Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Behavioral interventions for managing chronic pain.

Behavioral interventions result in reliable improvements for patients with chronic LBP, RA, and OA. It should be emphasized, however, that these interventions rarely eliminate pain. Nevertheless, they often help patients reduce their suffering and health care costs. There also is evidence that preventive efforts may be especially beneficial to patients with recent back injuries (17, 18). There are two major differences between the outcomes produced by behavioral interventions for LBP and those produced by interventions for RA and OA. Interventions for LBP reduce pain and improve function, whereas treatments for RA and OA primarily reduce pain and psychological distress. Furthermore, in contrast to the effects of interventions for LBP, the beneficial outcomes achieved by patients with RA and OA tend to diminish after treatment termination. These differences probably are due to the fact that patients who have chronic LBP do not experience progressive changes in joint and bone tissues. Therefore, greater effort should be devoted to helping patients with RA and OA adapt to changes in disease progression following treatment termination. Keefe and Van Horn (36) have provided a model for improving patients' post-treatment adaptation that currently is being evaluated in a controlled study. Although physicians often wish to refer patients to pain treatment centers or behavioralists who treat chronic pain, they tend to have difficulty judging the quality of care offered by these centers and specialists. When you select a pain treatment center, first determine whether it meets the standards of the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF, 101 North Wilmot Road, Suite 500, Tucson, AZ 85711). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The use of microelectrode array (MEA) to study the protective effects of potassium channel openers on metabolically compromised HL-1 cardiomyocytes

The microelectrode array (MEA) was used to evaluate the cardioprotective effects of adenosine triphosphate sensitive potassium (KATP) channel activation using potassium channel openers (KCOs) on HL-1 cardiomyocytes subjected to acute chemically induced metabolic inhibition. Beat frequency and extracellular action potential (exAP) amplitude were measured in the presence of metabolic inhibitors (sodium azide (NaN3) or 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG)) or KCOs (pinacidil (PIN, a cyanoguanidine derivative, activates sarcolemmal KATP channels) or SDZ PCO400 (SDZ, a benzopyran derivative, activates mitochondrial KATP channels)). The protective effects of these KCOs on metabolically inhibited HL-1 cells were subsequently investigated. Signal shapes indicated that NaN3 and 2-DG reduced the rate of the sodium (Na+) influx signal as reflected by a reduction in beat frequency. PIN and SDZ appeared to reduce both rate of depolarization and extent of the Na+ influx signals. Pre-treating cardiomyocytes with PIN (0.1 mM), but not SDZ, prevented the reduction of beat frequency associated with NaN3- or 2-DG-induced metabolic inhibition. The exAP amplitude was not affected by either KCO. The cardioprotective effect of PIN relative to SDZ may be due to the opening of different KATP channels. This metabolic inhibition model on the MEA may provide a stable platform for the study of cardiac pathophysiology in the future.
Effect of Ion Pairing with Alkylamines on the In‐vitro Dermal Penetration and Local Tissue Disposition of Salicylates

Hydrophilic ionic drugs can be rendered lipophilic by ion‐pair formation with hydrophobic counter‐ions. This study examines the value of forming ion pairs between anionic salicylate and a series of amines as model cationic counter‐ions to facilitate topical delivery and skin penetration. The in‐vitro translocation of salicylate ions from a non‐aqueous vehicle through human epidermis was estimated in the presence or absence of amines. The distribution into, and accumulation of the salicylate ion in various tissues following topical application to anaesthetised rats were also investigated.
Photocurable surgical tissue adhesive glues composed of photoreactive gelatin and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate.

This article presents a novel photochemically driven surgical tissue adhesive technology using photoreactive gelatins and a water-soluble difunctional macromer (poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate: PEGDA). The gelatins were partially derivatized with photoreactive groups, such as ultraviolet light (UV)-reactive benzophenone and visible light-reactive xanthene dye (e.g., fluorescein sodium salt, eosin Y, and rose bengal). A series of the prepared photocurable tissue adhesive glues, consisting of the photoreactive gelatin, PEGDA, and a saline solution with or without ascorbic acid as a reducing agent, were viscous solutions under warming, and their effectiveness was evaluated as hemostasis- and anastomosis-aid in cardiovascular surgery. Regardless of the type of photoreactive groups, the irradiation of the photocurable tissue adhesive glues by UV or visible light within 1 min produced water-swollen gels, which had a high adhesive strength to wet collagen film. These were due to the synergistic action of photoreactive group-initiated photo-cross-linking and photograft polymerization. An increase in the irradiation time resulted in increased gel yield and reduced water swellability. A decrease in the molecular weight of PEGDA and an increase in concentration of both gelatin and PEGDA resulted in reduced water swellability and increased tensile and burst strengths of the resultant gels. In rats whose livers were injured with a trephine in laparotomy, the bleeding spots were coated with the photocurable adhesive glue and irradiated through an optical fiber. The coated solution was immediately converted to a swollen gel. The gel was tightly adhered to the liver tissue presumably by interpenetration, and concomitantly hemostasis was completed. The anastomosis treatment with the photocurable glue in the canine abdominal or thoracic aortas incised with a knife resulted in little bleeding under pulsatile flow after declamping. Histological examination showed that the glues photocured on rat liver surfaces were gradually degraded with time in vivo with infiltration of inflammatory cells and connective tissues without necrotic sign in surrounding tissue. In addition, in the laparoscopic surgery, percutaneous delivery of the glue and its in situ photogelation on rat liver surfaces were demonstrated using a specially designed fiberscope. These results indicate that the photocurable glues developed here may serve as a biodegradable tissue adhesive glue usable in cardiovascular surgery and endoscopic surgery.
Differences in atherosclerotic coronary heart disease between subjects with and without rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). We compared the histologic features of coronary artery disease in patients with RA and non-RA controls. METHODS Forty-one RA patients who died and underwent autopsy between 1985 and 2003 were matched to 82 non-RA controls of the same age and sex with similar history of CVD and autopsy date. Coronary arteries were submitted for histologic evaluation. The grade of stenosis was evaluated in each artery. The numbers of vulnerable plaques and acute coronary lesions were counted. The composition of a representative stable and vulnerable plaque from each vessel was evaluated. Chi-square tests were used to compare differences between groups. RESULTS Patients and controls had similar age at death (mean 79 yrs) and 61% were female in both groups. Overall, there was no significant difference in grade of stenosis or number of acute coronary lesions. Among subjects with CVD, 54% of controls had grade 3-4 lesions in left main artery versus only 7% of patients (p = 0.023). Vulnerable plaques in left anterior descending (LAD) artery were significantly more common in patients than controls (p = 0.018). Inflammation was observed more frequently in patients, in both the media of left circumflex (p = 0.005) and adventitia of LAD artery (p = 0.024). Similar trends were seen for subjects with heart failure. CONCLUSION There was less histologic evidence of atherosclerosis but greater evidence of inflammation and instability in RA patients compared to controls. These differences suggest that the mechanisms responsible for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality may be different in patients with RA.
Ganglion Cell Complex in Early and Intermediate Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Evidence by SD-OCT Manual Segmentation

Purpose: To evaluate ganglion cell layer (GCL) and ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness manually by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in subjects with early and intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 12 locations on the horizontal meridian. Methods: A total of 450 eyes (specifically, 246 eyes classified as having early/intermediate AMD plus 204 control eyes) were studied. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare values between the healthy controls and the AMD group and also between the subgroups under study. Diagnostic performance was also compared calculating the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: The manual layer segmentation showed clear boundaries between the GCL and the GCC. It was in the temporal GCC that more changes were found. Conclusions: The GCC, especially in the temporal region, allowed the discrimination of differences between various subgroups that have faint variations as well as between early AMD and the first signs of aging.
Presence, quantitation and characterization of JC virus in the urine of Italian immunocompetent subjects

Human polyomavirus JC (JCV) infects the worldwide population, remains latent in the kidney, and is excreted in the urine. A longitudinal study was performed in order to evaluate JCV excretion, to characterize molecularly the virus and to determine if its presence in urine is a consequence of viral reactivation or merely of epithelial squamous cell shedding. The presence of cellular sediment and the JCV genome were examined in 333 urine samples collected periodically for 3 months from 17 healthy subjects; molecular characterization, and quantitation of the virus were also undertaken. JCV DNA was detected in 40.2% of the samples, with a significant difference (P < 0.001) observed between males and females. JCV shedding was independent of the presence of cellular sediment in every individual. JCV genotype 1 was the genome detected most frequently, while all of the amplified strains showed archetypal organization of the transcriptional control region (TCR). No clinical symptoms have been associated with JCV excretion and no microbial load was detected in the urine samples. The lack of correlation between JCV DNA detection and the presence of squamous cells in urine sediment indicates that viruria is regulated by the life cycle of JCV. Thus, the virus is eliminated as consequence of its reactivation. J. Med. Virol. 79:408–412, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Behavioral and neurochemical phenotyping of Homer1 mutant mice: possible relevance to schizophrenia

Homer proteins are involved in the functional assembly of postsynaptic density proteins at glutamatergic synapses and are implicated in learning, memory and drug addiction. Here, we report that Homer1‐knockout (Homer1‐KO) mice exhibit behavioral and neurochemical abnormalities that are consistent with the animal models of schizophrenia. Relative to wild‐type mice, Homer1‐KO mice exhibited deficits in radial arm maze performance, impaired prepulse inhibition, enhanced ‘behavioral despair’, increased anxiety in a novel objects test, enhanced reactivity to novel environments, decreased instrumental responding for sucrose and enhanced MK‐801‐ and methamphetamine‐stimulated motor behavior. No‐net‐flux in vivo microdialysis revealed a decrease in extracellular glutamate content in the nucleus accumbens and an increase in the prefrontal cortex. Moreover, in Homer1‐KO mice, cocaine did not stimulate a rise in frontal cortex extracellular glutamate levels, suggesting hypofrontality. These behavioral and neurochemical data derived from Homer1 mutant mice are consistent with the recent association of schizophrenia with a single‐nucleotide polymorphism in the Homer1 gene and suggest that the regulation of extracellular levels of glutamate within limbo‐corticostriatal structures by Homer1 gene products may be involved in the pathogenesis of this neuropsychiatric disorder.
Performance of a new screening spirometer at a community health fair.

OBJECTIVE Compare the results from a new screening spirometer (EasyOne) with the results from a standard laboratory spirometer (Vmax) approved by the American Thoracic Society. SETTING A health fair at a community hospital. METHODS We measured forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV(1)) and forced expiratory volume in the first 6 seconds (FEV(6)). With the screening spirometer, good quality testing was achieved in 359 of 394 subjects (91%), and 115 subjects were also tested with the standard laboratory spirometer. The best test values for FEV(1) and FEV(6) were taken for 3 tests that agreed within 3%. FEV(6) was extrapolated from forced vital capacity on the printouts from the standard laboratory spirometer. RESULTS Correlations between the screening spirometer results and the standard laboratory spirometer were excellent for FEV(1) (r = 0.93), FEV(6) (r = 0.96), and FEV(1)/FEV(6) (r = 0.72) (p = 0.001 for all comparisons). The 95% limits of agreement (mean difference between the 2 spirometers +/- 1.96 standard deviations) were: -0.18 and 0.69 for FEV(1); -0.24 and 0.81 for FEV(6); and -0.12 and 0.13 for FEV(1)/FEV(6). CONCLUSION The new screening spirometer is suitable for clinical use.
Comparison of Atomic Force Microscopy Interaction Forces between Bacteria and Silicon Nitride Substrata for Three Commonly Used Immobilization Methods

ABSTRACT Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has emerged as a powerful technique for mapping the surface morphology of biological specimens, including bacterial cells. Besides creating topographic images, AFM enables us to probe both physicochemical and mechanical properties of bacterial cell surfaces on a nanometer scale. For AFM, bacterial cells need to be firmly anchored to a substratum surface in order to withstand the friction forces from the silicon nitride tip. Different strategies for the immobilization of bacteria have been described in the literature. This paper compares AFM interaction forces obtained between Klebsiella terrigena and silicon nitride for three commonly used immobilization methods, i.e., mechanical trapping of bacteria in membrane filters, physical adsorption of negatively charged bacteria to a positively charged surface, and glutaraldehyde fixation of bacteria to the tip of the microscope. We have shown that different sample preparation techniques give rise to dissimilar interaction forces. Indeed, the physical adsorption of bacterial cells on modified substrata may promote structural rearrangements in bacterial cell surface structures, while glutaraldehyde treatment was shown to induce physicochemical and mechanical changes on bacterial cell surface properties. In general, mechanical trapping of single bacterial cells in filters appears to be the most reliable method for immobilization.
Severe Defects in Proliferation and Differentiation of Lens Cells in Foxe3 Null Mice

ABSTRACT During mouse eye development, the correct formation of the lens occurs as a result of reciprocal interactions between the neuroectoderm that forms the retina and surface ectoderm that forms the lens. Although many transcription factors required for early lens development have been identified, the mechanism and genetic interactions mediated by them remain poorly understood. Foxe3 encodes a winged helix-forkhead transcription factor that is initially expressed in the developing brain and in the lens placode and later restricted exclusively to the anterior lens epithelium. Here, we show that targeted disruption of Foxe3 results in abnormal development of the eye. Cells of the anterior lens epithelium show a decreased rate of proliferation, resulting in a smaller than normal lens. The anterior lens epithelium does not properly separate from the cornea and frequently forms an unusual, multilayered tissue. Because of the abnormal differentiation, lens fiber cells do not form properly, and the morphogenesis of the lens is greatly affected. The abnormally differentiated lens cells remain irregular in shape, and the lens becomes vacuolated. The defects in lens development correlate with changes in the expression of growth and differentiation factor genes, including DNase II-like acid DNase, Prox1, p57, and PDGFα receptor. As a result of abnormal lens development, the cornea and the retina are also affected. While Foxe3 is also expressed in a distinct region of the embryonic brain, we have not observed abnormal development of the brain in Foxe3 −/− animals.
Efecto de las Sequías Sobre la Inflación en Colombia

En este paper se analiza la relacion entre las sequias y la inflacion en Colombia como choques de oferta de corto plazo, por medio de la descomposicion de la inflacion total en inflacion de alimentos y no alimentos, dentro de un modelo macroeconomico de pequena escala con regimen de inflacion objetivo. La inflacion de alimentos no responde a choques de demanda en el corto plazo, pero en el largo plazo se ajusta a la inflacion de los no alimentos, la cual si responde a los choques de demanda. Se prueba el efecto de las sequias bajo distintas reglas de politica monetaria para ver en que casos se puede disminuir la variabilidad de la inflacion total ante choques de oferta. La variabilidad de la inflacion total depende muy poco de la regla de politica que se aplique. De la misma manera, es minimo el efecto de alternar la inflacion objetivo entre total y sin alimentos; sin embargo, la variabilidad sobre la tasa de interes nominal, real y la brecha del producto aumenta cuando se fijan las metas sobre la inflacion total. Los pronosticos de inflacion pueden mejorar notablemente si se incluyen los choques de oferta generados por las sequias, dentro de los determinantes de la variacion de los precios.
Neonatal release of gonadotropins is essential for development of ovarian follicle-stimulating hormone receptors.

In the rat, ovarian follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptors increase markedly during the first two postnatal weeks, when serum gonadotropin levels are most elevated. This study was conducted to evaluate the hypothesis that these high gonadotropin levels, and in particular FSH, are involved in the acquisition of FSH receptors by the developing ovary. Gonadotropin release was suppressed by administration of several non-aromatizable androgens, among which dihydrotestosterone propionate (DHTP) was the most effective. In one series of experiments the steroids were administered from Days 5 to 11, and serum FSH and luteinizing hormone (LH) were measured on Day 12. Surprisingly, FSH receptor content was greater in rats with suppressed serum gonadotropins than in controls. The greatest increase in available receptors was observed in DHTP-treated rats in which serum FSH was reduced to 20% of control values and LH suppressed to undetectable values. DHTP failed to directly increase available FSH receptors in hypophysectomized immature rats. Magnesium chloride (MgCl2) treatment of ovarian membranes removed bound 125I-hFSH by 87% without affecting receptor viability. Exposure of control 12-day-old ovaries to MgCl2 increased available FSH receptors to a level similar to that of ovaries from DHTP-treated rats not exposed to MgCl2, suggesting that more receptors were available in DHTP-treated rats because serum FSH was suppressed. Earlier initation of DHTP treatment (postnatal Day 1) suppressed serum FSH and LH to undetectable values by Day 5 and decreased FSH receptor content below control values by Day 12. MgCl2 treatment only slightly increased available receptors in these DHTP-treated animals. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Nitric oxide inhibition of basal and neurogenic mucus secretion in ferret trachea in vitro

1 In order to examine the role of nitric oxide (NO) on airway mucus secretion we studied the effects of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor l‐NG‐monomethyl‐l‐arginine (l‐NMMA), a novel nitric oxide donor, (±)‐(E)‐ethyl‐2‐[(E)‐hydroxyimino]‐5‐nitro‐3‐hexeneamide (FK409), and the NO precursor l‐arginine on basal mucus secretion in the ferret trachea in vitro in Ussing chambers. We also determined the effects of these agents upon secretion induced by electrical stimulation of nerves or by acetylcholine (ACh). We used 35SO4 as a mucus marker. 2 l‐NMMA (0.01‐1 mM) increased basal output of 35SO4‐labelled macromolecules with a maximal increase above baseline of 248% at 0.1 mM l‐NMMA. l‐Arginine (1 mM) alone had no significant effect on basal secretion but reversed the potentiating effect of l‐NMMA on basal secretion. l‐NMMA‐induced increases in basal mucus secretion were sustained for at least 30 min in the continuing presence of the NOS inhibitor. In contrast to the potentiating effects of l‐NMMA, FK409 (100 nM) reduced basal secretion by 60% (at 1 nM and at 10 nM it was without effect). 3 Electrical stimulation (50 V, 10 Hz, 0.5 ms for 5 min) increased 35SO4 output by 174%. l‐NMMA (1 and 10 mM) present during stimulation of tracheal segments resulted in significant potentiations of 214% and 116%, respectively, of the neurogenic response. The potentiated response to 10 mM l‐NMMA was reversed by l‐arginine (1 mM). At this dose l‐arginine had no effect itself on basal secretion. In contrast to the potentiating effects of l‐NMMA on neurogenic secretion, FK409 at 10 nM and 100 nM inhibited the neurogenic response by 98% and 99%. 4 At all concentrations tested, neither l‐NMMA (0.01 mM − 1 mM) nor FK409 (1 − 100 mM) had any significant effect on ACh‐induced mucus secretion. 5 These observations lead us to conclude that nitric oxide, derived from constitutive NO synthase, acts as an endogenous inhibitor of both basal and neurogenic mucus secretion in ferret trachea in vitro.
Do attitudes toward exercise vary with differences in mobility and disability status? – a study among low-income seniors

Purpose. To examine attitudes toward exercise among a vulnerable aged population characterized by low socioeconomic status, poor functional status and lack of available therapeutic exercise resources. Method. This cross-sectional survey among public low-income housing residents (n = 94), aged > 70 years utilizes these assessments: Physician-based Assessment & Counseling for Exercise (PACE) scale, exercise self-efficacy score, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scales. Results. Readiness to exercise differed significantly (p < 0.001) across physical performance levels, and ADL and IADL groups. Exercise self-efficacy also differed significantly (p < 0.001) across performance levels. The highest performance level (score 7 – 12) had a significantly (p < 0.05) higher self-efficacy score than the medium performance level (score 4 – 6) and the lowest performance level (0 – 3) groups. Exercise self-efficacy also differed significantly (p < 0.001) across ADL and IADL groups. However, interest in home-based or class-based exercise participation was high among all groups. More than 70% of subjects reported interest with no significant difference noted among groups. Conclusion. Attitudes toward exercise are significantly associated with observed physical function and self-reported disability among vulnerable older adults living in public low-income housing.