Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Psychosocial and Sexual Well‐Being Following Nipple‐Sparing Mastectomy and Reconstruction

Nipple‐sparing mastectomy (NSM) is considered an oncologically safe option for select patients. As many patients are candidates for nipple‐sparing or skin‐sparing mastectomy (SSM), reliable patient‐reported outcome data are crucial for decision‐making. The objective of this study was to determine whether patient satisfaction and/or health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) were improved by preservation of the nipple with NSM compared to SSM and nipple reconstruction. Subjects were identified from a prospectively maintained database of patients who completed the BREAST‐Q following mastectomy and breast reconstruction between March and October 2011 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Fifty‐two patients underwent NSM followed by immediate expander‐implant reconstruction. A comparison group consisted of 202 patients who underwent SSM followed by immediate expander‐implant reconstruction and later nipple reconstruction. HRQOL and satisfaction domains as measured by BREAST‐Q scores were compared in multivariate linear regression analyzes that controlled for potential confounding factors. NSM patients reported significantly higher scores in the psychosocial (p = 0.01) and sexual well‐being (p = 0.02) domains compared to SSM patients. There was no significant difference in the BREAST‐Q physical well‐being, satisfaction with breast, or satisfaction with outcome domains between the NSM and SSM groups. NSM is associated with higher psychosocial and sexual well‐being compared to SSM and nipple reconstruction. Preoperative discussion of such HRQOL outcomes with patients may facilitate informed decision‐making and realistic postoperative expectations.
Potential for Quantifying Expression of the Geobacteraceae Citrate Synthase Gene To Assess the Activity of Geobacteraceae in the Subsurface and on Current-Harvesting Electrodes

ABSTRACT The Geobacteraceae citrate synthase is phylogenetically distinct from those of other prokaryotes and is a key enzyme in the central metabolism of Geobacteraceae. Therefore, the potential for using levels of citrate synthase mRNA to estimate rates of Geobacter metabolism was evaluated in pure culture studies and in four different Geobacteraceae-dominated environments. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR studies with mRNA extracted from cultures of Geobacter sulfurreducens grown in chemostats with Fe(III) as the electron acceptor or in batch with electrodes as the electron acceptor indicated that transcript levels of the citrate synthase gene, gltA, increased with increased rates of growth/Fe(III) reduction or current production, whereas the expression of the constitutively expressed housekeeping genes recA, rpoD, and proC remained relatively constant. Analysis of mRNA extracted from groundwater collected from a U(VI)-contaminated site undergoing in situ uranium bioremediation revealed a remarkable correspondence between acetate levels in the groundwater and levels of transcripts of gltA. The expression of gltA was also significantly greater in RNA extracted from groundwater beneath a highway runoff recharge pool that was exposed to calcium magnesium acetate in June, when acetate concentrations were high, than in October, when the levels had significantly decreased. It was also possible to detect gltA transcripts on current-harvesting anodes deployed in freshwater sediments. These results suggest that it is possible to monitor the in situ metabolic rate of Geobacteraceae by tracking the expression of the citrate synthase gene.
On the degrees of freedom of the three-user MIMO interference channel with delayed CSIT

The three-user multiple-input multiple-output interference channel under i.i. d. fading is studied, where the transmitters have the delayed channel state information. The case where all transmitters and all receivers are equipped with M and N antennas, respectively, is considered. For this case, a new transmission scheme is proposed that achieves a number of degrees of freedom higher than previously reported for the range of 3/4 <; M/N <; 1, where the parameters of the scheme are determined as functions of the ratio M/N. The degrees of freedom gains compared to the previous approaches are due to the more effective use of transmit and receive antennas.
Uncoupling lifespan and healthspan in Caenorhabditis elegans longevity mutants

Significance Genetic and environmental manipulations have been identified that result in lifespan extension. The underlying assumption that lifespan extension would also result in an increase in healthspan is seemingly valid but infrequently examined. Here, we examined multiple pathways that modulate lifespan to investigate the relationship between lifespan extension and health. We analyzed wild-type and four long-lived mutants in an unbiased cross-sectional study with multiple assays until animals reached 80% maximum lifespan. We show lifespan and healthspan can be separated and all of the long-lived mutants extend the period of frailty as a consequence. If applied to humans, this would likely lead to unsustainable healthcare costs and demonstrates the importance of examining healthspan as opposed to lifespan for future research. Aging research has been very successful at identifying signaling pathways and evolutionarily conserved genes that extend lifespan with the assumption that an increase in lifespan will also increase healthspan. However, it is largely unknown whether we are extending the healthy time of life or simply prolonging a period of frailty with increased incidence of age-associated diseases. Here we use Caenorhabditis elegans, one of the premiere systems for lifespan studies, to determine whether lifespan and healthspan are intrinsically correlated. We conducted multiple cellular and organismal assays on wild type as well as four long-lived mutants (insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1, dietary restriction, protein translation, mitochondrial signaling) in a longitudinal manner to determine the health of the animals as they age. We find that some long-lived mutants performed better than wild type when measured chronologically (number of days). However, all long-lived mutants increased the proportion of time spent in a frail state. Together, these data suggest that lifespan can no longer be the sole parameter of interest and reveal the importance of evaluating multiple healthspan parameters for future studies on antiaging interventions.
Treatment of Paper and Pulp Mill Effluent by Coagulation

The pulp and paper mill effluent is one of the high polluting effluent amongst the effluents obtained from polluting industries. All the available methods for treatment of pulp and paper mill effluent have certain drawbacks. The coagulation is one of the cheapest process for treatment of various organic effluents. Thus, the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and colour of paper mill effluent is studied using coagulation process. The batch coagulation process was performed using various coagulants like: aluminium chloride, poly aluminium chloride and copper sulphate. The initial pH of the effluent (Coagulation pH) has tremendous effect on COD and colour removal. Poly aluminium chloride (PAC) as coagulant reduced COD to 84 % and 92 % of colour was removed at an optimum pH 5 and coagulant dose of 8 ml l. With aluminium chloride at an optimum pH = 4 and coagulant dose of 5 g l, 74 % COD and 86 % colour removal were observed. The results using copper sulphate as coagulant (a less commercial coagulant) were encouraging. At an optimum pH 6 and mass loading of 5 g l, 76 % COD reduction and 78 % colour reduction were obtained. It was also observed that after addition of coagulant, the pH of the effluent decreases. The decrease in pH was highest for AlCl3, which was followed by PAC and CuSO4. Significant amount of COD reductions was obtained by coagulation process. Since the coagulation process is the first stage for treatment of effluent and some of the coagulant cations usually remain in the treated effluents. Thus, cation like copper may be one of the good catalyst for second stage of treatment process like wet oxidation. The copper has been found to be good oxidation catalyst then iron and aluminum. Keywords—Aluminium based coagulants, Coagulation, Copper, PAC, Pulp and paper mill effluent, Wastewater treatment
Platelet-activating Factor Receptor Initiates Contact of Acinetobacter baumannii Expressing Phosphorylcholine with Host Cells

Background: The mechanism of interaction between Acinetobacter baumannii and host cells remains unclear. Results: The presence of ChoP in A. baumannii increased bacterial adherence/invasion in A549 cells. Inhibitions of PAFR, G protein, and vacuole formation decreased this bacterial adherence/invasion. PAFR inhibition decreased lung bacterial loads in vivo. Conclusion: We define a role for PAFR and ChoP in A. baumannii interaction with host cells. Significance: This will aid in studying how A. baumannii invades host cells. Adhesion is an initial and important step in Acinetobacter baumannii causing infections. However, the exact molecular mechanism of such a step between A. baumannii and the host cells remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that the phosphorylcholine (ChoP)-containing outer membrane protein of A. baumannii binds to A549 cells through platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR), resulting in activation of G protein and intracellular calcium. Upon A. baumannii expressing ChoP binding to PAFR, clathrin and β-arrestins, proteins involved in the direction of the vacuolar movement, are activated during invasion of A. baumannii. PAFR antagonism restricts the dissemination of A. baumannii in the pneumonia model. These results define a role for PAFR in A. baumannii interaction with host cells and suggest a mechanism for the entry of A. baumannii into the cytoplasm of host cells.
Effect of Silicon Particles on the EDM Characteristics of Al-Si Alloys.

The second phase of the Aluminum-Silicon (Al-Si) alloy embedded in microstructure includes primary silicon particles and hypereutectic silicon particles. Variations in the area fraction of these silicon particles significantly influences Electro Discharge Machining (EDM) characteristics. The area fraction of these silicon particles is proportional to materials removal rate (MRR). Experimental data obtained using Scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed that discharge craters were formed as a ridge on the EDMed surface. The increased average surface roughness (Ra) resulted in an increased EDM rate. The area fraction of second phase silicon particles, and the ridge density on the rapidly resolidified layer of the EDMed surface tended to increase. However, most silicon particles were found on the peaks on the sub-layer of the EDMed surface, formed by rapidly solidification of molten fluid during discharge melting. Therefore the presence of silicon particles in the rapidly resolidified layer was largely governed by the formation of discharge peaks. The formation of peaks was governed by EDM conditions and silicon content. The electrodes showed stable wear during EDM when the pulse duration exceeded 150 μs. Wear increased as the area fraction of silicon particles increased.
The Inﬂuence of Vitamin D on Bone Health Across the Life Cycle The Vitamin D Epidemic and its Health Consequences 1–4

Vitamin D deﬁciency is now recognized as an epidemic in the United States. The major source of vitamin D for both children and adults is from sensible sun exposure. In the absence of sun exposure 1000 IU of cholecalciferol is required daily for both children and adults. Vitamin D deﬁciency causes poor mineralization of the collagen matrix in young children’s bones leading to growth retardation and bone deformities known as rickets. In adults, vitamin D deﬁciency induces secondary hyperparathyroidism, which causes a loss of matrix and minerals, thus increasing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. In addition, the poor mineralization of newly laid down bone matrix in adult bone results in the painful bone disease of osteomalacia. Vitamin D deﬁciency causes muscle weakness, increasing the risk of falling and fractures. Vitamin D deﬁciency also has other serious consequences on overall health and well-being. There is mounting scientiﬁc evidence that implicates vitamin D deﬁciency with an increased risk of type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, cardiovascular heart disease, and many common deadly cancers. Vigilance of one’s vitamin D status by the yearly measurement of 25-hydroxyvitamin D should be part of an annual physical examination. J. Nutr. 135: 2739S–2748S, 2005.
Markers of bone turnover for the management of patients with bone metastases from prostate cancer

Although increased bone formation is a prominent feature of patients with osteosclerotic metastases from prostate cancer, there is also some evidence for increased bone resorption. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical utility of new bone resorption markers to that of bone formation in patients with bone metastases from prostate cancer before and after bisphosphonate treatment. Thirty-nine patients with prostate cancer and bone metastasis, nine patients with prostate cancer without bone metastases, nine patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and 355 healthy age-matched men were included. Urinary non-isomerized (α CTX) and β isomerized (β CTX) type I collagen C-telopeptides (CTX) and a new assay for serum CTX were used to assess bone resorption. Bone formation was determined by serum osteocalcin, serum total (T-ALP) and bone (BAP) alkaline phosphatase and serum type I collagen C-terminal propeptide (PICP). Fourteen patients with bone metastases were also evaluated 15 days after a single injection of the bisphosphonate pamidronate (120 mg). Levels of all bone formation and bone resorption markers were significantly (P< 0.006–0.0001) higher in patients with prostate cancer and bone metastasis than in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, patients with prostate cancer without bone metastases and healthy controls. In patients with bone metastases the median was increased by 67% for serum osteocalcin, 128% for T-ALP, 138% for BAP, 79% for PICP, 220% for urinary α CTX, 149% for urinary β CTX and 214% for serum CTX. After bisphosphonate treatment all three resorption markers significantly decreased by an average of 65% (P = 0.001), 71% (P = 0.0010) and 61% (P = 0.0015) for urinary α CTX, urinary β CTX and serum CTX, respectively, whereas no significant change was observed for any bone formation markers. Patients with prostate cancer and bone metastases exhibit a marked increase in bone resorption, which decreases within a few days of treatment with pamidronate. These findings suggest that these new resorption markers may be useful for the management of these patients. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign
Hypoglycemia with intensive insulin therapy in critically ill patients: Predisposing factors and association with mortality*

Objectives:To examine the predisposing factors for hypoglycemia in medical-surgical intensive care unit patients treated with intensive insulin therapy and to assess its association with mortality. Design:Nested-cohort study within a randomized controlled trial. Setting:Tertiary care intensive care unit. Participants:Medical-surgical intensive care unit patients with admission blood glucose of >6.1 mmol/L or 110 mg/dL who were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial comparing intensive insulin therapy with conventional insulin therapy. Interventions:None. Exposure:Hypoglycemia was defined as blood glucose ≤2.2 mmol/L or 40 mg/dL and intensive care unit mortality was the primary outcome. Measurements and Main Results:Among the 523 patients included in the study, hypoglycemia occurred in 84 (16%). Intensive insulin therapy was independently associated with increased risk of hypoglycemia (adjusted odds ratio, 50.65; 95% confidence interval, 17.36–147.78; p < .0001). Other variables associated with an increased risk of hypoglycemia included female gender, diabetes, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, mechanical ventilation, continuous veno-venous hemodialysis, and intensive care unit length of stay. When adjusted to potential confounders, hypoglycemia was not significantly associated with increased mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.31; 95% confidence interval, .70–2.46; p = .40). Patients with admission blood glucose of ≤10 mmol/L had an increased mortality with hypoglycemia (adjusted hazard ratio, 4.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.36–14.44; p = .01). Crude analysis showed significant association of mortality with blood glucose levels of ≤1.2 mmol/L (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.92; 95% confidence interval, 1.05–8.11; p = .04). When adjusted analysis was performed, similar trend was seen but was not statistically significant (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.56; 95% confidence interval, .85–7.70; p = .10). Conclusions:Our study showed significant increase of hypoglycemia with intensive insulin therapy. Although hypoglycemia was not independently associated with increased risk of death, increased mortality could not be excluded with severe hypoglycemia and in patients admitted with blood glucose of ≤10 mmol/L.
Positive crossmatch in primary human liver allografts under cyclosporine or FK 506 therapy.

Hepatic allografts are unusually resistant to hyper-acute rejection, and they function well despite the presence of antidonor lymphocytotoxic antibody (positive crossmatch) with very few exceptions.1–6 We have previously reported that 1- and 2-year hepatic graft survivals were not adversely affected by the lymphocytotoxic antibody and that a positive crossmatch should not be considered as a contraindication for hepatic allotransplantation.4,5 It is true, however, that crossmatch-positive hepatic grafts have been lost repeatedly for inadequately explained reasons at our center as well as at other centers.7–10 The improvement in organ preservation, provided by the University of Wisconsin (UW) solution, might have nearly eliminated the intrinsic graft-related causes of loss from the analysis.11–13 At our center the incidence of so-called primary nonfunction of liver graft used to be between 3.5% and 7.4% with Euro-Collins solution,5–11 but it has been less than 2.0% with UW solution for the last 3 years.11 The incidence of early hepatic retransplantation has also decreased from 20% to 11.3%. 11 Thus, we decided to examine, for the third time, the effect of antidonor lymphocytotoxic antibody upon graft survival.
Modeling Human Metabolism of Benzene Following Occupational and Environmental Exposures

We used natural spline (NS) models to investigate nonlinear relationships between levels of benzene metabolites (E,E-muconic acid, S-phenylmercapturic acid, phenol, hydroquinone, and catechol) and benzene exposure among 386 exposed and control workers in Tianjin, China. After adjusting for background levels (estimated from the 60 control subjects with the lowest benzene exposures), expected mean trends of all metabolite levels increased with benzene air concentrations from 0.03 to 88.9 ppm. Molar fractions for phenol, hydroquinone, and E,E-muconic acid changed continuously with increasing air concentrations, suggesting that competing CYP-mediated metabolic pathways favored E,E-muconic acid and hydroquinone below 20 ppm and favored phenol above 20 ppm. Mean trends of dose-specific levels (μmol/L/ppm benzene) of E,E-muconic acid, phenol, hydroquinone, and catechol all decreased with increasing benzene exposure, with an overall 9-fold reduction of total metabolites. Surprisingly, about 90% of the reductions in dose-specific levels occurred below about 3 ppm for each major metabolite. Using generalized linear models with NS–smoothing functions (GLM + NS models), we detected significant effects upon metabolite levels of gender, age, and smoking status. Metabolite levels were about 20% higher in females and decreased between 1% and 2% per year of life. In addition, levels of hydroquinone and catechol were greater in smoking subjects. Overall, our results indicate that benzene metabolism is highly nonlinear with increasing benzene exposure above 0.03 ppm, and that current human toxicokinetic models do not accurately predict benzene metabolism below 3 ppm. Our results also suggest that GLM + NS models are ideal for evaluating nonlinear relationships between environmental exposures and levels of human biomarkers. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(11):2246–52)
Bleeding and Thrombotic Emergencies in Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care

Children in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) with congenital or acquired heart disease are at risk for hematologic complications, both hemorrhage and thrombosis. The overall incidence of hematologic complications in the CICU is unknown, but risk factors and target groups have been identified where the essential physiologic balance between bleeding and clotting has been disrupted. Although the best management of life-threatening bleeding and clotting is prevention, the cardiac intensivist is often faced with managing life-threatening hematologic events involving patients from within the unit or those who present from outside. Part I of this review deals with the propensity of children with congenital and acquired heart disease to complications of both bleeding and clotting, and includes discussions of perioperative bleeding, thromboses in single-ventricle patients, clotting of Blalock-Taussig shunts and thrombotic complications of mechanical valves. Part II deals with the subject of stroke in children with heart disease. Part III reviews monitoring the effectiveness of anticoagulation and thrombolysis in the CICU. Currently available diagnostics modalities, medications and management strategies are reviewed and future directions discussed.
UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) What a difference a day makes? The effects of repetitive and competitive news framing over time

Based on a “classic” framing experiment (n=1,324), this study empirically mimics the dynamic nature of framing effects over time. We integrate (1) multiple frame exposures as well as (2) various tests for duration of framing effects into our study design. Our results show that exposure to repetitive frames does not systematically strengthen effects on opinion formation. However, effects can get stronger when the delay between two exposures is short. Competitive news framing is characterised by recency effects; i.e. the latest frame has the strongest impact on opinion formation. Political knowledge functions as a moderator for both effect mechanisms. Participants with higher levels of political knowledge are less prone to recency effects, but show stronger signs of a cumulative framing effect. The results of this study have important methodological and substantive ramifications for framing effects research, as well as for our understanding of the real-life impact of framed media messages on opinions.