Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Current concepts and techniques in pterygium treatment

Purpose of review Pterygium is a common ocular disorder in many parts of the world. At present, there is a wide variety of surgical methods but very few clinical guidelines on the optimal treatment of primary or recurrent pterygium. The purpose of this review is to summarize the more recent and relevant studies on pterygium treatment. Recent findings The primary aim is to excise the pterygium and prevent its recurrence. As bare sclera excision is associated with a high recurrence rate, pterygium excision is often combined with conjunctival autograft, mitomycin C, beta-irradiation or other adjunctive therapies to reduce recurrence rates. There is currently, however, no consensus regarding the ideal treatment for the disease. Comparability between studies is also hampered by the various definitions of pterygium recurrence. Summary This article reviews the current concepts and techniques used for the treatment of pterygium. Conjunctival autografting and mitomycin C application are the most commonly used methods for preventing recurrences. The use of mitomycin C and beta-irradiation should be used judiciously because of the potential long-term risk of sight-threatening complications. Additional clinical trials should be performed to evaluate the relative efficacies and long-term safety of the various treatment modalities.
Effects of a Competency-Based Counseling Training Program for Correctional Officers

The purposes of this study were (a) to determine whether a competency-based counseling training program can be effective in developing the counseling skills of correctional officers with diverse backgrounds and (b) to examine if participants would demonstrate positive changes in counseling skills regardless of their differences among a variety of demographic variables. One hundred and six correctional officers were selected to participate in this study. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were applied for collecting and analyzing data. The results indicate that the participants' counseling skills were significantly improved. Because the participants demonstrated positive changes in their overall counseling skills, the present research further supports no significant difference among a variety of variables. The training program also brought out deeper reflection on the significant learning experiences, greater theoretical knowledge, as well as greater understanding of the counseling work for the participants.
IFNG rs1861494 Polymorphism Is Associated with IBD Disease Severity and Functional Changes in Both IFNG Methylation and Protein Secretion

Background:Mucosal expression of interferon (IFN)-&ggr; plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and IBD risk regions flank IFNG. The conserved IFNG rs1861494 T/C introduces a new CpG methylation site, is associated with disease severity and lack of therapeutic response in other infectious and immune-mediated disorders, and is in linkage disequilibrium with a ulcerative colitis (UC) disease severity region. It seems likely that CpG-altering single nucleotide polymorphisms modify methylation and gene expression. This study evaluated the association between rs1861494 and clinical, serologic, and methylation patterns in patients with IBD. Methods:Peripheral T cells of UC and Crohn's disease (CD) patients were genotyped for rs1861494 and analyzed for allele-specific and IFNG promoter methylation. Serum antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies and IFN-&ggr; secretion were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and nucleoprotein complex formation by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Results:IFNG rs1861494 T allele carriage in patients with IBD was associated with enhanced secretion of IFN-&ggr;. T allele carriage was associated in UC with high levels of antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies and faster progression to colectomy. In CD, it was associated with complicated disease involving a stricturing/penetrating phenotype. Likewise, IFNG rs1861494 displayed genotype-specific modulation of DNA methylation and transcription factor complex formation. Conclusions:This study reports the first association of IFNG rs1861494 T allele with enhanced IFN-&ggr; secretion and known IBD clinical parameters indicative of more aggressive disease and serological markers associated with treatment resistance to anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy in patients with IBD. These data may be useful prognostically as predictors of early response to anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy to identify patients with IBD for improved personalized therapeutics.
Several members of the mouse carcinoembryonic antigen-related glycoprotein family are functional receptors for the coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus-A59

Mouse hepatitis virus-A59 (MHV-A59), a murine coronavirus, can utilize as a cellular receptor MHVR, a murine glycoprotein in the biliary glycoprotein (BGP) subfamily of the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) family in the immunoglobulin superfamily (G.S. Dveksler, M. N. Pensiero, C. B. Cardellichio, R. K. Williams, G.-S. Jiang, K. V. Holmes, and C. W. Dieffenbach, J. Virol. 65:6881-6891, 1991). Several different BGP isoforms are expressed in tissues of different mouse strains, and we have explored which of these glycoproteins can serve as functional receptors for MHV-A59. cDNA cloning, RNA-mediated polymerase chain reaction analysis, and Western immunoblotting with a monoclonal antibody, CC1, specific for the N-terminal domain of MHVR showed that the inbred mouse strains BALB/c, C3H, and C57BL/6 expressed transcripts and proteins of the MHVR isoform and/or its splice variants but not the mmCGM2 isoform. In contrast, adult SJL/J mice, which are resistant to infection with MHV-A59, express transcripts and proteins only of the mmCGM2-related isoforms, not MHVR. These data are compatible with the hypothesis that the MHVR and mmCGM2 glycoproteins may be encoded by different alleles of the same gene. We studied binding of anti-MHVR antibodies or MHV-A59 virions to proteins encoded by transcripts of MHVR and mmCGM2 and two splice variants of MHVR, one containing two immunoglobulin-like domains [MHVR(2d)] and the other with four domains as in MHVR but with a longer cytoplasmic domain [MHVR(4d)L]. We found that the three isoforms tested could serve as functional receptors for MHV-A59, although only isoforms that include the N-terminal domain of MHVR were recognized by monoclonal antibody CC1 in immunoblots or by MHV-A59 virions in virus overlay protein blot assays. Thus, in addition to MHVR, both the two-domain isoforms, mmCGM2 and MHVR(2d), and the MHVR(4d)L isoform served as functional virus receptors for MHV-A59. This is the first report of multiple related glycoprotein isoforms that can serve as functional receptors for a single enveloped virus.
Resistance exercise prevents plantar flexor deconditioning during bed rest.

Because resistance exercise (REX) and unloading induce opposing neuromuscular adaptations, we tested the efficacy of REX against the effects of 14 d of bed rest unloading (BRU) on the plantar flexor muscle group. Sixteen men were randomly assigned to no exercise (NOE, N = 8) or REX (N = 8). REX performed 5 sets x 6-10 repetitions to failure of constant resistance concentric/eccentric plantar flexion every other day during BRU. One-repetition maximum (1RM) strength was tested on the training device. The angle-specific torque-velocity relationship across 5 velocities (0, 0.52, 1.05, 1.75, and 2.97 rad.s-1) and the full range-of-motion power-velocity relationship were assessed on a dynamometer. Torque-position analyses identified strength changes at shortened, neutral, and stretched muscle lengths. Concentric and eccentric contractile work were measured across ten repetitions at 1.05 rad.s-1. Maximal neural activation was measured by surface electromyography (EMG). 1RM decreased 9% in NOE and improved 11% in REX (P < 0.05). Concentric (0.52 and 1.05 rad.s-1), eccentric (0.52 and 2.97 rad.s-1), and isometric angle-specific torques decreased (P < 0.05) in NOE, averaging 18%, 17%, and 13%, respectively. Power dropped (P < 0.05) in NOE at three eccentric (21%) and two concentric (14%) velocities. REX protected angle-specific torque and average power at all velocities. Concentric and eccentric strength decreased at stretched (16%) and neutral (17%) muscle lengths (P < 0.05) in NOE while REX maintained or improved strength at all joint positions. Concentric (15%) and eccentric (11%) contractile work fell in NOE (P < 0.05) but not in REX. Maximal plantar flexor EMG did not change in either group. In summary, constant resistance concentric/eccentric REX completely prevented plantar flexor performance deconditioning induced by BRU. The reported benefits of REX should prove useful in prescribing exercise for astronauts in microgravity and for patients susceptible to functional decline during bed- or chair-bound hospital stays.
Vocal Development in Young Children With Cochlear Implants: Profiles and Implications for Intervention.

PURPOSE This article describes prelinguistic vocal development in 2 prelingually deaf children who received multichannel cochlear implants at 10 and 28 months of age, respectively. METHODS Vocalizations were recorded in half-hour mother- child interactions before and after implantation and then classified into three levels of development: precanonical, canonical, and postcanonical. RESULTS One child made rapid progress in vocal development after her implant was activated. The other child showed slower progress with continued dominance of precanonical vocalizations throughout the first year of implant experience. Increases in vowel, diphthong, and consonant diversity; the establishment of canonical vocalizations; and the emergence of postcanonical forms were found to be indicators of progress in vocal development. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Observed differences in the rate and completeness of vocal development between the 2 children suggest that some young implant recipients may need specialized intervention strategies to stimulate speech development. The rationale and procedures for implementing Short Periods of Prelinguistic Input (SPPI), a potentially useful approach for stimulating vocal development, are presented.
Role of interleukin‐17F in chronic inflammatory and allergic lung disease

IL‐17 family members belong to a distinct category of cytokines that coordinate local tissue inflammation by inducing the release of pro‐inflammatory and neutrophil‐mobilizing cytokines. The importance of the IL‐17 family in inflammatory and autoimmune disease is becoming increasingly apparent. IL‐17F is a recently discovered member of the IL‐17 family that has a number of biological activities through induction of various cytokines, chemokines, and mediators. IL‐17A, the founding member of the IL‐17 family, and IL‐17F are produced by several inflammatory cells, including activated T cells, in response to infectious and antigenic stimuli. Overexpression of IL‐17A or IL‐17F in the lungs results in induction of CXC chemokines and neutrophil recruitment. In a case–control study of 1125 unrelated Japanese subjects, a His161 to Arg161 (H161R) substitution in the third exon of the IL17F gene was shown to be associated with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Functionally, this variant failed to induce cytokines and chemokines, and interestingly, was able to antagonize the activity of wild‐type IL‐17F. These results provide an experimental basis for the observed genetic association with chronic inflammatory lung diseases, and also suggest the potential therapeutic utility of this antagonistic variant of IL‐17F. Given that asthma and COPD are complex diseases involving a number of genetic and environmental factors, the genetic impact of IL‐17F H161R with regard to the development of chronic airway inflammation likely varies among individuals with different genetic backgrounds and environmental exposures.
Acute Sleep Loss Induces Tissue-Specific Epigenetic and Transcriptional Alterations to Circadian Clock Genes in Men.

CONTEXT Shift workers are at increased risk of metabolic morbidities. Clock genes are known to regulate metabolic processes in peripheral tissues, eg, glucose oxidation. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate how clock genes are affected at the epigenetic and transcriptional level in peripheral human tissues following acute total sleep deprivation (TSD), mimicking shift work with extended wakefulness. INTERVENTION In a randomized, two-period, two-condition, crossover clinical study, 15 healthy men underwent two experimental sessions: x sleep (2230-0700 h) and overnight wakefulness. On the subsequent morning, serum cortisol was measured, followed by skeletal muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies for DNA methylation and gene expression analyses of core clock genes (BMAL1, CLOCK, CRY1, PER1). Finally, baseline and 2-h post-oral glucose load plasma glucose concentrations were determined. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES In adipose tissue, acute sleep deprivation vs sleep increased methylation in the promoter of CRY1 (+4%; P = .026) and in two promoter-interacting enhancer regions of PER1 (+15%; P = .036; +9%; P = .026). In skeletal muscle, TSD vs sleep decreased gene expression of BMAL1 (-18%; P = .033) and CRY1 (-22%; P = .047). Concentrations of serum cortisol, which can reset peripheral tissue clocks, were decreased (2449 ± 932 vs 3178 ± 723 nmol/L; P = .039), whereas postprandial plasma glucose concentrations were elevated after TSD (7.77 ± 1.63 vs 6.59 ± 1.32 mmol/L; P = .011). CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate that a single night of wakefulness can alter the epigenetic and transcriptional profile of core circadian clock genes in key metabolic tissues. Tissue-specific clock alterations could explain why shift work may disrupt metabolic integrity as observed herein.
Perspectives on the Happiness of Community-Dwelling Elderly in Korea

Objective A community survey was performed to investigate the factors and perspectives associated with happiness among the elderly in Korea (≥60 years). Methods Eight hundred volunteers selected from participants in the Ansan Geriatric study (AGE study) were enrolled, and 706 completed the survey. The Happiness Questionnaire (HQ), which asks four questions about happiness, was administered. To explore the relationship between happiness and depression, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) also were administered. Results The participants' average level of happiness, determined using a 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS) of the HQ, was 64.7±26.0. The happiest situations for most people were "getting together with family" (23.8%) and "living in peace with family members (well-being)" (13.2%). Frequent reasons for not being happy were "worsened health condition" (28.7% of the not-happy group), "economic problems of their own" (16.5%), and "economic problems of their children" (14.8%). The participants' choices regarding the essential conditions for happiness were "good health" (65.3%) and "being with family" (20.5%). The BDI and GDS scores were negatively related to the happiness score. A preliminary scale [Happy (Haeng-Bok, 幸福) aging scale] based on the HQ for measuring the happiness level of the Korean elderly was suggested for follow-up studies. Conclusion The most important factors determining the happiness of the community-dwelling elderly in Korea were good family relationships, economic stability, and good health. A higher depression score negatively impacted happiness among Korean elders. Further studies on the factors in their happiness are required.
The relative lengths of individual telomeres are defined in the zygote and strictly maintained during life

Previous studies have indicated that average telomere length is partly inherited ( Slagboom et al., 1994 ; Rufer et al., 1999 ) and that there is an inherited telomere pattern in each cell ( Graakjaer et al., 2003 ); ( Londoño‐Vallejo et al., 2001 ). In this study, we quantify the importance of the initially inherited telomere lengths within cells, in relation to other factors that influence telomere length during life. We have estimated the inheritance by measuring telomere length in monozygotic (MZ) twins using Q‐FISH with a telomere specific peptide nucleic acid (PNA)‐probe. Homologous chromosomes were identified using subtelomeric polymorphic markers. We found that identical homologous telomeres from two aged MZ twins show significantly less differences in relative telomere length than when comparing the two homologues within one individual. This result means that towards the end of life, individual telomeres retain the characteristic relative length they had at the outset of life and that any length alteration during the lifespan impacts equally on genetically identical homologues. As the result applies across independent individuals, we conclude that, at least in lymphocytes, epigenetic/environmental effects on relative telomere length are relatively minor during life.
A Measurement Study of MIMO Support with Radiating Cables in Passenger Rail Cars

Radiating cables (also known as leaky feeders) are often used to provide radio propagation in indoor and confined environments such as train passenger cars, aircraft cabins, subways or tunnels. Radiating cable deployments can typically provide more homogeneous and predictable coverage than deployments based on antennas. With the advent of 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) and the IEEE 802.11n and 802.11ac amendments, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) support has become mandatory. MIMO generally requires to deploy more than one radiating cable. While there has been a tremendous amount of work on MIMO antenna deployment configurations and the relationship with higher layer performance e.g. throughput (see also [1]), there is little work addressing MIMO radiating cable deployments with two or more cables. This paper presents results of an extensive measurement campaign conducted to assess MIMO propagation characteristics and the throughput performance of an LTE system in a dual radiating cable deployment in a passenger car. In particular, measurements presented in this paper show that two radiating cables can ideally support spatial multiplexing. Under favorable signal-tonoise ratio (SNR) conditions, throughput in excess of 130 Mbit/s were recorded for a 2×2 MIMO 20 MHz LTE system. A median condition number of around 11 dB is measured for a 2×2 MIMO deployment. More surprisingly, they also show that deploying two radiating cables next to each other does not significantly degrade performance.
Atrophic rhinitis in swine: correlation of Pasteurella multocida pathogenicity with membrane protein and lipopolysaccharide patterns

Cell envelope proteins and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of Pasteurella multocida strains associated with atrophic rhinitis in swine were compared by using sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. Among 34 strains, three different types of cell envelope protein patterns, named I (16 strains), II (3 strains), and III (15 strains), could be distinguished. These differences were based on the electrophoretic mobility of the major protein, designated as protein H. Comparison of cell envelope protein type and pathogenicity of the strain, the latter property predicted by the guinea pig skin test, revealed that all type I strains, 6 of 15 type III strains, and none of the type II strains were pathogenic. Although pathogenicity has been correlated with extracellular toxin activity, no protein could be detected in either the cell envelopes or in the extracellular fluid that absolutely correlated with pathogenic strains. Electrophoretic analysis of the LPS revealed that all strains possessed low-molecular-weight LPS, which is inconsistent with the presence of a classical O antigen. The method allowed the detection of at least six types of LPS, which often coincided with a certain cell envelope protein type and with the presence or absence of the pathogenic character of the strain. These results strongly suggest that the sampled swine carry a limited number of P. multocida clones, in each of which the patterns of cell envelope proteins and LPS, as well as the presence or absence of the ability to produce extracellular toxin, are well conserved. Therefore, the possibility is discussed that sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis of cell envelope proteins and LPS may be used for the prediction of the pathogenic character of part of the strains. Finally, the typing of strains based on cell envelope protein patterns might contribute to the development of vaccines containing outer membrane proteins as protective antigens.
Carotid Duplex Velocity Criteria Revisited for the Diagnosis of Carotid In-Stent Restenosis

Carotid percutaneous transluminal angioplasty/stenting has become an accepted treatment modality for carotid artery stenosis in high-risk patients. There has been an ongoing debate regarding which duplex ultrasound (DUS) criteria to use to determine the rate of in-stent restenosis. This prospective study revisits DUS criteria for determining the rate of in-stent restenosis. In analyzing a subset of 12 patients (pilot study) who had both completion carotid angiography and DUS within 30 days, 10 patients with normal post-stenting carotid angiography (< 30% residual stenosis) had peak systolic velocities (PSVs) of the stented internal carotid artery (ICA) of ≤ 155 cm/s and two patients with ≥ 30% residual stenosis had internal carotid artery (ICA) PSVs of > 155 cm/s. Eighty-three patients who underwent carotid stenting as part of clinical trials were analyzed. All patients underwent post-stenting carotid DUS that was done at 1 month and every 6 months thereafter. PSVs and end-diastolic velocities of the ICA and common carotid artery were recorded. Patients with PSVs of the ICA of > 140 cm/s underwent carotid computed tomographic (CT) angiography. The perioperative stroke rate was 1.2%. When the old DUS velocity criteria for nonstented carotid arteries were applied, 54% of patients had ≥ 30% restenosis (PSV of > 120 cm/s), but when our new proposed DUS velocity criteria for stented arteries were applied (PSV of > 155 cm/s), 33% had ≥ 30% restenosis at a mean follow-up of 18 months (p = .007). The mean PSVs for patients with normal stented carotid arteries based on CT angiography, were 122 cm/s versus 243 cm/s for ≥ 30% restenosis and 113 cm/s versus 230 cm/s for ≥ 30% restenosis based on our new criteria. The mean PSVs of in-stent restenosis of 30 to < 50%, 50 to < 70%, and 70 to 99%, based on CT angiography, were 205 cm/s, 264 cm/s, and 435 cm/s, respectively. Receiver operating curve analysis demonstrated that an ICA PSV of > 155 cm/s was optimal for detecting ≥ 30% in-stent restenosis, with a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 90%, a positive predictive value of 74%, and a negative predictive value of 100%. The currently used carotid DUS velocity criteria overestimated the incidence of in-stent restenosis. We propose new velocity criteria for the ICA PSV of > 155 cm/s to define ≥ 30% in-stent restenosis.