Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Small for Gestational Age and the Metabolic Syndrome: Which Mechanism Is Suggested by Epidemiological and Clinical Studies?

The metabolic and cardiovascular complications associated with in-utero undernutrition have been identified during the past 10 years. Reduced fetal growth is independently associated with an increased risk of development of cardiovascular diseases, the insulin-resistance syndrome or one of its components (i.e., hypertension, dyslipidaemia, impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes). Insulin resistance appears to be a key component underlying these metabolic complications. Although the mechanism remains unclear, several pieces of evidence support an active role of adipose tissue in the emergence of insulin resistance (an abnormal growth pattern and repartition, hypersensitivity to catecholamines, regulation of leptin and adiponectin secretion and modulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ). Among individuals born SGA, those who are more at risk of gaining excess adiposity are those who are thin at birth following a period of fetal growth restriction. This period of undernutrition is followed by a neonatal period of catch-up growth and renutrition. This pattern induces important modifications in adipose tissue, with long-term consequences, among which is a high risk of early development of insulin resistance. Not all individuals born SGA will show such modifications in adipose tissue, meaning that not all of those born SGA are at risk of insulin resistance and diabetes. From a broader point of view, several hypotheses have been proposed over the past 10 years to explain this unexpected association between being born SGA and the later development of disease. Each of them points to a detrimental fetal environment, to a genetic susceptibility or to interactions between these two components playing a critical role in this context. Although not confirmed, the hypothesis suggesting that this association could be the consequence of genetic/environmental interactions remains the most attractive.
The association between clinical and pathological features in histologically identified chronic endometritis

Although described originally as the sine qua non for endometriosis, plasma cells have been identified in the endometrium in a variety of other situations. This study of patients who did and did not have plasma cells in their endometrium was carried out to establish the association between the clinical presentations and a variety of pathological characteristics, particularly the presence of inflammatory cells including plasma cells in the endometrium. There was no evidence of an association between any of the presenting clinical conditions and the distribution, intensity or frequency of inflammation, including the component cell types (lymphocytes, eosinophils, plasma cells and neutrophil polymorphs) or stromal pigment, although there was an association between a history of abnormal bleeding and reactive changes in the surface endometrium (P = 0.0259). Thus this study confirms the findings of others that there is no specific clinical syndrome that is associated with the presence of plasma cells in the endometrium.
A REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON PHILIPPINE FOREST VEGETATION, PARTICULARLY WORK SINCE 1990

The Philippines is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots on earth. This paper reviews research on forest vegetation in the Philippines conducted since 1990, identified using modern search technologies such as the internet and scientific online databases. Philippine forest vegetation is still poorly represented in international research compared to other tropical rainforest areas. Only three recent species checklists or enumerations were identified for the whole of the Philippines, one for the island of Cebu, one for Palawan, and one for Cabra Islet in Occidental Mindoro. Two of them are not freely accessible. The number of published studies dealing with forest vegetation is also limited. Despite the ecological importance of Philippine forests and the threats they face, knowledge about them has progressed only slightly since the beginning of the last century when the forest types were defined and described. Most recent research focused on trees, often using the traditional lower diameter limit of 10 cm dbh. Smaller trees and other life forms are usually neglected although they account for the bulk of species richness. Additionally, most studies deal with forest vegetation at higher elevations. Lowland forest, the most threatened habitat in the Philippines, is rarely the focus of studies, very likely because intact lowland forests hardly exist anymore. Local plant names and the consultation of tree spotters play an important role in Philippine forest vegetation studies. This practice, although potentially very helpful, is prone to errors. Local names used by tree spotters are not necessarily identical with the standardized use in the forestry sector and the scientific literature. The situation is further complicated by the fact that many Philippine tree species can be grouped into timber classes whose names at the same time represent single species, e.g., white lauan. The uncritical "translation" of local plant names into scientific species results in unreliable species lists which hamper progress in understanding Philippine forest vegetation and ecology. In this context the importance of field characters for preliminary identifications must be stressed.
Finding the Missing Science : The Fate of Studies Submitted for Review by a Human Subjects Committee

Publication bias, including prejudice against the null hypothesis, and other biasing filters may operate on researchers as well as journal editors and reviewers. A survey asked 33 psychology researchers to describe the fate of 159 studies approved by their departmental human subjects review committee. About two thirds of completed studies did not result in published summaries. About half of the unpublished studies fell out of the process for reasons other than methodological quality. Among these, lack of interest and aims that did not include publication were cited more often than nonsignificant results as the reasons why publication was not pursued. However, significant findings were more likely than nonsignificant findings to be submitted for meeting presentation or publication. These results indicate attention needs to be paid to improving how psychological scientists communicate, especially to the creation of prospective research registers.
The structure of the 5' terminal cap of the respiratory syncytial virus mRNA.

The 5' terminal cap structure of the mRNAs of human respiratory syncytial virus synthesized in vitro in the presence of S-adenosyl-L-methionine consists of a 7-methyl guanosine linked to an unmethylated guanosine through a 5'-5' pyrophosphate linkage formed by using the alpha and beta phosphates of GTP. The complete cap structure is m7G (5')ppp(5')Gp . which is devoid of ribose 2'-O-methylation. Capping, including methylation, is coupled to transcription. These results constitute the first report of a pneumoviral mRNA cap structure.
Diagnosis and surgical management of ureteral calculi in dogs: 16 cases (1990–2003)

Abstract AIMS: To examine the clinical signs, laboratory and radiographic findings, surgical technique, ureterolith composition, and post-operative outcomes in dogs managed surgically for ureterolithiasis to determine whether surgical removal of ure-teroliths in dogs resulted in a positive clinical outcome. METHODS: The medical record database of a university veterinary hospital in Pennsylvania, USA, was searched for dogs that underwent surgery to remove obstructive ureteral calculi between 1990 and 2003. Records were reviewed for signalment, clinical history and examination findings, radiographic and laboratory test results, surgical technique, and ureterolith analysis. Follow-up information was obtained from telephone interviews with owners or referring veterinarians, or by reviewing the medical record of subsequent hospital visits. RESULTS: Sixteen dogs were included in this study; ten were neutered females, two intact females and four castrated males. Abdominal radiography revealed ureteral calculi in 14/16 dogs, renal calculi in 8/16, cystic calculi in 8/16, urethral calculi in 1/16, renomegaly in 6/16 and renal mineralisation in 5/16. Ure-terolith type included struvite in six dogs, calcium oxalate in five, calcium phosphate in one, and a mix of struvite, calcium phosphate and calcium oxalate in another. Compared to dogs with non-struvite ureteroliths, those with struvite ureteroliths had a higher pre-operative white blood cell (WBC) count (25.6, SD 7 vs 17.6, SD 6 x 103 cells/µl; p=0.046), and were more likely to have a purulent discharge from the ureteral incision noted at the time of surgery (p=0.015). Following discharge, 14/16 dogs were re-evaluated. Median survival time was 904 days (range 2–1,876). Two dogs required additional surgery on the urinary tract. Four dogs died or were euthanised because of azotaemia and clinical signs related to the urinary system or non-specific signs of illness (vomiting, lethargy) at 8, 90, 333 and 904 days post-operatively. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical management of ureteroliths was successful and resulted in good long-term survival in the majority of dogs examined in this small study population. Similar proportions of calcium oxalate and struvite ureteroliths were identified. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The use of ure-teral surgery may increase as the frequency of diagnosis of ure-teroliths in dogs increases.
High citrate diet delays progression of renal insufficiency in the ClC-5 knockout mouse model of Dent's disease.

BACKGROUND Dent's disease, an X-linked renal tubular disorder, is characterized by low-molecular-weight proteinuria, hypercalciuria, nephrocalcinosis, nephrolithiasis, and progressive renal failure. Dent's disease results from mutations of the voltage-gated chloride channel CLC-5. METHODS We studied the effect of zero and high citrate diet on renal function of ClC-5 knockout mice and wild-type mice. The mice were placed in metabolic cages from which the urine was collected. Mice were sacrificed to obtain serum and tissues for analysis. RESULTS ClC-5 knockout mice fed zero or high citrate diet had significantly increased urinary calcium excretion compared with wild-type mice fed the same diets. Nine-month-old ClC-5 knockout mice on a zero citrate diet had significantly decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR), whereas 9-month-old ClC-5 knockout mice on a high citrate diet had normal renal function. ClC-5 knockout mice fed a zero citrate diet had significantly increased tubular atrophy, interstitial fibrosis, cystic changes, and nephrocalcinosis compared to ClC-5 knockout mice fed a high citrate diet. Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) was significantly increased in 9-month-old ClC-5 knockout mice on zero citrate diet compared to 9-month-old wild-type mice on the same diet. CONCLUSION High citrate diet preserved renal function and delayed progression of renal disease in ClC-5 knockout mice even in the apparent absence of stone formation. We conclude from this that long-term control of hypercalciuria is an important factor in preventing renal failure in these mice.
Phase III randomized intergroup trial of CHOP plus rituximab compared with CHOP chemotherapy plus (131)iodine-tositumomab for previously untreated follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma: SWOG S0016.

PURPOSE Advanced follicular lymphomas (FL) are considered incurable with conventional chemotherapy and there is no consensus on the best treatment approach. Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) and Cancer and Leukemia Group B compared the safety and efficacy of two immunochemotherapy regimens for FL in a phase III randomized intergroup protocol (SWOG S0016) that enrolled 554 patients with previously untreated, advanced-stage FL between March 1, 2001, and September 15, 2008. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients were eligible for the study if they had advanced-stage (bulky stage II, III, or IV) evaluable FL of any grade (1, 2, or 3) and had not received previous therapy. In one arm of the study, patients received six cycles of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) chemotherapy at 3-week intervals with six doses of rituximab (CHOP-R). In another arm of the study, patients received six cycles of CHOP followed by consolidation with tositumomab/iodine I-131 tositumomab radioimmunotherapy (RIT). RESULTS After a median follow-up period of 4.9 years, the 2-year estimate of progression-free survival (PFS) was 76% on the CHOP-R arm and 80% on the CHOP-RIT arm (P = .11). The 2-year estimate of overall survival (OS) was 97% on the CHOP-R arm and 93% on the CHOP-RIT arm (P = .08). CONCLUSION There was no evidence of a significant improvement in PFS comparing CHOP-RIT with CHOP-R. However, PFS and OS were outstanding on both arms of the study. Future studies are needed to determine the potential benefits of combining CHOP-R induction chemotherapy with RIT consolidation and/or extended rituximab maintenance therapy.
Cross‐validated Cox regression on microarray gene expression data

This paper describes how penalized Cox regression, in combination with cross‐validated partial likelihood can be employed to obtain reliable survival prediction models for high dimensional microarray data. The suggested procedure is demonstrated on a breast cancer survival data set consisting of 295 tumours as collected in the National Cancer Institute in Amsterdam and previously reported in more general papers.
How Consistent Are Class Size Effects?

Thus far researchers have focused on computing average differences in student achievement between smaller and larger classes. In this study, the author focus on the distribution of the small class effects at the school level and compute the inconsistency of the small class effects across schools. The author use data from Project STAR to estimate small class effects for each school on mathematics and reading scores from kindergarten through third grade. Then, all school estimates were combined to calculate an overall weighted average. The results revealed that a large proportion of the school-specific small class effects are positive, while a smaller proportion of the estimates are negative. Although students benefit considerably from being in small classes in many schools, in other schools being in small classes is either not beneficial or is a disadvantage. Small class effects were inconsistent and varied significantly across schools in all grades indicating a small class by school interaction.
Evaluation of the consistency of Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) scoring in a surgical intensive care unit

ObjectivesTo determine the applicability of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) scoring system in a Swiss ICU, and to evaluate its utility in evaluating data from 2 yrs of consecutive admissions to show that the predictability of outcome is similar to that predictability observed by Knaus et al. in 1985 (in 5,815 patients), with the provision that large numbers of patients are studied. DesignProspective clinical trial over 2 yrs, with statistical analysis of the Swiss patients, and between the Swiss patients and the patients studied by Knaus et al. Receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated. SettingSurgical ICU in a Swiss university hospital. PatientsA total of 2,061 consecutive patients admitted to the surgical ICU who were classified as postoperative (elective or emergency) and nonoperative. Hospital mortality rate was considered. ResultsPatients were 53 ± 16 yrs of age. Mean APACHE II score was 10.5 ± 7.0. The mean APACHE H score was significantly (p < .001) lower in the 1,813 survivors (9.0 ± 5.2) than in the 248 nonsurvivors (21.5 ± 8.5). The mortality rate was higher among the Swiss patients when compared with the patients studied by Knaus et al. who had postoperative scores of 20 to 29 and nonoperative scores of >24. The distribution of the scores and mortality rates were stable during the two study periods, as were the differences in mortality rates between the Swiss population and that population studied by Knaus et al. Sensitivity and specificity of the scores were highest in the emergency surgery group (87% and 78%), and lowest in the elective surgery group (76% and 73%). The APACHE equation underestimated the risk of death. ConclusionsThe APACHE n score, because of its consistency over time and the stability of the mortality rates, can be used in our surgical ICU without modification. The calculated risk of death gives no additional information. (Crit Care Med 1992; 20:1681–1687)
Aberrant Distribution of ADAM3 in Sperm from Both Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (Ace)- and Calmegin (Clgn)-Deficient Mice1

Abstract Male mice deficient for the calmegin (Clgn) or the angiotensin-converting enzyme (Ace) gene show impaired sperm migration into the oviduct and loss of sperm-zona pellucida binding ability in vitro. Since CLGN is a molecular chaperone for membrane transport of target proteins and ACE is a membrane protein, we looked for ACE on the sperm membranes from Clgn−/− mice. ACE was present and showed normal activity, indicating that CLGN is not involved in transporting ACE to the sperm membranes. The ablation of the Adam2 and Adam3 genes generated animals whose sperm did not bind the zona pellucida, which led us to examine the presence of ADAM2 and ADAM3 in Clgn−/− and Ace−/− sperm. ADAM3 was absent from Clgn−/− sperm. In the Ace−/− mice, while ADAM2 was found normally in the sperm, ADAM3 disappeared from the Triton X-114 detergent-enriched phase after phase separation, which suggests that ACE is involved in distributing ADAM3 to a location where it can participate in sperm-zona pellucida binding. This diminished amount of ADAM3 in the Triton X-114 detergent-enriched phase may explain the inability of Clgn−/− and Ace−/− sperm to bind to the zona pellucida.
Calcium channel currents in neurones from locust (Schistocerca gregaria) thoracic ganglia

1. Using the patch-clamp technique, Ca2+ channel currents were recorded from neurones freshly isolated from the thoracic ganglia of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria. 2. In solutions containing 10 mmol l-1 Ba2+ we observed high-voltage-activated whole-cell inward currents with sustained and transient components, both of which had similar steady-state inactivation properties. 3. Substitution of Ca2+ for Ba2+ was found to reduce whole-cell currents, whereas removal of monovalent cations had no effect. 4. Cd2+ (1 mmol l-1) completely blocked the whole-cell current, but at 10 micromolar preferentially inhibited the sustained component without affecting the transient component. 5. Verapamil (1 micromolar) inhibited both current components but appeared to be more selective for the sustained component, whereas nitrendipine (1 micromolar) had no effect on either component. 6. A single-channel recording suggested that the transient component was carried by a low- conductance channel. 7. Certain compounds with insecticidal action (ryanodine, S-bioallethrin, deltamethrin and avermectin) did not affect calcium channel currents in these cells. 8. These data suggest that there are two types of Ca2+ channels present in locust neurones. These channel types have properties differing from the T-, L- and N-type channels found in vertebrates and, furthermore, were not targets for the insecticides we tested.
Paternal alcoholism and toddler noncompliance.

BACKGROUND This study examined the effect of fathers' alcoholism and associated risk factors on toddler compliance with parental directives at 18 and 24 months of age. METHODS Participants were 215 families with 12-month-old children, recruited through birth records, who completed assessments of parental substance use, family functioning, and parent-child interactions at 12, 18, and 24 months of child age. Of these families, 96 were in the control group, 89 families were in the father-alcoholic-only group, and 30 families were in the group with two alcohol-problem parents. Child compliance with parents during cleanup situations after free play was measured at 18 and 24 months. The focus of this paper is on four measures of compliance: committed compliance, passive noncompliance, overt resistance, and defiance. RESULTS Sons of alcohol-problem parents exhibited higher rates of noncompliance compared with sons of nonalcoholic parents. Sons in the two-alcohol-problem parent group seemed to be following a trajectory toward increasing rates of noncompliance. Daughters in the two-alcohol-problem parent group followed an opposite pattern. Other risk factors associated with parental alcohol problems also predicted compliance, but in unexpected ways. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that early risk for behavioral undercontrol is present in the toddler period among sons of alcoholic fathers, but not among daughters.
High output hamming-distance achievement by a greedy logic masking approach

Fabless semiconductor business model includes different third party roles. Among these roles, untrusted fabrication foundries can take the opportunity to overbuild the layout or extract its IPs and resell them. Logic masking methods modify the IPs/ICs to harden them against such threats. Masked circuits have extra inputs and components (the so-called key-inputs, and keygates) which make two modes for the circuit: a functional mode and an incorrect masked one. Masked circuits work correctly/incorrectly (in the functional/locked mode) depending on the correctness of the key. A proper logic masking method aims at modifying a circuit such that for any wrong key, the hamming distance between the produced output and the correct output tends to 50% as much as possible. To this end, we propose a greedy algorithm that investigates the circuit signals to find the best candidates for inserting keygates. Simulation results show that the algorithm can mask the original functionality of circuits for 99.6% on average.
Association analysis of a chemo-response signature identified within The Cancer Genome Atlas aimed at predicting genetic risk for chemo-response in ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND A gene signature associated with chemo-response in ovarian cancer was created through integration of biological data in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and validated in five independent microarray experiments. Our study aimed to determine if single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the 422-gene signature were associated with a genetic predisposition to platinum-based chemotherapy response in serous ovarian cancer. METHODS An association analysis between SNPs within the 422-gene signature and chemo-response in serous ovarian cancer was performed under the log-additive genetic model using the 'SNPassoc' package within the R environment (p<0.0001). Subsequent validation of statistically significant SNPs was done in the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium (OCAC) database. RESULTS 19 SNPs were found to be associated with chemo-response with statistical significance. None of the SNPs found significant in TCGA were validated within OCAC for the outcome of interest, chemo-response. CONCLUSIONS SNPs associated with chemo-response in ovarian cancer within TGCA database were not validated in a larger database of patients and controls from OCAC. New strategies integrating somatic and germline information may help to characterize genetic predictors for treatment response in ovarian cancer.