Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low-dose aspirin for preventing recurrent venous thromboembolism.

BACKGROUND Patients who have had a first episode of unprovoked venous thromboembolism have a high risk of recurrence after anticoagulants are discontinued. Aspirin may be effective in preventing a recurrence of venous thromboembolism. METHODS We randomly assigned 822 patients who had completed initial anticoagulant therapy after a first episode of unprovoked venous thromboembolism to receive aspirin, at a dose of 100 mg daily, or placebo for up to 4 years. The primary outcome was a recurrence of venous thromboembolism. RESULTS During a median follow-up period of 37.2 months, venous thromboembolism recurred in 73 of 411 patients assigned to placebo and in 57 of 411 assigned to aspirin (a rate of 6.5% per year vs. 4.8% per year; hazard ratio with aspirin, 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52 to 1.05; P=0.09). Aspirin reduced the rate of the two prespecified secondary composite outcomes: the rate of venous thromboembolism, myocardial infarction, stroke, or cardiovascular death was reduced by 34% (a rate of 8.0% per year with placebo vs. 5.2% per year with aspirin; hazard ratio with aspirin, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.48 to 0.92; P=0.01), and the rate of venous thromboembolism, myocardial infarction, stroke, major bleeding, or death from any cause was reduced by 33% (hazard ratio, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.49 to 0.91; P=0.01). There was no significant between-group difference in the rates of major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding episodes (rate of 0.6% per year with placebo vs. 1.1% per year with aspirin, P=0.22) or serious adverse events. CONCLUSIONS In this study, aspirin, as compared with placebo, did not significantly reduce the rate of recurrence of venous thromboembolism but resulted in a significant reduction in the rate of major vascular events, with improved net clinical benefit. These results substantiate earlier evidence of a therapeutic benefit of aspirin when it is given to patients after initial anticoagulant therapy for a first episode of unprovoked venous thromboembolism. (Funded by National Health and Medical Research Council [Australia] and others; Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number, ACTRN12605000004662.).
Skin contact transfer of tritium from brass.

Abstract : It is shown that contact of skin with contaminated metal can facilitate the transfer of tritium, that the radioactivity absorbed onto the skin enters the body water, and that it follows the metabolic pattern of tritium entering by other modes. Tritium in the skin was determined after converting all forms to tritiated water by dry combustion. Standardized exposures were checked by liquid scintillation counting. Curves for the disappearance of tritium in the skin could be resolved into 0.3, 3, and 14 day half-times, and after 15 days there was little difference between wet and dry tissues. The accumulative excretion curves, based on the measured half-time value of 5.5 days for urine radioactivity, showed that substantially all of the skin radioactivity can be accounted for in body water by 28 days. (Author)
Two new species of Entomobryidae (Collembola) of Taibai Mountain from China

Abstract Taibai Mountain is the highest peak of Qinling Mountain Ridge, a climate and geographical demarcation of the southern and northern China. Collembolan species of family Entomobryidae are reported from this region for the first time in this paper. Two new species, Homidia taibaiensis sp. n. and Sinella triseta sp. n. of Entomobryinae are described. Illustrations and differences with similar species are provided.
A Stochastic Framework for the Identification of Building Rooftops Using a Single Remote Sensing Image

The identification of building rooftops from a single image, without the use of auxiliary 3-D information like stereo pairs or digital elevation models, is a very challenging and difficult task in the area of remote sensing. The existing methodologies rarely tackle the problem of 3-D object identification, like buildings, from a purely stochastic viewpoint. Our approach is based on a stochastic image interpretation model, which combines both 2-D and 3-D contextual information of the imaged scene. Building rooftop hypotheses are extracted using a contour-based grouping hierarchy that emanates from the principles of perceptual organization. We use a Markov random field model to describe the dependencies between all available hypotheses with regard to a globally consistent interpretation. The hypothesis verification step is treated as a stochastic optimization process that operates on the whole grouping hierarchy to find the globally optimal configuration for the locally interacting grouping hypotheses, providing also an estimate of the height of each extracted rooftop. This paper describes the main principles of our method and presents building detection results on a set of synthetic and airborne images.
Bone mineral content in infants and children with chronic cholestatic liver disease.

OBJECTIVE To assess bone mineral content (BMC) status and serum vitamin D metabolite levels of infants and children with chronic cholestatic liver disease. To determine if severity of bone disease in these patients correlates with serum vitamin D metabolite levels. METHODOLOGY We measured radial BMC with the use of a single-beam photon absorptiometer and serum vitamin D metabolite levels in 56 patients with chronic cholestasis seen at our institution from 1985 through 1991. Patients were divided into two groups according to age. RESULTS In group 1 (n = 37; age 2 to 22 months), decreased levels of BMC were seen as early as the first few months of life, with sharp decline observed with increasing age (approaching 3 to 5 standard deviations [SD] below the mean, P < .0003). Older patients (group 2, n = 19; age 2 to 20 years) had BMC values which clustered between 2 and 4 SD below the mean throughout the age range. Although a downward trend also was noted with increasing age, this was not statistically significant. Despite correction for weight-age or height-age, BMC was decreased in most of these patients. No correlation between severity of osteopenia and serum levels of 25(OH)-vitamin D and 1,25(OH)2-vitamin D was observed in either infants or older children. CONCLUSIONS Decreased bone mineralization, as a complication of chronic cholestatic conditions, is a disease process that begins early in infancy, rapidly worsens with increasing age and hepatic dysfunction, and remains relatively stable in children with more stable liver disease.
Take-off and landing forces in jumping frogs

SUMMARY Anurans use a saltatorial (jumping) mode of locomotion. A jumping cycle can be divided into four subphases: propulsion, flight, landing and recovery. We studied the landing phase during locomotion in Rana esculenta by measuring the ground reaction forces during propulsion and landing over a range of distances. Landing performance affects locomotor ability in jumping frogs. Landing and recovery together take up one third of the locomotor cycle. Peak landing forces are on average almost three times larger than propulsive forces. The forelimbs appear to be fully extended when they make contact with the substrate and absorb the first impact peak. The height of this peak varies depending on arm positioning and jumping distance. Since the stiffness of the arms stays constant over the full jumping range, it is possible that this is a limiting factor in the ability of the forelimbs to work as dampers. A spring-dashpot model is used to model the effect of arm angle at touch down. Damping during landing is performed by placing the forelimbs at an optimal angle to cancel frictional forces effectively.
Folate status of the population in the Canadian Health Measures Survey

Background Low folate concentrations are inversely associated with birth defects, including neural tube defects, congenital heart disease and oral clefts. Conversely, high folate concentrations may be associated with adverse outcomes, including increased risk of colorectal cancer among those with pre-existing neoplasms. The purpose of our study was to investigate the folate status of a nationally representative sample of Canadians, including a subset of women of childbearing age. Methods We examined red blood cell folate concentrations among members of the general population aged 6–79 years (n = 5248) and separately among women of childbearing age (15–45 yr, n = 1162), as recorded by the Canadian Health Measures Survey and measured by immunologic assay. We assessed the data for significant differences by age, sex and socioeconomic status. Results Less than 1% of Canadians showed folate deficiency (red blood cell folate < 305 nmol/L) and 40% showed high folate concentrations (> 1360 nmol/L). Among women of childbearing age, 22% showed concentrations below those considered optimal for maximal neural tube defect-risk reduction (< 906 nmol/L). Significant differences by age and socio-economic status, but not sex, were evident in median red blood cell folate concentrations, although concentrations in all groups exceeded recommended levels. No differences by age or income were found among women of child-bearing age. Interpretation Folate deficiency is virtually nonexistent in the Canadian population, although high folate concentrations are evident. Additional research is needed to better understand the determinants of red blood cell folate among women of childbearing age who have concentrations below levels that are maximally protective against neural tube defects. Ongoing monitoring of the folate status of Canadians and the relationship between red blood cell folate and health outcomes is warranted.
Pulmonary function studies in bird breeder's lung

Pulmonary function studies were performed at the time of diagnosis in 10 patients, aged between 11 and 51 years, with bird breeder's lung due to exposure of between 9 months and 42 years. The studies were repeated after a varying interval in nine of these patients, following removal from exposure. In initial tests, diffusing capacity was impaired in eight patients and the arterial oxygen tension at rest was below 80 mm. Hg in seven. Five patients had a low vital capacity and three showed evidence of airway obstruction. One patient continued to breed pigeons, against medical advice, and his pulmonary function, repeated after nine months, showed further deterioration. The others with abnormal pulmonary function showed significant improvement on repeat studies. Pulmonary function studies appear to be helpful in the diagnosis, irrespective of radiographic changes, and in the follow-up of patients.
Platelet surface expression of stromal cell–derived factor‐1 receptors CXCR4 and CXCR7 is associated with clinical outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease

Surface expression of stromal cell–derived factor‐1 (SDF‐1, CXCL12) on platelets is enhanced during ischemic events and plays an important role in peripheral homing of stem cells and myocardial repair mechanisms. SDF‐1 effects are mediated through CXCR4 and CXCR7. Both CXCR4 and CXCR7 are surface expressed on human platelets and to a higher degree in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) compared with healthy controls. In this study, we investigated the prognostic role of platelet CXCR4‐ and CXCR7 surface expression in patients with symptomatic CAD.
Vulnerability of Rural Hospitals to Medicare Outpatient Payment Reform

Because the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997 requires implementation of a Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for hospital outpatient services, the authors evaluated the potential impact of outpatient PPS on rural hospitals. Areas examined include: (1) How dependent are rural hospitals on outpatient revenue? (2) Are they more likely than urban hospitals to be vulnerable to payment reform? (3) What types of rural hospitals will be most vulnerable to reform? Using Medicare cost report data, the authors found that small size and government ownership are more common among rural than urban hospitals and are the most important determinants of vulnerability to payment reform.
Septins as key regulators of actin based processes in bacterial infection

Abstract Many pathogens have evolved a variety of mechanisms to exploit the host-cell actin cytoskeleton during infection, either to enter into cells or to move within cells. These events have been investigated and documented in detail. Yet, a complete picture of the molecules and mechanisms regulating entry and intracellular movement remains to be established. Here we present a series of studies revealing that in addition to actin rearrangements the host cell also employs septins, a relatively newly characterized component of the cell cyto-skeleton, to regulate bacterial entry and restrict the dissemination of cytosolic bacteria. The challenge now is to decipher the precise role of septins during actin rearrangements and how these different cytoskeleton components orchestrate infection processes.
Anal Sphincter Injury, Fecal and Urinary Incontinence: A 34-Year Follow-Up After Forceps Delivery

PURPOSE This study was designed to determine the long-term outcome of forceps delivery in terms of evidence of anal sphincter injury and the incidence of fecal and urinary incontinence. METHODS Women who delivered in 1964 were evaluated by using endoanal ultrasound, manometry, and a continence questionnaire. Women delivered by forceps were matched with the next normal delivery and elective cesarean delivery in the birth register. RESULTS The women’s overall obstetric history was evaluated. Women who had ever had a forceps delivery (n = 42) had a significantly higher incidence of sphincter rupture compared with women who had only unassisted vaginal deliveries (n = 41) and elective cesarean sections (n = 6) (44 vs. 22 vs. 0 percent; chi-squared 7.09; P = 0.03). There was no significant difference in the incidence of significant fecal incontinence between the three groups (14 vs. 10 vs. 0 percent) or significant urinary incontinence (7 vs. 19 vs. 0 percent). CONCLUSION Anal sphincter injury was associated with forceps delivery in the past; however, significant fecal and urinary incontinence was not.
A parameter study of the eclipsing CV in the Kepler field, KIS J192748.53+444724.5

We present high-speed, three-colour photometry of the eclipsing dwarf nova KIS J192748.53+444724.5 (KISJ1927) which is located in the Kepler field. Our data reveal sharp features corresponding to the eclipses of the accreting white dwarf followed by the bright spot where the gas stream joins the accretion disc. We determine the system parameters via a parametrized model of the eclipse fitted to the observed light curve. We obtain a mass ratio of q = 0.570 ± 0.011 and an orbital inclination of 84 ∘. 6 ± 0 ∘. 3. The primary mass is Mw = 0.69 ± 0.07 M⊙. The donor star's mass and radius are found to be Md = 0.39 ± 0.04 M⊙ and Rd = 0.43 ± 0.01 R⊙, respectively. From the fluxes of the white dwarf eclipse, we find a white dwarf temperature of Tw = 23000 ± 3000 K, and a photometric distance to the system of 1600 ± 200 pc, neglecting the effects of interstellar reddening. The white dwarf temperature in KISJ1927 implies the white dwarf is accreting at an average rate of M˙=1.4±0.8×10−9 M⊙ yr−1, in agreement with estimates of the secular mass loss rate from the donor.
A New MPPT Design Using Grey Wolf Optimization Technique for Photovoltaic System Under Partial Shading Conditions

This paper presents a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) design for a photovoltaic (PV) system using a grey wolf optimization (GWO) technique. The GWO is a new optimization method which overcomes the limitations such as lower tracking efficiency, steady-state oscillations, and transients as encountered in perturb and observe (P&O) and improved PSO (IPSO) techniques. The problem of tracking the global peak (GP) of a PV array under partial shading conditions (PSCs) is attempted employing the GWO-based MPPT technique. The proposed scheme is studied for a PV array under PSCs which exhibits multiple peaks and its tracking performance is compared with that of two MPPT algorithms, namely P&O-MPPT and IPSO-MPPT. The proposed GWO-MPPT algorithm is implemented on a PV system using MATLAB/SIMULINK. Furthermore, an experimental setup is developed to verify the efficacy of the proposed system. From the obtained simulation and experimental results, it is observed that the proposed MPPT algorithm outperforms both P&O and IPSO MPPTs.
DEXTROMETHORPHAN IS EFFECTIVE IN THE TREATMENT OF SUBACUTE METHOTREXATE NEUROTOXICITY

Methotrexate-induced neurotoxicity (MTX-Ntox) is a frequent complication of methotrexate (MTX) therapy for patients with both malignant and inflammatory diseases. MTX-Ntox can occur after intrathecal MTX or afterlow-, intermediate-, or high-dose systemic administration. Symptoms can present in the acute, subacute, or late setting form, and can range from affective disorders, malaise, and headaches, to somnolence, focal neurologic deficits, and seizures. While the pathogenesis of MTX-Ntox is likely multifactorial, one potential biochemical pathway leading from MTX to neurotoxicity involves the folate dependent remethylation of homocysteine (Hcy). MTX therapy is known to cause elevations of both plasma and CSF Hcy. Hcy is directly toxic to vascular endothelium and it and its metabolites are excitatory agonists of the N -methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. Competitive or noncompetitive antagonists might afford protection from or reversal of MTX-Ntox. Using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with coulometric electrochemical detection, the authors measured CSF Hcy in sequential patients with severe subacute MTX-Ntox. CSF Hcy was higher in these patients ( n = 9, median = 0.93 w M) than in asymptomatic patients ( n = 11, median 0.2 w M, p < .01). Five patients with severe subacute MTX-Ntox (most with dysarthria and/or hemiplegia) were treated with 1-2 mg/kg oral dextromethorphan (DM), a noncompetitive antagonist of the N -methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. All five had resolution of symptoms. These data provide additional clinical support for elevated CSF Hcy in the induction of MTX-Ntox through activation of the NMDA-receptor. These data provide support for a placebo-controlled clinical trial to examine the ability of DM to prevent or alleviate MTX-Ntox.
Importance of early detection of cytomegalovirus infection in refractory inflammatory bowel disease.

To the Editor: Cases of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) associated with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a very important issue for gastroenterologist.1,2 In patients with IBD refractory to conventional therapy, we should always consider the possibility of CMV infection. We note with great interest the article by Dimitroulia et al.3 Data for patients with IBD who were investigated in that study demonstrated that the CMV genome in intestinal tissue was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 32.9% of total IBD patients, while the CMV genome in the blood was detected in 27.1% of these patients. A positive ratio of CMV genome in intestinal tissue is higher in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) than in those with Crohn’s disease. Moreover, 5.9% of IBD patients had detectable CMV genome in their intestinal samples but not in their blood. On the other hand, in the control group who had no inflammatory disease, 11.9% of individuals had a detectable CMV genome in their blood, but 2.2% in their intestine. The authors suggested that a potential role of CMV in the mucosal immune disturbance of IBD might be suspected because CMV infection occurred in intestinal tissue more dominantly than in the blood. However, they described that a definitive causal role of CMV in exacerbating IBD is still unknown. The detection of the CMV genome in colonic tissue may not necessarily indicate active CMV infection because infection usually results from reactivation of latent virus. Recently, we clearly demonstrated that the detected copy number of CMV DNA by our PCR method is higher in the inflamed colonic tissue than that in noninflamed colonic tissue in patients with UC refractory to immunosuppressive therapy.4 Moreover, our data demonstrated that all three patients with UC were positive for the CMV genome in inflamed colonic tissue alone, although neither CMV antigenemia nor CMV inclusion bodies were detected. In addition, we investigated more patients with refractory UC. As a result, 18 (94.7%) of 19 patients with refractory UC who were positive for CMV DNA in inflamed colonic mucosa by our PCR method had neither CMV inclusion body nor CMV antigenemia. All patients were successfully treated with antiviral therapy (unpubl. data). These results strongly support that CMV infection was involved in the deterioration of patients with UC and the investigation of CMV DNA in inflamed colonic tissue by the PCR method is necessary for early detection of CMV infection. Thus, both Dimitroulia’s and our data included important points in considering diagnosis and therapy for patients with moderate or severe IBD who might have concomitant CMV infection. In summary, we strongly believe that CMV infection is involved in exacerbation of patients with IBD. Therefore, early detection of CMV infection in intestinal tissue is absolutely necessary for developing a therapeutic strategy. Quantitative real-time PCR assay in gastrointestinal tissue is a promising modality for the diagnosis of CMV infection.
Transition between proliferation and differentiation for lens epithelial cells is regulated by Src family kinases

As in many cell types, lens cells must withdraw from the cell cycle before they initiate their differentiation. The involvement of Src family kinases (SFKs) in this key initiating event in cell differentiation was examined in lens epithelial cell cultures. SFK activity was suppressed with the specific inhibitor PP1. This induced expression of the cyclin‐dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors p27 and p57 and suppressed lens epithelial cell proliferation. Therefore, inhibition of SFK activity created conditions permissive for undifferentiated lens epithelial cells to withdraw from the cell cycle. Growth of the lens epithelial cell cultures in the presence of PP1 induced expression of filensin and CP49, lens differentiation‐specific intermediate filament proteins, providing evidence that suppression of SFK activity also promoted the initiation of lens cell differentiation. The mechanism by which PP1 signaled cell cycle withdrawal and commitment to differentiation was shown to involve induction of N‐cadherin cell–cell junction assembly and reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton from stress fibers to cortical filaments. This result was supported by the compaction of the epithelial monolayer in response to PP1, a morphogenetic change that we have previously shown to be dependent on N‐cadherin function and a hallmark of the commencement of the lens differentiation program in culture. The results presented in this study suggest that the decision of lens epithelial cells to withdraw from the cell cycle and initiate differentiation requires inhibition of SFKs and the formation of N‐cadherin cell–cell junctions. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Properties of a U1 RNA enhancer-like sequence.

The properties of a X.laevis U1B snRNA gene enhancer have been studied by microinjection in Xenopus oocytes. The enhancer-like sequence, defined as a short DNA stretch that is able to activate transcription in an orientation independent manner, is interchangeable between different U snRNA genes. The enhancer sequence alone does not, however, efficiently activate transcription from an SV40 pol II promoter but regains its activity when combined with the U-gene specific proximal sequence element. DNase I protection experiments show that the X.laevis U1B enhancer can interact specifically with a nuclear factor present in mammalian cells.