Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ambulatory endoscopic treatment of symptomatic benign endometrial polyps: a feasibility study

Objective To determine the feasibility (potential efficacy and cost-effectiveness) of ambulatory endoscopic polypectomy in the treatment of symptomatic endometrial polyps. Design Cohort study comparing ambulatory (intervention group) with inpatient treatment (control group). Methods 58 women with symptomatic intrauterine polyps were identified on outpatient hysteroscopy. The experimental group underwent outpatient endoscopic polypectomy using a bipolar intrauterine system (31/58, 53%) and the control group underwent traditional inpatient polypectomy under general anaesthesia (27/58, 47%). The main outcomes compared between the two treatment groups were: uterine bleeding symptoms; patient satisfaction; quality of life (EuroQol); time off work, and use of health service resources at 6 months. Results 18/31 (58%) women treated as outpatients and 16/27 (59%) women treated as inpatients returned completed outcome questionnaires. There was no difference in the effectiveness of outpatient endoscopic polypectomy compared with inpatient treatment, in terms of improvement of abnormal uterine bleeding (11/12 (92%) vs. 13/14 (93%); P = 1.0); patient satisfaction (14/18 (78%) vs. 14/16 (88%); P = 0.7) and quality of life measured by EuroQol (median score 1.0 vs. 0.93; P = 0.1). Patients who underwent inpatient therapy did however, visit their general practitioner more frequently than those who received outpatient therapy (20 visits vs. seven visits, respectively; P = 0.005). The mean cost of outpatient treatment was 37% less than that of inpatient therapy (£490 vs. £781; P = 0.0001). Conclusion Ambulatory endoscopic therapy for symptomatic endometrial polyps appears to be efficacious and cost-effective. The launch of a randomized controlled trial to confirm these provisional results seems feasible.
Ischemic heart disease mortality among miners and other potentially silica-exposed workers.

BACKGROUND Some previous studies have observed an increased mortality regarding ischemic heart disease (IHD) among miners and industrial sand workers. The purpose was to study the occurrence of IHD mortality among silica-exposed workers. METHODS Male miners, well borers, dressing plant workers, and other mine and stone workers were identified in the Swedish National Census of 1970. The total cohort (n = 11,896) was followed from 1970 until December 31, 1995 and linked to the Cause of Death Register. The referent group comprised all gainfully employed men identified in the same census. The Standardized Mortality Ratio was calculated as the ratio between observed and expected numbers of deaths. RESULT An increased risk due to IHD mortality was observed among miners, well borers, dressing plant workers, and other mine and stone workers. CONCLUSION These results indicate a possible relation between silica-dust exposure and IHD. The increased risk of IHD mortality is unlikely explained by smoking habits. Shift work might explain some of the increased risk. A low-grade inflammation in the lungs as a result of dust exposure is discussed as a possible cause. However, the key message is that better dose estimates and better confounding control is needed to study the possible relation between silica-dust exposure and IHD.
THE STAR FORMATION HISTORY AND EXTENDED STRUCTURE OF THE HERCULES MILKY WAY SATELLITE

We present imaging of the recently discovered Hercules Milky Way satellite and its surrounding regions to study its structure, star formation history and to thoroughly search for signs of disruption. We robustly determine the distance, luminosity, size, and morphology of Hercules utilizing a bootstrap approach to characterize our uncertainties. We derive a distance to Hercules via a comparison to empirical and theoretical isochrones, finding a best match with the isochrone of M92, which yields a distance of 133 ± 6 kpc. As previous studies have found, Hercules is very elongated, with ϵ = 0.67 ± 0.03 and a half-light radius of rh ≃ 230 pc. Using the color–magnitude-fitting package StarFISH, we determine that Hercules is old (>12 Gyr) and metal-poor ([Fe/H] ∼ −2.0), with a spread in metallicity, in agreement with previous spectroscopic work. This result is robust with respect to slight variations in the distance to Hercules and mismatches between the observed Hercules color–magnitude diagram and theoretical isochrones. We infer a total absolute magnitude of MV = −6.2 ± 0.4. Our innovative search for external Hercules structure both in the plane of the sky and along the line of sight yields some evidence that Hercules is embedded in a larger stream of stars. A clear stellar extension is seen to the northwest with several additional candidate stellar overdensities along the position angle of Hercules out to ∼35′ (∼1.3 kpc). While the association of any of the individual stellar overdensities with Hercules is difficult to determine, we do show that the summed color–magnitude diagram of all three is consistent with Hercules' stellar population. Finally, we estimate that any change in the distance to Hercules across its face is at most ∼6 kpc, and the data are consistent with Hercules being at the same distance throughout.
1992 National Survey of Worksite Health Promotion Activities: summary. US Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service.

On behalf of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) I pleased to share with you the results of the 1992 National Survey of Worksite Health Promotion Activities. This survey was conducted to measure the growth of worksite health promotion activities since the first national survey in 1985 and to document progress toward achievement of the worksite objectives in Healthy People 2000, the Nation’s prevention agenda. As seen from the results, substantial progress has been made in worksite policies and activities, reflecting an overall commitment by business, industry, and labor to employee health. The 1992 survey was commissioned by the PHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and conducted by Prospect Associates and Response Analysis Corporation. Many individuals from the public and private sectors were invaluable in guiding this project to successful completion, including the Survey Advisory Board, the National Center for Health Statistics, the Office of Health Planning and Evaluation within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, and the Federal Interagency and National Coordinating Committees on Worksite Health Promotion. Lisa Kanner was the Public Health
Pig species identification in meatballs using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism for Halal authentication.

The information given to consumers is essential for them to choose one food product over another. The falsification of food contents on product labels is a widespread problem, especially with products related with pig or others prohibited food in Islam. Proving conclusively that fraud has occurred requires the detection and quantification of food constituents. Falsifications of meat or food are often biochemically similar to the materials they replace, consequently the identification and measurement extremely difficult. The DNA based methods have now been successfully adapted for detection of food substitution. In this research, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) products of cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA gene were applied to identify the existence of pig in meatball product. Genomic DNA of pig, bovine, and chicken were isolated and subjected to PCR amplification targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Pig species differentiation was determined by digestion of obtained 359 bp amplified product with BseDI restriction enzymes, which generated pig species electrophoresis pattern. PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) revealed the presence of the pig meat in meatball product and distinguished between bovine, chicken, and pig sample. Pig mitochondrial cytochrome DNA gene was cleaved into 228 bp and 131 bp fragments but the bovine, and chicken cytochrome b gene were not digested by BseDI enzyme. The digestion was conducted at 55C for 3 h and visualization of the digest product was performed in 2% agarose gel. PCR-RFLP technique using BseDI restriction enzymes is reliable for the detection of the pig meat in meatball for the Halal authentication.
Mother-Youth Acculturation Gaps and Health-Risking/Emotional Problems among Latin-American Adolescents

Abstract Second-generation Latin-American adolescents tend to show higher levels of various health-risking behaviors and emotional problems than first-generation Latin-American adolescents. This cross-sectional study of 40 mother-adolescent dyads examined the association of mother-youth acculturation gaps to youth adjustment problems. Intergenerational acculturation gaps were assessed as a bidimensional self-report component and a novel observational measurement component. The Latin-American adolescents were predominantly second-generation of Mexican descent (M age = 13.42 years, SD = 0.55). Most of the mothers were born in Mexico (M age = 39.18 years, SD = 5.17). Data were collected from mothers, adolescents, and coders, using questionnaires, structured interviews, and videotaped mother-youth interaction tasks. Findings revealed generally weak support for the acculturation gap-distress hypothesis. In addition, stronger relative adherence to their heritage culture by the adolescents was significantly (p < .05, ES = 0.15) related to less engagement in early health-risking sexual behaviors, possibly reflecting selective acculturation processes. Mother-youth acculturation gaps in orientation to the heritage culture were the most salient dimension, changing the focus on the original formulation of the acculturation gap-distress hypothesis.
N EED TO BE D EEP AND C ONVOLUTIONAL ?

Yes, they do. This paper provides the first empirical demonstration that deep convolutional models really need to be both deep and convolutional, even when trained with methods such as distillation that allow small or shallow models of high accuracy to be trained. Although previous research showed that shallow feed-forward nets sometimes can learn the complex functions previously learned by deep nets while using the same number of parameters as the deep models they mimic, in this paper we demonstrate that the same methods cannot be used to train accurate models on CIFAR-10 unless the student models contain multiple layers of convolution. Although the student models do not have to be as deep as the teacher model they mimic, the students need multiple convolutional layers to learn functions of comparable accuracy as the deep convolutional teacher.
Growth and morphological transformations of Helicobacter pylori in broth media

Helicobacter pylori, a cause of peptic ulcer disease and certain types of gastric cancers, has usually been cultured on diverse agar-based media, resulting in a requirement for 2 to 4 days of growth at 37 degrees C. We have developed a novel broth medium consisting of a base medium supplemented with 2% newborn calf serum, Mg2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Zn2+, Mn2+, and 1 mg of lysed human erythrocytes per ml. This medium supports rapid growth of H. pylori, with a doubling time of about 50 min. Optimal growth was obtained in a pH range higher than that supporting most other gram-negative bacteria (at pH 8.5). H. pylori cultured in this supplemented broth retains the spiral morphology seen in both histological sections and cultures from agar-based media and also retains a high urease activity. After 18 h in this broth, H. pylori transforms to a coccal form with a complete loss of urease activity. Previously these cocci have been reported to be senescent, since they could not be subcultured on agar medium. Our experiments suggest that some of the cocci can revert back to the spiral morphology with full recovery of urease activity when subcultured in fresh microaerobic broth medium.
Change as Crisis or Growth? Toward a Trans-disciplinary View of Information Systems as a Field of Study: A Response to Benbasat and Zmud's Call for Returning to the IT Artifact

Benbasat and Zmud (2003) express concern that the research community in Information Systems is responsible for the ambiguity of the discipline’s central identity by “underinvestigating phenomena intimately associated with IT-based systems and overestimating phenomena distantly associated with IT-based systems” (p. 183). Their related argument is that IS needs to focus on the core of the discipline to survive. I seriously contend this point of view. Questioning that we are at a crossroads in the Information Systems (IS) field, I argue that the field should become less disciplinary, and more trans-disciplinary in nature. I build my case by focusing on –and then questioning – underpinnings in their argument. These include: (1) their definitions of IS as a field; (2) the locus of our field in organizations; (3) the assumption that IS is a discipline; and (4) the lack of consideration given to the interand trans-national nature of IS as a field of study. Thus, the paper attempts to reposition Information Systems (IS) as quintessentially trans-disciplinary in nature. This case develops by considering how fields of study evolve over time. This evolution can be seen as either natural or as producing crisis. Next, I offer an alternative “core” to Benbasat’s and Zmud’s “IT artifact. ” Following this, I present an appropriate locus of study for IS, one that offers a less constricting boundary than that of the organization, including societal and cross-cultural considerations. Finally, I question the very notion of “discipline” as applied to IS, and identify implications
Structure-based analysis of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor SmgGDS reveals armadillo-repeat motifs and key regions for activity and GTPase binding

Small GTPases are molecular switches that have critical biological roles and are controlled by GTPase-activating proteins and guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). The smg GDP dissociation stimulator (SmgGDS) protein functions as a GEF for the RhoA and RhoC small GTPases. SmgGDS has various regulatory roles, including small GTPase trafficking and localization and as a molecular chaperone, and interacts with many small GTPases possessing polybasic regions. Two SmgGDS splice variants, SmgGDS-558 and SmgGDS-607, differ in GEF activity and binding affinity for RhoA depending on the lipidation state, but the reasons for these differences are unclear. Here we determined the crystal structure of SmgGDS-558, revealing a fold containing tandem copies of armadillo repeats not present in other GEFs. We also observed that SmgGDS harbors distinct positively and negatively charged regions, both of which play critical roles in binding to RhoA and GEF activity. This is the first report demonstrating a relationship between the molecular function and atomic structure of SmgGDS. Our findings indicate that the two SmgGDS isoforms differ in GTPase binding and GEF activity, depending on the lipidation state, thus providing useful information about the cellular functions of SmgGDS in cells.
Heme oxygenase modulates small intestine leukocyte adhesion following hindlimb ischemia/reperfusion by regulating the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1*

Objective:Heme oxygenase is the rate-limiting enzyme in the degradation of heme into carbon monoxide, iron, and bilirubin. Recent evidence suggests that the induction of heme oxygenase-1 is associated with potent anti-inflammatory properties. The objectives of this study were to determine the temporal, regional, and cellular distribution of heme oxygenase-1 within the small intestine and its role in modulating remote intestinal leukocyte recruitment following trauma induced by hindlimb ischemia/reperfusion. Design:Randomized, controlled, prospective animal study. Setting:Hospital surgical research laboratory. Subjects:Male C57BL/6 mice. Interventions:Mice underwent 1 hr of bilateral hindlimb ischemia, followed by 3, 6, 12, or 24 hrs of reperfusion. Measurements and Main Results:Heme oxygenase-1 messenger RNA, heme oxygenase-1 protein, and heme oxygenase activity were measured using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and spectrophotometric assay, respectively. The jejunum was also exteriorized to quantify the flux of rolling and adherent leukocytes and R-Phycoerythrin conjugated intercellular adhesion molecule-1 monoclonal antibody fluorescence intensity in submucosal postcapillary venules with the use of intravital microscopy. Ischemia/reperfusion led to a significant increase in heme oxygenase-1 messenger RNA in the jejunum and ileum 3 hrs following limb reperfusion, with a subsequent increase in heme oxygenase-1 protein and heme oxygenase activity at 6 hrs. Ischemia/reperfusion also led to a significant 1.4-fold increase in leukocyte rolling, whereas inhibition of heme oxygenase via injection of tin protoporphyrin IX (20 &mgr;mol/kg intraperitoneally) resulted in a three-fold increase in leukocyte adhesion, compared with ischemia/reperfusion alone. This increase in adhesion was significantly reduced to baseline in mice treated with intercellular adhesion molecule-1 monoclonal antibody before heme oxygenase inhibition (40 &mgr;g/mouse), whereas inhibition of heme oxygenase activity following ischemia/reperfusion also led to a significant increase in R-Phycoerythrin intercellular adhesion molecule-1 monoclonal antibody fluorescence intensity. Conclusions:Our data suggest that remote trauma induced by hindlimb ischemia/reperfusion leads to an increase in heme oxygenase activity within the small intestine, which modulates intercellular adhesion molecule-1 dependent intestinal leukocyte adhesion.
Viral Immediate-Early Proteins Abrogate the Modification by SUMO-1 of PML and Sp100 Proteins, Correlating with Nuclear Body Disruption

ABSTRACT PML nuclear bodies (NBs) are subnuclear structures whose integrity is compromised in certain human diseases, including leukemia and neurodegenerative disorders. Infection by a number of DNA viruses similarly triggers the reorganization of these structures, suggesting an important role for the NBs in the viral infection process. While expression of the adenovirus E4 ORF3 protein leads to only a moderate redistribution of PML to filamentous structures, the herpes simplex virus (HSV) ICP0 protein and the cytomegalovirus (CMV) IE1 protein both induce a complete disruption of the NB structure. Recently, we and others have shown that the NB proteins PML and Sp100 are posttranslationally modified by covalent linkage with the ubiquitin-related SUMO-1 protein and that this modification may promote the assembly of these structures. Here we show that the HSV ICP0 and CMV IE1 proteins specifically abrogate the SUMO-1 modification of PML and Sp100, whereas the adenovirus E4 ORF3 protein does not affect this process. The potential of ICP0 and IE1 to alter SUMO-1 modification is directly linked to their capacity to disassemble NBs, thus strengthening the role for SUMO-1 conjugation in maintenance of the structural integrity of the NBs. This observation supports a model in which ICP0 and IE1 disrupt the NBs either by preventing the formation or by degrading of the SUMO-1-modified PML and Sp100 protein species. Finally, we show that the IE1 protein itself is a substrate for SUMO-1 modification, thus representing the first viral protein found to undergo this new type of posttranslational modification.
Ongoing challenges and controversies in ulcerative colitis surgery

ABSTRACT For patients with ulcerative colitis requiring surgery, surgical options include a total proctocolectomy with an end ileostomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis or a continent reservoir, or instead, a subtotal colectomy with an ileorectal anastomosis. The ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is currently considered the gold standard procedure that is employed in the majority of patients. Despite strong data supporting the feasibility, durability and the maintenance of long term functional outcomes and quality of life, certain controversies pertaining to its relative role, method of creation and effects on related pelvic structures remain a matter of debate.
The effect of sodium fluoride on the output of some electrolytes from the gastric mucosa of cats

Bathing the gastric mucosa with a solution containing 5 m-equiv of sodium fluoride/I. has been shown to reduce the gastric secretion of hydrochloric acid in response to histamine or gastrin in cats (Bowie, Darlow & Murray, 1953). The experiments to be described in this paper were made to study the influence of intragastric instillations of fluoride on the outputs of chloride, sodium and potassium by the gastric mucosa. Comparative studies of the outputs of electrolytes by the gastric mucosa under the influence of other inhibitors of enzymes were made to give insight into the effect of the fluoride on gastric secretion. METHODS
Orthogonal Estimates of Variances for Additive, Dominance, and Epistatic Effects in Populations

Genomic prediction methods based on multiple markers have potential to include nonadditive effects in prediction and analysis of complex traits. However, most developments assume a Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). Statistical approaches for genomic selection that account for dominance and epistasis in a general context, without assuming HWE (e.g., crosses or homozygous lines), are therefore needed. Our method expands the natural and orthogonal interactions (NOIA) approach, which builds incidence matrices based on genotypic (not allelic) frequencies, to include genome-wide epistasis for an arbitrary number of interacting loci in a genomic evaluation context. This results in an orthogonal partition of the variances, which is not warranted otherwise. We also present the partition of variance as a function of genotypic values and frequencies following Cockerham’s orthogonal contrast approach. Then we prove for the first time that, even not in HWE, the multiple-loci NOIA method is equivalent to construct epistatic genomic relationship matrices for higher-order interactions using Hadamard products of additive and dominant genomic orthogonal relationships. A standardization based on the trace of the relationship matrices is, however, needed. We illustrate these results with two simulated F1 (not in HWE) populations, either in linkage equilibrium (LE), or in linkage disequilibrium (LD) and divergent selection, and pure biological dominant pairwise epistasis. In the LE case, correct and orthogonal estimates of variances were obtained using NOIA genomic relationships but not if relationships were constructed assuming HWE. For the LD simulation, differences were smaller, due to the smaller deviation of the F1 from HWE. Wrongly assuming HWE to build genomic relationships and estimate variance components yields biased estimates, inflates the total genetic variance, and the estimates are not empirically orthogonal. The NOIA method to build genomic relationships, coupled with the use of Hadamard products for epistatic terms, allows the obtaining of correct estimates in populations either in HWE or not in HWE, and extends to any order of epistatic interactions.
Star-forming galaxies in low-redshift clusters: comparison of integrated properties of cluster and field galaxies

Aims. We investigate the effect of the cluster environment on the star formation properties of galaxies in 8 nearby Abell clusters. Methods. Star formation properties are determined for individual galaxies using the equivalent width of Hα+[Nii] line emission from narrow-band imaging. Equivalent width distributions are derived for each galaxy type in each of 3 environments - cluster, supercluster (outside the cluster virial radius) and field. The effects of morphological disturbance on star formation are also investigated. Results. We identify a population of early-type disk galaxies in the cluster population with enhanced star formation compared to their field counterparts. The enhanced cluster galaxies frequently show evidence of disturbance, and the disturbed galaxies show marginal evidence for a higher velocity dispersion, possibly indicative of an infalling population.