Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Complete mitochondrial genome of Empoasca vitis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

Abstract The complete mitochondrial genome of Empoasca vitis was sequenced. The length of the mitogenome is 15,154 bp with 78.35% AT content (GenBank accession No. KJ815009). The genome encode 37 typical mitochondrial genes including 22 transfer RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes and an A+T-rich region. The gene arrangement is similar to that of Drosophila yakuba, the presumed ancestral insect mitochondrial gene arrangement. Except for cox2 using GTG as start codon, other protein-coding genes (PCGs) share the start codons ATN. Usual termination codon TAA and incomplete stop codon T are using by 13 protein-coding genes. The A+T-rich region has a length of 977 bp with the AT content high to 88.95%.
Vitamin B 12 Deficiency and Thrombosis

Purpose: Thromboembolic diseases are multi-factorial. Hyperhomocysteinemia (HH) is one of these factors. Vitamin B12 deficiency is acquired reasons for HH. HH is a risk factor for arterial and venous thrombosis. The incidence of thrombosis is high due to increase of homocystein levels in HH associated with vitamin B12 deficiency. However, this situation is not clear and there are opposing views. In our study, we aimed to determine the frequency of thromboembolic events in individuals with vitamin B12 deficiency. Methods: One hundred forty-three patients (63 female, 80 male, mean age 59±13 years), who were diagnosed as having vitamin B12 deficiency (below 200 pg/ml), were included in the study retrospectively. The history of arterial and venous thrombosis for a period of last three years before the time of diagnosis and was searched. The thromboembolic events, which are detected via clinical and laboratory studies and via imaging, were determined. The control group was consisted of 129 healthy subjects (62 female, 67 male; mean age 58±8) of appropriate age, sex and excluded criteria whose B12 level was normal. Results: In control group, mean B12 level was 244±32 pg/ml. The patients’ mean B12 level was 136±58 pg/ml. Fourteen (9.8%) thromboembolic (10 coronary artery disease, two deep venous thrombosis, two cerebrovascular) events were determined in vitamin B12 deficiency group, whereas this ratio was 3.9% in the control group (four coronary artery disease, one deep venous thrombosis). This ratio was not statistically significant different (p> 0.05). Conclusion: Alone HH due to vitamin B12 deficiency did not increase the risk of thrombosis.
The Tonkolili Chimpanzee Project in Sierra Leone: Implications for Chimpanzee Conservation Strategies in Anthropogenic Landscapes

In 2012, we observed a small group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) living in close proximity to two villages in Central Sierra Leone. At the time of our visit, the population of chimpanzees had been heavily hunted. As we studied the group, we ascertained from the villages that the main reason for the active hunting was resource competition. The chimpanzees were raiding oil palm crops, which were the sole source of economy for the village at that time. The palms had replaced bee keeping and livestock management, neither of which presented a source of competition with the chimpanzees, and both of which had been destroyed during the Sierra Leone Civil War. In order to protect this population of chimpanzees, we established a partnership between the two villages, a local NGO, and ourselves in order to enact a moratorium on chimpanzee killing in the area. In return, we would provide the funds to restore pre-war economic practices. This partnership has led to further initiatives and the establishment of the Tonkolili Chimpanzee Project. The project has implications for the conservation strategies for chimpanzees, a species universally facing threats from anthropogenic effects.
[Primary adenocarcinoma of the seminal vesicles].

OBJECTIVES To report one case of primary adenocarcinoma of the seminal vesicles. METHODS/RESULTS We report the case of a 69-year-old man with obstructive voiding symptoms. Digital rectal examination reveals a marked enlargement of posterior area of the prostate and surrounding tissues. Transrectal needle biopsy shows a primary adenocarcinoma of the seminal vesicles. CONCLUSION Primary adenocarcinoma of the seminal vesicles is an extremely uncommon neoplasm that is often difficult to diagnose as it has in specific morphology and can be confused with other primary adenocarcinomas from prostate, bladder or colon.
Descemet Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty Performed by Cornea Fellows

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes of Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) in 78 eyes with corneal endothelial dysfunction performed by cornea fellows under the supervision of experienced faculty members in an academic hospital. Methods: In this interventional case series, 78 eyes of 73 patients with corneal endothelial dysfunction of different underlying etiologies were enrolled for DSAEK. Healthy donor corneas with more than 2000 endothelial cells per square millimeter were requested. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were recorded. Best-corrected visual acuity, postoperative refraction, central corneal thickness, and endothelial cell density at 6 months after surgery were also registered and analyzed. Results: Among 78 eyes of 73 patients with corneal endothelial dysfunction, DSAEK was performed on 55 eyes (70.5%) due to pseudophakic bullous keratopathy, which was the most common indication. Other indications included aphakic bullous keratopathy in 6 (7.7%), Fuchs endothelial dystrophy in 7 (8.9%), failed penetrating keratoplasty in 5 (6.4%), failed DSAEK in 3 (3.8%), and congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy in 2 eyes (2.6%). All operations were performed by 4 cornea fellows supervised by the faculty members. Mean preoperative best-corrected visual acuity was 1.8 LogMAR, which improved to 0.77 LogMAR 6 months after the surgery. At this time, the mean central corneal thickness was 709.09 ± 109.24 &mgr;m and mean 6-month postoperative endothelial cell density was 1180 cells per square millimeter representing a mean cell loss of 61%, and mean spherical equivalent was +0.53 ± 1.83 diopter. Lenticule detachment was observed in 17 eyes (21.8%). Graft failure occurred in 8 eyes (10.2%). Conclusions: Outcomes of DSAEK performed by cornea fellows supervised by the faculty members seems to be fairly acceptable.
Online Medical Records: A Decade of Experience

Abstract The electronic patient record at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has fundamentally changed the practice of medicine in ways that its developers never foresaw. This type of highly interactive and work flow enabled program is creating new collaborative roles for computers in complex organizations [4]. With the system able to supervise and monitor care, computers are able to perform many care coordination and documentation functions, freeing people to concentrate more on interpersonal interactions and provision of health care services. One of the challenges in the design of electronic patient records to assist health care providers is how to support collaboration while not requiring that people meet face-to-face. Moreover, a greater challenge for each of us as clinicians is to use this technology as a bridge (rather than a barrier) towards better patient-doctor relationships.
Utilization of and Adherence to Oral Contraceptive Pills and Associated Disparities in the United States

This study investigated sociological factors that may influence women’s utilization of and adherence to oral contraceptive pills. This was a retrospective cross-sectional study using the 2010–2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Female adults aged 18–50 years were included. Logistic regression was performed to discern women’s decisions to use oral contraceptive pills or not. Ordinary least squares and Poisson regressions were conducted to examine the number of oral contraceptive pills received, refill frequency, and annual out-of-pocket expenditure on oral contraceptive pills. Covariates were based on the Andersen model of health care utilization. Among the study sample (weighted n = 207,007,531), 14.8% were oral contraceptive pill users. Factors positively related to oral contraceptive pill use included non-Hispanic white ethnicity, younger age, not currently married, having private insurance, residing in the Midwest, higher education level, and higher annual family income. Being non-Hispanic white and having a higher education level were positively related to oral contraceptive pill adherence. Our findings therefore demonstrate disparities in oral contraceptive pill utilization and adherence, especially according to women’s race/ethnicity and educational level. This study serves as a baseline assessment for the impact of the Affordable Care Act on oral contraceptive pill utilization and adherence for future studies.
Evaluation of LRRK2 G2019S penetrance

We report the results of a family-based study of LRRK2 G2019S penetrance in Parkinson disease. We studied 19 families identified through the analysis of unrelated consecutive patients. The cumulative incidence of the disease was 15% at 60 years, 21% at 70 years, and 32% at 80 years. This study provides accurate estimates of G2019S penetrance by minimizing the selection bias.
Raw and processed oat ingredients lower plasma cholesterol in the hamster

The objective of this study was to determine if Oatrim, a product developed for use as a fat substitute, could also reduce plasma cholesterol due to its soluble dietary fiber content. Diets with soluble fiber contents of 0% (oat hydrolyzate) or 4.2-4.3% β-glucan from oat or Oatrim were fed to hamsters for 21 days. All oat derived diets reduced serum cholesterol compared to a control diet containing cellulose (p≤0.05). The available carbohydrate produced by the Oatrim process correlated inversely (r 2 =0.95) with low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration.
Distribution of different morphologic types of subgingival calculus on proximal root surfaces.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the distribution of morphologic types of subgingival calculus at different parts of the proximal root surface. METHOD AND MATERIALS Ninety extracted teeth from 29 chronic periodontitis patients were collected. The mean pocket depths and periodontal attachment levels of the extracted teeth were 5.93 +/- 1.51 mm and 7.82 +/- 1.75 mm, respectively. The proximal root surfaces below the gingival margin were divided into three parts in an apicocoronal direction, and each of these portions was further divided into three parts in a buccolingual direction. Subgingival calculus present was classified as: 1 = crusty, spiny, or nodular; 2 = ledge or ring; 3 = thin, smooth veneers; 4 = finger- or fernlike; 5 = individual calculus islands/spots; or 6 = supramarginal upon submarginal deposits. The distribution of different morphologic types of subgingival calculus on each division of the mesial and distal proximal root surfaces was evaluated with a magnifier. RESULTS Regardless of the morphologic type, calculus deposits were observed at around 30% of proximal root surfaces. The coronal thirds of the root surfaces were found to have significantly more calculus deposits than the middle thirds (P < .05). In general, it was observed that most of the deposits were of the thin, smooth veneer type on all root surfaces. CONCLUSION Within the limits of this study, the distribution of various calculus types was similar on different parts of the root surface; however, calculus was found more frequently on the coronal thirds than on the more apical regions.
Diagnosis of Intracavitary Uterine Diseases in Postmenopausal Women by Hysteroscopy

Objective: To reveal the hysteroscopic findings among postmenopausal women who were subjected to diagnostic hysteroscopy method. Methods: This is a descriptive study which was conducted at King Hussein Medical Center within the period from January 2008 to Janunary 2010, on a total of 215 postmenopausal women. Mean age of the study group was 58 years (range 46-70). Hysteroscopy was carried out to detect intracavitary disease, either by hysteroscopic view or using histopathological biopsies for other diseases. Simple descriptive statistics (frequency, mean age and percentage) were used to describe the study variables. Results: The histopathological and hysteroscopic findings were as follows: polyps in 122 (56.7%) patients, atrophic endometrium in 44 (20.5%) patients, synechia in 22 (10.2%) patients, fibroid in 13 (4.6%) patients, endometrial hyperplasia in seven (3.3%) patients, focal thickening seven (3.3%) patients. Conclusions: The most frequent findings at hysteroscopy for postmenopausal women with bleeding were benign lesions. Hysteroscopy using biopsy is a selective method for detecting intracavitary uterine disease.
Cyclin D1 Represses the Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factor, BETA2/NeuroD*

Expression of the hormone secretin in enteroendocrine cells is restricted to the nondividing villus compartment of the intestine, implying that terminal differentiation is linked to cell cycle arrest and that differentiation is repressed in actively proliferating cells. We have shown previously that the basic helix-loop-helix protein, BETA2/NeuroD, induces cell cycle withdrawal in addition to increasing secretin gene expression. A number of transcription factors important for differentiation are repressed by D cyclins. Repression by D cyclins appears to be independent of its effects on the cell cycle. We show that cyclin D1 represses BETA2/NeuroD-dependent transcription of the secretin gene. Examination of cyclin box mutants shows that repression is unrelated to Cdk4 activation. Although cyclin D1 and BETA2 associatein vivo, they do not directly interact. Cyclin D1 may be recruited to BETA2 by binding to the C-terminal domain of the p300 coactivator, downstream from the BETA2-binding site. In the small intestine, cyclin D1 expression occurs only in the actively proliferating crypts of Lieberkuhn but not in villi. Thus repression by cyclin D1 may serve to prevent secretin gene transcription from occurring in relatively immature epithelial progenitor cells.
Quantitative investigation of the vibration pattern of the substitute voice generator

After a total excision of the larynx, mucosal tissue at the upper part of the esophagus can be used as a substitute voice generating element. The properties of the tissue dynamics are closely related to the substitute voice quality. The process of substitute voice is investigated by recording simultaneously the acoustic signal with a microphone and the vibrations of the voice generator with a digital high-speed camera. We propose an automatic image-processing technique which is applied to analyze the vibration pattern of the substitute voice generating element. First, an initialization step detects the voice generator within a high-speed sequence. Second, a combination of a threshold technique and an active contour algorithm tracks the tissue deformations of the substitute voice generator. The applicability of the algorithm is shown in three high-speed recordings. For the first time, tissue deformations of substitute voice generating elements are successfully tracked. The results of the image processing procedure are used to describe quantitatively the temporal properties of the substitute voice generator. Comparisons of the spectral components of tissue deformations and tracheoesophageal voice signals reveal the close relationship between the vibration pattern of the substitute voice generator and the quality of substitute voice.
Sources of Error in Constructing and Interpreting Graphs

The purpose of this study was to examine students' understanding of and ability to interpret line graphs, using four tasks: two where students constructed a graph and two where students interpreted a given graph. The tasks were unique in that they did not simply involve the explanation of given data but included a language component that looked at students' cognitive processes and understanding while they were engaged in the tasks. The study is important because students are often able to define and even draw graphs yet perform poorly on graph interpretation items presented in high-stakes examinations. The sample for the study consisted of 91 fourth and fifth graders with and without learning disabilities (LD) from six schools in a major metropolitan area. Scoring rubrics were designed for each item. An analysis of variance by grade and group indicated no significant differences between fourth and fifth graders overall but revealed that typically achieving students performed at significantly higher levels than students with LD at both grade levels. Additional descriptive analyses looked at the patterns of errors evidenced and the nature of the students' constructions. These are discussed, and instructional implications are derived.
Complete necrosis of allograft ureter after cadaveric renal transplantation

Abstract: Complete necrosis of a transplant ureter is a rare complication that needs to be considered early in cases of severe graft dysfunction if successful surgical intervention and restoration of graft function is to be achieved. We report on two cases of this complication occurring in children and discuss the surgical management. Surgical exploration of grafts where there is an early sudden decline in function is imperative as routine imaging will not exclude this potentially treatable problem.
The evolution of somatic selection: the antibody tale.

I T is a piece of good luck if one is working in a branch of science at a time of crisis or when a far-reaching technique has been introduced. It is even better luck when ideas and data lock together to reveal a new horizon. By the late 1950s such a time had arrived in immunology. Up to that time, this field was largely a s u b discipline of microbiology with a strong emphasis on serology and vaccines. Its basic underpinnings came from the work of KARL WDSTEINER, whose demonstration that organic chemical groupings could serve as h a p ten antigens revealed the remarkable range of immune specificity [see LANDSTEINER (1945) for a review]. Proteins, peptides, carbohydrates, and even new molecules that almost certainly never existed during evolution could be distinguished by immune sera. The prevailing theories to account for this were instructionist-by one means or another, the antigen or hapten served as a template for the folding of the antibodycombining site. An outstanding example was the proposal of PAULINC (1940). Within the 10-year period from 1959 to 1969, the whole picture changed. Immunology was thrust into prominence as a source of ideas [see EDELMAN (1973)], of techniques for molecular biology and pathology, and as a major source of insight into a vast set of diseases. During that period, instructionist theories were abandoned in favor of selectional theories that took their inspiration from the Darwinian two-step, variation and selection, leading to alterations in population structure. Two developments played a key role in the change: the clonal selection theory of immunity (BURNET 1959) and the analysis of antibody structure. The coupling of these efforts gave rise to new insights not only into the immune system [see ADA (1966)], but also into a series of problems of great interest to geneticists. In this article, I want to review briefly how this coupling came about, emphasizing first the chemical and
The influence of detailed maternal ethnicity on cesarean delivery: findings from the U.S. birth certificate in the State of Massachusetts.

BACKGROUND Our objective was to examine the likelihood of primary cesarean delivery for women at low risk for the procedure in Massachusetts. METHODS Birth certificate data for all births from 1996 to 2010 that were nulliparous, term, singleton, and vertex (NTSV; N = 427,393) were used to conduct logistic regression models to assess the likelihood of a cesarean delivery for each of the 31 ethnic groups relative to self-identified "American" mothers. The results were compared with broad classifications of race/ethnicity more commonly employed in research. RESULTS While 23.3 percent of American women had primary cesarean deliveries, cesarean delivery rates varied from 12.9 percent for Cambodian to 32.4 percent for Nigerian women. Women from 21 of 30 ethnic groups had higher odds of a primary cesarean (range of adjusted odds ratios [AORs] 1.09-1.77), while only Chinese, Cambodian, and Japanese women had lower odds (range of AORs 0.66-0.92), compared with self-identified "Americans. " Using broad race/ethnicity categories, Non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, and "Other" women had higher odds of cesarean delivery relative to Non-Hispanic white women (range of AORs 1.12-1.47), while there were no differences for Asian or Pacific Islander women. CONCLUSIONS Detailed maternal ethnicity explains the variation in NTSV cesarean delivery rates better than broad race/ethnicity categories. Different patterns of cesarean delivery between ethnic groups suggest cultural specificity related to birth culture.
Do the definitions of elder mistreatment subtypes matter? Findings from the PINE Study.

BACKGROUND Elder mistreatment (EM) is a pervasive public health issue and is associated with morbidity and premature mortality. This study aimed to examine how the prevalence of EM and its subtypes vary using different definitions among U.S. Chinese older adults. METHODS The Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago is a population-based epidemiological survey of 3,159 U.S. Chinese older adults in the Greater Chicago area that is guided by a community-based participatory research approach. Participants answered questions regarding psychological, physical, and sexual abuse, caregiver neglect, and financial exploitation. Definitional approaches for EM and its subtypes were constructed from least restrictive to most restrictive. RESULTS Using different definitional criteria, the prevalence of psychological abuse was 1.1%-9.8%, physical abuse was 1.1%, sexual abuse was 0.2%, caregiver neglect was 4.6%-11.1%, and financial exploitation was 8.8%-9.3%. Overall, EM varied from 13.9% to 25.8%, depending on the defining criteria. Regardless of the definition used, those who experienced EM were more likely to be older and have higher educational attainment, poor health status, poor quality of life, and worsened health change in the last year. However, among the different definitions of overall EM, there were no statistically significant differences across sociodemographic characteristics or self-reported health status associated with EM criteria. CONCLUSIONS Elder mistreatment is prevalent among U.S. Chinese older adults regardless of the definitional criteria. Sociodemographic characteristics associated with EM did not differ by definitional criteria. Future longitudinal studies are needed to quantify the risk and protective factors associated with EM in Chinese aging populations.
Integrating professionalism teaching into undergraduate medical education in the UK setting

This paper examines how professionalism teaching might be integrated into undergraduate medical education in the United Kingdom setting. It advocates adopting an outcome-based approach to curriculum planning, using the Scottish Deans' Medical Curriculum Group's (SDMCG) outcomes as a starting point. In discussing the curricular content, potential learning methods and strategies, theoretical considerations are explored. Student selection, assessment and strategies for optimising the educational environment are also considered.