependency, and with 30% for persons with dementia compared to the non-demented. Study IV. We found geographical differences in two elderly populations living at home. The rural elderly residents were almost three times more likely to receive informal care. Living alone was strongly associated with receiving formal care in both areas, but it was the women with high education in the urban area who received more formal care. There were no area differences in physical functioning, whereas rural elderly were more cognitively impaired. Summary. Elderly cohabiting caregivers were engaged in demanding time-consuming care, from supervision to heavy physical responsibility. The amount of informal inhome care was much greater than in-home formal care. Our findings indicate that informal care substitutes rather than compliments formal care. There was a variation in time use of care in institutional settings due to differences in ADL dependency, but also whether dementia was present or not. These variations have implications for cost of institutional care. The rural elderly population received significantly more informal care, and was more cognitively impaired.
Internet Support and Information for Women with Breast Cancer

Abstract : Traditional methods of providing psychosocial interventions for cancer patients are associated with positive patient outcomes but have limited overall impact attributable to low participation rates. The purpose of this project is to implement and evaluate the efficacy of a computer-based psychosocial intervention for women with breast cancer. At the end of the first year of funding, we have successfully pilot-tested and implemented the SURVIVE intervention, and results from the first year are summarized in this annual report. Briefly, SURVIVE has received media attention at the local, state, and national level, yielding a number of referrals to the protocol. Additionally, 38 women have been screened in the UAB breast cancer clinics, and of these 38 women, 19 (50%) have agreed to participate. Recruitment efforts have targeted three weekly cancer clinics at UAB, and efforts to expand recruitment to two additional Birmingham-area hospitals (Medical Center East and Brookwood Hospital) are underway. 10 women with clinical stage I or II disease have been randomized into the protocol, and an additional 4 women with advanced stage disease are currently participating in the intervention. An additional 10 women will be randomized into the protocol by June 23, 2001. No data analysis has yet been undertaken.
Prevention and Regression of Chronic Kidney Disease and Hypertension

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a disease which is characterized by the presence of renal damage or decreased GFR for at least 3 months. The prevalence of CKD in the US has been reported to be 3.3% (stage 1), 3.0% (stage 2), 4.3% (stage 3), 0.2% (stage 4), and 0.1% (stage 5) (Levey et al., 2003; 2002). Because of the increasing elderly population in industrial countries, the development of new strategies for the prevention and regression of CKD is important.
Pediatric Exposure to Agricultrual Machinery

The agricultural population has been underserved and difficult to reach in terms of injury control interventions, particularly regarding children at the farm worksite. Risk factors for pediatric agricultural injuries have been hypothesized but not well documented. In order to plan appropriate interventions, it is necessary to characterize possible risk factors. To address this need, a survey of a random sample of 208 Iowa farm families with 470 children under age 19 conducted. It was found that 91% of boys and 44% of girls ages 15-18, 59% of boys and 16% of girls ages 10-14, 21% of boys and 3% of girls ages 5-9, and 3% of four-year-old boys operate tractors, with 67% of boys and 16% of girls in the oldest group doing so unsupervised. Thirty-nine percent of children under five rode with an adult on tractors without cabs and 76% in cab tractors; 37% were allowed on cab tractors only. Preschool children who mothers work full-time off-farm were least involved in machinery-related activities. Nineteen percent .
Does This Patient Have Acute Mountain Sickness?: The Rational Clinical Examination Systematic Review

Importance Acute mountain sickness (AMS) affects more than 25% of individuals ascending to 3500 m (11 500 ft) and more than 50% of those above 6000 m (19 700 ft). AMS may progress from nonspecific symptoms to life-threatening high-altitude cerebral edema in less than 1% of patients. It is not clear how to best diagnose AMS. Objective To systematically review studies assessing the accuracy of AMS diagnostic instruments, including the visual analog scale (VAS) score, which quantifies the overall feeling of sickness at altitude (VAS[O]; various thresholds), Acute Mountain Sickness-Cerebral score (AMS-C; ≥0.7 indicates AMS), and the clinical functional score (CFS; ≥2 indicates AMS) compared with the Lake Louise Questionnaire Score (LLQS; score of ≥5). Data Extraction and Synthesis Searches of MEDLINE and EMBASE from inception to May 2017 identified 1245 publications of which 91 were suitable for prevalence analysis (66 944 participants) and 14 compared at least 2 instruments (1858 participants) using a score of 5 or greater on the LLQS as a reference standard. To determine the prevalence of AMS for establishing the pretest probability of AMS, a random-effects meta-regression was performed based on the reported prevalence of AMS as a function of altitude. Main Outcomes and Measures AMS prevalence, likelihood ratios (LRs), sensitivity, and specificity of screening instruments. Results The final analysis included 91 articles (comprising 66 944 study participants). Altitude predicted AMS and accounted for 28% of heterogeneity between studies. For each 1000-m (3300-ft) increase in altitude above 2500 m (8200 ft), AMS prevalence increased 13% (95% CI, 9.5%-17%). Testing characteristics were similar for VAS(O), AMS-C, and CFS vs a score of 5 or greater on the LLQS (positive LRs: range, 3.2-8.2; P = .22 for comparisons; specificity range, 67%-92%; negative LRs: range, 0.30-0.36; P = .50 for comparisons; sensitivity range, 67%-82%). The CFS asks a single question: “overall if you had any symptoms, how did they affect your activity (ordinal scale 0-3)? ” For CFS, moderate to severe reduction in daily activities had a positive LR of 3.2 (95% CI, 1.4-7.2) and specificity of 67% (95% CI, 37%-97%); no reduction to mild reduction in activities had a negative LR of 0.30 (95% CI, 0.22-0.39) and sensitivity of 82% (95% CI, 77%-87%). Conclusions and Relevance The prevalence of acute mountain sickness increases with higher altitudes. The visual analog scale for the overall feeling of sickness at altitude, Acute Mountain Sickness-Cerebral, and clinical functional score perform similarly to the Lake Louise Questionnaire Score using a score of 5 or greater as a reference standard. In clinical and travel settings, the clinical functional score is the simplest instrument to use. Clinicians evaluating high-altitude travelers who report moderate to severe limitations in activities of daily living (clinical functional score ≥2) should use the Lake Louise Questionnaire Score to assess the severity of acute mountain sickness.
Diabetes mellitus – eine häufige Erkrankung mit Systemcharakter

Zusammenfassung Der Diabetes mellitus ist eine häufige Erkrankung, aus der mikro- und makrovaskuläre Folgeerkrankungen resultieren. Im Vordergrund stehen dabei die diabetische Nephround Retinopathie, die koronare und zerebrovaskuläre Arteriosklerose sowie das diabetische Fußsyndrom. Wenig Aufmerksamkeit wurde bislang der Assoziation des Diabetes mellitus mit einer Vielzahl von rheumatischen Manifestationen geschenkt.