Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Secondary tracheoesophageal puncture with in-office transnasal esophagoscopy.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the outcomes of voice restoration using office-based transnasal esophagoscopy (TNE) to guide placement of the secondary tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP). DESIGN Retrospective chart review. SETTING Two tertiary care medical centers. PATIENTS The study included 39 patients who underwent the TNE-TEP procedure from January 2004 to December 2008. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Clinical, demographic, and TE speech-related data were recorded to examine the ease, efficiency, complications, and speech-related outcomes. RESULTS Among 39 patients identified, the average age was 65 years (age range, 47-83 years), with 32 male (82%) and 7 female (16%) patients. Twenty-five patients (64%) underwent total laryngectomy; 8 (21%) underwent total laryngectomy with partial pharyngectomy; and 14 (36%) underwent microvascular flap reconstruction. The overall success rate of secondary TNE-assisted TEP placement was 97% (n = 38), with 1 unsuccessful attempt. There was no statistically significant correlation found between patients having undergone radiation therapy (either before or after oncologic resection) or a cricopharyngeal myotomy and successful TEP placement, type of reconstruction used to close the pharyngeal defect when compared with the difficulty in the placement of the TEP, development of complications associated with TEP placement, use of the TEP prosthesis, or speech intelligibility at the last follow-up visit. Thirty-one patients (79%) were still using their TEP prosthesis for speech at the last follow-up visit. Of the patients reviewed, 28 (72%) had understandable TE speech. CONCLUSIONS In-office TNE-assisted TEP placement can safely be performed, with excellent speech outcomes. Reconstruction with musculocutaneous or microvascular free-tissue transfer did not limit our ability to place secondary TEPs with TNE.
05 08 19 0 v 2 14 D ec 2 00 5 UPR 1130-T The Dynamics of Small Instanton Phase Transitions

The small instanton transition of a five-brane colliding with one end of the S/Z2 interval in heterotic M -theory is discussed, with emphasis on the transition moduli, their potential function and the associated non-perturbative superpotential. Using numerical methods, the equations of motion of these moduli coupled to an expanding Friedmann-Robertson-Walker spacetime are solved including nonperturbative interactions. It is shown that the five-brane collides with the end of the interval at a small instanton. However, the moduli then continue to evolve to an isolated minimum of the potential, where they are trapped by gravitational damping. The torsion free sheaf at the small instanton is “smoothed out” into a vector bundle at the isolated minimum, thus dynamically completing the small instanton phase transition. Radiative damping at the origin of moduli space is discussed and shown to be insufficient to trap the moduli at the small instanton point. ∗borisov@sas.upenn. edu; evgeny@ias.edu; ovrut@physics.upenn. edu
Palliative total gastrectomy and esophagogastrectomy a reevaluation

In the interval from 1941–1981 when 1887 patients with gastric cancer were seen at The University of Texas System Cancer Center M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, 151 curative and 45 palliative total gastrectomies or esophagogastrectomies were performed. Over the same interval, 21 patients with extent of primary and metastatic tumor roughly comparable to that seen in the palliative resection group were treated by exploration only or, infrequently, by attempted bypass. In individual patients subtle differences in extent of disease as well as differences in philosophy of the operating surgeon regarding the value of palliative resection undoubtedly contributed to the procedure selected. Survival after curative resection was greater than after palliative resection which in turn was greater than survival after exploration bypass (P ⩽.0006). Operative mortality fell significantly in CR patients in the interval 1970–1981 compared to 1941–1969 and was significantly lower than in the PR group in the interval 1970–1981 (P ⩽ 0.01). Five‐year survival increased significantly (P ⩽ 0.03) in the CR group when results in the two time intervals were compared but not in other groups.
SUMO1 enhances cAMP‐dependent exocytosis and glucagon secretion from pancreatic α‐cells

SUMOylation is the reversible modification of proteins by the attachment of small ubiquitin‐like modifier (SUMO) peptides, which in pancreatic β‐cells inhibits insulin exocytosis and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) receptor signalling. We find in glucagon‐secreting pancreatic α‐cells that SUMOylation increases excitability and enhances exocytosis by increasing L‐type Ca2+ currents. The ability of SUMOylation to facilitate α‐cell exocytosis is cAMP‐dependent, leading to enhanced adrenaline‐stimulated glucagon secretion. SUMO1 prevents inhibition of α‐cell Na+ current and exocytosis by a GLP‐1 receptor agonist, but does not prevent GLP‐1 receptor‐dependent inhibition of glucagon secretion. SUMOylation modifies α‐cell responses to cAMP‐dependent signalling and, by contrast with its inhibitory effects in β‐cells, enhances α‐cell exocytosis and glucagon secretion.
The Relationship between Regional Gray Matter Volume of Social Exclusion Regions and Personal Self-Esteem Is Moderated by Collective Self-Esteem

According to sociometer theory, self-esteem is an internal monitor of positive social bonds to others. Social exclusion can break or threaten social bonds, which might be reflected by the brain structure of social exclusion regions. Thus, self-esteem might be influenced by structurally individual differences in these regions. It has been suggested that self-esteem can be divided into personal (PSE) and collective (CSE) self-esteem and CSE can bring individuals many benefits, such as acceptance, belonging, and social support, which could further maintain or increase their PSE. Based on this, we hypothesized that CSE might moderate the relationship between structurally individual differences in social exclusion regions and PSE. Therefore, in the present study, the moderating effect of CSE on the relationships between PSE and individual differences in regional gray matter volume (rGMV) of 10 social exclusion regions from previous meta-analysis of social exclusion were investigated using voxel-based morphometry. The results showed that CSE played a moderating role in the relationship between PSE and rGMV of the left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Specifically, PSE was positively associated with rGMV of left PCC in lower CSE, while there was no significant relationship between PSE and rGMV of left PCC in higher CSE. Therefore, we believe that compared with a higher CSE, because of lack of acceptance, belonging, and social support from valued groups, lower CSE individuals might be more prone to be influenced by social exclusion with decreased rGMV of the left PCC, which makes them more prone to develop lower PSE.
Coexistence of Multiple Proteobacterial Endosymbionts in the Gills of the Wood-Boring Bivalve Lyrodus pedicellatus (Bivalvia: Teredinidae)

ABSTRACT Wood-boring bivalves of the family Teredinidae (commonly called shipworms) are known to harbor dense populations of gram-negative bacteria within specialized cells (bacteriocytes) in their gills. These symbionts are thought to provide enzymes, e.g., cellulase and dinitrogenase, which assist the host in utilizing wood as a primary food source. A cellulolytic, dinitrogen-fixing bacterium, Teredinibacter turnerae, has been isolated from the gill tissues of numerous teredinid bivalves and has been proposed to constitute the sole or predominant symbiont of this bivalve family. Here we demonstrate that one teredinid species, Lyrodus pedicellatus, contains at least four distinct bacterial 16S rRNA types within its gill bacteriocytes, one of which is identical to that of T. turnerae. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the three newly detected ribotypes are derived from gamma proteobacteria that are related to but distinct (>6.5% sequence divergence) from T. turnerae. In situ hybridizations with 16S rRNA-directed probes demonstrated that the pattern of occurrence of symbiont ribotypes within bacteriocytes was predictable and specific, with some bacteriocytes containing two symbiont ribotypes. However, only two of the six possible pairwise combinations of the four ribotypes were observed to cooccur within the same host cells. The results presented here are consistent with the existence of a complex multiple symbiosis in this shipworm species.
Neurologic Dysfunction in Gastrointestinal Disease

The various disease processes described in this review by no means exhaust the list of GI diseases in which neurologic dysfunction may occur, but merely serve as a representative sampling. Recognition is often a function of awareness, and the growing knowledge of the rich interaction between GI and neurologic systems on many levels suggests that additional associations will be uncovered in the future.
Rrp47p Is an Exosome-Associated Protein Required for the 3′ Processing of Stable RNAs

ABSTRACT Related exosome complexes of 3′→5′ exonucleases are present in the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Purification of exosome complexes from whole-cell lysates identified a Mg2+-labile factor present in substoichiometric amounts. This protein was identified as the nuclear protein Yhr081p, the homologue of human C1D, which we have designated Rrp47p (for rRNA processing). Immunoprecipitation of epitope-tagged Rrp47p confirmed its interaction with the exosome and revealed its association with Rrp6p, a 3′→5′ exonuclease specific to the nuclear exosome fraction. Northern analyses demonstrated that Rrp47p is required for the exosome-dependent processing of rRNA and small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) precursors. Rrp47p also participates in the 3′ processing of U4 and U5 small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs). The defects in the processing of stable RNAs seen in rrp47-Δ strains closely resemble those of strains lacking Rrp6p. In contrast, Rrp47p is not required for the Rrp6p-dependent degradation of 3′-extended nuclear pre-mRNAs or the cytoplasmic 3′→5′ mRNA decay pathway. We propose that Rrp47p functions as a substrate-specific nuclear cofactor for exosome activity in the processing of stable RNAs.
Effects of Acculturation on the MMPI-2 Scores of Asian American Students

The use of the MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstron, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) with minorities has been questioned due to potential misinterpretations related to cultural differences. This study examined acculturative differences among Asian American college students and their scores on the validity and clinical scales. A sample of Asian American students (n = 90) was assigned to groups based on acculturation level. Analysis of variance tests indicated that low-acculturated, bicultural, and high-acculturated Asian Americans yielded different profiles. Compared to a matched White student sample, low-acculturated Asian Americans scored significantly higher on 9 scales, and bicultural Asian Americans had 6 significantly different scores. These differences were clinically interpretable with a range from 6.46 to 21.65 T-score points. High-acculturated Asian Americans did not differ from Whites. Cultural variables to be considered when interpreting Asian American profiles are discussed.
Design, control, and performance of the ‘weed’ 6 wheel robot in the UK MOD grand challenge

A new locomotion method for unmanned (autonomous) ground vehicles (UGV) is proposed based around six independently driven wheels mounted on three separate modules. Each module is attached to the overall robot via a pivot point and capable of independently controlling its orientation and velocity. This configuration allows the UGV to perform maneuvers conventional vehicles cannot perform, and in particular to control the body orientation separately from the movement direction. The locomotion method is mathematically analyzed to develop appropriate control algorithms and to demonstrate the vehicle performance criteria. A vehicle was constructed according to the proposed configuration and experimentally tested in the UK Ministry Of Defense grand challenge. The performance of the developed locomotion schemes helped the robot make it to the finale of the competition. Graphical Abstract
Clinical and epidemiological features of group A streptococcal bacteraemia in a region with hyperendemic superficial streptococcal infection

Reports of increasing incidence and severity of invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) infections come mainly from affluent populations where exposure to GAS is relatively infrequent. We conducted a 6-year retrospective review of GAS bacteraemia in the Northern Territory of Australia, comparing the Aboriginal population (24% of the study population), who have high rates of other streptococcal infections and sequelae, to the non-Aboriginal population. Of 72 episodes, 44 (61%) were in Aboriginal patients. All 12 cases in children were Aboriginal. Risk factors were implicated in 82% of episodes (91% in adults) and there was no significant difference in the proportion of Aboriginal compared to non-Aboriginal patients with at least one risk factor. Genetic typing of isolates revealed no dominant strains and no evidence of a clone which has been a common cause of these infections elsewhere.
Gonadotropin‐releasing hormone‐1 (GnRH‐1) is involved in tooth maturation and biomineralization

Gonadotropin releasing‐hormone‐1 (GnRH‐1) is expressed in mouse incisors during development. In this report, we identify (1) cell type(s) that express GnRH‐1 throughout tooth development, (2) the GnRH‐1 receptor, and (3) the role of GnRH‐1/GnRH‐1 receptor signaling in tooth maturation. Results show that GnRH‐1‐positive cells in dental epithelium differentiate and populate multiple tooth structures including ameloblast and papillary layers that are involved in enamel formation and mineralization. The GnRH‐1 receptor was present, and in vitro a GnRH‐1 antagonist attenuated incisor GnRH‐1 cell expression. In vivo, in mice lacking GnRH‐1 (−/−), the incisors were discolored, longer, and more curved compared to wildtype. Elemental analysis of calcium, phosphorus, and iron revealed changes in −/− incisors consistent with GnRH‐1 affecting movement of minerals into the dental matrix. In sum, in tooth development a signal transduction pathway exists for GnRH‐1 via the GnRH‐1 receptor and disruption of such signaling affects incisor growth and biomineralization. Developmental Dynamics 236:2980–2992, 2007. Published 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Qualitative Characteristics and Determining Shelf-Life of Milk Beverage Product Supplemented with Coffee Extracts

This study was conducted to establish the shelf-life of a milk beverage product supplemented with coffee extracts. Qualitative changes including peroxide value (PV), microorganism content, caffeine content, and sensory evaluation were measured periodically in beverages kept at 10, 20, and 30°C for 8 wk. Lipid oxidation of the product was measured by peroxide value analysis, and apparent changes were observed during a 4 wk storage period. Caffeine analysis revealed that the changes in caffeine content were negligible during the storage period. Total aerobic bacteria, Escherichia coli, yeast, and mold were not detected in the products during an 8 wk storage period. Sensory evaluation revealed that after 4 wk of storage overall acceptance was less than 3 points on a 5-point scale. In this study, PV was used as an indicator of the shelf-life of the milk beverage product. PV analysis revealed that a value of 20 meq/kg was the end of the shelf-life using the Arrhenius equation and the accelerated shelf-life test (ASLT). Assuming that the beverages are kept at 4°C during distribution, calculation of when the PV reached the quality limit point (20 meq/kg) was done with the equation ln(PV) = 0.3644X − 2.21834 and, using that equation, PV = e0.3644X-2.21834 was calculated. Therefore, 14.3086 wk was determined to be the shelf-life of the milk beverage supplemented with coffee when stored at 4°C.
Prospective evaluation of in vivo proton MR spectroscopy in differentiation of similar appearing intracranial cystic lesions

Proton MR spectroscopy (PMRS) has been found to be useful in differentiating various cystic intracranial lesions. The purpose of the present study was to prospectively evaluate the spectral pattern of various cystic lesions of brain with similar imaging appearances and to determine the accuracy of this technique in the differential diagnosis of these lesions. Fifty-one patients with intracranial cystic lesions (21 abscesses, 20 gliomas, 3 hydatid cysts, 3 arachnoid cysts, 1 case each of glioependymal cyst, xanthogranuloma, infarction and acoustic neuroma) were evaluated with conventional MR imaging and in vivo PMRS. Ex vivo PMRS of the cystic contents aspirated at surgery in 31 cases was also done to confirm the in-vivo results. Preoperative diagnosis of the lesions was based on the results of in vivo PMRS. In vivo PMRS accurately predicted the pathology in 92% of the cases. We conclude that in-vivo PMRS complements imaging in better characterization of cystic intracranial mass lesions. © 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.
Sex hormone levels and risks of estrogen receptor-negative and estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers.

BACKGROUND Endogenous sex hormone levels are associated with risks of breast cancer overall and estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast tumors; however, their associations with ER-negative tumors remain unclear. METHODS In a case-cohort study within the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study among postmenopausal women aged 50-79 years, we examined associations between endogenous testosterone and estradiol levels and the risks of ER-negative and ER-positive breast cancers. Serum levels of bioavailable testosterone and estradiol were assessed at the baseline visit in 317 invasive breast cancer case subjects and in a subcohort of 594 women. Bioavailable sex hormone levels were calculated using the total hormone level and the sex hormone-binding globulin concentration (measured by radioimmunoassays and a chemiluminescent immunoassay, respectively). Cox proportional hazards regression was used for statistical analysis. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULT The unadjusted absolute rates of ER-negative breast cancer for testosterone quartiles 1-4 were 0.34, 0.20, 0.23, and 0.21 per 10,000 person-years, respectively. Compared with women in the lowest quartile of testosterone level, those in quartile 2 had a 56% lower risk of ER-negative cancer (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.23 to 0.85), those in quartile 3 had a 45% lower risk (HR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.30 to 1.01), and those in quartile 4 had a 49% lower risk (HR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.28 to 0.94), independent of other risk factors. Estradiol level was not associated with ER-negative breast cancer. ER-positive breast cancer risk increased with higher testosterone levels (P(trend) = . 04), but this trend was not statistically significant after adjustment for estradiol (P(trend) = . 15). ER-positive cancer risk was approximately twofold higher in women with estradiol levels in quartiles 2-4 compared with women in quartile 1, independent of risk factors. CONCLUSION Higher serum levels of bioavailable testosterone are associated with lower risks of ER-negative breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
The effects of needle bevel orientation during epidural catheter insertion in laboring parturients.

UNLABELLED Lateral needle bevel orientation during identification of the epidural space has been recommended to reduce the risk of postdural puncture headache (PDPH). Rotation to cephalad or caudad orientation before catheter insertion is assumed necessary for analgesic success. We prospectively compared the effects of catheter insertion through lateral- and cephalad-oriented Tuohy needle bevels in laboring parturients. Anesthesiology residents were randomized to identify the epidural space with bevels oriented cephalad or lateral. Catheters were inserted without needle rotation. Outcomes compared included ease of insertion, analgesic effectiveness, and complications. We evaluated 534 catheter insertions in 500 parturients. Initial catheter insertion produced satisfactory analgesia in 80.2% of the lateral group versus 91.1% of the cephalad group (P < 0.001). Resistance preventing catheter insertion accounted for the difference. There were no differences in i.v. cannulation (5.8% vs 5.1%), dural puncture (3.8% vs 2.0%), PDPH (0.4% vs 0.7%), or asymmetric block (31% vs 27%). There was a slightly higher rate of paresthesias in the lateral group (31% vs 23%; P = 0.048). In 78% of parturients experiencing both paresthesias and asymmetric block, the side of the paresthesia and greater extent of block were the same. Analgesic effectiveness, as measured by using a visual analog scale, was not different between the groups. IMPLICATIONS Two methods of epidural catheter insertion were compared in laboring parturients. Catheter insertion with the needle orifice oriented cephalad was associated with the greatest initial success and the fewest complications.
Haloperidol induces the nuclear translocation of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase to disrupt Akt phosphorylation in PC12 cells.

OBJECTIVE The antipsychotic drug haloperidol (HAL) has been linked to apoptosis and to inhibition of prosurvival Akt signalling in pheochromocytoma (PC12) and neuronal cell cultures. However, the mechanism involved is unclear. METHODS We used HAL to induce cytotoxicity in preneuronal PC12 cells. The expression and the subcellular localization of selected components of the PI3K-Akt survival cascade were monitored with standard biochemical approaches, such as subcellular fractionation, western blot analysis, gene transfer and fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS PC12 cell stimulation with the epidermal growth factor (used as a control) results in normal processing of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signalling (e.g., localization of PI3K to the plasma membrane and phosphorylation of Akt (Ser473). Surprisingly, HAL induces PI3K-generated phosphoinositol [phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-triphosphate (PIP3), which conflicts with its ability to inhibit Akt. In fact, the production of PIP3s is nuclear, as assessed by the localized concentration of a fluorophore-tagged PIP3-targeting pleckstrin homology protein and a fluorophore-tagged substrate-trapping mutant of the phosphoinositide phosphatase, phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN). However, phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1, the activating kinase of Akt) does not colocalize to the nucleus with the PI3K complex. This effectively inactivates both cytoplasmic and nuclear pools of Akt. CONCLUSION The differential compartmentalization of effectors of the PI3K-PDK1-Akt pathway is a unique means by which HAL disrupts Akt functioning in PC12 cells.
FLT 3 and NPM 1 Gene Mutations in Childhood Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia

Acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) is a genetically heterogeneous clonal disorder caused by the accumulation of acquired somatic genetic alterations in hematopoietic progenitor cells leading to abnormal mechanisms of selfrenewal, proliferation and differentiation (Pui et al.,1995; Döhner et al., 2008). Approximately 40% to 50% of adult AML reveals chromosomal abnormalities that incurred significant clinical and prognosis features. Patients with inv(16) and t(15,17) are considered to have good risk cytogenetics while those with 5q-, 7q-, t(9,22), 11q23 rearrangment, and complex karyotypes are at risk of the worst outcomes (Gaidzik et al., 2008). Patients with normal chromosomal finding have been generally classified as an intermediate risk group (Estey et al., 2006; Gaidzik et al., 2008). Recent investigations have demonstrated that