Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[A multicenter retrospective etiological analysis of 601 patients with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in China].

OBJECTIVE To investigate the prevalence and etiology of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in different age groups. METHODS Clinical data of patients with HLH were retrospectively collected from June 2005 to March 2014 in 49 hospitals in China. These patients were divided into child, youth, middle-aged and elderly groups according to the age of onset; meanwhile divided into primary HLH group, infection-associated HLH group, tumor-associated HLH group, rheumatic disease-associated HLH group according to the etiology. Prevalence rates, gender and underlying diseases of each group were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS A total of 601 patients were included in the study, age ranging from 1 month to 82 years. The median age of onset was 27 years and 26 years respectively in males(316 cases) and females (285 cases) without statistical significance (P=0.622). There were 171 in child group (28.5%); 262 in youth group(43.6%); 104 in middle-aged group(17.3%); 64 in elderly group(10.6%). The most common causes were infections in child group, malignancies and infections in youth group, malignancies in middle-aged group as well as elderly group. There were 48 patients in primary HLH group(8.0%), 197 in infection-associated HLH group(32.78%), 208 in tumor-associated HLH group(34.61%), 56 in rheumatic disease-associated HLH group(9.32%). Patients with primary HLH were significantly younger than those with secondary HLH (P<0.001), however the tumor-associated HLH group was the eldest. Primary HLH, infection-associated HLH and tumor-associated HLH had more male patients but without statistical significance (P=0.196), while rheumatic disease-associated HLH was mostly female patients (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS HLH is not a disease peculiar to children, instead, it may occur in all ages. There are a variety of etiology in different age groups, and a possible link between sex and HLH development. In clinical practice, due attention should be paid to the patients with suspected HLH. Positive relevant inspections may aid in the final diagnosis.
Evaluating the long-term need for antiparkinson drugs by chronic schizophrenics.

Chronic schizophrenic males receiving both antipsychotic and antiparkinson medication had the latter replaced by placebo for a sixweek study period. To provide a double-blind control, a smaller group received matching tablets of benztropine mesylate. Of 403 patients receiving placebos, 7% were withdrawn from the study because of substantial return or appearance of extrapyramidal symptoms. Another 11% were judged to be worse from the rating scale data, but the remaining 82% seemed to get along quite well without antiparkinson medication, experiencing at most some temporary symptoms of extrapyramidal system disturbance. From these and other data, it is recommended that clinicians reconsider their prescribing habits, particularly prophylactic and long-term use of antiparkinson drugs.
Quantitative relationship of Treponema denticola to severity of periodontal disease

The Treponema denticola content of plaque was quantitatively estimated for samples taken from periodontitis patients as well as periodontally healthy subjects among two separate human populations. The populations studied included military volunteers and civilians at a university dental clinic. The plaque samples from each population were grouped according to pocket depth measurements at the collection site. A biotin-avidin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay procedure was developed with a monoclonal antibody specific for a serovariety of T. denticola. T. denticola was present at significantly elevated levels in plaque samples collected from deep-pocket sites of patients with severe periodontitis relative to the healthy controls and a group with moderate disease. The ratio of T. denticola content per milligram of plaque in the deep pocket groups to that of the other two groups was about 2:1 for both populations. This is the first quantitative evidence of a positive relationship between a specific spirochete species and severe periodontitis.
Cost-effectiveness of In Vitro Fertilization

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an effective but underutilized treatment for long-standing infertility. The median projected cost per IVF cycle in 2001 in the United States would be $9226 and $3531 in 25 other countries, based on previously published estimates. The cost per delivery arising from IVF cycles in 2001 in the United States would average $56,419, and $20,522 in eight other countries, based on previously published estimates. The cost-effectiveness of IVF has not been proven in three randomized controlled trials, but these trials are difficult to design and implement. Multiple gestation births significantly increase the cost of IVF treatment. IVF multiple births cost 36% more than the IVF cycles that gave rise to the multiple births. The uptake of IVF in most countries falls short of the minimum 1500 cycles per annum that would be needed per million population. Comparative international data indicate that infertile couples would increase their uptake of IVF services if the price were lower.
Cortisol and testosterone levels on a weekend and a work day in three mountain villages in the Selška Valley of northwest Slovenia

Background: In contemporary western populations, a week commonly involves 5 days of paid work (work days) and two non-working days (weekend). Work days are usually perceived as being more stressful than non-work days and this hypothesis has been tested in several studies, most of which selected subjects with jobs that are perceived to have high stress. Aim: The study measured salivary cortisol and testosterone on a work day and a weekend in a community-based sample of people going about their everyday lives and tested the hypothesis that hormone levels will be higher on a work day. Subjects and methods: Slovenian alpine villagers (30 females and 25 males) were sampled without reference to their occupation. Each individual was measured on two occasions, a day on a weekend and a work day as they went about their usual activities in the afternoon. Results: Cortisol (mean = 3.32 ng ml−1, range 0.4–27.9) and testosterone (mean = 121 pg ml−1, range 17–424) values were similar to other populations. Neither the age of subjects nor the time in the afternoon of sample collection were associated with hormone concentrations. On each day of collection, cortisol and testosterone values were correlated for each sex, with the estimate of the correlation coefficient ranging from 0.57 to 0.88. For females, testosterone values were higher on the weekend than the work day (102 pg ml−1 and 60 pg ml−1, respectively) but not for males (mean across both days 134 pg ml−1). Independent of this effect, the presence of a spouse or other adult in the house was significantly associated with lower testosterone levels in both sexes. Husband and wife testosterone values are correlated on the weekend (r = 0.67, p = 0.02) but not on the work day. Mean cortisol values for the weekend and work day were not different and there was no correlation between levels on these two days. Conclusions: These results, although based upon a small sample size, reveal potential relationships between testosterone, work–rest activities, and the presence–absence of a social partner that warrant further investigation.
Modified Joel‐Cohen technique for caesarean delivery

Si,: We would agree with the assertion in the letter of Sowter et al. concerning the MISTLETOE study (Vol 105, December 1998)’ that the use of thinning agents prior to surgery can be of benefit to patients with dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Our experience in a large, multicentre, randomised controlled clinical trial’ comparing the GnRH agonist, Zoladex 3.6 mg (goserelin acetate) (n = 180) with placebo (n = 178) prior to loop resection confirms the findings of both the MISTLETOE study (Vol 104, December 1997)? and the Cochrane review by Sowter e ta / . that the use of hormonal agents prior to surgery does not reduce post-operative complication rates. However, it also shows that there are other equally important benefits associated with preoperative endometrial thinning. At surgery, timed for six weeks after start of treatment, the endomettiurn was significantly thinner in women treated with goserelin (mean thickness 1.6 mm vs 3.4 mm, P = 0.0001) and fluid absorption was less (median absorption 150 mLvs 225 mL, P = 0.0325). This led to a significantly shorter duration of surgery (mean duration 17.5 min vs 21.9 min, P = 0.0001). since these procedures were canied out by experienced surgeons (> 50 resections), the improved intrauterine operating environment that endometrial thinning agents provide can also have benefits for the less experienced operator. Six months after surgery a significantly greater rate of amenorrhoea was seen in women treated with goserelin than in those treated with placebo (40% vs 26%, P = 0.0039). One year after surgery this clinically significant difference in amenorrhoea rates had been maintained and the rate of women undergoing subsequent hysterectomy had remained low (< 5%). Initial results from the three-year follow up indicate a continued high rate of amenorrhoea and low rate of hysterectomies. This and the planned five-year follow up will help to show whether pre-operative endometrial thinning does indeed reduce the need for subsequent hysterectomy.
Intelligent support for group work in collaborative learning environments

The delivery of intelligent support for group work is a complex issue in collaborative learning environments. This particularly pertains to the construction of effective groups and assessment of collaboration problems. This is because the composition of groups can be affected by several variables, and various methods are desirable for ascertaining the existence of different collaboration problems. Literature has shown that current collaborative learning environments provide limited or no support for teachers to cope with these tasks. Considering this and the increasing use of online collaboration, this research aims to explore solutions for improving the delivery of support for group work in collaborative learning environments, and thus to simplify how teachers manage collaborative group work. In this thesis, three aspects were investigated to achieve this goal. The first aspect emphasises on proposing a novel approach for group formation based on students‘ learning styles. The novelty and importance of this approach is the provision of an automatic grouping method that can tailor to individual students‘ characteristics and fit well into the existing collaborative learning environments. The evaluation activities comprise the development of an add-on tool and an undergraduate student experiment, which indicate the feasibility and strength of the proposed approach — being capable of forming diverse groups that tend to perform more effectively and efficiently than similar groups for conducting group discussion tasks. The second focus of this research relates to the identification of major group collaboration problems and their causes. A nationwide survey was conducted that reveals a student perspective on the issue, which current literature fails to adequately address. Based on the findings from the survey, an XML-based representation was created that provides a unique perspective on the linkages between the problems and causes identified. Finally, the focus was then shifted to the proposal of a novel approach for diagnosing the major collaboration problems identified. The originality and significance of this approach lies in the provision of various methods for ascertaining the existence of different collaboration problems identified, based on student interaction data that result from the group work examined. The evaluation procedure focused on the development of a supporting tool and several experiments with a test dataset. The results of the evaluation show that the feasibility and effectiveness are sustained, to a great extent, for the diagnostic methods addressed. Besides these main proposals, this research has explored a multi-agent architecture to unify all the components derived for intelligently managing online collaborative learning, which suggests an overarching framework providing context for other parts of this thesis.
Spectroscopic Characterization of Two Different Microwave (2.45 GHz) Induced Argon Plasmas at Atmospheric Pressure

A surface-wave-sustained discharge created by using a surfatron device in a tube open to the atmosphere can be used to maintain a microwave (2.45 GHz) plasma at atmospheric pressure at powers of less than 300 W. The TIA (Torche à Injection Axiale) is a device also producing a plasma that, moreover, permits us to work at high power (higher than 200 W and up to 1000 W). A study of the departure from the thermodynamic equilibrium existing in the argon plasmas created by both devices has been done by using optical emission spectroscopy techniques in order to characterize them and to evaluate their possible advantages when they are used for applied purposes.
Predictors of students' adjustment during transition to university in Spain.

BACKGROUND Adjustment to university is a major life transition that not all emerging adults manage successfully. The Student University Adjustment Questionnaire is the instrument most commonly used to evaluate this multidimensional construct. Research in Spain on the predisposing factors for successful adjustment to university in emerging adults is scarce relative to the large number of studies carried out in North America. The objective of the present study was to analyze the association between students’ gender, family background, pre-university achievement and adjustment to university. METHOD Participants were 300 Spanish first-year students (198 women and 102 men) of mean age 18.02 years. RESULTS Pre-university achievement was the only significant predictor of academic, social and institutional adjustment. Gender directly affected personal-emotional adjustment and indirectly affected academic adjustment mediated by entry grade. CONCLUSIONS Students’ entry characteristics predict adjustment to university in the first year. These findings have important theoretical and practical implications.
The Influence of Maturity and Variety of Potato Plants on Oviposition and Probing of Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae)

ABSTRACT The ecological theory on host plant choice by herbivores suggests that mothers should choose plants that will maximize their offspring's success. In annual host plants, physiology (and therefore host suitability) is sometimes influenced by maturity and growth stage, which may influence female choice. Potato plants were grown under greenhouse conditions and used in choice and no-choice bioassays to determine the effect of plant maturity and variety on oviposition and number of stylet sheaths (which approximate stylet insertions) by tomato/potato psyllids. No-choice bioassays suggested that maturity (time since planting) did not influence oviposition behavior, but oviposition varied significantly among potato plant varieties. There was a significant effect of both maturity and variety on the number of stylet sheaths, which peak toward the middle of the growing season. We also examined tomato/potato psyllid responses to plants grown in a commercial field and again found no effect on oviposition but differences in stylet sheaths. The results suggest that differential susceptibility to zebra chip disease may be associated with unequal feeding rates. Future studies should examine whether the maturity of plants influences larval fitness. Finally, potato variety has an influence on both oviposition and “probing,” and has implications for management strategies and the development of resistant potato varieties.
Cytochrome P450-7B1 and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 distribution in human tissues

Abstract Successive action of cytochrome P450-7B1 (CYP7B1) and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) on 3β-hydroxysteroids such as DHEA and epiandrosterone leads to the production of cytoprotective 7β-hydroxylated derivatives. Investigation of the presence of these enzymes in human tissues could be carried out on commercially available human tissue arrays with use of antibodies specific to CYP7B1 and 11β-HSD1 for immunohistochemistry. Both enzymes were detected mainly in tissues of endodermic and ectodermic origin which are prone to undergo inflammation. As low doses of the 7β-hydroxylated derivatives of DHEA and epiandrosterone trigger the resolution of inflammation and tissue repair, CYP7B1 and 11β-HSD1 tissue contents may reflect the tissue ability for reparation after pathological conditions.
A pharmacogenetics study of the human glucuronosyltransferase UGT1A4

BackgroundUGT1A4 is primarily expressed in the liver and exhibits catalytic activities for various drugs. Amongst the few UGT1A4 polymorphisms evaluated, studies support the alteration of UGT1A4-mediated glucuronidation by a few variations including the Pro24Thr and Leu48Val variants (referred to as UGT1A4*2 and *3). MethodsWe therefore investigated genetic mechanisms that might contribute to interindividual variation in UGT1A4 expression and activity. The UGT1A4 gene was sequenced from −4963 bp relative to the ATG to 2000 bp after the first exon in 184 unrelated Caucasians and African–Americans. ResultsWe identified a large number of genetic variations, including 13 intronic, 39 promoter, as well as 14 exonic polymorphisms, with 10 that lead to amino-acid changes. Of the nucleotide variations found in the −5 kb promoter region, five are located in the proximal region (first 500 bp), and positioned in putative HNF-1 and OCT-1 binding sites. Four of these variants, placed at -163, -219, -419 and -463, are in complete linkage disequilibrium with the Leu48Val coding region variant and with several variants in the upstream region of the promoter. Transient transfections of reference and variant promoter constructs (from position −500 to +1) in different cell lines with or without co-expression of HNF-1 and/or OCT-1 showed limited effect of these variations. ConclusionAdditional functional studies on promoter variants are still required to predict their potential influence on UGT1A4 expression in vivo. Besides, several coding variants significantly modified the enzyme kinetics for tamoxifen and Z-4-hydroxytamoxifen (Val48, Asp50, Gln56, Phe176, Asn250, Leu276) and are expected to have a potential in vivo effect.
Type I IFN Negatively Regulates CD8+ T Cell Responses through IL-10-Producing CD4+ T Regulatory 1 Cells1

Pleiotropic, immunomodulatory effects of type I IFN on T cell responses are emerging. We used vaccine-induced, antiviral CD8+ T cell responses in IFN-β (IFN-β−/−)- or type I IFN receptor (IFNAR−/−)-deficient mice to study immunomodulating effects of type I IFN that are not complicated by the interference of a concomitant virus infection. Compared with normal B6 mice, IFNAR−/− or IFN-β−/− mice have normal numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and CD25+FoxP3+ T regulatory (TR) cells in liver and spleen. Twice as many CD8+ T cells specific for different class I-restricted epitopes develop in IFNAR−/− or IFN-β−/− mice than in normal animals after peptide- or DNA-based vaccination. IFN-γ and TNF-α production and clonal expansion of specific CD8+ T cells from normal and knockout mice are similar. CD25+FoxP3+ TR cells down-modulate vaccine-primed CD8+ T cell responses in normal, IFNAR−/−, or IFN-β−/− mice to a comparable extent. Low IFN-α or IFN-β doses (500–103 U/mouse) down-modulate CD8+ T cells priming in vivo. IFNAR- and IFN-β-deficient mice generate 2- to 3-fold lower numbers of IL-10-producing CD4+ T cells after polyclonal or specific stimulation in vitro or in vivo. CD8+ T cell responses are thus subjected to negative control by both CD25+FoxP3+ TR cells and CD4+IL-10+ TR1 cells, but only development of the latter TR cells depends on type I IFN.
Determination of SMN1 and SMN2 copy number using TaqMan™ technology

Infantile spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neuromuscular disease caused by homozygous deletion of the SMN1 gene in more than 90% of patients. Identification of carriers for the SMN1 deletion is important for diagnostic purposes and for genetic counseling. The current practical implications of SMN2 copy number determination are limited but may be important, for example, for future drug trials. Here we present a new rapid and reliable approach to determine the copy numbers of the SMN1 and SMN2 genes: For differentiation of the two genes, we developed a quantitative test on the basis of TaqMan™ technology using minor groove binder (MGB) probes. To evaluate the approach in respect to detection of SMN1 deletion carriers, we tested 40 putative carriers as well as 100 controls. We confirmed the carrier status in all individuals; furthermore, the distribution of SMN1 and SMN2 copies in the control cohort corresponded to that published previously. In total, a clear‐cut differentiation between the different copy number ranges could be observed for both genes. This distinct differentiation is based on the exact specificity of MGB probes and the parallel analysis of an external reference locus that circumvents the problem of unavoidable deviations in DNA concentrations. The simplicity and reproducibility of the TaqMan assay presented here should facilitate its establishment in molecular diagnostic laboratories. Nevertheless, the applicability of quantitative analyses of SMN copy numbers requires knowledge about its options and limitations, based on the complex nature of the SMN region and the clinical variability of SMA. Therefore, determination of SMN1 and SMN2 copy numbers should only be offered after careful consideration in each case. Hum Mutat 22:74–78, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Does a negative screening colonoscopy ever need to be repeated?

Background and aims: Screening colonoscopy is thought to be a powerful and cost-effective tool to reduce colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. Whether and when colonoscopy with negative findings has to be repeated is not well defined. The aim of this study was to assess the long term risk of clinically manifest colorectal cancer among subjects with negative findings at colonoscopy. Patients: 380 cases and 485 controls participating in a population based case-control study in Germany. Methods: Detailed history and results of previous colonoscopies were obtained by interview and from medical records. Adjusted relative risks of colorectal cancer among subjects with a previous negative colonoscopy compared with those without previous colonoscopy were estimated according to time since colonoscopy. Results: Subjects with previous negative colonoscopy had a 74% lower risk of colorectal cancer than those without previous colonoscopy (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.26 (95% confidence interval, 0.16 to 0.40)). This low risk was seen even if the colonoscopy had been done up to 20 or more years previously. Particularly low risks were seen for sigma cancer (aOR = 0.13 (0.04 to 0.43)) and for rectal cancer (aOR = 0.19 (0.09 to 0.39)), and after a negative screening colonoscopy at ages 55 to 64 (aOR = 0.17 (0.08 to 0.39)) and older (aOR = 0.21 (0.10 to 0.41)). Conclusions: Subjects with negative findings at colonoscopy are at very low risk of colorectal cancer and might not need to undergo repeat colonoscopy for 20 years or more, if at all. The possibility of extending screening intervals to 20 years or more might reduce complications and increase the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of colonoscopy based screening programmes.