Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Glycemic Control and Quality of Life Following Cataract Surgery in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and without Maculopathy

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess whether cataract removal surgery will improve glycemic control and quality of life in patients with diabetes. Methods: A prospective longitudinal study of 28 patients with type 2 diabetes and without diabetic retinopathy scheduled for cataract removal surgery. During the 4 months of follow-up, measurements of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were obtained and assessment of quality of life was performed using two questionnaires: The EuroQoL 5-Dimension (EQ-5D®) and the Multidimensional Diabetes Questionnaire (MDQ). Results: HbA1c values decreased by approximately 0.45% following surgery (7.24% to 6.78%, P = 0.009). Younger patients reduced HbA1c significantly more than older patients (0.73% vs. 0.03%, respectively, P = 0.043). Younger age also correlated with better visual acuity improvement (R = −0.44, P = 0.02). Poor glycemic control prior to surgery correlated with better HbA1c reductions, with a 42% chance for reduction of at least 0.5% HbA1c in patients with preoperative HbA1c values of 7.5% and a 72% chance for reduction in patients with preoperative HbA1c values of 8.5%. Quality of life was improved by 14% following surgery, as noted in the MDQ results (33.9–38.7, P = 0.034) only. Conclusions: Cataract removal surgery may positively influence glycemic control and quality of life in type 2 diabetic patients without maculopathy. Younger patients achieved superior improvement in visual and glycemic outcomes. The results of this study highlight the need for frequent inquiry regarding eyesight deterioration in patients with diabetes.
Relation between the neuronal and hemodynamic response in the lesioned rat spinal cord following peripheral nerve stimulation

In this study, we explore the hemodynamic response in the lesioned rat spinal cord following peripheral nerve stimulation. Oxy and deoxy hemoglobin were measured (using a four color LED multispectral intrinsic optical imaging system) simultaneously with blood flow (laser speckle measurement). Both optical and electrophysiological data are compared spatially and against stimulation strength. When compared with non-lesioned animals, the hemodynamic response is seen to display significant differences exhibiting increased initial dip and decreased blood drain following stimulation. The origin of the difference is observed to be due to the vascular nature of the injury. The distinct hemodynamic responses may have a strong impact on General Linear Model based fMRI studies of spinal cord lesions due to the difficulty in separating vascular effects from neuronal plasticity following injury.
Enhancing cell affinity of nonadhesive hydrogel substrate: The role of silica hybridization

The aim of this study is to elucidate the functional mechanism of nanosilica‐induced cell affinity for the normally attachment‐fouling hydrogel substrates. Investigations were conducted in the following three major aspects: (1) environmental protein adsorption before cell contacts, which determines the presence of adhesive ligands; (2) integrin expression profile, which reflects the cell responses via surface receptor turning‐over; and (3) vinculin activation and F‐actin assembly, which sketches the induced cytoskeletal organization posing for focal adhesion. The results indicate that the hybridized nanosilica additives are capable of arresting adhesive proteins from the environment. As binding ligands, such immobilized proteins activate α5β1‐specific pathway for cell focal adhesion, but fail in invoking β3‐participated signaling cascade. This partial activation enables modest amount of high‐quality cell adhesion on the modified substrate, by which a conservative cell affinity is established on hydrogel matrices.
Optimal Cutoff Value for Lung Injury Prediction Score and Potential Confounders for Identifying the Risk of Developing Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

e624 www.ccmjournal. org June 2017 • Volume 45 • Number 6 5. Smith HA, Boyd J, Fuchs DC, et al: Diagnosing delirium in critically ill children: Validity and reliability of the Pediatric Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit. Crit Care Med 2011; 39:150–157 6. Smith HA, Gangopadhyay M, Goben CM, et al: The Preschool Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU: Valid and reliable delirium monitoring for critically ill infants and children. Crit Care Med 2016; 44:592–600 DOI: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000002417
Impairments in Sensory Modulation in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

The Short Sensory Profile was used to measure a caregiver report of sensory reactivity in a group of children with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Fifty-six of 78 (72%) families invited to participate returned the questionnaires and the data were complete for 44 children. These 44 children represented a stratified sample out of a total of 443 children, identified through nine different data sets maintained for children affected by ASD from a total geographical region in South East Scotland. Clinical information was collected retrospectively from contemporaneous paediatric community child health medical notes and also cross-sectionally from caregivers. Sensory reactivity was outside normal limits in over 70% of the children, with the highest percentage of sensitivities occurring in the auditory filtering and the underresponsiveness and seeking sensation domains. Logistic regression analysis showed no significant relationship between sensory reactivity and the child's age at presentation with autism or parental report of regression. The severity of autism was measured by the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale and related to the Short Sensory Profile (r = 0.39, p = 0.001). These findings suggest that all children affected by ASD, regardless of clinical features or age, may potentially be affected by sensory reactivities and may benefit from appropriate occupational therapy assessment and management. ASDs are relatively common among neurodevelopmental conditions and confer lifelong disabilities. As the majority of affected children will have sensory modulation difficulties, this has significant implications for paediatric occupational therapy services.
Unfractionated and Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins, Basic Mechanism of Action and Pharmacology

Unfractionated heparin has enjoyed sole anticoagulant status for nearly 50 years. Despite a dramatic growth in the development and the introduction of many newer anticoagulant and antithrombotic drugs and polytherapeutic approaches during the past decade, unfractionated and low-molecular-weight heparins remain the drugs of choice for many indications, including surgical anticoagulation, interventional cardiology, and in several additional considerations. Unfractionated heparin has a major role in the areas of vascular medicine and surgery, and it is the only parenteral anticoagulant drug that can be empirically neutralized by such agents as protamine sulfate. The development of low and ultra low-molecularweight heparins, which are a class of depolymerized heparin derivatives with distinct pharmacologic profiles that are largely determined by their composition, represents a refinement for the use of heparin. These drugs produce their major effects by combining with antithrombin Ill and exerting antithrombin and anti-Xa inhibition. The low-molecular-weight heparins also increase non-antithrombin III-dependent effects, such as tissue factor pathway inhibitor release, modulation of adhesion molecules, and the release of profibrinolytic and antithrombotic mediators from the blood vessels. Each of the low-molecular-weight heparins has different cumulative effects, and each product exhibits a distinct profile. Initially developed for the prophylaxis of postsurgical deep vein thrombosis, these drugs are now also used for the treatment of both venous and arterial thrombotic disorders. To a large extent, the low-molecular-weight heparins have replaced unfractionated heparin in most of the subcutaneous indications. This has resulted in a dramatic evolution in anticoagulant management that allows patients with thrombotic disorders to be treated in an outpatient setting. Thus, the introduction of low-molecular-weight heparins represents a major advance in improving the use of heparin. Generic versions of these drugs are likely to be developed as their patents expire. Currently, there are no clear guidelines for the acceptance of the generic versions of branded products. To avoid safety and efficacy-related problems, a generic drug must meet both the chemical and biologic equivalence criterion. Synthetically and biosynthetically derived agents such, as pentasaccharide, will also be introduced for clinical use; however, these drugs will have a narrower therapeutic spectrum due to their monotherapeutic nature. Heparin and its derivatives will continue to have a crucial role in the management of thrombotic and cardiovascular disorders in years to come.
Resistance training for strength: effect of number of sets and contraction speed

ABSTRACTPurpose:To compare effects on strength in the early phase of resistance training with one or three sets and fast or slow speeds.Methods:A total of 115 healthy, untrained subjects were randomized to a control group or one of four training groups: one set fast (∼140°·s−1), three sets fast, one
Synthesis, biophysical properties, and oxygenation potential of variable molecular weight glutaraldehyde‐polymerized bovine hemoglobins with low and high oxygen affinity

In a recent study, ultrahigh molecular weight (Mw) glutaraldehyde‐polymerized bovine hemoglobins (PolybHbs) were synthesized with low O2 affinity and exhibited no vasoactivity and a slight degree of hypertension in a 10% top‐load model.1 In this work, we systematically investigated the effect of varying the glutaraldehyde to hemoglobin (G:Hb) molar ratio on the biophysical properties of PolybHb polymerized in either the low or high O2 affinity state. Our results showed that the Mw of the resulting PolybHbs increased with increasing G:Hb molar ratio. For low O2 affinity PolybHbs, increasing the G:Hb molar ratio reduced the O2 affinity and CO association rate constants in comparison to bovine hemoglobin (bHb). In contrast for high O2 affinity PolybHbs, increasing the G:Hb molar ratio led to increased O2 affinity and significantly increased the CO association rate constants compared to unmodified bHb and low O2 affinity PolybHbs. The methemoglobin level and NO dioxygenation rate constants were insensitive to the G:Hb molar ratio. However, all PolybHbs displayed higher viscosities compared to unmodified bHb and whole blood, which also increased with increasing G:Hb molar ratio. In contrast, the colloid osmotic pressure of PolybHbs decreased with increasing G:Hb molar ratio. To preliminarily evaluate the ability of low and high O2 affinity PolybHbs to potentially oxygenate tissues in vivo, an O2 transport model was used to simulate O2 transport in a hepatic hollow fiber (HF) bioreactor. It was observed that low O2 affinity PolybHbs oxygenated the bioreactor better than high O2 affinity PolybHbs. This result points to the suitability of low O2 affinity PolybHbs for use in tissue engineering and transfusion medicine. Taken together, our results show the quantitative effect of varying the oxygen saturation of bHb and G:Hb molar ratio on the biophysical properties of PolybHbs and their ability to oxygenate a hepatic HF bioreactor. We suggest that the information gained from this study can be used to guide the design of the next generation of hemoglobin‐based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) for use in tissue engineering and transfusion medicine applications. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog. , 2011
The Psychology of Health—An Introduction

There are several similar good books on health psychology but this one is constructed in a novel and interesting way. It starts with three chapters discussing the interaction between psychological factors and health. In the second section, there are issues related to treatment and the way in which patients behave inside and outside medical settings. The final section examines specific problems in health. Each chapter offers a thorough
The Effects of Afebrile Characteristic on Patients With Suspected Septic Shock: Several Facts Need to Be Noticed.

Critical Care Medicine www.ccmjournal. org e1191 DOI: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000002660 Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Brian M. Fuller MD, MSCI, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, and Department of Emergency Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Christopher R. Carpenter MD, MSCI, Department of Emergency Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
Renewed Interest in Left Atrial Function: What do we Need to Evaluate Clinically?

J Echocardiogr Vol.3, No.2, 2005 60 The use of a Swan-Ganz catheter has resulted in the accurate evaluation of the severity of acute left heart failure, making it possible to establish appropriate therapeutic strategies for this disorder using Forrester’s classification. The routine use of clinical echocardiography has facilitated the noninvasive diagnosis of hemodynamic abnormalities related to various disease conditions. In particular, transmitral flow (TMF) and pulmonary venous flow (PVF) velocity patterns, acquired by the pulsed Doppler method, have led to the establishment of a new clinical field,“diastology”[1]. Previously, the left ventricle (LV) was the focus of investigation when evaluating left heart function, and the left atrium (LA) was considered to have a minor supporting role. However, recent studies have focused on the role of the LA, because it has been recognized that a thorough understanding of LA performance is essential to evaluate more accurately left heart diseases [2]. When evaluating LV function clinically, hemodynamic abnormalities in the pulmonary vein-LALV relationship should always be considered, and echocardiography may be an indispensable tool for obtaining important information concerning the relationship between the pulmonary veins and LV with the LA playing a central role. In this review, we summarize how to evaluate LA function using echocardiography with the role of LA function in patients with left-side heart failure.
Giving Back and Staying Put: Volunteering as a Stabilizing Force in Relocation

Relocation in older adulthood has been shown to have health-related and environmental triggering factors. This study explores the relationship between volunteering in a community and relocation. Using data from the 2008 and 2010 Health and Retirement Study, which included 9,220 community-dwelling older individuals who were aged 65 years and older, our findings show that volunteering significantly reduces the likelihood of relocating out of the area, and such a relationship is partially mediated by having friends nearby. This study is innovative because it identifies a stabilizing mechanism important for understanding protective factors, such as volunteering, as a way communities can retain older adults.
Modern cross‐linking strategies for synthesizing acellular hemoglobin‐based oxygen carriers

Unmodified cell‐free hemoglobin (Hb) is structurally unstable when transfused into the blood stream (Valeri et al., Artif Cells Blood Substit Immobil Biotechnol. 2000;28:451‐475; Chan et al., Toxicol Pathol. 2000;28:635‐642; Eike, Dissertation, 2005; Eike and Palmer, Biotechnol Prog. 2004;20:946‐952). This review examines some of the latest chemical strategies used over the last 5 years to intra‐ and intermolecularly cross‐link Hb, thereby stabilizing its quaternary structure. Therefore, this work will address the following aspects: (1) site‐specific chemical modifications of Hb and (2) non‐site‐specific chemical modifications of Hb, including, but not limited to, PolyHeme®, Hemopure®, Oxyglobin®, and SOD‐Hb. Current strategies for synthesizing PEGylated Hb is outside the scope of this review and will not be discussed herein. For a more thorough review of PEGylated Hb, the reader is directed to the following works: Cabrales and Friedman, Transfus Alternatives in Transfus Med. 2007;9:281–293 and Winslow, Biochim Biophys Acta, 2008;1784(10):1382–1386.
Managing Dyslipidemia in Older Adults 1

OBJECTIVES: To summarize and critically review clinical trial data regarding dyslipidemia as a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) and the efficacy and safety of lipid‐lowering interventions in older adults. Based on these data, clinical recommendations for diagnosing and managing dyslipidemia in older adults are provided.
Adherence in patients transferred from immediate release metformin to a sustained release formulation: a population‐based study

Aim: Metformin is the most commonly prescribed oral agent used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is effective at reducing glycosylated Haemoglobin (HbA1c) and decreasing microvascular and macrovascular disease. However, up to 25% of patients develop gastrointestinal side effects leading to cessation in 5–10% of users. Metformin XL (glucophage SR) is a once a day preparation that delays absorption, leading to decreased peak metformin concentrations. We hypothesised that the XL preparation of metformin would be better tolerated than the standard immediate release (IR) preparation leading to improved adherence to therapy.
Sex Differences in Asthma

Asthma is a common chronic pulmonary disease whose prevalence varies greatly with the sex and age of the patient. Research has shown that men and women may experience this disease differently, although these sex-related differences have not routinely translated into differences in clinical care for patients with asthma. This review explores some of the major differences in asthma between men and women and some of the main hypotheses developed to explain them.
What's the problem? Why do some pharmacists provide services to drug users and others won't?

Over 80% of Glasgow's community pharmacies provide a supervised methadone service to opiate users, but fewer than this provide a needle exchange service. Postal questionnaires were sent in 1997 and annually from 2000 to 2003 to every pharmacy in Greater Glasgow. The original aim of the questionnaire was to determine the number of pharmacists in Glasgow that dispensed methadone and supervised its consumption, and to determine the pharmacists' attitudes to the provision of this service. As Glasgow has a high number of injecting drug users, two further sections were added to the questionnaire in 2001. These related to pharmacists' willingness to provide needle exchange. Over these years, the community provision of substitute medication and needle exchange service to drug users has grown considerably. In addition, there have been changes in the views and opinions of participating pharmacists in relation to the provision of such services. Reasons for non‐participation include the opinion that other customers would object; business reasons, for example, risks to staff, property, or theft; and premises being unsuitable. By contrast, the pharmacists' decision to offer a supervised consumption of methadone or needle exchange service appears to be based on the recognition of clinical need, rather than potential financial gain.
The Ala Allele at Val762Ala Polymorphism in Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase-1 (PARP-1) Gene is Associated with a Decreased Risk of Asthma in a Turkish Population

Background and objective. It has been suggested that inhibition of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), either pharmacologically or by a gene knockout provides significant protection against systemic or tissue inflammation in animal models. The aim of this study was to analyze the association of the PARP-1 Val762Ala polymorphism, which has beenreported to be associated with decreased enzymatic activity, in Turkish patients with adult asthma. Methods. A total of 112 subjects with stable asthma and 180 normal controls from the same geographic region were studied and polymerase chain reaction-based restriction analysis was used to identify Val762Ala polymorphism of the PARP-1. Results. In univariate analysis, PARP-1 762 AA genotype conferred a 3.4 fold reduction in risk (OR = 0.297, 95% CI = 0.105-0.813; P = 0.014), while heterozygous VA genotype conferred an even greater level of protection (OR = 0.06; 95%CI, 0.026-0.14; P < 10−6). In addition, wild type PARP-1 762 V allele had 5 times the risk of developing asthma than those without the allele (OR 0.199, CI 0.118-0.334, P = 10−6). Conclusions. These findings suggest that PARP-1 V762A variants may be one of the factors participating in protection or susceptibility to asthma in our population.
The surgical anatomy of the radial nerve and the triceps aponeurosis

The radial nerve passes around the posterior aspect of the humerus where it is prone to injury in both humeral fractures and surgical exploration of this region. We examined 55 cadaveric limbs to determine whether the exact position of the radial nerve could be reliably predicted on the basis of superficial anatomical markings. We found that when there is considerable variability in the position of the nerve in relation to the lateral epicondyle, the nerve consistently passed adjacent to the lateral border of the triceps aponeurosis at a distance of 22–27 (±2) mm. It was never found to be closer than 13 (±1) mm to the aponeurosis. The lateral border of the triceps aponeurosis is easy to identify and our findings may help avoid iatrogenic injury to the radial nerve during exploration. Clin. Anat. 23:222–226, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The evaluation of two references for restoring proximal femoral anatomy during total hip arthroplasty

The morphologic features of the proximal femur are used in preoperative planning prior to total hip arthroplasty (THA). In this study we evaluated two references that have been widely used during THA to restore the normal anatomy of the proximal femur: (1) the distance from the lesser trochanter to the center of femoral head and (2) the anatomic relationship between the greater trochanter and the center of femoral head. We used digital photographs to compare 200 cadaveric femora in individuals who died prior to 40 years of age. Preoperative measurement of the distance from lesser trochanter to the center of femoral head from the contralateral hip is accurate to predict the measurement on the operated hip with correlation coefficients (r2) of 0.87. The ratio between femoral head diameter and distance from the lesser trochanter to the center of femoral head was consistent and reliable between genders and sides with an average value of 1.01 ± 0.12. Thus, when the distance from the lesser trochanter to the center of femoral head is not discernible, this ratio can be used as a guide to determine proximal femoral geometry. Conversely, only 59% of the specimens had femoral head centers within 5 mm of the tip of greater trochanter. The correlation between sides of the relationship between the greater trochanter and the center of femoral head was moderate (r2 = 0.46). Therefore, this relationship should not be used as the sole method to determine the normal anatomy of proximal femur. Clin. Anat. 23:312–318, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The role of adiponectin in the pathogenesis and treatment of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is recognized as the most common type of chronic liver disease in Western countries and the leading cause of cryptogenic cirrhosis. Insulin resistance (IR) is a key factor in the pathogenesis of NAFLD, the latter being considered as the hepatic component of IR or metabolic syndrome (MetS). Although the pathogenesis of NAFLD is not fully elucidated, a complex interaction between adipokines and cytokines produced by adipocytes and/or inflammatory cells infiltrating adipose tissue appears to play a crucial role in MetS and NAFLD.