Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) risk factors and cost implications of immunoprophylaxis to infants 32 to 35 weeks gestation for health plans in the United States.

BACKGROUND During the period of this study, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2006 guidelines recommended respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prophylaxis for infants 32 to 35 weeks gestation age (wGA) with two or more of five risk factors (RFs). New recommendations have recently been published in 2009. The cost implications of expanding this list of RFs to include other evidence-based RFs like passive smoke exposure (PSE), crowded living conditions (CLCs), and young chronological age (YCA) are unclear. METHODS We estimated the prevalence of RSV RFs in a US sample of infants 32 to 35 wGA referred for prophylaxis from nine specialty pharmacy providers during the 2007-2008 season. We estimated the percent eligible for RSV prophylaxis under various potential RF coverage policies. Using a budget impact model, we calculated the per-member-per-month (PMPM) cost for each policy in 2007 USD for a hypothetical one million member plan. RESULTS Infants 32 to 35 wGA represented 0.08% of the plan. Approximately 20.2% of these infants met at least two or more of five AAP RFs. Expanding this list to include one additional RF of PSE, CLC, or YCA increased the percent of infants potentially prophylaxed to 29.9%, 23.9%, and 47%, respectively. Adding all three RFs to the list (two or more of eight) increased the percent of infants potentially prophylaxed to 55.6%, and increased payer costs by 9 cents PMPM. CONCLUSION Expanding the AAP RF criteria to include PSE, CLC, and YCA would identify more 32 to 35 wGA infants at high risk for severe RSV disease at an acceptable budget impact.
Growth in working memory and inhibition predicts literacy in English language learners: A cross-sectional and longitudinal study

The purpose of this study was to determine whether cross-sectional and growth effects in second language (L2) literacy are related to the executive component of working memory (WM) and whether inhibition may underlie the links between WM and reading in children whose first language (L1) is Spanish. Elementary school children (grades 1, 2 and 3) were administered a battery of cognitive [WM, short-term memory (STM), random generation, rapid naming, phonological processing], vocabulary and reading measures in both Spanish (L1) and English (L2) in Year 1 and again one year later. The regression analyses showed that L2 growth in WM significantly predicted growth in L2 reading skills even when inhibition was controlled. Further, the contributions of WM to reading growth in both L1 and L2 reading were independent of cross-language skills in phonological processing, STM, oral language and naming speed. Overall, the results suggest the mental activities that underlie WM and inhibition in predictions of L2 literacy reflect independent executive processes.
Coping style and memory specificity in adolescents and adults with histories of child sexual abuse

ABSTRACT Individuals with histories of childhood trauma may adopt a nonspecific memory retrieval strategy to avoid unpleasant and intrusive memories. In a sample of 93 adolescents and adults with or without histories of child sexual abuse (CSA), we tested the hypothesis that nonspecific memory retrieval is related to an individual's general tendency to use avoidant (i.e., distancing) coping as a personal problem-solving or coping strategy, especially in victims of CSA. We also examined age differences and other individual differences (e.g., trauma-related psychopathology) as predictors of nonspecific memories. Distancing coping was significantly associated with less specific autobiographical memory. Younger age, lower vocabulary scores, and non-CSA childhood maltreatment (i.e., physical and emotional abuse) also uniquely predicted less autobiographical memory specificity, whereas trauma-related psychopathology was associated with more specific memory. Implications for the development of autobiographical memory retrieval in the context of coping with childhood maltreatment are discussed.
Is longer waiting time for total knee replacement associated with health outcomes and medication costs? Randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND The aim of this prospective randomized study was to evaluate the effect of waiting time (WT) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), knee pain and physical function, and the use and costs of medication of patients awaiting total knee replacement. METHODS When placed on the waiting list, 438 patients were randomized into a short waiting time (SWT ≤ 3 months) or a nonfixed waiting time (NFWT > 3 months) group. HRQoL was measured by the 15D, and pain and physical function by modified Knee Society Clinical Rating System at baseline, admission, and 3 and 12 months postoperatively. The costs of medication due to osteoarthritis were calculated at the same measurement points. All analyses were performed using the intention-to-treat principle. RESULTS The mean WT was 94 and 239 days in the SWT and NFWT groups, respectively. Apart from higher weekly cost of medication in the SWT group at admission and better HRQoL in the NFWT group 1 year postoperatively, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups in other outcomes during the follow-up. CONCLUSION Those in the SWT group had higher weekly costs of medication at admission, and reached better HRQoL 3 months earlier than those in the NFWT group, but the latter had better HRQoL after operation. Otherwise, the length of WT was not associated with different health and HRQoL outcomes in the groups.
Problems with the Use of Breast Conservation Therapy for Breast Cancer in a Patient with Neurofibromatosis Type 1: A Case Report

Abstract: Patients with Neurofibromatosis type I and breast cancer represent a subset of people who may be considered at high risk for secondary cancers after conventional whole breast radiation therapy and breast conservation surgery. A case of a 49‐year‐old woman with neurofibromatosis type I is presented. She was diagnosed with a 1.1‐cm right breast infiltrating ductal carcinoma. Clinical, diagnostic imaging, and pathologic features are discussed. Her initial treatment plan of breast conserving therapy was thwarted when her sentinel node biopsy was positive for micrometastatic disease in 1/14 lymph nodes. She elected to have a bilateral simple mastectomy. This case addresses the rare dilemma of offering breast conservation therapy as a viable option for patients with neurofibromatosis type I. Current data on radiation‐induced secondary cancers such as sarcoma after treatment for breast and other cancers are reviewed.
Iron status and diet at two years of age: a longitudinal study of healthy Norwegian and immigrant children

This paper reports the results from a longitudinal study on iron status and diet among Norwegian and immigrant children living in the same residential area. This was the second part of the study and the children were two years old. All mothers with a normal pregnancy and delivery were invited to participate, and 80 of 95 eligible, accepted. Iron status analyses were carried out for 78 healthy children; 37 Norwegians and 4 1 immigrants (20 of Turkish origin). More immigrant children had depleted iron stores, compared to Norwegians. The median values for haemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), serum ferritin (SF), transferrin saturation (TfS), free erythrocyte protoporphyrin (FEP) and transferrin receptor (TfR) were all within normal ranges. The differences between immigrants and Norwegians were significant except for Hb and SF. There was a rise in MCV and TfS and a decline in TfR among both Norwegian and immigrant children from one to two years, and a decline in SF among the Norwegians. The Norwegian children had a higher intake of soft drinks, dark bread and different iron-rich bread spreads than the immigrants, who had a higher intake of orange juice, and a more frequent use of citrus fruits than the Norwegians. Milk intake was negatively related – and consumption frequency of brown whey cheese was positively related – to iron stores indicated by SF values above or below 15 pg/L. The results suggest that differences in food intake may explain the lower iron status in immigrants compared to Norwegians. More attention should be directed to children's diet and iron status in the second and probably third years of life
Reply to an analysis of human equilibrative nucleoside transporter‐1, ribonucleoside reductase subunit M1, ribonucleoside reductase subunit M2, and excision repair cross‐complementing gene‐1 expression in patients with resected pancreas adenocarcinoma: Implications for adjuvant treatment

BACKGROUND Tumor overexpression of excision repair cross-complementing gene-1 (ERCC1) may be associated with decreased survival in patients with pancreas adenocarcinoma (PAC). Human equilibrative nucleoside transporter-1 (hENT1) and ribonucleoside reductase subunits M1 and M2 (RRM1 and RRM2) are integral to cellular transport and DNA synthesis and are implicated as poor prognostic factors in other malignancies. To the authors's knowledge, their role in PAC is not defined. METHODS A prospective database was used to randomly select 95 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for PAC between January 2000 and October 2008. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on tumor samples for hENT1, RRM1 and RRM2, and ERCC1. Main outcomes were recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS The median follow-up, RFS, and OS were 49 months, 10.6 months, and 15.5 months, respectively. The median tumor size was 3 cm. Approximately 26% of patients had positive microscopic margins, 61% had lymph node involvement, and 88% and 45% had perineural and lymphovascular invasion, respectively. High tumor expression of hENT1, RRM1, RRM2, and ERCC1 was present in 85%, 40%, 17%, and 16%, respectively, of patients. High hENT1 expression was associated with reduced RFS (9.5 months vs 44.5 months; P = .029), but not with OS. RRM1 expression was not associated with survival. High RRM2 expression was associated with reduced RFS (6.9 months vs 16.0 months; P < .0001) and decreased OS (9.1 months vs 18.4 months; P < .0001). High ERCC1 expression was associated with reduced RFS (6.1 months vs 15 months; P = .04) and decreased OS (8.9 months vs 18.1 months; P = .03). After accounting for known adverse tumor factors, high expression of RRM2 and ERCC1 persisted as negative prognostic factors for RFS and OS. A subset analysis of patients who received adjuvant therapy (n = 74) revealed the same negative effect of high RRM2 and ERCC1 expression on RFS and OS. CONCLUSIONS High tumor expression of RRM2 and ERCC1 are associated with reduced RFS and OS after resection of pancreas cancer. These biomarkers may help to personalize adjuvant therapy.
Anti-VEGF Therapy With Bevacizumab for Anterior Segment Eye Disease

Purpose: To review the current literature concerning the use of bevacizumab in treating neovascular disorders affecting the anterior segment ocular structures. Methods: The authors reviewed the literature on anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy with bevacizumab for various anterior segment neovascular disorders that was indexed in MEDLINE (up to January 2011). Results: Response to bevacizumab anti-VEGF therapy is variable, based on the amount of scarring, the chronicity and extent of corneal neovascularization, the disease process, and the medication formulation and its route of administration. Anti-VEGF agents are especially effective when administered early, before anatomical changes, such as corneal neovascularization and/or angle closure, are established. Neovascularization can recur if the ischemic or inflammatory process is not reversed, so eyes with long-standing diseases, such as autoimmune disorders that involve ongoing inflammation and VEGF production, seem to be less responsive to bevacizumab anti-VEGF therapy. For established neovascularization, combining anti-VEGF agents with the removal of established vessels may be more effective than anti-VEGF therapy alone. Subconjunctival bevacizumab may be more appropriate for focal, deep, and peripheral neovascularization, whereas diffuse superficial neovascularization with central corneal involvement may be best treated via topical application. Conclusions: Besides the widely accepted use of bevacizumab in cancer therapy and chorioretinal neovascularization, the initial, striking, short-term response and patients' high tolerance of local bevacizumab therapy offer encouraging results for the potential role of anti-VEGF agents in treating anterior segment neovascular disorders. Controlled prospective trials are needed to establish the long-term safety, efficacy, and dosing guidelines for the use of anti-VEGF agents in anterior segment neovascularization.
High dose cyclophosphamide therapy in solid tumors: Therapeutic, toxic, and immunosuppressive effects

Cyclophosphamide (CY) in a total dose of 120 mg/kg was given over 2 days on one to three occasions to 12 patients with a variety of nonlymphoid solid tumors. Two of 10 patients with measurable disease had a partial response. One had embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma and the other had ovarian carcinoma. In the 20 treatment courses, the mean leukocyte count was less than 1,00O/mm3 for 7 days. Thrombocytopenia was variable with a mean nadir of 87,90O/mm3 on day 12. There were four instances of local infection, one of bacteremia, and 11 of fever of undetermined origin. Weight gain of 2 or more kg occurred after 12, and EKG changes compatible with cardiotoxicity after six courses of CY. Serial skin testing with recall antigens revealed a frequent transient loss, and in three patients a later overall gain, in responsiveness. All patients, were immunized with Vi antigen before CY, and with Vi and sheep red blood cells (SRBC) after CY. Specific immune tolerance to Vi, with a satisfactory response to SRBC, was found in six of 12 patients. Patients' responses to the lymphocytes of 2 ABO compatible normal subjects were measured in mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) before and after CY. Patients were given 500 ml of whole blood from one of the subjects prior to CY. Following CY, the patients' responses to the blood donors' cells were not significantly lower than their responses to nondonor cells. Thus, tolerance to HL‐A antigens was not demonstrable in RILC. Three patients had an increase from subnormal to normal reactivity to nondonor cells in MLC.
Priming, not inhibition, of related concepts during future imagining

ABSTRACT Remembering the past and imagining the future both involve the retrieval of details stored in episodic memory and rely on the same core network of brain regions. Given these parallels, one might expect similar component processes to be involved in remembering and imagining. While a strong case can be made for the role of inhibition in memory retrieval, few studies have examined whether inhibition is also necessary for future imagining and results to-date have been mixed. In the current study, we test whether related concepts are inhibited during future imagining using a modified priming approach. Participants first generated a list of familiar places and for each place, the people they most strongly associate with it. A week later, participants imagined future events involving recombinations of people and places, immediately followed by a speeded response task in which participants made familiarity decisions about people’s names. Across two experiments, our results suggest that related concepts are not inhibited during future imagining, but rather are automatically primed. These results fit with recent work showing that autobiographically significant concepts (e.g., friends’ names) are more episodic than semantic in nature, automatically activating related details in memory and potentially fuelling the flexible simulation of future events.
Clinicopathologic Findings in Iridocorneal Endothelial Syndrome and Posterior Polymorphous Membranous Dystrophy After Descemet Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty

Purpose: To report the histopathologic findings of the iridocorneal endothelial (ICE) syndrome and posterior polymorphous membranous dystrophy (PPMD) in 3 patients who underwent Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK), and to correlate these findings with the clinical diagnosis. Methods: Three patients with clinical findings compatible with either ICE syndrome (1 patient) or PPMD (2 patients) underwent DSAEK. The DSAEK specimens were processed for light microscopy, immunhistochemical staining for cytokeratins AE1/3 and MAK6, and electron microscopy. Results: Examination of the DSAEK specimens showed multilayered endothelial cells and thickened Descemet membrane in all cases. Immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratins was positive in the endothelium in all cases. Ultrastructural examination showed a thickened Descemet membrane and wide-spaced collagen in Descemet membrane in 1 case of PPMD but not in 2 cases of ICE syndrome, including 1 case that carried the clinical diagnosis of PPMD. In 2 cases, the histopathologic evaluation of the DSAEK specimen confirmed the clinical diagnosis; however, in 1 case the pathological diagnosis was ICE syndrome, while the clinical diagnosis was PPMD. Conclusions: ICE syndrome and PPMD can be diagnosed and differentiated from one another by histopathologic evaluation of corneal specimens obtained at the time of DSAEK. We recommend submitting the corneal tissue obtained during DSAEK for pathological examination when the etiology of corneal edema is unclear.
Corneal Ulceration in a LASIK Patient Due to Vitamin A Deficiency After Bariatric Surgery

Purpose: To review the case of a 41-year-old woman who underwent bariatric surgery in 2000. She subsequently underwent laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery in 2008 and complained of dry eye since the LASIK surgery. In November 2010, she was diagnosed with a corneal melt and was treated with aggressive lubrication, followed by eventual amniotic membrane placement and a tarsorrhaphy. She then presented for consultation at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute when she developed a corneal infiltrate. She was diagnosed with fungal keratitis with corneal xerosis. At that time, vitamin A levels were measured and were less than 2 &mgr;/dL. The patient admitted noncompliance with nutritional supplements. Methods: Case report. Results: The patient was treated with aggressive lubrication and natamycin. Vitamin supplements were restarted, and the patient experienced dramatic improvement in symptoms with resolution of the infection. A central corneal scar with corneal thinning remains. The patient underwent a penetrating keratoplasty for visual rehabilitation. Conclusions: Patient education with emphasis on compliance with nutritional supplements is essential after bariatric surgery. Consider vitamin A deficiency in the differential diagnosis of dry eye after LASIK surgery.
Effects of survival processing and retention interval on true and false recognition in the DRM and category repetition paradigms

ABSTRACT Two experiments examined the effects of survival processing and delay on true and related false recognition. Experiment 1 used the Deese-Roediger-McDermott paradigm and found survival processing to increase true and related false recognition. Extending the delay from 5-mins to 1-day reduced true, but not false memory. Measures of the characteristics of true and false memories showed survival processing increased “remember” and “know” responses for related false memory, “know” responses for true memory and gist processing. Experiment 2 made use of the category repetition procedure and found a broadly similar pattern of results for true memory. However, related false memory was decreased by survival processing. Except for one result, no interactions were found between encoding task and delay. Overall, survival processing produced similar or different effects on true/false memory depending on the nature of the list. The mechanisms that might underpin these are evaluated and considered in relation to future work.
Patterns of cancer screening in primary care from 2005 to 2010

Cancer screening recommendations vary widely, especially for breast, prostate, and skin cancer screening. Guidelines are provided by the American Cancer Society, the US Preventive Services Task Force, and various professional organizations. The recommendations often differ with regard to age and frequency of screening. The objective of this study was to determine actual rates of screening in the primary care setting.
Combined lenalidomide, low‐dose dexamethasone, and rituximab achieves durable responses in rituximab‐resistant indolent and mantle cell lymphomas

Lenalidomide is an immunomodulatory drug with effects on the immune system that may enhance antibody‐dependent cell‐mediated cytotoxicity and reverse tumor‐induced immune suppression. Furthermore, single‐agent lenalidomide has therapeutic activity in relapsed/refractory B‐cell lymphomas. These immunologic effects potentially may enhance the action of rituximab.
Brain Segmentation – A Case study of Biomedical Cloud Computing for Education and Research

Medical imaging is widely adopted in Hospitals and medical institutes, and new ways to improve existing medical imaging services are regularly exploited. This paper describes the adoption of Cloud Computing is useful for medical education and research, and describes the methodology, results and lesson learned. A working Bioinformatics Cloud platform can demonstrate computation and visualisation of brain imaging. The aim is to study segmentation of brains, which divides the brain into ten major regions. The Cloud platform has these two functions: (i) it can highlight each region for ten different segments; and (ii) it can adjust intensity of segmentation to allow basic study of brain medicine. Two types of benefits are reported as follows. Firstly, all the medical student participants are reported to have 20% improvement in their learning satisfaction. Secondly, 100% of volunteer participants are reported to have positive learning experience.
Efficacy of Aspheric Corneal Ablation With the Central-Saving Technique for Presbyopic Correction Through Early Wound Healing Modulation

Purpose: To assess the long-term efficacy, refractive changes, and final visual acuity results from emmetropic presbyopic corrections when using aspheric ablation with the central-saving technique (CST) through the modulation of early wound healing. Methods: This study was a prospective comparative study. Twenty-four eyes of 12 patients with emmetropia underwent aspheric corneal ablation while preserving the central cornea (CST group) by amniotic membrane patching to protect the center of the cornea and encourage early wound healing. Twenty-two eyes of 11 patients with emmetropia were treated with the conventional presbyopic excimer laser [non–central-saving technique (NCST) group]. The wound healing time, visual acuity, manifest refraction, and corneal topography before and 2 years after the surgery were compared across both groups. Results: The corneal wound healing time of the CST group was faster than that of the NCST group. The time it took to achieve effective near and distance visual acuities were 1.2 ± 0.4 days and 2.3 ± 1.5 days in the CST group, whereas the same took 2.3 ± 1.2 days and 5.2 ± 2.1 days each for the NCST group. Statistically significant differences in both distance and near visual acuity were observed between the CST and NCST groups 2 years after the operation. The mean refractive error showed less regression in the CST group than in the NCST group within this same time period. Conclusions: Laser corneal ablation with CST can be used effectively to treat patients with emmetropic presbyopia because it provides faster wound healing and longer lasting effective maintenance in near and far visual acuities.