Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modifying role of partial hepatectomy and gonadectomy in ethylnitrosourea-induced hepatocarcinogenesis.

Abstract The modifying effect of partial hepatectomy and gonadectomy upon carcinogenesis in general and hepatocarcinogenesis in particular has been evaluated in 6-week-old C57BL/6J × C3HeB/FeJ F1 mice. Ethylnitrosourea (60 µg/g body weight) was administered once after sham hepatectomy or 48 hr following partial hepatectomy at which time DNA synthesis in the regenerating liver was 30-fold higher than in the sham-hepatectomized mice. Six days later, one-half of the partially hepatectomized and one-half of the sham-operated mice were gonadectomized. Survivors were killed at 90 weeks of age. The incidence of tumors has been evaluated at all tissue sites. The sex hormonal environment of the hosts was assessed by histological evaluation of kidneys and adrenal glands. This evaluation showed that following gonadectomy, the morphology of the above tissues and consequently the hormonal environment shifted from that observed in the intact mice towards one characteristic of the opposite sex, assuming an intermediate state. Although primary tumors developed at several sites, partial hepatectomy and gonadectomy modified primarily the development of liver tumors. Thus, partial hepatectomy enhanced significantly hepatocarcinogenesis in male but not in female mice, resulting in an increased difference in the incidence of liver tumors between the two sexes. Gonadectomy of males abolished the enhancing effect of partial hepatectomy upon ethylnitrosourea hepatocarcinogenesis while ovariectomy potentiated development of liver tumors, leading to a similar incidence of liver tumors in both castrates. Modulating effects of hepatectomy and gonadectomy operated by influencing the incidence of benign rather than malignant liver tumors. The ovariectomy of partially hepatectomized females also enhanced kidney tumorigenesis. Data suggested that since enhancing effect of partial hepatectomy was associated with increased macromolecular (DNA) synthesis at the time of the administration of carcinogen initiation and the change of hormonal environment coincided with promoting phase of hepatocarcinogenesis, the respective conditions operated independently by two different mechanisms.
Compound nouns in spoken language production by speakers with aphasia compared to neurologically healthy speakers: An exploratory study

Compounds are words that are made up of at least two other words (lexemes), featuring lexical and syntactic characteristics and thus particularly interesting for the study of language processing. Most studies of compounds and language processing have been based on data from experimental single word production and comprehension tasks. To enhance the ecological validity of morphological processing research, data from other contexts, such as discourse production, need to be considered. This study investigates the production of nominal compounds in semi-spontaneous spoken texts by a group of speakers with fluent types of aphasia compared to a group of neurologically healthy speakers. The speakers with aphasia produce significantly fewer nominal compound types in their texts than the non-aphasic speakers, and the compounds they produce exhibit fewer different types of semantic relations than the compounds produced by the non-aphasic speakers. The results are discussed in relation to theories of language processing.
Transcriptomic investigation of meat tenderness in two Italian cattle breeds.

Our objectives for this study were to understand the biological basis of meat tenderness and to provide an overview of the gene expression profiles related to meat quality as a tool for selection. Through deep mRNA sequencing, we analyzed gene expression in muscle tissues of two Italian cattle breeds: Maremmana and Chianina. We uncovered several differentially expressed genes that encode for proteins belonging to a family of tripartite motif proteins, which are involved in growth, cell differentiation and apoptosis, such as TRIM45, or play an essential role in regulating skeletal muscle differentiation and the regeneration of adult skeletal muscle, such as TRIM32. Other differentially expressed genes (SCN2B, SLC9A7 and KCNK3) emphasize the involvement of potassium-sodium pumps in tender meat. By mapping splice junctions in RNA-Seq reads, we found significant differences in gene isoform expression levels. The PRKAG3 gene, which is involved in the regulation of energy metabolism, showed four isoforms that were differentially expressed. This distinct pattern of PRKAG3 gene expression could indicate impaired glycogen storage in skeletal muscle, and consequently, this gene very likely has a role in the tenderization process. Furthermore, with this deep RNA-sequencing, we captured a high number of expressed SNPs, for example, we found 1462 homozygous SNPs showing the alternative allele with a 100% frequency when comparing tender and tough meat. SNPs were then classified into categories by their position and also by their effect on gene coding (174 non-synonymous polymorphisms) based on the available UMD_3. 1 annotations.
FXIII-A Leu34 genetic variant in premature coronary artery disease: A genotype – phenotype case control study

Summary The FXIII-A Leu34 genetic variant increases and accelerates fibrin stabilisation; however, its association with premature coronary artery disease (CAD) and thrombotic events remains controversial. FXIII Val34Leu genotype was determined in 242 young individuals (<45 years old) who survived a myocardial infarction (MI) and 242 healthy controls matched for age and gender. We evaluated its effect on longterm clinical outcome defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, recurrent MI and urgent revascularisation. In addition, fibrin clot stiffness (elastic modulus or EM) and response to rt-PA-mediated fibrinolysis (fibrinolysis rate) were measured ex vivo using the Hemodyne analyser and confocal microscopy as surrogate endpoint. FXIII-A Leu34 genetic variant was not associated with premature CAD (adj. odds ratio 0.83 [0.49–1.4]) nor did it influence clinical outcome in patients, during a median follow-up of 6.3 (± 2.4) years. Patients produced stiffer fibrin clots (median [IQR] EM =20.3 [14.9–28.1] vs. 12.8 [9.6–17.1] kdynes/ cm2; p<0.0001) and displayed reduced response to fibrinolysis with lower fibrinolysis rate (6.7 [3.4–11.0] vs. 9.0 [5.0–16.7] sec-1x10−4; p<0.0001) than healthy controls. Carriage of factor XIII-A Leu34 led to a stepwise decrease in fibrinolysis rate with a significant gene–dose-effect in patients (7.7 [4.1–12.2] vs. 4.8 [3.0–8.5] vs. 4.3 [2.4–8.1] sec-1x10−4, for wild-type, heterozygous and homozygous, p for trend =0.003) and a non-significant trend in controls (p=0.01). In conclusion, FXIII-A Leu34 is a polymorphism which provides a strong resistance to fibrinolysis with a gene-dose effect, but does not relate to premature CAD or to recurrent coronary events in this study.
Intranasal Z-plasty for internal nasal valve collapse.

OBJECTIVE To describe the technique of intranasal Z-plasty and early results for this minimally invasive method to repair internal nasal valve collapse. Intranasal Z-plasty has been well described for nasal valve stenosis and cleft nasal deformities but poorly described for idiopathic nasal valve collapse, the most common indication for nasal valve surgery. DESIGN A retrospective medical record review was performed for 12 patients undergoing intranasal Z-plasty for nasal valve collapse. Medical records were evaluated for age, sex, indication for surgery, prior surgical procedures, complications, results, and length of follow-up. A visual analog scale was used to rate nasal obstruction preoperatively and postoperatively. RESULTS A total of 8 men and 4 women underwent surgery, and the procedure was bilateral in 10 of the 12 patients, for a total of 22 nasal valves. Eleven patients noted subjective improvement in airflow on both sides, with the remaining patient noting improvement on one side and no change in the opposite side. Mean follow-up was 16.8 months (range, 5-32 months). The mean preoperative nasal obstruction score was 7.2, and the mean postoperative nasal obstruction score was 3.3 (on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being total obstruction). No complications were reported, and no patients complained about postoperative nasal appearance. CONCLUSION Intranasal Z-plasty appears to be a safe, effective, and relatively noninvasive technique to repair internal nasal valve collapse.
Epidemiology of cancer in children under one year of age in Mexico City

In this work, the epidemiology of cancer in children under one year of age in Mexico City is described. A survey (observational, descriptive and prolective study) from 1 January 1996 to 31 December 1999 was conducted at two paediatric hospitals of the Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social in Mexico City (IMSS-MC). To calculate both the general and the by sex incidence (rates are given per 106) all new cases recorded for children under one year of age (numerator) and Mexico City population served by the IMSS (denominator) were used. When the total of 34 cases that fulfilled the requirements was analysed, an incidence of 194.5 was obtained. Leukaemia occupied first place with a rate of 68.6 and hepatic and germinal cells tumours occupied second place with an incidence of 28.6, whereas peripheral nervous system tumours (neuroblastoma) showed a very low rate (11.4). Overall, the male/female ratio for tumours was 1.4:1, with the ratio varying with different types of tumours. Cancer incidence in this population was shown to be close to that in developed countries, but differed in the distribution of the type of tumour: leukaemia had a very high incidence and that for neuroblastoma was very low.
Noise and Process Variation Tolerant, Low-Power, High-Speed, and Low-Energy Full Adders in CNFET Technology

In this paper, a number of novel 1-bit full adder cells using carbon nanotube field-effect transistor devices are presented. First of all, some two-input XOR/XNOR circuits are proposed, and then, they are employed to form 1-bit full adders. Totally, five full adders with driving power and one without driving power are proposed in this paper, each of which has its own merits. Simulations with regard to supply power scaling and different load conditions confirm the superiority of the proposed cells compared with the previously reported ones in terms of power, delay, power-delay product (PDP), and Energy-delay product (EDP). Also embedding the proposed full adders in the large circuits,such as ripple carry adder (RCA), with a wide word length shows that they have better power, speed, and PDP with regard to their counterparts. Furthermore, the susceptibility of the full adders against both input noise and process variations (diameter deviations of carbon nanotubes) is studied. In terms of noise, the proposed cells have a close competition to their counterparts, and they are robust against high amplitude of noises. In terms of process variation, the proposed cells with driving power display the most robustness compared with their counterpart.
Stability of Growth Factors in Autologous Serum Eyedrops After Long-Term Storage

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the stability of the growth factors (GF) in autologous serum eyedrops under different storage conditions. Methods: The concentration of epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β1), platelet-derived growth factor AB (PDGF-AB), and albumin was measured in fresh and defrosted samples of autologous serum under different storage conditions. The fresh and defrosted samples were cooled at 4 °C, and they were studied immediately after preparation, or after defrosting, and after 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks. The concentration of GF was also assessed after 1, 3, 6, and 9 months at −20 °C. We also investigated how the different storage conditions influence the biological effects of autologous serum on conjunctival and corneal cell cultures. Results: The concentration of EGF, TGF-β1, PDGF-AB, and albumin remained stable over the 4 weeks at 4 °C, both in fresh and in defrosted samples. Likewise, no statistically significant differences were found between the GF concentration in fresh samples and after 1, 3, 6, and 9 months of freezing at −20 °C. Moreover, no differences were found on the cell proliferation and differentiation between cultured cells with fresh or defrosted samples after 4 weeks at 4 °C or after 1, 3, 6, or 9 months at −20 °C. Conclusions: Long-term storage of autologous serum eyedrops at −20 °C does not affect the concentration of GF, simplifies clinical logistics, and reduces the frequency of blood extractions from the patients.
Morphofunctional Evaluation of Fibrin Glue Versus Microsuture Nerve Repairs

Complications of microsuture repair of peripheral nerves include mechanical trauma, foreign body reaction, impairment of vascularity, and possible obstruction to successful sprouting. In addition, there are occasions when it is virtually impossible to perform a suture repair because of limited exposure and/or very fine structures, such as are encountered in pediatric cases. These situations have continued to provide the impetus for evaluating alternative methods of nerve coaptation. Recently, the use of tissue glue has gained in popularity as a technique for sutureless nerve repairs. We decided to test the efficacy of fibrin glue repair versus microsuture coaptation in the rat sciatic model. The repair sites were assessed for tensile strength, by quantitative morphometry, and by electrophysiologic studies. Tensile strength findings revealed that at two, four, and eight weeks after surgery, there was no significant difference between the two repair techniques, although there was a trend toward a stronger hold in the microsuture repairs. Electrophysiologic recordings revealed that conventional microsuture repairs had significantly faster conduction velocities, larger area under the curve, and higher peak amplitudes. The onset and peak latencies were comparable, revealing that the axonal quality of at least a certain number of axons was similar electrically. Axonal counts both proximal and distal to the repair showed no significant difference, although there was an overall suggestion of superiority in the number of myelinated axons in the suture repair.
An Overview of Taboo and Superstition among the Yoruba of Southwest of Nigeria

A taboo is something looked down upon by society because of social custom. This article therefore examines an overview of taboo and superstition among the Yoruba of southwest of Nigeria. This work explores the concept of taboos in Yoruba land. It also confirmed whether superstition and taboo means the same thing in Yoruba society. The importance of taboos in Yoruba society is also discussed. It was discovered that taboo in the concept of Yoruba belief is different from superstition because of its usefulness in the society. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013. v4n2p221
Options for the Management of Mucosal Candidiasis in Patients with AIDS and HIV Infection

Oropharyngeal candidiasis may be the first manifestation of human immunodeficiency viral (HIV) infection, and more than 90% of patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) develop the disease. Although numerous antifungal agents are available, azoles, both topical (clotrimazole) and systemic (fluconazole, itraconazole), have largely replaced older topical antifungals (gentian violet, nystatin) in the management of the disease in these patients. A concern in these patients is clinical relapse, which appears to be dependent on degree of immunosuppression and is more common with clotrimazole and ketoconazole than with fluconazole or itraconazole. Candida esophagitis is also of concern, since it occurs in more than 10% of patients with AIDS. Fluconazole is an integral part of management. A cyclodextrin oral solution formulation of itraconazole has similar clinical response rates as fluconazole and is an effective alternative. In patients with fluconazole‐resistant mucocutaneous candidiasis, treatment options include itraconazole and amphotericin B oral suspension and parenteral preparation.
Three-Phase PLLs With Fast Postfault Retracking and Steady-State Rejection of Voltage Unbalance and Harmonics by Means of Lead Compensation

This paper proposes an advanced controller suitable for three-phase phase-locked loops (PLLs), which are employed in grid-connected power converters. This controller is formed of one or more lead compensators cascaded to the main proportional integral regulator. The proposed lead compensators are second order with pure imaginary roots: they have both a notch peak and a resonant peak (the notch frequency is lower than the resonant frequency). Hence, their phase versus frequency response exhibits phase wraps of ± 180°. Consequently, the parameters of each lead compensator are tuned with two objectives: to eliminate a specific frequency in the synchronous reference frame (SRF) and to enhance stability by a phase lead (phase boost). Through this technique, three-phase PLLs achieve both high bandwidth (fast transient response) and selective cancellation (filtering of unbalance and harmonics ripple in the SRF). The proposed controllers are suitable for simpler three-phase PLL schemes, such as the SRF-PLL. Therefore, big improvement is achieved without adding extra blocks and signals to basic PLL structures. Simulation and real-time implementation (dSpace DS1103) tests, emulating very demanding realistic conditions, have been performed. Key figures from these tests are shown, which prove the high performance and robustness of the proposal.
Antisense Inhibition of Syndecan-3 Expression during Skeletal Muscle Differentiation Accelerates Myogenesis through a Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor-dependent Mechanism*

Syndecan-3 is a member of a family of transmembrane proteoglycans that posses highly homologous cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains and function as extracellular matrix receptors and low-affinity receptors for signaling molecules such as basic fibroblasts growth factor (FGF-2). Syndecan-3 is transiently expressed in developing limb bud and absent in adult skeletal muscle. In this study we investigated the expression of syndecan-3 and its role on FGF-2-dependent inhibition of myogenesis. Syndecan-3 expression was down-regulated during skeletal muscle differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts, as determined by Northern blot analyses and immunoprecipitation. To probe the function of syndecan-3 during myogenesis, C2C12myoblasts were stably transfected with a plasmid coding for antisense syndecan-3 mRNA. The resulting inhibition of syndecan-3 expression caused accelerated skeletal muscle differentiation, as determined by expression of creatine kinase and myosin and myoblast fusion. Expression of a master transcription factor for muscle differentiation, myogenin, was also accelerated in antisense syndecan-3-transfected myoblasts compared with control transfected and wild type cells. Reduced expression of syndecan-3 resulted in a 13-fold decrease in sensitivity to FGF-2-dependent inhibition of myogenin expression. Addition of heparin partially reversed this effect. These results demonstrate that syndecan-3 expression is down-regulated during differentiation and the level of expression of membrane-bound heparan sulfate on myoblast surface is critical for fine modulation of responsiveness to FGF-2. These findings strongly suggest a role for syndecan-3 in regulation of skeletal muscle terminal differentiation.
Effect of Preoperative Biologic Drugs on Complications and Function After Restorative Proctocolectomy with Primary Ileal Pouch Formation: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background:Debate exists concerning the presumed risk of postoperative complications in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) receiving preoperative infliximab (IFX). Meta-analyses are contrasting because of many confounders included into analysis. Our aim was to determine the impact of IFX on pouch-related postoperative complications in patients with UC undergoing surgery with primary ileal pouch–anal anastomosis. Methods:We performed a systematic review to identify studies comparing the outcomes of patients undergoing surgery for UC with or without previous IFX exposure. The primary end points were (1) early ileal pouch–anal anastomosis–related complications after surgery with primary pouch formation and (2) those occurring after ileostomy closure. Secondary end points were the effects of IFX on total, infectious, and noninfectious complications in patients with UC undergoing any type of surgery. Results are reported as pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results:Seven papers, including 162 patients receiving biologics and 468 controls all undergoing primary pouch formation, were included for the primary aim. Patients receiving IFX were more likely developing early (OR = 4.12; 95% CI, 2.37–7.15; P < 0.001) and post-ileostomy closure (OR = 2.27; 95% CI, 1.27–4.05; P = 0.005) ileal pouch–anal anastomosis–related complications. Number needed to harm was calculated to be 5 and 4, respectively. Having received at least 3 IFX effusions increased the risk of early complications (OR = 9.59; 95% CI, 2.92–31.44; P = 0.0002), whereas an interval of <12 weeks since last effusion did not (OR = 2.35; 95% CI, 0.98–5.64; P = 0.06). Meta-analyses of 14 studies reporting on any type of surgery found that IFX showed a trend toward higher total and infectious complications, but no significant differences were observed. Biologics were associated with lower surgical site infection (OR = 0.67; 95% CI, 0.45–0.99; P = 0.04). Conclusions:IFX exposure increases early pouch-specific complications and complications after ileostomy closure in UC. Avoiding primary pouch formation could be a prudent approach.
Health Outcomes and Retention in Care Following Release from Prison for Patients of an Urban Post-incarceration Transitions Clinic

Chronic health conditions are overrepresented among prisoners who often face barriers to medical care following release. Transitions clinics seek to provide timely access to medical care following release. This retrospective cohort study investigated care delivery and health outcomes for recently released prisoners receiving care at the Bronx Transitions Clinic. Among 135 recently released prisoners, median time from release to initial medical visit was 10 days (IQ Range: 5–31). Six-month retention in care was high for HIV-infection (86%), but lower for opioid dependence (33%), hypertension (45%) and diabetes (43%). At six months, 54% of HIV-patients had a suppressed viral load, but fewer buprenorphine-treated patients reduced opioid use (19%), and fewer hypertensive and diabetic patients reached respective blood pressure (35%) and hemoglobin A1c (14%) goals. Access to medical care is necessary but not sufficient to control chronic health conditions. Additional interventions are necessary for formerly incarcerated people to achieve optimal health outcomes.
Evolution of attractors in quasiperiodically forced systems: From quasiperiodic to strange nonchaotic to chaotic.

As a model displaying typical features of two-frequency quasiperiodically forced systems, we discuss the circle map with quasiperiodic coupling. We present numerical and analytical evidence for the existence of strange nonchaotic attractors, and we use examples to illustrate various types of dynamical behavior that can arise in typical quasiperiodically forced systems. We investigate the behavior of the system in the two-dimensional parameter plane of nonlinearity strength versus one of the driving frequencies. We find that the set in this parameter plane for which the system exhibits strange nonchaotic attractors has Cantor-like structure and is enclosed between two critical curves. One of these curves marks the transition from three-frequency quasiperiodic attractors to strange nonchaotic attractors; the other marks the transition from strange nonchaotic attractors to chaotic attractors. This suggests a possible route to chaos in two-frequency quasiperiodically forced systems: (three-frequency quasiperiodicity). -->. (strange nonchaotic behavior). -->. (chaos).