Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Crohn Disease: Effect on Children's Lifestyles

Background and Aim: Crohn disease (CD) presents a range of physical, social, and psychological challenges, and can adversely affect the quality of life of those affected by it. The present study aimed to investigate the health-related quality of life of paediatric patients with CD in the Wellington region. Measuring health-related quality of life assists with resource allocation decisions and assesses various forms of interventions. Methods: Patients ages 9 to 18 years with CD in the Wellington region were assessed using the IMPACT-III inflammatory bowel disease–specific questionnaire (n = 16). Eight participants filled it out and returned it by post; the remaining 8 filled it out in a meeting with the researcher and then underwent cognitive debriefing as part of a cross-cultural adaptation of the questionnaire. Results: Of a maximum possible value of 175, the total health-related quality of life score had a mean value of 119.2 (standard deviation 30.7). Using Spearman rank correlation analysis, significant findings included a positive correlation between disease duration and quality of life (&rgr; = 0.534, sig. <0.05) and a negative correlation between disease activity and quality of life (&rgr; = −0.596, sig. <0.05). Qualitative information included difficulties in coping with long-term and unpleasant treatments and feelings of isolation. Conclusions: Children with Crohn disease in the Wellington region may benefit from age-specific social and psychological support. Because there is limited information on quality of life in young patients with CD in New Zealand, the results of the present study may be used as baseline data for future studies.
Functional Studies of Threonine 310 Mutations in Glut1

We have previously reported on a patient with the Glut1 deficiency syndrome (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man number 606777) carrying a heterozygous T310I missense mutation in the GLUT1 gene (Klepper, J., Wang, D., Fischbarg, J., Vera, J. C., Jarjour, I. T., O'Driscoll, K. R., and De Vivo, D. C. (1999) Neurochem. Res. 24, 587–594). To investigate the molecular basis for the associated functional deficit, we constructed T310A, T310S, and T310I human GLUT1 mutants for expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes via cRNA injection. For all mutants, glucose transport was decreased, and osmotic water permeability (Pf) was increased. Km values for 3-O-methylglucose (3-OMG) uptake under zero-trans influx and equilibrium exchange influx conditions were, respectively, 13 ± 1 and 68 ± 5 mm for wild-type Glut1, 5 ± 1 and 25 ± 6 mm for T310A, 6 ± 3 and 30 ± 6 mm for T310I, and 5 ± 1 and 48 ± 5 mm for T310S. Compared with wild-type Glut1, we determined the following. (a) Zero-trans and equilibrium exchange influx values of 3-OMG were significantly decreased, respectively, 15 and 5% in T310A, 8 and 3% in T310I, and 40 and 34% in T310S mutants. (b) Zero-trans efflux of 3-OMG and dehydroascorbic acid uptake were significantly decreased in mutants. (c) The relative Pf values for T310A, T310I, and T310S were increased 3-, 4.8-, and 3.5-fold compared with wild-type values. We found a very high negative correlation between the rate of glucose uptake and Pf (–0.93), and between hydropathy and uptake (–0.92), a moderate correlation between hydropathy and Pf (0.73), and a minimal correlation between uptake, Pf, and molecular weight. These findings are consistent with a central role for hydropathy rather than size at position 310 of this mutation.
Fungal farmers or algal escorts: lichen adaptation from the algal perspective

Domestication of algae by lichen‐forming fungi describes the symbiotic relationship between the photosynthetic (green alga or cyanobacterium; photobiont) and fungal (mycobiont) partnership in lichen associations ( Goward 1992 ). The algal domestication implies that the mycobiont cultivates the alga as a monoculture within its thallus, analogous to a farmer cultivating a food crop. However, the initial photobiont ‘selection’ by the mycobiont may be predetermined by the habitat rather than by the farmer. When the mycobiont selects a photobiont from the available photobionts within a habitat, the mycobiont may influence photobiont growth and reproduction ( Ahmadjian & Jacobs 1981 ) only after the interaction has been initiated. The theory of ecological guilds ( Rikkinen et al. 2002 ) proposes that habitat limits the variety of photobionts available to the fungal partner. While some studies provide evidence to support the theory of ecological guilds in cyanobacterial lichens ( Rikkinen et al. 2002 ), other studies propose models to explain variation in symbiont combinations in green algal lichens ( Ohmura et al. 2006 ; Piercey‐Normore 2006 ; Yahr et al. 2006 ) hypothesizing the existence of such guilds. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Peksa & Škaloud (2011) test the theory of ecological guilds and suggest a relationship between algal habitat requirements and lichen adaptation in green algal lichens of the genus Lepraria. The environmental parameters examined in this study, exposure to rainfall, altitude and substratum type, are integral to lichen biology. Lichens have a poikilohydric nature, relying on the availability of atmospheric moisture for metabolic processes. Having no known active mechanism to preserve metabolic thallus moisture in times of drought, one would expect a strong influence of the environment on symbiont adaptation to specific habitats. Adaptation to changes in substrata and its properties would be expected with the intimate contact between crustose lichens in the genus Lepraria. Altitude has been suggested to influence species distributions in a wide range of taxonomic groups. This is one of the first studies to illustrate an ecological guild, mainly for exposure to rainfall (ombrophiles and ombrophobes), with green algal lichens.
The degradation sequence of adenovirus E1A consists of the amino-terminal tetrapeptide Met-Arg-His-Ile

The adenovirus E1A gene product is a potent transcriptional activator and nuclear oncoprotein. Like other regulatory proteins, E1A has a short half-life, in the range of 30 to 120 min. This short half-life, which was measured in cells synthesizing E1A, is not observed in cells injected with E1A protein made in bacteria or in vitro. In these cases, E1A is essentially refractory to degradation. In an attempt to reconcile this apparent paradox, we suggested that E1A was marked for degradation during its synthesis. Furthermore, we showed that a domain in the amino terminus of E1A was required for rapid degradation in cells translating E1A mRNA (J. M. Slavicek, N. C. Jones, and J. D. Richter, EMBO J. 7:3171-3180, 1988). In this study, we have used Xenopus laevis oocytes injected with mRNAs encoding altered E1A proteins to show that the amino-terminal tetrapeptide Met-Arg-His-Ile is required for E1A degradation. Even conservative amino acid substitutions in this degradation sequence render it nonfunctional. This degradation sequence can function as a transferable signal, since it induces instability when fused to another normally stable protein. Furthermore, the degradation sequence requires a proximity of no more than six residues from the amino terminus for activity. These data suggest that a trans-acting factor recognizes the amino terminus of E1A during the translation of its message to mark the protein for subsequent destruction.
Localization of Cold Shock Proteins to Cytosolic Spaces Surrounding Nucleoids in Bacillus subtilis Depends on Active Transcription

ABSTRACT Using immunofluorescence microscopy and a fusion of a cold shock protein (CSP), CspB, to green fluorescent protein (GFP), we showed that in growing cells Bacillus subtilis CSPs specifically localize to cytosolic regions surrounding the nucleoid. The subcellular localization of CSPs is influenced by the structure of the nucleoid. Decondensed chromosomes in smc mutant cells reduced the sizes of the regions in which CSPs localized, while cold shock-induced chromosome compaction was accompanied by an expansion of the space in which CSPs were present. As a control, histone-like protein HBsu localized to the nucleoids, while β-galactosidase and GFP were detectable throughout the cell. After inhibition of translation, CspB-GFP was still present around the nucleoids in a manner similar to that in cold-shocked cells. However, in stationary-phase cells and after inhibition of transcription, CspB was distributed throughout the cell, indicating that specific localization of CspB depends on active transcription and is not due to simple exclusion from the nucleoid. Furthermore, we observed that nucleoids are more condensed and frequently abnormal incspB cspC and cspB cspDdouble-mutant cells. This suggests that the function of CSPs affects chromosome structure, probably through coupling of transcription to translation, which is thought to decondense nucleoids. In addition, we found that cspB cspD and cspB cspC double mutants are defective in sporulation, with a block at or before stage 0. Interestingly, CspB and CspC are depleted from the forespore compartment but not from the mother cell. In toto, our findings suggest that CSPs localize to zones of newly synthesized RNA, coupling transcription with initiation of translation.
Self-Supervised Visual Planning with Temporal Skip Connections

In order to autonomously learn wide repertoires of complex skills, robots must be able to learn from their own autonomously collected data, without human supervision. One learning signal that is always available for autonomously collected data is prediction: if a robot can learn to predict the future, it can use this predictive model to take actions to produce desired outcomes, such as moving an object to a particular location. However, in complex open-world scenarios, designing a representation for prediction is difficult. In this work, we instead aim to enable self-supervised robotic learning through direct video prediction: instead of attempting to design a good representation, we directly predict what the robot will see next, and then use this model to achieve desired goals. A key challenge in video prediction for robotic manipulation is handling complex spatial arrangements such as occlusions. To that end, we introduce a video prediction model that can keep track of objects through occlusion by incorporating temporal skip-connections. Together with a novel planning criterion and action space formulation, we demonstrate that this model substantially outperforms prior work on video prediction-based control. Our results show manipulation of objects not seen during training, handling multiple objects, and pushing objects around obstructions. These results represent a significant advance in the range and complexity of skills that can be performed entirely with self-supervised robotic learning.
Uterine artery embolization for leioyomas, ultrasonography and angiography aspects

Objective and Rationale. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the degree of fibroid shrinkage which well correlates with symptom regression, and thus to assess the effectiveness of the procedure Method. 31 patients were included in the trial after selection. All the patients were thoroughly evaluated before embolization, the following day and at a month after but also at 3 months for 10 of them. A certain protocol was followed passing through well established steps. The purpose was to discover and rule out any associated possible disease and to assess and grade the symptoms, ultrasound and angiographic aspects. Results. Regarding the uterus, its volume evolution registered a descending trend, the mean decrease at 30 days being of 25% (-81,6 cm³) and at 90 days of 52%(-173,15 cm³). The fibroids also decreased statistically, the mean global variation at 30 days registering a decrease of -17,66 cm³(27%) and 61% at day 90. The mean global reduction at 30 days was of 44% (-33,18 cm³) and of 62% (-60,85 cm³) at 90 days. Absence of uterine anastomoses lead to proper fibroid decrease whereas their presence diminished the chances. Conclusions. The uterine and fibroid volumes registered a statistical volume decrease at 30 and 90 days in comparison with the volumes before embolization. Absence of uterine anastomoses led to proper fibroid decrease. Longer evaluation time is needed for an accurate evaluation of volume reduction degree.
Potential anxiolytic‐ and antidepressant‐like effects of salvinorin A, the main active ingredient of Salvia divinorum, in rodents

Background and purpose: Drugs targeting brain κ‐opioid receptors produce profound alterations in mood. In the present study we investigated the possible anxiolytic‐ and antidepressant‐like effects of the κ‐opioid receptor agonist salvinorin A, the main active ingredient of Salvia divinorum, in rats and mice.
Carbamazepine/Valproic Acid Interaction in Man and Rhesus Monkey

Summary: Sodium valproate (VPA) was administered for 1 week (1 g b.i.d.) to seven epileptic patients receiving chronic carbamazepine (CBZ) therapy. Steady‐state CBZ levels determined before and after VPA therapy were reduced by 3–59% in six patients and were unchanged in one patient. The plasma concentration ratio of carbam‐azepine‐10, 11‐epoxide (CBZE) to CBZ increased in all patients by 11–500%. The plasma binding of CBZ was determined in six healthy volunteers given a single 400 mg CBZ dose with and without the coadministration of 1 g VPA in a cross‐over design. The mean CBZ free‐fraction was increased in three of the subjects (p = 0.008‐0.031), decreased in one subject (p < 0.002), and remained unchanged in two subjects when VPA was administered. Four male rhesus monkeys were infused intravenously with CBZ (15 mg h‐1) for 5 days and then three consecutive 24‐h infusions were given: I, CBZ alone; II, CBZ with 75 mg h‐1 VPA; III, CBZ with 150 mg h‐1 VPA. The mean free‐fraction of CBZ and CBZE increased during infusions II and III from 31.5 ± 2.7% to 33.2 ± 6.6% (p < 0.05) and 37.7 ± 1.3% (p < 0.01) for CBZ and from 46.9 ± 9.2% to 53.6 ± 5.7% (p ± 0.05) and 60.1 ± 4.0% (p < 0.01) for CBZE. The clearance of free CBZ declined from 7.96 ± 1.75 to 4.84 ± 1.26 (p < 0.01) and 4.12 ± 1.75 (p < 0.01) 1 kg‐1 hr‐1 during infusions II and III, respectively. The mean free CBZE/CBZ ratio increased from 0.12 ± 0.03 to 0.24 ± 0.03 and 0.36 ± 0.04 during infusions II and III, respectively (p < 0.001). These findings indicate a decrease in the elimination clearance of CBZE possibly coupled with a decrease in its formation clearance. VPA also appears to decrease the binding of CBZ in man and CBZ and CBZE in the monkey.
Addressing between‐study heterogeneity and inconsistency in mixed treatment comparisons: Application to stroke prevention treatments in individuals with non‐rheumatic atrial fibrillation

Mixed treatment comparison models extend meta‐analysis methods to enable comparisons to be made between all relevant comparators in the clinical area of interest. In such modelling it is imperative that potential sources of variability are explored to explain both heterogeneity (variation in treatment effects between trials within pairwise contrasts) and inconsistency (variation in treatment effects between pairwise contrasts) to ensure the validity of the analysis.
Modulation of postoperative immune and inflammatory response by immune-enhancing enteral diet in gastrointestinal cancer patients.

AIM To evaluate if the administration of an enteral diet supplemented with glutamine, arginine and omega-3-fatty acids modulates inflammatory and immune responses after surgery. METHODS A prospective randomized double-blind, clinical trial was performed. Forty-eight patients with gastrointestinal cancer were randomized into two groups, one group was given an isocaloric and isonitrogenous standard diet and the other was fed with the supplemented diet with glutamine, arginine and omega-3-fatty acids. Feedings were started within 48 hours after operation, and continued until day 8. All variables were measured before operation and on postoperative day 1 and 8. Immune responses were determined by phagocytosis ability, respiratory burst of polymorphonuclear cells, total lymphocytes lymphocyte subsets, nitric oxide, cytokines concentration, and inflammatory responses by plasma levels of C-reactive protein, prostaglandin E2 level. RESULTS Tolerance of both formula diets was excellent. There were significant differences in the immunological and inflammatory responses between the two groups. In supplemented group, phagocytosis and respiratory burst after surgery was higher and C-reactive protein level was lower (P<0.01) than in the standard group. The supplemented group had higher levels of nitric oxide, total lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, T-helper cells, and NK cells. Postoperative levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha were lower in the supplemented group (P <0.05). CONCLUSION It was clearly established in this trial that early postoperative enteral feeding is safe in patients who have undergone major operations for gastrointestinal cancer. Supplementation of enteral nutrition with glutamine, arginine, and omega-3-fatty acids positively modulated postsurgical immunosuppressive and inflammatory responses.
Bears and Coins: The Iconography of Protection in Late Roman Infant Burials

ABSTRACT A number of infant burials in Britain, both cremations and inhumations, contained a consistent deposit of a small jet bear, black mineral jewellery, a coin, and a pottery beaker. Some of the graves held several examples of these items, and some a wider variety of objects. Comparison with more obviously amuletic grave deposits from Butt Road, Colchester, and Lankhills, Winchester, suggests that the coins were selected for their reverse image, and that both they and the bears are representations of guardians placed in the burials to ensure that the child did not enter the underworld alone and unprotected. These bears are set in the wider context of the animal's iconography and mythology, with particular reference to the Greek cult of Artemis, who oversaw childbirth and child-rearing. The choice and importance of materials and the positions of objects within graves are also briefly explored and the social identity of the dead infants is examined. In an appendix of other burials containing jet animals, the Chelmsford hoard of jet jewellery is reinterpreted as grave goods from the inhumation of a young woman.
Epidural contrast flow patterns of transforaminal epidural steroid injections stratified by commonly used final needle-tip position.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relationship between commonly used final needle-tip positions and subsequent contrast flow and patient-reported pain relief in transforaminal epidural steroid injections (TFESIs). DESIGN Retrospective cross-sectional study. METHODS Medical records of subjects (N = 83) having undergone a TFESI between January 2008 and January 2009 were reviewed to compare TFESIs using the superior-anterior (SA) vs. the superior-posterior (SP) quadrant. OUTCOME MEASURES Outcome measures included ventral and dorsal epidural contrast flow as well as near-to-complete pain relief as measured by numerical rating scale pain score pre- and post-procedure. RESULTS SA TFESIs were associated with greater ventral epidural contrast flow as compared with SP TFESIs (100% vs 61.4%, P < 0.001). SA TFESIs with ventral epidural contrast flow were also associated with flow to a greater number of vertebral levels than SP TFESIs with ventral epidural contrast flow (41% vs 14.8%, P < 0.001). SP TFESIs were associated with greater dorsal epidural contrast flow than SA TFESIs (95.5% vs 43.6%, P < 0.05). SA TFESIs were also associated with a larger proportion of patients who achieved near-to-complete pain relief (P < 0.05) and greater reduction than SP TFESIs in post-procedure pain score relative to pre-procedure (3.3 vs 1.5, P < 0.01). DISCUSSION The evolution of TFESIs must balance both safety and efficacy. The efficacy of SA TFESIs is demonstrated to be superior to that of SP TFESIs with regards to ventral epidural flow and patient-reported pain relief. Further efforts should focus on demonstrating efficacy while optimizing safety.
Cytokines of the placenta and extra-placental membranes: biosynthesis, secretion and roles in establishment of pregnancy in women.

Virtually all known cytokines have been demonstrated to be expressed in the placenta and associated fetal and maternal membranes during normal gestation. In addition to playing their traditional roles as modulators of immunological function, cytokines derived from the placenta and extraplacental membranes, together with other locally-derived growth factors, appear to be implicated in various aspects of implantation and placental development. Imbalances in the intrauterine cytokine milieu around the time of implantation and invasion may play a causative role in disorders associated with early pregnancy failure, and are also associated with the abnormal trophoblast development seen in gestational trophoblastic disease. Cytokines thus appear to be an important component of a paracrine/autocrine communication network operating within the feto-maternal interface to ensure the successful establishment of pregnancy.
Regenerative Medicine for Neurological Disorders

The annual meeting of the American Society for Neural Therapy and Repair (ASNTR) has always introduced us to top-notch and up-to-date approaches for regenerative medicine related to neuroscience, ranging from stem cell–based therapy to novel drugs. The 16th ASNTR meeting focused on a variety of different topics, including the unknown pathogenesis or mechanisms of specific neurodegenerative diseases, stem cell biology, and development of novel alternative medicines or devices. Newly developed stem cells, such as amniotic epithelial stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, as well as well-known traditional stem cells, such as neural, embryonic, bone marrow mesenchymal, and human umbilical cord blood–derived stem cells, were reported. A number of commercialized stem cells were also covered at this meeting. Fetal neural tissues, such as ventral mesencephalon, striatum, and Schwann cells, were investigated for neurodegenerative diseases or spinal cord injury. A number of studies focused on novel methods for drug monitoring or graft tracking, and combination therapy with stem cells and medicine, such as cytokines or trophic factors. Finally, the National Institutes of Health guidelines for human stem cell research, clinical trials of commercialized stem cells without larger animal testing, and prohibition of medical tourism were big controversial issues that led to heated discussion.
Kidney dimensions at sonography: correlation with age, sex, and habitus in 665 adult volunteers.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate the normal sonographic measurements of the kidney in adult volunteers. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Length, width, and thickness of the kidney and its central echogenic area and the parenchymal thickness of the upper pole were measured in an age- and sex-stratified random sample of 665 volunteers 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 years old. Measurements were made with the volunteers prone. Volumes of the kidney, the central echogenic area, and the renal parenchyma were calculated. Renal dimensions and renal and parenchymal volume were correlated with age, height, weight, body mass index, and total body area. In 94 subjects, renal length was measured with the volunteers supine also. RESULTS Median renal lengths were 11.2 cm on the left side and 10.9 cm on the right side. Median renal volumes were 146 cm3 in the left kidney and 134 cm3 in the right kidney. Renal size decreased with age, almost entirely because of parenchymal reduction. Renal volume correlated best with total body area. Renal length correlated best with body height. Measurements of renal length obtained with the subjects supine were not significantly different from those obtained with the subjects prone. CONCLUSION The most exact measurement of renal size is renal volume, which showed the strongest correlation with height, weight, and total body area. Clinically, measurement of renal length is most practical and can be done with the subject prone or supine.