Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lumbar Disc Degeneration: Correlation with Age, Sex, and Spine Level in 600 Autopsy Specimens

Using data from 16 published reports, the authors correlated macroscopic disc degeneration grades with age, sex, and spine level In 600 lumbar Intervertebral discs from 273 cadavers (ages: 0–96 years). Male discs were more degenerated than female discs at most ages; significantly so In the second, fifth, sixth, and seventh decades. On average, L4-L5 and L3-L4 level discs showed more degeneration than discs at other lumbar levels. These macroscopic findings corroborate radio-graphic data from epldemlologlc studies. The calculations suggest that higher mechanical stress, perhaps combined with longer nutritional pathways, may be responsible for the earlier degeneration of male discs.
The Role of Heat Shock Proteins and Their Receptors in the Activation of the Immune System

Abstract Heat shock proteins (HSPs) have been described as potent tumor vaccines in animal models and are currently studied in clinical trials. The underlying immune response relies on immunogenic peptides that the HSPs have acquired intracellularly by interfering with the classical antigen processing pathways. There have been numerous reports shedding light on how HSPs are able to gain this function and a number of important requirements for HSPmediated specific immunity have been described: first, the ability of HSPs to bind immunogenic peptides. Second, the acquisition of HSPs by specialized antigen presenting cells with efficient antigen processing pathways capable of inducing cellular immune responses. Third, the existence of specific receptors on the surfaces of antigen presenting cells, allowing efficient and rapid uptake of HSPpeptide complexes from the extracellular fluid. And fourth, the ability of heat shock proteins to activate antigen presenting cells, enabling the latter to prime cytotoxic T cell responses against the peptides associated to HSPs.
Psychobiologic Factors and Individual Survival on Chronic Renal Hemodialysis‐‐A Two Year Follow‐up: Part I*

&NA; All patients being treated in the chronic renal hemodialysis unit at the Veteran's Administration Hospital, West Haven, Connecticut between September 1, 1969 and June 30, 1970 (n=21) were evaluated on psychological, biochemical, and physiological parameters and followed prospectively through September 1, 1971. During this two‐year interval, 7 patients expired and 14 survived. Factors associated with membership in the survival group included: (1) affiliation with Roman Catholic faith, (2) continued presence of one or both parents, (3) low mean blood urea nitrogen levels, and (4) length of survival that was significantly correlated with the constraint scale on the Miller‐Quinlan Boundary Image Test. The implication of this latter finding is that marked indifference to fellow dialysis patients has positive survival value.
How LeuT shapes our understanding of the mechanisms of sodium‐coupled neurotransmitter transporters

Neurotransmitter transporters are ion‐coupled symporters that drive the uptake of neurotransmitters from neural synapses. In the past decade, the structure of a bacterial amino acid transporter, leucine transporter (LeuT), has given valuable insights into the understanding of architecture and mechanism of mammalian neurotransmitter transporters. Different conformations of LeuT, including a substrate‐free state, inward‐open state, and competitive and non‐competitive inhibitor‐bound states, have revealed a mechanistic framework for the transport and transport inhibition of neurotransmitters. The current review integrates our understanding of the mechanistic and pharmacological properties of eukaryotic neurotransmitter transporters obtained through structural snapshots of LeuT.
Determination of relatedness between individuals using DNA fingerprinting.

Relatedness between individuals is an important element of genetic-epidemiological and evolutionary investigations in the context of anthropological research. In general, data on relationships between individuals are gathered from personal interviews or from examination of vital records. When blood samples are collected, such information can be validated from genotypic similarities of individuals. Although genotype data may offer opportunities to exclude certain types of relationships, inclusionary statements are necessarily only probabilistic in nature. The limitations of such probabilistic statements depend on the number of segregating alleles and the extent of polymorphisms at the loci employed. With the advent of DNA technology, several hypervariable single-locus probes (SLPs) and multilocus probes (MLPs) are now available for many organisms. These can be used to circumvent limitations of unequivocal assignment of relationships from genotype data. In this article we describe analytical principles for such investigations. In particular, we propose summary measures of DNA fingerprinting data (e.g., number of different alleles and number of shared alleles) that can be used to describe kinship relationships between individuals. We derive the expected distributions of number of alleles in individuals and of number of shared alleles between individuals of known relationships in a population. These distributions can be used in hypothesis testing to determine relatedness between individuals. We also derive the number of SLPs, each detecting a hypervariable polymorphism, needed to determine a specified relationship for given ranges of errors of prediction. Illustrations of the theory with data on several short tandem repeat loci and variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) loci indicate that with 6 to 12 SLPs the parent-offspring pairs can be reliably distinguished from random pairs of individuals. This theory also serves the purpose of detecting inbreeding levels in a natural population.
The Hierarchy Model of Psychiatric Symptomatology: An Investigation Based on Present State Examination Ratings

Summary Psychiatric diagnoses are arranged in a rough hierarchy, generally regarded as a convention to enable patients with a wide range of symptoms to be allocated to single diagnostic categories. Foulds, on the basis of self-report questionnaire responses, claimed that patients with symptoms at the higher levels of this hierarchy not only may but characteristically do exhibit symptoms at all lower levels as well. Foulds’ hierarchy model was tested here, using PSE ratings from two large series of in-patients; at least 75 per cent fulfilled the requirements of the model, but up to 50 per cent of schizophrenic and manic patients failed to do so. Almost two-thirds of all patients with psychotic symptoms establishing them in one of the upper two classes of the hierarchy did not exhibit the neurotic symptoms they required lower in the hierarchy.
Oscillatory Dynamics of Cdc42 GTPase in the Control of Polarized Growth

Pole to Pole How do fission yeast cells decide when to grow at a single end (or pole) of the cell or whether to grow in a multipolar manner? Das et al. (p. 239, published online 17 May) found that accumulation of the active form of the small guanine nucleotide–binding protein Cdc42 at the growing tip of the cell oscillated with a period of a few minutes. In cells growing at one pole, the oscillations were primarily present at that pole and during bipolar growth symmetrical anticorrelated oscillations were observed. Dynamic competition for Cdc42 between multiple growth zones could represent a flexible mechanism to modulate cell growth asymmetry. The regulation of a yeast cell-growth enzyme is dynamic rather than on-off. Cells promote polarized growth by activation of Rho-family protein Cdc42 at the cell membrane. We combined experiments and modeling to study bipolar growth initiation in fission yeast. Concentrations of a fluorescent marker for active Cdc42, Cdc42 protein, Cdc42-activator Scd1, and scaffold protein Scd2 exhibited anticorrelated fluctuations and oscillations with a 5-minute average period at polarized cell tips. These dynamics indicate competition for active Cdc42 or its regulators and the presence of positive and delayed negative feedbacks. Cdc42 oscillations and spatial distribution were sensitive to the amounts of Cdc42-activator Gef1 and to the activity of Cdc42-dependent kinase Pak1, a negative regulator. Feedbacks regulating Cdc42 oscillations and spatial self-organization appear to provide a flexible mechanism for fission yeast cells to explore polarization states and to control their morphology.
Ambulatory medical care utilization estimates for 2006.

OBJECTIVES This report presents statistics on ambulatory care visits to physician offices, hospital outpatient departments (OPDs), and hospital emergency departments (EDs) in the United States in 2006. Ambulatory medical care utilization is described in terms of patient, practice, facility, and visit characteristics. METHODS Data from the 2006 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) were combined to produce annual estimates of ambulatory medical care utilization. RESULTS Patients in the United States made an estimated 1.1 billion visits to physician offices and hospital OPDs and EDs, a rate of 381.9 visits per 100 persons annually. The overall visit rate was not significantly different for white and black persons. However, black persons had higher visit rates than white persons to hospital OPDs and EDs and lower visit rates to office-based surgical and medical specialists. Visit distribution by ambulatory care setting differed by poverty level in the patient's ZIP Code of residence, with higher proportions of visits to hospital OPDs and EDs as poverty levels increased. Between 1996 and 2006, visit rates to medical specialty offices climbed overall by 29 percent, with a significant increase noted for white patients but not black patients. The rate of OPD visits jumped from 25.4 visits per 100 persons in 1996 to 34.7 in 2006, whereas ED visits during the same period increased from 34.1 to 40.5 per 100 persons. About 18.3 percent of all ambulatory care visits in 2006 were for nonillness or noninjury conditions, such as routine checkups and pregnancy exams. Seven in ten ambulatory care visits had at least one medication provided, prescribed, or continued in 2006, for a total of 2.6 billion drugs overall. Analgesics were the most common therapeutic category, accounting for 13.6 drugs per 100 drugs prescribed, and they were most often utilized at primary care and ED visits. The percentage of visits at which medication was prescribed increased significantly in most settings between 1996 and 2006.
Modulation of Insulin Secretion From β-Cells by Phosphoinositide-Derived Second-Messenger Molecules

In isolated islets, the hydrolysis of membrane phosphoinositides (PI) participates in the transduction of both extracellular and intracellular signals into an effective insulin secretory response. A wide variety of potential second-messenger molecules are generated during the phospholipase C-mediated cleavage of these strategically situated membrane phospholipids. Several distinct but interrelated issues are addressed in this perspective. These include 1) methodological approaches utilized to assess PI turnover, 2) the synergistic relationship between PI-derived second messengers and cAMP, 3) the contribution of changing PI turnover rates to the biphasic pattern of insulin output induced by 20 mM glucose, and 4) the role played by PI turnover in the phenomenon of “memory” displayed by islets after prior stimulation with various agonists. The concept that events unique to PI turnover contribute to β-cell activation is well founded. Because of uncertainty regarding the exact nature of all PI-derived messengers, however, it is not yet possible to mold the available information into a comprehensive theory of β-cell activation. Future studies will have to address various important unresolved issues.
A study of sickling of young erythrocytes in sickle cell anemia.

1. Data have been presented to show that most reticulocytes from patients with the sickle cell trait or sickle cell anemia sickle as readily as do more mature red blood cells. The most immature reticulocytes and normoblasts tend to sickle more slowly. 2. Orthochromatic normoblasts were the only type of normoblasts which sickled; the basophilic and polychromatophilic types could not be sickled. 3. It is suggested that the sickle cell forms seen in ordinary stained smears represent old cells which have lost their "elasticity" while stagnating in the sickle shape, and are unable to revert to a biconcave disk. This would explain the fact that these forms are so rarely found to be reticulated when stained with brilliant cresyl blue. ACKNOWLEDGMENT I wish to express my gratitude to Dr. William B. Castle, Dr. William Dock (Department of Medicine) for many stimulating suggestions, to Dr. John M. Pearce (Department of Pathology) for assistance in preparing this report and to Mrs. Muriel MacDowell (Department of Pathology) for the photomicrography.
Initiation of prandial insulin therapy with AIR inhaled insulin or insulin lispro in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized noninferiority trial.

BACKGROUND Insulin initiation in patients with type 2 diabetes is often delayed because of concerns about injections. Our objective was to compare the effects of AIR inhaled insulin (Eli Lilly and Co., Indianapolis, IN) (AIR is a registered trademark of Alkermes, Inc., Cambridge, MA) with those of injectable insulin on glycemic control and safety. METHODS This was planned as a 24-month, open-label, randomized study in adults with diabetes inadequately controlled by one or more oral antihyperglycemic medications (OAMs). Following a 2-week baseline period, patients continued OAMs and were randomized to AIR insulin (n = 208) or insulin lispro (n = 203) before meals. The primary end point was hemoglobin A1C (A1C) change from baseline to 6 months. Noninferiority was established if the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval of the difference in A1C change was < or =0.4%. RESULTS Early termination of the study diminished the number of patients for the 12- and 24-month analyses, but not for the primary 6-month end point analyses. AIR insulin and injectable insulin groups had comparable baseline A1C values (8.18% vs. 8.21%, respectively). Change in A1C from baseline to 6-month end point was similar (least squares mean, -0.81 +/- 0.09% and -0.87 +/- 0.09%; 95% confidence interval for the difference -0.117, 0.234; P = 0.51) and so were final A1C values of 7.36% and 7.31% for AIR insulin and injectable insulin, respectively. At 6 months, no differences were observed in eight-point profiles, overall and nocturnal hypoglycemia, and weight gain. Greater decreases in spirometry were observed in the AIR insulin group at 12 months. Cough was the most frequently reported adverse event (20% [AIR insulin] vs. 10% [insulin lispro]; P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS Treatment with AIR insulin resulted in similar improvement in glycemic control compared with insulin lispro. More frequent cough and greater decrease in spirometry were observed with AIR insulin.
Retained Products of Conception: Histologic Viability of Placental Polyps

The clinicopathologic features regarding 20 patients who had placental polyps removed, either by curettage or hysterectomy, months or years following pregnancy are described. More than half had had some type of menstrual irregularity, and abdominal pain was a prominent symptom in one-third of the group. Trophoblastic tissue was identifiable in all specimens, and in four, villi were essentially normal. Significance is attached to the apparent long-term histologic viability of such trophoblastic cells, enabling comparison with the growth potential of long-entrapped cancer cells.
Parents of Students with Learning Disabilities Attitudes towards Resource Room

This study aims at investigating parents of students with learning disabilities attitudes towards resource room in Najran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The sample of the study consisted of (111) parents of students with learning disabilities. A questionnaire was developed to evaluate the parents" attitudes which consisted of (24) items. Descriptive statistics and four-Way ANOVA were used to analyze the data. Results showed that parents of students with learning disabilities were holding positive attitudes towards resource room. No statistically significant differences were found in the parents" attitudes that could be attributed to the variables of gender, the academic level, age, or the number of family members. HE process of providing education to students with special needs is considered one of the most prominent challenges the human communities encounter. The international community unanimously agrees that more than 10% of school age children in every community suffer from at least one disability. Furthermore, the international agencies involved in special education estimate that disability reaches 15% in the developing countries (1). The term of educational alternatives in special education started as a result of the negative attitudes that prevailed against the communities during the 50s and the 60s of the past century, calling for separating learners with special needs from their regular peers and assigning them to special classes. Numerous empirical studies were conducted to assess the effectiveness of separating the learners with special needs from their peers. These studies concluded that the level of learning in the special classes is generally lower than that in the regular classes, and in most cases the learners are given specialized programs delivered by teachers who are less efficient than those in the regular classes. The studies criticized the idea of assigning the learners with learning disabilities in special classes for fear of assigning the learners names and descriptions (2).
The Association between Stress and Sexual Dysfunctionality in Men and Women: A Systematic Review

Purpose: Sexuality and sexual functionality are considered as an important factor of physical and psychological health. Over the years, problems with sexual functionality have been related to stress. A systematic review of the articles concerning sexual dysfunctionality is presented in this article, with emphasis in the past five years in order to highlight new aspects and implications. Method: The study was based on relevant articles from the PubMed and Wiley online library, using the combination of keywords stress and sexual dysfunctionality, while excluding articles prior to 2010. Results: The analysis shows that the phenomenon is complex and multifactorial. Variables such as depression, PTSD, lifestyle, gender, personality and positive coping play a crucial role. Research findings also indicate that sexual dysfunctionality is often misdiagnosed and not immediately taken care of. Conclusion: The severity of the pathology regarding sexual dysfunctionality calls for immediate planning and coping. Finally future research directions are discussed.
DECAY AND GRADIENT ESTIMATE FOR SOLUTIONS OF A QUASILINEAR HEAT EQUATION

In this work we consider an initial boundary value problem related to the equation ut−div(|∇u|α−2∇u) = b|u|p−2u, p > α ≥ 2 , b > 0. We give, under suitable conditions on the initial data, a precise estimate on the gradient and prove that the energy of weak solutions decay exponentially for α = 2 and in a polynomial rate for α > 2 as t→∞.
The use of the underpressure chamber in the treatment of patients with Menière's disease

Abstract Thirty-four Menière patients (43 ears) were treated in an underpressure chamber. Békésy audiometry and impedance audiometry were performed immediately before and after the exposure to underpressure. A hearing gain of more than 10 dB. was found in 19 per cent of the ears (8/43). In five ears this improvement lasted for a few days. Only one patient (2 per cent) reported a relief of tinnitus. In 9 out of the 30 patients (30 per cent) with recent vertiginous attacks a positive subjective effect on the vertigo was obtained.
Underappreciated Predictors for Postdischarge Mortality in Acute Hospitalized Oldest-Old Patients

Background: Although oldest-old, those aged 85 years and older, patients are the fastest growing segment, clinical evidences regarding the acute care of oldest-old patients are still lacking. Because acute medical conditions requiring emergent hospitalization is frequently followed by high rate of progressive physical decline and increased mortality after discharge in oldest-old patients, prognostic information collected during hospitalization can provide the basis for discussion about the goals of care and therapy. The aim of our study was to identify predictive factors for postdischarge mortality in oldest-old patients. Methods: The study included 403 oldest-old patients discharged from the acute care setting of a general hospital, who were followed-up for 1 year. Predictive values of the patients’ characteristics collected during their hospitalization for 1-year mortality were identified utilizing Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. Results: During 1-year follow-up, 104 patients (25.8%) died. The variables independently associated with 1-year mortality in multivariate analysis were the Charlson Comorbidity Index equal or greater than 2 [HR (hazard ratio) 4.71, 95%CI (confidence interval) 1.09–20.42], six or more prescribed medications at discharge (HR 3.12, 95% CI 1.39–6.99), benzodiazepines use (HR 1.64, 95% CI 1.04–2.60), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (HR 1.70, 95% CI 1.10–2.63), albumin less than or equaling 3.4 g/dl (HR 2.16, 95% CI 1.13–4.14), hemoglobin 10–12 g/dl (HR 2.32, 95% CI 1.22–3.56), hemoglobin less than 10 g/dl (HR 2.67, 95% CI 1.43–4.95), the presence of pressure sores (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.14–2.97), and a history of delirium (HR 2.24, 95% CI 1.32–3.79). Functional impairment assessed by the Katz Index was only weakly associated with mortality (HR 1.24, 95% CI 0.53–2.91). Conclusion: Although often underappreciated, polypharmacy, particular medication use, anemia, the presence of pressure sores, and a history of delirium were important predictors for postdischarge mortality in oldest-old patients.
Prospective follow‐up of 2,065 young unscreened women to study human papillomavirus incidence and clearance

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a necessary factor in the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer. However, HPV is also a very common sexually transmitted virus and many women clear their infection. To study HPV incidence and clearance, 2,065 women, aged 18–29 years, were followed for 12 months and were asked to provide a self‐collected cervico‐vaginal sample and fill‐out a questionnaire every 3 months. For HPV DNA detection, the SPF10‐DEIA LiPA25 system was used. Incidence rates of any‐type high‐risk HPV and low‐risk HPV were 17.0 per 1,000‐person months, and 14.3 per 1,000‐person months, respectively. HPV types 16, 52, 51 and 31 had the highest type‐specific incidence rates. HPV incidence was increased in singles, and women having a new relationship. A higher number of lifetime sex partners, and a higher frequency of sexual contacts in the past 3 months was associated with an increased HPV incidence. The overall clearance of the newly detected type‐specific high‐risk HPV infections and low‐risk HPV infections was 61.2% and 69.0%, respectively. Having a sexual relationship compared to being single, and a higher sexual age both positively influenced the clearance of any‐type high‐risk HPV. Among the women infected with HPV 16, the women who had a co‐infection had a lower proportion of clearance of HPV 16. In conclusion, in this young Dutch study population, HPV incidence rates are not related to age and comparable to other western countries. Clearance was only independently related to factors associated with sexual behavior, either past or current.