Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
18F-FDG-PET-positive adrenal tumour

A 36-year-old woman presented with a history of sudden back pain. A CT scan showed a retroperitoneal mass (60×38 mm) in the vicinity of the superior pole of the left kidney (figure 1A). She had no apparent signs of Cushing's syndrome. General examination, including complete blood count, blood chemistry, chest X-ray and ECG were all unremarkable. Endocrinological examination, including basal adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol levels, was also unremarkable. MRI was performed to characterise …
Heart rate reactivity to laboratory tasks and in two daily life settings.

&NA; This study investigated relationships between laboratory task‐related heart rate reactivity and heart rate responses in two daily life settings. The main purpose of the study was to demonstrate that the expression of heart rate reactivity during daily life depends on the nature of the daily life situation, or on subjective or behavioral responses in the daily life situation. Twenty‐six healthy, male medical students completed one laboratory session consisting of pretask rest, reaction time, video game, and mental arithmetic conditions, and 2 day‐long field study periods, during which subjects either worked as student physicians in a medical clinic or attended classroom lectures. After controlling for differences in daily life physical activity levels, (1) heart rate levels were significantly higher during clinic work periods, compared to classroom work periods and evenings of both days, (2) and heart rate responses to the tasks correlated significantly with minimum, mean, and maximum heart rate responses from the clinic work period, but not from the other field periods. Thus, individual differences in heart rate reactivity were found in one daily life situation, but not in another daily life situation. These results support the experimental hypothesis.
Screening for Chlamydial Infection : A Summary of the Evidence

In the United States, Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial pathogen. There are estimated to be 3 million new infections each year. Chlamydial genital tract infections are a major cause of urethritis, cervicitis, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women and are an important cause of ectopic pregnancy, infertility, and chronic pelvic pain. Chlamydial infections are responsible for 25% to 50% of the 2.5 million cases of PID that are reported annually in the United States. Infections are also related to adverse pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage, premature rupture of membranes, preterm labor, low birth weight infants, infant mortality, and postpartum infections. Perinatal transmission to infants can cause neonatal conjunctivitis and pneumonia. Chlamydial infection in men is the cause of 30% to 40% of the 4 to 6 million visits each year for nongonococcal urethritis and 50% of more than 150,000 cases of acute epididymitis. Rarely, men may experience chronic complications of chronic prostatitis, reactive anthritis, urethral strictures and possibly infertility. Chlamydia is a cofactor in transmission of human immunodeficiency virus infection. In the United States in 1994, the estimated cost of untreated chlamydial infections and their complications was $2 billion.
‘Barebacking”

ABSTRACT Intentional condomless anal sex in HIV-risk contexts (“barebacking”) has been heatedly debated in gay circles, the gay media, and, to a lesser degree, the mainstream media. Yet it has received little attention in the scientific literature. In order to better understand the reasons behind this behavior, we conducted a content analysis of messages posted on an Internet message board following http://www.Gay. com's decision to close a company-sponsored bareback chat room. Individuals posting messages self-identified in their online profiles as being mostly White/ European gay men residing in the US, with an average age of 35 years. Out of 130 messages, 62 (48%) were pro-barebacking, 55 (42%) were against barebacking, and 13 (10%) referred to other topics. The content analysis of the messages showed that both those in favor of and against barebacking felt well-informed about HIV/AIDS and the risks of HIV transmission. Those in favor considered condomless sex more enjoyable than sex with condoms (both in actual experience and in erotic imagery), felt that condomless sex conferred a sense of freedom, minimized the risks involved in barebacking (assuming that practitioners were already HIV infected and that the risk of superinfection was small), and ultimately believed that barebacking was a personal decision and responsibility. Those against barebacking believed the behavior was dangerous, advocated for condom use and personal and social responsibility, and felt barebackers needed to be sensitized to the burdens of HIV disease. Implications of these results are discussed, pointing out the need for further scientific inquiry in this area.
Dendritic Cell Maturation Requires STAT1 and Is under Feedback Regulation by Suppressors of Cytokine Signaling

In this study we show that activation of STAT pathways is developmentally regulated and plays a role in dendritic cell (DC) differentiation and maturation. The STAT6 signaling pathway is constitutively activated in immature DC (iDC) and declines as iDCs differentiate into mature DCs (mDCs). However, down-regulation of this pathway during DC differentiation is accompanied by dramatic induction of suppressors of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1), SOCS2, SOCS3, and cytokine-induced Src homology 2-containing protein expression, suggesting that inhibition of STAT6 signaling may be required for DC maturation. In contrast, STAT1 signaling is most robust in mDCs and is not inhibited by the up-regulated SOCS proteins, indicating that STAT1 and STAT6 pathways are distinctly regulated in maturing DC. Furthermore, optimal activation of STAT1 during DC maturation requires both IL-4 and GM-CSF, suggesting that synergistic effects of both cytokines may in part provide the requisite STAT1 signaling intensity for DC maturation. Analyses of STAT1−/− DCs reveal a role for STAT1 in repressing CD86 expression in precursor DCs and up-regulating CD40, CD11c, and SOCS1 expression in mDCs. We further show that SOCS proteins are differentially induced by IL-4 and GM-CSF in DCs. SOCS1 is primarily induced by IL-4 through a STAT1-dependent mechanism, whereas SOCS3 is induced mainly by GM-CSF. Taken together, these results suggest that cytokine-induced maturation of DCs is under feedback regulation by SOCS proteins and that the switch from constitutive activation of the STAT6 pathway in iDCs to predominant use of STAT1 signals in mDC is mediated in part by STAT1-induced SOCS expression.
The management of stone disease

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Encapsulation of Porcine Islets Permits Extended Culture Time and Insulin Independence in Spontaneously Diabetic BB Rats

The ability to culture porcine islets for extended times allows for both their functional assessment and the assurance of their microbiological safety prior to transplantation. We have previously shown that agarose-encapsulated porcine islets can be cultured for at least 24 weeks. In the current study, porcine islet agarose macrobeads cultured for up to 67 weeks were assessed for their ability to restore normoglycemia, respond to an intraperitoneal glucose challenge, maintain spontaneously diabetic BB rats free of insulin therapy for more than 6 months, and for their biocompatibility. Porcine islets were encapsulated in agarose macrobeads and subjected to weekly static perifusion assays for the assessment of insulin production. After in vitro culture for either 9, 40, or 67 weeks, 56–60 macrobeads were transplanted to each spontaneously diabetic BB rat. Transplanted rats were monitored daily for blood glucose levels. Glucose tolerance tests and assessments for porcine C-peptide were conducted at various intervals throughout the study. Normoglycemia (100–200 mg/dl) was initially restored in all islet transplanted rats. Moderate hyperglycemia (200–400 mg/dl) developed at around 30 days posttransplantation and continued throughout the study period of 201–202 days. Importantly, all rats that received encapsulated porcine islets continued to gain weight and were free of exogenous insulin therapy for the entire study. Porcine C-peptide (0.2–0.9 ng/ml) was detected in the serum of islet recipients throughout the study period. No differences were detected between recipient animals receiving islet macrobeads of various ages. These results demonstrate that the encapsulation of porcine islets in agarose macrobeads allows for extended culture periods and is an appropriate strategy for functional and microbiological assessment prior to clinical use.
Adenovirus chromatin structure at different stages of infection

We investigated the structure of adenovirus deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-protein complexes in nuclei of infected cells by using micrococcal nuclease. Parental (infecting) DNA was digested into multimers which had a unit fragment size that was indistinguishable from the size of the nucleosomal repeat of cellular chromatin. This pattern was maintained in parenteral DNA throughout infection. Similar repeating units were detected in hamster cells that were nonpermissive for human adenovirus and in cells pretreated with n-butyrate. Late in infection, the pattern of digestion of viral DNA was determined by two different experimental approaches. Nuclear DNA was electrophoresed, blotted, and hybridized with labeled viral sequences; in this procedure all virus-specific DNA was detected. This technique revealed a diffuse protected band of viral DNA that was smaller than 160 base pairs, but no discrete multimers. All regions of the genome were represented in the protected DNA. To examine the nuclease protection of newly replicated viral DNA, infected cells were labeled with [3H]thymidine after blocking of cellular DNA synthesis but not viral DNA synthesis. With this procedure we identified a repeating unit which was distinctly different from the cellular nucleosomal repeat. We found broad bands with midpoints at 200, 400, and 600 base pairs, as well as the limit digest material revealed by blotting. High-resolution acrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that the viral species comprised a series of closely spaced bands ranging in size from less than 30 to 250 base pairs.
Suppression of the TGF‐β1‐induced protein expression of SNAI1 and N‐cadherin by miR‐199a

MicroRNA miR‐199a is clustered with miR‐214 on chromosome 1 and its expression is up‐regulated by various factors that are associated with epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), such as a transcriptional repressor Twist1 and transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β. miR‐199a is either up‐regulated or down‐regulated in a variety of cancers, although EMT is associated with the progression of cancer. We found here that miR‐199a suppressed the translation of SNAI1, a transcriptional repressor that plays a role in EMT, by targeting the sequence within the 3′UTR of the SNAI1 mRNA, and reduced the protein level of SNAI1. miR‐199a increased the protein level of claudin‐1 in both the TGF‐β1‐treated and ‐untreated cells at least partly by decreasing the protein level of SNAI1, a transcriptional repressor for claudin‐1. In addition, miR‐199a targeted the sequence within the 3′UTR of the N‐cadherin mRNA and suppressed the TGF‐β1‐induced increase in the protein level of N‐cadherin in a manner independent of SNAI1. These results indicate that miR‐199a suppresses the TGF‐β1‐induced protein expression of SNAI1 and N‐cadherin.
Tumour necrosis factor production and cell‐mediated immunityin anorexia nervosa

Fourteen patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) were studied for the production of tumour necrosisfactor (TNF), the activation of the interferon (IFN) system and cell‐mediated cytotoxicity (CMC)and the results were compared with 16 age‐matched healthy women. AN patients had significantlyincreased spontaneous TNF production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in vitro(16 ± 5 U/ml versus 4 ± 3 U/ml in the control group; P < 005), although no TNF was detectable in theplasma from either group. TNF production in vitro, following stimulation of PBMC byphytohaemagglutinin (PHA) or tumour cells, was similar in AN patients and controls; however, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced TNF production was found to be lower in AN (P <0.1). CMC wassignificantly lower in AN patients (4 ± 2 versus 10 ± 3 in controls, expressed as lytic units/106 cells;P<0.05), but no difference could be found between AN and controls in IFN activity as reflected bythe level of the IFN‐induced enzyme 2′‐5′oligoadenylate synthetase (2‐5A) in PBMC. Beta‐endorphins in the plasma were higher in the AN group (P < 0.05) but these levels could not becorrelated to those of lFN, CMC or TNF. Defective CMC and increased TNF production by PBMCin patients with anorexia nervosa may possibly result from the nutritional deficiencies andneuroendocrine abnormalities associated with the disease, and may contribute to the pathophysiology of AN.
Database Search Strategies for Proteomic Data Sets Generated by Electron Capture Dissociation Mass Spectrometry

Large data sets of electron capture dissociation (ECD) mass spectra from proteomic experiments are rich in information; however, extracting that information in an optimal manner is not straightforward. Protein database search engines currently available are designed for low resolution CID data, from which Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) ECD data differs significantly. ECD mass spectra contain both z-prime and z-dot fragment ions (and c-prime and c-dot); ECD mass spectra contain abundant peaks derived from neutral losses from charge-reduced precursor ions; FT-ICR ECD spectra are acquired with a larger precursor m/z isolation window than their low-resolution CID counterparts. Here, we consider three distinct stages of postacquisition analysis: (1) processing of ECD mass spectra prior to the database search; (2) the database search step itself and (3) postsearch processing of results. We demonstrate that each of these steps has an effect on the number of peptides identified, with the postsearch processing of results having the largest effect. We compare two commonly used search engines: Mascot and OMSSA. Using an ECD data set of modest size (3341 mass spectra) from a complex sample (mouse whole cell lysate), we demonstrate that search results can be improved from 630 identifications (19% identification success rate) to 1643 identifications (49% identification success rate). We focus in particular on improving identification rates for doubly charged precursors, which are typically low for ECD fragmentation. We compare our presearch processing algorithm with a similar algorithm recently developed for electron transfer dissociation (ETD) data.
Substance P‐saporin lesion of neurons with NK1 receptors in one chemoreceptor site in rats decreases ventilation and chemosensitivity

All medullary central chemoreceptor sites contain neurokinin‐1 receptor immunoreactivity (NK1R‐ir). We ask if NK1R‐ir neurons and processes are involved in chemoreception. At one site, the retrotrapezoid nucleus/parapyramidal region (RTN/Ppy), we injected a substance P‐saporin conjugate (SP‐SAP; 0.1 pmol in 100 nl) to kill NK1R‐ir neurons specifically, or SAP alone as a control. We made measurements for 15 days after the injections in two groups of rats. In group 1, with unilateral injections made in the awake state via a pre‐implanted guide cannula, we compared responses within rats using initial baseline data. In group 2, with bilateral injections made under anaesthesia at surgery, we compared responses between SP‐SAP‐ and SAP‐treated rats. SP‐SAP treatment reduced the volume of the RTN/Ppy region that contained NK1R‐ir neuronal somata and processes by 44 % (group 1) and by 47 and 40 % on each side, respectively (group 2). Ventilation (V̇E) and tidal volume (VT) were decreased during air breathing in sleep and wakefulness (group 2; P < 0.001; two‐way ANOVA) and Pa,CO2 was increased (group 2; P < 0.05; Student's t test). When rats breathed an air mixture containing 7 % CO2 during sleep and wakefulness, V̇E and VT were lower (groups 1 and 2; P < 0.001; ANOVA) and the ΔV̇E in air containing 7 % CO2 compared to air was decreased by 28‐30 % (group 1) and 17‐22 % (group 2). SP‐SAP‐treated rats also slept less during air breathing. We conclude that neurons with NK1R‐ir somata or processes in the RTN/Ppy region are either chemosensitive or they modulate chemosensitivity. They also provide a tonic drive to breathe and may affect arousal.
Reproductive history and hot flashes in perimenopausal women.

BACKGROUND Hot flashes affect up to 75% of women undergoing the menopausal transition. They are among the most common health problems for perimenopausal women and are associated with a decrease in quality of life. The goal of this study was to examine the associations between reproductive history variables and midlife hot flashes. METHODS Data were analyzed from 388 perimenopausal women who participated in the Midlife Health Study, a population-based, cross-sectional study of 639 women aged 45-54 years living in the Baltimore metropolitan region. RESULTS The unadjusted analyses showed that none of the reproductive history variables analyzed, including age at menarche, number of live births, ever having been pregnant, age at first birth, age at last pregnancy, and history of oral contraceptive use, were associated with ever experiencing hot flashes. However, after adjusting for race, age group, marital status, education, employment, total family income, smoking and alcohol status, and body mass index (BMI), age at last pregnancy was significantly associated with moderate to severe hot flashes. Specifically, participants who were ≥36 years of age at last pregnancy were less likely to report moderate or severe hot flashes than those ≤35 years of age at last pregnancy (odds ratio 0.36, 95% confidence interval 0.16, 0.84). CONCLUSIONS In this study, in general, characteristics of reproductive history were not associated with midlife hot flashes. However, there are a number of potentially modifiable factors that are associated with the occurrence of hot flashes. Thus, alternatives may be available when hormone treatment is contraindicated.
Dexmedetomidine as an Anesthetic Adjunct in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Background Alpha2 ‐Adrenergic agonists decrease sympathetic tone with ensuing attenuation of neuroendocrine and hemodynamic responses to anesthesia and surgery. The effects of dexmedetomidine, a highly specific alpha2 ‐adrenergic agonist, on these responses have not been reported in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods Eighty patients scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass grafting received, in a double‐blind manner, either a saline placebo or a dexmedetomidine infusion, initially 50 ng [center dot] kg‐1 [center dot] min‐1 for 30 min before induction of anesthesia with fentanyl, and then 7 ng [center dot] kg‐1 [center dot] min‐1 until the end of surgery. Filling pressures, blood pressure, and heart rate were controlled by intravenous fluid and by supplemental anesthetics and vasoactive drugs. Results Compared with placebo, dexmedetomidine decreased plasma norepinephrine concentrations by 90%, attenuated the increase of blood pressure during anesthesia (3 vs. 24 mmHg) and surgery (2 vs. 14 mmHg), but increased slightly the need for intravenous fluid challenge (29 vs. 20 patients) and induced more hypotension during cardiopulmonary bypass (9 vs. 0 patients). Dexmedetomidine decreased the incidence of intraoperative (2 vs. 13 patients) and postoperative (5 vs. 16 patients) tachycardia. Dexmedetomidine also decreased the need for additional doses of fentanyl (3.1 vs. 5.4), the increments of enflurane (4.4 vs. 5.6), the need for beta blockers (3 vs. 11 patients), and the incidence of fentanyl‐induced muscle rigidity (15 vs. 33 patients) and postoperative shivering (13 vs. 23 patients). Conclusions Intraoperative intravenous infusion of dexmedetomidine to patients undergoing coronary artery revascularization decreased intraoperative sympathetic tone and attenuated hyperdynamic responses to anesthesia and surgery but increased the propensity toward hypotension.
Electrothermal Simulation of the Hot-Spot and Its Countermeasures in Cellular Bipolar Power Transistors

This paper deals with a theoretical study of the hot-spot onset (HSO) in cellular bipolar power transistors. This well-known phenomenon consists of a current crowding within few cells occurring for high power conditions, which significantly decreases the forward safe operating area (FSOA) of the device. The study was performed on a virtual sample by means of a fast, fully analytical electrothermal simulator operating in the steady state regime and under the condition of imposed input base current. The purpose was to study the dependence of the phenomenon on several thermal and geometrical factors and to test suitable counter measures able to impinge this phenomenon at higher biases or to completely eliminate it. The power threshold of HSO and its localization within the silicon die were observed as a function of the electrical bias conditions as for instance the collector voltage, the equivalent thermal resistance of the assembling structure underlying the silicon die, the value of the ballasting resistances purposely added in the emitter metal interconnections, and the thickness of the copper heat spreader placed on the die top just to the aim of making more uniform the temperature of the silicon surface.
Educational technology in transnational higher education in South East Asia: the cultural politics of flexible learning

This paper examines appropriateness of using educational technologies to increase the flexibility of learning in tr ansnational higher education in South East Asia. It considers the argument that while interactive educational technologies may be appropriate in countries in which self-directed study and student autonomy are emphasised, the same uses of technology may not be as appropriate in South East Asian countries in which education has traditionally been more tightly structured and teacher-directed. This paper examines government policies toward the use of educational technologies in higher education in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam, and considers the experiences of five transnational institutions in these countries. The paper concludes that transnational educators are inevitably caught up in tensions between global modernising trends and local traditional practices. It argues that it is important for educators to recognise how their actions relate to local social changes in countries in which their students are located.