Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The severity of inflammation at onset of ulcerative colitis is not associated with IBS-like symptoms during clinical remission.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Symptoms compatible with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are common in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) in clinical remission. It has been suggested that these symptoms might arise due to post-inflammatory changes comparable with post-infectious IBS. The aim was to study factors at new onset of UC that predict development of IBS-like symptoms during clinical remission. METHODS In total, 98 patients with new onset of UC were followed prospectively for 3 years with yearly follow-up visits. Data from the first visit at the onset of UC were compared between a group of patients who fulfilled the criteria for IBS while in remission (UCR+IBS) during follow-up and a group who did not (UCR-IBS). RESULTS Among the UC patients, 87 met the criteria for clinical remission and 25 (29%) of these reported IBS-like symptoms in remission during follow-up. There was no difference in inflammatory disease activity at the initial flare or in the prevalence of previous IBS symptoms when comparing UCR+IBS and UCR-IBS patients. The UCR+IBS patients reported more severe gastrointestinal symptoms, including abdominal pain, during their primary flare. CONCLUSION The severity and extent of inflammation at onset of UC do not seem to affect the development of IBS-like symptoms in UC patients during clinical remission. The high prevalence of IBS-like symptoms is not explained by pre-existing IBS. UCR+IBS patients reported more severe gastrointestinal symptoms at disease onset, which might indicate a more sensitive gastrointestinal tract in this category of patients.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of porcine insulin zinc suspension in eight diabetic dogs

The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of porcine insulin zinc suspension were studied in eight dogs with spontaneous diabetes mellitus and a lack of endogenous insulin, demonstrated by the lack of insulin secretion after an injection of glucagon and confirmed by measurement of the concentration of C-peptide during the pharmacokinetic assessments. After daily subcutaneous injections of porcine insulin zinc suspension, concentrations of insulin and glucose that differed significantly from baseline were identified using the 90 per cent range of differences. In all the dogs there was an initial peak concentration of insulin approximately three hours after the injection and a second peak after approximately nine hours in all but one of them. The serum insulin concentration remained above baseline for a mean of 15·5 hours. The concentration of glucose was reduced significantly after the injections in all except one dog, which was normoglycaemic at baseline. The action of insulin began after approximately three hours and the minimum glucose concentration occurred after approximately eight hours. The median duration of action of the insulin was approximately 14 hours, with a range from 10 to more than 24 hours.
Incompatibility of Oxalate Desensitizers with Acidic, Fluoride-containing Total-etch Adhesives

The use of oxalate desensitizers on acid-etched dentin prior to adhesive application can result in subsurface tubular occlusion by calcium oxalate crystals. However, the solubility of calcium oxalate increases in acidic solution. We hypothesized that total-etch adhesives can, depending upon their pH, interact with oxalate-desensitizer-treated dentin in an adverse manner. Acid-etched human dentin treated with 2 oxalate desensitizers (BisBlock and Super Seal) was bonded with 4 simplified total-etch adhesives: One-Step (OS), Single Bond (SB), OptiBond Solo Plus (OB), and Prime&Bond NT (PB). Composite-dentin beams were examined by SEM and TEM, both of which revealed numerous spherical globules on OB- and PB-bonded, desensitizer-treated dentin, but not in OS or SB samples. Bond strengths produced by OB and PB were significantly lower in oxalate-treated specimens than those produced by OS or SB. These surface globules may have interfered with hybridization of demineralized dentin with OB and PB resins and caused compromised bond strengths.
Salmon price volatility: A weight-class-specific multivariate approach

ABSTRACT Salmon spot price has been highly volatile and hard to predict since mid-2000s, obscuring the industry players’ planning decisions. ARMA-GARCH and dynamic conditional correlation (DCC) models were employed on weekly data for 1995–2013 to examine the behavior of weight-class-specific prices which are directly relevant for salmon production and risk management. Two periods of different volatility regimes were identified, before and after 2006 when the salmon market was undergoing fundamental changes. Both volatility and conditional correlations increased from 1996–2005 to 2007–2013, and return dynamics became more homogenous across weight classes. This development is conducive to the functioning of the salmon futures and options exchange.
Analysis of EF-Hand Proteins in Soybean Genome Suggests Their Potential Roles in Environmental and Nutritional Stress Signaling

Calcium ion (Ca2+) is a universal second messenger that plays a critical role in plant responses to diverse physiological and environmental stimuli. The stimulus-specific signals are perceived and decoded by a series of Ca2+ binding proteins serving as Ca2+ sensors. The majority of Ca2+ sensors possess the EF-hand motif, a helix-loop-helix structure which forms a turn-loop structure. Although EF-hand proteins in model plant such as Arabidopsis have been well described, the identification, classification, and the physiological functions of EF-hand-containing proteins from soybean are not systemically reported. In this study, a total of at least 262 genes possibly encoding proteins containing one to six EF-hand motifs were identified in soybean genome. These genes include 6 calmodulins (CaMs), 144 calmodulin-like proteins (CMLs), 15 calcineurin B-like proteins, 50 calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs), 13 CDPK-related protein kinases, 2 Ca2+- and CaM-dependent protein kinases, 17 respiratory burst oxidase homologs, and 15 unclassified EF-hand proteins. Most of these genes (87.8%) contain at least one kind of hormonal signaling- and/or stress response-related cis-elements in their -1500 bp promoter regions. Expression analyses by exploring the published microarray and Illumina transcriptome sequencing data revealed that the expression of these EF-hand genes were widely detected in different organs of soybean, and nearly half of the total EF-hand genes were responsive to various environmental or nutritional stresses. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to confirm their responsiveness to several stress treatments. To confirm the Ca2+-binding ability of these EF-hand proteins, four CMLs (CML1, CML13, CML39, and CML95) were randomly selected for SDS–PAGE mobility-shift assay in the presence and absence of Ca2+. Results showed that all of them have the ability to bind Ca2+. This study provided the first comprehensive analyses of genes encoding for EF-hand proteins in soybean. Information on the classification, phylogenetic relationships and expression profiles of soybean EF-hand genes in different tissues and under various environmental and nutritional stresses will be helpful for identifying candidates with potential roles in Ca2+ signal-mediated physiological processes including growth and development, plant-microbe interactions and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses.
HIV/AIDS pandemic and surgical practice in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital

A higher prevalence of malaria has been documented among HIV-seropositive individuals and the rates increase with deteriorating immune status. Similarly, a higher incidence of anaemia is noted in patients with HIV seropositivity and the risk increases in patients with co-infection of HIV and malaria. Anaemia was the fifth leading diagnosis in our study. It is likely that some patients with malaria and anaemia had HIV infection. Finally, gastroenteritis occurs commonly in HIV-seropositive patients. It could be related to infections or malabsorption. In our study, gastro-enteritis was among the top 10 diagnoses. In conclusion, I would like to stress the fact that HIV infection and AIDS can have varied manifestations affecting different body systems. The inability to consider HIV in the differential diagnosis of the conditions listed above could lead to an underdiagnosis of HIV/AIDS. S Kumar MDDM
Divesture of foreign manufacturing affiliates: Country platforms, multinational networks, and agglomeration

This paper develops hypotheses concerning the impact of multinational firms’ international plant configuration and foreign investor agglomeration on the divesture of manufacturing affiliates. We test our hypotheses on a comprehensive sample of 1080 Asian manufacturing affiliates of Japanese multinational firms in the electronics industry during the years preceding and up to the Asian financial crisis (1995-1999). Consistent with real option theory, country platform investments are more likely to survive, but affiliates owned by firms with extensive multinational plant networks have a higher probability of divesture. Evidence is found that investor agglomeration leads to ‘adverse selection’ of less competitive firms: firms most responsive to Japanese investor agglomeration or inter-firm buyer-supplier agglomeration within vertical business groups have a higher probability of divesture. Other factors affecting the probability of divesture are affiliate size, affiliate operating experience, entry mode, parent size, and the growth in labor cost in the country of investment.
Systemic delivery of estradiol, but not testosterone or progesterone, alters very low density lipoprotein-triglyceride kinetics in postmenopausal women.

CONTEXT Sexual dimorphism in plasma triglyceride (TG) metabolism is well established but it is unclear to what extent it is driven by differences in the sex hormone milieu. RESULTS from previous studies evaluating the effects of sex steroids on plasma TG homeostasis are inconclusive because they relied on orally administered synthetic hormone preparations or evaluated only plasma lipid concentrations but not kinetics. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of systemically delivered 17β-estradiol, progesterone, and T on very low density lipoprotein-triglyceride (VLDL-TG) concentration and kinetics in postmenopausal women. SETTING AND DESIGN VLDL-TG concentration and kinetics were evaluated by using stable isotope-labeled tracer techniques in four groups of postmenopausal women (n = 27 total) who were studied before and after treatment with either 17β-estradiol (0.1 mg/d via continuous delivery skin patch), progesterone (100 mg/d via vaginal insert) and T (12.5 mg/d via skin gel), or no intervention (control group). RESULTS VLDL-TG concentration and kinetics were unchanged in the control group and not altered by T and progesterone administration. Estradiol treatment, in contrast, reduced VLDL-TG concentration by approximately 30% due to accelerated VLDL-TG plasma clearance (25.1 ± 2.5 vs. 17.4 ± 2.7 mL/min; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS Estradiol, but not progesterone or T, is a major regulator of VLDL-TG metabolism.
Post-intensive care syndrome symptoms and health-related quality of life in family decision-makers of critically ill patients

Abstract Objective Family members of critically ill patients can suffer symptoms of post-intensive care syndrome-family (PICS-F), including anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with a diminished quality of life. Our aim was to examine the relationship between coping strategies used by family decision-makers (FDMs) of critically ill patients and the severity of PICS-F symptoms and to examine the relationship between FDM PICS-F symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Method A single-center, prospective, longitudinal descriptive study was undertaken of FDMs of intensive care unit (ICU) patients admitted to a large tertiary care hospital. PICS-F symptoms and coping strategy use were measured upon ICU admission (T1), 30 days (T2) after ICU admission, and 60 days (T3) after ICU admission. HRQOL was measured by the Short Form-36 version 2 at T1 and T3. Results We found a significant prevalence of anxiety (45.8%), depression (25%), and PTSD (11.1%) symptoms among FDMs over the course of the study. The patient mortality rate in our sample was 50%. The HRQOL mental summary score in FDMs was low at T1 and decreased to M = 41.72 (standard deviation = 12.47) by T3. Avoidant coping demonstrated moderate relationships with PTSD symptoms and anxiety at T3. A previous history of anxiety, depression, or PTSD was a significant predictor of PICS-F symptom severity and prevalence. PICS symptom severity at T3 explained 75% of the variance in HRQOL mental summary score. Significance of results This study describes a significant prevalence of PICS-F symptoms in FDMs with a diminished mental HRQOL.
Serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), BDNF gene Val66Met polymorphism, or plasma catecholamine metabolites, and response to mirtazapine in Japanese patients with major depressive disorder (MDD)

Object We investigated an association between the polymorphism of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene Val66Met and the response to mirtazapine in Japanese patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). We also examined mirtazapine's effects on the serum BDNF and plasma levels of catecholamine metabolites in these patients. Methods Eighty-four patients who met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for MDD were treated with only mirtazapine for 4 weeks. The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism was detected by direct sequencing in the region, and serum BDNF levels and plasma levels of catecholamine metabolites were measured by ELISA and HPLC-ECD, respectively. Results Mirtazapine treatment for 4 weeks significantly increased serum BDNF levels in the responders, whereas nonresponders showed significant decreases. No association was found between either of the two genotypes (Val/Val vs. Met-carriers) and the response to mirtazapine at T4 or the serum BDNF levels at T0. Mirtazapine did not alter the plasma levels of homovanillic acid (HVA) or 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG). Discussion The dynamics of serum BDNF levels, but not plasma levels of HVA and MHPG, reflect the response to mirtazapine treatment; the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism in patients with depression is, however, associated with neither a particular response to mirtazapine treatment nor baseline serum BDNF levels. Conclusion Serum BDNF levels, but not plasma levels of HVA or MHPG, and BDNF Val66Met polymorphism are related to the mirtazapine response in MDD.
Comparing suture strengths for clinical applications: a novel in vitro study.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to compare the tensile strengths of commonly used sutures over a 2-week period under simulated oral conditions. METHODS Three suture materials (chromic gut [CG], polyglactin [PG], and polyglactin-fast absorbing [PG-FA]) were used in 4-0 and 5-0 gauges. After pretensioning, 252 suture samples (42 of each material and gauge) were used. A biologic simulation was created in vitro by mixing 9 ml sterile human saliva and human serum in a 1:1 ratio in a petri dish maintained at a pH of 7.4 to 8.1 at 37 degrees C. All samples were tested preimmersion and 1 hour and 1, 3, 7, 10, and 14 days postimmersion. The tensile strength was assessed using a microtensile tester, and the maximum load required to cause suture breakage was determined. The point of breakage in the samples and the samples themselves were also assessed. RESULTS During the first 24 hours of immersion, all 4-0 and 5-0 samples of CG and PG maintained their initial level of tensile strength; PG-FA 5-0 decreased in strength, which was statistically significant (P = 0.001). Between days 1 and 3, the tensile strength of PG and PG-FA decreased significantly, with PG-FA 5-0 showing a greater and more precipitous decrease than PG-FA 4-0; the tensile strength of CG changed little during this time. After 7 days of immersion, PG 4-0 had significantly greater tensile strength than CG, and both were significantly greater than that of PG-FA. By day 10, CG and PG had statistically greater strength (P = 0.01) than PG-FA, and values were similar for the 4-0 and 5-0 gauge materials. All samples of PG-FA 5-0 and most samples of the PG-FA 4-0 exhibited 0.00 N strength (i.e., they had disintegrated) at the 10- and 14-day periods of evaluation. CONCLUSIONS 4-0 sutures are stronger and have greater tensile strength than 5-0 sutures. CG seems to sustain its strength better than PG and PG-FA after 2 weeks. PG-FA may not be a desirable suture if tensile strength is required after 10 days. Appropriately designed clinical studies are necessary to confirm this finding in an in vivo environment.
Distribution of TEM and SHV beta-lactamase genes among Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated from patients in Tehran.

BACKGROUND There are numerous types of extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs), of which TEM and SHV are predominant among Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. Nosocomial infections with strains of K. pneumoniae are common in healthcare centers in Iran. However, no information is available on the prevalence of different phenotypes of ESBL strains in Tehran hospitals. MATERIAL/METHODS To determine the resistance of K. pneumoniae to beta-lactam antibiotics in Tehran hospitals, 145 isolates were tested using the disk diffusion method. The MICs for ceftazidime were also determined using microbroth dilution assay. Isolates showing MIC >/=4 for ceftazidime were subjected to PCR to target the bla(SHV) and bla(TEM) genes and screened for ESBL production by the phenotypic confirmatory method. RESULTS All strains were susceptible to imipenem. Resistance to ceftazidime and cefotaxime were 31% and 32%, respectively. Fifty-six isolates showed MIC >/=4 microg/ml for ceftazidime, of which 50 were positive for ESBL in the phenotypic confirmatory test. The prevalence of bla(SHV) and bla(TEM) among these isolates was 69.6% (n=39) and 32.1% (n=18), respectively. Resistance to ciprofloxacin was found among 32% of the ESBL strains. CONCLUSIONS SHV is the dominant enzyme among the ESBL-producing strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae in Iran. The high rate of co-resistance to ceftazidime and ciprofloxacin is a matter of concern and treatment requires further attention to the results of susceptibility.
Emergence of Vibrio cholerae O1 Biotype El Tor Serotype Inaba from the Prevailing O1 Ogawa Serotype Strains in India

ABSTRACT The toxigenic Inaba serotype of Vibrio cholerae O1 biotype El Tor reappeared in India in 1998 and 1999, almost 10 years after its last dominance in Calcutta in 1989. Extensive molecular characterization by ribotyping, restriction fragment length polymorphism, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis indicated that recent Inaba strains are remarkably different from the earlier Inaba strains but are very similar to the prevailing V. choleraeO1 Ogawa El Tor biotype strains. The antibiograms of the Inaba strains were also similar to those of the recent V. cholerae Ogawa strains. These V. cholerae O1 Inaba strains appear to have evolved from the currently prevailing Ogawa strains and are likely to dominate in the coming years.
Modular Habitat Refugia Enhance Generalist Predators and Lower Plant Damage in Soybeans

Abstract Promoting generalist predators in agriculture via habitat manipulation has gained much interest in biocontrol research. Straw shelters have been used by Chinese farmers for >2,000 yr to provide temporary spider refugia during cyclic farming disturbances. This method, however, has not been systematically investigated on larger scales in western-style agriculture. Our preliminary observations indicated a significant decrease in the abundance of spiders (76%) and their egg sacs (75%), after conventional tillage of soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ]. We hypothesized that providing alternative habitats in tilled fields could conserve predatory assemblages following this major disturbance. We used modular habitat refugia constructed of chicken wire loosely filled with bedding straw to provide temporary habitats for epigeic predators in a soybean field. Refugia held 5–36 times the spider density compared with open field, and the production of spider egg sacs was enhanced 18–87 times. Almost 60% more spider species were found in refugia than in open field. Abundance of harvestmen, carabids, and staphylinid beetles also significantly increased in habitat refugia. Increased habitat cover and provision of alternative prey in habitat refugia may have caused this dramatic predator increase. Soybean seedlings grown within 1 m of habitat refugia suffered 33% less insect damage compared with plants at control locations. Decrease in seedling damage, however, did not significantly increase soybean seed production. Applications of discrete habitat refugia may provide an alternative to habitat manipulation techniques to conserve and augment arthropod predators in agroecosystems.
Reliability of a treatment-based classification system for subgrouping people with low back pain.

STUDY DESIGN Observational, cross-sectional reliability study. OBJECTIVES To examine the interrater reliability of novice raters in their use of the treatment-based classification (TBC) system for low back pain and to explore the patterns of disagreement in classification errors. BACKGROUND Although the interrater reliability of individual test items in the TBC system is moderate to good, some error persists in classification decision making. Understanding which classification errors are common could direct further refinement of the TBC system. METHODS Using previously recorded patient data (n = 24), 12 novice raters classified patients according to the TBC schema. These classification results were combined with those of 7 other raters, allowing examination of the overall agreement using the kappa statistic, as well as agreement/disagreement among pairwise comparisons in classification assignments. A chi-square test examined differences in percent agreement between the novice and more experienced raters and differences in classification distributions between these 2 groups of raters. RESULTS Among 12 novice raters, there was 80.9% agreement in the pairs of classification (κ = 0.62; 95% confidence interval: 0.59, 0.65) and an overall 75.5% agreement (κ = 0.57; 95% confidence interval: 0.55, 0.69) for the combined data set. Raters were least likely to agree on a classification of stabilization (77.5% agreement). The overall percentage of pairwise classification judgments that disagreed was 24.5%, with the most common disagreement being between manipulation and stabilization (11.0%), followed by a mismatch between stabilization and specific exercise (8.2%). CONCLUSION Additional refinement is needed to reduce rater disagreement that persists in the TBC decision-making algorithm, particularly in the stabilization category. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2012;42(9):797-805, Epub 7 June 2012. doi:10.2519/jospt.2012. 4078.