Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk Factors for Women to Have Urodynamic Stress Urinary Incontinence at A Turkish Tertiary Referral Center: A Multivariate Analysis Study.

PURPOSE To investigate the risk factors in women with urodynamic stress urinary incontinence (USTIC) at a Turkish tertiary referral center. MATERIALS AND METHODS The urodynamic records of 3038 consecutive women were analyzed between 1990 and 2011. The patients who had etiological factor of neurologic disease were excluded. There were 1187 women who had USTIC after urodynamic investigation and 274 women who had no incontinence symptoms were included in the study. Multivariate analyses were done using logistic regression test to determine the risk factors for USTIC. RESULTS The mean age was 50.1 years (range, 86-18). Increased age, vaginal delivery, cesarean section, anterior prolapse existence in physical examination, previous anti-incontinence surgery, and previous pelvic organ prolapse surgery was found to be significant risk factors for USTIC at multivariate analyses. CONCLUSION There are risk factors for women to have USTIC. Increased age, having vaginal delivery, having cesarean section, anterior prolapse, previous anti-incontinence surgery and previous prolapse surgery were found to be risk factors for women to have USTIC at this study.
Worse outcomes in patients undergoing urgent surgery for left-sided diverticulitis admitted on weekends vs weekdays: a population-based study of 31 832 patients.

HYPOTHESIS Among patients undergoing urgent surgery for left-sided diverticulitis, those admitted on weekends vs weekdays have higher rates of Hartmann procedure and adverse outcomes. DESIGN Analysis of data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample between January 2002 and December 2008. Unadjusted and risk-adjusted generalized linear regression models were used. SETTING Academic research. PATIENTS Data on patients undergoing urgent surgery for acute diverticulitis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Rates of Hartmann procedure vs primary anastomosis, complications, length of hospital stay, and total hospital charges. RESULTS In total, 31 832 patients were included; 7066 (22.2%) were admitted on weekends, and 24 766 (77.8%) were admitted on weekdays. The mean (SD) age of patients was 60.8 (15.3) years, and 16 830 (52.9%) were female. A Hartmann procedure was performed in 4580 patients (64.8%) admitted on weekends compared with 13 351 patients (53.9%) admitted on weekdays (risk-adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.57; P < .001). In risk-adjusted analyses, patients admitted on weekends had significantly higher risk for any postoperative complication (OR, 1.10; P = .005) and nonroutine hospital discharge (OR, 1.33; P < .001) compared with patients admitted on weekdays, as well as a median length of hospital stay that was 0.5 days longer and median total hospital charges that were $3734 higher (P < .001 for both). CONCLUSIONS Patients undergoing urgent surgery for left-sided diverticulitis who are admitted on a weekend have a higher risk for undergoing a Hartmann procedure and worse short-term outcomes compared with patients who are admitted on a weekday. Further research is warranted to investigate possible underlying mechanisms and to develop strategies for reducing this substantial weekend effect.
First-time admissions with alcohol-related medical problems: a 10-year follow-up of a national sample of alcoholic patients.

OBJECTIVE We estimated the rate of first-time hospital admission over 10 years with alcohol-related medical problems among a large national sample of patients with diagnosed alcohol abuse disorders. METHOD We identified a nationwide cohort of all patients (N = 46,680) discharged in 1980 from all Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers with alcohol-related diagnoses. Two comparison cohorts also were identified: patients with musculoskeletal disorders (N = 18,231) and a random sample of nonalcoholic patients (N = 45,204). Using secondary databases, ICD-9-CM coded diagnostic information was collected for all VA inpatient admissions these patients experienced over the decade following their index hospitalizations. Admission rates within age strata and age/race standardized rates were computed. Adjusted rate ratios were estimated using Poisson regression. RESULTS Alcoholic patients were at substantial risk of admission for multiple medical disorders. Admission rates varied for patients of different ages. Those who were between 50 and 59 years of age during their index hospital stay were at the highest risk of admission with an alcohol-related medical disease over the subsequent decade. CONCLUSIONS The admission rates for these medical disorders among alcoholic patients provide an important baseline estimate of individual patients' risk profiles and may help providers set priorities among diagnostic tests.
Disturbed Expression of Sox9 in Pre-Sertoli Cells Underlies Sex-Reversal in Mice B6.Ytir1

Abstract Sry in some varieties of Mus musculus domesticus fails to form normal testis when introduced into the C57BL/6J (B6) strain. We studied the developmental pattern of pre-Sertoli cells that express Sox9 by immunofluorescence and the profile levels of Sox9 transcripts by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization in developing gonads of B6-Ytir mice. Sox9-positive cells (pre-Sertoli cells) appeared in all B6.Ytir genital ridges at 11.5 and 12.5 days postcoitum (dpc). However, at 13.5 dpc, Sox9-positive cells were not detected only in 50% of the B6.Ytir gonads compared with 100% of B6 gonads. Although pre-Sertoli cells formed the seminiferous cords after 14.5 dpc in the medial region of the B6.Ytir gonad, the cranial and caudal regions formed ovarian tissue. Further, B6.Ytir ovaries have lower levels of Sox9 than ovotestes at all fetal stages. These results suggest that although the pre-Sertoli cell lineage forms in B6.Ytir genital ridges, its further differentiation into Sertoli cells is apparently prevented. The cause may be the low levels of Sox9 and down-regulation of its product. Results suggest that inhibitory signals of Sox9 acting along the whole genital ridge or only at its cranial and/or caudal regions underlie formation of B6.Ytir ovaries or ovotestes, respectively. Furthermore, our results suggest that infertility of B6.Ytir females may be due to the abnormal presence of Sox9 transcripts in their ovaries.
A Low-Leakage Open-Loop Frequency Synthesizer Allowing Small-Area On-Chip Loop Filter

A frequency synthesizer targeting low-power packet-based frequency-shift-keying (FSK) applications using open-loop modulation of the oscillator is presented. Unlike conventional implementations, the proposed synthesizer is open both when transmitting and receiving data. It is, therefore, possible to use a wide loop-filter bandwidth without violating the noise or spurious requirements. A wideband loop-filter can be implemented using small component values, allowing an on-chip loop filter. To handle the frequency drift associated with open-loop implementations, a low-leakage charge pump is proposed. The synthesizer is implemented using a 0.18-mum CMOS process. The total power consumption is 9 mW, and the circuit area including the voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) inductors and on-chip loop-filter is 0.32 mm2. The measured frequency drift indicates a leakage current of below 2 fA.
Computational Evaluation of Aortic Aneurysm Rupture Risk: What Have We Learned So Far?

In current clinical practice, aneurysm diameter is one of the primary criteria used to decide when to treat a patient with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). It has been shown that simple association of aneurysm diameter with the probability of rupture is not sufficient, and other parameters may also play a role in causing or predisposing to AAA rupture. Peak wall stress (PWS), intraluminal thrombus (ILT), and AAA wall mechanics are the factors most implicated with rupture risk and have been studied by computational risk evaluation techniques. The objective of this review is to examine these factors that have been found to influence AAA rupture. The prediction rate of rupture among computational models depends on the level of model complexity and the predictive value of the biomechanical parameters used to assess risk, such as PWS, distribution of ILT, wall strength, and the site of rupture. There is a need for simpler geometric analogues, including geometric parameters (e.g., lumen tortuosity and neck length and angulation) that correlate well with PWS, conjugated with clinical risk factors for constructing rupture risk predictive models. Such models should be supported by novel imaging techniques to provide the required patient-specific data and validated through large, prospective clinical trials.
Screening of Active Lyssavirus Infection in Wild Bat Populations by Viral RNA Detection on Oropharyngeal Swabs

ABSTRACT Brain analysis cannot be used for the investigation of active lyssavirus infection in healthy bats because most bat species are protected by conservation directives. Consequently, serology remains the only tool for performing virological studies on natural bat populations; however, the presence of antibodies merely reflects past exposure to the virus and is not a valid marker of active infection. This work describes a new nested reverse transcription (RT)-PCR technique specifically designed for the detection of the European bat virus 1 on oropharyngeal swabs obtained from bats but also able to amplify RNA from the remaining rabies-related lyssaviruses in brain samples. The technique was successfully used for surveillance of a serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus) colony involved in a case of human exposure, in which 15 out of 71 oropharyngeal swabs were positive. Lyssavirus infection was detected on 13 oropharyngeal swabs but in only 5 brains out of the 34 animals from which simultaneous brain and oropharyngeal samples had been taken. The lyssavirus involved could be rapidly identified by automatic sequencing of the RT-PCR products obtained from 14 brains and three bat oropharyngeal swabs. In conclusion, RT-PCR using oropharyngeal swabs will permit screening of wild bat populations for active lyssavirus infection, for research or epidemiological purposes, in line not only with conservation policies but also in a more efficient manner than classical detection techniques used on the brain.
Increased basal‐ganglia activation performing a non‐dystonia‐related task in focal dystonia

Background and purpose: We tried to determine whether altered sensorimotor cortex and basal‐ganglia activation in blepharospasm (BSP) and cervical dystonia (CD) are restricted to areas directly responsible for the innervation of dystonic muscles, or whether impairment in focal dystonia reaches beyond these direct associations supporting a more global disturbance of sensory and motor control in focal dystonia.
Cellular localization of lipoteichoic acid in Streptococcus faecalis

The release of lipoteichoic acid and mesosomal vesicles to the supernatant buffer during the formation of spherical, osmotically fragile bodies was studied using Streptococcus faecalis ATCC 9790. Autolytic N-acetylmuramidase action was permitted to take place in exponential-phase cells incubated in a buffer which provides an exceptional degree of osmotic stabilization. Both lipoteichoic acid and mesosomal vesicles were relatively rapidly released to the supernatant buffer. Most of the cellular content of lipoteichoic acid (and mesosomal vesicles) was found in the supernatant buffer at incubation times when the cells still retained over 75% of their cell wall. [14-C]- or [3-H]glycerol was used as a label for both cellular lipoteichoic acids and lipid-glycerol. Glycerol in lipoteichoic acid was quantitated after phenol-water and chloroform-methanol treatments and identified by products of acid hydrolysis and its ability to be precipitated by (i) antibodies specific for the polyglycerol-phosphate backbone, (ii) antibodies to the streptococcal group D antigen, and (iii) concanavalin A. Evidence was obtained that lipoteichoic acid was not associated with isolated mesosomal vesicles. Centrifugation of supernates at 200,000 X g sedimented membranous (mesosomal) vesicles and nearly all of the lipid-glycerol present, whereas essentially all of the lipoteichoic acid remained in the supernatant. The sedimented mesosomal vesicles differed from protoplast membrane in their higher lipid-phosphorus to protein ratio and in the absence of detectable levels of two enzymatic activities found in protoplast membranes, adenosine triphosphatase and polynucleotide phosphorylase. Both types of membranes were found to contain DD-carboxypeptidase and LD-transpeptidase activities at nearly the same specific activities. No evidence was obtained for the association of autolytic N-acetylmuramidase activity with either type of membrane preparation.
Immunoisolation of TCR Signaling Complexes from Jurkat T Leukemic Cells

The formation of multimolecular assemblies of signaling molecules at the plasma membrane is key to triggering signaling cascades following activation of transmembrane receptors at the plasma membrane. We have developed a method to immunoisolate activated T cell receptors (TCRs) and associated signaling molecules in plasma membrane subdomains from Jurkat T leukemic cells. The immunoisolation procedure for the signaling complexes uses magnetic beads, which are coupled to TCR-activating antibodies. Following mechanical cellular disruption using nitrogen cavitation, conjugates of these beads with Jurkat cells are formed and isolated. TCR-signaling complexes within plasma membrane fragments associate with the antibody-coupled beads and are retrieved along with the beads using a magnet. We found that the immunoisolated plasma membrane fragments are highly enriched for activated TCRs and associated signaling proteins. This isolation procedure allows a detailed and precise biochemical analysis of the assembly of signaling proteins in plasma membrane subdomains.
Leadership in science and medicine: can you see the gap?

We all have noticed a big increase in the number of scientific publications related to injury prevention and performance enhancement in football in the last 10–15 years. Despite that our impact as sports science and medicine staff in football teams may have not improved to a similar extent. In a recent survey with staff from high-level football teams they perceive the impact of their work on injury prevention being lower than expected (Akenhead and Nassis 2016). The figures also show an increased number of training hamstring injuries in high-level football in the period 2001–2014 (Ekstrand et al. 2016), and this could be related to the poor adoption of injury prevention exercises by players (Bahr et al. 2015). Apparently there is a gap between scientific knowledge and the impact this knowledge is making on the field.
Precarious work and precarious resistance: a case study of Zimbabwean migrant women workers in Johannesburg, South Africa

ABSTRACT While recognizing that women are part of the most vulnerable sections of migrant communities, the article affirms their social agency by locating their responses to difficulties they face as migrants within a framework of precarious resistance. Based on in-depth interviews with Zimbabwean migrant women working in Johannesburg, South Africa, the article discusses a duality of precarious work and precarious resistance. Women who would have been carers of families at their homes in Zimbabwe, and been supported financially by men who worked in the cities like Johannesburg, are now breadwinners who take risks by travelling to Johannesburg in search of work. The first aspect dealt with in this paper narrates problems faced by the women when travelling to Johannesburg. Being women doubles the risk in a way as the women have to deal with violence against women and generalized lack of basic services and goods like those necessary for female hygiene and washing facilities. Arriving in Johannesburg means the beginning of a new struggle of searching for work and finding work which tends to be precarious. As a response to this precariousness, the second aspect of this duality comes into play where the female workers amass strategies and tactics which are defined as precarious resistance, because they are individualized and isolated. However, networks play a major role in anchoring precarious resistance of the women migrants who work as precarious workers in Johannesburg.
Pediatric HIV-1-infection: perspectives on vaccination strategies and immune reconstitution during long-term antiretroviral therapy

Disclaimer/Complaints regulations If you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: http://uba.uva. nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You will be contacted as soon as possible.
Attitude and Loyalty to Two Brands of Beer of the Same Producer

Abstract The focus of the presented research is attitude and loyalty to two brands of beer produced by the Carlsberg Group – Tuborg and Carlsberg. Both beers are lagers. The Carlsberg Group markets Tuborg as a more premium brand, and it also aims to promote it to women. Unlike in the Netherlands with one brand – Heineken and unlike in the Czech Republic with many well-known brands by a multitude of producers, the Danish case gives a unique opportunity to investigate if customers truly prefer one of two brands or are approximately equally low with regards to both brands as it is produced by the same company and tastes very similarly (if not the same). The survey was conducted in Denmark. Respondents were Danish (not international) university students; such selection was done in order to ensure familiarity of respondents with both brands.
Representing potential energy surfaces by high-dimensional neural network potentials

The development of interatomic potentials employing artificial neural networks has seen tremendous progress in recent years. While until recently the applicability of neural network potentials (NNPs) has been restricted to low-dimensional systems, this limitation has now been overcome and high-dimensional NNPs can be used in large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of thousands of atoms. NNPs are constructed by adjusting a set of parameters using data from electronic structure calculations, and in many cases energies and forces can be obtained with very high accuracy. Therefore, NNP-based simulation results are often very close to those gained by a direct application of first-principles methods. In this review, the basic methodology of high-dimensional NNPs will be presented with a special focus on the scope and the remaining limitations of this approach. The development of NNPs requires substantial computational effort as typically thousands of reference calculations are required. Still, if the problem to be studied involves very large systems or long simulation times this overhead is regained quickly. Further, the method is still limited to systems containing about three or four chemical elements due to the rapidly increasing complexity of the configuration space, although many atoms of each species can be present. Due to the ability of NNPs to describe even extremely complex atomic configurations with excellent accuracy irrespective of the nature of the atomic interactions, they represent a general and therefore widely applicable technique, e.g. for addressing problems in materials science, for investigating properties of interfaces, and for studying solvation processes.
A prospective randomized comparison of laparoscopic appendectomy with open appendectomy: Clinical and economic analyses.

BACKGROUND Previous randomized studies of laparoscopic appendectomy produced conflicting recommendations, and the adequacy of sample sizes is generally unknown. We compared clinical and economic outcomes after laparoscopic and open appendectomy in a sample of predetermined statistical power. METHODS A pre-study power analysis suggested that 200 randomized patients would yield 80% power to show a mean decrease of 1.3 days' hospitalization. One hundred ninety-eight patients with a preoperative diagnosis of acute appendicitis were randomized prospectively to laparoscopic or open appendectomy. Economic analysis included billed charges, total costs, direct costs, and indirect costs associated with treatment. RESULTS Laparoscopic appendectomy took longer to perform than open appendectomy (median, 107 vs 91 minutes; P <.01) and was associated with fewer days to return to a general diet (mean, 1.6 versus 2.3 days; P <.01), a shorter duration of parenteral analgesia (mean, 1.6 versus 2.2 days; P <.01), fewer morphine-equivalent milligrams of parenteral narcotic (median, 14 mg versus 34 mg; P =.001), a shorter postoperative hospital stay (mean, 2.6 versus 3.4 days; P <.01), and earlier return to full activity (median, 14 versus 21 days; P <.02). However, operative morbidity and time to return to work were comparable. Billed charges and direct costs were not significantly different in the 2 groups ($7711 versus $7146 and $5357 versus $4945, respectively), but total costs (including indirect costs) of laparoscopic appendectomy were, on average, nearly $2400 less, given the shorter length of stay and abbreviated recuperative period ($11,577 versus $13,965). Subgroup analyses suggested the benefit of a laparoscopic approach for uncomplicated appendicitis and for patients with active lifestyles. CONCLUSIONS While laparoscopic appendectomy is associated with statistically significant but clinically questionable advantages over open appendectomy, a laparoscopic approach is relatively less expensive. The estimated difference in total costs of treatment (direct and indirect costs) was at least $2000 in more than 60% of the bootstrapped iterations. The economic significance and implications favoring a laparoscopic approach cannot be ignored.
Challenges and strategies in transcriptome assembly and differential gene expression quantification. A comprehensive in silico assessment of RNA‐seq experiments

Transcriptome Shotgun Sequencing (RNA‐seq) has been readily embraced by geneticists and molecular ecologists alike. As with all high‐throughput technologies, it is critical to understand which analytic strategies are best suited and which parameters may bias the interpretation of the data. Here we use a comprehensive simulation approach to explore how various features of the transcriptome (complexity, degree of polymorphism π, alternative splicing), technological processing (sequencing error ε, library normalization) and bioinformatic workflow (de novo vs. mapping assembly, reference genome quality) impact transcriptome quality and inference of differential gene expression (DE). We find that transcriptome assembly and gene expression profiling (EdgeR vs. BaySeq software) works well even in the absence of a reference genome and is robust across a broad range of parameters. We advise against library normalization and in most situations advocate mapping assemblies to an annotated genome of a divergent sister clade, which generally outperformed de novo assembly (Trans‐Abyss, Trinity, Soapdenovo‐Trans). Transcriptome complexity (size, paralogs, alternative splicing isoforms) negatively affected the assembly and DE profiling, whereas the effects of sequencing error and polymorphism were almost negligible. Finally, we highlight the challenge of gene name assignment for de novo assemblies, the importance of mapping strategies and raise awareness of challenges associated with the quality of reference genomes. Overall, our results have significant practical and methodological implications and can provide guidance in the design and analysis of RNA‐seq experiments, particularly for organisms where genomic background information is lacking.