Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
LONG-TERM PROGNOSIS FOR CHILDREN WITH NEPHROTIC SYNDROME

One hundred fifty children with nephrotic syndrome were diagnosed between 1951 and 1967. Of 132 for whom information was available after 16 to 32 yr, 35 had died (mortality, 27%). Recurring edema and proteinuria had persisted in 15%. Three patients currently are on hemodialysis, and 22 patients died in renal failure which occurred 3 months to 8 years (mean, 3 years) after clinical onset. There were two deaths from complications of the nephrosis or the steroid therapy.Hematuria occurred in 38% of the patients who died compared with 15% of those still alive. Hypertension also was more common at presentation among those who died (29% vs. 11%). Steroid resistance (no relief of edema or proteinuria after 6 weeks of therapy) was the most important feature predictive of poor outcome; all nine such patients died or are on dialysis.The recurrence of edema, proteinuria, or steroid dependence into adulthood bore no relationship to the presenting symptoms of hematuria, hypertension, azotemia, or onset at less than 1 year of age or beyond 8 years. There was no increased incidence of malignancy, atopic disease, cardiovascular disease, or T-lymphocyte-related disorders. Of the 10 males who had received cyclophosphamide therapy, 4 have fathered children, but 1 who received chlorambucil has developed leukemia.
LTL with the Freeze Quantifier and Register Automata

Temporal logics, first-order logics, and automata over data words have recently attracted considerable attention. A data word is a word over a finite alphabet, together with a datum (an element of an infinite domain) at each position. Examples include timed words and XML documents. To refer to the data, temporal logics are extended with the freeze quantifier, first-order logics with predicates over the data domain, and automata with registers or pebbles. We investigate relative expressiveness and complexity of standard decision problems for LTL with the freeze quantifier (LTLdarr), 2-variable first-order logic (FO2) over data words, and register automata. The only predicate available on data is equality. Previously undiscovered connections among those formalisms, and to counter automata with incrementing errors, enable us to answer several questions left open in recent literature. We show that the future-time fragment of LTLdarr which corresponds to FO2 over finite data words can be extended considerably while preserving decidability, but at the expense of non-primitive recursive complexity, and that most of further extensions are undecidable. We also prove that surprisingly, over infinite data words, LTLdarr without the 'until' operator, as well as nonemptiness of one-way universal register automata, are undecidable even when there is only 1 register
IGF‐1 deficiency impairs neurovascular coupling in mice: implications for cerebromicrovascular aging

Aging is associated with marked deficiency in circulating IGF‐1, which has been shown to contribute to age‐related cognitive decline. Impairment of moment‐to‐moment adjustment of cerebral blood flow (CBF) via neurovascular coupling is thought to play a critical role in the genesis of age‐related cognitive impairment. To establish the link between IGF‐1 deficiency and cerebromicrovascular impairment, neurovascular coupling mechanisms were studied in a novel mouse model of IGF‐1 deficiency (Igf1f/f‐TBG‐Cre‐AAV8) and accelerated vascular aging. We found that IGF‐1‐deficient mice exhibit neurovascular uncoupling and show a deficit in hippocampal‐dependent spatial memory test, mimicking the aging phenotype. IGF‐1 deficiency significantly impaired cerebromicrovascular endothelial function decreasing NO mediation of neurovascular coupling. IGF‐1 deficiency also impaired glutamate‐mediated CBF responses, likely due to dysregulation of astrocytic expression of metabotropic glutamate receptors and impairing mediation of CBF responses by eicosanoid gliotransmitters. Collectively, we demonstrate that IGF‐1 deficiency promotes cerebromicrovascular dysfunction and neurovascular uncoupling mimicking the aging phenotype, which are likely to contribute to cognitive impairment.
Identification, mRNA Expression, and Functional Analysis of Chitin Synthase 1 Gene and Its Two Alternative Splicing Variants in Oriental Fruit Fly, Bactrocera dorsalis

Two alternative splicing variants of chitin synthase 1 gene (BdCHS1) were cloned and characterized from the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel). The cDNA of both variants (BdCHS1a and BdCHS1b) consisted of 5,552 nucleotides (nt), with an open reading frame (ORF) of 4,776 nt, encoding a protein of 1,592 amino acid residues, plus 685- and 88-nt of 5′- and 3′-noncoding regions, respectively. The alternative splicing site was located between positions 3,784-3,960 and formed a pair of mutually exclusive exons (a/b) that were same in size (177 nt), but showed only 65% identity at the nucleotide level. During B. dorsalis growth and development, BdCHS1 and BdCHS1a were both mainly expressed during the larval-pupal and pupal-adult transitions, while BdCHS1b was mainly expressed during pupal-adult metamorphosis and in the middle of the pupal stage. BdCHS1a was predominately expressed in the integument whereas BdCHS1b was mainly expressed in the trachea. The 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) induced the expression of BdCHS1 and its variants. Injection of dsRNA of BdCHS1, BdCHS1a, and BdCHS1b into third-instar larvae significantly reduced the expression levels of the corresponding variants, generated phenotypic defects, and killed most of the treated larvae. Furthermore, silencing of BdCHS1 and BdCHS1a had a similar result in that the larva was trapped in old cuticle and died without tanning completely, while silencing of BdCHS1b has no effect on insect morphology. These results demonstrated that BdCHS1 plays an important role in the larval-pupal transition and the expression of BdCHS1 in B. dorsalis is regulated by 20E.
Genetic Variants on Chromosome 8q24 and Colorectal Neoplasia Risk: A Case-Control Study in China and a Meta-Analysis of the Published Literature

Previous studies have found that common genetic variants on chromosome 8q24 are associated with the risk of developing colorectal neoplasia. We conducted a hospital-based case-control study, including 435 cases and 788 unrelated controls to investigate the associations between common variants on 8q24 and the risk of colorectal cancer in a Chinese population. We also evaluated the association of rs6983267 with colorectal neoplasia in the published literature via a meta-analysis study. We found that rs6983267 was significantly associated with the risk of colorectal cancer in the Chinese population, with an adjusted odds-ratio (OR) for the GT heterozygotes and GG homozygotes of 1.30 (95% CI = 0.98–1.71, P = 0.069) and 1.66 (95% CI = 1.18–2.34, P = 0.004), respectively, compared to the TT homozygotes, with a P-trend value of 0.003. No association was found for the other three loci (rs16901979, rs1447295 and rs7837688). In the meta-analysis of the published genetic association studies, the rs6983267 variant was found to be associated with an increased risk of colorectal neoplasia. The heterozygous GT carriers showed a 20% increased risk of colorectal neoplasia (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.16–1.25; random effects model) with a summary OR for homozygous GG carriers of 1.39 (95% CI = 1.32–1.48; random effects model) compared to the TT genotype carriers. We found no significant differences between the association of rs6983267 and colorectal cancer and colorectal adenomas. In summary, our study confirms that the variant rs6983267 is a risk factor for colorectal neoplasia in various populations, including the Chinese population.
Enhancing metacognition through the reflective use of self-regulated learning strategies.

BACKGROUND An important concern of nursing practice and education is the difficulty new graduates experience while making the transition from graduate nurse to practicing nurse. METHOD Using a comparative descriptive design, self-regulated learning strategies were used to enhance metacognitive critical thinking abilities as 32 new graduate nurses reflected during 8-week preceptorship programs. RESULTS Verbal protocol analysis revealed the majority of noun referents as metacognitive with thinking nouns increasing in rank from Week 1 to Week 8, present tense verbs were used most frequently with lower-level thinking phrases. Common themes in the narrative were knowledge observation, thinking strategies, judgments of self-improvement, judgments of competence, judgments of resources, self-reactions, and self-correction strategies. CONCLUSIONS New graduate nurses have unique circumstances to overcome in making a transition to the workplace, and having self-regulatory skills would enable this process. The data suggest nursing education and practice consider self-regulated learning prompts with new graduates to promote thinking strategies.
Time-frequency-based detection using discrete-time discrete-frequency Wigner distributions

During the last decade, a comprehensive theory for optimum time-frequency (TF)-based detection has been developed. This was originally proposed in the continuous-time continuous-frequency case. This paper deals with detectors op- erating on discrete-time discrete-frequency Wigner distributions (WDs). The purpose is to discuss some existing definitions of this distribution within the context of TF-based detection and selecting those that do not affect the performance of the decision device with which they are associated. This question is of interest since there exist several approches for discretizing the WD, sometimes resulting in a loss of fundamental properties. First, the discrete-time discrete-frequency formulations of optimum detection are investigated. Next, the problem of the design of TF-based detectors from training data, keeping in mind severe effects of the curse of dimensionality, is considered.
On the estimation of fatigue crack growth in a contaminated H2S environment by interrupted cyclic tests

Regular and jumbo cylinders are often used for compressed natural gas (CNG) transportation and storage. CNG is a mixture of mostly methane (up to 98%) with a small amount of other minor hydrocarbons and can contain impurities such as hydrogen sulphide (H2S), carbon dioxide (CO2), and condensed water. For automotive applications, where CNG is used as fuel for vehicles, the natural gas is properly treated and filtered to remove such corrosive contaminants, however this might not be the case of CNG used for industrial applications, especially in newly fast growing countries. These impurities can promote the formation of an acid environment with low pH values and the well know hydrogen embrittlement (HE) phenomenon due to adsorption and entry of hydrogen into the steel. The present paper shows a methodology developed to estimate fatigue crack propagation rate for a low alloy steel grade in case of a contaminated CNG environment, where certain amount of impurities such as H2S, CO2 and condensed water are present. The methodology is presented together with preliminary experimental tests in a selected contaminated CNG environment. Further experimental verifications are in progress.
A Single Day of Excessive Dietary Fat Intake Reduces Whole-Body Insulin Sensitivity: The Metabolic Consequence of Binge Eating

Consuming excessive amounts of energy as dietary fat for several days or weeks can impair glycemic control and reduce insulin sensitivity in healthy adults. However, individuals who demonstrate binge eating behavior overconsume for much shorter periods of time; the metabolic consequences of such behavior remain unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a single day of high-fat overfeeding on whole-body insulin sensitivity. Fifteen young, healthy adults underwent an oral glucose tolerance test before and after consuming a high-fat (68% of total energy), high-energy (78% greater than daily requirements) diet for one day. Fasting and postprandial plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, non-esterified fatty acids, and triglyceride were measured and the Matsuda insulin sensitivity index was calculated. One day of high-fat overfeeding increased postprandial glucose area under the curve (AUC) by 17.1% (p < 0.0001) and insulin AUC by 16.4% (p = 0.007). Whole-body insulin sensitivity decreased by 28% (p = 0.001). In conclusion, a single day of high-fat, overfeeding impaired whole-body insulin sensitivity in young, healthy adults. This highlights the rapidity with which excessive consumption of calories through high-fat food can impair glucose metabolism, and suggests that acute binge eating may have immediate metabolic health consequences for the individual.
Risks of less common cancers in proven mutation carriers with lynch syndrome.

PURPOSE Patients with Lynch syndrome are at high risk for colon and endometrial cancer, but also at an elevated risk for other less common cancers. The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to provide risk estimates for these less common cancers in proven carriers of pathogenic mutations in the mismatch repair (MMR) genes MLH1, MSH2, and MSH6. PATIENTS AND METHODS Data were pooled from the German and Dutch national Lynch syndrome registries. Seven different cancer types were analyzed: stomach, small bowel, urinary bladder, other urothelial, breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer. Age-, sex- and MMR gene-specific cumulative risks (CRs) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Sex-specific incidence rates were compared with general population incidence rates by calculating standardized incidence ratios (SIRs). Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the impact of sex and mutated gene on cancer risk. RESULTS The cohort comprised 2,118 MMR gene mutation carriers (MLH1, n = 806; MSH2, n = 1,004; MSH6, n = 308). All cancers were significantly more frequent than in the general population. The highest risks were found for male small bowel cancer (SIR, 251; 95% CI, 177 to 346; CR at 70 years, 12.0; 95% CI, 5.7 to 18.2). Breast cancer showed an SIR of 1.9 (95% CI, 1.4 to 2.4) and a CR of 14.4 (95% CI, 9.5 to 19.3). MSH2 mutation carriers had a considerably higher risk of developing urothelial cancer than MLH1 or MSH6 carriers. CONCLUSION The sex- and gene-specific differences of less common cancer risks should be taken into account in cancer surveillance and prevention programs for patients with Lynch syndrome.
Torsade de Pointes Due to Noncardiac Drugs: Most Patients Have Easily Identifiable Risk Factors

Numerous medications, including drugs prescribed for noncardiac indications, can lead to QT prolongation and trigger torsade de pointes. Although this complication occurs only rarely, it may have lethal consequences. It is therefore important to know if patients with torsade de pointes associated with noncardiac drugs have risk factors that are easy to identify. We reviewed reports of drug-induced torsade de pointes and analyzed each case of torsade de pointes associated with a noncardiac drug for the presence of risk factors for the long QT syndrome that can be easily identified from the medical history or clinical evaluation (female gender, heart disease, electrolyte disturbances, excessive dosing, drug interactions, and history of familial long QT syndrome). We identified 249 patients with torsade de pointes caused by noncardiac drugs. The most commonly identified risk factor was female gender (71%). Other risk factors were frequently present (18%-41%). Virtually all patients had at least 1 of these risk factors, and 71% of patients had 2 or more risk factors. Our study suggests that almost all patients with torsade de pointes secondary to noncardiac drugs have risk factors that can be easily identified from the medical history before the initiation of therapy with the culprit drug.
Low Complexity Amplify and Forward Relaying without Channel Amplitude Estimation

We propose a low-complexity amplify and forward relaying scheme that avoids channel amplitude estimations by combining the signals associated with the individual relays into an equal gain combiner (EGC). An approximate performance analysis of such scheme is conducted using the well-known moments-based approach. Additionally, motivated by the so-called EGC's combining loss, we propose an algorithmic method that sorts out the weakest relayed branches (in a long-term sense), aiming at activating only the relays that substantially contribute to the overall system performance.
Impaired Baroreflex Function in Mice Overexpressing Alpha-Synuclein

Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction, such as orthostatic hypotension consequent to baroreflex failure and cardiac sympathetic denervation, is frequently observed in the synucleinopathy Parkinson’s disease (PD). In the present study, the baroreceptor reflex was assessed in mice overexpressing human wildtype alpha-synuclein (Thy1-aSyn), a genetic mouse model of synucleinopathy. The beat-to-beat change in heart rate (HR), computed from R–R interval, in relation to blood pressure was measured in anesthetized and conscious mice equipped with arterial blood pressure telemetry transducers during transient bouts of hypertension and hypotension. Compared to wildtype, tachycardia following nitroprusside-induced hypotension was significantly reduced in Thy1-aSyn mice. Thy1-aSyn mice also showed an abnormal cardiovascular response (i.e., diminished tachycardia) to muscarinic blockade with atropine. We conclude that Thy1-aSyn mice have impaired basal and dynamic range of sympathetic and parasympathetic-mediated changes in HR and will be a useful model for long-term study of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction associated with PD.
Use of 16S rRNA Gene-Targeted Group-Specific Primers for Real-Time PCR Analysis of Predominant Bacteria in Human Feces

ABSTRACT 16S rRNA gene-targeted group-specific primers were designed and validated for specific detection and quantification of the Clostridium leptum subgroup and the Atopobium cluster. To monitor the predominant bacteria in human feces by real-time PCR, we used these specific primers together with four sets of group-specific primers for the Clostridium coccoides group, the Bacteroides fragilis group, Bifidobacterium, and Prevotella developed in a previous study (T. Matsuki, K. Watanabe, J. Fujimoto, Y. Miyamoto, T. Takada, K. Matsumoto, H. Oyaizu, and R. Tanaka, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68:5445-5451, 2002). Examination of DNA extracted from the feces of 46 healthy adults showed that the C. coccoides group was present in the greatest numbers (log10 10.3 ± 0.3 cells per g [wet weight] [average ± standard deviation]), followed by the C. leptum subgroup (log10 9.9 ± 0.7 cells per g [wet weight]), the B. fragilis group (log10 9.9 ± 0.3 cells per g [wet weight]), Bifidobacterium (log10 9.4 ± 0.7 cells per g [wet weight]), and the Atopobium cluster (log10 9.3 ± 0.7 cells per g [wet weight]). These five bacterial groups were detected in all 46 volunteers. Prevotella was found in only 46% of the subjects at a level of log10 9.7 ± 0.8 cells per g (wet weight). Examination of changes in the population and the composition of the intestinal flora for six healthy adults over an 8-month period revealed that the composition of the flora of each volunteer remained stable throughout the test period.
The relationship between kidney function and long-term graft survival after kidney transplant.

BACKGROUND Whether chronic kidney disease (CKD) staging provides a useful framework for predicting outcomes after kidney transplant is unclear. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS We used data from the Patient Outcomes in Renal Transplantation (PORT) Study, including 13,671 transplants from 12 centers during 10 years of follow-up. PREDICTOR Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; in milliliters per minute per 1.73 m(2)) at 12 months posttransplant. OUTCOMES All-cause graft failure (a composite end point consisting of return to dialysis therapy, pre-emptive retransplant, or death with function), death-censored graft failure, and death with a functioning graft. MEASUREMENTS The relationship between 12-month eGFR and subsequent graft outcomes through 10 years posttransplant was assessed using Cox proportional hazards analyses. RESULTS Stage 3 included 63% of patients and was subdivided into stages 3a (eGFR, 45-59 mL/min/1.73 m(2); 34%) and 3b (eGFR, 30-44 mL/min/1.73 m(2); 29%). Compared with stage 2 (eGFR, 60-89 mL/min/1.73 m(2); 24%), adjusted Cox proportional HRs for graft failure were 1.12 (95% CI, 1.01-1.24; P = 0.04) for stage 3a, 1.50 (95% CI, 1.35-1.66; P < 0.001) for stage 3b, 2.86 (95% CI, 2.53-3.22; P < 0.001) for stage 4 (eGFR, 15-29 mL/min/1.73 m(2); 9%), and 13.2 (95% CI, 10.7-16.4; P < 0.001) for stage 5 (eGFR <15 mL/min/1.73 m(2); 1%). For stage 1 (eGFR ≥ 90 mL/min/1.73 m(2); 3%), risk of graft failure was increased (1.41 [95% CI, 1.13-1.75]; P < 0.001), likely due to serum creatinine associations independent of kidney function. Similar associations were seen between CKD stages and mortality. LIMITATIONS Retrospective study; lack of gold-standard measurements of true GFR; lack of measures of comorbidity, inflammation, muscle mass, proteinuria, and other noncreatinine markers of eGFR. CONCLUSIONS CKD stages validated in the general population provide a useful framework for predicting outcomes after kidney transplant.
Reinforcement contribution to the behavior of low-rise concrete walls

Based on steel strains recorded during shake table tests of six wall specimens, the effect and contribution of steel reinforcement to peak shear strength and displacement capacity of low-rise concrete walls is assessed and discussed. The experimental program included four variables such as wall geometry, concrete type, web steel ratio and type of web reinforcement. Wall response was assessed through effective steel strains in vertical reinforcement, efficiency factors of wall reinforcement, contribution of web horizontal reinforcement to wall shear strength, and the effect of type of web reinforcement to wall displacement.
Potential Usefulness of FDG PET/CT in Patients with Sepsis of Unknown Origin

Purpose The role of FDG PET in the evaluation of patients with sepsis of unknown origin remains unclear. We sought to assess the value of FDG PET/CT in patients with sepsis of unknown cause and to define its priority in this group of subjects. Methods A total of 53 patients with sepsis of unknown origin underwent FDG PET/CT within two weeks of diagnosis. All of the patients were followed up for at least 3 months after discharge to determine the clinical outcomes. The impact of FDG PET/CT was assessed according to the number of cases who had their treatment modified on the basis of the imaging results. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent predictors of positive FDG PET/CT findings. Results Of the 53 study patients, 35 (66%) had positive FDG PET/CT findings, and 13 (25%) had their treatment modified on the basis of the imaging results. Logistic regression analysis identified normal serum aspartate aminotransferase (odds ratio [OR] = 6.134; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.443–26.076, P = 0.014) and increased serum alkaline phosphatase levels (OR = 5.813; 95% CI = 1.386–24.376, P = 0.016) at diagnosis as independent predictors of positive FDG PET/CT findings. A scoring system using these two covariates was developed, which defined three distinct priority groups for FDG PET/CT imaging. Conclusion Our findings suggest that FDG PET/CT may be clinically useful for the detection of occult foci of infection in patients with sepsis of unknown origin.