Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Endothelial progenitor cells in patients with essential hypertension

Objective(s) The eventual role of blood pressure on the endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) has rarely been evaluated and data collected so far relate to patients with co-existing coronary heart disease. Methods We have studied the number and functional activity of EPC as well as the number of EPC endothelial colony-forming units (CFU) in a carefully selected group of 36 patients with essential hypertension and 24 normotensive control subjects. Results In patients with essential hypertension, the EPC number was not statistically different from that found in control subjects (mean ± SD, essential hypertension 58 ± 29, controls 53 ± 20; EPC/high power field). CFU per well were not statistically different in patients with essential hypertension compared with normotensive controls (mean ± SD, patients with essential hypertension 2.4 ± 2.6, normotensive controls 3 ± 3.3 CFU/well). In essential hypertension patients, the EPC number was inversely correlated with both total (R = 0.635, P < 0.0001) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (R = 0.486, P < 0.05). Neither the EPC number nor the EPC CFU were correlated with age, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, lipoprotein(a), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein or homocysteine. Conclusions The present study shows that essential hypertension is not characterized by the altered number or functional activity of EPC. Plasma total and LDL-cholesterol are independent predictors of reduced numbers of circulating EPC in essential hypertension patients. The absence of any correlation between the characteristics of EPC and several markers predictive of cardiovascular damage merits further investigation.
Quality and quantity of antenatal HIV counselling in a PMTCT programme in Mombasa, Kenya

Abstract A recent report from a PMTCT implementation study in Mombasa, Kenya, points at an important gap between the efficacy in clinical trial circumstances and the effectiveness of PMTCT programmes when implemented in real life. Hence, the quality and quantity of antenatal HIV counselling in a routine setting were appraised. The counsellors’ social and communicative skills, duration and topics covered during pre- and post-test counselling sessions were assessed by means of the VCT assessment tools published by UNAIDS. A total of 14 group educational sessions, 66 pre-test counselling sessions and 50 post-test counselling sessions were observed and assessed. In general, the frequency and duration of the counselling was low. Crucial topics such as window period and partner involvement and follow-up support were covered haphazardly. The counsellor's social and communicative skills were given high marks, yet information was rarely repeated or summarized. The limited time dedicated to women receiving antenatal VCT contrasts with the heavy and comprehensive load of health information and advice they are supposed to receive. Ample pre- and post-test counselling including follow-up should be pursued for optimal effectiveness of PMTCT. We propose a number of health system interventions preceded and guided by ongoing audit.
Partnering With Community-Dwelling Individuals With Diabetes for Health Behavior Change Using Action Plans

Health care practitioners support or hinder an individual’s attempts to self-manage health behavior. Practitioners must understand an individual’s health needs and goals to effectively partner for behavior change. Self-management support (SMS) promote efforts toward positive health behavior change. Practitioners need training to provide effective SMS, beginning with their formal education. The purpose of this educational practice project was to integrate an evidence-based intervention (SMS using action plans) into a nursing curriculum. Three sequential steps included (1) providing foundational SMS education, (2) SMS application with students’ personal action plans, and (3) implementing SMS with community-dwelling individuals with diabetes. Students (n = 130) partnered with participants (n = 85), developing short- (n = 240) and long-term (n = 99) action plans during home visits. The average baseline Diabetes Empowerment Scale score measuring participant’s perceived psychosocial diabetes management self-efficacy was 4.3 (1-5 scale, SD = 0.51, n = 83). Most common short-term actions related to physical activity (n = 100, 42%) and healthy eating (n = 61, 25%). Average participant confidence level was 7.7 (SD = 1.9, 0-10 scale). Short-term goal evaluation (n = 209) revealed 66% (n = 137) were met more than 50% of the time. Both participants (99%) and students (99%) expressed satisfaction with home visit and action plan experiences. This teaching–learning experience is replicable and applicable to any professional health care student.
De-identifying an EHR Database - Anonymity, Correctness and Readability of the Medical Record

Electronic health records (EHR) contain a large amount of structured data and free text. Exploring and sharing clinical data can improve healthcare and facilitate the development of medical software. However, revealing confidential information is against ethical principles and laws. We de-identified a Danish EHR database with 437,164 patients. The goal was to generate a version with real medical records, but related to artificial persons. We developed a de-identification algorithm that uses lists of named entities, simple language analysis, and special rules. Our algorithm consists of 3 steps: collect lists of identifiers from the database and external resources, define a replacement for each identifier, and replace identifiers in structured data and free text. Some patient records could not be safely de-identified, so the de-identified database has 323,122 patient records with an acceptable degree of anonymity, readability and correctness (F-measure of 95%). The algorithm has to be adjusted for each culture, language and database.
Functional Assessment and Injury Risk in a Professional Soccer Team

At the last World Conference on Sport and Physical Therapy celebrated in Bern (Switzerland, 2015), it was confirmed that the functional skills of an athlete are a very important variable to be considered in the recovery of an injury. On the other hand, its use as a predictive risk tool still lacks solid evidence. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a battery of functional tests (FPT) could be used as a preliminary measure for the season in order to identify the injury risk in a professional soccer team in the Spanish Second Division B League. Fifty-two soccer players (ages of 25.3 ± 4.6 years, 10.33% ± 0.9% fat) were functionally assessed during two seasons (2012–2013 and 2013–2014) and analyzed from an injury perspective. A total of 125 injuries were recorded. The sample was grouped based on the number of injuries and the required absence days. Except for the bipodal vertical jump (CMJ), none of the functional tests revealed differences among the groups. The correlation study between the functional condition and the suffered injuries did not show any significant results.
Frontal Sinus Injuries: Primary Care and Management of Late Complications

An approach to treatment of frontal sinus injuries is proposed. For injuries involving the anterior wall of the sinus in which the nasofrontal duct is patent, the anterior wall is reconstituted either primarily or using a bone graft. Injuries involving the posterior wall of the frontal sinus generally necessitate a craniotomy; the frontal sinus in these situations is cranialized and the nasofrontal duct is plugged. In primary injuries of the frontal sinus in which the nasofrontal duct is badly damaged but the posterior sinus wall intact and in late mucoceles or raucopyoceles, all sinus mucosa is stripped and the sinus is packed with cancellous bone. The authors feel that cancellous bone is a better material than fat with which to pack a sinus, particularly in the face of active infection. Three cases are presented in which infected mucopyoceles draining to the skin were treated with removal of all sinus mucosa and packing with cancellous bone, with primary healing.
Lactobacillus- and bifidobacterium-mediated antigenotoxicity in the colon of rats.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are proposed to have several beneficial effects, including the inactivation of carcinogens. We have studied the potential of Lactobacillus acidophilus (from a commercially available yogurt), Lactobacillus gasseri (P79), Lactobacillus confusus (DSM20196), Streptococcus thermophilus (NCIM 50083), Bifidobacterium breve and Bifidobacterium longum (from human infant stool) to prevent the induction of DNA damage by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG, 7.5 mg/kg body wt) in colon cells of the rat. Using the new technique of single cell microgel electrophoresis, all investigated strains were antigenotoxic toward MNNG after a single dose of 10(10) viable cells/kg body wt p.o. eight hours before the carcinogen. One-half and one-tenth of this initial dose resulted in a loss of protective activity. High doses of heat-treated L. acidophilus strains were also not antigenotoxic. One mechanism of the preventive effect could be that bacterial metabolites or components are responsible. Accordingly, selected examples were investigated in vitro in colon cells of the rat. Metabolically active L. acidophilus cells, as well as an acetone extract of the culture, prevented MNNG-induced DNA damage. Different cell fractions from L. acidophilus (cytoplasm, cell wall skeleton, cell wall) were devoid of antigenotoxic activity, whereas the peptidoglycan fraction and whole freeze-dried cells were antigenotoxic. As a second carcinogen, 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) was used. A dose- and time-response study was first performed to assess the effects of DMH in several segments of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Exposure for 16 hours to 15 or 25 mg DMH/kg body wt p.o. induced DNA damage in cells of the distal colon of rats, whereas no cytotoxicity was seen. Pretreatment orally with LAB on four consecutive mornings before DMH gavage (8 hours after the last LAB application) revealed that L. acidophilus, L. confusus, L. gasseri, B. longum, and B. breve inhibited the genotoxic effect of DMH. One of four S. thermophilus and one of three Lactobacillus delbrueckeii ssp. bulgaricus strains were also protective. Heat-treated L. acidophilus did not inhibit DMH-induced genotoxicity. A few aliquots of the colon cells were processed immunohistochemically for the presence of the "proliferation cell nuclear antigen" (PCNA). DMH treatment did not increase PCNA, nor was there any modulation by LAB. The effect of L. acidophilus on foreign compound-metabolizing enzymes (Phase I and Phase II) in liver and colon cells of rats revealed only one parameter to be modulated, namely, a two- to three-fold increase in the levels of NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase. The meaning of this finding, in terms of possible chemoprevention by LAB, remains unclear. In conclusion, our studies show that most, but not all, LAB tested could strongly inhibit genotoxicity in the GI tract of the rat and that viable LAB organisms are required for the protective effect in vivo. The comet assay technique is a powerful tool to elucidate such in vivo antigenotoxic activities in tumor target tissues.
Accumulating evidence on health hazards of passive smoking

and environmental factors as well as the type of longterm problems experienced by children who require neonatal intensive care within follow-up studies (18). While there is considerable evidence that larger children without severe neurosensory impairment have a good prognosis if they grow up in socially favourable conditions or receive early intervention, favourable social circumstances or early intervention appear to offer less protection to those born very or extremely preterm (17, 19). The children studied by Jennische and Sedin were born between 1980–85 when fewer and possibly fitter very preterm infants survived (20). More and smaller very preterm infants survive today and repeated follow-up of new cohorts regarding their outcome is necessary. For the sake of today’s NIC children and their parents and public health planning, we must keep pace with developments in how NIC affects our theories of the cognitive and language development of those leaving these units.
The Efficacy and Perioperative Complications Associated with Lumbar Spinal Fusion Surgery, Focusing on Geriatric Patients in the Republic of Korea

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy and perioperative complications associated with lumbar spinal fusion surgery, focusing on geriatric patients in the Republic of Korea. Methods We retrospectively investigated 485 patients with degenerative spinal diseases who had lumbar spinal fusion surgeries between March 2006 and December 2010 at our institution. Age, sex, comorbidity, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class, fusion segments, perioperative complications, and outcomes were analyzed in this study. Risk factors for complications and their association with age were analyzed. Results In this study, 81 patients presented complications (16.7%). The rate of perioperative complications was significantly higher in patients 70 years or older than in other age groups (univariate analysis, p=0.015; multivariate analysis, p=0.024). The perioperative complications were not significantly associated with the other factors tested (sex, comorbidity, ASA class, and fusion segments). Post-operative outcomes of lumbar spinal fusion surgeries for the patients were determined on the basis of MacNab's criteria (average follow up period : 19.7 months), and 412 patients (85.0%) were classified as having "excellent" or "good" results. Conclusion Increasing age was an important risk factor for perioperative complications in patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion surgery, whereas other factors were not significant. However, patients' satisfaction or return to daily activities when compared with younger patients did not show much difference. We recommend good clinical judgment as well as careful selection of geriatric patients for lumbar spinal fusion surgery.
It Takes the Right Medications to Prevent a Million Heart Attacks and Strokes

© Postgraduate Medicine, Volume 126, Issue 7, November 2014, ISSN – 0032-5481, e-ISSN – 1941-9260 ResearchSHARE®: www.research-share.com • Permissions: permissions@postgradmed.com • Reprints: reprints@postgradmed.com Warning: No duplication rights exist for this journal. Only JTE Multimedia, LLC holds rights to this publication. Please contact the publisher directly with any queries. L E T T E R T O T H E E D I T O R
Maturation of the rat cumulus oophorus. A scanning electron microscopic study.

The process of mucification of the preovulatory cumulus oophorus in the rat was examined by the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Induction of mucification in vitro by either LH or FSH was also studied. Mucification in vivo was studied in follicular cumuli isolated at different times during proestrus. The morphology of these cumuli was compared with that of postovulatory cumuli isolated from the oviductal ampullae. For the in vitro studies, follicular cumuli were isolated at early proestrus and incubated for various time periods in presence of ovine or rat preparations of either LH or FSH. The beginning of mucus deposition in follicular cumuli was observed at about 5 h before the expected ovulation. Cumuli isolated 2 h before ovulation were totally embedded in the extracellular matrix. In vitro, first stages of mucification were observed in cumuli incubated for 3 h in medium containing LH. Extracellular hyaluronidase-sensitive material completely covered the cumuli by 20 h of culture in presence of either LH or FSH. In the absence of the gonadotropins, mucification was not observed. Parietal granulosa tissue showed inability to mucify in the presence of LH in vitro. No accumulation of extracellular material could be observed in cumuli cultured for 24 h in hormone free medium and then exposed to LH. It was concluded that the hyaluronidase sensitive matrix is accumulated between the cumulus cells in the follicle before ovulation. This intercellular mucus is secreted specifically by the cumulus cells as a direct response to gonadotropic stimulation. The cultured cumulus cells lose their ability to respond to LH.
Involved in MHC Class I Binding NK Cell Inhibitory Receptor Ly-49C Residues

Hannah Lindstrom and Klas KarreJonas Sundback, Adnane Achour, Jakob Michaelsson,http://www.jimmunol.org/content/168/2/793J Immunol€2002; 168:793-800; ;Referenceshttp://www.jimmunol.org/content/168/2/793.full#ref-list-1This article cites 58 articles, 30 of which you can access for free at: Subscriptionshttp://jimmunol.org/subscriptionsInformation about subscribing to The Journal of Immunology is online at: Permissionshttp://www.aai. org/ji/copyright.htmlSubmit copyright permission requests at: Email Alertshttp://jimmunol.org/cgi/alerts/etocReceive free email-alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up at:
A 13.8pJ/Access/Mbit SRAM with charge collector circuits for effective use of non-selected bit line charges

1Mb SRAM with charge collector circuits for effective use of non-selected bit line charges has been fabricated in 40nm technology. These circuits reduce two major wasted power sources of the low voltage SRAM: excess bit line swing due to random variation and bit line swing of non-selected columns. The lowest power consumption of 13.8pJ/Access/Mbit in the previous works has been achieved.
Preliminary observations on the effect of trypsin administered intravenously.

The recent investigations on the effect of the pancreatic enzyme trypsin, administered intravenously, may prove the opening wedge to a new line of approach toward the management of inflammatory processes. It would seem worth while, therefore, to review the background for these developments, to indicate some of the applications and results of treatment, and to emphasize the complications that have been observed clinically. Trypsin is not a new drug. In the early 1900's, William Batzner made use of this enzyme in treating soft tissue tubercular abscesses, bone and joint tuberculosis, and tuberculous lymphadenitis. He would inject the solution locally and at the same time administer it intravenously. In an article published in 1911 he reported cases of bone tuberculosis that healed without operative intervention and with regeneration of the bone.1He also reviewed the products then available and the work done up to that time by other investigators. Most
High prevalence of GB virus C strains genetically related to strains with Asian origin in Nicaraguan hemophiliacs

The presence of hepatitis GB virus C (GBV‐C), also known as hepatitis G virus (HGV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) were investigated in sera from 45 hemophiliacs from nine locations in Nicaragua using a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Primers used to detect GBV‐C and HCV derived from the helicase region and 5′UTR, respectively. Seventeen (38%) patients were positive for GBV‐C RNA in serum by PCR. Twelve (27%) patients were positive for HCV RNA by PCR. Six (13%) of these were coinfected with GBV‐C. Anti‐HCV was detected in all the 12 HCV RNA positive hemophiliacs and in another 14 (31%) individuals, in whom GBV‐C RNA was found in 2. Ten patients (22%) lacked markers for both GBV‐C and HCV. The mean age of the patients positive for GBV‐C but negative for HCV by PCR was significantly lower than for those negative for GBV‐C but positive for HCV by PCR (P < 0.05; Student's t‐test), indicating that the risk for this group of hemophiliacs to acquire GBV‐C infection is higher as compared to the risk of acquiring HCV infection. Eleven GBV‐C strains were sequenced in the 5′UTR. Sequence comparison to previously published GBV‐C strains revealed that all 11 strains were more similar to Asian strains than to strains of European and African origin. Sequences in the NS5‐B region were available for 8 HCV strains, all of which were found to belong to genotype 1a. The similarity of the Nicaraguan GBV‐C strains to strains from Asia indicates that the GBV‐C strains in the region presumably have an Amerindian origin. It is also considered that the HTLV II strains in the New World aboriginal populations are ancient and brought there by the ancestral Amerindian populations from Asia. Further, the genotype F of hepatitis B virus, known to represent the strains in populations with Amerindian background, predominates in Central American populations with Hispanic background. It remains to be clarified why Amerindian strains of GBV‐C as well as of HBV predominate also in populations with mixed ethnic background in Central America. J. Med. Virol. 52:149–155, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Glutamate pretreatment affects Ca2+ signaling in processes of astrocyte pairs

Simultaneous somatic patch‐pipette recording of a single astrocyte to evoke voltage‐gated calcium currents, and Ca2+ imaging, were used to study the spatial and temporal profiles of depolarization‐induced changes in intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in the processes of cultured rat cortical astrocytes existing as pairs. Transient Ca2+ changes locked to depolarization were observed as microdomains in the processes of the astrocyte pairs, and the responses were more pronounced in the adjoining astrocyte. Considering the functional significance of higher concentrations of glutamate observed in certain pathological conditions, Ca2+ transients were recorded following pretreatment of cells with glutamate (500 µm for 20 min). This showed distance‐dependent incremental scaling and attenuation in the presence of the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) antagonist, α‐methyl(4‐carboxy‐phenyl) glycine (MCPG). Estimation of local Ca2+ diffusion coefficients in the astrocytic processes indicated higher values in the adjoining astrocyte of the glutamate pretreated group. Intracellular heparin introduced into the depolarized astrocyte did not affect the Ca2+ transients in the heparin‐loaded astrocyte but attenuated the [Ca2+]i responses in the adjoining astrocyte, suggesting that inositol 1,4,5 triphosphate (IP3) may be the transfer signal. The uncoupling agent, 1‐octanol, attenuated the [Ca2+]i responses in both the control and glutamate pretreated astrocytes, indicating the role of gap junctional communication. Our studies indicate that individual astrocytes have distinct functional domains, and that the glutamate‐induced alterations in Ca2+ signaling involve a sequence of intra‐ and intercellular steps in which phospholipase C (PLC), IP3, internal Ca2+ stores, VGCC and gap junction channels appear to play an important role.
Discovery and pharmacological characterization of a novel potent inhibitor of diacylglycerol‐sensitive TRPC cation channels

The cation channel transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) 6 has been associated with several pathologies including focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, pulmonary hypertension and ischaemia reperfusion‐induced lung oedema. We set out to discover novel inhibitors of TRPC6 channels and investigate the therapeutic potential of these agents.