Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adherence and Persistence with Glaucoma Therapy: Brimonidine/Timolol versus Dorzolamide/Timolol and Various Two-Bottle Combinations

Purpose: Patients with glaucoma often require multiple topical medications to reach target intraocular pressure. This database analysis examined persistence and adherence in patients’ prescribed fixed-combination brimonidine/ timolol, fixed-combination dorzolamide/timolol, or various commonly used two-bottle combinations. Participants: Glaucoma patients (ICD-9 code: 365.xx; n=7883) from the Source Healthcare Analytics Source®; Lx database with an index prescription for fixed-combination brimonidine/timolol, fixed-combination dorzolamide/timolol, or various commonly used two-bottle combinations during the 6-month qualifying period (January 2008–June 2008), but not the 12 months before, were included. Methods: In this retrospective prescription database analysis, adherence and persistence for fixedcombination brimonidine/timolol were compared to fixed-combination dorzolamide/timolol and various commonly used two-bottle combinations. The two-bottle arms were: β-blocker+brimonidine; β-blocker+carbonic anhydrase inhibitor; β-blocker+prostaglandin analogue; carbonic anhydrase inhibitor+brimonidine; carbonic anhydrase inhibitor+prostaglandin analogue; and prostaglandin analogue+brimonidine. Main outcome measures: Persistence for brimonidine/timolol was compared with each of the comparators using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis for 12 months after the index prescription. Adherence was assessed using the medication possession ratio. Results: Kaplan-Meier analyses found that a significantly greater proportion of patients remained on treatment with brimonidine/timolol (34.9%) compared with each of the other treatments (13.4%–20.8%; p<0.0001) at the end of the study period. In addition, the 12-month medication possession ratio was significantly higher for brimonidine/ timolol (42.7%) than for each of the two-bottle arms (23.3%–34.9%; p<0.0001 for all comparisons). The medication possession ratio for brimonidine/timolol was also slightly, but significantly, higher than that for dorzolamide/timolol (40.6%; p=0.0208). Conclusions: Persistence and adherence are higher with a fixed-combination single bottle of brimonidine/timolol than with fixed-combination dorzolamide/timolol and commonly used two-bottle combinations.
Sero-Prevalence of Herpes Virus Infection in Sudanese Pregnant Women

Objectives: The aim of the study was to know the sero-plevalence of Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) infection in pregnant women attending a university hospital in Sudan. Methods: All pregnant women who came for delivery by lower segment caesarean section (LSCS) in National ribat teaching hospital between May and November 2011 were enrolled in this study. Their blood was tested for HSV IgG & IgM immunoglobulin. Their vulvas were examined for eruptions and ulcers and when those were found surface swabs were taken for isolation of organisms including syphilis. Their blood was also tested for HIV and syphilis. Results: One hundred thirty pregnant women were included in the study and forty five women (34.6%) tested positive for the IgG of Herpes virus but none of them was positive for the IgM test. Fourteen women had genital rashes/ulcers and nine of them tested positive for IgG but not IgM. Eleven women had lip ulcers or blisters and five of them tested positive for herpes. Conclusion: Acute infection during pregnancy was not documented in this study population and probably women develop immunity to herpes virus early in their reproductive life. Genital rashes and ulcers were not associated with active herpes infection.
Phase I Clinical Trial of Interleukin 2 and α-Interferon: Toxicity and Immunologic Effects

Because recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL-2) and recombinant alpha-interferon (rIFN-alpha) exhibit synergistic antitumor activity in C3HMT1820 T-cell lymphoma and B16 melanoma tumor systems, we have performed a Phase I study of this combination in 55 patients with advanced malignancies for whom no standard therapy exists. Successive groups of greater than or equal to 4 patients have been entered into 12 dose levels (1A-3D), with dose levels 1-3 referring to doses of rIL-2 of 0.1, 0.5, and 2.0 x 10(6) units/m2, respectively, and dose levels A-D referring to doses of recombinant human alpha 2a-interferon (rHuIFN-alpha 2a) of 0, 0.1, 1.0, and 10.0 x 10(6) units/m2. Both agents were given on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with rIL-2 being given as i.v. bolus injections and rHuIFN-alpha 2a being given intramuscularly. Myelosuppression was dose-limiting and was related primarily to the dose of rHuIFN-alpha 2a. The maximum-tolerated dose level was reached at a dose of rIL-2 of 2.0 x 10(6) units/m2 and of rHuIFN-alpha 2a of 10.0 x 10(6) units/m2 (dose level 3D). At this dose level, 3/6 patients developed grade 3 neutropenia (absolute granulocyte count less than 1 x 10(9)/liter). Myelosuppression was transient, with no documented infections being associated with neutropenia. Hypotension was mild; a single patient was treated with a vasopressor, but all other cases of hypotension responded to fluid administration. No significant pulmonary toxicity was produced. Fever, chills, and malaise were universal but not dose-limiting. Three partial responses and one minor response were observed in patients with malignant melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and breast cancer. Immunological studies suggested that natural killer activity was related to both the dose of rIL-2 and the dose of rHuIFN-alpha 2a, with natural killer activity being positively related to the dose of rIL-2 and maximal at the lowest dose of rHuIFN-alpha 2a of 0.1 x 10(6) units/m2.
Organic school meals in three Danish municipalities

In order to prevent children and young people from becoming obese, healthier eating patterns are urgent. Organic school meals may be an effective strategy to provide healthy food to children. The purpose of this study was to take a closer look into the current status of organic school meal systems in Denmark, by conducting a case study of three municipalities in the Zealand region that have the most developed models for school meals service in this country. These municipalities have for some years introduced organic food for sale in their primary schools, with three quite different approaches. Copenhagen has established a large central kitchen, producing partly organic food that is heated and sold in tuck shops at the schools. Roskilde cooperates with an organic catering company, delivering food to be sold in school canteens. Gladsaxe has part-time employed staff preparing and selling food at each school, and these people are educated about organic food by a municipal coordinator. Based on interviews with key informants in the three municipalities, the report describes the involved actors, interactions among actors, and barriers and future plans regarding an increased consumption of organic food in school meals. Similarities and differences between the municipalities are discussed. The main challenges for an increased consumption of organic food in schools are related to lack of infrastructure in the schools such as kitchens and dining halls, and that the school meal systems developed so far are not well rooted among the pupils, teachers, other school staff and the parents.
Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1α and Hypoxia Inducible Factor 2α Play Distinct and Functionally Overlapping Roles in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the functional difference between hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α and HIF-2α in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). Experimental Design: We evaluated the correlations between HIF-1α and HIF-2α expression and the clinical-pathologic characteristics of 97 patients with OSCC by immunohistochemical staining. OSCC cell lines transfected with lentivirus encoding short hairpin RNA against HIF-1α/2α were used to investigate the HIF-1α/2α–dependent target genes. Xenograft tumors in nude mice were established using cells affected by lentivirus, and tumor growth, angiogenesis, proliferation, and apoptosis were measured. Results: HIF-1α expression was significantly associated with T stage (P = 0.004), lymph node involvement (P = 0.006), histologic differentiation (P = 0.013), and microvessel density (P = 0.014), whereas that of HIF-2α was associated with T stage (P = 0.011) and microvessel density (P = 0.005). Patients with positive HIF-1α nuclear staining had a significantly worse overall survival (P < 0.001) and disease-free survival (P < 0.001) than those with negative HIF-1α staining. When OSCC cells were cultured at 5% O2, only HIF-2α contributed to the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor. At 1% O2, vascular endothelial growth factor was regulated by both HIF-1α and HIF-2α, but glucose transporter 1, carbonic anhydrase 9, and urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor were regulated by HIF-1α rather than by HIF-2α. Knocking down HIF-1α or HIF-2α individually inhibited the xenograft tumor angiogenesis and growth, and knocking them down simultaneously revealed a better inhibitory effect than knocking down either unit alone. Conclusions: HIF-1α and HIF-2α correlated with different clinical-pathologic parameters, stabilized at different oxygen levels, and regulated different genes in OSCC. However, both HIF-1α and HIF-2α showed promoting roles in tumor angiogenesis and growth, and therapeutic outcome may benefit from combined targeting of HIF-1α and HIF-2α. Clin Cancer Res; 16(19); 4732–41. ©2010 AACR.
Genetic variants of the fatty acid desaturase gene cluster predict amounts of red blood cell docosahexaenoic and other polyunsaturated fatty acids in pregnant women: findings from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

BACKGROUND Blood and tissue long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) amounts, which have been associated with early development and lifelong health, depend on dietary intake and endogenous conversion of precursor fatty acids (FAs) by the enzymes Δ⁵-desaturase and Δ⁶-desaturase. Polymorphisms in the desaturase encoding genes FADS1 and FADS2 have been associated with several n-6 (omega-6) and n-3 (omega-3) FAs and especially with arachidonic acid (AA) amounts. Associations with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is considered particularly important for brain and retina development, are hardly existent. OBJECTIVE We explored the relation between FADS gene cluster polymorphisms and red blood cell (RBC) FA amounts in > 4000 pregnant women participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. DESIGN Linear regression analysis of 17 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the FADS gene cluster was conducted with RBC phospholipid FAs from 6711 samples from 4457 women obtained throughout pregnancy (mean ± SD gestational age: 26.8 ± 8.2 wk). RESULTS Independent of dietary effects, the minor alleles were consistently positively associated with precursor FAs and negatively associated with LC-PUFAs and product:substrate ratios of the n-6 (AA:linoleic acid ratio) and n-3 (eicosapentaenoic acid:α-linolenic acid ratio) pathways. In contrast to previous studies, we also showed significant inverse associations with DHA. Similar but weaker associations were shown for the FADS3 SNP rs174455. CONCLUSIONS FADS genotypes influence DHA amounts in maternal RBC phospholipids and might affect the child's DHA supply during pregnancy. It is highly likely that a gene product of FADS3 has a desaturating activity.
Alimentação em refeitórios escolares: factor de risco para a obesidade

iv Lista de Abreviaturas . v Índice Geral . vi Índice de Tabelas . viii PARTE I INTRODUÇÃO . 9 Capítulo 1.1 – Enquadramento Teórico . 10 1.1.1 – Obesidade . 11 1.1.1.1 – Aspectos gerais . 11 1.1.1.2 Obesidade no Mundo . 11 1.1.1.3 – Obesidade na Europa . 12 1.1.1.4 – Obesidade em Portugal . 12 1.1.1.5 – Obesidade infantil . 13 1.1.2 – Classificação . 13 1.1.3 Causas . 14 1.1.4 – Alimentação como determinante de saúde . 16 1.1.5 – Como se diagnostica . 18 1.1. 6 – Prevenção . 18 1.1. 7 – Tratamento . 20 1.1. 8 – Alimentação nas escolas . 24 Capítulo 1.2 – Objectivos e pergunta de partida . 27 PARTE II METODOLOGIA . 29 Capítulo 2.1 – Estrutura metodológica . 30 vii PARTE III – RESULTADOS . 33 Capítulo 3.1 – Apresentação dos Resultados . 34 3.1.1 – Avaliação das refeições . 35 3.1.1.1 – Sopas . 35 3.1.1.2 – Pratos principais – Observações gerais. 36 3.1.1.3 – Refeição completa – Imposições semanais e mensais . 38 Capítulo 3.2 – Discussão dos Resultados . 40 3.2.1 – Aspectos qualitativos gerais . 41 3.2.1.1 – Refeição completa . 41 3.2.1.2 – Imposições semanais . 42 3.2.1.3 – Imposições mensais . 43 3.2.1.4 – Sopas . 44 3.2. 2 – Aspectos quantitativos – Macro nutrientes e VET . 46 Capítulo 3.3. – Limitações do estudo . 50 Capítulo 3.4 – Conclusões . 52 BIBLIOGRAFIA . 55 ANEXOS . 60
Finding the Key to a Better Code: Code Team Restructure to Improve Performance and Outcomes

Code teams respond to acute life threatening changes in a patient’s status 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If any variable, whether a medical skill or non-medical quality, is lacking, the effectiveness of a code team’s resuscitation could be hindered. To improve the overall performance of our hospital’s code team, we implemented an evidence-based quality improvement restructuring plan. The code team restructure, which occurred over a 3-month period, included a defined number of code team participants, clear identification of team members and their primary responsibilities and position relative to the patient, and initiation of team training events and surprise mock codes (simulations). Team member assessments of the restructured code team and its performance were collected through self-administered electronic questionnaires. Time-to-defibrillation, defined as the time the code was called until the start of defibrillation, was measured for each code using actual time recordings from code summary sheets. Significant improvements in team member confidence in the skills specific to their role and clarity in their role’s position were identified. Smaller improvements were seen in team leadership and reduction in the amount of extra talking and noise during a code. The average time-to-defibrillation during real codes decreased each year since the code team restructure. This type of code team restructure resulted in improvements in several areas that impact the functioning of the team, as well as decreased the average time-to-defibrillation, making it beneficial to many, including the team members, medical institution, and patients.
Adaptive Neural Network Dynamic Inversion with Prescribed Performance for Aircraft Flight Control

An adaptive neural network dynamic inversion with prescribed performance method is proposed for aircraft flight control. The aircraft nonlinear attitude angle model is analyzed. And we propose a new attitude angle controller design method based on prescribed performance which describes the convergence rate and overshoot of the tracking error. Then the model error is compensated by the adaptive neural network. Subsequently, the system stability is analyzed in detail. Finally, the proposed method is applied to the aircraft attitude tracking control system. The nonlinear simulation demonstrates that this method can guarantee the stability and tracking performance in the transient and steady behavior.
CARBOXYHAEMOGLOBIN CONCENTRATIONS, PULSE OXIMETRY AND ARTERIAL BLOOD-GAS TENSIONS DURING JET VENTILATION FOR Nd-YAG LASER BRONCHOSCOPY†

Oxygen saturation measured with pulse oximetry (Sp O 2 ) is overestimated in the presence of carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb). Smoke produced during laser resection of tracheobronchial malignancies may increase concentrations of COHb. We have measured COHb concentrations in 14 patients undergoing laser resection and compared Sp O 2 with functional oxygen saturation (Sa O 2 ) to ascertain if pulse oximetry is an accurate monitor of oxygen saturation. During the procedure frequent changes occur in ventilatory mechanics. Arterial blood-gas tensions were measured to see if gas exchange was satisfactory. Mean preoperative COHb was 1.4%. There was no significant change in COHb in any patient at any stage during treatment. The highest value was 2.05%. The mean difference between Sa O 2 and Sp O 2 was 1.13% (95% confidence interval 0.70–1.56%). Oxygen saturation may therefore safely be monitored by pulse oximetry in patients managed by our technique. Empirical setting of a jet ventilator provided acceptable blood-gas tensions, although sometimes it was necessary to increase the F l O 2 to > 0.3 to maintain oxy-genation.
Choroidal structure in normal eyes and after photodynamic therapy determined by binarization of optical coherence tomographic images.

PURPOSE To determine changes in choroidal structure by binarization of optical coherence tomographic (OCT) images. METHODS Choroidal images were recorded by enhanced depth imaging OCT. The subfoveal choroidal images were analyzed, and the luminal and interstitial areas were converted to binary images by the Niblack method. The interrater, intrarater, and intersession agreements of the binary images were determined for healthy eyes. In eyes with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the binary images of the choroid before photodynamic therapy (PDT) were compared to those after PDT. The untreated fellow eyes were studied as controls. RESULTS In healthy eyes, the average ratio of the luminal to choroidal area was 65.4%. The interrater agreement rate was high, with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.985 and 0.988 for the choroid and luminal areas, respectively. The intrarater ICC was 0.996 for the choroid and 0.997 for the luminal areas. The intersession ICC was 0.993 for the choroid and 0.984 for the luminal areas. In eyes with AMD, the subfoveal choroidal area, the luminal area, and the interstitial areas were thinner 6 months after PDT (all P < 0.01, Wilcoxon signed-rank sum test). The ratio of the luminal to choroidal area was significantly decreased to 62.8% (P < 0.01, Wilcoxon signed-rank sum test). The ratio for the fellow eyes was not significantly changed. CONCLUSIONS The Niblack binarization method can be used to analyze the luminal area of choroid in an OCT image with good repeatability and reproducibility. The change in the subfoveal choroidal area after PDT is due mainly to a decrease in the luminal areas.
Recapitulation of Ras Oncogene Mutations in Breast Cancer

Several human breast cancer cell lines have been shown to contain mutational activation of Ras oncogenes. The goal of this review is to clarify the physiology and biochemical pathways of Ras family oncogenes in order to understand thoroughly the mechanisms behind Ras gene mutations. Ras genes are involved in the early stages of mammary oncogenesis through augmented expression of the normal p21 protein. Recognition of the mechanisms resulting in aberrant expression of Ras, as well as unveiling the influence of the Ras family gene activation in the Ras signaling pathway, should have a major impact on clarifying the oncogenetic process, possibly offering candidate therapy and prevention strategies.
Importancia de la percepción de competencia y de la motivación en la salud mental de deportistas universitarios

OBJETIVO. Analizar las relaciones directas e indirectas entre la competencia deportiva, la motivacion autonoma y el bienestar/malestar psicologico en universitarios. MATERIAL Y METODOS. Se recogieron datos de 491 universitarios espanoles (299 hombres y 192 mujeres) practicantes de actividad deportiva, que se usaron en un diseno de estudio transversal. Se utilizo la tecnica estadistica de ecuaciones estructurales. RESULTADOS. La percepcion de competencia deportiva favorecio el bienestar psicologico directamente, e indirectamente a traves de la motivacion autonoma. Ademas, la percepcion de competencia se asocio negativamente con el malestar psicologico. CONCLUSIONES. Se destaca la importancia de la percepcion de competencia deportiva y de la motivacion autonoma como favorecedores del bienestar y evitacion del malestar psicologico en universitarios.
Defining the Neural Substrate of the Adult Outcome of Childhood ADHD: A Multimodal Neuroimaging Study of Response Inhibition.

OBJECTIVE Understanding the neural processes tied to the adult outcome of childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could guide novel interventions to improve its clinical course. It has been argued that normalization of prefrontal cortical activity drives remission from ADHD, while anomalies in subcortical processes are "fixed," present even in remission. Using multimodal neuroimaging of inhibitory processes, the authors tested these hypotheses in adults followed since childhood, contrasting remitted against persistent ADHD. METHOD Adult participants (persistent ADHD, N=35; remit-ted ADHD, N=47; never affected, N=99) were scanned with functional MRI (fMRI) (N=85), magnetoencephalography (N=33), or both (N=63) during a response inhibition task. RESULTS In fMRI analyses, during inhibition, right caudate anomalies reflected a childhood ADHD history and were present even among those who remitted. By contrast, differences related to adult outcome emerged in cortical (right inferior frontal and inferior parietal/precuneus) and cerebellar regions. The persistent ADHD group showed under-activation, whereas the remitted ADHD group did not differ significantly from the never-affected group. Magnetoencephalography showed that the association between adult symptom severity and prefrontal neuronal activity was confined to the time window covering the act of inhibition (300 ms-350 ms). Group differences in cerebellar and parietal neuronal activity occurred during the time window of performance monitoring processes (500 ms-600 ms). CONCLUSIONS By combining fMRI and magnetoencephalography, the location and time window of neuronal activity that underpins the adult outcome of ADHD was pinpointed. Thus, the cortico-cerebellar processes tied to the clinical course of ADHD are separated from the subcortical processes that are not.