Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physician-assisted suicide: a survey of attitudes among Swedish physicians

Aims: To investigate the attitudes of Swedish physicians towards physician-assisted suicide. Design: A postal questionnaire on the respondent's opinion of physician-assisted suicide was sent to a randomly selected sample of physicians in Sweden. The respondents were given the opportunity of furnishing arguments of their own and of prioritizing arguments. They were also asked about possible influence on their own and patients' trust in the healthcare system if physician-assisted suicide was to be legally accepted. Participants: 1,200 physicians from six specialties, approximately 200 individuals each in: general practice, geriatrics, internal medicine, oncology, psychiatry and surgery. Setting: The study was commissioned by the Swedish Medical Society and its logo was printed on questionnaires and envelopes. Results: The total response rate was 74%, ranging between 63%—80% among the specialties. On average 34% were pro physician-assisted suicide, 39% against it and 25% were doubtful; 2% per cent did not respond to the question at all. Psychiatrists were significantly more accepting than oncologists, who were the most restrictive specialty. Older physicians (>50 years) provided a significantly more accepting attitude than younger ones (≤51 years). Conclusions: Despite the fact that the World Medical Association condemns physician-assisted suicide as unethical, the present survey indicates that there is no clear majority for or against physician-assisted suicide among Swedish physicians, and that significantly more elderly physicians have an accepting attitude towards physician-assisted suicide. There is a need for further research explaining the differences between the age groups as well as the variation between specialities.
Aberrant Epigenetic Alterations of Glutathione-S-Transferase P1 in Age-Related Nuclear Cataract

ABSTRACT Purpose: Oxidative damage of lens tissue contributes to the formation of age-related cataract. Pi-class glutathione-S-transferase (GSTP1) plays a role in the removal of oxidative adducts by transferring them to glutathione. To assess epigenetic regulation of GSTP1 and its potential role in age-related nuclear cataract (ARNC) pathogenesis, we evaluated GSTP1 mRNA expression, methylation, and chromatin modifications in lenses from ARNC patients. Methods: The mRNA and protein of lens GSTP1 were assayed by relative quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blots. Methylation of the GSTP1 promoter was determined by bisulfite genomic sequencing. Chromatin modification was detected by chromatin immunoprecipitation. DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) activities were also assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-like reaction. To assess the effect of DNA methylation on the mRNA expression of GSTP1, human lens epithelium HLE-B3 cells were treated with the demethylation compound 5-aza-dC, followed by qRT-PCR assay. Results: GSTP1 mRNA and protein levels were significantly reduced in lens epithelium and cortex of ARNC cases versus age-matched controls. The changes corresponded to hypermethylation of the GSTP1 promoter CpG islands. The loss of GSTP1 mRNA and protein and the increased DNA promoter methylation might be correlated with the severity of the ARNC. ARNC lenses also had lower acetylation of histone proteins H3, H4, and lower methylation of H3K4, and higher methylation of H3K9. Histone modifications were not correlated with the severity of the ARNCs. DNMT and HDAC were elevated in lenses from ARNCs compared with controls. Demethylation treatment of HLE-B3 cells with 5-aza-dC enhanced the expression of GSTP1. Conclusions: Epigenetic alteration of GSTP1 regulates its expression in lens epithelial and cortical tissues. These changes likely contribute to the pathogenesis of ARNC.
Secret key agreement under an active attack in MU-TDD systems with large antenna arrays

We consider secret key agreement (SKA) over time division duplex for a multi-user wireless system, in which a base station (BS) equipped with a large antenna array remotely generates different secret keys for multiple users in the system. The BS can have the SKA over downlink broadcast channels with precoding based on uplink training from the multiple users. In this case, unfortunately, an eavesdropper can effectively perform a pilot contamination attack (PCA) by transmitting a targeted user's training sequence for the purpose to steer beam direction toward the eavesdropper. As the beam direction becomes under the eavesdroppers control, this PCA can result in information leakage from the BS to the targeted user. In order to fend off this PCA, we derive PCA detectors based on generalized likelihood ratio test and propose a countermeasure. For the performance analysis, we consider the outage probability and show that it decreases exponentially with the number of antennas at the BS, which cannot be achieved by the conventional SKA.
The efficacy and safety of subcision using CO2 gas combined with fractional laser for acne scars: Clinical and microscopic evaluation

Background: Various modalities have been used to treat acne scars. CO2 fractional laser is an effective and commonly used treatment. CO2 gas injection into the dermis by needle with high pressure can cause fibrotic collagen breakage, producing the effects of subcision. CO2 also stimulates collagen synthesis by increasing neovascularization and releasing oxygen. Objective: This study evaluated the efficacy and the safety of the combined treatment with CO2 gas subcision and CO2 fractional laser for acne scars. Methods and materials: Fourteen patients with acne scars were treated with three sessions of CO2 gas subcision at 2-week intervals and two sessions of fractional laser at 4-week interval. The clinical improvement was assessed using a 4-point scale. For histologic analysis, punch biopsy was performed before and after treatment in 10 patients. Results: All patients experienced clinical improvements. Excellent, marked, moderate, and mild response was achieved in 1 (7%), 8 (57%), 4 (29%), and 1 patient (7%), respectively. Histologic evaluation of the biopsy specimens showed increased dermal collagen with dermal thickening and elastic fiber straightening in the reticular dermis after the treatment. Conclusion: The combination therapy with CO2 gas subcision and fractional laser was satisfactory and safe for treating acne scars. Abbreviation and acronym: CO2: Carbon dioxide GAS: Global assessment scale H&E: hematoxylin and eosin; SD: standard deviation
“White men can't jump.” But can they throw? Social perception in European basketball

In the present article, we investigate the influence of sociocultural stereotypes on the impression formation of basketball players and coaches. In Experiment 1 (n = 32), participants were shown a picture of a black or white basketball player prior to observation of a point‐light video of a player executing a basketball free throw. The participant was informed that the player depicted in the picture was executing the free throw. Results indicated that ethnicity of the target player significantly influenced participant evaluations, demonstrating specific stereotypes about black and white basketball players when evaluating performance. In Experiment 2 (n = 30), results derived from the Implicit Association Test indicated that black players are implicitly associated with athletic player attributes. The results are in line with social schema theory and demonstrate that – similar to findings that have been reported in the United States – a subpopulation of German basketball players and coaches hold specific stereotypes about the abilities of black and white basketball athletes. These stereotypes bias impression formation when coaches and players make assessments of basketball performance.
Preterm Delivery and Later Maternal Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Background: Women who have delivered a preterm infant are at elevated risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), but mechanisms for this association are not understood. Methods: In a cross-sectional study we investigated whether older women with a history of preterm birth (<37 weeks) had a higher prevalence of CVD. Participants were 446 women (mean age 80 years; 47% black) enrolled in the Pittsburgh, PA field center of The Health, Aging and Body Composition Study. Women reported preterm status, birth weight, smoking status, and selected complications for each pregnancy. CVD status was determined by self-report and hospital records. Analysis was limited to first births not explicitly complicated by hypertension or preeclampsia. Results: Women who had delivered a preterm infant (on average 57 years in the past) had a higher prevalence of CVD. After adjustment for race, age, blood pressure, pulse wave velocity, interleukin-6, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and statin use, the odds ratio for CVD among women who delivered a preterm infant was 2.85 (95% confidence interval = 1.19–6.85) compared with women who had delivered term infants weighing more than 2500 g. This relationship was not altered by lifetime smoking history. There was evidence of negative confounding by statin use and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Among women delivering infants who were both preterm and low birth weight (<2500 g), the odds ratio was 3.31 (1.06–10.37) for CVD compared with women with term, normal weight infants. Conclusions: These results suggest that vascular and metabolic factors account for some but not all of the increased prevalence of CVD among women many years after a preterm birth.
An analysis of the pacing strategy adopted by elite competitors in 2000 m rowing

Objectives: To determine the pacing strategies adopted by elite rowers in championship 2000 m races. Methods: Split times were obtained for each boat in every heavyweight race of the Olympic Games in 2000 and World Championships in 2001 and 2002, and the top 170 competitors in the British Indoor Rowing Championships in 2001 and 2002. Data were only included in subsequent analysis if there was good evidence that the athlete or crew completed the race in the fastest possible time. The remaining data were grouped to determine if there were different strategies adopted for on-water versus ergometer trials, “winners” versus “losers”, and men versus women. Results: Of the 1612 on-water race profiles considered, 948 fitted the inclusion criteria. There were no differences in pacing profile between winners and losers, and men and women, although on-water and ergometry trials showed a competitively meaningful significant difference over the first 500 m sector. The average profile showed that rowers performed the first 500 m of the race faster than subsequent sectors—that is, at a speed of 103.3% of the average speed for the whole race, with subsequent sectors rowed at 99.0%, 98.3%, and 99.7% of average speed for on-water rowing, and 101.5%, 99.8%, 99.0%, and 99.7% for ergometry. Conclusions: These data indicate that all athletes or crews adopted a similar fast start strategy regardless of finishing position or sex, although the exact pace profile was dependent on rowing mode. This strategy should be considered by participants in 2000 m rowing competitions.
Generation of progeny from embryonic stem cells by microinsemination of male germ cells from chimeric mice

Mice chimeric for embryonic stem (ES) cells have not always successfully produced ES‐derived offspring. Here we show that the male gametes from ES cells could be selected in male chimeric mice testes by labeling donor ES cells or host blastocytes with GFP. Male GFP‐expressing ES‐derived germ cells occurred as colonies in the chimeric testes, where the seminiferous tubules were separated into green and non‐green regions. When mature spermatozoa from green tubules were used for microinsemination, GFP‐expressing offspring were efficiently obtained. Using a reverse study, we also obtained ES‐derived progeny from GFP‐negative ES cells in GFP‐labeled host chimeras. Furthermore, we showed this approach could be accelerated by using round spermatids from the testes of 20‐day‐old chimeric mice. Thus, this technique allowed us to generate the ES cell‐derived progeny even from the low contributed chimeric mice, which cannot produce ES‐origin offspring by natural mating. genesis 43:34–42, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Zero-point motion and the insulator-metal transition in solid molecular hydrogen.

Candidate structures for molecular hydrogen in the 150 GPa pressure range are examined using [ital ab] [ital initio] frozen-phonon calculations in the local density approximation. Vibronic zero-point motion yields important contributions to the relative energies of metallic versus insulating phases. A first-order insulator-metal transition is found, with features in qualitative accord with experiment. Our results imply that an observed transition in solid molecular hydrogen is an insulator-metal--molecular-orientation transition driven by the vibron zero-point motion itself.
Force microscopy imaging of individual protein molecules with sub‐pico Newton force sensitivity

The capability of atomic force microscopes (AFM) to generate atomic or nanoscale resolution images of surfaces has deeply transformed the study of materials. However, high resolution imaging of biological systems has proved more difficult than obtaining atomic resolution images of crystalline surfaces. In many cases, the forces exerted by the tip on the molecules (1–10 nN) either displace them laterally or break the noncovalent bonds that hold the biomolecules together. Here, we apply a force microscope concept based on the simultaneous excitation of the first two flexural modes of the cantilever. The coupling of the modes generated by the tip–molecule forces enables imaging under the application of forces (∼35 pN) which are smaller than those needed to break noncovalent bonds. With this instrument we have resolved the intramolecular structure of antibodies in monomer and pentameric forms. Furthermore, the instrument has a force sensitivity of 0.2 pN which enables the identification of compositional changes along the protein fragments. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Is Critical For Angiotensin II–Mediated Hypertrophy in Cerebral Arterioles

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a major determinant of vascular remodeling in the cerebral circulation during chronic hypertension, which is an important risk factor for stroke. We examined the molecular mechanism of Ang II–mediated cerebrovascular remodeling that involves the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway. Mutant EGFR mice (waved-2), their heterozygous control (wild-type [WT]), and C57BL/6J mice were infused with Ang II (1000 ng kg−1 min−1) or saline via osmotic minipumps for 28 days (n=8 per group). Eight of the Ang II–infused C57BL/6J mice were cotreated with AG1478 (12 mg/kg per day, IP), a specific EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Systolic arterial pressure was measured by a tail-cuff method. Pressure and diameter of cerebral arterioles were measured through an open cranial window in anesthetized mice. Cross-sectional area of the wall was determined in pressurized fixed cerebral arterioles. Expression of phosphorylated EGFR (p-EGFR), caveolin-1 (Cav-1), and c-Src was determined by western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Mutation of EGFR or AG1478 treatment did not affect Ang II–induced hypertension. Ang II increased the expression of p-EGFR in WT mice, confirming the activation of EGFR. Ang II induced hypertrophy and inward remodeling of cerebral arterioles in WT mice. Hypertrophy, but not remodeling, was prevented in waved-2 and AG1478-treated C57BL/6J mice. Ang II increased p-EGFR, Cav-1, and c-Src expression in WT but not in waved-2 or AG1478-treated C57BL/6J mice. These results suggest that Ang II–induced hypertrophy in cerebral arterioles involves EGFR-dependent signaling and may include Cav-1 and nonreceptor tyrosine kinase c-Src. This signaling pathway seems to be limited to Ang II–induced hypertrophy, but not inward remodeling, and is independent of blood pressure.
Certified peer specialist roles and activities: results from a national survey.

OBJECTIVE In 2001 Georgia became the first state to allow services provided by certified peer specialists (CPSs) to be reimbursed by Medicaid. Six other states have since followed Georgia's lead, with many others in the process of doing so. This study examined where CPSs work and what they do. METHODS CPSs (N=291) from 28 states completed an online survey. RESULTS CPSs primarily did their work within the agency rather than in the community and worked most often with individuals rather than groups. CPSs frequently provided peer support and focus on self-determination, health and wellness, hope, communication with providers, illness management, and stigma. They spent the least amount of time supporting people's family, parenting, dating, or spiritual relationships. CONCLUSIONS CPS work settings and modalities varied greatly, although a core set of activities was identified. Implications for developing and refining CPS roles in the system are discussed, along with suggestions for additional training and supervision.
Two patients with MIRAGE syndrome lacking haematological features: role of somatic second-site reversion SAMD9 mutations

Background Myelodysplasia, infection, restriction of growth, adrenal hypoplasia, genital phenotypes and enteropathy (MIRAGE) syndrome is a recently described congenital disorder caused by heterozygous SAMD9 mutations. The phenotypic spectrum of the syndrome remains to be elucidated. Methods and results We describe two unrelated patients who showed manifestations compatible with MIRAGE syndrome, with the exception of haematological features. Leucocyte genomic DNA samples were analysed with next-generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing, revealing the patients to have two de novoSAMD9 mutations on the same allele (patient 1 p.[Gln695*; Ala722Glu] and patient 2 p.[Gln39*; Asp769Gly]). In patient 1, p.Gln695* was absent in genomic DNA extracted from hair follicles, implying that the non-sense mutation was acquired somatically. In patient 2, with the 46,XX karyotype, skewed X chromosome inactivation pattern was found in leucocyte DNA, suggesting monoclonality of cells in the haematopoietic system. In vitro expression experiments confirmed the growth-restricting capacity of the two missense mutant SAMD9 proteins that is a characteristic of MIRAGE-associated SAMD9 mutations. Conclusions Acquisition of a somatic nonsense SAMD9 mutation in the cells of the haematopoietic system might revert the cellular growth repression caused by the germline SAMD9 mutations (ie, second-site reversion mutations). Unexpected lack of haematological features in the two patients would be explained by the reversion mutations.
Oscillometric and spirometric bronchodilator response in preschool children with and without asthma.

BACKGROUND Bronchodilator responses (BDR) are routinely used in the diagnosis and management of asthma; however, their acceptability and repeatability have not been evaluated using quality control criteria for preschool children. OBJECTIVES To compare conventional spirometry with an impulse oscillometry system (IOS) in healthy and asthmatic preschool children. METHODS Data from 30 asthmatic children and 29 controls (two to six years of age) who underwent IOS and spirometry before and after salbutamol administration were analyzed. RESULTS Stable asthmatic subjects significantly differed versus controls in their spirometry-assessed BDR (forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1], forced vital capacity and forced expiratory flow at 25% to 75% of forced vital capacity) as well as their IOS-assessed BDR (respiratory resistance at 5 Hz [Rrs5], respiratory reactance at 5 Hz and area under the reactance curve). However, comparisons based on the area under the ROC curve for ΔFEV1 %initial versus ΔRrs5 % initial were 0.82 (95% CI 0.71 to 0.93) and 0.75 (95% CI 0.62 to 0.87), respectively. Moreover, the sensitivity and specificity for ΔFEV1 >=9% were 0.53 and 0.93, respectively. Importantly, sensitivity increased to 0.63 when either ΔFEV1 >=9% or ΔRrs5 >=29% was considered as an additional criterion for the diagnosis of asthma. CONCLUSION The accuracy of asthma diagnosis in preschool children may be increased by combining spirometry with IOS when measuring BDR.
The PPARα Activator Fenofibrate Slows Down the Progression of the Left Ventricular Dysfunction in Porcine Tachycardia-Induced Cardiomyopathy

It has been reported that high intramyocardial peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) stimulation or overexpression altered cardiac contractile function in mouse models of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Nevertheless, it has never been demonstrated that clinically relevant doses of drugs stimulating PPARα activity such as fenofibrate increase the risk to develop heart failure in humans. To determine if fenofibrate accelerates the development of heart failure in large mammals, we have tested its effects on the progression of left ventricular dysfunction in pacing-induced heart failure in pigs. Fenofibrate treatment blunted reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction, reduced cardiac hypertrophy, and attenuated clinical signs of heart failure. Fenofibrate impeded the increase in atrial natriuretic peptide, brain natriuretic peptide, and endothelin-1 plasma levels. The expression of PPARα, fatty acyl-CoA-oxidase, and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-Iβ was reduced at mRNA levels in the left ventricle from untreated heart failure pigs but maintained near normal values with fenofibrate. Fenofibrate prevented heart failure-induced overexpression of TNFα mRNA and enhanced catalase activity in left ventricle compared to placebo. These data suggest that a clinically relevant dose of fenofibrate does not accelerate but slows down heart failure development in the model of pacing-induced heart failure in large mammals.
Single Image De-Hazing Using Globally Guided Image Filtering

Local edge-preserving smoothing techniques such as guided image filtering (GIF) and weighted guided image filtering (WGIF) could not preserve fine structure. In this paper, a new globally guided image filtering (G-GIF) is introduced to overcome the problem. The G-GIF is composed of a global structure transfer filter and a global edge-preserving smoothing filter. The proposed filter is applied to study single image haze removal. Experimental results show that fine structure of the dehazed image is indeed preserved better by the proposed G-GIF and the dehazed images by the proposed G-GIF are sharper than those dehazed images by the existing GIF.