Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Autoimmune pancreatitis: A mimic of pancreatic cancer

Autoimmune pancreatitis is an idiopathic inflammatory disease that produces pancreatic masses and ductal strictures. This benign disease resembles pancreatic carcinoma both clinically and radiographically. The diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis is challenging to make. However, accurate and timely diagnosis may preempt the misdiagnosis of cancer and decrease the number of unnecessary pancreatic resections. The accurate and timely diagnosis of this benign disease may preempt the misdiagnosis of cancer and decrease the number of unnecessary pancreatic resections.
Differences in Risk‐Adjusted Mortality Between Medicaid‐Eligible Patients Enrolled in Medicare Advantage Plans and Those Enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration

BackgroundWe compared risk-adjusted mortality rates between Medicaid-eligible patients in the Medicare Advantage plans (“MA dual enrollees”) and Medicaid-eligible patients in the Veterans Health Administration (“VHA dual enrollees”). MethodsWe used the Death Master File to ascertain the vital status of 1912 MA and 2361 VHA dual enrollees. We used Cox regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). ResultsThe 3-year mortality rates of VHA and MA dual enrollees were 15.8% and 19.0%, respectively. The adjusted HR of mortality in the MA dual enrollees was significantly higher than in the VHA dual enrollees (HR, 1.260 [95% CI, 1.044–1.520]). This was also the case for elderly patients and those from racial/ethnic minority groups. ConclusionsThe VHA had better health outcomes than did MA plans. The VHA's performance is reassuring, given its emphasis on equal access to healthcare in an environment that is less dependent on patient financial considerations.
Outpatient management of community-acquired pneumonia

Purpose of review Although most patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are treated as outpatients, the majority of data regarding CAP management is provided by hospitals, either from emergency department or inpatients. This was already noted in the first CAP guidelines, published in 1993, and the challenges regarding the outpatient management of CAP persist nowadays. These include the uncertainty of the initial diagnosis and risk stratification, the empirical choice of antibiotics, the overgrowing of antibiotic resistance bacteria and the relative scarcity of novel antibiotics. Recent findings New molecular biology methods have changed the etiologic perspective of CAP, unveiling the role of virus. Diagnostic uncertainty may lead to antibiotic overuse and bacteria resistance. Novel antibiotics along with diagnostic improvement, related to the use of lung ultrasound and point-of-care biomarkers testing, may help to improve CAP treatment. Prevention, especially the use of antipneumococcal vaccine, is instrumental in reducing the burden of disease. Summary Most of CAP cases are managed in the outpatient setting. However, most research is focused on hospitalized severe patients. New and awaited advances might contribute to aid diagnosis, cause and assessment of patients with CAP in the community. This knowledge might prove decisive in improving outcomes, as well as to the execution of stewardship programs that maintain current antibiotics, safeguard future ones and reinforce prevention.
Leprosy and tuberculosis: the epidemiological consequences of cross-immunity.

OBJECTIVES This study tested the hypothesis, first proposed by Chaussinand, that individual-level immunity acquired from exposure to tuberculosis may have contributed to the disappearance of leprosy from western Europe. METHODS The epidemiological consequences of cross-immunity were assessed by the formulation of a mathematical model of the transmission dynamics of tuberculosis and leprosy. RESULTS The conditions under which Mycobacterium tuberculosis could have eradicated Mycobacterium leprae were derived in terms of the basic reproductive rates of the two infections and the degree of cross-immunity. CONCLUSIONS If the degree of cross-immunity between two diseases within an individual is known, then the epidemiological consequences of this cross-immunity can be assessed with transmission modeling. The results of this analysis, in combination with previous estimates of the basic reproductive rate of tuberculosis and degree of cross-immunity, imply that tuberculosis could have contributed to the decline of leprosy if the basic reproductive rate of leprosy was low.
Benefits of Music Participation for Senior Citizens: A Review of the Literature

This article is a review of the literature in the physical, psychological, and social benefits of active music participation for healthy senior citizens. It shows a connection of these benefits to an overall quality of life of older adults. Evidence suggests that active music making has a positive effect on quality of life. Active music participation holds numerous benefits for senior citizens, including, but not limited to (a) an overall sense of physical and mental well-being, including the lessening of stress, pain and medication usage, (b) the slowing of age-related cognitive decline, (c) feelings of pleasure and enjoyment, (d) pride and a sense of accomplishment in learning new skills, (e) creation and maintenance of social connections, (f) a means of creative self-expression, and (g) the construction of identity at a time in life when sense of identity may be in flux.
A kill curve for Phanerozoic marine species

A kill curve for Phanerozoic species is developed from an analysis of the stratigraphic ranges of 17,621 genera, as compiled by Sepkoski. The kill curve shows that a typical species' risk of extinction varies greatly, with most time intervals being characterized by very low risk. The mean extinction rate of 0.25/m.y. is thus a mixture of long periods of negligible extinction and occasional pulses of much higher rate. Because the kill curve is merely a description of the fossil record, it does not speak directly to the causes of extinction. The kill curve may be useful, however, to limit choices of extinction mechanisms.
A counterexample to a conjecture of Scott and Suppes

In [1], it is conjectured that if S is a sentence in the first-order functional calculus with identity, and every subsystem of every finite relational system which satisfies S also satisfies S, then S is finitely equivalent to a universal sentence. (Two sentences are finitely equivalent if and only if they are satisfied by the same finite relational systems.) The following sentence S refutes that conjecture, and moreover S is satisfied by all finite subsystems of all (finite or infinite) relational systems which satisfy it.1S contains as predicate letters only the two-place predicate letters ≦, R (and the identity symbol =).
Levels of processing: A view from functional brain imaging

This paper briefly reviews two central assumptions of the levels-of-processing framework in the light of findings from recent PET and fMRI studies: First, to address the suggestion that memory traces can be seen as records of analyses carried out for the purposes of perception and comprehension, studies on encoding-retrieval overlap in brain activation patterns are considered. Second, to address the suggestion that deeper, more semantic, processing results in more durable traces, studies of how encoding activity relates to processing depth and subsequent memory performance are examined. The results show that some of the sensory regions that are activated during initial perception are subsequently reactivated during retrieval, and activity in frontal and medial-temporal brain regions is related to depth of processing and level of memory performance. Collectively, these results provide support for central components of the levels framework.
Potassium currents contributing to action potential repolarization and the afterhyperpolarization in rat vagal motoneurons.

1. Intracellular recordings were made from neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) in transverse slices of rat medulla maintained in vitro at 30 degrees C. Neurons had a resting potential of -59.8 +/- 1.4 (SE) mV (n = 39) and input resistance of 293 +/- 23 M omega (n = 44). 2. Depolarization elicited overshooting action potentials that were blocked by tetrodotoxin (TTX; 1 microM). In the presence of TTX, two types of action potentials having low and high thresholds could be elicited. The action potentials were blocked by cobalt (2 mM) indicating they were mediated by calcium currents. 3. Under voltage clamp, depolarization of the cell from membrane potentials negative of the resting potential activated a transient potassium current. This current was selectively blocked by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) (5 mM) and catechol (5 mM) indicating that it is an A-type current. This current inactivated with a time constant of 420 ms and recovered from inactivation with a time constant of 26 ms. 4. When calcium currents were blocked by cadmium or cobalt, the rate of action potential repolarization was slower. In the presence of tetraethylammonium (TEA; 200-400 microM) or charybdotoxin (CTX; 30 nM) a small "hump" appeared on the repolarizing phase of the action potential that was abolished by addition of cadmium. These results indicate that a calcium-activated potassium current (IC) contributes to action potential repolarization. 5. Actions potentials elicited from hyperpolarized membrane potentials repolarized faster than those elicited from resting membrane potential. This effect could be blocked by catechol, indicating that voltage-dependent potassium currents (IA) can also contribute to action-potential repolarization. In the presence of catechol and calcium channel blockers, action potentials still had a significant early afterhyperpolarization suggesting that another calcium independent outward current is also active during repolarization. This fast afterhyperpolarizations (AHP) was not blocked by TEA. 6. Action potentials were followed by prolonged AHPs, which had two phases. The initial part of the AHP was blocked by apamin (100 nM) indicating that it results from activation of SK type calcium-activated potassium channels. The slow phase was selectively blocked by catechol suggesting that it is due to activation of IA. 7. It is concluded that a TTX-sensitive sodium current and two calcium currents contribute to the action potential in rat DMV neurons. At least three different currents contribute to action-potential repolarization: IC, IA, and a third unidentified calcium-insensitive outward current. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Hemostatic status in liver transplantation: Association between preoperative procoagulants/anticoagulants and postoperative hemorrhaging/thrombosis

The delicate rebalanced hemostatic status of liver transplant recipients may lead to both hemorrhagic and thrombotic tendencies in this population. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between pretransplant procoagulants/anticoagulants and posttransplant bleeding and thrombosis among living donor liver transplant recipients. The study subjects were 403 consecutive recipients with chronic liver disease. Perioperative variables, including preoperative values for procoagulants and anticoagulants, were assessed to determine their association with posttransplant hemorrhaging and thrombosis. There were 35 hemorrhagic complications (9%) and 21 thrombotic complications (5%). In logistic regression analyses, a higher Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease score (P = 0.01) and a lower fibrinogen value (P < 0.001) were independently associated with hemorrhaging, whereas only a lower protein C value (P < 0.001) was independently associated with thrombosis. In a receiver operating characteristic analysis, a low preoperative protein C value (with the most accurate cutoff value being 25%) was a reliable predictor of thrombotic complications after liver transplantation (area under the curve = 0.921, P < 0.001, sensitivity = 0.9, specificity = 0.8). In conclusion, the decreases in both procoagulants and anticoagulants in liver transplant recipients may additively result in a delicate hemostatic balance and predispose patients to both hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications. A lower preoperative protein C value (<25%) was demonstrated to be a significant and reliable predictor of postoperative thrombotic complications in liver transplant recipients. Liver Transpl 21:258‐265, 2015. © 2014 AASLD.
Effects of skin washing on systemic absorption of testosterone in hypogonadal males after administration of 1.62% testosterone gel

Abstract Objective: The impact of washing on the pharmacokinetics, systemic absorption and residual testosterone on the skin after application of a 1.62% testosterone gel was investigated in an open-label, randomized, three-way crossover study in hypogonadal men. Research design and methods: Twenty-four hypogonadal men (total testosterone <300 ng/dL) applied 5 g of 1.62% gel (81 mg testosterone) once daily to the shoulders/upper arms for 7 days during each of three consecutive treatment periods. On the 7th dosing day of each period, the skin was washed (soap/water) at one of the following times: 2, 6, or 10 hours post-dose. Pharmacokinetic serum samples were collected at baseline, and on days 6 (no washing) and 7 (with washing) of each treatment period. Skin stripping for determination of residual testosterone was also performed on days 6 and 7. A single location on the application site was stripped a total of 10 times. Testosterone was extracted from the tape strips using ethanol, and concentrations were determined using high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-UV). Main outcome measures: Testosterone Cmax, AUC0–24, average concentration over the dosing interval (Cav), and safety were assessed. Results: Washing at 2 and 6 hours caused a 10–14% decrease in AUC0–24 and Cav, but not Cmax. Washing 10 hours after gel application had no effect on Cmax, AUC0–24, or Cav. Skin washing decreased the mean amount of testosterone remaining on the skin surface by at least 81%. Conclusions: Washing the site of gel application as soon as 2 hours after application had little impact on bioavailability and was effective in reducing residual testosterone on the skin. This finding may be important to prevent secondary transfer. Study limitations: The experimental conditions using uniform timing and procedures for dose administration and washing may not fully reflect real world circumstances. Clinical Trial Registration NCT Numbers: Study was not registered (first subject enrolled 22 December 2006)
Three-dimensional hard tissue palatal size and shape: a 10-year longitudinal evaluation in healthy adults.

A 10-year longitudinal evaluation of the morphology (size and shape) of hard tissue palate was performed in 6 female and 6 male healthy adults (mean age at the second evaluation was 33 years, SD = 2.2). All subjects had a complete permanent dentition, including the second molars, and were free from respiratory problems. Palatal landmarks were digitized with a computerized 3D instrument, and their coordinates were used to derive a mathematical model of palatal form. Palatal shape (size-independent) was assessed by a fourth-grade polynomial in the sagittal and frontal plane projections. Palatal dimensions in the frontal and sagittal planes were computed and compared between the 2 evaluations by paired Student t tests. A great variability was observed, and no significant modifications in size were found (P > .05 for all variables). No variations in shape were observed. Sex had no significant effect for any variable (Student t for independent samples, P > .05). This study showed that in healthy subjects, hard tissue palatal morphology does not seem to change between the third and the fourth decades of life.
Risk factors for cytomegalovirus infection and disease in renal transplant recipients: HLA-DR7 and triple therapy

In a prospective study, an analysis of risk factors for the development of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and disease was performed on 77 renal allograft recipients. Twenty-five out of the 77 recipients (32%) had a CMV infection. Twenty-two of the recipients received triple immunosuppressive therapy (cyclosporin A, prednisolone, and azathioprine) while the remaining 55 received standard therapy (cyclosporin A and prednisolone). In 23 recipients (30%) acute rejection was diagnosed and the first positive parameter of infection occurred 22 days after rejection therapy. Infection occurred in 10 out of 18 HLA-DR7-positive recipients (56%) and in 15 out of 59 HLA-DR7-negative recipients (25%; P< 0.02). In multiple regression analysis, HLA-DR7 was found to be a significant predictor of CMV infection (P< 0.005). CMV disease was diagnosed in only 9 out of 25 recipients with an acute infection. Six recipients (67%) with CMV disease received triple therapy for maintenance immuuosuppression; this was significantly correlated to CMV disease (P< 0.05) as compared to three recipients (33%) with CMV disease maintained with standard therapy. Our data suggest that HLA-DR7-positive recipients are more susceptible to CMV infection and that CMV disease is associated with triple immunosuppressive therapy.
Hepatitis B Hepatitis C virus and Malaria co

Background: Malaria remains a major health threat worldwide. Endemic regions for malaria are endemic for other infectious diseases that might affect the malaria infection. Methods: A systematic search was conducted where it included published data about HBV, HCV and malaria. Published data on epidemiology, pathogenesis and consequences of HBV, HCV and malaria, were extracted from relevant studies. Epidemiology of co-infection has not been well studied, and studies in this concern will definitely draw the attention of decision makers towards such problem. Results: Younger age and male gender were risk factors for co-infection. There were no protective effects of HBV vaccine against malaria. The interaction between malaria parasites and HCV among chronic HCV carriers might slow the emergence of the former and that could help in determining new therapeutic approaches to defeat malaria. Conclusion: Strategies to improve currently available diagnostic techniques, researches dealing with therapeutic and prophylactic agents and protocols, vector control procedures, vaccine bringing up evolution, and other operational tools and approaches are needed.
Mechanisms of protein prenylation and role in G protein function.

Introduction Covalent attachment of isoprenoid lipids is now recognized as an important modification of many proteins involved in cellular signalling [ 1,2]. This type of modification, termed prenylation, involves attachment of either the 15-carbon farnesyl or 20carbon geranylgeranyl isoprenoid to C-terminal cysteine residues of proteins. Known prenylated proteins include a number of GTP-binding regulatory proteins (G proteins); these proteins are responsible for controlling a wide spectrum of signal-transduction pathways [ 2,3]. Recent evidence indicates that prenylation imparts properties to these proteins that both promote their membrane interactions and influence their biological activities ~2~41.
Effect of ketamine as an adjuvant in ultrasound-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block: A double-blind randomized clinical trial study

Background: Supraclavicular brachial plexus block is one of the most effective anesthetic procedures in operations for the upper extremity. Ketamine has been reported to enhance the analgesic effects of local anesthetics. We have conducted this study to assess whether coadministration of ketamine can prolong the local analgesic effect of lidocaine in the supraclavicular brachial plexus block for patients undergoing elective upper extremity surgery. Materials and Methods: Sixty adult patients undergoing elective surgery of the elbow, forearm, wrist or hand were randomly allocated in two groups of 30 patients each. Group 1 (ketamine group) received 5 mg/kg lidocaine 1.5% plus 2 mg/kg ketamine, Group 2 (control group) received 5 mg/kg lidocaine 1.5% and saline. The outcome measures included severity of pain by using visual analog scale (VAS, 0 = no pain 10 cm = the most severe pain), time of first request for analgesia, and total dose of postoperative opioid administration. The data was analyzed using the χ2 test, student′s t-test, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and Multivariate analysis tests. Results: Patients in the control group had a higher VAS than patients who received ketamine, at all time points during the first 24 hours after surgery (all P < 0.05). The time of first request for analgesia in the ketamine group was significantly more than in the control group (8.93 ± 1.0 vs. 7.30 ± 1.9, respectively, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The addition of ketamine to lidocaine in the ultrasound-guided brachial plexus block could decrease the postoperative pain and need for analgesic. Therefore, it could be considered as an option in the brachial plexus block to enhance the analgesic action of lidocaine.
Validation of three noninvasive laboratory variables to predict significant fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND We tested the clinical utility of the platelet count, the aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT) ratio, and the AST to platelet ratio index (APRI) score in predicting the presence or absence of advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C in Saudi Arabia. METHODS Liver biopsy procedures performed on chronic hepatitis C patients in our gastroenterology unit at King Khalid University Hospital were traced from records between the years 1998 to 2003. The hospital computer database was then accessed and detailed laboratory parameters obtained. By plotting receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC), three selected models (platelet count, AST/ALT ratio, and the APRI score) were compared in terms of the best variable to predict significant fibrosis. RESULTS Two hundred and forty-six patients with hepatitis C were included in this analysis. Overall, 26% of patients had advanced fibrosis. When comparing the three above-mentioned prediction models, the APRI score was the one associated with the highest area under the curve (AUC) = 0.812 (95% CI, 0.756–0.868) on the ROC curves, compared to the platelet count and AST/ALT ratio, which yielded an AUC of 0.783 (0.711–0.855) and 0.716 (0.642–0.789), respectively. CONCLUSION The APRI score seemed to be the best predictive variable for the presence or absence of advanced fibrosis in Saudi hepatitis C patients.
Capillary development during exposure to chronic hypoxia.

Abstract : A group of 18 male rats weighing initially 110 to 131 gm. was exposed to a pressure altitude of 20,000 feet for 36 days in a decompression chamber. A similar group of 18 male rats was maintained at sea level for a like period. Hematocrits and organ-to-body-weight ratios were measured for heart, testes, adrenals, and kidneys in all animals at the end of the period. Capillary counts in heart, gracilis, and psoas muscles were made by utilizing a specific stain for endothelial cells. The hematocrit ratio and all measured organ-to-body-weight ratios increased significantly in the chronically hypoxic rats. A significant increase in capillary counts was also found in these animals. On the basis of these preliminary studies, it would appear that in chronic hypoxia, there is an increase in vascularity due to an increase in capillary number rather than an increased patency of existing vessels. (Author)