Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chronic venous insufficiency and venous leg ulceration.

UNLABELLED Venous ulcers are the most common form of leg ulcers. Venous disease has a significant impact on quality of life and work productivity. In addition, the costs associated with the long-term care of these chronic wounds are substantial. Although the exact pathogenic steps leading from venous hypertension to venous ulceration remain unclear, several hypotheses have been developed to explain the development of venous ulceration. A better understanding of the current pathophysiology of venous ulceration has led to the development of new approaches in its management. New types of wound dressings, topical and systemic therapeutic agents, surgical modalities, bioengineered tissue, matrix materials, and growth factors are all novel therapeutic options that may be used in addition to the "gold standard," compression therapy, for venous ulcers. This review discusses current aspects of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic assessment, and current therapeutic options for chronic venous insufficiency and venous ulceration. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2001;44:401-21.) LEARNING OBJECTIVE At the conclusion of this learning activity, participants should be familiar with the 3 main types of lower extremity ulcers and should improve their understanding of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, risk factors, clinical presentation, diagnostic assessment, and current therapies for chronic venous insufficiency and venous ulcers.
Serum zinc, chromium, and iron concentrations in dogs with lymphoma and osteosarcoma.

We compared serum concentrations of zinc, chromium, and iron in dogs with cancer to those of normal dogs. Dogs with lymphoma (n = 50) and osteosarcoma (n = 52) were evaluated. Dogs with lymphoma had significantly lower (P = .0028) mean serum zinc concentrations (mean +/- SD; 1.0 +/- 0.3 mg/L) when compared to normal dogs (1.2 +/- 0.4 mg/L). Dogs with osteosarcoma also had lower mean serum zinc concentrations (1.1 +/- 0.4 mg/L), but this difference was not significant (P = .075). Serum chromium concentrations were significantly lower in dogs with lymphoma (2.6 +/- 2.6 microg/L, P = .0007) and osteosarcoma (2.4 +/- 3.1 microg/L, P = .0001) compared to normal dogs (4.7 +/- 2.8 microg/L). Serum iron concentrations and total iron-binding capacity were significantly lower in dogs with lymphoma (110.8 +/- 56.7 microg/dL, P < .0001, and 236.6 +/- 45.6 microg/dL, P < .0001, respectively) and osteosarcoma (99.6 +/- 49.3 microg/dL, P < .0001, and 245.0 +/- 43.8 microg/dL, P = .0011, respectively) when compared to normal dogs (175.1 +/- 56.7 microg/dL and 277.1 +/- 47.4 microg/dL). Mean ferritin concentration was significantly higher in dogs with lymphoma (1291.7 +/- 63.0 microg/L) than in normal dogs (805.8 +/- 291.1 microg/L, P < .0001) and dogs with osteosarcoma (826.5 +/- 309.2 microg/L, P < .0001). Further investigation is needed to explore the clinical significance of these mineral abnormalities in dogs with cancer.
Attitudes and Experience of Women to Common Vaginal Infections

Objective. To determine women's experience and knowledge of the 2 most common non-sexually transmitted vaginal infections, vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) and bacterial vaginosis (BV). Materials and Methods. An online omnibus was conducted on 6,010 women aged 16 to 55 years to determine the incidence and awareness of VVC and BV in Europe (France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) and the United States, followed by an in-depth questionnaire on 1,945 women about experience and attitudes to VVC and BV. Results. Almost all (97%) of the women who took part stated that they were aware of VVC and 44% reported having had VVC, whereas only 30% of women had heard of BV and only 9% thought they had experienced it. There was confusion between symptoms specifically related to each condition, and women thought they were caused by poor hygiene, ill health, or a sexually transmitted infection, with antibiotic use cited as a cause for VVC only. Diagnosis was generally by a health care professional, but there was also considerable self-diagnosis in countries where an over-the-counter treatment was available for VVC. Rates of reported examination and testing by the health care provider varied by country, with high rates in Germany and low rates in the United Kingdom. Conclusions. Women seem very aware and knowledgeable about VVC, but awareness of BV is low with self-reported incidence considerably less than prevalence rates, suggesting misdiagnosis. Increased education and better diagnosis of these 2 conditions is needed to remove the stigma and taboo, especially for BV, and to ensure correct diagnosis with appropriate treatment.
USE OF IONIC LIQUIDS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF CELLULOSIC ETHANOL PRODUCTION

Cellulosic ethanol production has drawn much attention in recent years. However, there remain significant technical challenges before such production can be considered as economically feasible at an industrial scale. Among them, the efficient conversion of carbohydrates in lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars is one of the most challenging technical difficulties in cellulosic ethanol production. Use of ionic liquids has opened new avenues to solve this problem by two different pathways. One is pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass using ionic liquids to increase its enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency. The other is to transform the hydrolysis process of lignocellulosic biomass from a heterogeneous reaction system to a homogeneous one by dissolving it into ionic liquids, thus improving its hydrolysis efficiency.
Modulation of Responses of Four Types of Feline Ascending Tract Neurons by Serotonin and Noradrenaline

Modulation of responses of four types of ascending tract cells by noradrenaline and serotonin was compared in order to investigate how information forwarded by these cells may be gated by monoaminergic tract neurons. Spinocervical tract, postsynaptic dorsal column and dorsal spinocerebellar tract neurons located in Clarke's column and in the dorsal horn were identified by their axonal projections. Noradrenaline and serotonin were applied ionophoretically close to a selected neuron, and their effects were tested on extracellularly recorded responses of this neuron to electrical stimulation of low‐threshold skin afferents and group II muscle spindle afferents. The modulatory actions of noradrenaline and serotonin were estimated from changes in the number of responses evoked by 30 successive stimuli, the minimal latencies of these responses, and their firing frequency. All four populations of ascending tract neurons investigated were modulated by serotonin and noradrenaline, but not in the same way. The responses were most often depressed by noradrenaline and facilitated by serotonin, but in some types of neuron they were affected in the same direction. Transmission from low‐threshold skin and group II muscle afferents changed in the same direction in some types of neuron but in the opposite direction in other types. The results indicate that transfer of information from skin and group II muscle afferents to supraspinal centres may be gated by descending monoaminergic pathways in a highly differentiated manner, and is adjusted to the requirements of various behavioural situations.
Prophylactic Efficacy of 3- or 5-cm Pancreatic Stents for Preventing Post-ERCP Pancreatitis: A Prospective, Randomized Trial

Background and Study Aims: Prophylactic pancreatic stent placement is effective for preventing postendoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis (PEP). The most effective type of stent, however, remains unclear. Therefore, we prospectively compared the prophylactic efficacy for PEP prevention between short (3 cm) and long (5 cm) pancreatic stent. Patients and Methods: Between July 2012 and June 2014, 240 consecutive patients requiring therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography to remove a choledocholith or for bile drainage for obstructive jaundice were prospectively enrolled and randomized to undergo prophylactic insertion with unflanged, 5 Fr, 3 or 5-cm pancreatic stent. An efficacy of each stent for preventing PEP was evaluated as a primary endpoint. The period until stent dislodgement and the total adverse event rate were also evaluated as a secondary endpoint. Results: Per-protocol analysis revealed that the PEP rate was significantly lower with the short stent than with the long stent (2.0% vs. 8.8%, P=0.035), although they were not significantly different in intention-to-treat analysis. The adverse event rate excluding PEP did not differ significantly between groups (3.0% vs. 0.9%, P=0.293). The median period until dislodgement of the short stent was significantly shorter than that of the long stent (2 vs. 4 d, P<0.001). Conclusions: The present study revealed a superiority of 3-cm stents compared with 5-cm stents for prophylactic pancreatic stent. On the basis of the past reports and the result of the present study, we recommend using a 5 Fr, 3-cm unflanged stent. This study was registered on the UMIN Clinical Trial Registry (UMIN000008290).
A Systematic Review of Epidemiological Associations between Low and Moderate Doses of Ionizing Radiation and Late Cardiovascular Effects, and Their Possible Mechanisms

Abstract Little, M. P., Tawn, E. J., Tzoulaki, I. , Wakeford, R. , Hildebrandt, G. , Paris, F. , Tapio, S. and Elliott, P. A Systematic Review of Epidemiological Associations Between Low and Moderate Doses of Ionizing Radiation and Late Cardiovascular Effects, and Their Possible Mechanisms. Radiat. Res. 169, 99–109 (2008). The link between high doses of ionizing radiation and damage to the heart and coronary arteries is established. In this paper, we systematically review the epidemiological evidence for associations between low and moderate doses (<5 Gy) of ionizing radiation and late-occurring cardiovascular disease. Risks per unit dose in epidemiological studies vary over at least two orders of magnitude, possibly a result of confounding factors. An examination of possible biological mechanisms indicates that the most likely causative effect of radiation exposure is damage to endothelial cells and subsequent induction of an inflammatory response, although it seems unlikely that this would extend to low-dose and low-dose-rate exposure. However, a role for somatic mutation has been proposed that would indicate a stochastic effect. In the absence of a convincing mechanistic explanation of epidemiological evidence that is less than persuasive at present, a cause-and-effect interpretation of the reported statistical associations cannot be reliably inferred, although neither can it be reliably excluded. Further epidemiological and biological evidence will allow a firmer conclusion to be drawn.
Membrane transport in Caenorhabditis elegans: an essential role for VPS34 at the nuclear membrane

Here we present a detailed genetic analysis of let‐512/vps34 that encodes the Caenorhabditis elegans homologue of the yeast phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase Vps34p. LET‐512/VPS34 has essential functions and is ubiquitously expressed in all tissues and developmental stages. It accumulates at a perinuclear region, and mutations in let‐512/vps34 result in an expansion of the outer nuclear membrane as well as in a mislocalization and subsequent complete lack of expression of LRP‐1, a C.elegans LDL receptor normally associated with the apical surface of hypodermal cells. Using a GFP::2xFYVE fusion protein we found that the phosphatidylinositol 3‐phosphate (PtdIns 3‐P) product of LET‐512/VPS34 is associated with a multitude of intracellular membranes and vesicles located at the periphery, including endocytic vesicles. We propose that LET‐512/VPS34 is required for membrane transport from the outer nuclear membrane towards the cell periphery. Thus, LET‐512/VPS34 may regulate the secretory pathway in a much broader range of compartments than was previously suggested for the yeast orthologue.
Double‐Blind, Placebo‐Controlled, Cross‐Over Trial of Progabide as Add‐On Therapy in Epileptic Patients

SUMMARY: In a double‐blind, cross‐over trial, progabide (PGB) and placebo were compared as add‐on therapy in 59 patients with moderate to severe epilepsy. Eight patients did not complete the study, 4 because of adverse drug reactions (elevation of liver transaminases, 2; gastritis, 1; and acute psychosis, 1) and 4 because of administrative reasons. Among the remaining 51 patients, seizure frequency was reduced >50% in 18 patients with PGB treatment and in 8 patients with placebo (p<0.05). The number of days with seizures was significantly (p=0.034) reduced during PGB treatment. Both patients' and physicians' preferences at the end of the trial were in favor (p<0.01) of PGB. Mild clinical side effects were present in 54.7% of the patients treated with PGB and in 37.7% with placebo. Increase in liver transaminases was observed in 2 patients during the double‐blind study and in 1 during the follow‐up period. Our data show that PGB, as previously reported, is useful in 30–40% of patients who are not responding completely to other antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). The compound is well tolerated, but liver function must be monitored.
Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Exposure to Pesticides

Organophosphates are pesticides ubiquitous in the environment and have been hypothesized as one of the risk factors for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In this study, we evaluated the associations of pesticide exposure in a residential environment with the risk for pediatric ALL. This is a case-control study of children newly diagnosed with ALL, and their mothers (n = 41 child-mother pairs) recruited from Georgetown University Medical Center and Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC, between January 2005 and January 2008. Cases and controls were matched for age, sex, and county of residence. Environmental exposures were determined by questionnaire and by urinalysis of pesticide metabolites using isotope dilution gas chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. We found that more case mothers (33%) than controls (14%) reported using insecticides in the home (P < 0.02). Other environmental exposures to toxic substances were not significantly associated with the risk of ALL. Pesticide levels were higher in cases than in controls (P < 0.05). Statistically significant differences were found between children with ALL and controls for the organophosphate metabolites diethylthiophosphate (P < 0.03) and diethyldithiophosphate (P < 0.05). The association of ALL risk with pesticide exposure merits further studies to confirm the association.
Metrics for Modeling Code-Switching Across Corpora

In developing technologies for code-switched speech, it would be desirable to be able to predict how much language mixing might be expected in the signal and the regularity with which it might occur. In this work, we offer various metrics that allow for the classification and visualization of multilingual corpora according to the ratio of languages represented, the probability of switching between them, and the time-course of switching. Applying these metrics to corpora of different languages and genres, we find that they display distinct probabilities and periodicities of switching, information useful for speech processing of mixed-language data.
The ontogeny of tooth succession in Lacerta vivipara Jacquin (1787)

Edmund (1960) has shown that in the dentitions of almost all non-mammalian vertebrates, teeth are replaced in waves which regularly sweep through alternate tooth positions. He explained the ontogeny of these patterns of tooth replacement in terms of biological units called Zahnreihen whose existence has been accepted by nearly all workers studying tooth replacement. In the present paper it is argued that there is no unequivocal evidence, either during development or in adult animals, that Zahnreihen have any biological significance. Reconstructions were made from serial sections of the developing dentitions in the lower jaws of 15 embryos of Lacerta vivipara. It was evident that Zahnreihen have no significance in this animal. Rudimentary teeth were produced with varying frequency in positions 3, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 13. Contrary to the predictions of all previous theories explaining the ontogeny of tooth development in reptiles it was in these apparently random positions that the first teeth were produced. Furthermore, apart from during the first few days of embryonic dental development, it was clear that the development of a row of alternating teeth was initiated in sequence from the back to the front of the jaw to be followed by a similar sequence of development of the intervening teeth. On the basis of this evidence a new model to explain the sequence of tooth initiation in reptiles is proposed. The following assumptions have been made. (A) Ectomesenchymal cells migrate anteriorly through the developing jaws initiating a reaction from the oral ectoderm. (B) The oral ectoderm develops competence to react to the ectomesenchyme in three stages. First it generates abortive clumps of ectodermal cells; second it becomes capable of inducing the adjacent ectomesenchymal cells to form dentine and third it becomes capable of laying down enamel. (C) At all times the dental lamina has the potential of taking part in tooth development according to the regional competence achieved. (D) Developing tooth germs produce a condition which inhibits tooth development around them. Using these assumptions it is possible to explain all stages in the development of the wave replacement of alternate teeth in L. vivipara. It is also possible to explain previous observations on the ontogeny of reptilian dentitions. The sphere of inhibition which surrounds developing teeth is particularly important because it ensures that developing teeth are evenly spaced through the jaw. It is argued that the wave replacement of alternate teeth is an automatic sequel to this and is of only secondary functional significance.
Supporting the eye tracking analysis of multiple moving targets: Design concept and algorithm

Mapping eye tracking data for moving targets on computer displays is a difficult task due to the characteristics of the moving targets and the limited capabilities of the eye tracking systems. We introduce 1) a design concept to map eye fixations to moving targets, and 2) an algorithm that generates “target-based” eye tracking data that determines eye fixation order and duration specific to the moving targets. The mapping reduces the number of areas of interest (AOIs) required for the analysis by trading off AOI size and accuracy in correspondence with the targets of interest. Our resulting methodology was applied to a case study with an air traffic controller conducting a conflict detection task with multiple moving aircraft on a simulated radar screen. Benchmarking results show that a limited reduction in accuracy when considering the larger AOIs and the number of fixations on the targets. The methodology shows promise for supporting the analysis of eye tracking data for tracking multiple moving targets.
Children’s and Adults’ Predictions of Black, White, and Multiracial Friendship Patterns

ABSTRACT Cross-race friendships can promote the development of positive racial attitudes, yet they are relatively uncommon and decline with age. In an effort to further our understanding of the extent to which children expect cross-race friendships to occur, we examined 4- to 6-year-olds’ (and adults’) use of race when predicting other children’s friendship patterns. In contrast to previous research, we included White (Studies 1 and 2), Black (Study 3), and Multiracial (Study 4) participants and examined how they predicted the friendship patterns of White, Black, and Multiracial targets. Distinct response patterns were found as a function of target race, participant age group, and participant race. Participants in all groups predicted that White children would have mostly White friends and Black children would have mostly Black friends. Moreover, most participant groups predicted that Multiracial children would have Black and White friends. However, White adults predicted that Multiracial children would have mostly Black friends, whereas Multiracial children predicted that Multiracial children would have mostly White friends. These data are important for understanding beliefs about cross-race friendships, social group variation in race-based reasoning, and the experiences of Multiracial individuals more broadly.
Generation of Anti-apoptotic Presenilin-2 Polypeptides by Alternative Transcription, Proteolysis, and Caspase-3 Cleavage*

PS2, the chromosome 1 familial Alzheimer’s disease gene, has been shown to be involved in programmed cell death by three complementary experimental approaches. Reduction of PS2 protein levels by antisense RNA protects from apoptosis, whereas overexpression of an Alzheimer’s PS2 mutant increases cell death induced by several stimuli. In addition, ALG-3, a truncatedPS2 cDNA, encodes an artificial COOH-terminal PS2 segment that dominantly inhibits apoptosis. Here we describe a physiological COOH-terminal PS2 polypeptide (PS2s, Met298-Ile448) generated by both an alternative PS2 transcript and proteolytic cleavage. We find that PS2s protects transfected cells from Fas- and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, a similar anti-apoptotic COOH-terminal PS2 polypeptide (PS2Ccas) is generated by caspase-3 cleavage at Asp329. These results suggest that caspase-3 not only activates pro-apoptotic substrates but also generates a negative feedback signal in which PS2Ccas antagonizes the progression of cell death. Thus, whereas PS2 is required for apoptosis, PS2s and PS2Ccas oppose this process, and the balance between PS2 and these COOH-terminal fragments may dictate the cell fate.
Tumour necrosis factor alpha binding to human and mouse trophoblast.

Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is a cytokine with pleiotropic effects, modulating cell growth, differentiation, and synthesis of various substances. Recent demonstration of TNF-alpha mRNA and protein in the uteroplacental unit suggests that this cytokine may be involved in the development of the embryo. To determine whether the embryo itself binds TNF-alpha, mouse blastocyst outgrowths and human first trimester villous trophoblast were analysed for TNF-alpha binding. Our experiments revealed that binding of TNF-alpha could be specifically detected on the trophectoderm of the outgrowing mouse embryos. They also show a complete disappearance of the colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1) receptor that occurs shortly after the binding of TNF-alpha by the trophectoderm. In human first trimester villous trophoblast, TNF-alpha binding was found to be predominantly detectable on the syncytiotrophoblast and to a lesser extent on the cytotrophoblastic cells. Binding was not observed on adjacent embryonic or maternal cells. Our results further support the idea that TNF-alpha as well as other cytokines may modulate early embryonic development and implantation.