Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mastitis Is Associated with IL-6 Levels and Milk Fat Globule Size in Breast Milk

Background: From animal studies, it is known that mastitic inflammation of the mammary lobes can produce proinflammatory cytokines and can damage the milk fat globule (MFG). Objective: To investigate, in women, whether MFG and interleukin (IL)-6 differences are observed between mastitic milk (MM) and healthy milk (HM) of a mother. Methods: MM was obtained from the specific nipple pore leading to the mastitic lobe of 17 women; HM was obtained from the other breast. Milk sampling occurred at days 0 (pre-treatment), 1, and 2 (post-treatment). MFG size and IL-6 were measured by laser light scattering and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. We analyzed MFG and IL-6 differences between HM and MM, whether any differences occurred over time with treatment, and whether differences were observed between mothers with systemic symptoms (fever/malaise, Group A) or without systemic symptoms (Group B). Results: On day 0, MM had higher MFG size (P < .01) and IL-6 levels (P < .001) than HM. This difference significantly decreased over time with treatment for both MFG size (P < .01) and IL-6 (P < .05). On day 0, Group A mothers had significantly larger MFG size (P < .01) and IL-6 (P < .001) than Group B. Conclusions: MM contains larger MFG and higher IL-6 levels than milk from the healthy breast. This difference is larger if accompanied by systemic symptoms of mastitis (fever/malaise). These changes decreased over time with treatment. Therefore, early initiation of appropriate treatment may be useful in limiting the processes that contribute to alterations in MFG size and IL-6.
WAF1 genotype and endometrial cancer susceptibility.

The WAF1 protein, which is a downstream mediator of p53, functions as a universal inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases. The functional link between p53 and WAF1 suggests the possibility that alteration in WAF1 function constitutes an alternative mechanism to p53 inactivation. However, there are few reports describing somatic mutations of the WAF1 gene in various human malignancies. A polymorphism in the WAF1 gene, a C-to-A transversion at codon 31 resulting in the change of a serine (Ser) to an arginine (Arg), is well known. We found this substitution in 42 of 54 endometrial carcinoma patients. Allele frequency was 0.44/0.56 for the codon 31 polymorphism (Ser/Arg), the difference of allele frequency between patients and normal controls being significant (0.59/0.41 in normal controls). In addition, individuals carrying the codon 31 Arg allele had a tendency to develop histologically high-grade (odds ratio, 6. 11) and clinically advanced tumors. We investigated the association of the Arg allele with the known risk factors of endometrial carcinomas. Statistical analyses of 42 cases and 32 controls carrying the codon 31 Arg allele identified hypertension (odds ratio, 4.33) and family history of cancer (odds ratio, 2.81) as positive risk factors. This implies that these two parameters may be associated with a tendency to develop endometrial carcinomas in individuals carrying the codon 31 Arg allele of the WAF1 gene.
Development of a Danish speech intelligibility test

A Danish speech intelligibility test for assessing the speech recognition threshold in noise (SRTN) has been developed. The test consists of 180 sentences distributed in 18 phonetically balanced lists. The sentences are based on an open word-set and represent everyday language. The sentences were equalized with respect to intelligibility to ensure uniform SRTN assessments with all lists. In contrast to several previously developed tests such as the hearing in noise test (HINT) where the equalization is based on scored (objective) measures of word intelligibility, the present test used an equalization method based on subjective assessments of the sentences. The new equalization method is shown to create lists with less variance between the SRTNs than the traditional method. The number of sentence levels included in the SRTN calculation was also evaluated and differs from previous tests. The test was verified with 14 normal-hearing listeners; the overall SRTN lies at a signal-to-noise ratio of −3.15 dB with a standard deviation of 1.0 dB. The list-SRTNs deviate less than 0.5 dB from the overall mean.
Freshly squeezed: anaphylaxis caused by drone larvae juice.

Summary Drone larvae are mostly considered a by-product of beekeeping, but have recently been advo-cated as a high-protein source of food. There are as yet no data concerning their allergenic potential. We report on a 29-year old bee keeper who experienced an anaphylactic reaction following the consumption of a freshly prepared beverage from raw drone larvae. Larvae-specific sensitization was confirmed by prick-to-prick and basophil activation testing. Bee stings and classical bee products including honey and royal jelly were tolerated. This is the hitherto first report on IgE-mediated allergy to drone larvae. We suggest that a certain awareness towards the allergenicity of bee larvae is required.
Taxing Firms Facing Financial Frictions∗

What is the effect of replacing the corporate income tax by a tax on business owners? To answer this question we construct a model with heterogeneous firms, borrowing constraints, costly equity issuance and endogenous entry and exit. Calibrating the model to the U.S. economy, we find that replacing the corporate income tax with a revenue-neutral common tax on shareholders, steady-state output would increase by 6.8% and total factor productivity (TFP) by 1.7%. Due to financial frictions, taxes levied at the corporate income level and at the shareholder level are not perfect substitutes because they distort different margins. In our model, firms are hit by productivity shocks and aim to adjust their capital stock in pursuit of optimal size. Optimal firm behavior often dictates reliance on retained earnings for growth. The corporate income tax reduces retained earnings available for investment, thereby delaying capital accumulation. As the retained earning are not paid back to shareholders, the friction just described does not occur when taxes are levied at the dividend level. The mechanism is amplified by endogenous entry and exit and by general equilibrium feedback. JEL: E44, G11, H21, H25, O16
Hospitalization rates in daily home hemodialysis versus peritoneal dialysis patients in the United States.

BACKGROUND Daily hemodialysis (DHD) is associated with improvements in hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, mineral metabolism, nutrition, and quality of life, but efficacy is uncertain because of potential selection bias. To reduce the influence of selection bias, we sought to compare hospital admissions for our population of DHD patients with peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients who initiated training during the same period. We also compared our hospital data with the US Renal Data Service database. STUDY DESIGN Prospective nonrandomized cohort study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS 22 (16 male) DHD and 64 (33 male) PD patients who initiated training between March 2003 and September 2007 at our center and remained in our program for at least 6 months. PREDICTORS Dialysis modality (DHD or PD). OUTCOMES Number of hospital admissions and length of stay. RESULTS Median age at initiation of training was 52 years (range, 33 to 76 years) for DHD patients versus 54 years (range, 21 to 82 years) for PD patients (P = 0.5), and median vintage was 23 months (range, 0 to 145 months) for DHD patients versus 0 month (range, 0 to 244 months) for PD patients (P < 0.001). Fifty percent of DHD and 56% of PD patients had a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (P = 0.8). We observed 27 DHD and 82 PD admissions (0.68 and 0.76 admissions/patient-year, respectively) during the study period (P = 0.5). We also observed 130 DHD and 605 PD hospital days (3.3 and 5.6 days/patient-year, respectively; P < 0.001). LIMITATIONS Patients were not randomly assigned between the study group and control group; study group was small. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that despite similar patient demographics, patients treated with DHD spend fewer days in the hospital than PD patients in the United States. Although selection bias could partially explain our lower hospitalization rate, other factors, including improvements in blood pressure control, nutrition, and fewer fluctuations in dry weight, probably contributed to the stability of our patients.
Fathers of Children With Cancer: A Descriptive Study of Their Stressors and Coping Strategies

The purpose of this study was to identify the stressors and coping strategies of fathers with a child diagnosed with cancer. Differences in the fathers' stressors, feelings, and coping strategies by severity of their child's condition were also assessed. The Contingency Model of Long-Term Care was the framework for the study. The Parental Perception Inventory questionnaire was completed by 23 fathers. The fathers reported that their most common concern was their "child's future," followed by their "child's health. " The most common coping strategy was "to pray," a strategy that was also reported as being the most helpful. The next most common strategies were "to get information," "look at options," and "to weigh choices. " These strategies are problem-oriented which is consistent with the research findings of others. A one-way analysis of variance with planned comparisons was used to compare stressors, feelings, and coping strategies of the fathers by severity of their child's condition. No planned comparisons were statistically significant at the . 05 level nor were any additional differences detected.
Discrepancy in fitting between log-normal and gamma models: An illustration

Analysis of positive observations is generally done using log-normal and gamma models. For constant variance, log-normal and gamma model fits give almost same regression coefficient estimates, except the intercept. It is difficult to interpret about the estimates from these two model fits for non-constant variance. This article focuses the discrepancy in fitting between log-normal and gamma models for non-constant variance. It shows that for non-constant variance, even though the measures of fitting criteria and estimates are almost same in both the models, but the fittings may not always be identical. Moreover, this article points that some insignificant effects may also be sometimes very important in fitting. An example illustrates this point.
Randomized Double-Blind Study of the Nutritional Efficacy and Bifidogenicity of a New Infant Formula Containing Partially Hydrolyzed Protein, a High &bgr;-Palmitic Acid Level, and Nondigestible Oligosaccharides

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional efficacy and bifidogenic characteristics of a new infant formula containing partially hydrolyzed whey protein, modified vegetable oil with a high &bgr;-palmitic acid content, prebiotic oligosaccharides, and starch. Methods In a double-blind study, healthy formula-fed term infants aged younger than 2 weeks were randomized to receive either the new infant formula (NF) or a standard formula (SF) until the age of 12 weeks. Anthropometric measurements were taken at enrollment, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks. In a subsample of infants, blood samples were taken at 6 weeks and stool samples were taken at enrollment and 6 weeks. Blood samples were analyzed for biochemical measures of protein status and amino acids, and stools were analyzed for total bacteria and bifidobacteria. Mothers completed a feeding diary and questionnaire at 6 and 10 weeks. Results One hundred fifty-four infants were enrolled in the study; 102 completed the trial. The growth of infants in both formula groups was in line with published growth curves. During the first 6 weeks, NF girls gained more weight and head circumference than the SF girls. These velocity differences were not maintained throughout the 12-week study period. The NF stools had a higher proportion of bifidobacteria at 6 weeks compared with the SF stools, and they were softer. There were no clinically significant differences in the blood biochemical and amino acid values between groups. Both formulas were well tolerated by the infants. Conclusions When compared with a standard infant formula, the new formula supported satisfactory growth, led to higher counts of bifidobacteria in the feces, produced blood bio-chemical values typical of formula-fed infants, and was well tolerated.
Asymmetry of Masticatory Muscle Activity During the Closing Phase of Mastication

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the asymmetry of masticatory muscle activity between working and nonworking sides in the closing phase during mastication. Fifty adult subjects displaying normal oral function and occlusion participated in this study. Electromyographic (EMG) activity of the anterior temporalis and the superficial masseter muscle were recorded during mastication, simultaneously with motion data of the mandible. EMG activities of elevator muscles and their Asymmetry Index (AI) were analyzed depending on the vertical deviation of the lower incisal point with a two mm gap from the intercuspal position (ICP). EMG activities of both the anterior temporalis and the masseter on the working side were significantly greater than those on the nonworking side. Masseter muscles tended to show greater AI than the anterior temporalis muscles. Thus, asymmetry of the elevator muscles during mastication was a common finding in normal subjects. The normal range of variability of EMG activity and AI was confirmed in each section.
Understanding LER-induced statistical variability: A 35,000 sample 3D simulation study

We study, in detail, statistical threshold voltage variability in a state of the art n-Channel MOSFET introduced by line edge roughness. A large sample of 35,000 transistors with microscopically different LER patterns was simulated using the Glasgow 3D ‘atomistic’ device simulator. Such large-scale simulation has been enabled by advanced grid computing technology. The results show that the statistical distribution of threshold voltage due to LER is asymmetric. Detailed analysis of the simulation results provide in depth understanding of the physical mechanisms governing LER induced statistical variability.
Wild‐type p53 adopts a ‘mutant’‐like conformation when bound to DNA.

p53 is a negative regulator of cell growth. The majority of human tumors express mutant p53 proteins, which can be distinguished from wild‐type by their immuno‐reactivity to a panel of conformation‐specific monoclonal antibodies, such as PAb421, PAb1620 and PAb246. Wild‐type p53 has sequence‐specific DNA binding activity. We demonstrate that upon binding DNA wild‐type p53 changes conformation at both its N‐ and C‐termini, such that it adopts a ‘mutant’‐like conformation. Very few of the known DNA binding proteins exhibit long‐range conformational changes upon binding to DNA. Such proteins, like the Drosophila heat shock transcription factor, have DNA binding domains whose activity is regulated by conformation. The DNA binding activity, and therefore the function, of wild‐type p53 may be regulated via its ability to adopt distinct conformations.
CHRONIC DAILY HEADACHE : MEDICATION OVERUSE AND PSYCHIATRIC MORBIDITY

Objectives: The objectives of the study were: (i) To assess the frequency of different chronic daily headaches in patients using ICHD-2 criteria (ii) To find out the frequency and type of medication overuse and psychiatric morbidity in chronic daily headache subjects. Design: Cross sectional observational study. Place and duration of study: The study was conducted in the psychiatry outpatient department of a teaching medical institution during January to September 2005. Subjects and Methods: Subjects suffering from chronic daily headache were recruited from a specialized headache clinic in a tertiary care hospital’s Psychiatry department. The diagnoses were made according to ICHD-2. Medication overuse was defined according to ICHD-2 criteria and psychiatric illness was diagnosed following ICD-10 criteria in CDH patients. In subjects fulfilling the criteria for ‘medication overuse’, the culprit drug was stopped immediately and prophylactic therapy was started. Results: Frequency of chronic daily headache was 37% in this sample. Females outnumbered males (1: 1.52) and formed higher number of migraine cases (p=0.02). Tension Type Headache (TTH) was most frequent headache (48.5%). According to ICHD-2 criteria, probable medication overuse headache could be diagnosed in all patients, which precluded the diagnosis of chronic migraine and chronic TTH. Psychiatric morbidity was seen in 70.3% subjects and mild to moderate depression was the most common illness (53%). TTH subjects showed predisposition for anxiety disorders (OR= 6.41; p= 0.004). Conclusion: TTH is the most common subtype of CDH when ICHD-2 is followed. Medication overuse is common in this group of patients and these probably should be discontinued according to substance dependence de-addiction model for better compliance, and even more slowly in subjects with chronic migraine headache. Psychiatric morbidity is prevalent in CDH patients and requires special attention.
The role of opioidergic genes in the treatment outcome of drug addiction pharmacotherapy: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Drug addiction is a serious illness with deleterious functional and social consequences for both the affected individuals, their families, and society at large. In spite of the abundant research on substance dependence, there are few effective treatments for this disease. Given the crucial role of the endogenous opioid system in the development and maintenance of substance abuse disorders, this review focuses on the opioidergic system and examines the role of opioidergic genes in the treatment outcome of pharmacotherapies of alcohol, opioid, and cocaine addiction. METHODS Scopus (all databases) and Pubmed were systematically searched with no language or year restrictions, up to July 2014, for studies that focused on the relationship between polymorphisms of opioidergic genes and the treatment outcome of pharmacotherapies of alcohol, opioid, and cocaine addictions. Selected search terms were opioid, gene, polymorphism, drug therapy, substance abuse, and response. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The genetic variability of μ-, δ- and κ-opioid receptors genes OPRM1, OPRD1, and OPRK1 modulates the efficacy of opioid antagonist treatments such as naltrexone and methadone, as well as the cocaine vaccine. Despite the number of promising reports, data from additional cohorts are needed to substantiate these findings. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE Gene variant profiling could help predict treatment response and assist in developing effective treatments for alcohol, opioid, and cocaine addiction. (Am J Addict 2014;XX:1-15).
CONTRIBUTIONS OF EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND LABORATORY METHODS TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CAUSAL ASSOCIATION OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS WITH CANCER OF THE CERVIX

For many decades, the epidemiological finding of females who have cervical cancer was identified as being suggestive of a sexually transmitted process and many biological agents were proposed as being responsible. In order to understand the contributions of epidemiological and laboratory methods to identifying cervical cancer etiology, this paper aimed to provide an historical review of the accumulation of laboratory and epidemiological evidence on the causal association of human papilloma virus (HPV) and cancer of the cervix, from early descriptive studies to the recent development of an effective intervention protocol with emphasis on the use of different epidemiological study designs. Research about the cause of cancer of the cervix has made a tremendous impact in the last two decades both scientifically and clinically. The epidemiological research was very crucial in establishing the relationship between the risk factors and cancer of the cervix and also to describe the type of the association. The advent of effective preventive vaccines prove the etiological role of persistent HPV infections in cancer of the cervix development, and it has taken clinical, laboratory and several designs of the epidemiological study to arrive at this point. Epidemiological research must be embraced and encouraged because this type of research can lead to the discovery of new medicines, vaccines, and other medical products that can improve the health and health outcomes of individuals in the community.
Online Monitoring of Additive Manufacturing Processes Using Ultrasound

Additive manufacturing processes have become commercially available and are particularly interesting for the production of free-formed parts. With Selective Laser Melting (SLM), components can be produced by localized melting of successive layers of metal powder. In order to be able to describe and to understand the complex dynamics of the SLM processes more accurately, online ultrasonic measurements have been performed for the first time. In this contribution, we report on the integration of the measurement technique into the manufacturing facility and on a variety of promising monitoring results.
Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus: association with global disease activity

Objective To determine whether patients with neuropsychiatric (NP) events attributed to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have more global disease activity than patients with NP events not attributed to SLE. Methods Patients were recruited from an academic lupus clinic. Global disease activity was measured with the SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) and organ damage with the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) damage index (SDI). NP disease was defined using the ACR case definitions and decision rules for attribution of NP events to SLE and non-SLE causes. Results There were 68 patients (age (mean ± SD) 40.8 ± 15.2 years, 85% female, 94% Caucasians) with 126 NP events. SLEDAI-2K scores in patients with NP events attributed to SLE were higher than in patients with NP events attributed to non-SLE causes even when NP variables were removed from the SLEDAI-2K (mean ± SD: SLE NP = 7.36 ± 5.42 vs non-SLE NP = 5.53 ± 4.57, P = 0.042). Patients with CNS and diffuse NP events, rather that PNS and focal events, accounted for the group differences in SLEDAI-2K scores. There were no significant differences in total SDI scores comparing NP events due to SLE vs. non-SLE causes (mean ± SD: 2.1 ± 1.8 vs. 1.7 ± 1.7; p = 0.28) even when NP variables were omitted. Conclusions Increased global SLE disease activity is associated with concurrent NP events attributed to SLE, particularly for diffuse NP and CNS NP events. The findings have diagnostic and therapeutic implications for SLE patients with NP events and inform pathogenetic mechanisms underlying NPSLE.