Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early determinants of inflammatory bowel disease: use of two national longitudinal birth cohorts

Objective To examine previously cited early risk factors for inflammatory bowel disease. Design The 1946 National Survey of Health & Development (NSHD) and the 1958 National Child Development Study (NCDS) are on‐going, longitudinal birth cohort studies. A nested case‐control design was used combining data from both cohorts; eight controls per case, matched for gender and social class, were selected randomly. Methods Data concerning maternal infection in pregnancy (NCDS only), childhood infection (measles, mumps and whooping cough), birth order, appendicectomy, breast‐feeding and measures of poor housing conditions in childhood were analysed. In both cohorts, the member's hospital physician or medical records were used to confirm the diagnosis. Results Twenty‐six cases of Crohn's disease and 29 cases of ulcerative colitis were identified. No significant association was found between the development of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis and any of the studied factors. There was a trend that those with Crohn's disease were more likely not to have been breast‐fed (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.15‐1.03) and not to have had an appendicectomy (OR < 1.00). The opposite was true of those with ulcerative colitis (OR 2.76, 95% CI 0.86‐9.81 and OR 2.34, 95% CI 0.69‐7.46, respectively). The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease was 5.12/1000 by the age of 43 years in NSHD and 2.02‐2.54/1000 by the age of 33 years in NCDS. Conclusions The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease in these cohorts is among the highest recorded in Europe. Childhood factors may be different for those with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. These cohorts will be increasingly valuable data sources. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 12:25‐30 © 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2000, 12:25‐30
Reducing Power Consumption in Wireless Body Area Networks: A Novel Data Segregation and Classification Technique

Chronic health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack, and asthma are widespread in our society. Health-care wireless body area networks (WBANs) have been widely deployed by medical professionals to manage the health information of a patient remotely, and various data-management approaches have been used to handle the continuous transmission of WBAN data. The data segregation and classification approach is considered the most promising WBAN data-management technique among the extant state-of-the-art approaches. The technique plays an important role in avoiding network congestion; however, it consumes more energy from a sensor while transmitting a large packet of accumulated information over the network. This research is intended to solve this issue by introducing a novel classification scheme that separates the sensor's readings into urgent, semiurgent, and nonurgent packets. Moreover, WBAN systems are highly dependent on gateway devices. This article offers an architectural routing approach for a medical sensor that enables transmitting packets during gateway failure. The performance evaluation of this work using OMNET++ with varied performance metrics shows promising results, because verification outperforms the extant state-of-the-art methods in terms of power consumption, packet delivery ratio, and the number of transmitted packets.
Gene dosage effect of WEE1 on growth and morphogenesis from arabidopsis hypocotyl explants.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS How plant cell-cycle genes interface with development is unclear. Preliminary evidence from our laboratory suggested that over-expression of the cell cycle checkpoint gene, WEE1, repressed growth and development. Here the hypothesis is tested that the level of WEE1 has a dosage effect on growth and development in Arabidospis thaliana. To do this, a comparison was made of the development of gain- and loss-of-function WEE1 arabidopsis lines both in vivo and in vitro. METHODS Hypocotyl explants from an over-expressing Arath;WEE1 line (WEE1(oe)), two T-DNA insertion lines (wee1-1 and wee1-4) and wild type (WT) were cultured on two-way combinations of kinetin and naphthyl acetic acid. Root growth and meristematic cell size were also examined. KEY RESULTS Quantitative data indicated a repressive effect in WEE1(oe) and a significant increase in morphogenetic capacity in the two T-DNA insertion lines compared with WT. Compared with WT, WEE1(oe) seedlings exhibited a slower cell-doubling time in the root apical meristem and a shortened primary root, with fewer laterals, whereas there were no consistent differences in the insertion lines compared with WT. However, significantly fewer adventitious roots were recorded for WEE1(oe) and significantly more for the insertion mutant wee1-1. Compared with WT there was a significant increase in meristem cell size in WEE1(oe) for all three ground tissues but for wee1-1 only cortical cell size was reduced. CONCLUSIONS There is a gene dosage effect of WEE1 on morphogenesis from hypocotyls both in vitro and in vivo.
Mood repair via attention refocusing or recall of positive autobiographical memories by adolescents with pediatric-onset major depression.

BACKGROUND Impaired emotion regulation is increasingly recognized as a core feature of depressive disorders. Indeed, currently and previously depressed adults both report greater problems in attenuating sadness (mood repair) in daily life than healthy controls. In contrast, studies of various strategies to attenuate sad affect have mostly found that currently or previously depressed adults and controls were similarly successful at mood repair in the laboratory. But few studies have examined mood repair among depression-prone youths or the effects of trait characteristics on mood repair outcomes in the laboratory. METHODS Adolescents, whose first episode of major depressive disorder (MDD) had onset at age 9, on average (probands), and were either in remission or depressed, and control peers, watched a sad film clip. Then, they were instructed to engage in refocusing attention (distraction) or recalling happy memories. Using affect ratings provided by the youths, we tested two developmentally informed hypotheses about whether the subject groups would be similarly able to attenuate sadness via the two mood repair strategies. We also explored if self-reported habitual (trait) mood repair influenced laboratory performance. RESULTS Contrary to expectations, attention refocusing and recall of happy memories led to comparable mood benefits across subjects. Control adolescents reported significantly greater reductions in sadness than did depressed (Cohen's d = .48) or remitted (Cohen's d = .32) probands, regardless of mood repair strategy, while currently depressed probands remained the saddest after mood repair. Habitual mood repair styles moderated the effects of instructed (state) mood repair in the laboratory. CONCLUSIONS Whether depressed or in remission, adolescents with MDD histories are not as efficient at mood repair in the laboratory as controls. But proband-control group differences in mood repair outcomes were modest in scope, suggesting that the abilities that subserve affect regulation have been preserved in probands to some degree. Further information about the nature of mood repair problems among youths with depression histories would help to better understand the clinical course of MDD and to design personalized interventions for depression.
Two modes of cutaneous reinnervation following peripheral nerve injury

The return of sensation to the foot following sciatic nerve crush injury was analyzed behaviorally and electrophysiologically in the rat. Functional recovery begins within four days. Its early phase is accounted for by expansion of the functional distribution of intact neighboring fibers of the saphenous n. It occurs even if the sciatic n. is ligated, and it disappears with section of the saphenous n. Accompanying this functional expansion we began to encounter in electrophysiological recordings from the saphenous n. , fibers with unusually large receptive fields (RF's) extending onto the plantar surface of the foot, well beyond their limits in intact rats. All of the expanded RF's were high threshold mechanoreceptors. On about the twentieth day after crushing, the regenerating sciatic n. began to make a functional contribution. This was seen by return of sensation to zones not invaded by the saphenous n. and by the onset of sensation in rats in which the saphenous n. had previously been ligated. With return of the sciatic n. the expanded distribution of the saphenous n. went back to its original boundaries. Correspondingly, we could no longer find expanded saphenous n. RF's. We conclude that cutaneous reinnervation begins with the collateral expansion of high threshold afferents from intact neighboring nerves. This alien innervation is later replaced upon regeneration of the original nerve.
Hypocaloric jejunal feeding is better than total parenteral nutrition in acute pancreatitis: results of a randomized comparative study

OBJECTIVES:The aims of this study were to define the indications for, and to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of, nutritional support in patients with acute pancreatitis.METHODS:All admissions during the 12-month period from January through December 2000, were entered into a common management protocol consisting of an initial 48-h fast with i.v. fluids and analgesics. After 48 h, those patients who were improving were restarted on oral feeding (group O). The remaining patients were randomized to receive naso-jejunal (group EN) or parenteral feeding (group TPN). The randomization study was continued until 50 patients had been accrued. Outcomes in the three groups were compared with respect to length of hospital stay, duration of feeding, complications, and hospital costs.RESULTS:A total of 156 admissions were evaluated in the first 12 months. Of these, 87% patients had mild disease, 10% moderate, and 3% severe; 62% were related to alcohol abuse, 18% gallstones, and 8% idiosyncratic drug reactions. Of the patients, 75% improved on 48 h bowel rest and i.v. fluids, and were discharged within 4 days. The remainder were randomized to jejunal elemental (n = 26) or parenteral (n = 27) feeding. Duration of feeding was shorter with EN (6.7 vs 10.8 days, p < 0.05) and nutrition costs were lower, representing an average cost saving of $2362.00 per patient fed. EN was less effective in meeting estimated nutritional requirements (54 vs 88%, p < 0.0001), but metabolic (p < 0.003) and septic complications (p = 0.01) were lower. Subgroup analysis of patients with severe disease showed similar findings.CONCLUSION:Despite concerns that metabolic expenditure is increased and that food-stimulated pancreatic secretion might exacerbate the disease process, hypocaloric enteral feeding seems to be safer and less expensive than parenteral feeding and bowel rest in patients with acute pancreatitis.
Treatment study of distal femur for parathyroid hormone (1–34) and β-tricalcium phosphate on bone formation in critical size defects in rats

The objective of this study was to evaluate local bone formation following systemic administration of parathyroid hormone (1–34), a surgically implanted synthetic β-tricalcium phosphate bone biomaterial serving as a matrix to support new bone formation. Twelve weeks after bilateral ovariectomy, all rats underwent bone defect in the distal femurs, and β-tricalcium phosphate was implanted into critical sized defects. After defect operation, all animals were randomly divided into four groups and received following subcutaneous injections until death at four and eight weeks: sham rats (group ST); sham rats + parathyroid hormone, 30 µg/kg, three times a week (group SPT); OVX rats (group OT); and OVX rats + parathyroid hormone (group OPT). The distal femurs of rats were harvested for evaluation. The treatment group demonstrating the highest levels of new bone formation was the defects treated with parathyroid hormone as assessed by micro-computed tomography, biomechanical strength, and histological analysis for sham rats. Furthermore, parathyroid hormone showed a stronger effect on accelerating the degradation of β-tricalcium phosphate. Osteoporosis can limit the function of parathyroid hormone and/or β-tricalcium phosphate. The results from our study demonstrate that combination of parathyroid hormone and β-tricalcium phosphate brings better effect to bone tissue repair in non-osteoporosis and/or osteoporosis status.
Up-Regulation of Histamine H4 Receptors Contributes to Splenic Apoptosis in Septic Mice: Counteraction of the Antiapoptotic Action of Nuclear Factor-κB

The histamine H4 receptor is the most recently identified receptor and is considered to play a role in a variety of inflammatory diseases. Histamine levels in the plasma are known to be elevated in animal models of sepsis and in septic patients. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the H4 receptor may play a significant role in the pathophysiology of sepsis. Polymicrobial sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture in BALB/c mice. Although the H4 receptor gene was undetectable in normal peripheral key organs, with the exception of the spleen, the expression levels of this gene were highly up-regulated in all those organs of septic mice. In vivo transfection of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) decoy oligodeoxynucleotide, but not of its scrambled form, resulted in a great inhibition of sepsis-induced overexpression of the H4 receptor gene. In septic mice, marked increases in caspase-3 activation and follicular lymphocyte apoptosis in spleens were strongly suppressed by systemic treatment with synthetic small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeted to the H4 receptor. This was associated with the up-regulation of a number of antiapoptotic proteins. These antiapoptotic effects of H4 receptor siRNA treatment were all inhibited by further application of NF-κB decoy oligonucleotide. Our results suggest that superinduction of the histamine H4 receptor gene in peripheral key organs, including the spleen, that is promoted by sepsis is transcriptionally controlled by NF-κB, whereas stimulation of this receptor is involved in the development of sepsis-induced splenic apoptosis through counteraction of the antiapoptotic action of NF-κB.
The role of mathematical models in the study of HIV transmission and the epidemiology of AIDS.

The role of mathematical models in the study of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission, the epidemiology and demographic impact of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and the course of infection within an individual is reviewed. Attention is focused on the part models can play in short-term prediction, parameter estimation, the interpretation of observed patterns, and the identification of areas in which knowledge is inadequate. Methods for short-term predictions, over 1-3 years, have proved reliable and can take account of distributed delays in the interval between reporting and diagnosis. Parametric and nonparametric methods have been developed for estimating summary statistics (e.g., means) for the distributed incubation period of AIDS. Current estimates, based on cohort or transfusion-associated AIDS cases, lie in the range of 7-10 years. Transmission models for longer-term prediction are less reliable at present given the many uncertainties concerning key epidemiological parameters. Theoretical studies highlight the need for quantitative data on temporal changes in the distribution of rates of sexual partner change and fluctuations in viral abundance in serum, secretions, and excretions (i.e., infectiousness) throughout the long and variable incubation period of the disease.
Neuroanatomical Correlates of Executive Functions: A Neuropsychological Approach Using the EXAMINER Battery

Abstract Executive functions (EF) encompass a variety of higher-order capacities such as judgment, planning, decision-making, response monitoring, insight, and self-regulation. Measuring such abilities quantitatively and establishing their neural correlates has proven to be challenging. Here, using a lesion-deficit approach, we report the neural correlates of a variety of EF tests that were developed under the auspices of the NINDS-supported EXAMINER project (Kramer, 2011; www.examiner.ucsf.edu). We administered a diverse set of EF tasks that tap three general domains—cognitive, social/emotional, and insight—to 37 patients with focal lesions to the frontal lobes, and 25 patients with lesions outside the frontal lobes. Using voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM), we found that damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) was predominately associated with deficits in social/emotional aspects of EF, while damage to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and anterior cingulate was predominately associated with deficits in cognitive aspects of EF. Evidence for an important role of some non-frontal regions (e.g., the temporal poles) in some aspects of EF was also found. The results provide further evidence for the neural basis of EF, and extend previous findings of the dissociation between the roles of the ventromedial and dorsolateral prefrontal sectors in organizing, implementing, and monitoring goal-directed behavior. (JINS, 2013, 19, 1–12)
A systematic approach to evaluate the influence of environmental conditions on eDNA detection success in aquatic ecosystems

The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to determine the presence and distribution of aquatic organisms has become an important tool to monitor and investigate freshwater communities. The successful application of this method in the field, however, is dependent on the effectiveness of positive DNA verification, which is influenced by site-specific environmental parameters. Factors affecting eDNA concentrations in aquatic ecosystems include flow conditions, and the presence of substances that possess DNA-binding properties or inhibitory effects. In this study we investigated the influence of different environmental parameters on the detection success of eDNA using the invasive goby Neogobius melanostomus. In a standardized laboratory setup, different conditions of flow, sediment-properties, and fish density were compared, as well as different potential natural inhibitors such as algae, humic substances, and suspended sediment particles. The presence of sediment was mainly responsible for lower eDNA detection in the water samples, regardless of flow-through or standing water conditions and a delayed release of eDNA was detected in the presence of sediment. Humic substances had the highest inhibitory effect on eDNA detection followed by algae and siliceous sediment particles. The results of our study highlight that a successful application of eDNA methods in field surveys strongly depends on site-specific conditions, such as water flow conditions, sediment composition, and suspended particles. All these factors should be carefully considered when sampling, analyzing, and interpreting eDNA detection results.
Exposure to Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Fields Induces Fos-Related Antigen-Immunoreactivity Via Activation of Dopaminergic D1 Receptor

We previously demonstrated that repeated exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) increases locomotor activity via stimulation of dopaminergic D1 receptor (J. Pharmacol. Sci., 2007;105:367-371). Since it has been demonstrated that activator protein-1 (AP-1) transcription factors, especially 35-kDa fos-related antigen (FRA), play a key role in the neuronal and behavioral adaptation in response to various stimuli, we examined whether repeated ELF-MF exposure induces FRA-immunoreactivity (FRA-IR) in the striatum and nucleus accumbens (striatal complex) of the mice. Repeated exposure to ELF-MF (0.3 or 2.4 mT, 1 h/day, for consecutive fourteen days) significantly induced hyperlocomotor activity and FRA-IR in the striatal complex in a field intensity-dependent manner. ELF-MF-induced FRA-IR lasted for at least 1 year, while locomotor activity returned near control level 3 months after the final exposure to ELF-MF. Pretreatment with SCH23390, a dopaminergic D1 receptor antagonist, but not with sulpiride, a dopaminergic D2 receptor antagonist, significantly attenuated hyperlocomotor activity and FRA-IR induced by ELF-MF. Our results suggest that repeated exposure to ELF-MF leads to prolonged locomotor stimulation and long-term expression of FRA in the striatal complex of the mice via stimulation of dopaminergic D1 receptor.
Maximum Norm A Posteriori Error Estimation for Parabolic Problems Using Elliptic Reconstructions

A semilinear second-order parabolic equation is considered in a regular and a singularly perturbed regime. For this equation, we give computable a posteriori error estimates in the maximum norm. Semidiscrete and fully discrete versions of the backward Euler, Crank--Nicolson, and discontinuous Galerkin $dG(r)$ methods are addressed. For their full discretizations, we employ elliptic reconstructions that are, respectively, piecewise-constant, piecewise-linear, and piecewise-quadratic for $r=1$ in time. We also use certain bounds for the Green's function of the parabolic operator.
The −1195G allele increases the transcriptional activity of cyclooxygenase‐2 gene (COX‐2) in colon cancer cell lines

Up‐regulation of cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) is an early and key event in human colorectal carcinogenesis (CRC). Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms leading to this over‐expression are largely unknown. We previously reported an association between the −1195G allele and higher predisposition for CRC in a Caucasian population. The biological explanation for the involvement of this polymorphism in CRC remains elusive. We aimed to functionally characterize the influence of the −1195A>G promoter region polymorphism on COX‐2 transcription activity in colon cancer cell lines. Luciferase reporter assays were performed to assess whether the −1195A/G alleles influenced COX‐2 transcription. The COX‐2 promoter's region containing either the −1195A or −1195G alleles was cloned into pGL3‐basic reporter vector. The reporter vectors were transiently co‐transfected with the pGL4.73 control plasmid to HCT‐116 and HCA‐7 colon cancer cell lines. The levels of reporter gene expression driven by the −1195G allele‐containing COX‐2 promoter were significantly higher in both colon cancer cell lines. A 2.2‐fold increase in promoter activity was observed in the HCT‐116 cell line (P < 0.001), and this over‐expression was even more noticeable in the HCA‐7 COX‐2 expressing cell line with a threefold higher transcriptional activity (P = 0.001). The −1195G allele appeared to enhance COX‐2 transcription, providing a molecular basis underlying the increased susceptibility for CRC and potentially a new mechanism for COX‐2 overexpression. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Microscopic deformation of polycrystalline pure copper wire during tension

In order to clarify the inhomogeneous deformation of thin copper wire, an interrupted tensile test was carried out on the stage of the digital holographic microscope (DHM). The inhomogeneity was evaluated based on the non-uniform change in height distribution on the surface of thin wire specimen during the test. Microscopic plastic deformation by a unit of crystal grain and large gradient in height distribution along grain boundaries were observed. The increase in average height of grain between two earlier loading steps corresponded to that between two later loading steps. This result suggests that the microscopic deformation at the latter stage of tension is predictable from that at the early stage of the tension.