Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ileocecal Valve as Substitute for the Missing Pyloric Sphincter After Partial Distal Gastrectomy

ObjectivesAccelerated gastric emptying (including dumping syndrome) occurs frequently after gastric resections, largely resulting from rapid entry of meal contents into the small intestine. The authors hypothesized that an ileocecal segment used as an interpositional graft placed between the remaining part of the stomach and the small intestine would slow down food transit and thus replace pyloric function. MethodsThirty Göttingen minipigs were randomized into three groups. Group 1: partial gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y reconstruction; Group 2: partial gastrectomy and ileocecal interpositional graft; and Group 3: sham laparotomy. Gastric emptying in the nonsedated animals was quantified using radioscintigraphy at 3 and 6 months postoperatively. The animals ingested 300 grams of soft food containing 99mTc labeled resin- pellets using a technique previously described. Data were analyzed using ANOVA. ResultsThree months postoperatively, the ileocecal group had a significantly prolonged gastric emptying time compared with the Roux-en-Y group, but gastric emptying time was also significantly faster compared to the control group (sham laparotomy). After 6 months no significant difference was seen between the ileocecal group and the controls, while emptying rates were still significantly faster in the Roux-en-Y group. ConclusionsReconstruction of the gastric reservoir with an ileocecal segment largely restores gastric emptying patterns of food in minipigs. Six months postoperatively, gastric emptying time is similar to that of controls, and significantly slower when compared with the group with Roux-en-Y reconstruction. These results suggest that the ileocecal interposition graft could offer specific advantages over current reconstruction procedures.
Retinal ganglion cell damage in an experimental rodent model of blast-mediated traumatic brain injury.

PURPOSE To evaluate retina and optic nerve damage following experimental blast injury. METHODS Healthy adult mice were exposed to an overpressure blast wave using a custom-built blast chamber. The effects of blast exposure on retina and optic nerve function and structure were evaluated using the pattern electroretinogram (pERG), spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), and the chromatic pupil light reflex. RESULTS Assessment of the pupil response to light demonstrated decreased maximum pupil constriction diameter in blast-injured mice using red light or blue light stimuli 24 hours after injury compared with baseline in the eye exposed to direct blast injury. A decrease in the pupil light reflex was not observed chronically following blast exposure. We observed a biphasic pERG decrease with the acute injury recovering by 24 hours postblast and the chronic injury appearing at 4 months postblast injury. Furthermore, at 3 months following injury, a significant decrease in the retinal nerve fiber layer was observed using OCT compared with controls. Histologic analysis of the retina and optic nerve revealed punctate regions of reduced cellularity in the ganglion cell layer and damage to optic nerves. Additionally, a significant upregulation of proteins associated with oxidative stress was observed acutely following blast exposure compared with control mice. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that decrements in retinal ganglion cell responses can be detected after blast injury using noninvasive functional and structural tests. These objective responses may serve as surrogate tests for higher CNS functions following traumatic brain injury that are difficult to quantify.
Dissolved methane distributions and air‐sea flux in the plume of a massive seep field, Coal Oil Point, California

Large quantities of natural gas are emitted from the seafloor into the stratified coastal ocean near Coal Oil Point, Santa Barbara Channel, California. Methane was quantified in the down current surface water at 79 stations in a 280 km2 study area. The methane plume spread over an area of ∼70 km2 and emitted on the order of 5 × 104 mol d−1 to the atmosphere. A monthly time series at 14 stations showed variable methane concentrations which were correlated with changing sub‐mesoscale surface currents. Air‐sea fluxes estimated from the time series indicate that the air‐sea flux derived for the 280 km2 area is representative of the daily mean flux from this area. Only 1% of the dissolved methane originating from Coal Oil Point enters the atmosphere within the study area. Most of it appears to be transported below the surface and oxidized by microbial activity.
Ranking Risk Factors for Perinatal Mortality: Analysis of a nation‐wide study

This paper analyses data from the Israeli nationwide perinatal census, with the aim of revealing the possible causes of perinatal death, and to assess the effects of risk factors, using a logistic regression analysis. The analysis provided an estimate of the net effect of each characteristic independently, thus identifying high‐risk pregnancies that should be monitored with greater intensity. Five variables were found to have a significant effect on perinatal death. Among these, in order of decreasing risk: fetal presentation, maternal diseases complicating pregnancy, number of fetuses, ethnic origin, and maternal age. Other variables such as parity, standard of hospital, the mother's country of birth and domiciliary circumstances, did not significantly affect perinatal mortality.
Fondaparinux: a suitable alternative in cases of delayed‐type allergy to heparins and semisynthetic heparinoids? A study of 7 cases

Hypersensitivity to unfractionated and low‐molecular‐weight heparins and semisynthetic heparinoids is increasingly common. 7 female patients between 30 and 74 years with delayed‐type allergy to heparins and semisynthetic heparinoids were investigated for (cross)‐reactivity to fondaparinux, a new pentasaccharide with selective factor Xa inhibition. All patients showed delayed‐type reactions to heparins and some additional cross‐reaction to a heparinoid on intracutaneous testing. 6/7 tolerated fondaparinux on intradermal testing as well as on subcutaneous challenge testing. However, the 7th patient developed a characteristic delayed‐type reaction to both skin tests with fondaparinux. Fondaparinux is a new synthetic pentasaccharide with a molecular weight of 1.728 Da. In some patients with cross‐reactivity between various heparins and semisynthetic heparinoids, lepirudin, a recombinant hirudin, may be a safe and effective alternative. However, combined allergy to hirudin and heparins has been reported. Sometimes, intravenous administration of heparins or heparinoids may be tolerated. However, these patients are at risk of developing a systemic reaction. The pathogenesis of heparin hypersensitivity is not fully understood. Heparins may act as haptens by binding to dermal and/or subcutaneous structural proteins. The chemical structures of heparins and fondaparinux are different concerning their α‐ and β‐configuration and the molecular weight. However, some of their functional groups are nearly identical and therefore similar chemical and pharmacological reactivity is to be expected. Fondaparinux seems to be a valuable alternative in most cases of heparin and hirudin hypersensitivity. The clearly rare cross‐reaction between fondaparinux and heparins, now confirmed by us, may be due to differences in the response to haptens.
A prospective randomized open study in liver transplant recipients: Daclizumab, mycophenolate mofetil, and tacrolimus versus tacrolimus and steroids

This open‐label, randomized study compared the efficacy of a regimen of corticosteroids and tacrolimus (standard therapy group, n = 79) with a regimen of daclizumab induction therapy in combination with mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus (modified therapy group, n = 78) in primary liver transplant recipients. The primary endpoint was biopsy‐proven acute rejection (BPAR) at 24 weeks. Secondary endpoints included time to rejection and patient and graft survival. The incidence of BPAR was significantly reduced in the modified therapy group compared to the standard therapy group (11.5% versus 26.6%, respectively, P = 0.017). The time to rejection was significantly shorter in the standard therapy group compared with the modified therapy group (P = 0.044). There was no significant difference between groups in patient or graft survival. Hepatitis C virus–positive patients exhibited no differences from hepatitis C virus–negative patients with respect to the incidence of BPAR. A steroid‐sparing regimen of daclizumab, mycophenolate mofetil, and tacrolimus was effective and well tolerated in the prevention of BPAR in adult liver transplant recipients in comparison with a standard regimen of tacrolimus and steroids. Liver Transpl 15:1542–1552, 2009. © 2009 AASLD.
Topical use of tetracycline in the treatment of acne: a double-blind study comparing topical and oral tetracycline therapy and placebo.

A group of 75 subjects with moderate or severe acne was divided by random selection into three treatment groups. One group was treated with a topically applied placebo liquid and with 500 mg of orally administered tetracycline hydrochloride daily; one group received orally administered lactose capsules and topically applied placebo liquid each day; and one group was treated with orally administered lactose capsules and with a topical preparation containing tetracycline hydrochloride and n-decylmethyl sulfoxide, an agent intended to enhance antibiotic penetration. At the conclusion of the 13-week study and at several points during the study, the conditions of the subjects receiving topically or orally administered tetracycline hydrochloride were significantly (P less than .05) more improved than the conditions of the subjects receiving lactose capsules and the topically applied placebo liquid. However, there was no significant difference between the effects of topically and orally administered tetracycline hydrochloride.
Genetic studies of low-abundance human plasma proteins. XIII. Population genetics of C1R complement subcomponent and description of new variants.

Isoelectric focusing and immunoblotting reveals considerable biochemical and genetic variation in the C1R subcomponent of the first complement component. The nature of the intraindividual biochemical variation can be explained by differences in sialic acid content because after digestion with neuraminidase the terminal sialic acids are removed to yield a single major band corresponding to the C1R polypeptide. Plasma samples from a large number of different ethnic groups, consisting of U.S. whites, U.S. blacks, Nigerian blacks, and Inuit, Aleut, and Amerindian populations from the Western Hemisphere have revealed genetically determined charge variation with heterozygous phenotypes consisting of two major asialo bands, indicating that the underlying variation is not due to variation in sialic acid content. Two previously reported common alleles, C1R*1 and CIR*2, have been observed in all studied populations, the notable exception being the Dogrib Indian population, which is devoid of the C1R*2 allele. Several new alleles--designated C1R*3, C1R*4, C1R*5, C1R*6, and C1R*7-have been observed, with variable frequencies ranging from the occurrence in a single individual and related family members to the polymorphic occurrence of certain alleles in several populations. Of these new alleles, the C1R*5 is of considerable interest in population and anthropological genetics studies. The C1R*5 allele is widely distributed, at a frequency of . 03 to . 17, in all of the North American aboriginal populations screened. This allele is not present in U.S. whites but is present at a polymorphic frequency in U.S. and Nigerian blacks. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Noble gas thermometry and hydrologic ages: Evidence for late Holocene warming in Southwest Texas

Paleoclimatic reconstruction using noble gas concentrations in the Carrizo aquifer of southwest Texas and water ages determined through simulation of groundwater age reveals abrupt late Holocene temperature increases previously unidentified through 14C dating. Of particular interest is a temperature increase of up to 3.4°C in the first half of the last millennium following a cold period between ∼3.7 and 0.9 Kyrs BP. Wet, cool periods in the region are associated with El‐Nino dominated conditions, while warm, arid events are linked to multi‐decade La‐Nina dominant events. The data shows a slow decrease in temperature between ∼1,200 and 200 Kyrs BP, a decrease that accelerated in the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. This decrease was followed by warming in the last millennium, that seems to be continuing today.
Intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator for treatment of acute stroke: the Standard Treatment with Alteplase to Reverse Stroke (STARS) study.

CONTEXT Tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) is the only therapy for acute ischemic stroke approved by the Food and Drug Administration. OBJECTIVE To assess the safety profile and to document clinical outcomes and adverse events in patients treated with intravenous tPA for acute stroke in clinical practice. DESIGN AND SETTING Prospective, multicenter study of consecutive patients enrolled between February 1997 and December 1998 at 57 medical centers in the United States (24 academic and 33 community). INTERVENTION Intravenous tPA (recombinant alteplase). PATIENTS Three hundred eighty-nine patients with a mean age of 69 years (range, 28-100 years); 55% were men. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Time intervals between stroke symptom onset, hospital arrival, and treatment with tPA; pretreatment computed tomographic scan results, intracerebral hemorrhage, and major systemic bleeding. The modified Rankin Scale score was used to assess clinical outcomes at 30 days. RESULTS Median time from stroke onset to treatment was 2 hours 44 minutes, and the median baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 13. The 30-day mortality rate was 13%. At 30 days after treatment, 35% of patients had very favorable outcomes (modified Rankin score, 0-1) and 43% were functionally independent (modified Rankin score, 0-2). Thirteen patients (3.3%) experienced symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage, including 7 who died. Twenty-eight patients (8.2%) had asymptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage within 3 days of treatment with tPA. Protocol violations were reported for 127 patients (32.6%), and included treatment with tPA more than 3 hours after symptom onset in 13.4%, treatment with anticoagulants within 24 hours of tPA administration in 9.3%, and tPA administration despite systolic blood pressure exceeding 185 mm Hg in 6.7%. A multivariate analysis found predictors of favorable outcome to be a less severe baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, absence of specific abnormalities (effacement or hypodensity of >33% of the middle cerebral artery territory or a hyperdense middle cerebral artery) on the baseline computed tomographic scan, an age of 85 years or younger, and a lower mean arterial pressure at baseline. CONCLUSIONS This study, conducted at multiple institutions throughout the United States, suggests that favorable clinical outcomes and low rates of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage can be achieved using tPA for stroke treatment.
Remote Attacks on Automated Vehicles Sensors : Experiments on Camera and LiDAR

Autonomous automated vehicles are the next evolution in transportation and will improve safety, traﬃc eﬃciency and driving experience. Automated vehicles are equipped with multiple sensors (LiDAR, radar, camera, etc.) enabling lo-cal awareness of their surroundings. A fully automated vehicle will unconditionally rely on its sensors readings to make short-term (i.e. safety-related) and long-term (i.e. planning) driving decisions. In this context, sensors have to be robust against intentional or unintentional attacks that aim at low-ering sensor data quality to disrupt the automation system. This paper presents remote attacks on camera-based system and LiDAR using commodity hardware. Results from laboratory experiments show eﬀective blinding, jamming, replay, relay, and spooﬁng attacks. We propose software and hardware countermeasures that improve sensors resilience against these attacks.
The influence process of electronic word-of-mouth on traveller's visit intention: a conceptual framework

With the pervasion of information and communication technology ICT, the valence of user-generated content is an increasing important antecedent affecting customer's decision-making. The influence is especially significant in the tourism and hospitality industry due to its nature of intangible and experiential. In order to better understand the influence process of electronic word-of-mouth on travel destination decision-making, an integrated model based on the two well-tested model, elaboration likelihood model ELM and theory of planned behaviour TPB, is proposed in the paper. The moderate role of cultural dimension of uncertainty avoidance is taken into account in the model. Altogether nine hypotheses are given based on the research model. Implications for theory and practice of this research are discussed, and limitations and future research are also given.
Evidence-based practice guidelines from the US Preventive Services Task Force.

Clinical practice guidelines are an important innovation to improve the quality of care by defining appropriate clinical practice. 1 A growing number of organizations are using evidence-based methods to develop practice guidelines. 2 This approach emphasizes the critical evaluation of evidence, rather than expert opinion, to define proper care. Evidence-based methods have been used for over a decade to develop guidelines on clinical preventive services, beginning with the work of the Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Examination in the late 1970s. 3 Clinical preventive services include screening tests (eg, mammography), counseling interventions (eg, smoking cessation), and immunizations. See also p 2664. The need for evidence of effectiveness is never higher than when clinicians advise healthy people about preventive services rather than treating existing disease. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the benefits of preventive services (eg, a longer, healthier life) exceed their potential harms (eg, mislabeling, complications
The mediating effect of knowledge sharing on the relationship between trust and virtual team effectiveness

– The limited proximal communication between virtual team members can create a lack of trust among members which can significantly reduce the effectiveness of these teams. Hence, this study was conducted to examine the relationship between trust and virtual team effectiveness by looking into the mediating effect of knowledge sharing. , – This is a cross-sectional study conducted in a multinational company in Malaysia. Questionnaires were distributed to individuals working in a virtual environment. The questionnaire required the respondents to answer questions regarding three different types of trust (i.e. personality-based trust, institutional-based trust and cognitive-based trust), their knowledge sharing behavior, and their evaluation of the effectiveness of the virtual teams that they are involved with. , – Results of hierarchical regression analysis indicated that knowledge sharing and all the three types of trust are significantly related to virtual team effectiveness. However, only personality-based trust and institutional-based trust are significantly related to knowledge sharing, but knowledge sharing only partially mediates the relationship between these two types of trust and team effectiveness. , – The population of this study are virtual teams working for an organization, hence the generalizability of the findings to other settings is unknown. , – Trust has been founded to be a significant predictor of virtual team effectiveness. However, this paper shows the effect of different types of trust and the role of knowledge sharing in mediating the relationship between trust and virtual team effectiveness.
Bad reduction of the Brauer–Manin obstruction

We relate the Brauer group of a smooth variety over a p ‐adic field to the geometry of the special fibre of a regular model, using the purity theorem in étale cohomology. As an illustration, we describe how the Brauer group of a smooth del Pezzo surface is determined by the singularity type of its reduction. We then relate the evaluation of an element of the Brauer group to the existence of points on certain torsors over the special fibre; we use this to describe situations when the evaluation is constant, and situations when the evaluation is surjective. In the latter case, we describe how this surjectivity can be used to prove vanishing of the Brauer–Manin obstruction on varieties over number fields.
Small GTPase Rab17 Regulates Dendritic Morphogenesis and Postsynaptic Development of Hippocampal Neurons*

Background: Rab-type small GTPases are conserved membrane trafficking proteins in all eukaryotes. Results: Knockdown of Rab17 in mouse hippocampal neurons results in a marked reduction in the number of dendritic branches and total dendrite length. Conclusion: Rab17 regulates dendritic morphogenesis and postsynaptic development in hippocampal neurons. Significance: Our findings reveal the first molecular link between membrane trafficking and dendritogenesis. Neurons are compartmentalized into two morphologically, molecularly, and functionally distinct domains: axons and dendrites, and precise targeting and localization of proteins within these domains are critical for proper neuronal functions. It has been reported that several members of the Rab family small GTPases that are key mediators of membrane trafficking, regulate axon-specific trafficking events, but little has been elucidated regarding the molecular mechanisms that underlie dendrite-specific membrane trafficking. Here we show that Rab17 regulates dendritic morphogenesis and postsynaptic development in mouse hippocampal neurons. Rab17 is localized at dendritic growth cones, shafts, filopodia, and mature spines, but it is mostly absent in axons. We also found that Rab17 mediates dendrite growth and branching and that it does not regulate axon growth or branching. Moreover, shRNA-mediated knockdown of Rab17 expression resulted in a dramatically reduced number of dendritic spines, probably because of impaired filopodia formation. These findings have revealed the first molecular link between membrane trafficking and dendritogenesis.
In Vitro Depletion of Tissue-Derived Dendritic Cells by CMRF-44 Antibody and Alemtuzumab: Implications for the Control of Graft-Versus-Host Disease

Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a life-threatening complication of bone marrow transplantation, is initiated by donor T cells reacting to recipient dendritic cells (DC). GvHD can be controlled by attenuating donor T cells, but few strategies exist to target DC, particularly resident tissue DC, despite recent evidence of their importance. In this report, CMRF-44, a mouse monoclonal IgM reactive to human DC, is tested against human Langerhans cells (LC) in vitro. CMRF-44 antigen is expressed at low level on fresh LC but is up-regulated 40–60-fold during migration. CMRF-44 and complement kill more than 97% of migratory LC in vitro and inhibit allostimulation by LC up to 95%. In comparison, alemtuzumab, which binds CD52, reacts weakly with primary LC and fails to induce significant lysis with complement (less than 5%). These results highlight the potential of new therapeutic antibodies active against tissue DC to control graft-versus-host reactions.