Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assisted reproductive technology in Europe, 2004: results generated from European registers by ESHRE.

BACKGROUND European results of assisted reproductive techniques from treatments initiated during 2004 are presented in this eighth report. METHODS Data were mainly collected from existing national registers. From 29 countries, 785 clinics reported 367,066 treatment cycles including: IVF (114,672), ICSI (167,192), frozen embryo replacement (FER, 71,997), egg donation (ED, 10 334), preimplantation genetic diagnosis/screening (PGD/PGS, 2701) and in vitro maturation (IVM, 170). Overall, this represents only a marginal increase since 2003, due to a huge reduction in treatments in Germany. European data on intrauterine insemination using husband/partner's semen (IUI-H) and donor semen (IUI-D) were reported from 20 countries. A total of 115,980 cycles (IUI-H, 98,388; IUI-D, 17,592) were included. RESULTS In 14 countries where all clinics reported to the IVF register, a total of 248,937 ART cycles were performed in a population of 261.6 million, corresponding to 1095 cycles per million inhabitants. For IVF, the clinical pregnancy rates per aspiration and per transfer were 26.6% and 30.1%, respectively. For ICSI, the corresponding rates were 27.1% and 29.8%. After IUI-H, the clinical pregnancy rate was 12.6% in women below 40. After IVF and ICSI, the distribution of transfer of 1, 2, 3 and 4 or more embryos was 19.2%, 55.3%, 22.1% and 3.3%, respectively. Compared with 2003, fewer embryos were transferred, but huge differences still existed between countries. The distribution of singleton, twin and triplet deliveries after IVF and ICSI combined was 77.2%, 21.7% and 1.0%, respectively. This gives a total multiple delivery rate of 22.7% compared with 23.1% in 2003 and 24.5% in 2002. After IUI-H in women below 40 years of age, 11.9% were twin and 1.3% triplet gestations. CONCLUSIONS Compared with earlier years, the reported number of ART cycles in Europe increased and the pregnancy rates increased marginally, even though fewer embryos were transferred and the multiple delivery rates were reduced.
Anterior segment alterations and comparative aqueous humor proteomics in the buphthalmic rabbit (an American Ophthalmological Society thesis).

PURPOSE To use an integrated proteohistologic approach to gain insight into the anterior segment alterations in the buphthalmic rabbit. METHODS Eyes from 2- and 5-year-old buphthalmic and normal rabbits (n=20) were studied histologically. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) of aqueous humor (AH) was used to determine differential protein expression between animal groups. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were performed on selected differentially expressed proteins identified by LC-MS/MS. RESULTS The buphthalmic rabbits manifested a mild clinical phenotype with typical angle anomalies that appeared progressive by histology. Significantly thickened Descemet's membrane (DM) and anterior lens capsule in all buphthalmic rabbits showed increased fibronectin and collagen-IV immunolabeling. LC-MS/MS applying stringent filtering criteria revealed significant differential expression of several AH proteins in these rabbits. The protein of interest in the 2-year-old group was histidine-rich glycoprotein, and those in the 5-year-old group included alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein, clusterin, apolipoprotein E, interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein, transthyretin, cochlin, gelsolin, haptoglobin, hemopexin, and beta-2 microglobulin. The proteomic data for selected proteins was validated by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. A wide range of functional groups were affected by the altered AH proteins. These included extracellular matrix modulation, regulation of apoptosis, oxidative stress, and protein transport. CONCLUSIONS Multiple anterior segment alterations were histologically identified in the buphthalmic rabbits that showed progressive changes with age. The differentially expressed AH proteins in these rabbits suggest a multifunctional role for AH in modulating pathologic changes in DM, anterior lens capsule, and the angular meshwork in these animals.
Music transcription using an instrument model

We introduce a method to transcribe music with the help of an instrument model. One of the most important and difficult problems in music transcription is polyphonic pitch estimation. Common pitch estimation algorithms reported in the literature tend to have errors in the following three situations: missing fundamental; missing harmonics; shared frequencies. We believe an instrument model can make pitch estimation more robust in these three situations and thus can help to improve music transcription accuracy. We devise a spectrum subtraction algorithm to transcribe single and multiple instrument polyphonic music.
Clinicopathologic Analysis of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma in African Americans and Caucasians

Introduction African Americans have a higher incidence of pancreatic adenocarcinoma than do Caucasians for unknown reasons. Whether other clinicopathologic differences exist between these two groups is not known. This study was undertaken to compare the clinical, pathologic, and biologic findings for a group of patients with a histologic diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma of the usual type in a single institution. Methodology We studied 410 patients (166 African Americans and 244 Caucasians) with a histologic diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma of the usual type and analyzed (a) the clinicopathologic characteristics of the tumors, (b) the immunohistochemical expression of biomarkers implicated in pancreatic carcinogenesis (Fas, Fas ligand, HER2, p21/waf-1, p27, and p53), and (c) the presence and types of K-ras mutations at codon 12 as determined by polymerase chain reaction–mediated amplification. All elements of data were not available for all patients. Results African Americans had significantly higher rates of K-ras mutations to valine than did Caucasians (58% versus 22%, respectively;p = 0.015) and were less likely to have received chemotherapy (45% versus 70%, respectively;p = 0.001) or radiation therapy (34% versus 57%, respectively;p = 0.003). African Americans also had more frequent positive surgical margins than did Caucasians (56% versus 25%, respectively;p = 0.001), although mean tumor size was similar between the two groups (African Americans, 3.4 cm; Caucasians, 3.5 cm). Other clinicopathologic variables were similar between the two groups, including median survival (African Americans, 8.5 months; Caucasians, 10.1 months), 5-year survival (African Americans, 3%; Caucasians, 6%), and stage at presentation. Differences in biomarker immunoreactivity included less frequent Fas expression (4% versus 24%, respectively;p = 0.048) and a trend toward more frequent strong HER2 expression (39% versus 18%, respectively p = 0.11) in African Americans than in Caucasians. Conclusion Although African American and Caucasian patients had similar survival rates associated with usual type pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, there were differences in management and expression of biologic markers between these two groups. African Americans were significantly less likely to receive radiation therapy or chemotherapy than were Caucasians, which may assume more importance as treatment improves. At the molecular level, African Americans had more frequent K-ras mutations to valine than did Caucasians.
The Spanish Inquisition

Cuban chief Hatuey was burned alive at the stake. "The Spaniards told the Indians that they had a disease that only gold could heal. They demanded that the Cuban cacique Hatuey reveal the location of the gold. He denied that he had any hidden gold and as a result he was ordered to be burned alive. When the cacique was bound to the post, a Franciscan friar . told him some of the matters of our Faith, which the chieftain had never before heard. The padre told the cacique that if he wished to believe these things, he would go to Heaven . but if not, he would go to Hell and suffer eternal torment and sorrow. The cacique . asked the friar if Christians went to Heaven, and was told that the good ones did. The cacique, without further thought, said that he did not wish to go to Heaven but to Hell, so as not to be with Spaniards or see such cruel people. "(Las Casas, The Devastation of the Indies: a Brief Account, p. 45).
Do obesity and sleep problems cluster in the workplace? A multivariate, multilevel study.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to examine the co-occurrence of obesity and sleep problems among employees and workplaces. METHODS We obtained data from 39 873 men and women working in 3040 workplaces in 2000-2002 (the Finnish Public Sector Study). Individual- and workplace-level characteristics were considered as correlates of obesity and sleep problems, which were modelled simultaneously using a multivariate, multilevel approach. RESULTS Of the participants, 11% were obese and 23% reported sleep problems. We found a correlation between obesity and sleep problems at both the individual [correlation coefficient 0.048, covariance 0.047, standard error (SE) 0.005) and workplace (correlation coefficient 0.619, covariance 0.068, SE 0.011) level. The latter, but not the former, correlation remained after adjustment for individual- and workplace-level confounders, such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, shift work, alcohol consumption, job strain, and proportion of temporary employees and manual workers at the workplace. CONCLUSIONS Obese employees and those with sleep problems tend to cluster in the same workplaces, suggesting that, in addition to targeting individuals at risk, interventions to reduce obesity and sleep problems might benefit from identifying "risky" workplaces.
Collaborative Chronic Care Models for Mental Health Conditions: Cumulative Meta-analysis and Metaregression to Guide Future Research and Implementation

Objective:Prior meta-analysis indicates that collaborative chronic care models (CCMs) improve mental and physical health outcomes for individuals with mental disorders. This study aimed to investigate the stability of evidence over time and identify patient and intervention factors associated with CCM effects to facilitate implementation and sustainability of CCMs in clinical practice. Methods:We reviewed 53 CCM trials that analyzed depression, mental quality of life (QOL), or physical QOL outcomes. Cumulative meta-analysis and metaregression were supplemented by descriptive investigations across and within trials. Results:Most trials targeted depression in the primary care setting, and cumulative meta-analysis indicated that effect sizes favoring CCM quickly achieved significance for depression outcomes, and more recently achieved significance for mental and physical QOL. Four of 6 CCM elements (patient self-management support, clinical information systems, system redesign, and provider decision support) were common among reviewed trials, whereas 2 elements (health care organization support and linkages to community resources) were rare. No single CCM element was statistically associated with the success of the model. Similarly, metaregression did not identify specific factors associated with CCM effectiveness. Nonetheless, results within individual trials suggest that increased illness severity predicts CCM outcomes. Conclusions:Significant CCM trials have been derived primarily from 4 original CCM elements. Nonetheless, implementing and sustaining this established model will require health care organization support. Although CCMs have typically been tested as population-based interventions, evidence supports stepped care application to more severely ill individuals. Future priorities include developing implementation strategies to support adoption and sustainability of the model in clinical settings while maximizing fit of this multicomponent framework to local contextual factors.
Identification and functional analysis of CORIN variants in hypertensive patients

Corin is a serine protease that activates atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). CORIN gene variants have been reported in patients with hypertension. To date, however, the prevalence of CORIN variants in hypertensive patients remains unknown. To understand the prevalence and functional significance of CORIN variants in hypertension, we sequenced CORIN exons in 300 normal and 401 hypertensive individuals in a Chinese population and identified nine nonsynonymous variants, of which eight were not characterized previously. Among them, variants c.131A > G (p.Tyr13Cys), c.376G > T (p.Asp95Tyr), c.1094T > G (p.Leu334Trp), and c.1667G > A (p.Arg525His) occurred similarly in both normal and hypertensive individuals. Variants c1139G > A (p.Arg349His), c.2689C > T (p.Pro866Ser), and c.2864C > T (p.Thr924Met) were found once each in hypertensive individuals. Variant c.1683G > T (p.Arg530Ser) occurred preferentially in hypertensive individuals [10/401 (2.5%) vs. 1/300 (0.3%) in normal individuals; P = 0.023], which was confirmed in another independent cohort [9/368 (2.44%) in hypertensive and 2/377 (0.53%) in normal individuals; P = 0.033]. In biochemical and cell‐based functional studies, variants p.Arg530Ser and p.Thr924Met, but not p.Tyr13Cys, p.Asp95Tyr, p.Leu334Trp, p.Arg349His, p.Arg525His, and p.Pro866Ser, exhibited reduced pro‐ANP processing activity, which was caused by endoplasmic reticulum retention and poor zymogen activation, respectively. These results indicate that genetic variants impairing corin function are not uncommon in general populations and that such variants may be an important contributing factor in hypertension.
High frame-rate blood vector velocity imaging using plane waves: Simulations and preliminary experiments

Conventional ultrasound methods for acquiring color images of blood velocity are limited by a relatively low frame-rate and are restricted to give velocity estimates along the ultrasound beam direction only. To circumvent these limitations, the method presented in this paper uses 3 techniques: 1) The ultrasound is not focused during the transmissions of the ultrasound signals; 2) A 13 -bit Barker code is transmitted simultaneously from each transducer element; and 3) The 2-D vector velocity of the blood is estimated using 2-D cross-correlation. A parameter study was performed using the Field II program, and performance of the method was investigated when a virtual blood vessel was scanned by a linear array transducer. An improved parameter set for the method was identified from the parameter study, and a flow rig measurement was performed using the same improved setup as in the simulations. Finally, the common carotid artery of a healthy male was scanned with a scan sequence that satisfies the limits set by the Food and Drug Administration. Vector velocity images were obtained with a frame-rate of 100 Hz where 40 speckle images are used for each vector velocity image. It was found that the blood flow approximately followed the vessel wall, and that maximum velocity was approximately 1 m/s, which is a normal value for a healthy person. To further evaluate the method, the test person was scanned with magnetic resonance (MR) angiography. The volume flow derived from the MR scanning was compared with that from the ultrasound scanning. A deviation of 9% between the 2 volume flow estimates was found.
IMMUNOTHERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF SPIRAMYCIN IN EXPERIMENTAL GIARDIASIS.

Giardiasis is a major global cause of water borne diarrheal disease, which contributes greatly to the burden of malnutrition and malabsorption especially in children. There is a great demand for a new effective therapeutic agent against giardiasis that can be used safely during pregnancy, lactation and in infants. In the present study, the therapeutic effect of spiramycin as well as its immunomodulatory mechanism of action in giardiasis had been investigated. 90 Swiss albino mice were used in this study and classified into 3 groups: GI: 40 mice infected with Giardia lamblia cysts, GII: 40 infected mice that received spiramycin treatment in a daily oral dose of 1000 IU/gm body weight for one week starting one week post infection and GIII: 10 control uninfected untreated mice. 20 mice from each infected group were sacrificed 2 weeks post infection (p.i.) and the remaining mice were sacrificed 4 weeks p.i. Mice of the control groups were sacrificed at one time. The antigiardial therapeutic efficacy of spiramycin was assessed 2 and 4 weeks p.i. by counting of Giardia cysts in stool of mice and studying the histopathological changes and disaccharidase activity in small intestine of mice of different groups. Significant reduction in cysts number shedded in stool of treated animals reached 95.73%. The histopathological changes were mild in all infected groups 2 weeks p.i. , while 4 weeks p.i. There was also a significant increase in the number of IELs in treated groups denoting the stimulatory effect of spiramycin on lymphocytic proliferation. On studying the disaccharidase activity, there was significant increase in both sucrase and maltase activities in the treated groups as compared with the nontreated groups. The possible immunomodulatory mechanism of action of spiramycin was studied by measuring the local IgA deposition in small intestinal mucosa by PAP technique 4 weeks p.i. The levels of IgA in small intestine were higher in SP-treated group as compared with the non-treated group. The present results suggested that spiramycin has high efficacy as anti-giardial agent possibly by stimulation of local IgA production.
Autotrophic ammonia oxidation by soil thaumarchaea

Nitrification plays a central role in the global nitrogen cycle and is responsible for significant losses of nitrogen fertilizer, atmospheric pollution by the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, and nitrate pollution of groundwaters. Ammonia oxidation, the first step in nitrification, was thought to be performed by autotrophic bacteria until the recent discovery of archaeal ammonia oxidizers. Autotrophic archaeal ammonia oxidizers have been cultivated from marine and thermal spring environments, but the relative importance of bacteria and archaea in soil nitrification is unclear and it is believed that soil archaeal ammonia oxidizers may use organic carbon, rather than growing autotrophically. In this soil microcosm study, stable isotope probing was used to demonstrate incorporation of 13C-enriched carbon dioxide into the genomes of thaumarchaea possessing two functional genes: amoA, encoding a subunit of ammonia monooxygenase that catalyses the first step in ammonia oxidation; and hcd, a key gene in the autotrophic 3-hydroxypropionate/4-hydroxybutyrate cycle, which has been found so far only in archaea. Nitrification was accompanied by increases in archaeal amoA gene abundance and changes in amoA gene diversity, but no change was observed in bacterial amoA genes. Archaeal, but not bacterial, amoA genes were also detected in 13C-labeled DNA, demonstrating inorganic CO2 fixation by archaeal, but not bacterial, ammonia oxidizers. Autotrophic archaeal ammonia oxidation was further supported by coordinate increases in amoA and hcd gene abundance in 13C-labeled DNA. The results therefore provide direct evidence for a role for archaea in soil ammonia oxidation and demonstrate autotrophic growth of ammonia oxidizing archaea in soil.
Histamine H4 receptor ligands and their potential therapeutic applications: an update

Introduction: Several studies underlined the critical role of histamine H4 receptor (H4R) in inflammation, thus H4 modulators have been suggested as promising drug candidates in inflammatory diseases. First H4 ligands typically have indole or amino-pyrimidine scaffolds. During the last few years, however, serious efforts have been made to identify novel H4 chemotypes with improved pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties. Areas covered: Areas covered in this review include an overview on H4 ligands published in scientific papers, as well as in patent applications between 2009 and 2011. Recently discovered scaffolds possessing significant H4 activity were analyzed and their therapeutic potential was reviewed. Expert opinion: Recent results from the scientific literature and novel patent applications reinforce the major role of H4R in inflammatory diseases such as pruritus, asthma, inflammatory pain and allergic rhinitis. Novel studies suggest further indications of H4 modulators in cancer, neuropathic pain, vestibular disorders and type 2 diabetes. The number of active H4 chemotypes was increased significantly. The first H4 antagonist entered to clinics and the results from a proof-of-concept Phase II clinical study is expected to be disclosed soon.
Epidemiology of Pediatric EMS Practice: A Multistate Analysis

Abstract Objective: To describe the epidemiology of pediatric emergency medical services (EMS) practice in a large patient population from several geographic areas. Design: Retrospective computer analysis of EMS databases from four states using a common data set and analysis system. Setting: Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Nevada (except Clark County), 1990 through 1992. Methods: All patient-care reports of patients 14 years old and younger were extracted from the EMS databases and analyzed for the following factors: age, gender, date, elapsed pre-hospital times, incident type, mechanism of injury, call disposition, illness or injuries encountered, severity of illness/injury (by abnormal vital signs), and basic life support (BLS) and advanced life support (ALS) treatment delivered. Results: A total of 1,512,907 patient care reports were reviewed. Those of 61,132 children were extracted for analysis. These children comprised about 4% of prehospital responses. Male subjects predominated (56%), and children aged 7 through 14 years represented 46% of cases. Most calls occurred in the evening and daylight hours. Children were transported by ambulance in 89% of cases, and care was refused in 7.7%. Mean response time was 9±16 minutes, mean scene time 12±14 minutes, and mean transport time 14±20 minutes. Traumatic incidents predominated at 42%, with motor vehicle accidents and falls the most common mechanisms. Blunt injuries accounted for 94% of trauma, whereas respiratory problems, seizures, and poisoning/overdose were the most common medical problems. Vital signs were obtained in 56% of cases. Abnormal vital signs were noted in 21% of these, and the presumptive causes were similar in distribution to those of the general population, with the addition of cardiac arrest. The most commonly used treatments were spinal immobilization, oxygen administration, intravenous access and several ALS medications. An ALS capability was available in more than half the runs, but ALS treatment was delivered in only 14% of those cases. Outcome data were not available. Conclusion: This multistate analysis of pediatric EMS epidemiology confirms findings reported in smaller regional studies, with several exceptions. Excessive scene times were not noted. Few children had serious disorders as evidenced by abnormal vital signs. An ALS treatment, when available, was used infrequently. These findings have implications for EMS planners and educators.