Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
End-stage kidney disease due to scleroderma--outcomes in 127 consecutive ANZDATA registry cases.

BACKGROUND Scleroderma is an uncommon cause of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) which carries significant morbidity and mortality risks. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, treatment and outcomes of scleroderma patients with ESKD. METHODS A study was conducted of all ESKD patients enrolled in the ANZDATA registry, who commenced dialysis between 15 May 1963 and 31 December 2005, and remained on dialysis for at least 90 days. RESULTS Of the 40 238 patients who commenced dialysis during the study period, 127 (0.3%) patients had ESKD secondary to scleroderma. Scleroderma ESKD patients were more likely than other ESKD patients to be female (72% versus 43%, P < 0.001), Caucasian (98% versus 79%, P < 0.001) and of lower BMI (22.7 ± 4.7 versus 26.0 ± 5.9, P < 0.001) with a higher prevalence of chronic lung disease (36 versus 14%, P < 0.001) and lower prevalence of diabetes mellitus (10% versus 32%, P < 0.001) and coronary artery disease (23% versus 35%, P = 0.01). Median survival was significantly shorter in scleroderma ESKD (2.43 years, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.75-3.11 years) than other ESKD (6.02 years, 95% CI 5.89-6.14 years, log-rank score 55.7, P < 0.001). Renal recovery was more likely in scleroderma patients (10% versus 1%, P < 0.001) with a shorter time to recovery. Scleroderma was found to be an independent predictor for mortality (HR 2.47, 95% CI 1.99-3.05) and renal recovery (HR 11.1, 95% CI 6.37-19.4). Five year deceased donor and live donor renal allograft survival rates of recipients with scleroderma were 53 and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Scleroderma is an uncommon cause of ESKD, which is associated with increased risks of both spontaneous renal recovery and mortality.
Effect of silymarin in diabetes mellitus patients with liver diseases

Sir, The liver is involved in the maintenance of homeostasis within the body. Other functions of the liver include protein synthesis, storage and metabolism of fats and carbohydrates, detoxification and excretion of drug and other toxins. [1] Diabetes developed as a complication of cirrhosis is known as hepatogenous diabetes. Around 30–60% of cirrhotic patients suffer from this metabolic disorder. [2] There is a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus with cryptogenic cirrhosis. [3] Several reports have claimed a specifi c association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and type 2 diabetes, but in most instances patients were a mixture of cases with cirrhosis, hepatitis and diabetes. [4] Silymarin is a hepatoprotective drug obtained from Silibum marium. Silymarin is reported to have different properties like hepatoprotective activity, anti-infl ammatory activity, antioxidant activity, and anti-cancer activity. [5] Previous reports of both pre-clinical and clinical studies revealed that silymarin has got some anti-diabetic potential. [6-8] Considering all the above reports and keeping the evidences in mind, this study was undertaken with the objective to assess the effect of silymarin in diabetes mellitus patients with hepatic diseases.
Maintaining functional independence in elderly adults: the roles of health status and financial resources in predicting home modifications and use of mobility equipment.

PURPOSE We investigated whether health status (i.e., need characteristics) and financial resources (i.e., enabling characteristics) were important predictors of two types of functional adaptations among elderly adults: home modifications such as putting nonslip tape on rugs or installing more telephones and use of equipment for mobility or activities of daily living (ADLs) such as canes or walkers. DESIGN AND METHODS Participants were identified from the National Survey of Self-Care and Aging (n = 3,485), a nationally representative sample of noninstitutionalized U.S. adults aged 65 and older. Need and enabling characteristics were used to predict home modifications and equipment use in multinomial logistic analysis, controlling for predisposing characteristics. RESULTS Although several health-status (need) variables had significant, direct effects on functional adaptations, the effects of ADL limitations were diminished at higher levels of impairment. Among the financial (enabling) variables, subjective income measures and supplemental insurance had significant, direct effects on functional adaptations. IMPLICATIONS Promotion of functional adaptations among elderly people may benefit from both a proactive approach that targets elders with few limitations and a consideration of financial factors in addition to health status.
Dynamic Characteristics of a Linear Induction Motor for Predicting Operating Performance of Magnetic Levitation Vehicles Based on Electromagnetic Field Theory

This paper deals with the dynamic characteristics of a linear induction motor (LIM) in terms of acceleration times and jerk conditions. We employed Matlab Simulink for conducting simulations of the dynamic modeling of LIM operated by a space vector pulse width modulation inverter. From the simulation results, the maximum load conditions and minimum acceleration times to guarantee passengers' safety were determined. Further, the electromagnetic field theory was employed to derive equivalent circuit parameters, and the results were validated by the finite element method. The analysis model was applied to a magnetic levitation vehicle for providing electromagnetic propulsion force, and its dynamic characteristics were analyzed to predict its operating performance; moreover, experimental results were employed to demonstrate the validity. We believe that the proposed prediction technique for the operating characteristics of LIMs can contribute to improving passengers' safety and riding quality.
Pathology of experimental Ebola virus infection in African green monkeys. Involvement of fibroblastic reticular cells.

BACKGROUND Ebola virus has been responsible for explosive lethal outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever in both humans and nonhuman primates. Previous studies showed a predilection of Ebola virus for cells of the mononuclear phagocyte system and endothelial cells. OBJECTIVE To examine the distribution of lesions and Ebola virus antigen in the tissues of six adult male African green monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) that died 6 to 7 days after intraperitoneal inoculation of Ebola-Zaire (Mayinga) virus. METHODS Tissues were examined histologically, immunohistochemically, and ultrastructurally. RESULTS A major novel finding of this study was that fibroblastic reticular cells were immunohistochemically and ultrastructurally identified as targets of Ebola virus infection. CONCLUSIONS The role of Ebola virus-infected fibroblastic reticular cells in the pathogenesis of Ebola hemorrhagic fever warrants further investigation. This is especially important because of recent observations indicating that fibroblastic reticular cells, along with the reticular fibers they produce, maximize the efficiency of the immune response.
Leakage-based power allocation for relaxed SLNR beamforming in multi-cell MU-MIMO systems

In this paper, we propose a power allocation scheme to suppress the inter-cell interference (ICI) in multi-cell multiuser multiple-input-multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems. In particu-lar, by adopting relaxed signal-to-leakage-and-noise ratio (SLNR) beamforming, the transmit power allocated to the user is linearly associated with the leakage, which differs from previous works. Furthermore, we obtain the closed-form lower bound on the achieved sum rate with minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) detection at receivers, which is semi-analytical and numerically evaluatable. Simulation results demonstrate that our scheme can obtain a significant sum rate improvement while maintain a similar bit error rate (BER) performance compared with the conventional ones.
FK 224, a novel cyclopeptide substance P antagonist with NK1 and NK2 receptor selectivity.

We have discovered a novel cyclopeptide substance P (SP) antagonist, FK 224 (N-[N2-[N-[N-[N-[2,3-didehydro-N-methyl-N-[N-[3-(2-pentylphenyl )- propionyl]-L-threonyl]tyrosyl-L-leucynyl]-D-phenylalanyl]-L-allo- threonyl]-L-asparaginyl]-L-serine-nu-lactone), which inhibited [3H]SP binding to guinea pig lung membranes in a dose-dependent manner. According to Rosenthal analysis, the inhibitory effect of FK 224 on [3H]SP binding appears to be competitive. In order to clarify the receptor subtype selectivity of FK 224, we have studied the interaction of FK 224 with three tachykinin receptors (NK1, NK2 and NK3) by using receptor binding techniques and in vitro bioassays, and have also compared FK 224 with the novel nonpeptide antagonist, (+/-)-CP-96,345. In binding experiments, FK 224 dose-dependently inhibited [3H]SP binding to rat cerebral cortical membranes (NK1) and [3H]neurokinin (NK) A (NKA) binding to rat duodenum smooth muscle membranes (NK2), but did not affect [3H]eledoisin binding to rat cerebral cortical membranes (NK3). In bioassay experiments, FK 224 inhibited SP-induced contraction of guinea pig ileum (NK1) and NKA-induced contraction of rat vas deferens (NK2) in a dose-dependent manner, but did not affect NKB-induced contraction of rat portal vein (NK3). In contrast, (+/-)-CP-96,345 inhibited SP-induced contraction of guinea pig ileum, but not NKA-induced contraction of rat vas deferens or NKB-induced contraction of rat portal vein. In the presence of FK 224, SP dose-response curves and NKA dose-response curves were shifted to the right in parallel with no depression of the maximal contraction. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Effects of Epidural Saline Injection on Cerebrospinal Fluid Volume and Velocity Waveform: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Background:The phenomenon of epidural “top-up” (increased spread of local anesthetic due to epidural fluid injection) is explained partly by an epidural volume effect. This study was designed to investigate the change in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume and velocity waveform induced by epidural saline injection. Methods:(1) Lumbar epidural catheters were placed in 28 patients. Magnetic resonance images were obtained for measurements of lumbosacral CSF volume and velocity waveform. Saline was injected into the epidural space through the catheter to three groups of randomly assigned patients: 5-ml saline (n = 10), 10-ml saline (n = 9), and 15-ml saline (n = 9) groups. A repeat image series was performed after epidural injection to compare CSF volume and velocity waveform before and after epidural injection. (2) We also examined the time course of dural sac compression after epidural saline injection in a separate series. Seven axial images at disk levels from T11–T12 to L5–S1 were obtained before injection and 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 min after 10-ml saline injection to compare each dural area before and after injection. Results:(1) Saline injected through the epidural catheter compressed the dural sac with variability of the extent of compression, resulting in a significantly decreased CSF volume in all patients (P ≦ 0.001). The mean reductions in CSF volume were 2.0 ± 1.0 ml in the 5-ml group, 4.4 ± 1.4 in the 10-ml group, and 7.2 ± 2.6 in the 15-ml group. There were significant differences among the three groups (P < 0.05∼0.001). After the saline injection, the synchronization between the CSF velocity waveform and the cardiac cycle disappeared in significantly more patients in the 10-ml group (7 of 9 patients) than in the other groups (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant relation between measures of CSF velocity waveform and dural area in any patient. (2) The maximum reduction of the sum of the total of seven disk areas occurred 5 min after epidural saline injection; thereafter, dural compression was gradually restored but did not return to the value before injection for 30 min. Conclusions:These findings indicate that the reduction in CSF volume was injection-volume dependent, dural compression lasted at least 30 min after saline injection, and the changes of the CSF flow dynamics did not correlate with the degree of dural sac compression.
The Churches of Christ

Preface The Churches of Christ: A History Understanding Churches of Christ Alexander Campbell and His Christian Baptist The Legacy of Alexander Campbell The Rise and Fall of the Apocalyptic Tradition among Churches of Christ The Fight Over Progress and Modernization The Challenges of the 1960s Renewal A Biographical Dictionary of Leaders in Churches of Christ Appendix Bibliographical Essay Index
Colistin Reduces LPS‐Triggered Inflammation in a Human Sepsis Model In Vivo: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The previously described anti‐endotoxin effect of colistin has not been investigated in humans yet. We performed a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled crossover trial to determine the degree of colistin‐driven modulation of inflammatory response in blood of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐challenged healthy volunteers in a human endotoxemia model. After a single intravenous dose of 2.5 million IU colistin methanesulfonate, interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐8, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α), and IL‐1β concentrations as well as other biomarkers of inflammation such as C‐reactive protein, differential leukocyte counts, and body temperature were measured up to 24 h postdose. Colistin significantly decreased the inflammatory cytokine response to LPS in blood of healthy volunteers. This effect was most evident for IL‐6, IL‐8, and TNF‐α. This study is the first to confirm the anti‐endotoxin effect of colistin in humans in vivo. Further studies might increase our knowledge on the interaction between colistin and the effectors of the immune system.
The Pure Logic of Value, Profit, Interest

Standard economic models are based on axioms that epitomize the fundamental behavioral assumptions. This approach is not conductive to convincing results. The suggested change of perspective is guided by the question: what is the minimum set of propositions for the consistent reconstruction of the evolving money economy? We start with three structural axioms and determine their real world implications. The claim of generality entails that it should be possible to demonstrate that well-understood parts of theoretical economics fit consistently into the structural axiomatic framework. We focus here on the classical theory of value as expounded by J. S. Mill.
Application of Polynomial Chaos to Quantify Uncertainty in Deterministic Channel Models

A non-intrusive formulation of the polynomial chaos method is applied to quantify the uncertainties in deterministic models of the indoor radio channel. Deterministic models based on the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method and ray tracing are examined. Various sources of parameter uncertainty are considered, including randomness in the material properties, building geometry, and the spatial location of transmitting and receiving antennas. The polynomial chaos results are confirmed against Monte Carlo simulations and experimental measurements. The analysis shows the expected variation in the sector-averaged path loss can be considerable for relatively small input parameter uncertainties, leading to the conclusion that a single simulation run using `nominal values' may be insufficient to adequately characterize the indoor radio channel.
Folic Acid Supplementation Delays Atherosclerotic Lesion Development by Modulating MCP1 and VEGF DNA Methylation Levels In Vivo and In Vitro

The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis has been partly acknowledged to result from aberrant epigenetic mechanisms. Accordingly, low folate levels are considered to be a contributing factor to promoting vascular disease because of deregulation of DNA methylation. We hypothesized that increasing the levels of folic acid may act via an epigenetic gene silencing mechanism to ameliorate atherosclerosis. Here, we investigated the atheroprotective effects of folic acid and the resultant methylation status in high-fat diet-fed ApoE knockout mice and in oxidized low-density lipoprotein-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells. We analyzed atherosclerotic lesion histology, folate concentration, homocysteine concentration, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), and DNA methyltransferase activity, as well as monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and promoter methylation. Folic acid reduced atherosclerotic lesion size in ApoE knockout mice. The underlying folic acid protective mechanism appears to operate through regulating the normal homocysteine state, upregulating the SAM: SAH ratio, elevating DNA methyltransferase activity and expression, altering MCP1 and VEGF promoter methylation, and inhibiting MCP1 and VEGF expression. We conclude that folic acid supplementation effectively prevented atherosclerosis by modifying DNA methylation through the methionine cycle, improving DNA methyltransferase activity and expression, and thus changing the expression of atherosclerosis-related genes.
Sexual violence victimization history and sexual risk indicators in a community-based urban cohort of "mostly heterosexual" and heterosexual young women.

OBJECTIVES We sought to examine sexual violence victimization in childhood and sexual risk indicators in young adulthood in a primarily Latina and Black cohort of "mostly heterosexual" and heterosexual women in the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN). METHODS In 2000, a comprehensive survey that assessed sexual orientation, sexual risk indicators, and sexual abuse victimization was completed by 391 young women (aged 18 to 24 years) who had participated in PHDCN. We used multivariable regression methods to examine sexual orientation group differences in sexual risk indicators and to assess whether childhood sexual abuse may mediate relationships. RESULTS Compared with self-reported heterosexual women, self-reported "mostly heterosexual" women were more likely to report having been the victim of childhood sexual abuse, to have had a sexually transmitted infection, to report an earlier age of first sexual intercourse, and to have had more sexual partners. Childhood sexual abuse did not mediate relationships between sexual orientation and sexual risk indicators. CONCLUSIONS Our findings add to the evidence that "mostly heterosexual" women experience greater health risk than do heterosexual women. In addition, "mostly heterosexual" women are at high risk for having experienced childhood sexual abuse.
The Role of Women in the History of Geology

Where were the women in Geology? This book is a first as it unravels the diverse roles women have played in the history and development of geology as a science predominantly in the UK, Ireland and Australia, and selectively in Germany, Russia and US. The volume covers the period from the late eighteenth century to the present day and shows how the roles that women have played changed with time. These included illustrators, museum collectors and curators, educationalists, researchers and geologists. Originally as wives, sisters or mothers many were assistants to their male relatives. This book looks at all these forgotten women and for the first time historians and scientists together explore the contribution they made to this male-dominated subject. There are individual profiles on remarkable women: Catherine Raisin, Dorothea Bate, Cuvier's daughters, Grace Prestwich, Annie Greenly, Nancy Kirk, Margaret Crosfield, Ethel Skeat, Maria Ogivlie Gordon, Marie Stopes, Anne Phillips, Muriel Arber and Etheldred Bennett. Pulling together this extensive research uncovered common issues and generated emergent themes. The Editors have brought this new research together under these themes and tried to answer the question Where were the women in Geology? They go on to discuss how these role models can be applicable to today's society.
Author response: Comorbidity between central disorders of hypersomnolence and immune-based disorders

We thank Dr. Peraita-Adrados for the comment on our article.1 Our finding that narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) was not associated with increased risk of comorbid immune disorders was previously stated,2 which gave us additional confidence in our results and can be explained by a unique NT1 pathophysiology. We agree that the background in Dr. Peraita-Adrados's research was the same3; however, the methodology was different: our cohort was much larger, with patients included prospectively; the study was multicentric; adult and children populations were analyzed separately; and results were controlled for potential confounders.1 Importantly, we classified immune-based disorders in 3 groups (autoimmune, inflammatory, and allergic diseases). 4 A recent article from the same group, not published at time of our submission, retrospectively added a poorly defined control group to the already reported NT1 population.3,5 Limited evidence was found for an association between heterogeneous autoimmune diseases and NT1, including psoriasis as an autoimmune, but not inflammatory, disease. We also found higher frequency of autoimmune diseases in narcolepsy type 2 and allergies in idiopathic hypersomnia, being both central disorders of hypersomnolence with unclear pathophysiology, and hypothesized on immune dysregulation mechanisms that require further study.1
Factors associated with initiation and duration of breastfeeding in Italy

To evaluate factors associated with initiation and duration of breastfeeding in Italy, 1601 (73%) respondents among 2192 randomly selected mothers were interviewed within 1 mo of delivery. Mothers who started breastfeeding (85%) were followed‐up for 12 mo. A compliance rate of 100% was obtained. At multiple logistic regression analysis, mother having been breastfed herself (p<0.01), nursing guidance in the maternity ward (p= 0.01) and higher social class (p= 0.03) were positively associated with initiation of breastfeeding. We found that 42%, 19%, 10% and 4% mothers were still breastfeeding at 3, 6, 9 and 12 mo after delivery, respectively. Cox multiple regression analysis showed a negative association between duration of breastfeeding and pacifier use (p<0.01), and a positive association with a higher level of maternal education (p= 0.04). Formula supplementation in the maternity ward (given to 30% of infants) was associated with a shorter duration of exclusive breastfeeding (p = 0.03). Mothers need support with breastfeeding, particularly those from lower social backgrounds and with lower levels of education. Early use of the pacifier should be discouraged.