Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Carcinomas of the pancreas, gallbladder, extrahepatic bile ducts, and ampulla of vater share a field for carcinogenesis: a population-based study.

CONTEXT Carcinomas co-occur in the pancreas, extrahepatic bile ducts, and ampulla of Vater. We investigated whether cancers originating in these sites represent a field effect similar to that observed in the lung and upper aerodigestive tract. OBJECTIVE To determine whether a field effect for carcinogenesis exists in the ampulla of Vater, extrahepatic bile ducts, gallbladder, and pancreas. DESIGN Data were obtained from National Cancer Institute's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Program from 1973 through 2005. Cases were compared by age frequency density plots, age-specific incidence rates, and logarithmic plots of the age-specific incidence rates and age of diagnosis. RESULTS Incidence rates were 11.71, 1.43, 0.88, and 0.49 per 100,000 persons at risk for pancreatic, gallbladder, extrahepatic bile ducts, and ampullary carcinomas, respectively. Age frequency density plots were congruent for cancers originating in all 4 sites. Logarithmic plots of the age-specific incidence rates with age of diagnosis produced parallel linear rate patterns for the 4 sites indicative of similar populations for tumor development. However, density and logarithmic plots of pancreatic endocrine carcinomas, a tumor of different cellular differentiation and carcinogenic pathway, served as a comparison. The endocrine carcinomas showed a different age distribution and nonparallel rate patterns with ductal carcinomas. CONCLUSIONS Carcinomas of the pancreas, gallbladder, extrahepatic bile ducts, and ampulla have a common embryonic cellular ancestry, differentiation pathways, mucosal histologic patterns, and population-related tumor development indicating a field effect in carcinogenesis. Parallel linear rate patterns indicate (1) the rate of cancer development is similar in all 4 sites even though the absolute incidence rates vary and (2) regardless of location, the ductal epithelium is equally susceptible to malignant transformation. If carcinogenic pathways to cancer are similar, then the different incidence rates seen clinically may depend on the relative surface area of the ductal system in these sites. Pancreatic cancers are most common because the surface area of the pancreas' ductal system is greater than that of the gallbladder, extrahepatic bile ducts, and ampulla.
A Class of Solvable Optimal Stopping Problems of Spectrally Negative Jump Diffusions

We consider the optimal stopping of a class of spectrally negative jump diffusions. We state a set of conditions under which the value is shown to have a representation in terms of an ordinary nonlinear programming problem. We establish a connection between the considered problem and a stopping problem of an associated continuous diffusion process and demonstrate how this connection may be applied for characterizing the stopping policy and its value. We also establish a set of typically satisfied conditions under which increased volatility as well as higher jump-intensity decelerates rational exercise by increasing the value and expanding the continuation region.
Object-oriented extensions for iec 61131-3

Industrial programmable logic controllers (PLCs), however, are still mostly programmed in the languages of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61131-3 standard. To meet the challenges of modern industrial automation, it is therefore only logical to add OOP to the upcoming third edition of the standard. At the moment, an IEC 61131-3 maintenance group is discussing a working draft of this next edition. This draft contains a proposal for object-oriented extensionsto be added to the IEC 61131-3. This article refers to this proposal. It is, however, a fact that the standardization in regards to OOP is still at an early stage, and it is quite possible that this article may differ from the final edition of the IEC standard.
Predictive validity of cocaine, sedative, and alcohol dependence diagnoses.

This study examined the predictive validity of Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (Spitzer, Williams, Gibbon, & First, 1990) based substance dependence diagnoses (i.e., cocaine, sedative, and alcohol) for 518 opioid-dependent outpatients entering methadone maintenance. Patients were followed over 1 year of treatment, which involved daily methadone substitution supplemented by individual and group counseling. Urine specimens were tested randomly 1-4 times per month. Patients diagnosed with current cocaine, sedative, or alcohol dependence were more likely to use these drugs than were patients with past only or no dependence syndrome. Current cocaine dependence predicted early treatment dropout. The results demonstrate the predictive and discriminant validity of several substance dependence diagnoses common among patients in substance abuse or other psychiatric treatment settings.
Longitudinal course of depressive symptoms in adulthood: linear stochastic differential equation modeling

Background Although many studies have addressed the topic of stability versus change in depressive symptoms, few have further decomposed the change to continuous accumulation versus non-systematic state fluctuations or measurement errors. This further step requires a longitudinal follow-up and an appropriate stochastic model; it would, for example, evaluate the hypothesis that women accumulate more susceptibility events than men. Method A linear stochastic differential equation model was estimated for a 16-year longitudinal course of depressive symptoms in the Young Finns community sample of 3596 participants (1832 women, 1764 men). This model enabled us to decompose the variance in depression symptoms into a stable trait, cumulative effects and state/error fluctuations. Results Women showed higher mean levels and higher variance of depressive symptoms than men. In men, the stable trait accounted for the majority [61%, 90% confidence interval (CI) 48.9–69.2] of the total variance, followed by cumulative effects (23%, 90% CI 9.9–41.7) and state/error fluctuations (16%, 90% CI 5.6–23.2). In women, the cumulative sources were more important than among men and accounted for 44% (90% CI 23.6–58.9) of the variance, followed by stable individual differences (32%, 90% CI 18.5–54.2) and state fluctuations (24%, 90% CI 19.1–27.3). Conclusions The results are consistent with previous observations that women suffer more depression than men, and have more variance in depressive symptoms. We also found that continuously accumulating effects are a significant contributor to between-individual differences in depression, especially for women. Although the accumulating effects are often confounded with non-systematic state fluctuations, the latter are unlikely to exceed 27% of the total variance of depressive symptoms.
Increasing Incidence and Lifetime Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Taiwan: A Nationwide Study in a Low-endemic Area 1998–2010

Background:The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease is increasing worldwide, but data of epidemiological trends from low-endemic area are limited. As one of the low-endemic countries, we describe the trends of this disease in Taiwan over time. Methods:This study was based on data obtained from the Catastrophic Illnesses Registration in the National Health Insurance Research Database, which covers more than 98% of the people in Taiwan. Every certificate of catastrophic illness must be approved by 2 expert gastroenterologists. Thirteen years (1998–2010) of data were analyzed for the trends of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Results:A total of 2915 incident cases (1818 men and 1097 women) were identified, including 2357 cases of UC and 558 cases of CD. The mean annual incidence rates were 0.80 for UC and 0.19 for CD per 100,000 inhabitants, with lifetime risks for those 20 to 79 years of age of 0.066% and 0.013%, respectively. The mean annual prevalence was 4.59 for UC and 1.05 for CD per 100,000 inhabitants. Poisson regression showed significantly increased trends during the observation period for both diseases, with a men/women ratio of 1.50 in UC and 2.14 in CD (P < 0.01). The mean age of individuals at diagnosis was higher for UC as compared with CD (44.7 versus 37.9, P < 0.001). Conclusions:Inflammatory bowel diseases are still relatively uncommon in Taiwan, but the incidence and prevalence rates are increasing.
Positive and Negative Affect in Children Living in Refugee Camps

In the present study, we assessed the psychometric proprieties of the Positive and Negative Affect Scale–Child Version (PANAS-C) in a large sample of Palestinian children (N = 1,376) of different age ranges living in refugee camps. In particular, we used standard confirmatory factor analysis to test competing factor structures for the PANAS-C, with a view to developing a stable version of the instrument, suitable for speedy administration in applied and research settings in the contexts of military violence. Four alternative models of the PANAS-C were evaluated: unidimensional; two-dimensional with independent PA and NA scales and covariance of item-level errors unallowed; two-dimensional with dependent PA and NA scales and covariance of item-level errors unallowed; and two-dimensional with dependent PA and NA scales and covariance of item-level errors. The results of the statistical analysis supported a 20-item measurement model comprising the PANAS-C20 Arabic version for children. The items in this best fitting model loaded on two different and negatively correlated factors. These findings encourage full adoption of the PANAS-C20 as a tool for assessing both PA and NA in Palestinian children living in contexts of warfare.
Site of bleeding and early outcome in primary intracerebral hemorrhage

Objectives– To describe the influence of the site of the bleeding on clinical spectrum and early outcome of patients with acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Material and methods– ICH was diagnosed in 229 (11%) of 2000 consecutive stroke patients included in a prospective stroke registry over a 10‐year period. Frequency of demographic variables, risk factors, clinical events, neuroimaging data, and early outcome (until hospital discharge) according to different sites of bleeding was assessed. Each topography of the bleeding (independent variable) was compared with the remaining ICH cases by means of logistic regression analysis. Results– In the multivariate analysis, sensory deficit was significantly associated with ICH in the thalamus; lacunar syndrome and hypertension with ICH in the internal capsule‐basal ganglia; seizures, non‐sudden stroke onset, and hypertension with lobar ICH; ataxia and sensory deficit with ICH in the cerebellum; cranial nerve palsy with ICH in the brainstem; and limb weakness, diabetes, and altered consciousness with multiple topographic involvement. The overall in‐hospital mortality rate was 31%, but this varied from 65% for multiple topographic involvement, 44% for intraventricular ICH, and 40% for ICH in the brainstem to 16% for ICH in the internal capsule‐basal ganglia. Conclusion– These data show the heterogeneous clinical profile of ICH, but they also suggest a difference in the clinical spectrum and in‐hospital mortality according to the site of bleeding.
Complex diseases, complex genes: keeping pathways on the right track.

In his “Defense of Beanbag Genetics,” J.B.S. Haldane1 responded to critics who challenged a marginal (ie, one-locus-at-a-time) approach to studying population genetics. Such “beanbag genetics” had been accused of being too simplistic and ignoring the contributions of multiple loci in different (and ever-changing) environmental contexts. Haldane conceded this point of principle (“beanbag genetics do not explain the physiologic interaction of genes and the interaction of genotype and environment”) but went on to argue that despite its simplifications, the marginal approach had proven itself in practice and led to important insights.1 The arrival of massive amounts of data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) has turned up the heat on a similar debate in the field of genetic epidemiology. On the one hand, the admittedly simple approach of averaging over genetic and environmental backgrounds and testing each marker in a GWAS for association with the studied trait marginally has proven quite successful,2,3 despite early concerns that by ignoring the underlying complexity this naive approach would fail.4,5 On the other hand, the loci discovered to date do not come close to explaining the observed heritability for most studied traits.6 “Pathway analyses” acknowledge complexity by considering multiple loci simultaneously and relating them to known functional annotations. In principle, pathway analyses could lead to new discoveries missed by the simple marginal analyses.7–11 Moreover, successful identification of associated pathways can clarify disease pathogenesis; indeed, for some phenotypes, multiple loci identified through GWAS have been linked to common pathways.12–15 However, in practice, multilocus pathway analyses present a number of challenges, some of which should be very familiar to epidemiologists.16,17 The paper by Breitling et al18 in this issue discusses the issue of overfitting when there is a large number of potential predictor variables. Other issues may be less familiar—the consequences of the peculiarities of genomic data and how it is annotated. Here we discuss 3 loosely defined approaches to “pathway analysis” and touch on potential pitfalls for each.
Use of an Abduction Brace for Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip After Failure of Pavlik Harness Use

The authors reviewed the records of 15 infants who were treated with an abduction brace after Pavlik harness use for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) failed. Failure was defined as persistent dislocation or instability of the hip. Thirteen of these 15 patients had resolution of DDH with the use of an abduction brace. The median time spent in the brace before stabilization of examination findings was 24 days; the median time in the brace before normalization of ultrasound parameters was 46 days. There were no complications with regard to use of the abduction orthosis. At final follow-up of an average of 3 years and 7 months, no patient had undergone surgery and no patient had residual dysplasia or avascular necrosis of the hip. The two patients in whom both the Pavlik harness and abduction brace failed went on to successful closed reduction and spica cast application.
Cardiovascular and endocrine responses to acute hypoxaemia during and following dexamethasone infusion in the ovine fetus

This study investigated the effects of fetal treatment with dexamethasone on ovine fetal cardiovascular defence responses to acute hypoxaemia, occurring either during or 48 h following the period of glucocorticoid exposure. To address the mechanisms underlying these responses, chemoreflex function and plasma concentrations of catecholamines, neuropeptide Y (NPY) and vasopressin were measured. Under general halothane anaesthesia, 26 Welsh Mountain sheep fetuses were surgically prepared for long‐term recording at between 117 and 120 days of gestation (dGA; term is ∼145 days) with vascular catheters and a Transonic flow probe around a femoral artery. Following at least 5 days of recovery, fetuses were randomly assigned to one of two experimental groups. After 48 h of baseline recording, at 125 ± 1 dGA, half of the fetuses (n= 13) were continuously infused i.v. with dexamethasone for 48 h at a rate of 2.06 ± 0.13 μg kg−1 h−1. The remaining 13 fetuses were infused with heparinized saline at the same rate (controls). At 127 ± 1 dGA, 2 days from the onset of infusions, seven fetuses from each group were subjected to 1 h of acute hypoxaemia. At 129 ± 1 dGA, 2 days after the end of infusions, six fetuses from each group were subjected to 1 h of acute hypoxaemia. Similar reductions in fetal partial pressure of arterial oxygen occurred in control and dexamethasone‐treated fetuses during the acute hypoxaemia protocols. In control fetuses, acute hypoxaemia led to transient bradycardia, femoral vasoconstriction and significant increases in plasma concentrations of catecholamines, vasopressin and NPY. In fetuses subjected to acute hypoxaemia during dexamethasone treatment, the increase in plasma NPY was enhanced, the bradycardic response was prolonged, and the plasma catecholamine and vasopressin responses were diminished. In fetuses subjected to acute hypoxaemia 48 h following dexamethasone treatment, femoral vasoconstriction and plasma catecholamine and vasopressin responses were enhanced, whilst the prolonged bradycardia and augmented plasma NPY responses persisted. These data show that fetal treatment with dexamethasone modifies the pattern and magnitude of fetal cardiovascular responses to acute oxygen deprivation. Modifications to different mechanisms mediating the fetal defence responses to acute hypoxaemia that occur during dexamethasone treatment may reverse, persist or even become enhanced by 48 h following the treatment period.
Adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation using extended right lobe grafts.

OBJECTIVE The authors report their experience with living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) using extended right lobe grafts for adult patients under high-urgency situations. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA The efficacy of LDLT in the treatment of children has been established. The major limitation of adult-to-adult LDLT is the adequacy of the graft size. A left lobe graft from a relatively small volunteer donor will not meet the metabolic demand of a larger recipient. METHODS From May 1996 to November 1996, seven LDLTs, using extended right lobe grafts, were performed under high-urgency situations. All recipients were in intensive care units before transplantation with five having acute renal failure, three on mechanical ventilation, and all with hepatic encephalopathy. The median body weight for the donors and recipients was 58 kg (range, 41-84 kg) and 65 kg (range, 53-90 kg), respectively. The body weights of four donors were less than those of the corresponding recipients, and the lowest donor-to-recipient body weight ratio was 0.62:1. The extended right lobe graft was chosen because the left lobe volume was <40% of the ideal liver mass of the recipient. RESULTS Median blood loss for the donors was 900 mL (range, 700-1600 mL) and hospital stay was 19 days (range, 8-22 days). Homologous blood transfusion was not required. Two donors had complications (one incisional hernia and one bile duct stricture) requiring reoperation after discharge. All were well with normal liver function 5 to 10 months after surgery. The graft weight ranged from 490 g to 1140 g. All grafts showed immediate function with normalization of prothrombin time and recovery of conscious state of the recipients. There was no vascular complication, but six recipients required reoperation. One recipient died of systemic candidiasis 16 days after transplantation and 6 (86%) were alive with the original graft at a median follow-up of 6.5 months (range, 5-10 months). CONCLUSIONS When performed by a team with experience in hepatectomy and transplantation, LDLT, using an extended right lobe graft, can achieve superior results. The technique extends the success of LDLT from pediatric recipients to adult recipients and opens a new donor pool for adults to receive a timely graft of adequate function.
Health Inequalities in India : The Axes of Stratification

Spring/Summer 2008 • volume xiv, issue 2 On 25 January 2008, India’s first female president, Pratibha Patel, voiced an appeal on the eve of the country’s 59th Republic Day, echoing concerns about the need to reconcile economic growth with social inclusion in society. India’s impressive economic growth, she noted, was not yet allowing the underprivileged and disadvantaged sections of Indian society to find a place to enjoy “the sunshine of the country’s growth and development. ”1 India’s galloping economic growth therefore clearly and urgently needs to be tempered by policies created to address concerns of equity and inclusiveness. Some of this disquiet is reflected in the low status of health achievements in India. Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen has convincingly argued that the health achievements of a given society are a better signal of social well being than any conventional macroeconomic measure.2 In addition to overall health achievements, how fairly health is distributed also provides considerable insight into understanding the extent of social justice in a given society.3 India’s performance in health and well being underscores this disparity. India is ranked low in terms of overall health status compared to other countries. India’s health and primary education system was ranked 101th out of 131 countries and economies by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2007 and 2008.4 On the Human Development Index (HDI), India finds itself at 128th place of 177 countries.5 This low ranking in HDI is largely due to India’s low ranking in life expectancy at birth, which is 63.7 years.6 Data from the United Nations places India at 148th out of 194 on the number of tuberculosis cases per 100,000 persons, 48th out of 89 on infant mortality rate, and
Ultrastructural and Microprobe Analysis

Electron probe microanalysis has revealed that vesicular or cisternal structures containing electron-dense mater ial in frog ependymal glial cells contain deposits of calcium and phosphorus. The so-called "osmiophil ic particles" in human astrocytes also contain calcium. It is suggested that these organelles are storage
Simulation-based optimization of UGCs performances

A simulation-based technique is presented to improve performances characteristics of unity-gain cells (UGCs), namely: Voltage and current followers, and voltage and current mirrors. The proposed technique is based on Monte Carlo simulations to find the optimum sizes of UGCs, by varying the bias current and by guaranteeing saturation conditions for all transistors under a tolerance specified by the user. The simulation technique classifies the frequency and gain characteristics of UGCs in order to compute the sizes relationships providing the gain close to unity and highest frequency.
Monofunctional derivatives of coproporphyrins for phosphorescent labeling of proteins and binding assays.

p-Isothiocyanatophenyl derivatives of Pt(II)- and Pd(II)-coproporphyrin I are described as stable monofunctional reagents which enable simple covalent labeling of proteins and other biomolecules under mild conditions in aqueous solutions. Labeling procedure was optimized for antibodies, avidin, and neutravidin. Photophysical properties of resulting conjugates important for their use in binding assays based on time-resolved phosphorescence detection were studied. The functional activity and long-term storage stability of antibody conjugates were assessed in comparison with unmodified proteins. The new labels and their conjugates were evaluated in the solid-phase immunoassays using commercial time-resolved phosphorescence readers Victor(2) and Arcus-1230 (Wallac). Potential applications of these reagents in in vitro diagnostics are discussed.