Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Brief Communication: High Incidence of Venous Thrombotic Events among Patients with Wegener Granulomatosis: The Wegener's Clinical Occurrence of Thrombosis (WeCLOT) Study.

Background Venous thrombotic events (VTEs) have been observed in Wegener granulomatosis, but the incidence rate is not known. Objective To measure the incidence of VTEs in patients with Wegener granulomatosis. Design Prospective, observational cohort study. Setting A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled treatment trial for Wegener granulomatosis. Patients 180 patients with Wegener granulomatosis enrolled during periods of active disease. Measurements Venous thrombotic events (deep venous thromboses or pulmonary emboli) were documented and confirmed prospectively. Incidence rates were calculated on the basis of time to first VTE. Results Thirteen patients had VTEs before enrollment. During 228 person-years of prospective follow-up, 16 VTEs occurred in 167 patients with no history of VTE. Median time from enrollment to VTE for patients with an event was 2.1 months. The incidence of VTE among patients with Wegener granulomatosis was 7.0 per 100 person-years (95% CI, 4.0 to 11.4). Limitations Although prospectively recorded, screening for VTEs did not occur. Conclusions The incidence rate of VTEs in Wegener granulomatosis is high when compared with available rates in the general population, patients with lupus, and patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These results have important implications for clinical care of patients with Wegener granulomatosis. *For a list of members of The Wegener's Granulomatosis Etanercept Trial Research Group, see the Appendix.
The impact of smoking on incident type 2 diabetes in a cohort with hepatitis B but not hepatitis C infection

Smoking may be a risk factor for diabetes, and it has been suggested that viral hepatitis may predispose to diabetes. We studied diabetes and smoking histories in people with viral hepatitis. From 1997 to 2004, we studied the risk of incident diabetes in a community cohort with hyperendemic HBV and HCV infection in southern Taiwan. The cohort involved 3539 people (40–70 years old) without diabetes. Four hundred and twenty‐three individuals developed diabetes. Those who were ≥65 years old, frequently consumed alcohol, had a BMI ≥25, had <9 years of education, were anti‐HCV+ or smoked ≥1 pack per day were more likely to develop diabetes (P < 0.05). A cumulative hazard function test showed that the higher the smoking levels, the greater the cumulative incidence rate of diabetes in HBsAg+ participants only (P = 0.03 by log‐rank test). A multiple Cox proportional hazards model analysis in different hepatitis statuses showed smoking levels were strong predictors of diabetes with a dose–response relationship for type 2 diabetes in those with HBsAg+: hazard ratio (HR) = 3.8, (95% CI: 1.2, 12.3) for light smokers (<1 pack per day) and HR = 4.4 (95% CI: 1.5, 13.3) for heavy smokers (≥1 pack per day). Increasing BMI was a common predictor in all people. Smoking is a strong predictor for diabetes with a dose–response relationship in HBsAg+ individuals and a mild predictor for seronegative individuals but not significant in anti‐HCV+ individuals.
The Effect of Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure on Future Pregnancy Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To estimate whether the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) is associated with an adverse effect on the outcome of subsequent pregnancies. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed. The study group comprised women who had a LEEP in Halifax County between 1992 and 1999 and then had a subsequent singleton pregnancy of greater than 20 weeks of gestation with delivery at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The comparison group comprised women with no history of cervical surgery who were matched for age, parity, smoking status, and year of delivery. There were 571 women in each group. The primary outcome was rate of preterm delivery at less than 37 weeks of gestation. Secondary outcomes included delivery at less than 34 weeks and various neonatal and maternal outcomes. The effect of specific LEEP characteristics was analyzed separately. RESULTS: Women who had a LEEP were more likely to deliver preterm overall (7.9% versus 2.5%; odds ratio [OR] 3.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.90–6.95; P < .001) and to deliver preterm after premature rupture of membranes (PROM) (3.5% versus 0.9%; OR 4.10, 95% CI 1.48–14.09). The increase in delivery at less than 34 weeks was not statistically significant (1.25% versus 0.36%; OR 3.50, 95% CI 0.85–23.49; P = .12). Women with LEEP also delivered more low birth weight (LBW) infants (5.4% versus 1.9%; OR 3.00, 95% CI 1.52–6.46; P = .003). There were no differences in other neonatal or maternal outcomes. No association was found between the characteristics of the LEEP, including depth, and the rate of preterm delivery. CONCLUSION: Loop electrosurgical excision procedure is associated with an increased risk of overall preterm delivery, preterm delivery after PROM, and LBW infants in subsequent pregnancies at greater than 20 weeks of gestation. Women who are considering future pregnancies should be counseled about these risks during informed consent for LEEP. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-2
Segmental Malalignment With the Bryan Cervical Disc Prosthesis—Does it Occur?

The early clinical results with the Bryan Cervical Disc prosthesis are encouraging but 2 recent small published series have noted postoperative radiologic kyphosis of the functional spinal unit (FSU) of 4 and 6 degrees. The current study was undertaken to accurately assess the extent of any sagittal deformity after the use of this prosthesis in a substantial, multisurgeon case series. The neutral, erect x-rays of 67 consecutive patients (88 disc levels) operated by one of 3 surgeons, were examined using manual and digital image analysis techniques for FSU sagittal angulation (lordosis), prosthesis shell angulation, segmental olisthesis, and overall cervical alignment. Measurement accuracy was confirmed using interobserver and intraobserver studies. There was a median loss of 2 degrees in FSU lordosis when compared with preoperative imaging (P<0.0001, range: 8-degree loss to 5-degree gain). A median 2 degrees of prosthesis shell kyphosis also occurred (range: 15-degree kyphosis to 12-degree lordosis) but shell angulation correlated weakly with the change in FSU lordosis (rs=0.37, P=0.001). There was a significant difference in the median loss of FSU lordosis between surgeon 1 and surgeons 2 and 3 (3.5 degrees vs. 2 degrees, P=0.005). Median olisthesis of the prosthesis shells was −0.1 mm (range: +1.5 to −2.5 mm). Median postoperative overall cervical lordosis reduced by 4 degrees (P<0.004). A small loss in median FSU lordosis was observed after insertion of the Bryan disc. The observed changes were generally small but varied among both the patients and the surgeons, suggesting that variables may exist which contribute to postoperative sagittal alignment. These are the subject of an accompanying study.
Vascular endothelial groth factor induces tissue factor and matrix metalloproteinase production in endothelial cells: Conversion of prothrombin to thrombin results in progelatininase a activation and cell proliferation

Production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by cancer cells at invasive and metastatic sites is an important aspect of tumor angiogenesis. Although known primarily as a mitogen and a vascular permeability factor (VPF) for endothelial cells, VEGF/VPF has been proposed to induce the expression of procoagulant factors in endothelial cells. In this study, we have explored the ramifications of VEGF induction of tissue factor (TF) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and subsequent activation of progelatinase A. Within 3 hr of incubation with VEGF/VPF, endothelial cells accelerate TF generation as measured using chromogenic substrate assays for coagulation factors Xa and thrombin. Incubation of VEGF/VPF‐pre‐treated cells with prothrombin and factors X, Va, and VIIa at 37°C and subsequent generation of thrombin resulted in activation of secreted endothelial progelatinase A as demonstrated by gelatin zymography. Anti‐thrombin III or antibodies to TF inhibited thrombin generation and progelatinase A activation. VEGF/VPF also directly increased HUVEC secretion of interstitial collagenase, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP‐1) and, to a lesser extent, gelatinase A. The effect of thrombin on endothelial proliferation in serum‐free media was examined. Thrombin was a growth factor for HUVECs at a lower dose than that required for progelatinase A activation. Whereas TIMP‐2 abrogated thrombin‐induced progelatinase A activation, it had no significant effect on thrombin‐induced endothelial cell growth. We propose that an early step in tumor angiogenesis involves VEGF‐induced thrombin generation and increased MMP production with subsequent activation of endothelial progelatinase A and degradation of the underlying basement membrane. Int. J. Cancer 75:780–786, 1998. Published 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
Humanization and characterization of the anti‐HLA‐DR antibody 1D10

1D10 is a previously described antibody that binds to cells from a majority of B‐cell malignancies. The current studies were designed to further evaluate the antigen specificity of 1D10 and its potential as an immunotherapeutic agent. Studies with transfectants and immunoprecipitation demonstrated that 1D10 recognizes some, but not all, of the human HLA‐DR β chains. Both normal and malignant B cells can express the 1D10 antigen. A humanized version of 1D10 was produced using CDR grafting. The resulting antibody has an affinity that is similar to that of the parental murine antibody. In addition, the humanized antibody is capable of inducing complement‐mediated cytotoxicity, antibody‐dependent cell cytotoxicity, and direct apoptosis of 1D10‐expressing B cells. Based on these in vitro anti‐tumor activities, we conclude humanized 1D10 deserves further evaluation as an immunotherapeutic agent. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
[Radiographically demonstrable spinal changes in asymptomatic young men].

PURPOSE To find reliable data of the incidence of different variations of the spine. MATERIAL AND METHODS Standardised radiographic examinations of 10,922 young, healthy pilot aspirants of the German air force were made. Radiographic examination included the whole spine in a.p. and lateral projection, the cervical spine in oblique projection and in a subunit of 5781 men the lumbar spine in oblique projection. RESULTS The following incidences were found: mild habit scoliosis: 80.4%, structural scoliosis: 9%, severe thoracal kyphosis without severe lumbar lordosis: 5.1% and together with severe lumbar lordosis: 30.8%, mild forms of kyphosis of adolescence: 23.3%, severe forms: 2.1% and cuneiform deformation of vertebral body: 4.9%, sacralization: 7.8%, lumbarization: 5.9%, spondylolysis: 6.2%, spondylolisthesis: 4.3% and lumbar chondrosis: 2.1%. Chondrosis of the thoracal and cervical spine, osteochondrosis and coalescent vertebral bodies were found in less than 0.8% each. CONCLUSION In only 2.6% were there no pathological findings. This shows importance of radiological spine examinations especially for industrial and preventive medicine.
Triple Therapy for the Management of COPD: A Review

Triple therapy for COPD consists of a long-acting anti-cholinergic bronchodilator, a long-acting beta-agonist bronchodilator, and an inhaled corticosteroid. Guidelines from the Canadian Thoracic Society advocate triple therapy for some patients with moderate-to-severe COPD. The objective of this review was to evaluate the evidence based clinical efficacy of triple therapy compared to dual bronchodilator therapy (long-acting anti-cholinergic bronchodilator + beta-agonist bronchodilator) or long-acting anti-cholinergic bronchodilator monotherapy for managing COPD. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify relevant clinical evaluations of triple therapy in the management of moderate to severe COPD. Databases searched included: Medline; EMBASE; CINAHL and PubMed (non-Medline records only). Of 2,314 publications, 4 articles evaluated triple therapy for the management of COPD. Hospitalization rates for COPD exacerbations, reported in 2 trials, were significantly reduced with triple therapy compared to long-acting anti-cholinergic bronchodilator monotherapy, with reported relative risks of 0.53 (95% CI: 0.33, 0.86, p = 0.01) and 0.35 (95% CI: 0.16–0.78, p = 0.011). Exacerbation data is inconsistent between the two trials reporting this outcome. Lung function, dyspnea and quality of life data show statistical significant changes with triple therapy compared to long-acting anti-cholinergic bronchodilator monotherapy but the changes do not reach clinical importance. Triple therapy does decrease the number of hospitalizations for severe/acute COPD exacerbations compared with long-acting anti-cholinergic bronchodilator monotherapy. There is insufficient evidence to determine if triple therapy is superior to dual bronchodilator therapy.
Avascular Bone Necrosis of the Hip Joint after Solid Organ Transplantation in Childhood: A Clinical and MRI Analysis

Background. Aseptic osteonecrosis is a well-known complication after solid organ transplantation in adults. The occurrence of osteonecrosis in growing age has been studied after kidney transplantation, but no systematic evaluation of the joints has been reported after heart or liver transplantation in childhood. Methods. A total of 196 children—93% of patients surviving kidney, liver and heart transplantation in Finland—participated in a cross-sectional survey. All children underwent a detailed clinical examination and filled out a questionnaire on musculoskeletal symptoms. Radiographs were taken in case of joint pain or abnormal clinical findings. In addition, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from the hips was taken on a random basis from 34 adult patients transplanted as a child. The mean follow-up time of all patients after transplantation was 9.2 years (range, 2.4 to 20.5 years). Results. Twenty-eight (14%) patients reported prolonged joint or limb pain without previous trauma. Specific etiology for the limb pain was not found in 10 (5.1%) patients. Osteonecrosis seen in radiographs or MRI was noted in seven (3.6%) patients, of which three had received kidney, three liver, and one heart graft. Femoral head was affected in five patients, as well as talus bilaterally in one patient and lateral femoral condyle in one patient. All patients were older than 12 years at the time of diagnosis of the osteonecrosis. MRI of the hips of 34 randomly selected patients showed only one asymptomatic necrosis of the femoral head. Conclusions. Symptomatic osteonecrosis of the hip is uncommon after solid organ transplantation in childhood using the current immunosuppressive medications.
Chronic manganese toxicity due to substance abuse in Turkish patients.

BACKGROUND Manganese toxicity may lead to a levodopa-resistant akinetic-rigid syndrome. Pathological changes occur mostly in the pallidium and stratium. MATERIALS AND METHODS We report seven patients with a new form of chronic manganese toxicity due to long-term intravenous use of a solution consisting of ephedrine, acetylsalicylic acid and potassium permanganate as a psycho-stimulant, popularly known as "Russian Cocktail". RESULTS The age of the patients ranged between 19 and 31 years, and the duration of substance abuse was between nine and 106 months. The onset of symptoms from first use ranged seven to 35 months. The initial symptom was impaired speech followed by gait disturbance and bradykinesia. In addition to these symptoms, choreic movements, ataxia presenting as backward falls and dystonia were also seen. Serum and urine samples revealed high levels of manganese. Hyperintense lesions on T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging were seen in bilateral basal ganglia and brainstem, dentate nuclei, features consistent with manganese intoxication. CONCLUSION Manganese toxicity, which may cause a distinctive irreversible neurodegenerative disorder, can be seen frequently with "Russian Cocktail" abuse, a substance which can be accessed very easily and at a low cost.
Serological investigation of some important RNA viruses affecting sheep and goats in Giza and Beni-Suef governorates in Egypt

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of antibodies against foot and mouth disease (FMD), Peste des Petits ruminants (PPR), and bluetongue (BT) in sheep and goats within Giza and Beni-Suef governorates at the second half of 2016. Materials and Methods: A total of 300 animals (sheep and goats) randomly selected from small stocks with no history of previous vaccination against FMD virus (FMDV), PPR, or BT viruses (BTV) and examined with competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of FMD-non-structural protein, PPR, and BT antibodies. Results: Seroprevalence analysis revealed that antibodies against FMDV were 40.8% and 37.1% at Giza governorate, while at Beni-Suef governorate, the percent was 36.7% and 50% in sheep and goat, respectively. Antibodies against PPR were 63.8% in sheep and 45.7% in goats at Giza governorate, whereas the results for Beni-Suef governorate were 71.7% in sheep and 45% in goats. Antibodies against BT were 45% and 37% in sheep and goats, respectively, in Giza governorate, whereas the results for Beni-Suef governorate were 80% and 55% in sheep and goats, respectively. The average of BTV antibody prevalence was significantly higher in sheep (45% and 80%) than in goats (37% and 55%) in Giza and Beni-Suef, respectively. Statistical analysis for the three viruses showed the high relation between the two governorates in case of sheep (r=0.85) and in case of goats (r=0.87). In general, a strong positive correlation was observed between the governorates (r=0.93). Conclusion: Giza and Beni-Suef governorates are endemic with FMDV, PPR, and BTV. Regional plan for characterization and combating FMD, PPR, and BT is recommended to help in the achievement of the most suitable combination of the vaccine regimen.
Melatonin advances the circadian timing of EEG sleep and directly facilitates sleep without altering its duration in extended sleep opportunities in humans

The rhythm of plasma melatonin originating from the pineal gland and driven by the circadian pacemaker located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus is closely associated with the circadian (approximately 24 h) variation in sleep propensity and sleep spindle activity in humans. We investigated the contribution of melatonin to variation in sleep propensity, structure, duration and EEG activity in a protocol in which sleep was scheduled to begin during the biological day, i.e. when endogenous melatonin concentrations are low. The two 14 day trials were conducted in an environmental scheduling facility. Each trial included two circadian phase assessments, baseline sleep and nine 16 h sleep opportunities (16.00–08.00 h) in near darkness. Eight healthy male volunteers (24.4 ± 4.4 years) without sleep complaints were recruited, and melatonin (1.5 mg) or placebo was administered at the start of the first eight 16 h sleep opportunities. During melatonin treatment, sleep in the first 8 h of the 16 h sleep opportunities was increased by 2 h. Sleep per 16 h was not significantly different and approached asymptotic values of 8.7 h in both conditions. The percentage of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep was not affected by melatonin, but the percentage of stage 2 sleep and sleep spindle activity increased, and the percentage of stage 3 sleep decreased. During the washout night, the melatonin‐induced advance in sleep timing persisted, but was smaller than on the preceding treatment night and was consistent with the advance in the endogenous melatonin rhythm. These data demonstrate robust, direct sleep‐facilitating and circadian effects of melatonin without concomitant changes in sleep duration, and support the use of melatonin in the treatment of sleep disorders in which the circadian melatonin rhythm is delayed relative to desired sleep time.
How Widespread and Predictable Is Stock Broker Misconduct?

We reconcile widely diverging recent estimates of broker misconduct. Qureshi and Sokobin [2015] reported that 1.3% of a sample of current and former brokers was associated with awards or settlements in excess of a threshold amount. Egan, Matvos, and Seru [2016] found that 7.8% of all current and former brokers have financial misconduct disclosures, including customer complaints, awards, and settlements. Applying Qureshi and Sokobin’s restrictive definition of potential misconduct to all brokers, we find that 2.3% of all current and former brokers have been associated with awards or settlements in excess of a threshold amount. Qureshi and Sokobin found that the top quintile of brokers sorted by estimated likelihood of being the subject of a customer complaint contains 55% of the brokers subsequently subject to complaints. We demonstrate that more sophisticated data mining techniques can sort brokers so that the highest risk quintile contains 75% of the brokers subsequently subject to customer complaints. We evaluate Qureshi and Sokobin’s claim that BrokerCheck provides helpful information to investors seeking to avoid bad brokers and answer the question posed by Egan, Matvos, and Seru: If BrokerCheck data can predict broker misconduct, why do investors not use those data to protect themselves? We find that BrokerCheck is nearly worthless in its current form but could easily be modified so that investors could protect themselves and market forces would substantially reduce broker misconduct.
Effects of Gender on Perception and Interpretation of Video Game Character Behavior and Emotion

Gender in video games is a popular topic. However, the focus is usually on how gender is portrayed within games. In this paper, we examine the effects of players' gender on the perception of virtual character behavior and emotion based on the results of two user studies involving story-based games. The first study compared players' perception of virtual character behaviors. We analyzed perceived differences both by gender and by gaming experience. In this study, we found that female gamers were more appreciative of complex behaviors than male gamers. In the second study, we examined the influence of gender on player' ability to identify the emotion being displayed by a virtual character. We found that most emotions were identified comparably, with the exception of anger. Female players were significantly better at identifying angry characters compared to male players. We also investigated any perception differences between emotions expressed by male and female virtual characters, but we did not identify any statistically significant differences. Overall, the studies suggest that there are differences in how male and female players perceive virtual characters, and if game designers want players to perceive these characters in a certain way, they should consider the gender of targeted players.
How Do Primates Anticipate Uncertain Future Events?

The timing of an upcoming event depends on two factors: its temporal position, proximal or distal with respect to the present moment, and the unavoidable stochastic variability around this temporal position. We searched for a general mechanism that could describe how these two factors influence the anticipation of an upcoming event in an oculomotor task. Monkeys were trained to pursue a moving target with their eyes. During a delay period inserted before target motion onset, anticipatory pursuit responses were frequently observed. We found that anticipatory movements were altered by the temporal position of the target. Increasing the timing uncertainty associated with the stimulus resulted in an increase in the width of the latency distribution of anticipatory pursuit. These results show that monkeys relied on an estimation of the changing probability of target motion onset as time elapsed during the delay to decide when to initiate an anticipatory smooth eye movement.