Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maternal alcohol use during pregnancy causes systemic oxidation of the glutathione redox system.

BACKGROUND Increased systemic oxidant stress contributes to a variety of maternal complications of pregnancy. Although the antioxidant glutathione (GSH) and its oxidized component glutathione disulfide (GSSG) have been demonstrated to be significantly altered in the adult alcoholic, the effects of maternal alcohol use during pregnancy on oxidant stress in the postpartum female remain under investigation. We hypothesized that maternal alcohol use would increase systemic oxidant stress in the pregnant female, evidenced by an oxidized systemic GSH redox potential. METHODS As a subset analysis of a larger maternal language study, we evaluated the effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy on the systemic GSH redox status of the postpartum female. Using an extensive maternal questionnaire, postpartum women where queried regarding their alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Any drinking, the occurrence of drinking >3 drinks/occasion, and heavy drinking of >5 drinks/occasion during pregnancy were noted. Using HPLC, maternal plasma samples were analyzed for GSH, oxidized GSSG and the redox potential of the GSH/GSSG antioxidant pair calculated. RESULTS Maternal alcohol use occurred in 25% (83/321) of our study sample. Two in ten women reported consuming >3 drinks/occasion during pregnancy, while 1 in 10 women reported consuming alcohol at >5 drinks/occasion. Any alcohol use during pregnancy significantly decreased plasma GSH (p < 0.05), while alcohol at >3 drinks/occasion or >5 drinks/occasion significantly decreased plasma GSH concentration (p < 0.05), increased the percent of oxidized GSSG (p < 0.05), and substantially oxidized the plasma GSH redox potential (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Alcohol use during pregnancy, particularly at levels >3 drinks/occasion, caused significant oxidation of the systemic GSH system in the postpartum women. The clinical ramifications of the observed alcohol-induced oxidation of the GSH redox system on high risk pregnancies or on the exposed offspring require more accurate identification and further investigation.
Where There's Fire, There's Smoke

The aroma of horse dander and cow manure that often overwhelms a city dweller visiting or passing through cattle ranges of Colorado or Wyoming is never referred to as air "pollution. " This dirty word is usually reserved for exhaust fumes of automobiles or for the smoke of factory chimneys. Unlike industrial offenders, the "natural" malodorous emanations tearing at one's olfactory bulbs are presumed to be harmless, even invigorating, unless, of course, the inhaler happens to have asthma, hay fever, or an overly fastidious psyche. The sharp difference in attitude toward by-products of civilization and those of nature is only in part the outcome of genuine and legitimate concern about health. In large measure it is a reflection of the romantic tradition, dating back to Jean Jacques Rousseau, which holds that the "natural" life of primitive man was good and healthy before it became subverted by industrial progress. Civilization is evil,
Comparing structural equation models that use different measures of the level of response to alcohol.

BACKGROUND The two measures of a low level of response (LR) to alcohol, an alcohol challenge and the retrospective Self-Report of the Effects of Alcohol questionnaire (SRE), each identify individuals at high risk for heavy drinking and alcohol problems. These measures also perform similarly in identifying subjects with unique functional brain imaging characteristics. However, few data are available regarding whether alcohol challenge-based and SRE-based LRs operate similarly in structural equation models (SEMs) that search for characteristics, which help to mediate how LR impacts alcohol outcomes. METHODS Two hundred and ninety-four men from the San Diego Prospective Study were evaluated for their LR to alcohol using alcohol challenges at approximately age 20. At approximately age 35, the same subjects filled out the SRE regarding the number of drinks needed for effects 15 to 20 years earlier. The two different LR scores for these men were used in SEM analyses evaluating how LR relates to future heavy drinking and to drinking in peers (PEER), alcohol expectancies (EXPECT), and drinking to cope (COPE) as potential mediators of the LR to drinking pattern (ALCOUT) relationships. RESULTS While the 2 LR measures that were determined 15 years apart related to each other at a modest level (r = 0.17, p < 0.01), the SEM results were similar regardless of the LR source. In both alcohol challenge-based and SRE-based LR models, LR related directly to ALCOUT, with partial mediation from PEER and COPE, but not through EXPECT in these 35-year-old men. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with the >60% overlap in prediction of outcomes for the 2 LR measures, and with results from functional brain imaging, alcohol challenge- and SRE-based LR values operated similarly in SEM models in these men.
Orbital Compression Syndrome in Sickle Cell Disease

Purpose: To present 3 cases of orbital compression syndrome caused by infarction of the greater wing of the sphenoid in patients with sickle cell disease. Methods: Case report and review of the literature. Results: Three patients with sickle cell disease (2 males aged 22 and 16 years, and a 10-year-old girl) who presented with proptosis, limited ocular motility, and chemosis were found to have an infarction of the marrow space of the greater wing of the sphenoid that produced an orbital subperiosteal hemorrhage and exudate demonstrated on MRI. Two patients suffered compressive optic neuropathy; both patients recovered normal optic nerve function. Orbital edema resolved within 48 hours of receiving 1 g methylprednosolone daily. The third patient had normal optic nerve function and his orbital edema improved with methylprednisolone 250 mg/day and intravenous Kefzol over 3 days. In the literature, there are 27 similar cases; 5 were treated surgically and the remainder were managed medically. Conclusions: Patients with sickle cell disease are at risk for orbital compression syndrome secondary to orbital bone infarction, in the setting of vaso-occlusive crises. This diagnosis should be considered when a patient with sickle cell disease presents with headache, proptosis, decreased motility, and/or optic nerve compromise.
Osteoplasty Using Calcium Hydroxylapatite Filler

Purpose: To describe a novel method using injectable calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiesse) for aesthetic correction of small bony defects in the skull. Methods: A prospective, small interventional case series was performed. Three patients were identified with bony defects of the frontal bone from prior trauma or surgery. Calcium hydroxylapatite filler was injected locally to fill the bony defects. The procedure was performed in an ambulatory surgical center with monitored anesthesia care in conjunction with eyelid surgery. Results: Three patients were treated with 1 to 3 vials (1.3-ml vial) of injectable calcium hydroxylapatite with improvement of volume deficiency and cosmesis. There were no complications associated with the procedure. Follow-up ranged from 2 months to 7 months. Conclusions: This preliminary report demonstrates that injectable calcium hydroxylapatite filler provides a new, simple, semipermanent technique for aesthetic correction of small bony defects in the skull. The amount of volume replacement is easily titrated, and the procedure can be repeated if necessary until adequate volume is obtained. Although these cases were performed in a surgery center, the technique could easily be done as an office procedure with local anesthesia. A larger cohort and longer follow-up is necessary to establish the duration of effect and success of the procedure.
Association between Obesity and Self-Rated Health in Korean Males and Females

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of obesity on self-rated health in Korean males and females. Methods: The 2010 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES V-1) data were used. Participants included 1,231 males and 1,289 females aged 20 years or older and had no disease. Chi-square test, t-test, and multiple logistic regression with dummy variables using SAS 9.2 were performed. Results: From univariate analysis, total body fat was significantly greater in males with a selfperception of poor health (p = .006), and the percentage of total body fat was significantly greater in males and females with a selfperception of poor health (p for all = .001). After controlling for demographic and health behavior variables, similar results were found. Females with higher education had a healthy perception of their health. Smoking for males and drinking for females were signifi cantly related to unhealthy perception of their health. Conclusion: The current study provides evidence that obese Korean males and females had worse self-rated health, even though they had no disease. In particular, it is important to note that the relatively direct obesity measures from Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry, such as total body fat and percentage of body fat, were significantly relat ed to self-rated health.
Impact of motivational changes on drinking outcomes in pharmacobehavioral treatment for alcohol dependence.

BACKGROUND Psychological factors such as motivation to change and self-efficacy influence drinking outcomes in alcohol-dependent individuals who are enrolled in pharmacobehavioral studies. Previous results from our research clinic indicated that initial stage of change of heavy drinkers enrolled in a pharmacobehavioral trial was significantly associated with alcohol consumption. However, overall empirical findings regarding the consistency and extent of the connection between motivational factors and behavior are mixed. This may be in part because of the impact of changes in motivation over the course of treatment and/or characteristics of the individuals receiving the intervention. Our goal in the present study was to examine the extent to which levels of motivation and self-efficacy changed during the treatment phase of a pharmacobehavioral treatment trial, and the extent to which these variables affected drinking behavior in subsets of alcohol-dependent individuals. METHODS We conducted an exploratory evaluation of changes in motivation, temptation to drink, confidence to abstain, and drinking behavior over time during the treatment phase of a pharmacobehavioral study involving 321 alcohol-dependent individuals. We also examined the extent to which individual variables such as initial drinking severity, onset of alcohol dependence, and medication status influenced changes in motivation, self-efficacy, and drinking behavior. RESULTS Participants reported improvements in motivation to change, self-efficacy for change, and drinking behaviors over the course of treatment. As hypothesized, motivation to change and self-efficacy for change were related to specific dimensions of posttreatment drinking. Heavy drinkers reported more improvement in drinking behaviors than did nonheavy drinkers. Early-onset drinkers who were on medication reduced their drinking more than those on placebo, and these drinking changes appear to be partially mediated by reductions in temptation. CONCLUSIONS Reductions in drinking occur and are predicted by increased motivation to change, reduced temptation to drink, and increased confidence to abstain in this population of alcoholic-dependent individuals. Early and late onset and heavy drinkers and those taking medications displayed differential changes in drinking behavior, some of which were explained by the mediating effects of self-efficacy. This is a first step in understanding more about which alcoholic individuals respond best to treatment and what mechanisms may be involved in the changes in drinking and drinking-specific changes in frequency and intensity of drinking.
Personal and Social Correlates of Tobacco Use Among Adolescents With Diabetes

Personal and social correlates of adolescent tobacco use have been widely studied but not among adolescents with diabetes. Perceived health, psychosomatic complaints, decision-making autonomy, self-esteem, and friends' smoking exposure were analyzed in relation to cigarette experimentation, current smoking, and quitting history in adolescents with and without diabetes. Study-defined rates of experimentation (56%), current smoking (22%), and positive quit attempt history (65% of current smokers) did not vary by health status. Perceived health was poorest and complaints were greatest for adolescents with diabetes who experimented with smoking; exposure to friends who smoke was also greatest among adolescent experimental and current smokers with diabetes. Additional research on the design and implementation of diabetes-specific tobacco control programs is warranted.
Phantom Eye Syndrome: Types of Visual Hallucinations and Related Phenomena

Purpose: To describe the prevalence of phantom eye syndrome in eye-amputated patients, to give a description of visual hallucinations, and to identify triggers, stoppers, and emotions related to visual hallucinations. Methods: The hospital database was screened, using surgery codes for patients who had received ocular evisceration, enucleation, or secondary implantation of an orbital implant in the period 1993–2003. A total of 267 patients was found and invited to participate, 173 accepted. Patients who accepted participation had their records reviewed, and a structured interview about visual hallucinations and pain was performed by one trained questioner (M.L.R.R.). Results: The prevalence of phantom eye syndrome was 51%. Elementary visual hallucinations were present in 36%, complex visual hallucinations in only 1%, and other visual hallucinations in 14%. The elementary visual hallucinations were most often white or colored light, as a continuous sharp light or as moving dots. The most frequent triggers were darkness, closing of the eyes, fatigue, and psychological stress; 54% of patients had the experience more than once a week. Ten patients were so visually disturbed that it interfered with their daily life. Conclusions: Phantom eye syndrome is common, and the authors recommend that surgeons inform their patients about the phenomenon.
Clinical challenges associated with bortezomib therapy in multiple myeloma and Waldenströms Macroglobulinemia

Rapid development of the small molecule proteasome inhibitor bortezomib has yielded important clinical benefit for patients with multiple myeloma. Early phase clinical trials suggest the agent has similar efficacy in Waldenströms Macroglobulinemia. Optimization of bortezomib-based therapy, though, requires an understanding of the various challenges associated with use of the drug. This review highlights the rationale for bortezomib therapy in patients with multiple myeloma and Waldenströms Macroglobulinemia, mechanisms of bortezomib resistance, important therapy-related side effects, and new directions for the use of proteasome inhibitors in these disorders.
Comparison of Analgesic Requirements for Postoperative Pain Control in Patients Undergoing Major Orthopedic Surgery

Background: In postoperative pain management, using a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device, the number of requests and total infusing dose of analgesics can be measured. Therefore, it is more objective to compare the pain intensity among different types of operation when a PCA device is used. Using PCA fentanyl consumption as a parameter, an attempt was made to elucidate the differences in the intensity of pain associated with total hip and total knee replacements by comparing the fentanyl requirements. Methods: Sixty female patients, with ages greater than 50 yrs, undergoing an elective total hip replacement (THR, n = 20), total knee replacement (TKR, n = 20) or posterolateral lumbar spinal fusion (PLF, n = 20), were enrolled to the present study. Fentanyl was administered in a calculated loading dose before the end of surgery, in order to achieve acceptable analgesia (VNRS = 5), which was followed by fentanyl-ketorolac PCA. Patients were followed up for 2 days postoperatively. The verbal numeric rating scale (VNRS), total dose, rescue dose and side effects of PCA were all checked. Results: The fentanyl consumption was greater in the TKR than in either the THR or PLF groups at each assessment (P
Organohelium compounds: structures, stabilities and chemical bonding analyses.

This paper deals with the possibility of forming short and relatively strong carbon-helium bonds in small typical organic molecules through substitution of one or several H atoms by He(+). A structural and energetics study (based on high-level calculations) of this unusual bonding, as well as a topological characterization of the resulting cations, is undertaken. Stable species generally requires substitution of about half of the hydrogen atoms for formation. Under these conditions, the number of such species appears to be potentially unlimited. "True" C-He bonds exhibit equilibrium distances ranging from 1.327 (C2H2He2(2+)) to 1.129 Å (He2CO(2+)). The energies of neutral He releasing range from approximately 5 kcal mol(-1) [He2CO(2+), (Z)-C2H2He2(2+)] to 25 kcal mol(-1) (C2HHe3(3+)), but remain most frequently around 10 kcal mol(-1). However, most of He(+)-substituted hydrocarbons are metastable with respect to C-C cleavage, except derivatives of ethene. Atoms in molecules (AIM) and electron localization function (ELF) topological descriptors classify the C-He bond as a weak charge-shift interaction [S. Shaik, D. Danovich, B. Silvi, D. L. Lauvergnat, P. C. Hiberty, Chem. Eur. J. 2005, 11, 6358-6371] in agreement with a recent publication by Rzepa [S. H. Rzepa, Nat. Chem. 2010, 2, 390-393]. He2CO(2+) is the only investigated compound that presents a C-He bonding ELF basin, which indicates a non-negligible covalent contribution to the bond. Other modifications in the electronic structure, such as the breaking of the triple bond in ethyne derivatives or the loss of aromaticity in C6H3He3(3+), are also nicely revealed by the ELF topology.
Letter to the Editor Evidence Supporting a Beneficial Role for Long-Term l-Arginine Supplementation in High-Risk Pregnancies

Letters to the Editor will be published, if suitable, as space permits. They should not exceed 1000 words (typed double-spaced) in length and may be subject to editing or abridgment. To the Editor: In the March issue of Hypertension Noris et al describe that preeclamptic women have decreased placental villi l-arginine concentration and overexpression of arginase II.1 In February, Alexander et al reported that supplementing l-arginine in pregnant rats with reduced uterine perfusion decreased blood pressure, concomitantly increasing serum l-arginine levels and urinary nitrite/nitrate.2 Both reports highlight the role of the l-arginine-nitric oxide (NO) pathway in determining normal …
Limited prognostic value of the International Prognostic Score in advanced stage human immunodeficiency virus infection-related Hodgkin lymphoma treated with the doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine regimen

In patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) displays a more aggressive behavior than in non-immunocompromised patients. However, in the highly active antiretrovitral therapy (HAART) era, several studies have shown that the response rate and survival of these patients are similar to that of immunocompetent patients [1–4]. In our series of patients with advanced stage HIV-related HL, treated with doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine (ABVD) and HAART, the immunological response to HAART had a positive impact on overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) [4]. The International Prognostic Score (IPS) is a useful seven-factor prognostic score for prediction of outcome in newly diagnosed patients with HL in advanced stages. However, patients with HIV-related HL were excluded from this prognostic model [5]. The accuracy of IPS for outcome prediction in these patients has not been extensively studied. Spina et al. [6] reported the results of the Standford V regimen and HAART in patients with bulky limited stage or advanced stages (III and IV) HIV-related HL, with a significantly different 3-year freedom from progression (FFP) and shorter survival in patients with IPS higher than 2 (83% vs. 52%, p1⁄4 0.02). The results were comparable with those observed in HIVnegative patients with HL treated with the same schedule [7]. ABVD is presently considered the standard treatment for patients with advanced stage HL. The aim of this study was to evaluate the IPS as a predictor of outcome in patients with advanced stage (III or IV) HIV-related HL treated with ABVD and HAART. From 1996 to 2005, 62 patients with newly diagnosed HIV-related HL in advanced stage were treated with 6–8 cycles of ABVD and HAART since diagnosis in 15 Spanish hospitals [4]. Six percent of the 53 evaluable patients received radiotherapy. The parameters included in the IPS (serum albumin level 54 g/dL, hemoglobin 510.5 g/dL, male sex, age 45 years, stage IV, WBC 156 10/L, lymphocyte count 50.66 10/L or 58% of the WBC, or both) were retrospectively recorded and complete data were available in 60 patients. The IPS score was defined as the number of adverse prognostic factors at diagnosis, and patients were classified into two groups: IPS score 0–3 vs. higher than 3. Patients were restaged according to the Cheson et al. criteria [8]. CR rate, OS, EFS and FFP were analyzed. The median age of the series was 38 years (range 24–62) and 52 patients (87%) were males.
Low expression of ASH2L protein correlates with a favorable outcome in acute myeloid leukemia

Abstract ASH2L encodes a trithorax group protein that is a core component of all characterized mammalian histone H3K4 methyltransferase complexes, including mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) complexes. ASH2L protein levels in primary leukemia patient samples have not yet been defined. We analyzed ASH2L protein expression in 511 primary AML patient samples using reverse phase protein array (RPPA) technology. We discovered that ASH2L expression is significantly increased in a subset of patients carrying fms-related tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) mutations. Furthermore, we observed that low levels of ASH2L are associated with increased overall survival. We also compared ASH2L levels to the expression of 230 proteins previously analyzed on this array. ASH2L expression was inversely correlated with 32 proteins, mostly involved in cell adhesion and cell cycle inhibition, while a positive correlation was observed for 50 proteins, many of which promote cell proliferation. Together, these results indicate that a lower level of ASH2L protein is beneficial to AML patients.
Caring for the Dying: Nursing Student Perspectives

The purpose of this hermeneutic study was to identify and clarify the characteristics of students' experiences in providing care for dying persons and their families during these students' clinical rotation in adult health nursing. The goal of the study was to elucidate and clarify the depth of students' experiences in caring for dying patients and their families to enhance the utility of death and dying content for nursing students. After the completion of Institutional Review Board approval procedures, the investigator collected data through single, individual interviews conducted with 12 students who had cared for dying persons during their clinical rotation in adult health nursing. Using Giorgi's method of data analysis, three major themes were identified: initial hesitancy and discomfort, reflective musings, and personal and professional benefits. Recommendations are made to increase both didactic and clinical end-of-life content in undergraduate nursing programs (a consistent recommendation in nursing literature for at least 30 years) and to hold debriefing sessions for all students caring for the dying in any setting.