pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Umbelliferone and esculetin protect against N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), a nitrosamine compound, is known to cause liver damage through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in oxidative damage to macromolecules such as DNA, and the consequent development of cancer. The present study examines the protective effects of two antioxidant coumarin compounds umbelliferone (Umb) and esculetin (Esc) against NDEA-induced hepatotoxicity when administered in the diet to male Wistar rats. The results show that treatment with Umb (0.5%w/w) and Esc (0.5%w/w) in the diet for 7 days significantly attenuates NDEA-induced liver damage, lowering serum alanine transaminase (ALT) levels, decreasing hepatic lipid peroxidation, and restoring total glutathione levels. To investigate the mechanism for the observed protective effect, the levels of the key protective enzymes NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), heme oxygenase (HO1), and glutathione S-transferase Pi (GSTP1) were measured by Western blotting following Umb and Esc administration. The results showed that Umb and Esc administration significantly increased the expression of NQO1 by 3.6- and 2.7-fold, HO1 by 2.7- and 3.2-fold, and GSTP1 by 2.8- and 3.2-fold, respectively. In conclusion, Umb and Esc are capable of protecting liver from NDEA-induced hepatotoxicity, and this is associated with the induction of protective enzymes
TMEFF2 shedding is regulated by oxidative stress and mediated by ADAMs and transmembrane serine proteases implicated in prostate cancer

TMEFF2 is a type I transmembrane protein with two follistatin (FS) and one EGF-like domain over-expressed in prostate cancer; however its biological role in prostate cancer development and progression remains unclear, which may, at least in part, be explained by its proteolytic processing. The extracellular part of TMEFF2 (TMEFF2-ECD) is cleaved by ADAM17 and the membrane-retained fragment is further processed by the gamma-secretase complex. TMEFF2 shedding is increased with cell crowding, a condition associated with the tumour microenvironment, which was mediated by oxidative stress signalling, requiring jun-kinase (JNK) activation. Moreover, we have identified that TMEFF2 is also a novel substrate for other proteases implicated in prostate cancer, including two ADAMs (ADAM9 and ADAM12) and the type II transmembrane serine proteinases (TTSPs) matriptase-1 and hepsin. Whereas cleavage by ADAM9 and ADAM12 generates previously identified TMEFF2-ECD, proteolytic processing by matriptase-1 and hepsin produced TMEFF2 fragments, composed of TMEFF2-ECD or FS and/or EGF-like domains as well as novel membrane retained fragments. Differential TMEFF2 processing from a single transmembrane protein may be a general mechanism to modulate transmembrane protein levels and domains, dependent on the repertoire of ADAMs or TTSPs expressed by the target cell
Testing the Cambridge quality checklists on a review of disrupted families and crime

BACKGROUND: Systematic reviews of the relationship between non-manipulated factors (e.g. low empathy) and offending are becoming more common, and it is important to consider the methodological quality of studies included in such reviews. AIMS: To assess aspects of the reliability and validity of the Cambridge Quality Checklists, a set of three measures for examining the methodological quality of studies included in systematic reviews of risk factors for offending. METHODS: All 60 studies in a systematic review of disrupted families and offending were coded on the CQC and codes compared with the effect sizes derived from the studies. RESULTS: Overall, the CQC was easy to score, and the relevant information was available in most studies. The scales had high inter-rater reliability. Only 13 studies scored high on the Checklist of Correlates, 18 scored highly on the Checklist of Risk Factors and none scored highly on the Checklist of Causal Risk Factors. Generally, studies that were of lower quality had higher effect sizes. CONCLUSIONS: The CQC could be a useful method of assessing the methodological quality of studies of risk factors for offending but might benefit from additional conceptual work, changes to the wording of some scales and additional levels for scoring.Publisher Versio
Mafia and psychopathy

Background In popular culture, Mafia members are often portrayed as ruthless, callous and remorseless, but there is no empirical research on their personality traits.\ud
Aims The goal of this research was to examine levels of psychopathic traits among Mafia members who have been convicted of a criminal offence.\ud
Methods The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) rated 30 Italian adult male prisoners who had been convicted for Mafia-related crimes (86% resident in one\ud
6-month period) and 39 next adjacent convicted men who were not enrolled in any criminal organisation.\ud
Results Mafia members obtained lower PCL-R total scores, interpersonal and affective (PCL-R factor 1) scores and lifestyle scores (factor 2) than the other offenders.\ud
Logistic regression analysis showed that lower PCL-R factor 1 scores with higher factor 2 scores in the absence of a history of substance misuse disorder distinguished Mafia from\ud
non-Mafia offenders. A probability curve confirmed an exponential growth in the probability of classification as a Mafia member in relation to lower PCL-R factor 1 scores.\ud
Conclusions Our findings bring new hope for resocialisation of convicted Mafia members, because they showed significant antisocial traits but they maintained a\ud
capacity for emotional connection and greater likelihood of engaging with training and resocialisation programmes than other imprisoned offenders in Italy
A bifactorial solution to the psychopathy checklist screening version in a sample of civil psychiatric patients

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Boduszek, D., Dhingra, K., Hyland, P., & Debowska, A. (2015). A bifactorial solution to the psychopathy checklist screening version in a sample of civil psychiatric patients. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 26(3), 174-185. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbm.1956, which has been published in final form at [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cbm.1956/ This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.Background: There is considerable debate about the underlying factor structure of the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL: SV). An established view is that it reflects a unitary construct underpinned by two correlated factors. More recent research has, however, undermined this conceptualisation.\ud
Aims: Our aim was to compare 10 competing models of the PCL: SV in a sample of civil psychiatric patients. Method: Ten distinct factor models were specified and tested using conventional confirmatory factor analytic techniques, along with confirmatory bifactor modelling. Results: A bifactor model, including two general factors (interpersonal-affective and antisocial-lifestyle), and four subordinate factors (interpersonal, affective, antisocial, and lifestyle) provided the best fit to the data. The reliability of the conceptualisation was supported through the use of composite reliability, and the differential relationships exhibited between the general factors and measures of personality, impulsivity, and mental health. Conclusions: The results suggest that two general factors should be taken into account when interpreting the PCL:SV for clinical purposes
The probabilities of sex offender rearrest

Estimates of the probabilities of rearrest for sex offenders apprehended (n=2,785) in Western Australia between 1984 and 1994 are reported. Subjects on average were followed up for 5.7 years and assessed by criminal record, Aboriginality, bail status, age, occupation and penal intervention. Three criteria, rearrest for any, repeat sex or a violent offence are used to summarise the ‘careers’ of sex offenders. Overall ultimate probabilities of rearrest for any offence were 0.61, for a repeat sex offence 0.33 and for a violent offence 0.51. Probabilities of rearrest for non-Aboriginal offenders were lower for all definitions. Younger offenders, Aborigines and those with prior arrest for non-sex offences had higher probabilities for any or violent rearrest but older offenders tended to have higher probabilities of repeat sex offending. Community supervision and imprisonment significantly reduced the ‘rate’ or speed of rearrest. The utility of actuarial risk assessment for low probability high consequence events such as dangerous recidivism and the evaluation of penal interventions for criminal justice policy are discussed
Intracoronary Brachytherapy, a Promising Treatment Option for Diabetic Patients: Results from a European Multicenter Registry (RENO)

Despite advances in the interventional treatment of coronary disease, diabetics still have double the case fatality rate as nondiabetics. The purpose of this analysis from the Radiation in Europe With Novoste (RENO) registry was to assess the clinical and angiographic 6-month outcome of diabetic patients in comparison to nondiabetic patients after localized β-radiation. A total of 1,098 patients (83.8% with in-stent restenosis) treated with the Novoste Beta-Cath system in Europe were enrolled in the RENO registry. Diabetes was, irrespective of the type of lesion treated, no significant risk factor for major adverse cardiac events or target vessel revascularization. Individuals with diabetes (n = 256) and without diabetes (n = 833) displayed no significant differences concerning clinical or angiographic endpoints. Vascular brachytherapy appears to be the first technique to even out the increased risk of diabetic patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions in the routine clinical setting. Thus, intracoronary brachytherapy represents a promising treatment option for diabetic patients
Recoil following Wiktor stent implantation for restenotic lesions of coronary arteries

The purpose of this study was to determine acute recoil of the vessel wall immediately after Wiktor stent implantation in native coronary arteries of 77 consecutive patients and to assess whether there was compression or “late recoil” of the stent itself at long-term follow-up. Furthermore, the relationship between recoil and a number of clinical, angiographic, and procedural variables was studied in addition to the relation between acute recoil renarrowing or restenosis was assessed. All angiograms were analyzed with the Cardiovascular Angiography Analysis System using automated edge detection. Acute recoil was defined by the difference between the mean diameter of the fully expanded balloon on which the stent was mounted and the mean diameter of the stented segment. Late recoil was calculated by comparing the mean diameter of the stent itself immediately after implantation and at follow-up without opacification of the vessel.\ud
\ud
Acute recoil amounted to 0.25 ± 0.32 mm or 8.2%. Multivariate analysis identified sex (coefficient = –0.20, p = 0.04) and stent/artery ratio (coefficient = 0.99, p = 0.0001) as the only independent predictors of acute recoil. “Late recoil” of the stent itself was not observed. The overall difference between the mean diameter of the stent itself immediately after implantation and at follow-up was –0.15 ± 0.33 mm, suggesting an overall increase in diameter of 5.0%. There was no relation between acute recoil and late restenosis. On the contrary, there was a trend towards a greater degree of recoil in patients without restenosis. Moreover, linear regression analysis disclosed a weak but negative correlation between acute recoil and a loss in minimal luminal diameter (coefficient: –0.55, p = 0.04).\ud
\ud
The Wiktor stent effectively scaffolds the instrumented vessel. Only a minimal amount of acute recoil was noted, which did not contribute to late luminal renarrowing or restenosis. In addition, no late compression of the stent itself was observed. These data suggest that tissue ingrowth into the lumen of the stented segment is the main cause of late luminal renarrowing after stent implantation. © 1994 Wiley-Liss,Inc.
Quantification of intracoronary volume by videodensitometry: Validation study using fluid filling of human coronary casts

Changes in intracoronary volume reflect the hemodynamic significance of progression or regression of diffuse coronary artery disease where intracoronary catheters cannot be applied for direct measurements due to small vessel dimensions. We have validated the videodensitometric measurement of intracoronary volume with epoxy casts of postmortem human coronary arteries. The volume of 31 coronary segments (cross-sectional areas in a range of 2–13 mm2) measured by fluid-filling using a precision dispenser was compared with the respective single plane intracoronary volume assessments obtained by the videodensitometric algorithm of the new generation Cardiovascular Angiography Analysis System (CAAS II). The true and measured values of volume were compared by calculation of the mean of the signed differences ± standard deviation and by linear regression analysis. Videodensitometric measurement of intracoronary volume correlate well with fluid-filling of human coronary artery casts (correlation coefficient: r = 0.99, y = 1.96 + 0.99x, standard error of estimate: SEE = 3.96) with a significant trend towards overestimation of true volume values (mean difference = 1.73 ± 3.64 mm3, P<0.05). Intracoronary volume estimations can be used to measure changes of luminal dimensions of coronary arteries and may offer a new approach to assessment of progression or regression of diffuse coronary artery disease
In vivo validation of an experimental adaptive quantitative coronary angiography algorithm to circumvent overestimation of small luminal diameters

The reliability of quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) measurements is of fundamental importance for the study and practice of interventional cardiology. In vivo validation results have consistently reported a tendency for QCA systems to overestimate small luminal diameters. Such a systematic error may result in the underestimation of luminal gain during intracoronary procedures and in the underestimation of progression of coronary artery disease during longitudinal studies. We report the in vivo validation results of an experimental adaptive edge‐detection algorithm that was developed to reduce overestimation of small luminal diameters by incorporating a dynamic function of variable kernel size of the derivative operator and variable weighting of the first and second derivatives of the brightness profile. The results of the experimental algorithm were compared to those of the conventional parent edge detection algorithm with fixed parameters. Dynamic adjustment of the edge‐detection algorithm parameters was found to improve measurements of small (lt;0.8‐mm) luminal diameters as evidenced by an intercept of +.07 mm for the algorithm with variable weighting compared to +0.21 mm for the parent algorithm with fixed weighting. A slope of <1 was found for both the parent and experimental algorithms with subsequent underestimation of large luminal diameters. Systematic errors in a QCA system can be identified and corrected by the execution of objective in vivo validation studies and the consequent refinement of edge‐detection algorithms. The overestimation of small luminal diameters may be overcome by the incorporation of a dynamic edge‐detection algorithm. Further refinements in edge‐detection algorithms will be required to address the issue of underestimation of large luminal diameters before the absolute values derived from QCA measurements can be considered accurate over the full range of clinically encountered luminal diameters
Economic outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents versus bypass surgery for patients with left main or three-vessel coronary artery disease: One-year results from the SYNTAX trial

Objectives: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of alternative approaches to revascularization for patients with three-vessel or left main coronary artery disease (CAD). Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that, despite higher initial costs, long-term costs with bypass surgery (CABG) in multivessel CAD are similar to those for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The impact of drug-eluting stents (DES) on these results is unknown. Methods: The SYNTAX trial randomized 1,800 patients with left main or three-vessel CAD to either CABG (n = 897) or PCI using paclitaxel-eluting stents (n = 903). Resource utilization data were collected prospectively for all patients, and cumulative 1-year costs were assessed from the perspective of the U.S. healthcare system. Results: Total costs for the initial hospitalization were $5,693/patient higher with CABG, whereas follow-up costs were $2,282/patient higher with PCI due mainly to more frequent revascularization procedures and higher outpatient medication costs. Total 1-year costs were thus $3,590/patient higher with CABG, while quality-adjusted life expectancy was slightly higher with PCI. Although PCI was an economically dominant strategy for the overall population, cost-effectiveness varied considerably according to angiographic complexity. For patients with high angiographic complexity (SYNTAX score > 32), total 1-year costs were similar for CABG and PCI, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for CABG was $43,486 per quality-adjusted life-year gained. Conclusions: Among patients with three-vessel or left main CAD, PCI is an economically attractive strategy over the first year for patients with low and moderate angiographic complexity, while CABG is favored among patients with high angiographic complexity
Intravascular ultrasound-guided stenting of left main stem dissection after medtronic corevalve implantation

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) implies the introduction, positioning, and deployment of a stented bioprosthesis in the (calcified) native aortic valve. We report an at first glance uneventful TAVI with the Medtronic Corevalve System, which was followed by transient electrocardiographic changes suggesting acute left main stem disease. The diagnosis of acute left main stem dissection extending from the left coronary cusp was firmly established by intravascular ultrasound. The ostium of the left main stem was successfully treated with intravascular ultrasound-guided placement of a drug eluting stent
Usefulness of balloon angioplasty for the right ventricle-pulmonary artery shunt with the modified norwood procedure

Objective We sought to evaluate the efficacy of balloon angioplasty (BA) for severely desaturated patients due to a stenotic right ventricle (RV) to pulmonary artery (PA) shunt following modified Norwood procedure. Methods Of 87 patients who underwent a Norwood procedure with the RV-PA shunt between February 1998 through March 2010, 22 (25%) patients underwent BA. The efficacy of BA was assessed by angiographic measurement of the changes in the internal diameters of the stenotic portions of the shunt, changes in arterial saturation and clinical outcomes. Results BA was performed for stenotic RV-PA shunts following stage I palliation (n = 17, 77%), or those placed as an additional blood source (n = 5, 23%, 3 patients awaiting biventricular repair, 2 patients following stage II palliation). The location of the BA was at the distal anastomosis in 12 (54.5%), proximal anastomosis in 21 (95.4%) and in the mid-portion of the shunt in 11 (50%) cases. The diameters of these three shunt portions were measured from the anteriorposterior and lateral angiographic images, increasing significantly after BA (p < 0.0001) in all. Arterial saturation significantly improved after BA in all cases (66.5 +/- 4.3% to 79.4 +/- 3.4%, p < 0.0001). Freedom from reintervention was 100%. All patients underwent subsequent elective planned surgery at an appropriate age with no mortality. Conclusions A BA-alone strategy for a stenotic RV-PA shunt was effective for all three shunt portions, minimizing shunt-related premature surgical intervention
Intracoronary and retrograde coronary venous myocardial delivery of adipose-derived stem cells in swine infarction lead to transient myocardial trapping with predominant pulmonary redistribution

OBJECTIVES:

To examine the comparative fate of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) as well as their impact on coronary microcirculation following either retrograde coronary venous (RCV) or arterial delivery.

BACKGROUND:

Local delivery of ASCs to the heart has been proposed as a practical approach to limiting the extent of myocardial infarction. Mouse models of mesenchymal stem cell effects on the heart have also demonstrated significant benefits from systemic (intravenous) delivery, prompting a question about the advantage of local delivery. There has been no study addressing the extent of myocardial vs. systemic disposition of ASCs in large animal models following local delivery to the myocardium.

METHODS:

In an initial experiment, dose-dependent effects of ASC delivery on coronary circulation in normal swine were evaluated to establish a tolerable ASC dosing range for intracoronary (IC) delivery. In a set of subsequent experiments, an anterior acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was created by balloon occlusion of the proximal left anterior descending (LAD) artery, followed by either IC or RCV infusion of 10(7) (111)Indium-labeled autologous ASCs 6 days following AMI. Indices of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) and coronary flow reserve (CFR) were measured before sacrifices to collect tissues for analysis at 1 or 24 hr after cell delivery.

RESULTS:

IC delivery of porcine ASCs to normal myocardium was well tolerated up to a cumulative dose of 14 × 10(6) cells (approximately 0.5 × 10(6) cells/kg). There was evidence suggesting microcirculatory trapping of ASC: at unit doses of 50 × 10(6) ASCs, IMR and CFR were found to be persistently altered in the target LAD distribution at 7 days following delivery, whereas at 10 × 10(6) ASCs, only CFR was altered. In the context of recent MI, a significantly higher percentage of ASCs was retained at 1 hr with IC delivery compared with RCV delivery (57.2 ± 12.7% vs. 17.9 ± 1.6%, P = 0.037) but this initial difference was not apparent at 24 hr (22.6 ± 5.5% vs. 18.7 ± 8.6%; P = 0.722). In both approaches, most ASC redistributed to the pulmonary circulation by 24 hr postdelivery. There were no significant differences in CFR or IMR following ASC delivery to infarcted tissue by either route.

CONCLUSIONS:

Selective intravascular delivery of ASC by coronary arterial and venous routes leads to similarly limited myocardial cell retention with predominant redistribution of cells to the lungs. IC arterial delivery of ASC leads to only transiently greater myocardial retention, which is accompanied by obstruction of normal regions of coronary microcirculation at higher doses. The predominant intrapulmonary localization of cells following local delivery via both methods prompts the notion that systemic delivery of ASC might provide similarly beneficial outcomes while avoiding risks of inadvertent microcirculatory compromise