Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction Femoral Tunnel Accuracy

Background: Medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction is a procedure aimed to reestablish the checkrein to lateral patellar translation in patients with symptomatic patellofemoral instability. Correct femoral tunnel position is thought to be crucial to successful MPFL reconstruction, but the accuracy of this statement in terms of patient outcomes has not been tested. Purpose: To assess the accuracy of femoral tunnel placement in an MPFL reconstruction cohort and to determine the correlation between tunnel accuracy and a validated disease-specific, patient-reported quality-of-life outcome measure. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Between June 2008 and February 2014, a total of 206 subjects underwent an MPFL reconstruction. Lateral radiographs were measured to determine the accuracy of the femoral tunnel by measuring the distance from the center of the femoral tunnel to the Schöttle point. Banff Patella Instability Instrument (BPII) scores were collected a mean 24 months postoperatively. Results: A total of 155 (79.5%) subjects had adequate postoperative lateral radiographs and complete BPII scores. The mean duration of follow-up (±SD) was 24.4 ± 8.2 months (range, 12-74 months). Measurement from the center of the femoral tunnel to the Schöttle point resulted in 143 (92.3%) tunnels being categorized as “good” or “ideal. ” There were 8 failures in the cohort, none of which occurred in malpositioned tunnels. The mean distance from the center of the MPFL tunnel to the center of the Schöttle point was 5.9 ± 4.2 mm (range, 0.5-25.9 mm). The mean postoperative BPII score was 65.2 ± 22.5 (range, 9.2-100). Pearson r correlation demonstrated no statistically significant relationship between accuracy of femoral tunnel position and BPII score (r = –0.08; 95% CI, –0.24 to 0.08). Conclusion: There was no evidence of a correlation between the accuracy of MPFL reconstruction femoral tunnel in relation to the Schöttle point and disease-specific quality-of-life scores. Graft failure was not related to femoral tunnel placement. The patellofemoral instability population is complex, and patients present with multiple risk factors that, in addition to the accuracy of femoral tunnel position, contribute to quality of life and warrant further investigation.
Functional Importance of Polar and Charged Amino Acid Residues in Transmembrane Helix 14 of Multidrug Resistance Protein 1 (MRP1/ABCC1)

Human multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) confers resistance to many chemotherapeutic agents and transports diverse conjugated organic anions. We previously demonstrated that Glu1089 in transmembrane (TM) 14 is critical for the protein to confer anthracycline resistance. We have now assessed the functional importance of all polar and charged amino acids in this TM helix. Asn1100, Ser1097, and Lys1092, which are all predicted to be on the same face of the helix as to Glu1089, are involved in determining the substrate specificity of the protein. Notably, elimination of the positively charged side chain of Lys1092, increased resistance to the cationic drugs vincristine and doxorubicin, but not the electroneutral drug etoposide (VP-16). In addition, mutations S1097A and N1100A selectively decreased transport of 17β-estradiol 17-(β-d-glucuronide) (E217βG) but not cysteinyl leukotriene 4 (LTC4), demonstrating the importance of multiple residues in this helix in determining substrate specificity. In contrast, mutations of Asp1084 that eliminate the carboxylate side chain markedly decreased resistance to all drugs tested, as well as transport of both E217βG and LTC4, despite the fact that LTC4 binding was unaffected. We show that these mutations prevent the ATP-dependent transition of the protein from a high to low affinity substrate binding state and drastically diminish ADP trapping at nucleotide binding domain 2. Based on results presented here and crystal structures of prokaryotic ATP binding cassette transporters, Asp1084 may be critical for interaction between the cytoplasmic loop connecting TM13 and TM14 and a region of nucleotide binding domain 2 between the conserved Walker A and ABC signature motifs.
High-frequency oscillatory ventilation of the perfluorocarbon-filled lung: preliminary results in an animal model of acute lung injury.

OBJECTIVE To examine the efficiency of gas exchange, hemodynamic function, and histopathologic evidence of lung protection using high-frequency oscillation of the perfluorocarbon-filled lung in a model of acute lung injury. SETTING An animal research laboratory. DESIGN A prospective, randomized animal study comparing animals randomized to high-frequency oscillation or high-frequency oscillation and perfluorocarbon administration (perfluoro-octyl bromide, perfubron, or LiquiVent). SUBJECTS Ten healthy swine (mean weight, 24.6 kg) with saline lavage-induced acute lung injury. INTERVENTIONS Animals were treated with repetitive saline lavage to achieve a uniform degree of acute lung injury (Pao2 of <90 torr [11.9 kPa] on a Fio2 of 1.0). After lung injury, subjects were changed to high-frequency oscillatory ventilation and stabilized for 1 hr. High-frequency oscillation of the perfiuorocarbon-filled lung was initiated in five animals with the instillation of 30 mUkg perflubron and five animals continued receiving high-frequency oscillation for a total duration of 2 hrs after the dosing period. Histopathologic evidence of lung injury was quantified by a pathologist using an eight-variable lung injury scoring system to generate a lung injury score. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Administration of perflubron did not produce acute alterations of gas exchange. After the dosing period, there were no differences in gas exchange, hemodynamic function, or pulmonary vascular resistance between the two groups. The perfluorocarbon-treated animals had a significantly lower histopathologic total lung injury score, primarily manifested by significantly less atelectasis. CONCLUSIONS The combination of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation and partial liquid ventilation with perfiubron was well tolerated hemodynamically, was not associated with deterioration of gas exchange during dosing, and did not produce significant differences in either gas exchange or hemodynamic variables over a 2-hr period. There was histopathologic evidence that the combination of high-frequency oscillation and perfiubron administration produces improved recruitment in both dependent and nondependent lung regions.
Mitochondrial impairment in patients and asymptomatic mutation carriers of Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the IT‐15 gene; however, it remains unknown how the mutation leads to selective neurodegeneration. Several lines of evidence suggest impaired mitochondrial function as a component of the neurodegenerative process in HD. We assessed energy metabolism in the skeletal muscle of 15 HD patients and 12 asymptomatic mutation carriers in vivo using 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Phosphocreatine recovery after exercise is a direct measure of ATP synthesis and was slowed significantly in HD patients and mutation carriers in comparison to age‐ and gender‐matched healthy controls. We found that oxidative function is impaired to a similar extent in manifest HD patients and asymptomatic mutation carriers. Our findings suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction is an early and persistent component of the pathophysiology of HD. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society
Metacognition and insight in health, psychosis and dementia : relationship with mood and neurocognition

5 OVERVIEW . 22 1. DEFINITIONS . 26 2. METACOGNITION IN HEALTHY AND CLINICAL POPULATIONS: THEORY AND MEASUREMENT . 30 2.1 METHODS OF MEASURING METACOGNITION . 31 2.2 METHODS OF CALCULATING METACOGNITION . 32 2.3 HEALTHY ADULTS . 38 2.3. 1 AGEING . 38 2.3. 2 RELATIONSHIP TO BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION . 42 2.3. 3 EMOTION . 46 2.3. 4 HEALTHY ADULTS – CONCLUSIONS . 47 2.4 METACOGNITION IN PSYCHIATRIC POPULATIONS . 47 2.4. 1 DEMENTIA. 48 2.4. 1.1 Relationship with mood . 50 2.4. 1.2 Relationship to brain structure and function . 51 2.4. 2 SCHIZOPHRENIA . 52 2.4. 2.1 Relationship with neurocognition, mood and insight . 52
Cannabis abuse as a risk factor for depressive symptoms.

OBJECTIVE This study sought to estimate the degree to which cannabis abuse is a risk factor for depressive symptoms rather than an effort to self-medicate depression. METHOD Participants (N=1,920) in the 1980 Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) study who were reassessed between 1994 and 1996 as part of a follow-up study provided the data. The analysis focused on two cohorts: those who reported no depressive symptoms at baseline (N=849) and those with no diagnosis of cannabis abuse at baseline (N=1,837). Symptoms of depression, cannabis abuse, and other psychiatric disorders were assessed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. RESULTS In participants with no baseline depressive symptoms, those with a diagnosis of cannabis abuse at baseline were four times more likely than those with no cannabis abuse diagnosis to have depressive symptoms at the follow-up assessment, after adjusting for age, gender, antisocial symptoms, and other baseline covariates. In particular, these participants were more likely to have experienced suicidal ideation and anhedonia during the follow-up period. Among the participants who had no diagnosis of cannabis abuse at baseline, depressive symptoms at baseline failed to significantly predict cannabis abuse at the follow-up assessment. CONCLUSIONS Further research is needed to identify characteristics of individuals who abuse cannabis that account for their higher risk of depression to estimate the degree of impairment resulting from their depression.
Cytokine enhancement of complement‐dependent phagocytosis by macrophages: synergy of tumor necrosis factor‐α and granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor for phagocytosis of Cryptococcus neoformans

We have examined the regulation of complement dependent phagocytosis by macrophage‐activating cytokines. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF), but not interferon‐γ, interleukin‐4 or macrophage‐CSF, stimulated ingestion of the encapsulated fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans by resident peritoneal macrophages in vitro. This was dependent upon opsonization of the yeasts with complement, 72 h of incubation with the cytokines for maximum effect, and the obligate involvement of the macrophage CR3 receptor. TNF‐α and GM‐CSF synergized at low concentrations, resulting in dramatic up‐regulation of phagocytosis when compared to either cytokine alone. Supernatants from C. neoformans‐specific T cells also increased macrophage phagocytic efficiency. Finally, the administration ofneutralizing mAb specific for TNF‐α and GM‐CSF increased mortality in C. neoformans‐infected mice, and induced the rapid progression of disease with involvement of the brain and meninges. We conclude that TNF‐α andGM‐CSF are potent regulators of complement‐dependent phagocytosis by murine macrophages. Macrophage activation with these two cytokines can completely overcome the anti‐phagocytic properties of the virulent yeasts. Our results, therefore, implicate TNF‐α and GM‐CSF as important mediators of resistance to encapsulated pathogens such as C. neoformans where ingestion of the organism is acritical process in host resistance.
Spontaneous Brugada electrocardiogram patterns are rare in the German general population: results from the KORA study.

AIMS The Brugada syndrome is a rare, potentially fatal primary cardiomyopathy. Patients are identified by symptoms and typical electrocardiogram (ECG) patterns. Prevalence of spontaneous Brugada ECG patterns in the general population is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS We analysed 12-lead resting ECGs of 4149 men and women aged 25-74 years from the population-based KORA Study. Computer-assisted analysis identified ECGs with J-point elevation in leads V1-V3 and QRS duration <or=150 ms. Positive ECGs were re-evaluated independently by expert cardiologists. Computer-assisted analysis identified 250/4149 ECGs, predominantly from male probands (206/250) who were younger (41.0 +/- 11.9 vs. 52.1 +/- 13.8 years, P < 0.0001) than males without the ECG sign. After expert review, not a single ECG showed a Brugada ECG pattern. A high percentage of ECGs were considered abnormal, the majority (73) showing left-ventricular hypertrophy. Manual analysis of a representative, randomly selected sample of 351 ECGs without computer-assisted pre-analysis revealed not a single Brugada ECG pattern. True Brugada patterns were reliably identified by screening of a control subset of patients. CONCLUSION Spontaneous Brugada ECG patterns are rare in the general population and may hence constitute a relevant biological signal. Computer-aided analysis can help to identify abnormal ECGs.
Understanding Individuals who Access Sexualised Images of Children

The number of detected child sexual abuse imagery (CSAI) users has increased dramatically over the last decade (Babchishin, Hanson, & VanZuylen, 2014; Wolak, 2011). Despite the relevance to today’s society it still remains unclear what factors are associated with accessing CSAI. In particular, research regarding the early life development and characteristics of this group of offenders is underdeveloped and only recently have researchers begun to develop typologies of those who access CSAI (e.g., Houtepen, Sijtsema & Bogaerts, 2014). Similarly, the development of tools to effectively assess and treat internet sexual offenders is notably lacking (Perkins & Merdian, 2014). The present study had two primary aims. Firstly, to contribute to the current understanding of what may contribute to individuals accessing sexualised images of children. This included gathering rich descriptions of participants’ early life experiences and the period leading up to their first offense. The second aim was to contribute to the development of therapy through gaining insight into client’s perspectives of what they found helpful in treatment. Twelve men currently or recently involved in prison or community treatment programmes were interviewed and the transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The key themes identified from the data around development included difficulties in early family life, negative school experiences, difficult sexual development and difficult intimate relationships. In terms of what precipitated offending, key themes included stress, progression from other legal material, loneliness and isolation and spare time, coping with negative emotions, addiction, collecting and denial were all identified as maintaining factors. These findings were comparable to previous, similar qualitative research (Sheehan & Sullivan’s, 2014) and Ward and Siegert’s (2002) Pathways Model. Key themes from the data around the helpful aspects of treatment experiences were consistent with previous literature regarding sexual offender treatment more broadly. These themes included developing an understanding of offending, working in a group, a safe environment and attributes of the therapist. The suggestion made by participants of continued support after the programme parallels previous research which suggests that continued monitoring of sexual offenders can have a positive impact on reoffending (Elliott, Findlater & Hughes, 2010).
Epidemiologic evaluation of postoperative wound infection in clean-contaminated wounds: A retrospective study of 239 dogs and cats.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate risk factors for development of postoperative wound infections in clean-contaminated wounds. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective clinical study. SAMPLE POPULATION Two hundred thirty-nine dogs and cats that had clean-contaminated surgical procedures. METHODS Records of animals that had a clean-contaminated surgical procedure and were prospectively monitored for development of postoperative wound infection were reviewed. Prospective data included signalment, nutritional status, body weight, duration of surgery, surgical procedures, wound classification, surgical site clip time before surgery, hypotension during surgery, the presence of an active distant infection, endocrinopathy, administration of an immunosuppressive agent, administration of antibiotics, and the type of antibiotic used. Additional retrieved data included total anesthesia time, temperature variables, blood loss, and suture material used. RESULTS Intact males (P =.008) and animals with concurrent endocrinopathy (P =.008) were at a higher risk of development of postoperative wound infection. Total surgery time (P =.02) and total anesthesia time (P =.04) were longer in animals that developed postoperative wound infection. No other factors were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Intact males and animals with a concurrent endocrinopathy were at higher risk of postoperative wound infection after clean-contaminated surgical procedures. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Time under anesthesia and duration of surgery should be minimized to reduce the risk of wound infection in clean-contaminated surgical procedures.
Second Language Spanish Vowel Production: An Acoustic Analysis

Abstract Findings from a cross-sectional study of the Spanish vowel productions of sixty adult second language learners of Spanish are presented in this article. The data set is based upon digitally recorded readings of an authentic Spanish-language short story. An acoustic examination of F1 and F2 values was carried out on twenty tokens of each vowel, 10 in stressed syllables, 10 in unstressed. The findings show that learners in the early stages of their Spanish study struggle to produce vowels in a native-like way, but the vowels of more advanced learners are similar to those of native speakers. The unstressed vowels of all learners are produced with some degree of centralization, confirming the much theorized influence of English on Spanish vowel productions.
Intraspecific genetic divergence of Paramecium bursaria and re-construction of the paramecian phylogenetic tree

Summary. Paramecium bursaria, a species belonging to the genus Paramecium, is quite unique in that the species intracellularly maintains several hundreds of symbiotic algae. This species has been regarded as firstly branched-off species within this genus, and repo rted its higher genetic variation. We determined rDNA 5’ half regions of 13 strains of P. bursaria, and investigated their intraspecific genetic divergences with comparisons of 18S rDNA and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2). The 18S rDNA divergence among the strains of P. bursaria reached 1.61% which definitely greater than that of P. caudatum, P. multimicronucleatum and P. aurelia complex, and also greater than some interspecific relations (e.g. between P. jenningsi and P. schewiakoffi). These results seemed to be caused by the strains used for the experiments; we used large number (14) of P. bursaria strains and small number of others (four P. caudatum, three P. multimicronucleatum and three P. aurelia complex strains). Comparison of the ITS2 region using 10 P. bursaria, 13 P. caudatum, 11 P. multimicronucleatum and 18 P. aurelia complex strains showed inverted results: P. multimicronucleatum and P. aurelia complex diverged greater than P. bursaria in the quantitative (number of nucleotide substitutions) as well as the qualitative sense (presence/absence of [hemi-] compensator y base change). Increasing the divergent sequence number occasionally changed the topology of the phylogenetic tree. We re-evaluated the phylog enetic relationships of Paramecium spp. as inferred from 18S rDNA with our 20 added paramecian sequences. The trees indicated that paramecia divided into four lineages: i) P. bursaria, ii) P. duboscqui and P. putrinum, iii) P. calkinsi, P. jenningsi, P. nephridiatum, P. polycaryum, P. woodruffi, and P. aurelia complex, and iv) P. caudatum, P. multimicronucleatum and P. schewiakoffi; in strict correspondence with the latest subgeneric concept of „ Chloroparamecium”, „Helianter”, „Cypriostomum” and „Paramecium”, respectively. „Chloroparamecium” and „Helianter” of which there are similar characteristics were claded, as were „ Cypriostomum” and „Paramecium”.
Dental erosion in children and adolescents--a cross-sectional and longitudinal investigation using study models.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the prevalence and incidence of dental erosion in children and adolescents. METHODS Lesions were registered for all tooth surfaces of primary and permanent teeth using pre-orthodontic study models. A total of 1,000 individuals (mean age 11.4+/-3.3 years) were included; 265 of them were followed over a 5-year period using their final orthodontic casts. RESULTS In the primary teeth, 26.4% of the individuals had no erosive lesions, 70.6% had at least one tooth with grade 1 erosion and 26.4% had grade 2 erosion. Grade 1 erosion was found in 44% of the occlusal surfaces of molars (36% of the incisal surfaces of the canines) and grade 2 erosion in 11% (9%). Lesions affecting oral or vestibular surfaces were negligible. In the permanent teeth, 11.6% of individuals had at least one tooth with grade 1 erosion but only 0.2% had at least one tooth with grade 2 erosion. The most affected teeth were the mandibular first molars (7% with grade 1 lesions). Lesions affecting oral or vestibular surfaces were negligible. Mandibular first molars were identified as possible marker teeth for the onset of erosive lesions. Within the last two decades, the percentage of subjects with at least one tooth with a grade 1 or 2 erosive lesion significantly increased for primary and with grade 1 for permanent teeth (P< or =0.001). The longitudinal observation revealed that subjects with erosive lesions in their primary dentition had a significantly increased risk for erosion in their permanent teeth (P< or =0.001). CONCLUSION In Germany, dental erosion seems to be a significant, but not a serious, problem for dental health in adolescents.
MAP Estimation, Linear Programming and Belief Propagation with Convex Free Energies

Finding the most probable assignment (MAP) in a general graphical model is known to be NP hard but good approximations have been attained with max-product belief propagation (BP) and its variants. In particular, it is known that using BP on a single-cycle graph or tree reweighted BP on an arbitrary graph will give the MAP solution if the beliefs have no ties. In this paper we extend the setting under which BP can be used to provably extract the MAP. We define Convex BP as BP algorithms based on a convex free energy approximation and show that this class includes ordinary BP with single-cycle, tree reweighted BP and many other BP variants. We show that when there are no ties, fixed-points of convex max-product BP will provably give the MAP solution. We also show that convex sum-product BP at sufficiently small temperatures can be used to solve linear programs that arise from relaxing the MAP problem. Finally, we derive a novel condition that allows us to derive the MAP solution even if some of the convex BP beliefs have ties. In experiments, we show that our theorems allow us to find the MAP in many real-world instances of graphical models where exact inference using junction-tree is impossible.