Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Behavioral changes in Egyptian children with nephrotic syndrome.

INTRODUCTION Chronic illnesses, including nephrotic syndrome (NS), are associated with psychosocial stress. Our study aimed to assess psychological problems in children with NS. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty children with NS were assessed at the Children Hospital, in Cairo for behavioral changes. They responded to the Arabic version of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. The results were compared between those with steroid-sensitive NS (SSNS), steroid-dependent NS (SDNS), and steroid-resistant NS (SRNS). RESULTS Three groups of patients with SSNS, SDNS, and SRNS, each consisting of 20 children aged between 4 and 16 years, were included. The SRNS group was significantly different from the other two groups regarding age at the onset of disease, total serum protein, serum albumin, serum calcium, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (lowest in the SRNS group) as well as 24-hour urine protein, blood urea nitrogen, and serum total cholesterol (highest in the SRNS group). In the SRNS group, the scores for emotional symptoms, peer relationship problems, and the total score were higher and the prosocial score was lower than the other groups, but with no statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS Emotional symptoms, conduct problems, peer relationship problems, hyperactivity, and the overall poor behavior scores might be more likely to be seen in children with SRNS group than other NS treatment status. We recommend that attention to behavioral problems of children with NS should be given early in the course of disease.
Two Tandem Binding Sites for Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Proteins Are Required for Sterol Regulation of Fatty-acid Synthase Promoter*

We previously reported that sterol regulation of the rat fatty-acid synthase was lost when the DNA sequence between −73 and −43 of the promoter was deleted from a luciferase reporter construct (Bennett, M. K., Lopez, J. M., Sanchez, H. B., and Osborne, T. F. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 25578-25583). We also showed that there was a binding site for sterol regulatory element binding protein-1 (SREBP-1) in this region that contains a palindromic E-box motif (5′-CANNTG-3′). This is the consensus recognition element for basic-helix-loop-helix leucine zipper containing proteins such as the SREBPs. However, the SREBPs are unique basic-helix-loop-helix leucine zipper proteins that not only bind to a subset of E-boxes but also to the direct repeat SRE-1 element of the low density lipoprotein receptor promoter as well as to variant sites present in the promoters for key enzymes of both cholesterol and fatty acid biosynthesis. Based on the sequence of the variant SREBP recognition sites in these other promoters, we noted there was more than one potential recognition site for SREBP within the −73 to −43 interval of the fatty-acid synthase promoter. In the present studies we have systematically mutated these potential SREBP sites and have analyzed the consequences on sterol regulation, activation by exogenously supplied SREBPs, and binding by SREBPs in vitro. The results clearly show that the E-box element is not the SREBP recognition site in this region. Rather, there are two independent SREBP binding sites that flank the E-box, and both are required for maximal sterol regulation and activation by transfected SREBP protein.
Effectiveness of post-pyloric tube placement using magnetic guidance.

OBJECTIVE Appropriate nutritional support is important to the outcomes of critically ill patients. However, a significant portion of these patients experience intestinal motility problems. Administration of enteral nutrition by means of tubes placed in the post-pyloric position has been suggested to improve the nutrition tolerance. The aim of this study was to compare the rate of successful post-pyloric placement using a real-time electromagnetic positioning device to the success rate using the conventional placement method. METHODS This was a prospective, randomized and controlled study, conducted in a tertiary hospital over a period of three months. The patients were randomized to one of two groups: electromagnetically guided system group, whose patients underwent real-time monitoring of post-pyloric tube placement; or the control group, whose patients underwent tube placment using to the conventional blinded technique. The rates of successful post-pyloric placement and the procedure times were assessed and compared between the groups. RESULTS Thirty-seven patients were enrolled, 18 in the electromagnetic group and 19 in the control group. The final tube position was evaluated using radiography. The electromagnetic guided group showed better success rates and shorter procedure times when compared to the control group. Additionally, in the electromagnetic guided group, higher pH values were found in the fluids aspirated from the probe, suggesting successful postpyloric placement. CONCLUSION The electromagnetically guided method provided better placement accuracy than did the conventional technique.
Combination Chemotherapy in Advanced Small Bowel Adenocarcinoma

Objective: To assess the efficacy of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and either platinum compounds or irinotecan in patients with advanced small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA), for whom data on the efficacy of chemotherapy are scarce. Methods: We reviewed data on all patients with advanced SBA who received chemotherapy over a 9-year period at our institution. Results: Twenty patients with advanced SBA received a median of 6 cycles (range 2–15) of chemotherapy with 5-FU and either cisplatin (n = 15), carboplatin (n = 2), or oxaliplatin (n = 3). The overall response rate was 21%, and median progression-free and overall survival 8 and 14 months, respectively. Toxicity was moderate. Second-line chemotherapy with 5-FU and irinotecan resulted in disease stabilization in 4 (50%) of 8 patients (median progression-free survival: 5 months), and in a biological complete response in another patient with nonmeasurable peritoneal carcinomatosis, allowing surgical cytoreduction surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. No tumor response or disease stabilization was seen among the patients who received protracted venous infusion of 5-FU (n = 4) or infusional 5-FU and cisplatin (n = 1) as second-line chemotherapy. Conclusion: Chemotherapy with 5-FU and platinum compounds seems effective and well-tolerated in patients with advanced SBA. 5-FU-irinotecan combination chemotherapy deserves further investigation in the first-line setting.
Colorectal Adenocarcinoma and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An Update and Review

Inflammatory bowel disease and its two prototypic illnesses: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis have long been thought to confer an increased risk of colorectal cancer, although the magnitude of this effect has been difficult to elucidate. The driving factors behind this relationship include genetics, microbial disturbances, alongside molecular and inflammatory misregulation. The epidemiologic understanding of the inflammatory bowel disease-colorectal cancer relationship has evolved over the last decade. This review will focus on the epidemiology of colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease, and detail the elements driving disease development. Patient risk factors, many that increase the intensity or duration of inflammation, will be detailed. Finally, a practical approach to the tools that clinicians have at their disposal in preventing this disease, including the effect of different medications and timing of colonoscopy will be presented.
Efficacy of Cervical Endplay Assessment as an Indicator for Spinal Manipulation

Study Design. Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Objectives. To evaluate the effect of manual endplay assessment on neck pain and stiffness outcomes in neck pain patients receiving spinal manipulation. Summary of the Background Data. There have been no studies on the efficacy of palpation used as an indicator for manipulation in the management of back and neck pain. Methods. Neck pain patients (n = 104) were randomly assigned to two groups. The study group received manipulation targeted to individual cervical vertebrae according to endplay restriction noted by the examining clinician. The control group received manipulation determined by sham, computer-generated examination findings; endplay examination was ignored and served as a placebo assessment. Treatment was rendered on a single occasion by a chiropractor. Outcomes were neck pain and stiffness assessed before and after manipulation and at least 5 hours following treatment. Results. The study and control groups showed clinically important improvement in neck pain and stiffness. However, there were no clinically important or statistically significant differences between the study and control groups in terms of pain or stiffness outcomes. Findings were robust across patient, complaint, and treatment characteristics. Conclusions. Endplay assessment in and of itself did not contribute to the same-day pain and stiffness relief observed in neck pain patients receiving spinal manipulation. The impact on a longer course of treatment remains to be investigated. The data suggest that pain modulation may not be limited to mechanisms associated with manipulation of putative motion restrictions.
Molecular study of WISP3 in nine families originating from the Middle‐East and presenting with progressive pseudorheumatoid dysplasia: Identification of two novel mutations, and description of a founder effect

Progressive pseudorheumatoid dysplasia (PPD) is a rare autosomal recessive syndrome characterized by the presence of spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia associated with pain, stiffness, and swelling of multiple joints, osteoporosis, and the absence of destructive bone changes. The disorder is caused by mutations of the WISP3 gene located on chromosome 6q22. We hereby report the molecular study of the WISP3 gene in nine unrelated consanguineous families originating from the Middle‐East: three from Lebanon, five from Syria, and one from Palestinian Bedouin descent, all affected with PPD. Five different sequence variations were identified in the WISP3 gene, two of them being new mutations: the c.589G → C transversion at codon 197, responsible for a splicing defect (A197fsX201); and the c. 536_537delGT deletion (C179fsX), both in exon 3. In all other families, the affected patients were homozygous for a previously described nonsense mutation, namely c.156C → A (C52X). Interestingly, in the latter families, the C52X mutation was always found associated with a novel c.248G → A (G83E) variation, suggesting the existence of a founder effect. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Human-Centered Approaches to Fair and Responsible AI

As AI changes the way decisions are made in organizations and governments, it is ever more important to ensure that these systems work according to values that diverse users and groups find important. Researchers have proposed numerous algorithmic techniques to formalize statistical fairness notions, but emerging work suggests that AI systems must account for the real-world contexts in which they will be embedded in order to actually work fairly. These findings call for an expanded research focus beyond statistical fairness to that which includes fundamental understandings of human use and the social impact of AI systems, a theme central to the HCI community. The HCI community can contribute novel understandings, methods, and techniques for incorporating human values and cultural norms into AI systems; address human biases in developing and using AI; and empower individual users and society to audit and control AI systems. Our goal is to bring together academic and industry researchers in the fields of HCI, ML and AI, and the social sciences to devise a cross-disciplinary research agenda for fair and responsible AI systems. This workshop will build on previous algorithmic fairness workshops at AI and ML conferences, map research and design opportunities for future innovations, and disseminate them in each community.
POSTERIOR STERNOCLAVICULAR JOINT DISLOCATION IN A DIVISION I FOOTBALL PLAYER: A CASE REPORT.

UNLABELLED Posterior dislocation of the sterno-clavicular (SC) joint is a rare injury in athletes. It normally occurs in high collision sports such as American football or rugby. Acute posterior dislocations of the SC joint can be life-threatening as the posteriorly displaced clavicle can cause damage to vital vascular and respiratory structures such as the aortic arch, the carotid and subclavian arteries, and the trachea. The potential severity of a posterior SC joint dislocation provides multiple challenges for clinicians involved in the emergency care and treatment of this condition. Integration of clinical examination observations, rapid critical thinking, and appropriate diagnostic imaging are often required to provide the best management and outcome for the injured athlete. The criterion for return-to-play and participation in collision sports after suffering a posterior dislocation of the SC joint are unclear due to the rarity of this injury. The purpose of this case report is to describe the management, from the initial on-field evaluation through the return-to-sport, of a collegiate Division I football player following a traumatic sports-related posterior SC joint dislocation. The rehabilitation process and the progression to return to participation are also presented and briefly discussed. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4-Single case report.
In Planta Stage-Specific Fungal Gene Profiling Elucidates the Molecular Strategies of Fusarium graminearum Growing inside Wheat Coleoptiles[W][OA]

The fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum was isolated from inside the host plant (wheat) during three stages of infection using laser microdissection and subjected to microarray analysis. Global expression profiles of in planta–grown and in vitro–grown F. graminearum were compared to elucidate overall infection strategies and the roles that several genes play in pathogenesis were validated. The ascomycete Fusarium graminearum is a destructive fungal pathogen of wheat (Triticum aestivum). To better understand how this pathogen proliferates within the host plant, we tracked pathogen growth inside wheat coleoptiles and then examined pathogen gene expression inside wheat coleoptiles at 16, 40, and 64 h after inoculation (HAI) using laser capture microdissection and microarray analysis. We identified 344 genes that were preferentially expressed during invasive growth in planta. Gene expression profiles for 134 putative plant cell wall–degrading enzyme genes suggest that there was limited cell wall degradation at 16 HAI and extensive degradation at 64 HAI. Expression profiles for genes encoding reactive oxygen species (ROS)–related enzymes suggest that F. graminearum primarily scavenges extracellular ROS before a later burst of extracellular ROS is produced by F. graminearum enzymes. Expression patterns of genes involved in primary metabolic pathways suggest that F. graminearum relies on the glyoxylate cycle at an early stage of plant infection. A secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene cluster was specifically induced at 64 HAI and was required for virulence. Our results indicate that F. graminearum initiates infection of coleoptiles using covert penetration strategies and switches to overt cellular destruction of tissues at an advanced stage of infection.
The diurnal variation of serum hyaluronan in health and disease.

The variation of the serum concentration of hyaluronan during the day and between days has been investigated. In a group of healthy volunteers, the mean hyaluronan level was very stable over time except for a moderate but significant elevation after rising from bed in the morning. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis showed markedly increased hyaluronan concentrations 0.5-2 h after leaving bed. Patients with primary biliary cirrhosis exhibited high and rather constant levels during the day. A reference group of hospitalized patients with other diseases did not show any diurnal variation. The best reproducibility in hyaluronan determinations is obtained if specimens are taken before the subjects rise from bed or a few hours later, i.e. after the morning elevation of serum hyaluronan has subsided. In rheumatoid arthritis valuable information can be obtained by repeated sampling during the morning hours.
Effect of dimethyl fumarate on heme oxygenase-1 expression in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in rats.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmunological disease leading to neurodegeneration. The etiology of the disease remains unknown, which strongly impedes the development of effective therapy. Most MS treatments focus on modulating the activity of the immune system. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) exerts a broad spectrum of action, such as modulating immune cell differentiation towards anti-inflammatory subtypes, influencing cytokine production, regulating immune cell migration into the central nervous system, and activating intracellular antioxidant mechanisms. It is well established that activation of the nuclear factor E2 (Nrf2)-dependent pathway, leading to expression of the second-phase antioxidant enzymes, is influenced by DMF. In our experiments we used female Lewis rats in an animal model of MS - experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). The rats were fed with dimethyl fumarate to test the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), one of the second-phase antioxidant enzymes, at specific time points of the symptomatic phases of the disease: on the first day of the occurrence of clinical symptoms (10th day post immunization, DPI); at the peak of clinical symptoms (14th DPI); and at the end of the relapse (21st DPI). The results showed that HO-1 expression, at both the mRNA and protein level, is influenced by DMF administration only at the very beginning of the symptomatic phase of EAE, and not at the peak of clinical symptoms, nor at the end of the relapse. This indicates that the regulation of the Nrf2-dependent antioxidant pathway by DMF occurs at a certain time interval (early EAE/MS) and strongly underlines the importance of the earliest introduction of the therapy to the patient.
Guillain-Barre syndrome: a clinical study in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital.

BACKGROUND Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is an acute,fatal, but treatable polyradiculopathy. Clinical data concerning this entity is scarce in Thailand The purpose of the present study was to describe clinical profiles and management of GBS as well as to determine prognostic factors in GBS. MATERIAL AND METHOD Clinical data of GBS in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital during 2002-2007 were searched by using in-patients hospital database. Asbury and Cornblath's criteria were applied for the diagnosis of GBS. Clinical data, electrophysiological data, management, and clinical prognostic factors were collected and analyzed by SPSS version 16. RESULTS Fifty-five patients with GBS were recruited, 26 wire male and 29 were female. Mean age was 43 +/- 17 years. History of antecedent infection included: respiratory tract 29%, gastrointestinal tract 7%, ear 2%, and non-specific infection 14%. Initial presentations were limb weakness 87%, limb numbness 78%, bulbar weakness 31%, and facial weakness 18%. Electrodiagnostic study revealed demyelinating process in 54% and axonopathy in 46%. Twenty-nine patients received intravenous immunoglobulin while 13 patients underwent plasmapheresis. Clinical outcomes were satisfactory in most of the patients and only two patients died from sepsis and pneumonia. On discharge, the status of the patients were Hughes grade 1-4 in 73%, 14%, 5%, and 4% respectively. Bulbar paresis as the presenting symptom was the only clinical prognostic factor that significantly determined airway compromised and subsequently respiratory failure. CONCLUSION Clinical features of GBS in the present series were characterized by generalized muscle weakness with mild numbness in combination with facial and bulbar paresis in nearly half of patients. Respiratory failure was encountered in 9% of cases. Clinical outcomes were satisfactory in most of the patients with or without specific treatment. The most significant predictor for adverse clinical course was the bulbar paresis as a presenting symptom and patients who presented with less disability score had a better recovery.
Vitellogenin Receptor Mutation Leads to the Oogenesis Mutant Phenotype “scanty vitellin” of the Silkworm, Bombyx mori

Background: The vitellogenin receptor (VgR) mediates the uptake of vitellogenin (Vg) from the hemolymph by developing oocytes. Results: VgR with the mutational EGF1 domain can bind ligand proteins but cannot be dissociated under acidic conditions. The mutant is lethal in embryos. Conclusion: Bombyx mori VgR (BmVgR) has an important role in egg formation and embryonic development. Significance: BmVgR is a potential target for pest control. In insects, the vitellogenin receptor (VgR) mediates the uptake of vitellogenin (Vg) from the hemolymph by developing oocytes. The oogenesis mutant scanty vitellin (vit) of Bombyx mori (Bm) lacks vitellin and 30-kDa proteins, but B. mori egg-specific protein and BmVg are normal. The vit eggs are white and smaller compared with the pale yellow eggs of the wild type and are embryonic lethal. This study found that a mutation in the B. mori VgR gene (BmVgR) is responsible for the vit phenotype. We cloned the cDNA sequences encoding WT and vit BmVgR. The functional domains of BmVgR are similar to those of other low-density lipoprotein receptors. When compared with the wild type, a 235-bp genomic sequence in vit BmVgR is substituted for a 7-bp sequence. This mutation has resulted in a 50-amino acid deletion in the third Class B region of the first epidermal growth factor (EGF1) domain. BmVgR is expressed specifically in oocytes, and the transcriptional level is changed dramatically and consistently with maturation of oocytes during the previtellogenic periods. Linkage analysis confirmed that BmVgR is mutated in the vit mutant. The coimmunoprecipitation assay confirmed that mutated BmVgR is able to bind BmVg but that BmVg cannot be dissociated under acidic conditions. The WT phenotype determined by RNA interference was similar to that of the vit phenotype for nutritional deficiency, such as BmVg and 30-kDa proteins. These results showed that BmVgR has an important role in transporting proteins for egg formation and embryonic development in B. mori.
Factors associated with subjective side-effects during clozapine treatment

Abstract Objective: Clozapine is associated with subjectively unpleasant or clinically serious side-effects, which may affect treatment adherence. The aims of the study were to explore the association of clozapine+ norclozapine serum concentration and other factors with subjective side-effects in schizophrenia patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 237 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizo-affective or other non-organic psychoses completed the Liverpool University Neuroleptic Side Effect Rating Scale (LUNSERS), a self-report scale measuring side-effects of antipsychotics and a clinical questionnaire. Clozapine+ norclozapine serum concentration of 190 patients was measured. Of the patients 80 (33.7%) were on antipsychotic combination therapy. Results: Higher clozapine+ norclozapine concentrations were associated with the depression–anxiety factor of LUNSERS and antipsychotic combination treatments were associated with sympatichotonia–tension factor. Younger patients reported sedation more often than older patients. Conclusion: According to the present results, high clozapine concentrations were associated with depression–anxiety symptoms, but the causality remains unknown.