Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Beneficial effect of combined treatment with octreotide and pasireotide in PCK rats, an orthologous model of human autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease

Increased intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) in renal tubular epithelia accelerates the progression of polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Thus, decreasing cAMP levels by an adenylyl cyclase inhibitory G protein activator is considered to be an effective approach in ameliorating PKD. In fact, pasireotide (PAS) was effective in reducing disease progression in animal models of PKD. However, hyperglycemia caused by the administration of PAS is an adverse effect in its clinical use. Whereas, co-administration of octreotide (OCT) with PAS did not increase serum glucose in normal rats. In the current study, we examined the efficacy of combined treatment with OCT and PAS in PCK rats, an autosomal recessive PKD model. Four-week-old PCK males were treated with the long-acting release type of OCT, PAS, or a combination of both (OCT/PAS) for 12 weeks. After termination, serum and renal tissue were used for analyses. Kidney weight, kidney weight per body weight, renal cyst area, renal Ki67 expression, and serum urea nitrogen were significantly decreased either in the PAS or OCT/PAS group, compared with vehicle. Renal tissue cAMP content was significantly decreased by PAS or OCT/PAS treatment, but not OCT, compared with vehicle. As a marker of cellular mTOR signaling activity, renal phospho-S6 kinase expression was significantly decreased by OCT/PAS treatment compared with vehicle, OCT, or PAS. Serum glucose was significantly increased by PAS administration, whereas no difference was shown between vehicle and OCT/PAS, possibly because serum glucagon was decreased either by the treatment of OCT alone or co-application of OCT/PAS. In conclusion, since serum glucose levels are increased by the use of PAS, its combination with OCT may reduce the risk of hyperglycemia associated with PAS monotherapy against PKD progression.
Survival after stage IA endometrial cancer; can follow‐up be altered? A prospective nationwide Danish survey

Objective. To present Danish national survival data on women with early stage endometrial cancer and use these data to discuss the relevance of postoperative follow‐up. Design. Prospective study. Setting. Danish Endometrial Cancer Study (DEMCA). Population. Five hundred and seventy‐one FIGO stage IA (1988 classification) endometrial cancer patients prospectively included between 1986 and 1999. All patients had total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy without adjuvant therapy. Methods. The patient and the disease characteristics were drawn from the DEMCA database with cross‐references to the national death registry and the national pathology database. Statistical methods included Kaplan–Meier, log‐rank and Cox regression analysis. Main outcome measures. Survival rates in relation to histopathology. Results. The five year overall survival rate was 88.9% and five year disease‐specific survival was 97.3%. Patients with low‐ (91.8%) and high‐risk histopathology (8.2%) were compared. The age‐adjusted overall and disease‐specific survival differed significantly between women with low‐ and high‐risk histopathology (p = 0.039 and p = 0.004, respectively). The disease‐specific survival adjusted for age between patients with well‐differentiated endometrioid tumors differed from those with moderately differentiated tumors (p = 0.008, hazard ratio = 3.75, 95% confidence interval 1.41–10.00). Recurrence data were available on 464 patients. Twenty‐three (3.9%) experienced recurrence. Of these recurrences, 15 of 23 (65%) were vaginal. Death from recurrence was observed in nine of 23 (39%) patients, and five of these nine had vaginal recurrences. Conclusions. Women with FIGO stage IA endometrial cancer have a very high disease‐specific five year survival. Survival was related to histopathology. Follow‐up at a highly specialized tertiary care center for patients with an extremely good prognosis may be questioned.
A Study of Pap Smear in a Tertiary Hospital in South India

Background: Cervical cancer accounts for the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide. Pap smear test is one of the best tests to screen for cervical cancer and enables detection in its premalignant stage. The objective of this study was to find out the prevalence of abnormal Pap smears in a tertiary care hospital and correlate with histology wherever possible. Methods: Cases were collected from archives of Department of Pathology from Jan 2013 to June 2015. A total of 1501 Pap smears were analyzed. Results: The mean age of the patients was 40.26 ± 10.72 years. Most of them were of age group 30-39 years (32.06%) followed by 40-49, 20-29 and 50-59 years (28.13%, 17.33% and 11.53% respectively). A total of 1234 (82.2%) samples were adequate for evaluation, whereas 267 (17.8%) samples were inadequate for evaluation due to low cellularity and obscurement by inflammatory cells and blood. Of 1234 smears, 1197 smears (96.92%) were negative for intraepithelial lesion and 38 smears (3.08%) were positive for intraepithelial lesion. These 38 cases included ASC-US (1.46%), ASC-H (0.32%), LSIL (0.24%), HSIL (0.41%), AGC (0.24%) and carcinoma (0.41%). ASC/SIL ratio was 2.75. Transformation zone with intraepithelial lesion was seen in 65.79% cases. About 109 biopsies could be retrieved and corelated with corresponding Pap smear, for which sensitivity was 45%, specificity 87.6%, false positive rate 12.4%, false negative rate 55%, positive predictive value 0.45% and negative predictive value 0.67%. Conclusion: Pap smear is still a relatively good method in screening cervical cancers in developing countries. Smears positive for intraepithelial lesions has to be co-related with histopathology for further management.
Diversity of avian haemosporidians in arid zones of northern Venezuela

SUMMARY Arid zones of northern Venezuela are represented by isolated areas, important from an ornithological and ecological perspective due to the occurrence of restricted-range species of birds. We analysed the prevalence and molecular diversity of haemosporidian parasites of wild birds in this region by screening 527 individuals (11 families and 20 species) for parasite mitochondrial DNA. The overall prevalence of parasites was 41%, representing 17 mitochondrial lineages: 7 of Plasmodium and 10 of Haemoproteus. Two parasite lineages occurred in both the eastern and western regions infecting a single host species, Mimus gilvus. These lineages are also present throughout northern and central Venezuela in a variety of arid and mesic habitats. Some lineages found in this study in northern Venezuela have also been observed in different localities in the Americas, including the West Indies. In spite of the widespread distributions of some of the parasite lineages found in northern Venezuela, several, including some that are relatively common (e.g. Ven05 and Ven06), have not been reported from elsewhere. Additional studies are needed to characterize the host and geographical distribution of avian malaria parasite lineages, which will provide a better understanding of the influence of landscape, vector abundance and diversity, and host identity on haemosporidian parasite diversity and prevalence.
Comparison of interproximal soft tissue height for single implants and contra-lateral natural teeth.

OBJECTIVE To compare the interproximal soft tissue dimensions adjacent to single implant restorations in the premolar-molar position with those adjacent to the contra-lateral natural teeth. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty-five patients with a single-tooth implant in premolar-molar position and healthy contra-lateral teeth were enrolled in this retrospective cross-sectional study. The reason for the extraction was periodontitis. Radiographs were used to measure the shortest distance from the tip of the papilla to the crestal bone in single implants and contra-lateral teeth. A Wilcoxon's signed-ranks test was used to examine the differences between the interproximal soft tissue dimensions adjacent to the single-tooth implant restorations (IS-STI) from those of the contra-lateral natural teeth (IS-NT). RESULTS We found no significant difference between the mesial IS-STI and the mesial IS-NT (3.28+/-0.83/3.31+/-0.62; P=0.861), or between the distal IS-STI and the distal IS-NT (3.09+/-0.72/3.3+/-0.63; P=0.263). CONCLUSIONS The interproximal soft tissue height adjacent to single-implant-supported restorations in the premolar-molar position is similar to that adjacent to the contra-lateral natural teeth.
Adverse outcomes of bacterial meningitis in school-age survivors.

OBJECTIVE To determine the outcomes of bacterial meningitis in school-age survivors. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Teaching pediatric hospital. CHILDREN During 1983 through 1986, 158 meningitis survivors, ages 3 months to 14 years, treated at a single center were enrolled. Between 1991 and 1993, 130 children, 82% of the original cohort, were evaluated at a mean age of 8.4 years and a mean of 6.7 years after their meningitis. OUTCOME MEASURES Blinded neurologic, neuropsychologic, audiologic, behavior, and socio-demographic assessments were compared with those from grade- and sex-matched control children. Multivariate analyses adjusted for age at testing and socio-demographic variables. RESULTS There was a systematic increase in risk of abnormality or poorer functioning for children with meningitis, compared with control children, across all categories tested, which was significant for fine motor function, Intelligence quotient (IQ) scores, and tests of school behavior, neuropsychologic function, and auditory figure-ground differentiation. Eleven children who had experienced meningitis (8.5%) had major deficits (IQ < 70, seizures, hydrocephalus, spasticity, blindness, or severe to profound hearing loss); a further 24 (18.5%) cases and 14 (10.8%) control children had minor deficits (IQ 70 to 80, inability to read, mild to moderate hearing loss, abnormalities in speech discrimination, or school behavior problems). Overall, children who had meningitis were at greater risk (26.9%) for disability. Children with acute neurologic complications had more adverse outcomes than those with uncomplicated meningitis and control children (39% vs 18% vs 11%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS One in four school-age meningitis survivors has either serious and disabling sequelae or a functionally important behavior disorder, neuropsychologic or auditory dysfunction adversely affecting academic performance. As a group, survivors function less well than their classroom peers, and risk is greatest for, but not confined to, those who had acute neurologic complications. All survivors require careful follow-up, at least until school age.
Assessing pathogenicity: overview of results from the IARC Unclassified Genetic Variants Working Group

Genetic testing for mutations in cancer susceptibility genes began in the early 1990 s and is now commonly performed [Frank et al., 2002; Lynch et al., 2007]. Important decisions regarding management of cancer susceptibility syndromes are made based on whether an individual carries a pathogenic variant or not. In addition to mutations that are highly likely to cause disease (deletions and truncations), mutation screening often finds missense substitutions, potential splicing variants, and/or small in-frame insertion-deletions that are of uncertain significance (often reported as unclassified variants [UVs] or [VUSs]). It was recognized early, and has come to pass, that unclassified missense substitutions would be a potentially serious problem unless functional assays or other discriminating tests could be established [Castilla et al., 1994]. For example, until recently, up to 12% of BRCA1 and BRCA2 test results reported a UV in the absence of any clearly pathogenic variant [Frank et al., 2002].
Relapse Prevention via Videoconference for Anorexia Nervosa - Findings from the RESTART Pilot Study

Methods Eligible patients fulfilled a diagnosis of full-syndrome or atypical AN according to ICD-10 [10] at admission to acute treatment and had completed inpatient/day patient treatment. Applying DSM-5 criteria for AN would lead to a comparable patient sample. Exclusion criteria comprised a severe somatic disorder, current substance dependence, psychotic disorder, suicidal crisis and pregnancy. The relapse prevention programme is based on the Maudsley Model of Anorexia Nervosa Treatment by Schmidt et al. [9] . Patients received 10 sessions of this intervention over 4 months. The first and last sessions took place face to face, the other 8 sessions were delivered via videoconference. Patients were encouraged to arrange subsequent outpatient therapy during the relapse prevention. Five therapists who were at least in their third year of training delivered the intervention. They received regular supervision. Diagnostic assessments were conducted before and after treatment and comprised assessment of body weight and height, SCID-I and Eating Disorder Examination interviews and self-report instruments assessing eating disorder pathology and general psychopathology. Patients and therapists were asked to fill in a questionnaire assessing their views on the treatment programme. We used a videoconference system by Cisco (San José, Calif., USA; www.cisco.com) which ensures high data safety by encrypted data transfer. Patients received a laptop with webcam, microphone and specific videoconference software. They were introduced into handling of the laptop and received technical support. As in our recent randomized controlled trial on outpatient psychotherapy in AN [11] , we took steps to ensure patient safety, including regular visits to their general practitioner and the possibility of a short-term inpatient crisis intervention. We developed an emergency plan in case of patients’ unavailability at scheduled videoconference sessions, including patients’ contact details and contact details of close others and the general practitioner. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Medical Faculty Tübingen (518/2011BO2). All participants gave their written informed consent.
Pediatric sleep disorders: a review of the past 10 years.

OBJECTIVE To provide a 10-year review of pediatric sleep disorders medicine. METHOD DSM-IV is used to organize the presentation from a developmental perspective. RESULTS Pediatric sleep disorders can be subdivided into four broad categories: Primary Sleep Disorders that include two subcategories, Dyssomnias and Parasomnias; Sleep Disorder Related to Another Mental Disorder; Sleep Disorder Due to a General Medical Condition; and Substance-Induced Sleep Disorder. Behavioral and supportive methods of treatment remain the most useful methods for treating primary sleep disorders in childhood.
Polyethylene glycol 4000 as a continuously administered non-absorbable faecal marker for metabolic balance studies in human subjects

The use of polyethylene glycol 4000 as a non-absorbable, continuously fed faecal marker is described. The intestinal handling and transit of polyethylene glycol is compared with that of chromium sesquioxide and barium sulphate. Polyethylene glycol is an acceptable non-absorbable faecal marker for calcium, phosphorus, and fatty acids, and has several features which commend its use in preference to insoluble chromium sesquioxide and barium sulphate particularly when marking water-soluble dietary constituents.
Fulminant hepatitis associated with Schistosoma mansoni.

Schistosomiasis is caused by helminthic blood fluke parasites called schistosoma, of which five species cause almost all cases of disease in humans. Schistosoma hematobium, Schistosoma mansoni, and Schistosoma japonicum are the main species that infect humans, and they vary in regard to geographic distribution, target organs, and clinical presentation (1). S. mansoni is endemic in several countries in Africa, South America, and part of the Middle East (2). It settles preferentially in the inferior mesenteric veins, and the eggs that are deposited in this venous system can travel bidirectionally to the liver and to the colon. The main manifestation of chronic schistosomiasis in humans results from granulomatous reaction and consequent fibrosis in affected organs (e.g., presinusoidal venous obstruction and portal hypertension in liver involvement) (3). Conversely, schistosoma infection can present as cercarial dermatitis (swimmer itch) and acute schistosomiasis (Katayama fever). Acute schistosomiasis occurs 4 to 8 weeks after first contact with contaminated fresh water and active cercarial penetration of the patient’s skin and lasts 3 to 4 months. Typical features include fever, urticarial rash, bronchospasm and cough, marked eosinophilia, and mild transaminasemia that does not progress to fulminant hepatitis (4). We describe a child in whom S. mansoni infection presented as fulminant hepatitis and who responded promptly to repeated courses of praziquantel and corticosteroids.
The influence of face age on identification from a video line-up: A comparison between older and younger adults

A group of young-adult (aged 18–35 years) and older-adult witnesses (aged 61–83 years) viewed films of two similar staged thefts, one that depicted a young culprit and the other an older culprit. After a short delay of 40–60 minutes participants were presented with two separate video line-ups, one for each target. In one line-up the target was present (TP) and the other the target was absent (TA). Older adults performed more poorly in target present and absent line-ups, and showed no own-age bias, however young adults showed an own age advantage for the TA line-ups.
Maximal cardiac output during arm exercise in the sitting position after cervical spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE To determine and compare haemodynamic responses at maximal arm-crank (ACE) and wheelchair exercise (WCE) in individuals with cervical spinal cord injury and pair-matched able-bodied individuals. METHODS Nine male, motor-complete cervical spinal cord injured and 9 able-bodied individuals performed graded, maximal ACE and WCE. Cardiac output, heart rate, and stroke volume were determined at rest and at maximal exercise in cervical spinal cord injured individuals. In able-bodied individuals, measurements were performed at rest and at the maximal workload of the matched cervical spinal cord injured individuals. RESULTS In cervical spinal cord injured, maximal cardiac output (ACE 7.4 (standard deviation (SD) 1.6); WCE 7.3 (SD 2.1) l/min) and heart rate (ACE 101 (SD 22); WCE 103 (SD 27) bpm) increased significantly compared with rest (4.6 (SD 1.0) l/min; 65 (SD 12) bpm), while stroke volume (ACE 77 (SD 22); WCE 73 (SD 21) ml) did not differ from rest (73 (SD 20) ml). In able-bodied individuals, cardiac output (rest 4.8 (SD 1.4); ACE 10.7 (SD 1.8); WCE 10.3 (SD 2.2) l/min), heart rate (rest 68 (SD 10); ACE 103 (SD 27); WCE 109 (SD 27) bpm), and stroke volume (rest 70 (SD 10); ACE 105 (SD 20); WCE 96 (SD 17) ml) increased significantly compared with rest. Cardiac output and stroke volume were significantly lower in cervical spinal cord injured compared with able-bodied individuals at the same workloads. CONCLUSION Haemodynamic responses to maximal exercise were similar for both exercise modes in individuals with cervical spinal cord injury. The lower cardiac output in individuals with cervical spinal cord injury compared with able-bodied individuals at equivalent workloads reflects the inability of the circulatory system to increase stroke volume.
Explicit Estimates: From Λ(n) in Arithmetic Progressions to Λ(n)/n

ABSTRACT We denote by the sum of Λ(n)/n for all n ≤ x and congruent to and similarly by ψ(x; q, a) the sum of Λ(n) over the same set. We show that the error term in for a suitable constant C(q, a) can be controlled by that of ψ(y; q, a) − y/ϕ(q) for y of size x, up to a small error term. As a consequence, if a partial generalized Riemann hypothesis has been verified for the L-functions attached to characters modulo q up to height H, this error term is bounded by when x ≥ H. Previous methods had at best instead. We further compute the asymptotics for the L2-average of a quantity closely related to C(q, a).
Plasticity of Fetal Cartilaginous Cells

Tissue-specific stem cells found in adult tissues can participate in the repair process following injury. However, adult tissues, such as articular cartilage and intervertebral disc, have low regeneration capacity, whereas fetal tissues, such as articular cartilage, show high regeneration ability. The presence of fetal stem cells in fetal cartilaginous tissues and their involvement in the regeneration of fetal cartilage is unknown. The aim of the study was to assess the chondrogenic differentiation and the plasticity of fetal cartilaginous cells. We compared the TGF-β3-induced chondrogenic differentiation of human fetal cells isolated from spine and cartilage tissues to that of human bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC). Stem cell surface markers and adipogenic and osteogenic plasticity of the two fetal cell types were also assessed. TGF-β3 stimulation of fetal cells cultured in high cell density led to the production of aggrecan, type I and II collagens, and variable levels of type X collagen. Although fetal cells showed the same pattern of surface stem cell markers as BMSCs, both type of fetal cells had lower adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation capacity than BMSCs. Fetal cells from femoral head showed higher adipogenic differentiation than fetal cells from spine. These results show that fetal cells are already differentiated cells and may be a good compromise between stem cells and adult tissue cells for a cell-based therapy.
Wispy and Orb cooperate in the cytoplasmic polyadenylation of localized gurken mRNA

Background: In Drosophila, the dorsal‐ventral (D‐V) axis of the oocyte is dependent on Gurken (Grk) protein distribution. This is achieved through the cytoplasmic localization of grk mRNA and regulation of its translation. During mid‐late stages of oogenesis, grk mRNA and protein are localized to the dorsal‐anterior of the oocyte, while unlocalized grk transcripts are translationally silenced. As females carrying mutations in the gene encoding the CPEB protein Orb lay ventralized eggs due to insufficient Grk levels, it seemed likely that cytoplasmic polyadenylation of grk transcripts may play a role in their translational regulation. Results: We have found that grk is polyadenylated throughout oogenesis, with poly(A) tails of approximately 30–50 A residues. Hyperadenylated grk transcripts, with poly(A) tails of 50–90 As, are detected in late stage egg chambers, but they fail to accumulate in oocytes deficient in Orb or the poly(A) polymerase Wispy (Wisp). wisp females also lay weakly ventralized eggs, demonstrating that they produce inadequate amounts of Grk. Finally, unlocalized grk transcripts are also not appropriately hyperadenylated. Conclusions: Localized cytoplasmic polyadenylation of grk mRNA by Wisp and Orb is necessary to achieve appropriate Grk protein accumulation in the D/A corner of the oocyte during mid to late oogenesis. Developmental Dynamics 244:1276–1285, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.