Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gastroenteritis in Children: A Two-Year Review in Manitoba. I. Etiology

Abstract During two years, 1,217 children hospitalized with gastroenteritis at the Children's Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada were studied. Bacterial pathogens were present in 25% of these children: enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in 120, Shigella in 139, Salmonella in 24, and multiple pathogens in 18. Rotavirus was detected in 54 (II %) of 472 patients examined. Rotavirus and enteropathogenic E. coli were the most common pathogens in infants, and Shigella was the most common in older children. Bacterial diarrhea occurred more commonly in summer, whereas rotavirus infection occurred more commonly in winter. Among 276 children screened, enterotoxigenic E. coli was found in three, and Aeromonas shigelloides that produced a similar toxin in two others. Enteroinvasive E. coli was not detected in 70 children. Organisms producing toxins "cytotoxic" to HeLa cells were isolated from three of 90 children. Screening for enterotoxigenic or enteroinvasive organisms was not productive of a significant number of pathogens, and, although screening for rotavirus did improve the number of etiologic diagnoses, the etiology of the majority of cases of diarrhea remained unknown.
Surgical Anatomy of Microneurosurgical Sulcal Key Points

OBJECTIVE: The brain sulci constitute the main microanatomic delimiting landmarks and surgical corridors of modern microneurosurgery. Because of the frequent difficulty in intraoperatively localizing and visually identifying the brain sulci with assurance, the main purpose of this study was to establish cortical/sulcal key points of primary microneurosurgical importance to provide a sulcal anatomic framework for the placement of craniotomies and to facilitate the main sulci intraoperative identification. METHODS: The study was performed through the evaluation of 32 formalin-fixed cerebral hemispheres of 16 adult cadavers, which had been removed from the skulls after the introduction of plastic catheters through properly positioned burr holes necessary for the evaluation of cranial–cerebral relationships. Three-dimensional anatomic and surgical images are displayed to illustrate the use of sulcal key points. RESULTS: The points studied were the anterior sylvian point, the inferior rolandic point, the intersection of the inferior frontal sulcus with the precentral sulcus, the intersection of the superior frontal sulcus with the precentral sulcus, the superior rolandic point, the intersection of the intraparietal sulcus with the postcentral sulcus, the superior point of the parieto-occipital sulcus, the euryon (the craniometric point that corresponds to the center of the parietal tuberosity), the posterior point of the superior temporal sulcus, and the opisthocranion, which corresponds to the most prominent point of the occipital bossa. These points presented regular neural and cranial–cerebral relationships and can be considered consistent microsurgical cortical key points. CONCLUSION: These sulcal and gyral key points can be particularly useful for initial intraoperative sulci identification and dissection. Together, they compose a framework that can help in the understanding of hemispheric lesion localization, in the placement of supratentorial craniotomies, as landmarks for the transsulcal approaches to periventricular and intraventricular lesions, and in orienting the anatomic removal of gyral sectors that contain infiltrative tumors.
Essential thrombocytosis and liver transplantation

Letters and correspondence submitted for possible publication must be identified as such. Text length must not exceed 500 words and five bibliographic references. A single concise figure or table may be included if it is essential to support the communication. Letters not typed double-spaced will not be considered for publication. Letters not meeting these specifications will not be returned to authors. Letters to the Editor are utilized to communicate a single novel observation or finding. Correspondence is to be used to supplement or constructively comment on the contents of a publication in the journal and cannot exceed the restrictions for Letters to the Editor. The Editor reserves the right to shorten text, delete objectional comments, and make other changes to comply with the style of the journal. Permission for publication must be appended as a postscript. Submissions must be sent to Paul Chervenick, M.D., Editor of Brief Reports/Letters to Editors, American Journal of Hematology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, University of South Florida, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612 to permit rapid consideration for publication.
Lipid‐cytokine‐chemokine cascades orchestrate leukocyte recruitment in inflammation

Chemoattractants are pivotal mediators of host defense, orchestrating the recruitment of immune cells into sites of infection and inflammation. Chemoattractants display vast chemical diversity and include bioactive lipids, proteolytic fragments of serum proteins, and chemokines (chemotactic cytokines). All chemoattractants induce chemotaxis by activating seven‐transmembrane‐spanning GPCRs expressed on immune cells, establishing the concept that all chemoattractants are related in function. However, although chemoattractants have overlapping functions in vitro, recent in vivo data have revealed that they function, in many cases, nonredundantly in vivo. The chemically diverse nature of chemoattractants contributes to the fine control of leukocyte trafficking in vivo, with sequential chemoattractant use guiding immune cell recruitment into inflammatory sites. Lipid mediators frequently function as initiators of leukocyte recruitment, attracting the first immune cells into tissues. These initial responding immune cells produce cytokines locally, which in turn, induce the local release of chemokines. Local chemokine production then markedly amplifies subsequent waves of leukocyte recruitment. These new discoveries establish a paradigm for leukocyte recruitment in inflammation—described as lipid‐cytokine‐chemokine cascades—as a driving force in the effector phase of immune responses.
Two Human IgM Myeloma Proteins with Unusual Specificities for Streptococcal Carbohydrate‐Associated Epitopes

Five hundred and fifty human sera from patients with IgM myeloma or Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia were screened by a solid‐phase enzyme‐linked immunoassay for binding to the carbohydrate of group A streptococci (A‐CHO). Two of them (AC8 and AC 179) contained immunoglobulin. which bound specifically to A‐CHO even at serum dilutions of 1:107. Using synthetic oligosaccharides coupled to protein for inhibition studies, the fine specificities of AC8 and AC179 were determined. AC179 is directed to α‐linked rhamnose oligosaccharides, AC8 appears to be specific for N‐acetyl‐D‐glucosamine (GlcNAc) side chains β(1→2)‐linked to rhamnose, whereas GlcNAc side chains in A‐CHO are reported to be β(1→3)‐linked to the rhamnose backbone. Naturally occurring anti‐A‐CHO antibodies consist mainly of low‐affinity antibodies to such β(1→3)‐linked GlcNAc. In contrast, both myeloma antibodies show more than 10 times higher relative affinities to A‐CHO than antibodies prepared from normal human serum (anti‐GlcNAc and anti‐A‐CHO, respectively) by selection for high affinity in the elution procedure. AC179 induced complement activation in the presence of A‐CHO.
Silicosis among gold miners: exposure--response analyses and risk assessment.

OBJECTIVES This study sought to estimate the risk of silicosis by cumulative exposure-years in a cohort of miners exposed to silica, as well as the lifetime risk of silicosis under the current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard (0.09 mg/m3). METHODS In a cohort study of 3330 gold miners who worked at least 1 year underground from 1940 to 1965 (average 9 years) and were exposed to a median silica level of 0.05 mg/m3 (0.15 mg/m3 for those hired before 1930), 170 cases of silicosis were determined from either death certificates or two cross-sectional radiographic surveys. RESULTS The risk of silicosis was less than 1% with a cumulative exposure under 0.5 mg/m3-years, increasing to 68% to 84% for the highest cumulative exposure category of more than 4 mg/m3-years. Cumulative exposure was the best predictor of disease, followed by duration of exposure and average exposure. After adjustment for competing risks of death, a 45-year exposure under the current OSHA standard would lead to a lifetime risk of silicosis of 35% to 47%. CONCLUSIONS Almost 2 million US workers are currently exposed to silica. Our results add to a small but increasing body of literature that suggests that the current OSHA silica exposure level is unacceptably high.
Asthma and Latino cultures: different prevalence reported among groups sharing the same environment.

OBJECTIVES This 1999 study measured asthma prevalence among Latinos of different cultural traditions who live on the same streets and in the same buildings. METHODS Health promoters from El Puente in North Brooklyn, New York City, surveyed 3015 people in 946 households, asking standard asthma prevalence questions. RESULTS Some 46% of households identified themselves as Dominican, 42% as Puerto Rican, 6% as other Latino, and 6% as other. Reported asthma period prevalence was 5.3% (93 of 1749) among Dominicans and other Latinos, compared with 13.2% (147 of 1115) among Puerto Ricans (odds ratio = 0.37; 95% confidence interval = 0.28, 0.49), a difference not explained by location (cluster or building), household size, use of home remedies, educational attainment, or country where education was completed. Differences were least detectable among 13- to 24-year-olds of both sexes and sharpest among women aged 45 years and older and girls from birth to 12 years. CONCLUSIONS Further research on gene-environment interactions is needed among Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, but asthma's associations with low income and unhealthy environment, which more recent immigrants seem better able to withstand, should not be overlooked.
Pathology of an Islet Transplant 2 Years After Transplantation: Evidence for a Nonimmunological Loss

Background. We report the immunological and pathological findings of a 52-year-old woman, who died two years after the second of two islet transplants performed using the Edmonton protocol. After each islet transplant, she gradually lost insulin independence while maintaining low levels of C-peptide secretion. Methods. A complete autopsy was performed including pathological and immunohistochemical analysis of hepatic allogeneic islets and native pancreatic islets to identify rejection or autoimmunity. Elispots assays for allogeneic sensitization and autoantibody assays for autoimmunity were performed antemortem after her islet transplantations to test in vitro for evidence of allogeneic sensitization or autoimmunity. Results. The cause of death was a hypertensive stroke. Small numbers of islets without inflammation were identified within portal venules and stained with insulin. The atrophic pancreas contained small numbers of islets, which stained for insulin, and lacked any inflammation within or adjacent to the islets. In vitro assays for alloantibodies were negative, and Elispots assays failed to identify allogeneic sensitization. In vitro assays for diabetic associated autoantibodies did not identify autoimmune resensitization. The allografted kidney showed only early changes of recurrent diabetic nephropathy, and no evidence of rejection. Conclusions. In summary, no evidence was found to support an immunological basis (either allo or autoimmunity) for the slow loss of intrahepatic islets, which may, therefore, be related to nonimmunological anatomic and physiological abnormalities of islets infused into the portal veins or to drug toxicity.
KIBRA gene methylation is associated with unfavorable biological prognostic parameters in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Ras-association domain family (RASSF) members are a family of genes containing an RA domain in either the C-terminus (RASSF1-RASSF6) or in the N-terminus (RASSF7-RASSF10). Members of this gene family are core members of the Salvador/Warts/Hippo (SWH) tumor suppressor network and have been shown to be involved in human tumorigenesis. Among the RASSF genes, RASSF1A is one of the most frequently methylated genes in a wide range of epithelial cancers, and we previously demonstrated that RASSF6 and RASSF10 genes are frequently epigenetically inactivated in acute leukemias, particularly in those of the B cell type. We here determined the methylation profiles of all members of the RASSF gene family as well as two recently identified (KIBRA, CRB3) upstream members of the SWH pathway in the leukemic B cells obtained from a well-characterized cohort of 95 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Among the RASSF genes, RASSF10 (50%) was the most frequently methylated gene, followed by RASSF6 (16%). The remaining RASSF genes were either unmethylated or showed a frequency of methylation < 10%. The upstream SWH member KIBRA was also frequently methylated in CLL (35%) in contrast to CRB3. Interestingly, the analysis of clinical-pathological parameters showed that KIBRA methylation was associated with unfavorable biological prognostic parameters, including unmutated IGHV genes (p = 0.007) and high CD38 expression (p < 0.05).
Oxysterols Inhibit Phosphatidylcholine Synthesis via ERK Docking and Phosphorylation of CTP:Phosphocholine Cytidylyltransferase*

Surfactant deficiency contributes to acute lung injury and may result from the elaboration of bioactive lipids such as oxysterols. We observed that the oxysterol 22-hydroxycholesterol (22-HC) in combination with its obligate partner, 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA), decreased surfactant phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) synthesis by increasing phosphorylation of the regulatory enzyme CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase-α (CCTα). Phosphorylation of CCTα decreased its activity. 22-HC/9-cis-RA inhibition of PtdCho synthesis was blocked by PD98059 or dominant-negative ERK (p42 kinase). Overexpression of constitutively active MEK1, the kinase upstream of p42 kinase, increased CCTα phosphorylation. Expression of truncated CCTα mutants lacking proline-directed sites within the C-terminal phosphorylation domain partially blocked oxysterol-mediated inhibition of PtdCho synthesis. Mutagenesis of Ser315 within CCTα was both required and sufficient to confer significant resistance to 22-HC/9-cis-RA inhibition of PtdCho synthesis. A novel putative ERK-docking domain N-terminal to this phosphoacceptor site was mapped within the CCTα membrane-binding domain (residues 287–300). The results are the first demonstration of a physiologically relevant phosphorylation site and docking domain within CCTα that serve as targets for ERKs, resulting in inhibition of surfactant synthesis.
Treatment with 400 microg of inhaled budesonide vs 200 microg of inhaled budesonide and oral montelukast in children with moderate persistent asthma: randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Montelukast is reported to be beneficial in asthma as add-on therapy to inhaled corticosteroids and may reduce the need for the latter. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether a combination of oral montelukast and 200 microg of inhaled budesonide has comparable efficacy to 400 microg of inhaled budesonide alone in children with moderate persistent asthma. METHODS In this prospective, blinded, hospital-based randomized controlled trial, 71 children with moderate persistent asthma were randomized to receive either montelukast, 5-mg chewable tablet, with 200 microg of inhaled budesonide or only 400 microg of inhaled budesonide daily for 12 weeks. Baseline and serial measurements of forced expiratory volume in 1 second, peak expiratory flow rate, and Asthma Symptom Score were performed; the frequency and severity of exacerbations were also recorded. RESULTS Measurements of forced expiratory volume in 1 second, peak expiratory flow rate, and Asthma Symptom Score showed no significant differences between the 2 groups at baseline, during the serial follow-up visits, and at the end of the study. However, children who received montelukast had a greater frequency of exacerbations vs those who did not (33.3% vs 9.1%; P < .01). CONCLUSION The overall control of asthma with 5 mg of oral montelukast and 200 microg of inhaled budesonide is inferior to that with 400 microg of inhaled budesonide in children with moderate persistent asthma.
Comparisons of Caenorhabditis Fucosyltransferase Mutants Reveal a Multiplicity of Isomeric N-Glycan Structures

Recent studies have shown a remarkable degree of plasticity in the N-glycome of the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans; ablation of glycosylation-relevant genes can result in radically altered N-glycan profiles despite only minor biological phenotypic effects. Up to four fucose residues and five different linkages of fucose are known on the N-glycans of C. elegans. Due to the complexity in the wild type, we established three mutant strains defective in two core fucosyltransferases each (fut-1;fut-6, fut-1;fut-8, and fut-6;fut-8). Enzymatically released N-glycans were subject to HPLC and MALDI-TOF MS/MS, in combination with various treatments, to verify structural details. The N-glycome of the fut-1;fut-6 mutant was the most complex of the three double-mutant strains due to the extension of the core α1,6-fucose as well as the presence of fucose on the bisecting galactose. In contrast, maximally two fucoses were found on N-glycans of the fut-1;fut-8 and fut-6;fut-8 strains. The different locations and capping of fucose meant that up to 13 isomeric structures, many highly galactosylated, were determined for some single masses. These data not only show the high variability of the N-glycomic capacity of a “simple” nematode but also exemplify the need for multiple approaches to reveal individual glycan structures within complex invertebrate glycomes.
Comparison of Immediate and Delayed Free TRAM Flap Breast Reconstruction in Patients Receiving Postmastectomy Radiation Therapy

Tumor pathologic features and the extent of nodal involvement dictate whether radiation therapy is given after mastectomy for breast cancer. It is generally well accepted that radiation negatively influences the outcome of implant‐based breast reconstruction. However, the long‐term effect of radiation therapy on the outcome of breast reconstruction with the free transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap is still unclear. For patients who need postmastectomy radiation therapy, the optimal timing of TRAM flap reconstruction is controversial. This study compares the outcome of immediate and delayed free TRAM flap breast reconstruction in patients who received postmastectomy radiation therapy. All patients at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center who received postmastectomy radiation therapy and who also underwent free TRAM flap breast reconstruction between January of 1988 and December of 1998 were included in the study. Patients who received radiation therapy before delayed TRAM flap reconstruction were compared with patients who underwent immediate TRAM flap reconstruction before radiation therapy. Early and late complications were compared between the two groups. Early complications included vessel thrombosis, partial or total flap loss, mastectomy skin flap necrosis, and local wound‐healing problems, whereas late complications included fat necrosis, volume loss, and flap contracture of free TRAM breast mounds. Late complications were evaluated at least 1 year after the completion of radiation therapy for patients who had delayed reconstruction and at least 1 year after reconstruction for patients who had immediate reconstruction. During the study period, 32 patients had immediate TRAM flap reconstruction before radiation therapy and 70 patients had radiation therapy before TRAM flap reconstruction. Mean follow‐up times for the immediate reconstruction and delayed reconstruction groups were 3 and 5 years, respectively. The mean radiation dose was 50 Gy in the immediate reconstruction group and 51 Gy in the delayed reconstruction group. One complete flap loss occurred in the delayed reconstruction group, and no flap loss occurred in the immediate reconstruction group. The incidence of early complications did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, the incidence of late complications was significantly higher in the immediate reconstruction group than in the delayed reconstruction group (87.5 percent versus 8.6 percent; p = 0.000). Nine patients (28 percent) in the immediate reconstruction group required an additional flap to correct the distorted contour from flap shrinkage and severe flap contraction. These findings indicate that, in patients who are candidates for free TRAM flap breast reconstruction and need postmastectomy radiation therapy, reconstruction should be delayed until radiation therapy is complete. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 108: 78, 2001.)
Nonparametric Modeling of Longitudinal Covariance Structure in Functional Mapping of Quantitative Trait Loci

Summary Estimation of the covariance structure of longitudinal processes is a fundamental prerequisite for the practical deployment of functional mapping designed to study the genetic regulation and network of quantitative variation in dynamic complex traits. We present a nonparametric approach for estimating the covariance structure of a quantitative trait measured repeatedly at a series of time points. Specifically, we adopt Huang et al.'s (2006, Biometrika 93, 85–98) approach of invoking the modified Cholesky decomposition and converting the problem into modeling a sequence of regressions of responses. A regularized covariance estimator is obtained using a normal penalized likelihood with an L2 penalty. This approach, embedded within a mixture likelihood framework, leads to enhanced accuracy, precision, and flexibility of functional mapping while preserving its biological relevance. Simulation studies are performed to reveal the statistical properties and advantages of the proposed method. A real example from a mouse genome project is analyzed to illustrate the utilization of the methodology. The new method will provide a useful tool for genome‐wide scanning for the existence and distribution of quantitative trait loci underlying a dynamic trait important to agriculture, biology, and health sciences.
Large-balloon dilation of the sphincter of Oddi after sphincterotomy or infundibulotomy to extract large calculi or multiple common bile duct stones without using mechanical lithotripsy

Abstract Objective. Endoscopic sphincterotomy plus large-balloon dilatation (ESLBD) has an efficacy equal to or higher than that of endoscopic sphincterotomy alone for biliary lithiasis extractions. Our purpose was to evaluate the feasibility, efficacy and morbidity of large-balloon dilatation of the sphincter of Oddi after sphincterotomy or infundibulotomy for large or multiple common bile duct stones. Material and methods. Retrospective analysis. Results. A total of 64 ESLBD procedures were performed in 62 patients: 57 after sphincterotomy and 7 after infundibulotomy. The feasibility was 100%, and full clearance of the common bile duct was achieved in a single session without using mechanical lithotripsy in 95.3% of cases. Short-term complications were observed in 9 patients (14%). There were no perforations. The most frequent complication was delayed bleeding (7.8%). There was no significant difference of overall complications after sphincterotomy or after infundibulotomy (12.3% vs. 28.6%, p = 0.25). The incidence of acute pancreatitis was significantly higher after infundibulotomy than after sphincterotomy (28.6% vs. 0%, p = 0.01). Conclusions. ESLBD after endoscopic sphincterotomy or infundibulotomy is a simple, reproducible and effective technique, associated with a low morbidity rate and helps in avoiding mechanical lithotripsy in 95.3% of cases for the endoscopic extraction of large or multiple common bile duct stones.