Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Total Hip Arthroplasty with Use of the Cementless Zweymüller Alloclassic System: A Ten to Thirteen-Year Follow-up Study

Background: The Zweymüller Alloclassic total hip arthroplasty system is widely used, although few intermediate-term studies have been published. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic results of this system after ten years.Methods: One hundred and twenty-four consecutive primary total hip arthroplasties were performed with the Zweymüller Alloclassic cementless system at our institution between February 1988 and March 1991, and 104 hips (ninety-four patients) were retrospectively reviewed after a minimum duration of follow-up of ten years. The mean age of the patients at the time of the arthroplasty was 62.3 years (range, twenty-five to seventy-seven years). The mean duration of follow-up was 11.3 years. Standard radiographs were made for all patients immediately after the operation, at six and twelve months, and annually thereafter for at least ten years. Cox multivariate regression analysis was performed to assess the influence of various factors on survival of the implant.Results: The cumulative probability of not having a revision of any prosthetic component for any reason was 94.1% (95% confidence interval, 91.9% to 96.3%) at twelve years in the best-case scenario and 85.3% (95% confidence interval, 82.1% to 88.5%) at twelve years in the worst-case scenario for the entire series of 124 hips. Among the 104 hips in the follow-up study, three acetabular components and no stems were revised. Two hips had level-4 pain according to the system of Merle D'Aubigné and Postel. Seven acetabular components (7%) were loose at twelve years, and all stems had radiographic evidence of stable fixation. Acetabular cup loosening was related to a vertical cup angle (p = 0.0008, Student t test), acetabular wear of ≥1 mm (p = 0.001, Fisher exact test), and a 32-mm femoral head (p = 0.001, Fisher exact test). Although femoral osteolysis was seen in eighteen hips (17%) at twelve years, all osteolytic cavities were proximal and focal.Conclusions: The Zweymüller Alloclassic prosthesis, particularly its femoral stem, demonstrated good results and durable fixation at a minimum of ten years of follow-up.Level of Evidence: Therapeutic study, Level IV (case series [no, or historical, control group]). See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Population genetics of reef coral endosymbionts (Symbiodinium, Dinophyceae)

Symbiodinium is a diverse genus of unicellular dinoflagellate symbionts associating with various marine protists and invertebrates. Although the broadscale diversity and phylogenetics of the Symbiodinium complex is well established, there have been surprisingly few data on fine‐scale population structure and biogeography of these dinoflagellates. Yet population‐level processes contribute strongly to the biology of Symbiodinium, including how anthropogenic‐driven global climate change impacts these symbionts and their host associations. Here, we present a synthesis of population‐level characteristics for Symbiodinium, with an emphasis on how phylogenetic affinities, dynamics within and among host individuals, and a propensity towards clonality shape patterns on and across reefs. Major inferences include the following: (i) Symbiodinium populations within individual hosts are comprised mainly of cells belonging to a single or few genetic clones. (ii) Symbiont populations exhibit a mixed mode of reproduction, wherein at least one sexual recombination event occurs in the genealogy between most genotypes, but clonal propagation predominates overall. (iii) Mutualistic Symbiodinium do not perpetually persist outside their hosts, instead undergoing turnover and replacement via the continuous shedding of viable clonal cells from host individuals. (iv) Symbiont populations living in the same host, but on different reefs, are often genetically subdivided, suggesting low connectivity, adaptation to local conditions, or prolific asexual reproduction and low effective population sizes leading to disproportionate success within and among hosts. Overall, this synthesis forms a basis for future investigations of coral symbiosis ecology and evolution as well as delimitation of species boundaries in Symbiodinium and other eukaryotic microorganisms.
Episodic ovarian inhibin secretion is not due to LH pulses in anoestrous ewes.

In sheep, secretion of oestradiol by the ovary is stimulated by pulses of LH but the factors controlling ovarian inhibin secretion are not well understood. We have investigated the effect of a single injection of LH on the ovarian secretion of inhibin. Six anoestrous Finn-Merino ewes which had one ovary autotransplanted to a site in the neck had jugular and timed ovarian venous blood samples collected at 10-min intervals for a total of 5 h. The secretion rates of both inhibin (1-3 ng/min) and oestradiol (0.5-8 ng/min) were similar to those observed during the breeding season indicating significant follicular development in these animals. After injection of 2.5 micrograms NIH-LH-S25 intravenously the concentration of LH in plasma rose from a baseline of 1.8 +/- 0.1 (S.E.M.) microgram/l to a peak of 3.9 +/- 0.3 micrograms/l (P less than 0.01). This LH pulse stimulated a corresponding increase (P less than 0.01) in oestradiol secretion from a basal level of 0.9 +/- 0.2 ng/min to a peak of 4.6 +/- 0.6 ng/min that occurred within 30 min of injection. Although inhibin secretion was episodic in nature, increases were not related to either exogenous or endogenous LH pulses. We conclude that, in contrast to oestradiol, the secretion of inhibin by the ovary is not controlled acutely by changes in plasma levels of LH during anoestrus.
Effects of heavy metal pollution on swimming and longevity in cercariae of Cryptocotyle lingua (Digenea: Heterophyidae)

Effects of heavy metal pollution on the cercariae of the marine trematode Cryptocotyle lingua (Creplin) were studied by measuring horizontal swimming rate (HSR) and longevity. These factors are important for transmission to the next host, a fish. Cercariae released by Littorina littorea (L.) collected from polluted and unpolluted sites were compared. Both HSR and longevity were significantly reduced in cercariae from the polluted environment. Cercarial quality was therefore reduced, directly or indirectly, by development within a metal-accumulating host. Cercariae released by hosts from a clean environment were subjected to nominal concentrations of 2 and 3 mg/l copper, 1 and 2 mg/l zinc, 2 and 5 mg/l iron and 2 and 4 mg/l manganese in artificial seawater. In all cases the HSRs and longevity were reduced. The effect was more pronounced in the higher concentrations. The significant HSR tests indicate that the absorption and effect of metals occurred within 1 min. The cercarial tegument, specialized for absorption in endoparasitic environments, is possibly responsible. Cercariae may therefore be excellent indicator organisms for pollution. The pollution-induced reductions in cercarial quality seem capable of producing transmission failure. Heavy metal pollution could therefore alter parasite populations and communities.
Visual response properties of single neurons in the temporal pole of behaving monkeys.

1. The responses of single neurons in the anterior part of the temporal cortex in monkeys, mainly the temporopolar cortex, area 36, and the most anterior part of area TE of von Bonin and Bailey (1947) (these areas were designated here as the temporal pole), were examined during the performance of a visual recognition memory task. The visual stimulus (sample stimulus) was presented when the monkey pressed a lever. The same sample stimulus was presented one to four times and, thereafter, a new stimulus was presented. The monkeys were trained to discriminate the new stimulus from the sample stimulus and to release the lever in response to the new stimulus. We used colored photographs of natural objects (human faces, monkeys, foods, and non-food objects) as complex visual stimuli or computer-generated two-dimensional shapes (a red square, a green circle, etc.) as simple visual stimuli. 2. In total, the activity of 311 neurons was recorded, and 225 of these responded to at least one visual stimulus. All visually responsive neurons were located in the ventral part of the temporal pole including the banks of the superior temporal sulcus. 3. The relationship between the monkey's eye movements and visual responses was investigated. Visual response properties, such as the number of spikes, onset latency, and response duration, were stable regardless of the monkey's eye positions and movements if the eyes were directed to the display. We also examined the receptive field property of neurons (n = 3). The neurons tested in the temporal pole tended to have a large receptive field (24 x 24 degrees). 4. The neurons tended to respond to different stimuli in different magnitudes. In each case, the maximal responses were elicited by complex, colored photographs, whereas simple, two-dimensional colored shapes elicited little or no responses. In 21% of the cases (47/225), the magnitude of the maximal response was significantly larger than for any of the other responses. 5. An achromatic version of the stimulus that induced the maximal response was tested in 53 neurons. About 80% of the neurons (41/53) responded to the achromatic stimulus at a magnitude that was not significantly different from the response to the original stimulus. In 12 neurons, the removal of color did significantly decrease the magnitude of the response. When other colors were tested, 3 of 9 neurons were found to code for color. 6. In 21 of these 53 neurons, a portion (the left-, right-, upper-, or lower-half) of the stimulus was also tested. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Coordination in Fast-Response Organizations

Organizational coordination has traditionally been viewed from an organizational-design perspective where rules, modalities, and structures are used to meet the information-processing demands of the environment. Fast-response organizations face unique coordination challenges as they operate under conditions of high uncertainty and fast decision making, where mistakes can be catastrophic. Based on an in-depth investigation of the coordination practices of a medical trauma center where fast-response and error-free activities are essential requirements, we develop a coordination-practice perspective that emphasizes expertise coordination and dialogic coordination. We argue that expertise coordination practices (reliance on protocols, community of practice structuring, plug-and-play teaming, and knowledge sharing) are essential to manage distributed expertise and ensure the timely application of necessary expertise. We suggest that dialogic coordination practices (epistemic contestation, joint sensemaking, cross-boundary intervention, and protocol breaking) are time-critical responses to novel events and ensure error-free operation. However, dialogic coordination practices are highly contested because of epistemic differences, reputation stakes, and possible blame apportionment.
Striatal outflow of adenosine, excitatory amino acids, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and taurine in awake freely moving rats after middle cerebral artery occlusion: correlations with neurological deficit and histopathological damage.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE While a number of studies have investigated transmitter outflow in anesthetized animals after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) performed by craniectomy, studies have never been performed after MCAO induced by intraluminal filament. In addition, it has been reported that after MCAO, infarct volume correlates with functional outcome and with transmitter outflow, although there are no studies that demonstrate a direct correlation between transmitter outflow and functional outcome. The purpose of the present study was to assess excitatory amino acids, gamma-aminobutyric acid, taurine, and adenosine outflow in awake rats after intraluminal MCAO and to determine whether, in the same animal, outflow was correlated with neurological outcome and histological damage. METHODS Vertical microdialysis probes were placed in the striatum of male Wistar rats. After 24 hours, permanent MCAO was induced by the intraluminal suture technique. The transmitter concentrations in the dialysate were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Twenty-four hours after MCAO, neurological deficit and histological outcome were evaluated. RESULTS All transmitters significantly increased after MCAO. Twenty-four hours after MCAO, the rats showed a severe sensorimotor deficit and massive ischemic damage in the striatum and in the cortex (9+/-2% and 25+/-6% of hemispheric volume, respectively). Significant correlations were found between the efflux of all transmitters, neurological score, and striatal infarct volume. CONCLUSIONS In this study, for the first time, amino acid and adenosine extracellular concentrations during MCAO by the intraluminal suture technique were determined in awake and freely moving rats, and a significant correlation was found between transmitter outflow and neurological deficit. The evaluation of neurological deficit, histological damage, and transmitter outflow in the same animal may represent a useful approach for studying neuroprotective properties of new drugs/agents against focal ischemia.
A snail with unbiased population sex ratios but highly biased brood sex ratios

Extraordinary sex ratio patterns and the underlying sex–determining mechanisms in various organisms are worth investigating, particularly because they shed light on adaptive sex–ratio adjustment. Here, we report an extremely large variation in the brood sex ratio in the freshwater snail, Pomacea canaliculata. In eight rearing series originating from three wild populations, sex ratios were highly variable among broods, ranging continuously from almost exclusively males to almost exclusively females. However, sex ratios were similar between broods from the same mating pair, indicating that sex ratio is a family trait. Irrespective of the large variations, the average sex ratios in all rearing series were not significantly different from 0.5. We argue that Fisher's adaptive sex–ratio theory can explain the equal average sex ratios, and the results, in turn, directly support Fisher's theory. Polyfactorial sex determination (in which sex is determined by three or more genetic factors) is suggested as the most likely mechanism producing the variable brood sex ratio.
The palate and Down's syndrome.

ALMOST from the time of its first description Down's syndrome (mongolism) has been associated with abnormal palatal shape and size – so much so that Benda1 included the palate among 9 areas of developmental retardation most conspicuous in mongolism, and Oster2 described high narrow palate as 1 of 10 cardinal signs of Down's syndrome. Yet these anomalies have received relatively little attention. In nearly every clinical study in which palatal shape has been noted, observations have been nonmetrical and accordingly susceptible to subjective error. In the present series metrical information was obtained on palates of patients with mongolism and compared .
Potentiation of apoptosis by treatment with the protein kinase C-specific inhibitor safingol in mitomycin C-treated gastric cancer cells.

BACKGROUND Protein kinase C (PKC) is a family of enzymes that function in processes relevant to carcinogenesis, tumor cell metastasis, and apoptosis. Safingol, an optical isomer (the L-threo enantiomer) of dihydrosphingosine, is a specific inhibitor of PKC and might represent a novel agent for anticancer therapy. Preclinical animal studies show that safingol alone has a minimal effect on tumor cell growth, but combining this compound with conventional chemotherapy agents dramatically potentiates their antitumor effects. It has been suggested that many chemotherapeutic agents exert their antitumor effects by inducing apoptosis. PURPOSE We wanted to determine the extent to which safingol, alone or in combination with a standard chemotherapeutic agent (mitomycin C [MMC]), would promote apoptosis in gastric cancer cells in vitro. Furthermore, we investigated whether the induction of apoptosis in the treated cells was affected by their p53 tumor suppressor status or their drug-resistance status. METHODS SK-GT-5 (p53-deficient and MMC-resistant) and MKN-74 (p53 wild-type and MMC-sensitive) gastric cancer cells were exposed to either no drug, safingol (50 microM) alone, MMC (5 micrograms/mL) alone, or a combination of safingol (50 microM) and MMC (5 micrograms/mL). In some experiments, cells were exposed simultaneously to safingol and the PKC activator, 3-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), prior to treatment with MMC. Apoptosis was measured by two methods: 1) quantitative fluorescence microscopy of nuclear chromatin condensation in cells stained with the dye, bisbenzamide trihydrochloride (Hoechst-33258), and 2) terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) labeling of the 3'-OH ends of DNA fragments produced in apoptotic cells. RESULTS As determined by quantitative fluorescence microscopy, exposure of SK-GT-5 cells to safingol alone induced apoptosis in 2% +/- 1% (mean +/- SD) of the cells, and MMC alone increased that level to 18% +/- 1%. However, the combination of safingol and MMC induced apoptosis in 39% +/- 1% of the cells (P < .001, for the drug combination versus MMC alone). With MKN-74 cells, safingol alone induced apoptosis in 8% +/- 3% of the cells, whereas MMC alone induced apoptosis in 40% +/- 4% of treated cells and the combination of safingol and MMC induced apoptosis in 83% +/- 4% of the cells. Similar results were obtained with the TdT assay. Simultaneous exposure of cells to safingol and PMA abrogated the safingol-mediated enhancement of MMC-induced apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS The PKC inhibitor safingol enhances the cytotoxic effect of the chemotherapeutic agent MMC in gastric cancer cells by promoting drug-induced apoptosis. The induction of apoptosis occurs regardless of the p53 status or the drug-resistance status of the cells.
Effects of a sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease complicated by diabetes mellitus: Preliminary prospective study based on serial liver biopsies

A prospective study based on serial liver biopsies was performed to investigate the efficacy of sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease complicated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Conclusion: Treatment for 24 weeks resulted in improvement in histopathologic features in all 5 patients. (Hepatology Communications 2017;1:46–52)
Do poor students benefit from China's Merger Program? Transfer path and educational performance

Aiming to provide better education facilities and improve the educational attainment of poor rural students, China's government has been merging remote rural primary schools into centralized village, town, or county schools since the late 1990s. To accompany the policy, boarding facilities have been constructed that allow (mandate) primary school-aged children to live at school rather than at home. More generally, there also have been efforts to improve rural schools, especially those in counties and towns. Unfortunately, little empirical work has been available to evaluate the impact of the new merger and investment programmes on the educational performance of students. Drawing on a unique dataset that records both the path by which students navigate their primary school years (i.e., which different types of schools did students attend) as well as math test scores in three poverty-stricken counties, we use descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis (both Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and covariate matching) to analyse the relationship between different transfer paths and student educational performance. This allows us to examine the costs and benefits of the school merger and investment programmes. The results of the analysis show that students who attend county schools perform systematically better than those who attend village or town schools. However, completing primary school in town schools seems to have no effect on students' academic performance. Surprisingly, starting primary education in a teaching point does not hurt rural students; on the contrary, it increases their test scores in some cases. Finally, in terms of the boarding effect, the neutral estimate in OLS and the negative estimate in covariate matching results confirm that boarding at school does not help the students; in some cases it may even reduce their academic performance.
Warriors Versus Worriers: The Role of COMT Gene Variants

ABSTRACT Behavioral phenotypes are generally complex, reflecting the action of multiple different genes. Nevertheless, there is growing evidence that key gene variants can alter activity within specific neuronal circuits and, therefore, influence particular cognitive-affective phenomena. One example is the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene, which has a common variant at codon 158. Those with valine (Val158) alleles have increased greater COMT activity and lower prefrontal extracellular dopamine compared with those with the methionine (Met158) substitution. Val158 alleles may be associated with an advantage in the processing of aversive stimuli (warrior strategy), while Met158 alleles may be associated with an advantage in memory and attention tasks (worrier strategy). Under conditions of increased dopamine release (eg, stress), individuals with Val158 alleles may have improved dopaminergic transmission and better performance. while individuals with Met158 alleles may have less efficient neurotransmission and worse performance. Some evidence suggests that Val158 alleles are associated with schizophrenia, while Met158 alleles are associated with anxiety.
Psychoeducation improves hepatitis C virus treatment during opioid substitution therapy: a controlled, prospective multicenter trial.

BACKGROUND People who inject drugs (PWID) have a high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, PWID are considered "difficult to treat," requiring a specifically adapted treatment setting, including psychosocial support. METHODS In this prospective, German trial, the impact of psychoeducation (PE) on retention and sustained virologic response (SVR) during HCV therapy among PWID was evaluated. We included 198 patients in opiate substitution therapy, who fulfilled indications for antiviral treatment. All patients received pegylated interferon alfa-2a and ribavirin therapy. Patients in the intervention group (n = 82) received manualized PE sessions. RESULTS In patients with HCV genotype 1 or 4 (GT 1/4), PE was associated with increased treatment completion (76% vs 55%, P = .038), whereas PE had no such effect among GT 2/3 patients, who showed fewer dropouts and higher SVR rates. Among GT 1/4 patients, a minimum of 5 PE sessions was associated with increased SVR (71% vs 48%, P = .037). Multivariate regression analyses confirmed the impact of PE in GT 1/4 and revealed further predictors for retention and SVR, such as preexisting mental distress and adverse events. CONCLUSIONS In patients with a higher risk of dropout due to GT 1/4 or mental distress, PE was shown to improve retention and SVR. PE is an effective supportive intervention for HCV therapy among PWID.