Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Laparoscopic Repair for Perforated Peptic Ulcer: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ObjectiveTo compare the results of open versus laparoscopic repair for perforated peptic ulcers. Summary Background DataOmental patch repair with peritoneal lavage is the mainstay of treatment for perforated peptic ulcers in many institutions. Laparoscopic repair has been used to treat perforated peptic ulcers since 1990, but few randomized studies have been carried out to compare open versus laparoscopic procedures. MethodsFrom January 1994 to June 1997, 130 patients with a clinical diagnosis of perforated peptic ulcer were randomly assigned to undergo either open or laparoscopic omental patch repair. Patients were excluded for a history of upper abdominal surgery, concomitant evidence of bleeding from the ulcer, or gastric outlet obstruction. Patients with clinically sealed-off perforations without signs of peritonitis or sepsis were treated without surgery. Laparoscopic repair would be converted to an open procedure for technical difficulties, nonjuxtapyloric gastric ulcers, or perforations larger than 10 mm. A Gast- rografin meal was performed 48 to 72 hours after surgery to document sealing of the perforation. The primary end-point was perioperative parenteral analgesic requirement. Secondary endpoints were operative time, postoperative pain score, length of postoperative hospital stay, complications and deaths, and the date of return to normal daily activities. ResultsNine patients with a surgical diagnosis other than perforated peptic ulcer were excluded; 121 patients entered the final analysis. There were 98 male and 23 female patients recruited, ages 16 to 89 years. The two groups were comparable in age, sex, site and size of perforations, and American Society of Anesthesiology classification. There were nine conversions in the laparoscopic group. After surgery, patients in the laparoscopic group required significantly less parenteral analgesics than those who underwent open repair, and the visual analog pain scores in days 1 and 3 after surgery were significantly lower in the laparoscopic group as well. Laparoscopic repair required significantly less time to complete than open repair. The median postoperative stay was 6 days in the laparoscopic group versus 7 days in the open group. There were fewer chest infections in the laparoscopic group. There were two intraabdominal collections in the laparoscopic group. One patient in the laparoscopic group and three patients in the open group died after surgery. ConclusionsLaparoscopic repair of perforated peptic ulcer is a safe and reliable procedure. It was associated with a shorter operating time, less postoperative pain, reduced chest complications, a shorter postoperative hospital stay, and earlier return to normal daily activities than the conventional open repair.
Sustained Budget Deficits: Longer-Run U.S. Economic Performance and the Risk of Financial and Fiscal Disarray

The U.S. federal budget is on an unsustainable path. In the absence of significant policy changes, federal government deficits are expected to total around $5 trillion over the next decade. Such deficits will cause U.S. government debt, relative to GDP, to rise significantly. Thereafter, as the baby boomers increasingly reach retirement age and claim Social Security and Medicare benefits, government deficits and debt are likely to grow even more sharply. The scale of the nation's projected budgetary imbalances is now so large that the risk of severe adverse consequences must be taken very seriously, although it is impossible to predict when such consequences may occur. [© Brookings Institution]
Determination of Metabolic Stability Using Cryopreserved Hepatocytes from Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Trout provide a relatively easy source of hepatocytes that can be cryopreserved and used for a range of applications including toxicity testing and determination of intrinsic clearance. Standard protocols for isolating, cryopreserving, and thawing rainbow trout hepatocytes are described, along with procedures for using fresh or cryopreserved hepatocytes to assess metabolic stability of xenobiotics in fish by means of a substrate depletion approach. Variations on these methods, troubleshooting tips, and directions for use of extrapolation factors to express results in terms of in vivo intrinsic clearance are included. These protocols have been developed for rainbow trout, but can be adapted to other fish species with appropriate considerations. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Assessing Whole-Body Absorption Cross Section For Diffuse Exposure From Reverberation Chamber Measurements

An original experimental protocol is developed to assess the whole-body absorption cross section of objects with arbitrary shapes and materials in diffuse fields at any operating frequency. This approach is important for dosimetry specifically in realistic environments wherein diffuse fields can be prominent. For this application, the knowledge of the whole-body specific absorption rate is critical and can be determined from the human wholebody absorption cross section. The whole-body absorption cross section is obtained from measurements performed in a stirred-mode reverberating chamber processed with the high-resolution parameter estimator RiMAX. To validate the proposed approach and highlight its robustness, the whole-body absorption cross section of a cylindrical phantom is experimentally and numerically determined at 1800 MHz. For both methods, the whole-body absorption cross section is shown to be independent on the orientation of the transceivers, indicating that it is indeed caused by diffuse fields. A good agreement is obtained between experimental and numerical finite-difference time-domain results with a relative deviation of about 17%. From the validation of this approach, the measurement protocol is applied to a real human at 1800 MHz resulting in a whole-body absorption cross section of 0.95 m2, 1.01 m2, and 1.11 m2 for a sitting, standing, and standing with stretched arms posture, respectively.
The PDE4B gene confers sex-specific protection against schizophrenia

Background Phosphodiesterase 4B (PDE4B) is a candidate gene for schizophrenia and affective disorders through its disruption by a chromosomal translocation in an individual with schizophrenia, its inhibition by the antidepressant rolipram, and its physical interaction with another key candidate, Disrupted in Schizophrenia (DISC1). Objective To determine the contribution made by PDE4B to the population risk of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder by carrying out a case–control association study. Methods Twenty-six tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms were selected across the PDE4B gene and genotyped in DNA samples from 386 schizophrenia cases, 368 bipolar disorder cases and 455 controls. Main results Single single nucleotide polymorphisms and a resulting haplotype conferred a protective effect against schizophrenia in the female population. The haplotype result remained significant after correction for multiple testing (P=0.012). Conclusion The observation that a PDE4B haplotype alters the genetic risk of schizophrenia in the Scottish population complements the known participation of this gene in biological processes associated with mental illness. Further studies are needed to replicate this finding and identify underlying sequence variants.
Completion of myelin compaction, but not the attachment of oligodendroglial processes triggers K+ channel clustering

The characteristic localization of ion channels is crucial for the propagation of saltatory conduction in myelinated nerves. Voltage‐gated Na+ channels are located at nodes of Ranvier while voltage‐gated K+ channels are mainly found at juxtaparanodal regions. Recently, a humoral factor secreted by oligodendrocytes has been reported to induce clustering of Na+ channels in CNS axons. However, the molecular mechanisms for K+ channel clustering as well as the role of oligodendrocytes are still uncertain. To clarify whether myelin sheath itself can induce the distinct distribution of K+ channels, we have investigated the localization of K+ channels in adult and developing mouse optic nerves. The CNS axons from chronic demyelinating and hypomyelinating mice were also examined to determine if myelin sheaths were required for the maintenance of clusters. In all cases, the K+ channel clustering correlated well with compact myelin, but not with the presence of oligodendrocytes, suggesting that, in contrast to Na+ channel clustering, the formation of compact myelin is required for initiation as well as maintenance of K+ channel clustering. In addition, postsynaptic density protein‐95 (PSD‐95) or its highly related protein was found colocalized with K+ channels, suggesting that it may interact with K+ channels to form clusters at juxtaparanodal regions. J. Neurosci. Res. 58:752–764, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
QUANTIFICATION OF VITAMIN D RECEPTOR mRNA IN TISSUE SECTIONS DEMONSTRATES THE RELATIVE LIMITATIONS OF IN SITU‐REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE‐POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION

In situ‐reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (IS‐RT‐PCR) is a recently described technique that is used to localize low levels of mRNA within cells and tissue sections. One of the major criticisms levelled at this technique is that positive results may be meaningless, as amplification is required to demonstrate the transcripts of interest. The use of IS‐RT‐PCR to demonstrate mRNA for receptors for 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VDR) in sections of human kidney and bone has previously been described. To ascertain whether the levels of VDR mRNA detected following IS‐RT‐PCR were transcriptionally significant, computerized image analysis was used to determine the mean silver grain density in human kidney and bone cells following conventional in situ hybridization and after various cycles of IS‐RT‐PCR. Only a few cycles of PCR were needed to produce an optimum signal, but amplification of signal following IS‐RT‐PCR was found to be relatively inefficient. Following the optimum number of cycles of IS‐RT‐PCR in kidney sections, there was a less than four‐fold increase in signal. Similarly, in bone, the optimum signal detected was only approximately five times greater than that found with conventional in situ hybridization. These results clearly demonstrate that the increase in signal following IS‐RT‐PCR follows a more linear pattern and is relatively inefficient, compared with the usual exponential increase with conventional solution phase RT‐PCR. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ski7p G protein interacts with the exosome and the Ski complex for 3′‐to‐5′ mRNA decay in yeast

Two cytoplasmic mRNA‐decay pathways have been characterized in yeast, and both are initiated by shortening of the 3′‐poly(A) tail. In the major 5′‐to‐3′ decay pathway, the deadenylation triggers removal of the 5′‐cap, exposing the transcript body for 5′‐to‐3′ degradation. An alternative 3′‐to‐5′ decay pathway also follows the deadenylation and requires two multi‐complexes: the exosome containing various 3′‐exonucleases and the Ski complex consisting of the RNA helicase Ski2p, Ski3p and Ski8p. In addition, Ski7p, which has an N‐terminal domain and a C‐terminal elongation factor 1α‐like GTP‐binding domain, is involved in the 3′‐to‐5′ decay. However, physical interaction between the exosome and the Ski complex, together with the function of Ski7p, has remained unknown. Here we report that the N domain of Ski7p is required and sufficient for the 3′‐to‐5′ decay. Furthermore, the exosome and the Ski complex interact with the different regions of Ski7p N domain, and both interactions are required for the 3′‐to‐5′ decay. Thus, Ski7p G protein appears to function as a signal‐coupling factor between the two multi‐complexes operating in the 3′‐to‐5′ mRNA‐decay pathway.
Income and living conditions in Europe

This book is about the incomes and living standards of the people of Europe. It treats employment, income inequality and poverty, housing, health, education, deprivation and social exclusion. The reader will learn about many of the social issues confronting Europe. How much income poverty is there in Europe? Is inequality increasing? Does a job guarantee escape from income poverty? How is Europe’s welfare state coping with the economic crisis? The book is a timely contribution to the Europe 2020 Agenda as it explores ‘the new landscape of EU targets’ and the implications for monitoring at EU and national levels.
Justice among strangers. On altruism, inequality aversion and fairness

We present an axiomatic model of choice involving two agents, motivated by the experimental evidence on non-selfish preferences. We distinguish two classes of social preferences, depending on whether they are or not separable. Altruism and spite (Andreoni & Miller, 2002; Cox et al., 2007) are separable, while the various forms of inequality aversion are not (Fehr & Schmidt, 1999; Bolton & Ockenfels, 2000; Charness & Rabin, 2002). Separable and non-separable preferences give very close predictions when only sure outcomes are involved, but they make opposite predictions in choices involving lotteries. We show this by proposing a generalization of expected utility that accounts for preferences for i? ½fair proceduresi? ½, which violate the independence axiom. An experimental test of the model reveals little evidence of ex-post inequality aversion, even when non-expected utility preferences are accounted for.
Methionine transmethylation and transsulfuration in the piglet gastrointestinal tract

Methionine is an indispensable sulfur amino acid that functions as a key precursor for the synthesis of homocysteine and cysteine. Studies in adult humans suggest that splanchnic tissues convert dietary methionine to homocysteine and cysteine by means of transmethylation and transsulfuration, respectively. Studies in piglets show that significant metabolism of dietary indispensable amino acids occurs in the gastrointestinal tissues (GIT), yet the metabolic fate of methionine in GIT is unknown. We show here that 20% of the dietary methionine intake is metabolized by the GIT in piglets implanted with portal and arterial catheters and fed milk formula. Based on analyses from intraduodenal and intravenous infusions of [1-13C]methionine and [2H3]methionine, we found that the whole-body methionine transmethylation and remethylation rates were significantly higher during duodenal than intravenous tracer infusion. First-pass splanchnic metabolism accounted for 18% and 43% of the whole-body transmethylation and remethylation, respectively. Significant transmethylation and transsulfuration was demonstrated in the GIT, representing ≈27% and ≈23% of whole-body fluxes, respectively. The methionine used by the GIT was metabolized into homocysteine (31%), CO2 (40%), or tissue protein (29%). Cystathionine β-synthase mRNA and activity was present in multiple GITs, including intestinal epithelial cells, but was significantly lower than liver. We conclude that the GIT consumes 20% of the dietary methionine and is a significant site of net homocysteine production. Moreover, the GITs represent a significant site of whole-body transmethylation and transsulfuration, and these two pathways account for a majority of methionine used by the GITs.
Detailed deletion mapping at chromosome 9p21 in non‐small cell lung cancer by microsatellite analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization

We examined 82 cases of primary non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at the chromosome 9p21‐24 region using 16 microsatellite markers. A total of 52 tumors (63%) displayed LOH, and 25 of these cases displayed LOH for all markers. Two cases had small hemizygous losses confined to the p16 gene and more distal markers, whereas 3 cases had loss proximal to p16 and extended through marker D9S126. This latter region has recently been described as another minimal region of loss at 9p21 in lung cancer. However, homozygous deletion of the p16 gene was observed in 18 of 85 cases, with only 5 cases having large deletions extended into the D9S126 region. Furthermore, we did not observe homozygous deletion at the 9p21 region that excluded the p16 gene. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis using genomic probes spanning either the p16 or Hel‐N1 (located at D9S126) gene was performed in 14 tumors. The results from FISH correlated with the chromosomal mapping data, suggesting that the p16 region is the major target of deletion at chromosome 9p21 in primary NSCLC. Int. J. Cancer 74:588–592, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
1,4,5‐Inositol Trisphosphate‐Operated Intracellular Ca2+ Stores and Angiotensin‐II/Endothelin‐1 Signaling Pathway Are Functional in Human Embryonic Stem Cell‐Derived Cardiomyocytes

On the basis of previous findings suggesting that in human embryonic stem cell‐derived cardiomyocytes (hESC‐CM) the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+‐induced release of calcium machinery is either absent or immature, in the present study we tested the hypothesis that hESC‐CM contain fully functional 1,4,5‐inositol trisphosphate (1,4,5‐IP3)‐operated intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) stores that can be mobilized upon appropriate physiological stimuli. To test this hypothesis we investigated the effects of angiotensin‐II (AT‐II) and endothelin‐1 (ET‐1), which activate the 1,4,5‐IP3 pathway, on [Ca2+]i transients and contractions in beating clusters of hESC‐CM. Our major findings were that in paced hESC‐CM both AT‐II and ET‐1 (10−9 to 10−7 M) increased the contraction amplitude and the maximal rates of contraction and relaxation. In addition, AT‐II (10−9 to 10−7 M) increased the [Ca2+]i transient amplitude. The involvement of 1,4,5‐IP3‐dependent intracellular Ca2+ release in the inotropic effect of AT‐II was supported by the findings that (a) hESC‐CM express AT‐II, ET‐1, and 1,4,5‐IP3 receptors determined by immunofluorescence staining, and (b) the effects of AT‐II were blocked by 2 μM 2‐aminoethoxyphenyl borate (a 1,4,5‐IP3 receptor blocker) and U73122 (a phospholipase C blocker). In conclusion, these findings demonstrate for the first time that hESC‐CM exhibit functional AT‐II and ET‐1 signaling pathways, as well as 1,4,5‐IP3‐operated releasable Ca2+ stores.
Subnormal serum concentration of 1,25-vitamin D in human immunodeficiency virus infection: correlation with degree of immune deficiency and survival.

Vitamin D metabolites, immunologic, virologic, and clinical parameters, and survival time were determined in 22 asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients (CDC stage II/III), 31 symptomatic HIV-infected patients (CDC stage IV), and 28 HIV-seronegative controls. Significantly lower serum levels of 1,25-vitamin D (1,25D) were found in symptomatic patients (median, 34 pg/mL; 25th-75th percentile, 21-45) compared with controls (49 pg/mL; 39-59) and asymptomatic patients (45 pg/mL; 42-50). In HIV-infected subjects, the serum level of 1,25D was positively correlated with CD4+ cell counts in peripheral blood (r = .35, P < .05) and negatively correlated with the level of serum neopterin (r = -.36, P < .01). HIV-infected patients with abnormally low 1,25D (< 25 pg/mL) also had shorter survival times than other HIV-infected subjects (P < .01). Low 1,25D levels did not appear to be related to vitamin D deficiency.
Factors Associated With Women’s Reporting of Intimate Partner Violence in Spain

In Spain, in 2013, the 20% of women who were murdered by their partner had reported him previously. We analyze the 2011 Spanish-Macrosurvey on Gender Violence to identify and analyze the prevalence of and the principal factors associated with reporting a situation of intimate partner violence (IPV) and the main reasons women cite for not filing such reports, or for subsequently deciding to withdraw their complaint. Overall, 72.8% of women exposed to IPV did not report their aggressor. The most frequent reasons for not reporting were not giving importance to the situation (33.9%), and fear and lack of trust in the reporting process (21.3%). The main reasons for withdrawing the complaint were cessation of the violence (20.0%), and fear and threats (18.2%). The probability of reporting increased among women with young children who were abused, prevalence ratio (95% confidence interval [CI]): 2.14 [1.54, 2.98], and those whose mother was abused, prevalence ratio (95% CI): 2.25 [1.42, 3.57]. Always focusing on the need to protect women who report abuse, it is necessary to promote the availability of and access to legal resources especially among women who use them less: women who do not have children and women who do not have previous family exposure to violence.
Noninvasive, Quantitative Assessment of Liver Fat by MRI‐PDFF as an Endpoint in NASH Trials

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide, and the progressive form of this condition, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), has become one of the leading indications for liver transplantation. Despite intensive investigations, there are currently no United States Food and Drug Administration–approved therapies for treating NASH. A major barrier for drug development in NASH is that treatment response assessment continues to require liver biopsy, which is invasive and interpreted subjectively. Therefore, there is a major unmet need for developing noninvasive, objective, and quantitative biomarkers for diagnosis and assessment of treatment response. Emerging data support the use of magnetic resonance imaging–derived proton density fat fraction (MRI‐PDFF) as a noninvasive, quantitative, and accurate measure of liver fat content to assess treatment response in early‐phase NASH trials. In this review, we discuss the role and utility, including potential sample size reduction, of MRI‐PDFF as a quantitative and noninvasive imaging‐based biomarker in early‐phase NASH trials.
Vagal modulation and symptomatology following a 6-month aerobic exercise program for women with fibromyalgia.

OBJECTIVES To examine the effects of a supervised aerobic exercise programme on heart rate variability (HRV) parameters and symptom severity in women with fibromyalgia (FM). METHODS Thirty-two women with FM were randomly allocated to one of two groups: aerobic exercise (AE) or usual care control for 24 weeks. Women allocated to AE performed two aerobic exercise sessions per week of 45-60 min duration including 15-20 min of steady-state aerobic exercise at 60-65% of predicted maximum heart rate (HRmax) and 15 min of interval training at 75-80% HRmax (six repetitions of 1.5 min, with 1 min interpolated rest intervals). Cardiac autonomic modulation was assessed using power spectral analysis of HRV. Symptom severity was assessed by a 10 cm visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, sleep disturbances, stiffness, anxiety and depression. RESULTS After 24 weeks, the women in the exercise group showed an increase (4.8 ± 0.2 to 5.2 ± 0.2) in total power (LnTP, p<0.001), low frequency power (LnLF, p<0.01), high frequency power (LnHF, p<0.001), and the root-mean-square of successive R-R intervals (rMSSD, p<0.001). In addition, significant group-by-time interaction effects were observed for LnHF (p=0.036) and LnLF/HF (p=0.014). Improvements in anxiety and depression were also observed in AE versus control patients. CONCLUSIONS These results show that a programme of aerobic exercise training induced changes in cardiac autonomic nervous system modulation in FM and that these changes in HRV parameters were accompanied by changes in anxiety and depression.
Presentation of personalized information using anthropomorphous agents

This paper proposes a method to present personalized information effectively using multiple anthropomorphous agents that know the user's preferences. Conventionally, techniques such as filtering and sorting are used to show the information customized for each user, but it is difficult to naturally reflect human multi-dimensional preferences in such a presentation format. In the proposed method, each agent has a specific viewpoint and interactively points at the contents that the user will be interested in. This technique has been applied to an Internet-based information service for registered PC users.