Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The association of simple renal cysts with abdominal aortic aneurysms and their impact on renal function after endovascular aneurysm repair

We validated the association of simple renal cysts with abdominal aortic aneurysm and other cardiovascular factors and assessed simple renal cysts’ impact on renal function before and after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data was conducted. Computed tomography angiograms of 100 consecutive male patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm who underwent endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (Group 1) were reviewed and compared with 100 computed tomography angiogram of aged-matched male patients without abdominal aortic aneurysm (Group 2). Patients’ demographic data, risk factors, abdominal aortic aneurysm diameter, the presence of simple renal cyst and laboratory tests were recorded. No difference was observed between the two groups in respect to other cardiovascular risk factors except hyperlipidemia with higher prevalence in Group 1 (p < 0.05). Presence of simple renal cysts was independently associated with age (p < 0.05) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (p = 0.0157). There was no correlation between simple renal cysts and abdominal aortic aneurysm size or pre-operative creatinine and urea levels. No difference was observed in post-operative creatinine and urea levels either immediately after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair or in 12-month follow-up. In male patients, the presence of simple renal cysts is associated with abdominal aortic aneurysm and is increasing with age. However, their presence is neither associated with impaired renal function pre-endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair and post-endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair nor after 12-month follow-up.
High Incidence and Histogenesis of Seminal Vesicle Adenocarcinoma and Lower Incidence of Prostate Carcinomas in the Lobund-Wistar Prostate Cancer Rat Model Using N-nitrosomethylurea and Testosterone

The origin of chemically induced male accessory sex gland tumors was studied in Lobund-Wistar rats. Rats were treated at the age of 3 months with a single intravenous injection of 30 mg N-nitrosomethylurea (NMU)/kg body weight and given subcutaneous silastic implants filled with 40 mg testosterone propionate. Previous reports described a high incidence of prostate carcinomas in these rats with this treatment protocol. Additional animal groups included untreated controls, rats that received only an injection of 30 mg NMU/kg, and rats that were subjected to ablation of the seminal vesicle lobes prior to the treatment with NMU and testosterone. Three to 14 rats per group were sacrificed 4 to 10 months after NMU treatment and all remaining rats after 12 months. Twenty-four additional rats died or became moribund during the study. All rats were necropsied and the dorsolateral and ventral prostate and seminal vesicles with coagulating gland (anterior prostate) were examined histologically according to a standardized protocol. Lesions detected included atypical hyperplasia in all glands (resembling prostate intraepithelial neoplasia of human beings), adenomas in seminal vesicles only, and early carcinomas and adenocarcinomas in seminal vesicles and coagulating gland. Early carcinomas of the seminal vesicle, microscopically small and with invasion of the lamina propria and/or tunica muscularis, were detected as rapidly as 4 months after treatment. The vast majority (>95%) of the grossly visible nodules/masses originated from the seminal vesicles. Testosterone treatment enhanced occurrence and increased the incidence of all lesions, particularly of seminal vesicle adenocarcinomas, from 30% (7/23) to 64% (21/33). Coagulating gland tumors were found in 21% (7/33) of the rats. Ablation of the seminal vesicle lobes reduced the incidence of seminal vesicle adenocarcinomas to 11% (3/29), and these tumors arose from tissues remaining within the parenchyma of the seminal vesicle/prostate complex after ablation. Thus, NMU-induced and testosterone-promoted male sex gland tumors of the Lobund-Wistar rat arise almost exclusively in the seminal vesicles and coagulating gland (anterior prostate), are highly invasive in seminal vesicles before attaining a grossly visible size, and progress rapidly within 4 months, spreading to adjacent tissues and other organs.
Financial Liberalization: Stable Autocracies and Constrained Democracies

Why do autocratic rulers liberalize financial markets? This article shows how autocrats use financial liberalization for two distinct purposes. First, autocrats may use liberalization to bolster the economy, making revolution less attractive to the political opposition and stabilizing the autocracy. Second, when stabilization of the autocracy is too costly, autocrats may use liberalization to make assets more mobile. Mobility provides elite asset owners with external investment options, which limit redistribution. When redistribution is the main fear associated with democratization, the mobility associated with liberalization makes direct control of political institutions through dictatorship unnecessary. Thus, autocrats use liberalization to stimulate the economy and stabilize their rule or to reduce redistribution in anticipation of democratization. Suharto’s policies in Indonesia and Pinochet’s policies in Chile illustrate these two objectives of financial liberalization.
Genomic insights into the evolution of industrial yeast species Brettanomyces bruxellensis.

Brettanomyces bruxellensis, like its wine yeast counterpart Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is intrinsically linked with industrial fermentations. In wine, B. bruxellensis is generally considered to contribute negative influences on wine quality, whereas for some styles of beer, it is an essential contributor. More recently, it has shown some potential for bioethanol production. Our relatively poor understanding of B. bruxellensis biology, at least when compared with S. cerevisiae, is partly due to a lack of laboratory tools. As it is a nonmodel organism, efforts to develop methods for sporulation and transformation have been sporadic and largely unsuccessful. Recent genome sequencing efforts are now providing B. bruxellensis researchers unprecedented access to gene catalogues, the possibility of performing transcriptomic studies and new insights into evolutionary drivers. This review summarises these findings, emphasises the rich data sets already available yet largely unexplored and looks over the horizon at what might be learnt soon through comprehensive population genomics of B. bruxellensis and related species.
[Cytogenetic and molecular genetic studies on a variant of t(15;17), ins(17;15)(q21;q14q22), in an acute promyelocytic leukemia patient].

OBJECTIVE To report a rare variant of t(15;17), ins(17;15)(q21;q14q22) in an acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patient and the results of cytogenetic and molecular genetic studies. METHODS Chromosomes were prepared after 24 hours culture of bone marrow cells and peripheral blood cells. R-banding technique was used to analyze karyotypes. Chromosome painting analysis was performed using whole chromosome paints for chromosomes 15 and 17. PML-RAR alpha and RAR alpha-PML fusion transcripts were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS Karyotypic analysis using both specimens from bone marrow and peripheral blood leukemic cells revealed 15q- and 17q+. Chromosome painting analysis confirmed that the karyotypic abnormality was ins(17;15). PML-RAR alpha fusion transcript (S type) was detected by RT-PCR, while RAR alpha-PML fusion transcript was not detected. CONCLUSION Chromosome painting and RT-PCR are reliable methods for characterization of the insertion involving chromosomes 15 and 17 in APL patients.
Acute and Subchronic Toxicity of Arsenite and Zinc to Tadpoles of Rhinella arenarum Both Alone and in Combination

The current study evaluated acute and subchronic toxicity of arsenite (As3+) and zinc (Zn2+) to stage 25 tadpoles of Rhinella arenarum in both single and joint laboratory exposures. LC50 values obtained for As3+ were elevated and remained within the range of 46 to 50 mg/L of As3+ between 4 and 17 d of exposure. Growth of tadpoles was completely inhibited with 30 mg/L of As3+, demonstrating the presence of ecologically relevant sublethal effects at concentrations lower than those resulting in lethality. With respect to Zn2+, a 96-h LC50 value of 2.49 mg/L was calculated in soft water. Contrary to results obtained for As3+, LC50 values of Zn2+ gradually decreased with increasing exposure duration, from 2.49 mg/L at 96 h to 1.30 mg/L after 21 d. In joint exposures to both metals, the type of interaction observed between As3+ and Zn2+ was concentration dependent. Lethal effects of As3+ were mitigated, unaffected, or potentiated by 0.01, 0.1, and 1–2 mg/L of Zn2+, respectively. However, although 0.01 mg/L of Zn2+ significantly reduced lethality of As3+-exposed tadpoles, the same concentration of Zn2+ did not help to reverse the stunt growth of these animals. Further studies need to examine which are the lowest concentrations As3+ required to reduce growth and whether Zn2+ serves to antagonize growth effects in this range of concentrations.
CD4-CD8 and CD28 expression in T cells infiltrating the vitreous fluid in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy: a flow cytometric analysis.

OBJECTIVES To investigate CD4-CD8 and CD28 expression in T cells infiltrating the vitreous fluid in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and to evaluate the relationship between the infiltrating T cells and both the activity of proliferative diabetic retinopathy and the clinical outcome. METHODS Both vitreous and peripheral blood samples were obtained simultaneously from 20 consecutive diabetic patients and analyzed by flow cytometry. Three diabetic patients were excluded because there were no viable cells in the vitreous fluid. Six nondiabetic patients requiring vitrectomy were also studied. RESULTS T lymphocytes were detected in all 6 diabetic patients with vitreous hemorrhage and in 6 (55%) of the 11 diabetic patients without vitreous hemorrhage, but in none of the nondiabetic patients. The percentages of T cells (CD3+), TCD4+ (CD3+ CD4+), and TCD8+ (CD3+ CD8+) subsets, as well as the expression of CD28, were similar in the vitreous fluid and in the peripheral blood in patients with vitreous hemorrhage. However, in patients without vitreous hemorrhage, the percentage of CD4+ CD28-T cells in the vitreous fluid was significantly higher than in the peripheral blood (33.34% [20.75%-100.00%] vs 8.45% [2.43%-56.59%]; P =.02). In addition, all of these patients showed quiescent retinopathy and their outcome was better than that of patients with vitreous hemorrhage and patients in whom intravitreous T cells were undetectable. CONCLUSION T cells infiltrating the vitreous of diabetic patients without vitreous hemorrhage not only show a different pattern than in the peripheral blood but also seem to improve the prognosis of proliferative diabetic retinopathy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Our results provide further understanding of events involved in the autoimmune response in diabetic retinopathy and may aid in the research for new treatment approaches.
Diet- and colonization-dependent intestinal dysfunction predisposes to necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm pigs.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Preterm birth and formula feeding are key risk factors associated with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in infants, but little is known about intestinal conditions that predispose to disease. Thus, structural, functional, and microbiologic indices were used to investigate the etiology of spontaneous NEC development in preterm pigs. METHODS Piglets were delivered by cesarean section at 92% gestation, reared in infant incubators, and fed infant formula or colostrum every 3 hours (n = 120) until tissue collection at 1-2 days of age. RESULTS Clinical and histopathologic signs of NEC were observed in 57% of pigs fed FORMULA (26/46) and in 5% of pigs fed COLOSTRUM (2/38) (P < .05). Relative to COLOSTRUM, both healthy and sick FORMULA pigs had reduced intestinal villous heights, enzyme activities, nutrient absorption, and antioxidant levels and higher inducible nitric oxide synthetase activity (P < .05). In healthy pigs, mucosal microbial diversity remained low and diet independent. NEC pigs showed bacterial overgrowth, and a high mucosal density of Clostridium perfringens was detected in some but not all pigs. Germ-free conditions and antiserum against Clostridium perfringens toxin prevented intestinal dysfunction and NEC in formula-fed pigs, whereas the gut trophic factors, epidermal growth factor, and glucagon-like peptide 2 had limited effects. CONCLUSIONS A subclinical, formula-induced mucosal atrophy and dysfunction predispose to NEC and bacterial overgrowth. The adverse feeding effects are colonization dependent and may be reduced by factors in colostrum that include antibodies against aggressive toxins such as those of Clostridium perfringens.
Molecular Basis for the Enterocyte Tropism Exhibited bySalmonella typhimurium Type 1 Fimbriae*

Salmonella typhimurium exhibits a distinct tropism for mouse enterocytes that is linked to their expression of type 1 fimbriae. The distinct binding traits ofSalmonella type 1 fimbriae is also reflected in their binding to selected mannosylated proteins and in their ability to promote secondary bacterial aggregation on enterocyte surfaces. The determinant of binding in Salmonella type 1 fimbriae is a 35-kDa structurally distinct fimbrial subunit, FimHs, because inactivation of fimHs abolished binding activity in the resulting mutant without any apparent effect on fimbrial expression. Surprisingly, when expressed in the absence of other fimbrial components and as a translational fusion protein with MalE, FimHs failed to demonstrate any specific binding tropism and bound equally to all cells and mannosylated proteins tested. To determine if the binding specificity ofSalmonella type 1 fimbriae was determined by the fimbrial shaft that is intimately associated with FimHs, we replaced the amino-terminal half of FimHs with the corresponding sequence from Escherichia coli FimH (FimHe) that contains the receptor binding domain of FimHe. The resulting hybrid fimbriae bearing FimHes on aSalmonella fimbrial shaft exhibited binding traits that resembled that of Salmonella rather than E. coli fimbriae. Apparently, the quaternary constraints imposed by the fimbrial shaft on the adhesin determine the distinct binding traits of S. typhimurium type 1 fimbriae.
Safe And Smart: Making The After-school Hours Work For Kids

To provide better customer service, NCJRS has made this Federally-funded grant final report available electronically in addition to traditional paper copies. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Dear Colleague: American families understand the need for quality after-school opportunities. There are over 28 million children whose parents work outside the home. Many of these parents work because of economic necessity. However, too many of their children do not have access to affordable, supervised, and constructive activities during the hours after school. Indeed,-experts estimate that there are at least five million "latchkey" children who come home each day to empty houses. These cKldren are at a higher risk for drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, delinquent behavior, violent victimization, and injury than their peers who are supervised after school. Statistics show that most juvenile crime is committed between the hours of 2: OO p.m. and 8: OO p.m. , with the largest number of offenses committed in the hours immediately following students' release from school. We can no longer ignore the obvious. Our police chiefs have not. They believe that an investment in after-school programming is the best deterrent against juvenile crime and victimization. Children need safe and engaging opportunities between the last school bell and the end of the work day. provides evidence of the impact that safe, enriching, and highquality after-school opportunities can have on our children and youth. As parents today know, quality after-school programming means much more than babysitting. Children can acquire new skills and broaden their education. -They can take part in computer classes and art and music courses; receive homewxk assistance, mentoring, and tutoring; and perform community service. Millions of Americans, struggling to be both good parents and good workers, would like to rely on after-school programs during the work week. As part of his balanced budget request, the President called for significant new investments in child c-t o build a good supply of after-school programs, help working families pay for child care, improve the safety and quality of care, and promote early leaming-because the need is enormous. We hope this report provides the motivation for others-parent leaders, communities, employers, local governments, schools, and faith communities-to develop or expand their own after-school programs because after-school opportunities make good sense. Our mlsslon fs to ensure equal access tu edrrcu::oQ . md to promote …
Effect of individualized social activities on quality of life among older adults with mild to moderate cognitive impairment in a geriatric psychiatry facility

Objectives: The study examined the effect of an individualized social activities intervention (ISAI) on quality of life among older adults with mild to moderate cognitive impairment in a geriatric psychiatry facility. Method: This randomized control trial consisted of 52 older adults (M = 70.63, SD = 5.62) with mild to moderate cognitive impairment in a geriatric inpatient psychiatry facility. A 2 (group condition) × 2 (time of measurement) design was used to compare the control (treatment-as-usual) and intervention (treatment-as-usual plus ISAI) conditions at pre- and post-treatment. ISAI consisted of 30- to 60-minute sessions for up to 15 consecutive days. The Dementia Quality of Life instrument and Neurobehavioral Rating Scale – Revised were used to examine quality of life and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia at pre- and post-treatment. Results: Intent-to-treat analyses indicated a significant time × group condition interaction on quality of life, with this effect remaining when only completer data were included. There was no evidence of a significant treatment effect on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. Conclusion: Findings suggest that individualized social activities are a promising treatment for cognitively impaired geriatric inpatients.
Assessment of global and regional myocardial function in the mouse using cine and tagged MRI

Mouse models are expected to play an important role in future investigations of human cardiac diseases. In the present report, MRI methods for determining global and regional cardiac function in the mouse are demonstrated. ECG‐gated cine images were acquired in five C57BL/6 mice at physiological temperatures (37°C) and heart rates of 500 ± 50 beats per minute. Left ventricular mass, ejection fraction, and cardiac output were estimated from the resulting images. Regional myocardial function was also determined in three animals by application of 2D SPAtial Modulation of Magnetization (SPAMM) in combination with the cine protocol. The quality of the tagged images was sufficient to allow mapping of myocardial strains and displacements. The results of the regional strain analysis were consistent with similar studies in larger animals. This work demonstrates the first characterization of regional myocardial function in the mouse via SPAMM techniques. Magn Reson Med 49:760–764, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
COMPARISON OF LASER AND INFRARED TECHNIQUES FOR MEASUREMENT OF THE RESTING FOCUS OF ACCOMMODATION: MEAN DIFFERENCES AND LONG‐TERM VARIABILITY

Abstract The resting focus of accommodation was measured in the same subjects with both a laser optometer and a high‐speed infrared optometer. Although i.r. optometer and laser optometer measures produce similar estimates of the mean resting‐focus level in some subjects, others were found to have different levels of resting focus with the two techniques. Control studies, demonstrated that these differences were not due to the temporal sampling characteristics of the laser optometer, but resulted instead from making judgments about the direction of speckle motion during the laser optometer procedure. The temporal stability of the resting focus of accommodation was also investigated with i.r. measures obtained several minutes, 1 day, and 1 and 2 weeks apart. Results indicated long‐term variability similar to that previously reported with the laser optometer.
Labour Market Modelling in the Light of the Financial Crisis

This paper revisits the empirical relationship between unemployment and output, and its evolution following the financial crisis of 2008, with the aim of drawing potential consequences for labour market modelling strategies in place within the European System of Central Banks (ESCB). First, the negative correlation between output and unemployment (Okun’s law) at cyclical frequencies is found to be a robust feature of macro data across time, countries and identification schemes. Focusing on the euro area, the financial distress seems to have altered the dynamics of output and unemployment mainly at lower frequencies, interpreted as trend developments by the statistical filters used in the analysis. Looking at the implications for modelling strategies, we propose an extension of the standard labour search and matching model in which financial frictions impinge directly on the labour market rather than on the capital market, opening the way to protracted and lagged response of employment after a “financial” crisis. In terms of policy implications, the importance of the interplay between financial and labour market frictions in trend developments should be read as strong support for an ambitious structural reform agenda in Europe, so as to make our labour (and goods) markets more flexible and resilient. JEL Classification: E10, E32, J64
Homologous recombination of monkey alpha-satellite repeats in an in vitro simian virus 40 replication system: possible association of recombination with DNA replication

To study homologous recombination between repeated sequences in an in vitro simian virus 40 (SV40) replication system, we constructed a series of substrate DNAs that contain two identical fragments of monkey alpha-satellite repeats. Together with the SV40-pBR322 composite vector encoding Apr and Kmr, the DNAs also contain the Escherichia coli galactokinase gene (galK) positioned between two alpha-satellite fragments. The alpha-satellite sequence used consists of multiple units of tandem 172-bp sequences which differ by microheterogeneity. The substrate DNAs were incubated in an in vitro SV40 DNA replication system and used to transform the E. coli galK strain DH10B after digestion with DpnI. The number of E. coli galK Apr Kmr colonies which contain recombinant DNAs were determined, and their structures were analyzed. Products of equal and unequal crossovers between identical 172-bp sequences and between similar but not identical (homeologous) 172-bp sequences, respectively, were detected, although those of the equal crossover were predominant among all of the galK mutant recombinants. Similar products were also observed in the in vivo experiments with COS1 cells. The in vitro experiments showed that these recombinations were dependent on the presence of both the SV40 origin of DNA replication and SV40 large T antigen. Most of the recombinant DNAs were generated from newly synthesized DpnI-resistant DNAs. These results suggest that the homologous recombination observed in this SV40 system is associated with DNA replication and is suppressed by mismatches in heteroduplexes formed between similar but not identical sequences.