Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Health and human security in West Papua

Recent publications have highlighted the impact of human rights violations, poverty and extraction of natural resources on the health status of the indigenous people of West Papua. However, the Australian medical literature has so far remained silent on this issue. Long‐standing allegations of violence being perpetrated against Papuan civil society are supported by accounts given by West Papuan refugees involved in an Australian‐based study. Health data collected by Médecins du Monde and other sources provide an insight into the poor health and lack of health care in the province, with high rates of infant mortality and morbidity, maternal mortality, and HIV/AIDS. Extraction of natural resources is causing major disruptions to the traditional livelihoods of indigenous Papuans, as a result of environmental degradation, mass displacement and an influx of migrant workers. Australian health professionals are urged to assist in remediating this dire situation, in keeping with our tradition of contributing to the health care of societies in our region.
Anemia Is Associated with Mortality in Kidney-Transplanted Patients — A Prospective Cohort Study

aInstitute of Behavioral Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary, b1st Department of Internal Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary, cSemmelweis University—Fresenius Medical Care Dialysis Center, Budapest, Hungary, dCentral Laboratory, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary, eHungarian Academy of Sciences and Semmelweis University Nephrology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary and fDepartment of Transplantation and Surgery, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary gDepartment of Psychiatry, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada *Corresponding author: Istvan, Mucsi istvan@nefros.net
Results of Laparoscopic and Open Splenectomy for Nontraumatic Diseases

The medical records of patients who had undergone splenectomy for nontraumatic diseases of the spleen between 1997 and 2000 were reviewed. The aim of the study was to evaluate the short-term outcomes of open and laparoscopic splenectomies and to determine whether some well-known benefits of laparoscopic surgery could be observed in patients who underwent laparoscopic splenectomy for nontraumatic splenic diseases. The data of 44 patients were available for analysis and included 20 patients (45.5%) who underwent laparoscopic splenectomy and 24 patients (54.5%) who underwent open splenectomy. Various parameters were reported for open and laparoscopic procedures separately, including associated surgical procedures, spleen weight, postoperative mortality and morbidity rates, perioperative blood transfusions, use and length of abdominal drainage, accessory spleen removal, operative times, length of hospital recovery, and hematologic parameters on admission to and discharge from the hospital. Laparoscopic splenectomy was successfully completed in all 20 considered patients with no conversion to open splenectomy. The supine position and four trocars were adopted in all patients. Accessory spleens were found in four (9.0%) patients: two (4.5%) during open splenectomy and two (4.5%) during laparoscopic splenectomy. The postoperative mortality rate was 2.7% (a case of myocardial infarction). The morbidity rate was 9% (four patients), but no postoperative complications occurred after laparoscopic splenectomy. A significant statistical difference was shown by the increase in platelet counts after open versus laparoscopic splenectomy. The open and laparoscopic mean operative times (73.70 ± 13.42 minutes and 78.42 ± 14.63 minutes, respectively) were comparable. These times were comparable also considering patients who underwent only splenectomy. Mean recovery time was shorter after laparoscopic splenectomy (3.95 ± 0.60 days) than after open splenectomy (7.0 ± 1.68 days). After open procedures, however, the mean recovery time was shorter in uncomplicated cases (6.68 ± 1.49 days) than in the open group as a whole. Authors conclude that many well-known advantages of the laparoscopic approach, especially those related to its low invasiveness, can be observed in patients requesting splenectomy for nontraumatic diseases of the spleen, without lowering the efficacy of this operation. They suggest that such advantages can be entirely displayed when selection criteria of the patients are applied.
Primate nucleus gracilis neurons: responses to innocuous and noxious stimuli.

1. Recordings were made from 67 neurons in the nucleus gracilis (NG) of anesthetized macaque monkeys. All of the cells were activated antidromically from the ventral posterior lateral (VPL) nucleus of the contralateral thalamus. Stimuli used to activate the cells orthodromically were graded innocuous and noxious mechanical stimuli, including sinusoidal vibration and thermal pulses. 2. The latencies of antidromic action potentials following stimulation in the VPL nucleus were significantly shorter for cells in the caudal compared with the rostral NG. The mean minimum afferent conduction velocity of the afferent conduction velocity of the afferent fibers exciting the NG cells was 52 m/s, as judged from the latencies of the cells to orthodromic volleys evoked by electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves. The overall conduction velocity of the pathway from peripheral nerve to thalamus was approximately 40 m/s. 3. Cutaneous receptive fields on the distal hindlimb usually occupied an area equivalent to much less than a single digit. However, a few cells had receptive fields up to or exceeding the area of the foot. 4. NG cells were classified by their responses to graded mechanical stimulation of the skin as low threshold (LT) or wide dynamic range (WDR). No high-threshold NG cells were found. A special subcategory of pressure-sensitive LT (SA) neurons was recognized. Many of these cells were maximally responsive to maintained indentation of the skin. The sample of NG cells differed from the population of primate spinothalamic and spinocervicothalamic pathways so far examined, in having a larger proportion of LT neurons and a smaller proportion of WDR cells. A few NG cells responded best to manipulation of subcutaneous tissue. 5. Discriminant analysis permitted the NG cells to be assigned to classes determined by a k-means cluster analysis of the responses of a reference set of 318 primate spinothalamic tract (STT) cells. There were four classes of cells based on normalized responses of individual neurons and another four classes based upon responses compared across the population of cells. The NG cells were allocated to the various categories in different proportions than either primate STT cells or spinocervicothalamic neurons, consistent with the view that the functional roles of these somatosensory pathways differ. 6. Some of the pressure-sensitive NG cells were excited when the skin was stretched, suggesting an input from type II slowly adapting (Ruffini) mechanoreceptors. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Simulation Estimation of Dynamic Panel Tobit Models

In this paper I propose a computationally practical simulation estimator for large categories of the dynamic panel Tobit model with complicated dependence structures. I first apply the sequential decomposition methods introduced by Hendry and Richard (1992) to obtain the tractable simulated log-likelihood function of the dynamic panel Tobit model. I then maximize this log-likelihood function simulated through procedures based on a recursive algorithm formulated by GewekeHajivassiliou-Keane as well as a Gibbs sampling simulator. Monte Carlo experiments indicate that my simulation estimator performs strikingly well, even for a small simulation size. JEL classification: C15; C23; C24.
Analysis of the role of the leucine zipper motif in regulating the ability of AFAP‐110 to alter actin filament integrity

AFAP‐110 has an intrinsic ability to alter actin filament integrity as an actin filament crosslinking protein. This capability is regulated by a carboxy terminal leucine zipper (Lzip) motif. The Lzip motif facilitates self‐association stabilizing the AFAP‐110 multimers. Deletion of the Lzip motif (AFAP‐110Δlzip) reduces the stability of the AFAP‐110 multimer and concomitantly increases its ability to crosslink actin filaments, in vitro, and to activate cSrc and alter actin filament integrity, in vivo. We sought to determine how the Lzip motif regulates AFAP‐110 function. Substitution of the c‐Fos Lzip motif in place of the AFAP‐110 Lzip motif (AFAP‐110fos) was predicted to preserve the α‐helical structure while changing the sequence. To alter the structure of the α‐helix, a leucine to proline mutation was generated in the AFAP‐110 α‐helical Lzip motif (AFAP‐110581P), which largely preserved the sequence. The helix mutants, AFAP‐110Δlzip, AFAP‐110fos, and AFAP‐110581P, demonstrated reduced multimer stability with an increased capacity to crosslink actin filaments, in vitro, relative to AFAP‐110. An analysis of opposing binding sites indicated that the carboxy terminus/Lzip motif can contact sequences within the amino terminal pleckstrin homology (PH1) domain indicating an auto‐inhibitory mechanism for regulating multimer stability and actin filament crosslinking. In vivo, only AFAP‐110Δlzip and AFAP‐110581P were to activate cSrc and to alter cellular actin filament integrity. These data indicate that the intrinsic ability of AFAP‐110 to crosslink actin filaments is dependent upon both the sequence and structure of the Lzip motif, while the ability of the Lzip motif to regulate AFAP‐110‐directed activation of cSrc and changes in actin filament integrity in vivo is dependent upon the structure or presence of the Lzip motif. We hypothesize that the intrinsic ability of AFAP‐110 to crosslink actin filaments or activate cSrc are distinct functions. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Changes in the DNA methylation profile of the rat H19 gene upstream region during development and transgenic hepatocarcinogenesis and its role in the imprinted transcriptional regulation of the H19 gene

Monoallelic expression of the imprinted H19 and insulin‐like growth factor‐2 (Igf2) genes depends on the hypomethylation of the maternal allele and hypermethylation of the paternal allele of the H19 upstream region. Previous studies from our laboratory on liver carcinogenesis in the F1 hybrid of Fischer 344 (F344) and Sprague–Dawley Alb SV40 T Ag transgenic rat (SD) strains revealed the biallelic expression of H19 in hepatomas. We undertook a comparative study of the DNA methylation status of the upstream region of H19 in fetal, adult, and neoplastic liver. Bisulfite DNA sequencing analysis of a 3.745‐kb DNA segment extending from 2950 to 6695 bp of the H19 upstream region revealed marked variations in the methylation patterns in fetal, adult, and neoplastic liver. In the fetal liver, equal proportions of hyper‐ and hypomethylated strands revealed the differentially methylated status of the parental alleles, but in neoplastic liver a pronounced change in the pattern of methylation was observed with a distinct change to hypomethylation in the short segments between 2984 and 3301 bp, 6033–6123 bp, and 6518–6548 bp. These results indicated that methylation of all cytosines in this region may contribute to the imprinting status of the rat H19 gene. This phenomenon of differential methylation‐related epigenetic alteration in the key cis‐regulatory domains of the H19 promoter influences switching to biallelic expression in hepatocellular carcinogenesis. Similar to mouse and human, we showed that the zinc‐finger CCTCC binding factor (CTCF) binds to the unmethylated CTCF binding site in the upstream region to influence monoallelic imprinted expression in fetal liver. CTCF does not appear to be rate limiting in fetal, normal, and neoplastic liver. 3′ to the CTCF binding sites, another DNA region exhibits methylation of CpG's in both DNA strands in adult liver, retention of the imprint in fetal liver, and complete demethylation in neoplastic liver. In this region is also a putative binding site for a basic helix‐loop‐helix leucine‐zipper transcription factor, TFEB. The differential CpG methylation seen in the adult that involves the TFEB binding site may explain the lack of expression of the H19 gene in adult normal liver. Furthermore, these findings demonstrate that the loss of imprinting of the H19 gene in hepatic neoplasms of the SD Alb SV40 T Ag transgenic rat is directly correlated with and probably the result of differential methylation of CpG dinucleotides in two distinct regions of the gene that are within 4 kb 5′ of the transcription start site. Cytogenetic analysis of hepatocytes in the transgenic animal prior to the appearance of nodules or neoplasms indicates a role of such loss of imprinting in the very early period of neoplastic development, possibly the transition from the stage of promotion to that of progression. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Seroepidemiology of Human T-Lymphotropic Viruses: Types I and II in Europe: A Prospective Study of Pregnant Women

Background: Up to 20 million persons are infected with the human retroviruses human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV)-I and HTLV-II globally. Most data on the seroprevalence of HTLV-I and HTLV-II in Europe are from studies of low-risk blood donors or high-risk injection drug users (IDUs). Little is known about the general population. Methods: A prospective anonymous study of HTLV-I and HTLV-II seroprevalence among 234,078 pregnant women in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom was conducted. Maternal antibody status was determined by standard methods using sera obtained for routine antenatal infection screens or eluted from infant heel prick dried blood spots obtained for routine neonatal metabolic screens. Results: Anti-HTLV-I/II antibodies were detected and confirmed in 96 pregnant women (4.4 per 10,000, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.5-5.2). Of these, 73 were anti-HTLV-I, 17 were anti-HTLV-II, and 6 were specifically anti-HTLV but untyped. The seroprevalence ranged from 0.7 per 10,000 in Germany to 11.5 per 10,000 in France. Conclusions: Pregnant women better reflect the general population than blood donors or IDUs. The seroprevalence of HTLV-I and HTLV-II in Western Europe is 6-fold higher among pregnant women (4.4 per 10,000) than among blood donors (0.07 per 10,000). These data provide a robust baseline against which changes in HTLV-I and HTLV-II seroprevalence in Europe can be measured.
Cytomegalovirus risk factors in renal transplantation with modern immunosuppression

S. Bataille, V. Moal, J. Gaudart, M. Indreies, R. Purgus, B. Dussol, C. Zandotti, Y. Berland, H. Vacher‐Coponat. Cytomegalovirus risk factors in renal transplantation with modern immunosuppression Transpl Infect Dis 2010: 12: 480–488. All rights reserved
Three-phase machines and drives-equipment for a laboratory-based course

The hazards associated with high-voltage three-phase inverters and high-powered large electrical machines have resulted in most of the engineering courses covering three-phase machines and drives theoretically. This paper describes a set of purpose-built, low-voltage, and low-cost teaching equipment that allows the hands-on instruction of three-phase inverters and rotating machines. The motivation for moving towards a system running at low voltages is that the students can safely experiment freely with the motors and inverter. The students can also access all of the current and voltage waveforms, which until now could only be studied in textbooks or observed as part of laboratory demonstrations. Both the motor and the inverter designs are for teaching purposes and require minimal effort and cost
Variations in trypsinogen expression may influence the protective effect of the p.G191R PRSS2 variant in chronic pancreatitis

The description of a family with inherited chronic relapsing pancreatitis by Comfort and Steinberg (1952) provided the first indication towards a possible genetic component in the aetiology of chronic pancreatitis (CP). 1 Subsequent genetic linkage studies and candidate gene sequencing in families with hereditary CP led to the identification of autosomal dominant mutations in the cationic trypsinogen ( PRSS1 ) gene. Biochemical studies demonstrated that these mutations facilitated the activation of trypsinogen, suggesting that trypsinogen activation can trigger pancreatitis in humans, a concept previously proposed on the basis of animal experiments.2 Screening efforts for novel, CP-associated gene variants identified a number of other important genetic factors, which included loss-of-function variants in the genes for the serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1), the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and chymotrypsinogen C (CTRC). In 2006 a surprising study by Witt and co-workers demonstrated that the p.G191R mutation in the anionic typsinogen ( PRSS2 ) gene conferred protection against chronic pancreatitis.3 In this European multicentre study the p.G191R mutation was detected in 1.3% of 2466 patients with CP and in 3.4% of 6459 healthy controls, indicating that subjects carrying a heterozygous p.G191R mutation have an approximately 3-fold decreased risk of developing CP compared to carriers of the wild-type allele. At the biochemical …
Towards an integrated approach for the management of ageing nurses.

AIM The objective of this study is to provide an overview of the ageing of the nursing workforce and to explore retention strategies centred on the entire professional life and on all age groups. BACKGROUND The presence of an increasing proportion of ageing workers presents a major challenge to the nursing profession. Evaluation Presentation of theories about the development of a healthy workplace leads to the identification of a framework on which managers can base their management decisions. KEY ISSUES Examples of incentives relating to the framework are presented which were expressed by both nurses under 50 years of age and those over 50. CONCLUSIONS Introducing incentives centred on all age groups provides an opportunity to create a healthy workplace for all generations of nurses.
Transcatheter occlusion devices for the prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.

A trial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, affecting an estimated 2.2 million Americans. Among patients with AF there is an approximate 5% annual stroke risk, a 5-fold increase over an age-matched population in sinus rhythm. It is important to note that the incidence of atrial fibrillation increases significantly with age. The efficacy of oral anticoagulation (OAC) in lowering the risk of stroke and death in patients with nonrheumatic AF has been clearly demonstrated by multiple randomized, controlled trials. Warfarin confers a 68% relative risk reduction compared with non-warfarin-treated control subjects, reducing absolute risk from 4.8% to 1.8% per year. Aspirin confers a lesser benefit, with a relative risk reduction as high as 44% compared with control subjects, but this may be substantially less in individuals at high risk for stroke. Chronic OAC with warfarin appears to have problems of safety and acceptability for many patients. Patients treated with warfarin achieve a therapeutic range only on 50% to 68% of monitored days. In clinical practice, oral anticoagulants are prescribed to only 15% to 66% of patients with AF who are at high risk for thromboembolic events and have no clear contraindication for their use. Transcatheter Occlusion Devices for the Prevention of Stroke in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
Biometric fusion by simulated annealing

Biometric fusion is an essential procedure in any multi-modal biometric person recognition system, and it can be performed at sensor, feature, score and decision levels. This paper proposes to use a simulated annealing SA algorithm for the integration of multi-modal biometric data. The proposed method is applied to a Audio-Visual AV person recognition database that includes both acoustic and visual information. Superior performance of the proposed method is demonstrated through experimentation on 40 subjects in an AV database.
Relationship between Body Mass Index and Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Previous studies have reported that reduced mortality rates in hemodialysis (HD) patients were negatively related to body mass index (BMI). The potentially protective effect of increased BMI in HD patients has been referred to as ‘reverse epidemiology’. Our meta-analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between different BMI ranges and mortality in HD patients. Methods: Eligible studies assessing the effects of BMI ranges on all-cause mortality (published from 1966 to February 2012) were searched, using ‘hemodialysis’ or ‘haemodialysis’ and ‘obese’ or ‘body mass index’ or ‘overweight’ as key words, in combination with ‘mortality’, ‘survival’, ‘reverse epidemiology’ and ‘obesity paradox’. Inclusion criteria were that trials reported mortality in HD patients according to the traditional World Health Organization/National Institutes of Health BMI classification, and BMI levels are acceptable within 2 index points. The quality of the trials was evaluated using the risk of bias assessment in studies included in Cochrane reviews. The mortality rates in HD patients were the primary end point of the study. With no significant heterogeneity, a fixed-effects model was used for analyses. Results: Four studies with a total of 81,423 patients met final inclusion criteria. Compared to individuals with non-elevated BMI, those with elevated BMI (BMI ≥25, OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.65–0.68) had a lower all-cause mortality. In a risk-adjusted sensitivity analysis, elevated BMI levels (adjusted hazard ratio 0.94, 95% CI 0.92–0.96) remained protective against mortality. Conclusion: High BMI levels were associated with lower all-cause mortality rates in HD patients. It is possible that more stable hemodynamic status, cytokine and neurohormonal alternations contribute to the protective effects of BMI on mortality in HD patients. There is a need for prospective studies to elucidate mechanisms behind this relationship.
Coadjuvant Treatment With Surgery and Pirfenidone in Severe Facial Trauma Due to Dog Bite

BackgroundThis case report assesses the effectiveness of surgery plus pirfenidone (PFD) as a concomitant therapy in the management of facial trauma after severe dog bite. MethodsA 16-month-old female patient who suffered a severe attack by a big-sized dog (Rottweiler) in the midface area was managed with surgery/PFD combination and followed up for 20 months to evaluate the efficacy to control, prevent, and improve injury sequels. ResultsSurgery/PFD combination offered a good complementary therapy downregulating inflammatory activity, improving blood supply, and activating cytokine modulation and collagen synthesis/biosynthesis (scar control). No side effects were reported in this case report. ConclusionsSurgery/PFD management for severe facial dog bites represents a safe and effective therapeutic option to protect and improve a patient’s quality of life, minimizing long-time sequels.
Modeling and Control of Large Eddies Generated by Maneuvering Self-Propelled Bodies in Stratified Fluids

Abstract : Our experiments and theoretical analysis show that when a submerged self-propelled vehicle makes a maneuver in a stratified fluid, e.g., accelerates/decelerates or changes the direction of its motion, this leads to the formation of unusually large horizontal eddies of the size of up to several kilometers and with decay times of several days. It is also shown that for vertical background shear typical for the upper ocean, the shear itself only partly suppresses the eddy formation and reduces their decay times, which still remain significantly large. Such eddies may have potentially important applications for submarine detection and have not been studied previously.