Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lower-Extremity Amputation Risk After Charcot Arthropathy and Diabetic Foot Ulcer

OBJECTIVE To compare risks of lower-extremity amputation between patients with Charcot arthropathy and those with diabetic foot ulcers. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A retrospective cohort of patients with incident Charcot arthropathy or diabetic foot ulcers in 2003 was followed for 5 years for any major and minor amputations in the lower extremities. RESULTS After a mean follow-up of 37 ± 20 and 43 ± 18 months, the Charcot and ulcer groups had 4.1 and 4.7 amputations per 100 person-years, respectively. Among patients <65 years old at the end of follow-up, amputation risk relative to patients with Charcot alone was 7 times higher for patients with ulcer alone and 12 times higher for patients with Charcot and ulcer. CONCLUSIONS Charcot arthropathy by itself does not pose a serious amputation risk, but ulcer complication multiplicatively increases the risk. Early surgical intervention for Charcot patients in the absence of deformity or ulceration may not be advisable.
Coffin–Siris Syndrome and the BAF Complex: Genotype–Phenotype Study in 63 Patients

De novo germline variants in several components of the SWI/SNF‐like BAF complex can cause Coffin–Siris syndrome (CSS), Nicolaides–Baraitser syndrome (NCBRS), and nonsyndromic intellectual disability. We screened 63 patients with a clinical diagnosis of CSS for these genes (ARID1A, ARID1B, SMARCA2, SMARCA4, SMARCB1, and SMARCE1) and identified pathogenic variants in 45 (71%) patients. We found a high proportion of variants in ARID1B (68%). All four pathogenic variants in ARID1A appeared to be mosaic. By using all variants from the Exome Variant Server as test data, we were able to classify variants in ARID1A, ARID1B, and SMARCB1 reliably as being pathogenic or nonpathogenic. For SMARCA2, SMARCA4, and SMARCE1 several variants in the EVS remained unclassified, underlining the importance of parental testing. We have entered all variant and clinical information in LOVD‐powered databases to facilitate further genotype–phenotype correlations, as these will become increasingly important because of the uptake of targeted and untargeted next generation sequencing in diagnostics. The emerging phenotype–genotype correlation is that SMARCB1 patients have the most marked physical phenotype and severe cognitive and growth delay. The variability in phenotype seems most marked in ARID1A and ARID1B patients. Distal limbs anomalies are most marked in ARID1A patients and least in SMARCB1 patients. Numbers are small however, and larger series are needed to confirm this correlation.
Differential immune effects mediated by Toll‐like receptors stimulation in precursor B‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is the most common paediatric malignancy and, although current therapy is widely effective, relapse remains a significant clinical problem for which new treatment strategies are required. The ligation of Toll‐like receptors (TLR) on antigen‐presenting cells stimulates the generation of strong T‐cell helper type 1 (Th1) adaptive immune responses. Although TLR9 ligation has been shown to enhance immunogenicity of a number of leukaemia cell types, there have been few reports of the effects mediated through other TLR. In this study we analysed both the expression of TLR by B‐cell precursor ALL cell lines and the effects of individual TLR ligation on the ability of ALL cells to stimulate allogeneic T cells. While ligation of TLR2, TLR 7 and TLR9 led to detectable changes in ALL costimulatory molecule expression, only TLR2 and TLR9 stimulation influenced T‐cell responses. The TLR2 ligand Pam3CysSerLys4 provoked the most significant changes in T‐cell response, dramatically augmenting interferon‐γ production. These results suggest that TLR ligands, in addition to TLR9 agonists, may provide a strategy to enhance the generation of anti‐ALL immune activity by skewing responding T cells towards a Th1 response.
From the Plan to the Market and Back—The Organisational Transformation of the Russian Defence Industry

Abstract The article examines the organisational transformation of the Russian defence industry during the period of privatisation and radical market reforms. The study is based on the results of an original large-scale longitudinal survey of the directors (CEOs) of the industry. We find that over a decade of transition, 1996–2006, Russian defence industry managers were able largely to preserve the production potential of their enterprises and make them capable of operating under market conditions. Coupled with the restoration of government orders and the 2020 rearmament programme, these newly acquired market skills have contributed to the impressive revival of the Russian defence industry in the Putin era.
Corporate Spinoffs: An Investigation of Short and Long-Term Shareholder Wealth Effects.

The positive stock price reaction associated with the announcement of a corporate spinoff is we11-documented but not yet explained. This work offers a new hypothesis: investor sentiment may affect the market response to the announcement of a spinoff. The results of an investigation using market-oriented proxies for investor sentiment support this hypothesis. Results of an analysis using nonmarket proxies for investor sentiment are not consistent with the above hypothesis. An analysis of the long-term effects on shareholder wealth of spinoffs is also conducted. It is found that pre and post-spinoff performance cannot be considered (statistically) significantly different. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION During the decade of the 1980's, there was a marked increase in the frequency of events that are generally referred to as corporate restructuring. This decade is notable as a period of vigorous merger activity, reminiscent of the merger "wave" of the late 1960's, resulting in an acceleration in the pace of change in the ownership structure of U.S. corporations. Less wellpublicized, however, is a parallel trend in the number of corporate divestitures. As is often the case, this market activity has inspired renewed academic interest in the restructuring issue. Specifically, over the past few years, the merger and LBO phenomena have come under intense scrutiny. Less well-examined, however, are issues regarding those types of reorganization that result in a smaller corporate entity. In particular, although the corporate merger has been the focus of a number of dissertations and countless academic articles, the "demerger" or spinoff has received far less attention. While a merger creates one firm where before there were two, the spinoff reverses this procedure and produces two separate corporate entities from one. In a typical spinoff a large conglomerate divests one of its subsidiaries, often one in a different industry than that of the parent. However, the business unit spun off is not
Vaginal cone for postmenopausal women with stress urinary incontinence: randomized, controlled trial

ABSTRACT Objective To investigate the effect of vaginal cones and pelvic floor muscle training (PFTM) in postmenopausal women with stress urinary incontinence. Methods This randomized, controlled study included postmenopausal women, who complained of stress urinary incontinence. Forty-five women were allocated to three groups: a group given therapy with vaginal cones (n = 15), a group receiving therapy with PFTM (n = 15), and the control group (n = 15). Subjects in the intervention groups were treated for 6 weeks with twice-weekly sessions of 40 min. Women in the vaginal cone group carried out the pelvic floor muscle strengthening with vaginal cones. The control group did not receive any treatment during the corresponding time. They were evaluated before, at the end of treatment and 6 weeks after treatment completion for primary outcomes (1-h pad test for urinary loss and pelvic floor muscle pressure) and secondary outcomes (quality of life with King's Health Questionnaire, satisfaction with treatment, and continuity of training). Results For urinary leakage, there were statistical differences between the treated groups and the control group at the end of treatment and 6 weeks after treatment (all p < 0.01; effect size: vaginal cone group 20.97; PFMT group 20.96). The same behavior was shown for treatment with pelvic floor muscle pressure (all p < 0.01; effect size: vaginal cone group 22.58; PFMT group 21.68). There were no differences between the vaginal cone and PFMT groups in any of the evaluations. In outcomes for quality of life, significant differences were observed for incontinence impact and gravity domains when both treated groups were compared with the control group after treatment. Both groups reported similar satisfaction levels and the vaginal cone group demonstrated lower training continuity. Conclusion Based on this study, there were similar positive results for treatment with the vaginal cone and pelvic floor muscle training for urinary leakage, pelvic floor muscle pressure and quality of life for postmenopausal women with stress urinary incontinence after 6 weeks.
Asbestos exposure and the risk of lung cancer in a general urban population.

OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to investigate the asbestos-associated risk of lung cancer according to histological type of cancer, lobe of origin, pulmonary concentration, and type of amphibole fibers and also to estimate the etiologic fraction of asbestos for lung cancer. METHODS The pulmonary concentration of asbestos fibers in 113 surgically treated male lung cancer patients and 297 autopsy cases among men serving as referents was determined by scanning electron microscopy. The age- and smoking-adjusted odds ratios of lung cancer were calculated according to pulmonary fiber concentration for all lung cancer types, squamous-cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma and for the lower-lobe and the upper- and middle-lobe cancers. RESULTS The risk of lung cancer was increased according to the pulmonary concentration of asbestos fibers (f) of 1.0 to 4.99 x 10(6) f.g-1 [odds ratio (OR) 1.7] and > or = 5.0 x 10(6) f.g-1 (OR 5.3). The odds ratios associated with fiber concentrations of > or = 1.0 x 10(6) f.g-1 were higher for adenocarcinoma (OR 4.0) than for squamous-cell carcinoma (OR 1.6). The asbestos-associated risk was higher for lower lobe tumors than for upper lobe tumors. The risk estimates for anthophyllite and crocidolite-amosite fibers were similar, except for the risk of squamous-cell carcinoma. An etiologic fraction of 19% was calculated for asbestos among male surgical lung cancer patients in the greater Helsinki area. CONCLUSIONS Past exposure to asbestos is a significant factor in the etiology of lung cancer in southern Finland. The asbestos-associated risk seems to be higher for pulmonary adenocarcinoma and lower-lobe tumors than for squamous-cell carcinoma and upper-lobe tumors.
Effects of biological and methodological factors on volatile organic compound patterns during cultural growth of Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis

Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) causes chronic granulomatous enteritis in ruminants. Bacterial growth is still the diagnostic ‘gold standard’, but is very time consuming. MAP-specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) above media could accelerate cultural diagnosis. The aim of this project was to assess the kinetics of a VOC profile linked to the growth of MAP in vitro. The following sources of variability were taken into account: five different culture media, three different MAP strains, inoculation with different bacterial counts, and different periods of incubation. Needle-trap microextraction was employed for pre-concentration of VOCs, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for subsequent analysis. All volatiles were identified and calibrated by analysing pure references at different concentration levels. More than 100 VOCs were measured in headspaces above MAP-inoculated and control slants. Results confirmed different VOC profiles above different culture media. Emissions could be assigned to either egg-containing media or synthetic ingredients. 43 VOCs were identified as potential biomarkers of MAP growth on Herrold’s Egg Yolk Medium without significant differences between the tree MAP strains. Substances belonged to the classes of alcohols, aldehydes, esters, ketones, aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. With increasing bacterial density the VOC concentrations above MAP expressed different patterns: the majority of substances increased (although a few decreased after reaching a peak), but nine VOCs clearly decreased. Data support the hypotheses that (i) bacteria emit different metabolites on different culture media; (ii) different MAP strains show uniform VOC patterns; and (iii) cultural diagnosis can be accelerated by taking specific VOC profiles into account.
Active dendrites and spike propagation in multicompartment models of oriens‐lacunosum/moleculare hippocampal interneurons

It is well known that interneurons are heterogeneous in their morphologies, biophysical properties, pharmacological sensitivities and electrophysiological responses, but it is unknown how best to understand this diversity. Given their critical roles in shaping brain output, it is important to try to understand the functionality of their computational characteristics. To do this, we focus on specific interneuron subtypes. In particular, it has recently been shown that long‐term potentiation is induced specifically on oriens‐lacunosum/moleculare (O‐LM) interneurons in hippocampus CA1 and that the same cells contain the highest density of dendritic sodium and potassium conductances measured to date. We have created multi‐compartment models of an O‐LM hippocampal interneuron using passive properties, channel kinetics, densities and distributions specific to this cell type, and explored its signalling characteristics. We found that spike initiation depends on both location and amount of input, as well as the intrinsic properties of the interneuron. Distal synaptic input always produces strong back‐propagating spikes whereas proximal input could produce both forward‐ and back‐propagating spikes depending on the input strength. We speculate that the highly active dendrites of these interneurons endow them with a specialized function within the hippocampal circuitry by allowing them to regulate direct and indirect signalling pathways within the hippocampus.
A data‐driven approach to the study of heterogeneity in idiopathic Parkinson's disease: identification of three distinct subtypes

Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) has been subclassified on the basis of predominant motor symptomatology, age at disease onset, depressive affect, and cognitive performance. However, subgroups are usually arbitrarily defined and not reliably based on qualitatively distinct neuropathology. We explored heterogeneity in IPD in a data‐driven manner using comprehensive demographic, motor, mood, and cognitive information collected from 176 patients with IPD. Cluster analysis revealed three subgroups of patients at a disease duration of 5.6 years and two subgroups at 13.4 years. The subgroups may represent the clinical progression of three distinct subtypes of IPD. The “motor only” subtype was characterized by motor symptom progression in the absence of intellectual impairment. Equivalent motor symptom progression was shown by the “motor and cognitive” subtype which was accompanied by executive function deficits progressing to global cognitive impairment. The “rapid progression” subtype was characterized by an older age at disease onset and rapidly progressive motor and cognitive disability. There was no relationship between the motor and cognitive symptoms in any subtype of IPD. We conclude that the clinical heterogeneity of IPD is governed by distinct neuropathologic processes with independent etiologic influences.
Adapting an Evidence-Based HIV-Prevention Intervention for Women in Domestic Violence Shelters.

OBJECTIVE Despite the documented intersection of intimate partner violence and HIV, there is a paucity of evidence-based HIV prevention interventions for female survivors of intimate partner violence in the United States. This paper describes the adaptation of an effective HIV prevention intervention, Sisters Informing Sisters about Topics on AIDS (SISTA), for women in domestic violence shelters and the steps taken to improve the adapted intervention's implementation. METHOD The adaptation process was guided by the ADAPT-ITT framework and data collected from directors, direct client service providers, and residents of two domestic violence shelters located in urban areas, as well as topical experts. RESULTS Eleven of 12 shelter staff (92%) reported that HIV interventions had never been implemented at their shelter and 64% reported they had not provided residents with educational brochures about HIV prevention. Changes made to adapt SISTA for this population and enhance the implementation of the intervention included reducing the intervention's duration; adding education about the intersection of intimate partner violence, substance use, and HIV; and adding an HIV risk assessment and safety plan. CONCLUSIONS Next steps will include implementing the adapted intervention and evaluating its perceived acceptability and efficacy, and assessing whether contextual factors influence the intervention's implementation.
Membangun Emosi Positif melalui Promosi Penjualan dan Lingkungan Toko Dampaknya terhadap Impulse Buying

The purpose of this study is to find out the direct and indirect effects of sales promotions, store environment, and positive emotions as an intervening variable on impulsive buying decisions. Businessman needs to plan a promotion strategy and arrange the store to be more interesting so that the consumers are interested in doing an impulsive buying. The population in this study is all consumers in Clothing Stores Meilleur Ami Semarang that do the impulsive buying. The sampling in this study uses incidental sampling technique with total of 100 respondents. The method of data collection in this study is a questionnaire method. The method of analysis in this study uses path analysis using SPSS 21.0 for Windows.The results of this study show that the sales promotion variable affects the positive emotions of 0,242, the sales promotion affects on impulsive buying amounted to 0.399, store environment affects the positive emotions of 0.374, a store environment affects on impulsive buying amounted to 0.286, the influence of promotion on impulsive buying mediated by positive emotion at 0.491, and the influence of store environment on impulsive buying mediated by positive emotions at 0.428. Therefore, it can be concluded from this study that the sales promotion, store environment, and positive emotions as an intervening variable affect directly and indirectly on impulsive buying. Furthermore, the suggestion for the company is that they should maximize the lighting in the room which is not getting light enough.
ARE RISK PREMIA RELATED TO REAL EXCHANGE RATE SWINGS? EVIDENCE FROM I(2) CVARs WITH SURVEY EXPECTATIONS

This paper finds strong evidence of a positive relationship between currency risk premia and real exchange rate swings, significant at the 1% if not 0.1% level, for three US$ exchange rate samples. The risk premia are measured using survey data on traders' exchange rate forecasts. This circumvents the need for an auxiliary hypothesis of rationality and enables more direct focus on risk behavior. The analysis is conducted using the I(2) cointegrated VAR, which allows for time-varying trends in the variables. Evidence of persistent changes is found for interest rates, prices, and nominal and real exchange rates. Interest rate shocks appear to drive the system, whereas expectations are correcting only in the longer run.
The association between dehydroepiandosterone and frailty in older men and women.

OBJECTIVES to evaluate the association between dehydroepiandosterone (DHEA) and physical frailty in older adults. DESIGN cross-sectional analysis of baseline information from three separate studies in healthy older men, women and residents of assisted living. SETTING academic health centre in greater Hartford, CT, USA. PARTICIPANTS eight hundred and ninety-eight adults residing in the community or assisted living facility. MEASUREMENTS participants had measurement of frailty (weight loss, grip strength, sense of exhaustion, walking speed and physical activity) and serum DHEAS levels. RESULTS overall, 6% of the individuals in the study were classified as frail, 58% intermediate frail and 35% were not frail. In the bivariate analysis, there were differences between categories of frailty across age, gender and by DHEAS levels. In an ordinal logistic regression model, with frailty as a dependent measure, we found that age, DHEAS and interactions of age and BMI and DHEAS and BMI were predictive of more frailty characteristics. CONCLUSION we found an association between frailty and DHEAS levels. Whether the association is due to similar conditions resulting in lower DHEA levels and more susceptibility to frailty or whether lower DHEA levels have an impact on increasing frailty cannot be addressed by cross-sectional analysis. Gender did not impact the association between DHEAS and frailty, but obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m(2)) attenuated the association between higher DHEA levels and lower frailty status.
Augmentation of sodium butyrate-induced apoptosis by phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase inhibition in the KM20 human colon cancer cell line.

PURPOSE We have recently shown that inhibition of the phosphatidylinositol3'-kinase (PI3k) pathway enhances sodium butyrate (NaBT)-mediated differentiation of human colon cancer cells. The purpose of this study was to determine whether PI3k inhibition can enhance the inhibitory effect of NaBT on an aggressive human colon cancer cell line, KM20. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN The KM20 cell line, established from a metastatic colon cancer, was treated in vitro with NaBT, gemcitabine, or 5-fluorouracil either alone or in combination with the PI3k inhibitors wortmannin or LY294002; DNA fragmentation and cell viability were measured. As further indicators of apoptosis, protein was extracted to determine caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. In addition, the effect of NaBT and wortmannin on in vivo KM20 tumor growth was determined. RESULTS We demonstrate that inhibition of PI3k enhanced NaBT-mediated apoptosis and decreased KM20 cell viability; the nonspecific caspase inhibitor zVAD-fmk blocked the induction of apoptosis by the combination treatment. Either wortmannin or LY294002, combined with NaBT, enhanced activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3 and the subsequent cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Furthermore, inhibition of PI3k increased the sensitivity of KM20 cells to gemcitabine and 5-fluorouracil. Wortmannin alone inhibited KM20 xenograft growth in vivo; the combination of wortmannin and NaBT demonstrated an enhanced effect compared with either agent alone. CONCLUSIONS Our results are the first to show that inhibition of PI3k enhances NaBT-mediated colon cancer cell apoptosis through the activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. Moreover, these findings suggest that agents that selectively target the PI3k pathway may enhance the effects of standard chemotherapeutic agents and provide novel adjuvant treatment for selected colon cancers.