Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased Risk of Acute Pancreatitis and Biliary Disease Observed in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to assess the risk of acute pancreatitis in patients with type 2 diabetes compared with that in patients without diabetes. We also examined the risk of biliary disease (defined as occurrence of cholelithiasis, acute cholecystitis, or cholecystectomy), which is a major cause of pancreatitis. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study using a large, geographically diverse U.S. health care claims database. Eligible patients (≥18 years) were enrolled for at least 12 continuous months (1999–2005), with no incident events of pancreatitis or biliary disease during that 1 year baseline period. ICD-9 codes and prescription data were used to identify patients with type 2 diabetes; ICD-9 codes were also used to identify cases of pancreatitis and biliary disease. Overall, 337,067 patients with type 2 diabetes were matched on age and sex with 337,067 patients without diabetes. Incidence rates of disease and 95% CI were calculated per 100,000 person-years of exposure. RESULTS The type 2 diabetic cohort had a 2.83-fold (95% CI 2.61–3.06) greater risk of pancreatitis and 1.91-fold (1.84–1.99) greater risk of biliary disease compared with the nondiabetic cohort. Relative to patients of corresponding age without diabetes, younger type 2 diabetic patients had the highest risk of pancreatitis (<45 years: incidence rate ratio [IRR] 5.26 [95% CI 4.31–6.42]; ≥45 years: 2.44 [2.23–2.66]). CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that patients with type 2 diabetes may have an increased risk of acute pancreatitis and biliary disease.
Transcanalicular Diode Laser Assisted Dacryocystorhinostomy in Primary Acquired Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction: 2-Year Follow Up

Purpose: To evaluate the success rate of 980 nm transcanalicular diode laser-assisted dacryocystorhinostomy (TDL-DCR) in patients with primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO) and to consider the time and the reasons of failure. Methods: Hundred and thirty eyes of 125 patients who underwent of TDL-DCR for the treatment of PANDO are included in this retrospective, noncomparative, nonrandomized, interventional study. The mean follow-up time was 24.29 months (range 8–34 months). Functional success was described as disappearance of epiphora and presence of a patent ostium on lacrimal irrigation. Anatomical success was described as a patent ostium to irrigation but continuing epiphora. Patients with persistent epiphora and a closed ostium were classified as a surgical failure. Results: At third month follow up, 85.4% of cases had complete resolution of their symptoms. The functional success rate decreased to 67.7% at 6 months, to 63.3% at first year, and to 60.3% at second year, while the patency of the lacrimal drainage system was restored in 93.1%, 74.6%, 69.5%, and 68.2% of the cases, respectively. The average total amount of delivered laser energy was 1322.7 J. No correlation could be found between the age of the patient, delivered laser energy, and the surgical success (p = 0.38, p = 0.62). Conclusions: Transcanalicular diode laser-assisted DCR is a fast and relatively easy alternative surgical method, which avoids a facial skin scar, to treat PANDO. The functional success rate is higher in the first months but decreases to low 60 %’s at the end of first year and remains the same at the second-year follow up.
Transponders for millimeter wave identification

Radio frequency identification at millimeter waves enables new applications, such as high data rate short range communication, location sensing through narrow-beam antennas etc. In this paper two transponders designs for 60 GHz Millimeter wave identification (MMID) system are presented. One transponder consists of a Schottky diode and an antenna on LCP and the other of a backward tunneling diode and an antenna on LTCC. The design, fabrication and measurements of the two designs are presented, and compared to simulations and each other.
The roles of the MCM, ORC, and Cdc6 proteins in determining the replication competence of chromatin in quiescent cells.

Most eukaryotic cell types can withdraw from proliferative cell cycles and remain quiescent for extended periods. Intact nuclei isolated from quiescent murine NIH3T3 cells fail to replicate in vitro when incubated in Xenopus egg extracts, although intact nuclei from proliferating cells replicate well. Permeabilization of the nuclear envelope rescues the ability of quiescent nuclei to replicate in the extract. We show that origin replication complex (ORC), minichromosome maintenance (MCM), and Cdc6 proteins are all present in early quiescent cells. Immunodepletion of Cdc6 or the MCM complex from Xenopus egg extract inhibits replication of permeable, quiescent, but not proliferating, NIH3T3 nuclei. Immunoblotting results demonstrate that mouse homologues of Mcm2, Mcm5, and Cdc6 are displaced from chromatin in quiescent cells. However, this absence of chromatin-bound Cdc6 and MCM proteins from quiescent cells appears not to be due to the absence of ORC subunits as murine homologues of Orc1 and Orc2 remain chromatin-bound in quiescent cells. Surprisingly, intact quiescent nuclei fail to bind exogenously added XCdc6 or to replicate in Xenopus egg extracts immunodepleted of ORC, even though G1- or S-phase nuclei still replicate in these extracts. Our results identify Cdc6 and the MCM complex as essential replication components absent from quiescent chromatin due to nonfunctional chromatin-bound ORC proteins. These results can explain why quiescent mammalian nuclei are unable to replicate in vivo and in Xenopus egg extracts.
Degenerative Magnetic Resonance Imaging Changes in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review

Study Design. Systematic review. Objective. To systematically search for critically appraise and summarize studies that (1) evaluated the association between degenerative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes and chronic low back pain (CLBP) and (2) compared surgical and nonsurgical treatment of these degenerative MRI changes. Summary of Background Data. The role of routine MRI in patients with CLBP is unclear. It is also uncertain whether or not surgical treatment of degenerative MRI changes results in alleviation of back pain. Methods. Systematic literature searches were conducted in PubMed for studies published through March 1, 2011. To evaluate whether MRI degenerative changes are associated with CLBP, studies that were designed to compare the prevalence of MRI changes among subjects with and without CLBP were sought. The prevalence odds ratio was used to compare the odds of degenerative MRI findings in subjects with CLBP to the odds of such findings among those without CLBP. To evaluate whether surgical treatment of degenerative MRI changes is associated with different outcomes compared with nonsurgical treatment, comparative studies were sought. The GRADE system as applied to describe the strength of the overall body of evidence. Results. Regarding the association of degenerative changes on MRI and CLBP, five studies were included, all of which were cross-sectional in design. On the basis of these studies, a statistically significant association was found in all but one study regarding the presence of disc degeneration and CLBP (odds ratio range: 1.8–2.8). The overall strength of evidence across studies was considered to be insufficient, however. No comparative studies of surgical versus nonsurgical treatment of degenerative MRI changes were identified. Conclusion. Although there may be an association between degenerative MRI changes and CLBP, it is unknown if these estimates accurately represent the association given the quality of included studies, lack of a direct link between degenerative MRI changes and CLBP, and heterogeneity across studies. Thus, a strong recommendation against the routine use of MRI for CLBP evaluation is made. Since there are no data evaluating the efficacy of the surgical treatment of degenerative MRI changes, a strong recommendation is made against the surgical treatment of CLBP based solely upon degenerative MRI changes. Clinical Recommendations.Recommendation 1: There is insufficient evidence to support the routine use of MRI in patients with CLBP. Recommendation: StrongRecommendation 2: Surgical treatment of CLBP based exclusively on MRI findings of degenerative changes is not recommended. Recommendation: Strong
The CUPID (Cultural and Psychosocial Influences on Disability) Study: Methods of Data Collection and Characteristics of Study Sample

Background The CUPID (Cultural and Psychosocial Influences on Disability) study was established to explore the hypothesis that common musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and associated disability are importantly influenced by culturally determined health beliefs and expectations. This paper describes the methods of data collection and various characteristics of the study sample. Methods/Principal Findings A standardised questionnaire covering musculoskeletal symptoms, disability and potential risk factors, was used to collect information from 47 samples of nurses, office workers, and other (mostly manual) workers in 18 countries from six continents. In addition, local investigators provided data on economic aspects of employment for each occupational group. Participation exceeded 80% in 33 of the 47 occupational groups, and after pre-specified exclusions, analysis was based on 12,426 subjects (92 to 1018 per occupational group). As expected, there was high usage of computer keyboards by office workers, while nurses had the highest prevalence of heavy manual lifting in all but one country. There was substantial heterogeneity between occupational groups in economic and psychosocial aspects of work; three- to five-fold variation in awareness of someone outside work with musculoskeletal pain; and more than ten-fold variation in the prevalence of adverse health beliefs about back and arm pain, and in awareness of terms such as “repetitive strain injury” (RSI). Conclusions/Significance The large differences in psychosocial risk factors (including knowledge and beliefs about MSDs) between occupational groups should allow the study hypothesis to be addressed effectively.
Cross-Country Interactions, the Great Moderation and the Role of Output Volatility in Growth

This paper investigates the effect of output volatility and the great moderation on growth in a model that simultaneously accounts for cross-country interactions, structural breaks and heterogeneous effects. This is done by augmenting the univariate GARCH-M model of growth for each G7 country with cross-country weighted averages of growth and shift dummies. I find that volatility affects growth positively, that there is a great moderation in five of the G7 countries and that the great moderation has a negative effect on growth in all G7 countries. A simulation exercise shows that cross-country interactions are important in estimating the volatility effect.
Catabolite repression in Bacillus subtilis: a global regulatory mechanism for the Gram‐positive bacteria?

Three components involved in catabolite repression (CR) of gene expression in Bacillus have been identified. The cis‐acting catabolite responsive element (CRE), which is present in many genes encoding carbon catabolic enzymes in various species of the Gram‐positive bacteria, mediates CR of several genes in Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium, and Staphylococcus xylosus. CR of most genes regulated via CRE is also affected by the trans‐acting factors CcpA and HPr. Similarities between CcpA and Lac and Gal repressors suggest binding of CcpA to CRE. HPr, a component of the phosphoenol pyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system, undergoes regulatory phosphorylation at a serine residue by a fcuctose‐1,6‐diphosphate‐activated kinase. A mutant of HPr, which is not phosphorylatable at this position because of an exchange of serine to alanine, lacks CR of several catabolic activities. This mutant phenotype is similar to the one exhibited by a ccpA mutant. Direct protein‐protein interaction between CcpA and HPr(Ser‐P) was recently demonstrated and constitutes a link between metabolic activity and CR.
Association study of STAT4 polymorphisms and type 1 diabetes in Northeastern Chinese Han population.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an organ-specific, T-cell-mediated disease resulting from the selective destruction of pancreatic β cells. The signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) gene is one of the most interesting genes for the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, including T1D. In this study, a case-control study was conducted in a Han population in northeastern China comparing the genotypes of T1D patients to healthy controls for the presence of two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the STAT4 gene. The study population comprised of 410 T1D patients and 407 healthy individuals. Two SNPs (rs7574865 and rs3024866) of STAT4 were genotyped with Multiplex SNaPShot method. Data were analyzed with spss 13.0 to determine if a statistical association existed between these genotypes and T1D. One of the two SNPs (rs7574865) was strongly associated with T1D in Northeastern Chinese population compared to healthy controls (P < 0.05), whereas the other tested SNP (rs3024866) demonstrated no significant relationship. In conclusion, the STAT4 gene may play an important role in facilitating susceptibility to T1D in this Han Chinese population.
Monte Carlo Study of the Single-Surface Multipactor Electron Discharge on a Dielectric

This paper presents a Monte Carlo model to investigate the single-surface multipactor discharge on a dielectric surface in the presence of RF and dc electric fields. By employing a novel method in the numerical implementation of the secondary-electron emission, the susceptibility diagram is constructed, and beam loading and its power absorption by the multipactor discharge are examined. Meanwhile, the temporal evolution of the multipactor is also studied. The simulation results show clearly that a steady-state multipactor discharge can be built up from a very low density initial electron distribution, and an oscillatory steady state can be achieved when the positive charge, which is left by the emission of secondary electrons, is capable to build a large-enough dc electric field. During the saturation state, the normal electric field and the number of electrons in flight oscillate at twice the RF frequency. The average power absorbed by the multipactor, strongly depending on material parameters, is on the order of 1% incident power or less. Based on this model, several useful guidelines to prevent or extinguish the multipactor are presented.
Characterization of NS5A polymorphisms and their impact on response rates in patients with HCV genotype 2 treated with daclatasvir-based regimens.

OBJECTIVE Daclatasvir (DCV) is a pan-genotypic non-structural protein 5A (NS5A) inhibitor that is approved for treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype (GT)1 and GT3 in the USA and GT1, GT3 and GT4 in Europe. We set out to examine the impact of daclatasvir-based regimens on the sustained virologic response (SVR) in patients with GT2 infection with respect to GT2 subtype and NS5A polymorphisms at amino acid positions associated with daclatasvir resistance. METHODS Analyses were performed on 283 GT2 NS5A sequences from five daclatasvir regimen-based clinical trials (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT-01257204, NCT-01359644, NCT-02032875, NCT-02032888 and NCT-01616524) and 143 NS5A sequences from the Los Alamos HCV database. Susceptibility analyses of substitutions at amino acid positions associated with daclatasvir resistance and patient-derived NS5A sequences were performed using an in vitro HCV replication assay. RESULTS Of 13 GT2 subtypes identified from 426 NS5A sequences, the most prevalent were GT2a (32%), GT2b (48%) and GT2c (10%). The most prevalent NS5A polymorphism was L31M (GT2a = 88%; GT2b = 59%; GT2c = 10%). Substitutions identified in 96% of GT2 NS5A sequences exhibited daclatasvir EC50 values ranging from 0.005 to 20 nM when tested in vitro. A similar range in daclatasvir EC50 values was observed for 16 diverse GT2 patient-derived NS5A sequences (EC50 = 0.005-60 nM). Depending on the daclatasvir-based regimen studied (daclatasvir/interferon-based or daclatasvir/sofosbuvir-based), SVR rates ranged from 90% to 100% in GT2 patients with the most prevalent baseline NS5A-L31M polymorphism, compared with from 96% to 100% without this polymorphism. CONCLUSIONS High SVR rates were achieved in patients infected with GT2 treated with daclatasvir-based regimens irrespective of GT2 subtype or baseline NS5A polymorphisms.
School Supported Work Placements for Students with Intellectual Disabilities: Why Inclusive Principles/Principals Matter!.

This article offers considerations for principals and other educators as they seek to provide students with intellectual disabilities (ID) with authentic work placement experiences. Survey and interview data gathered from 20 employers, 7 paraprofessionals (job coaches), a principal, and 21 students with intellectual disabilities provide a triangulated perspective from which to view supported and successful work placements. These perspectives offer recommendations for coordinated, collaborative and belief-driven action on the part of high school principals that will enhance the opportunities for successful community engagement beyond high school for students with intellectual disabilities.
Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus Among Injection Drug Users: Lower Prevalence in an Injection Heroin Maintenance Program Than in an Oral Methadone Program

Abstract Objectives: To compare the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) carriage among injection drug users (IDUs) treated in an injection heroin maintenance program with that among IDUs treated in an oral methadone program, and to determine predictors of S. aureus carriage. Design: Survey. Setting: Two opiate maintenance programs at a psychiatrie university clinic. Participants: A volunteer sample consisting of 94 (74%) of 127 IDUs treated in an injection opiate maintenance program with at least twice daily injections of heroin, and 70 (56%) of 125 IDUs treated in an oral methadone program. Results: Addicts treated in the intravenous heroin substitution program had a significantly lower overall rate of S. aureus carriage (37 of 94 [39.4%] vs 42 of 70 [60%]; P = .009) and a significantly lower rate of nasal carriage (21 of 94 [22.3%] vs 30 of 70 [42.9%]; P = .005) than did addicts treated in the oral methadone program. Being treated in the oral methadone program was the only independent predictor of S. aureus carriage (odds ratio, 2.27; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-4.31; P=.012). All S. aureus isolates were susceptible to oxacillin. Conclusions: The regular use of needles under aseptic conditions did not increase the rate of S. aureus carriage among IDUs. Further studies are necessary to investigate whether the lower rate of S. aureus carriage among IDUs treated with intravenous heroin leads to a lower incidence of S. aureus infections in these patients.
Imbalance of Predator and Prey Armament: Geographic Clines in Phenotypic Interface and Natural Selection

The escalation of defensive/offensive arms is ubiquitous in prey‐predator evolutionary interactions. However, there may be a geographically varying imbalance in the armaments of participating species that affects the outcome of local interactions. In a system involving the Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica) and its obligate seed predator, the camellia weevil (Curculio camelliae), we investigated the geographic variation in physical defensive/offensive traits and that in natural selection on the plant’s defense among 17 populations over a 700‐km‐wide area in Japan. The sizes of the plant defensive apparatus (pericarp thickness) and the weevil offensive apparatus (rostrum length) clearly correlated with each other across populations. Nevertheless, the balance in armaments between the two species was geographically structured. In the populations for which the balance was relatively advantageous for the plant’s defense, natural selection on the trait was stronger because in the other populations, most plant individuals were too vulnerable to resist the attacks of the weevil, and their seeds were infested independent of pericarp thickness. We also found that the imbalance between the defensive/offensive armaments and the intensity of natural selection showed clear latitudinal clines. Overall, our results suggest that the imbalance of armament between sympatric prey and predator could determine the strength of local selection and that climatic conditions could affect the local and overall trajectory of coevolutionary arms races.
Enhanced permeability and retention of macromolecular drugs in solid tumors: A royal gate for targeted anticancer nanomedicines

Over the past two decades cancer has ascended the causes of human death to be number one or two in many nations world wide. A major limitation inherent to most conventional anticancer chemotherapeutic agents is their lack of tumor selectivity. One way to achieve selective drug targeting to solid tumors is to exploit abnormalities of tumor vasculature, namely, hypervascularisation; aberrant vascular architecture; extensive production of vascular permeability factors stimulating extravasation within tumor tissues; and lack of lymphatic drainage. Maeda and his colleagues have extensively studied tumor vascular abnormalities in terms of active and selective delivery of anticancer drugs to tumor tissues, notably defining the enhanced permeability and retention effect (EPR effect) of macromolecular drugs in solid tumors. Due to their large molecular size, nanosized macromolecular anticancer drugs administered intravenously (i.v.) escape renal clearance. Often they can not penetrate the tight endothelial junctions of normal blood vessels, but they can extravasate in tumour vasculature and become trapped in the tumor vicinity. With time the tumor concentration will build up reaching several folds higher than that of the plasma due to lack of efficient lymphatic drainage in solid tumor; an ideal application for EPR-based selective anticancer drug delivery. Establishing this principle hastened development of various polymer conjugates and polymeric micelles as well as multifunctional nanoparticles for targeted cancer chemotherapy. Indeed this selective high local concentration of nanosized anticancer drugs in tumor tissues has proven superior in therapeutic effect with minimal side effects in both preclinical and clinical settings. In this review the mechanisms and factors involved in the EPR effect, as well as the uniqueness of nanoscale drugs for tumor targeting through EPR effect, will be discussed in detail.
Cournot and the Social Income

From his earliest publications, Cournot broke from tradition with his predecessors in applying mathematical modelling to the social sphere. Consequently, he was the first to affirm the mathematization of social phenomena as an essential principle. The fecundity of Cournot’s works stems not only from this departure, but also from a richness that irrigated the social sciences of the twentieth century. In this collection, the contributors – including two Nobel laureates in economics – highlight Cournot’s profound innovativeness and continued relevance in the areas of industrial economics, mathematical economics, market competition, game theory and epistemology of probability and statistics. Each of the seven authors reminds us of the force and modernity of Cournot’s thought as a mathematician, historian of the sciences, philosopher and, not least, as an economist.