Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Full-thickness biopsy of the jejunum reveals inflammation and enteric neuropathy in irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is regarded as a functional bowel disorder. Few studies have looked for histopathologic changes in the gut and only then in biopsy specimens from intestinal mucosa. Because bowel function is governed mainly by nerve plexuses in the bowel wall, we have investigated full-thickness bowel biopsy specimens in patients with severe IBS. METHODS We used a laparoscopy-assisted technique to obtain full-thickness biopsy specimens from the proximal jejunum. Tissue specimens were investigated with light microscopy using routine stainings and immunohistochemical techniques. Horizontal sectioning was done to visualize large areas of the myenteric plexus. Fifteen autopsy specimens were used as controls regarding the myenteric plexus. Colorectal adenoma controls with terminal ileum biopsy specimens and full-thickness jejunal biopsy specimens from patients with degenerative enteric neuropathy were used as control groups for intraepithelial lymphocyte counts. RESULTS Ten patients (2 males, 8 females) were studied. In 9 patients, we found low-grade infiltration of lymphocytes in the myenteric plexus. Lymphocytes had peri- and intraganglionic location. The mean number of lymphocytes per ganglion ranged from 1.9 to 7.1 per patient, with an overall mean of 3.4. No intraganglionic lymphocytes were found in the control group and only a few periganglionic lymphocytes (mean, 0.2). Four patients had concomitant intraepithelial lymphocytosis. Neuron degeneration was evident in 6 of 9 patients with and 1 patient without ganglionic lymphocyte infiltration. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that inflammation and neuronal degeneration in the myenteric plexus are involved in the pathogenesis of IBS.
Intake of whole grain in Scandinavia: Intake, sources and compliance with new national recommendations

Aims: The aim of the present study was to describe the intake of whole grain (WG) in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, and to investigate what proportion of the study population that met the new WG recommendation (75 g WG/day per 10 MJ). Methods: Descriptive study. Data is from one 24h dietary recall (24HDR) collected in 1995–2000 from a subset (n = 8,702) of the large Scandinavian cohort “HELGA” consisting of participants aged 30–65 years from three cohorts. Results: The mean WG intake was far below the recommended level. Between 16% (Danish men) and 35% (Norwegian women) consumed at least the recommended intake of WG. Among women, the median intake of WG products (g WG products/day) was 114 g/day in Norway and 108 g/day in Denmark, whereas the intake was much lower in Sweden (64 g/day). For women, the median intake of WG in absolute amounts (g WG/day) was again highest in Norway (44 g/day), but lower in both Sweden (35 g/day) and Denmark (31 g/day). For men (no data available for Norwegian men), the intake of WG products was higher in Denmark (138 g/day) compared to Sweden (79 g/day), but when looking at the WG intake in absolute amounts, the intake was highest in Sweden (49 g/day) compared to Denmark (41 g/day). Conclusions: The present study described the intake of WG as well as the sources of WG in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Between 16% and 35% met the new recommendations on intake of WG.
Gente di Roma: an exercise of dérive by Ettore Scola

This article seeks to contribute to the understanding of the city film Gente di Roma by Ettore Scola [Roma Cinematografica (Production), & Scola, E. (Director). (2003). Gente di Roma [Motion picture]. Italy: Istituto Luce] through a combined focus which mingles tourism studies and cultural studies, in particular through theories on psychogeography formulated by the Situationist International, Erving Goffman's idea on front and back regions and Rojek and Urry's process of indexing and dragging. In the movie, the representation of travel aims at depicting the identity of Rome through an exercise in ‘dérive’ and a long journey by bus. This is aimed at exploring the identity of the metropolis, which here is considered in its postmodern version, revealing its fluidity and mutability. The changes that are affecting Rome have to do with the contribution of immigrants, suggesting how the mobility of people is currently provoking mobility in identity too.
Medical school benchmarking – From tools to programmes

Abstract Background: Benchmarking among medical schools is essential, but may result in unwanted effects. Aim: To apply a conceptual framework to selected benchmarking activities of medical schools. Methods: We present an analogy between the effects of assessment on student learning and the effects of benchmarking on medical school educational activities. A framework by which benchmarking can be evaluated was developed and applied to key current benchmarking activities in Australia and New Zealand. Results: The analogy generated a conceptual framework that tested five questions to be considered in relation to benchmarking: what is the purpose? what are the attributes of value? what are the best tools to assess the attributes of value? what happens to the results? and, what is the likely “institutional impact” of the results? If the activities were compared against a blueprint of desirable medical graduate outcomes, notable omissions would emerge. Conclusion: Medical schools should benchmark their performance on a range of educational activities to ensure quality improvement and to assure stakeholders that standards are being met. Although benchmarking potentially has positive benefits, it could also result in perverse incentives with unforeseen and detrimental effects on learning if it is undertaken using only a few selected assessment tools.
Use of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator and hospital costs for patients with acute ischaemic stroke aged 18–64 years in the USA

Introduction Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA) is a globally recommended treatment for patients with acute ischaemic stroke. We examined IV tPA use among patients aged 18–64 years with a primary diagnosis of acute ischaemic stroke in the USA and inpatient costs per hospitalisation by IV tPA use status among these patients. Methods Using the 2010–2013 MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Inpatient Data, we identified 39 149 hospitalisations with a primary diagnosis of acute ischaemic stroke. We verified those with and without IV tPA by ICD-9 procedure code 99.10. We estimated trends in IV tPA use by applying logistic regression. The average inpatient costs per acute ischaemic stroke hospitalisation were assessed for subpopulations. We examined costs per acute ischaemic stroke hospitalisation using multivariate regression models controlling for IV tPA status, age, gender, urbanisation, geographic region, Charlson comorbidity index, length of hospital stays (LOS) and discharge status. Results 2546 hospitalisations (6.5%) used IV tPA. IV tPA use increased over time (2010 vs 2013; OR 1.50). Average inpatient costs per acute ischaemic stroke hospitalisation were $20 331 ($31 369 for the IV tPA group, $19 563 for the non-tPA group). From multivariate analyses, higher costs per acute ischaemic stroke hospitalisation were associated with longer LOS, non-home discharge destination, and IV tPA use, which might be correlated with severity of stroke. Conclusions Findings suggest that IV tPA use has increased in recent years while the inpatient costs per acute ischaemic stroke hospitalisation using IV tPA are substantial. Those findings are useful in better understanding the overall economic burden of stroke, short-term cost implications of using IV tPA, and for estimating the accurate cost-effectiveness of stroke treatments.
Adaptive Skills and Executive Function in Autism Spectrum Disorders

There is active debate regarding the nature of executive dysfunction in autism. Additionally, investigations have yet to show a relationship between deficits in executive function and the everyday behavioral difficulties that may originate from them. The present study examined the relationship between executive abilities and adaptive behavior in 35 children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, using two parent reports of everyday functioning, the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Results found several relationships: The Initiate and Working Memory domains were negatively correlated with most domains of adaptive behavior. Also, the Communication and Socialization domains of the VABS were negatively correlated with several areas of executive functioning, suggesting that impairments in executive abilities are strongly associated with the deficits in communication, play and social relationships found in children with autism.
Bias in parental transmission of the HLA-DR3 allele in Sardinian multiple sclerosis

The authors analyzed the female: male (F:M) ratio according to the HLA-DRB1-DQB1 genotype in a cohort of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients from Sardinia, where the disease is associated with DR3 and DR4. In the whole cohort of 1,097 patients, F:M ratio was 2.24; however, it was 2.88 in DR3/DR3 and 2.52 in DR3/DRX (X#DR3 and DR4) individuals. Parental transmission of DR3 and DR4, assessed in a set of 565 case-parent triads, showed evidence of paternal inheritance of DR3 in affected women, thus explaining the excess of females in the DR3 category.
Cdc42 is required for cytoskeletal support of endothelial cell adhesion during blood vessel formation in mice

The Rho family of small GTPases has been shown to be required in endothelial cells (ECs) during blood vessel formation. However, the underlying cellular events controlled by different GTPases remain unclear. Here, we assess the cellular mechanisms by which Cdc42 regulates mammalian vascular morphogenesis and maintenance. In vivo deletion of Cdc42 in embryonic ECs (Cdc42Tie2KO) results in blocked lumen formation and endothelial tearing, leading to lethality of mutant embryos by E9-10 due to failed blood circulation. Similarly, inducible deletion of Cdc42 (Cdc42Cad5KO) at mid-gestation blocks angiogenic tubulogenesis. By contrast, deletion of Cdc42 in postnatal retinal vessels leads to aberrant vascular remodeling and sprouting, as well as markedly reduced filopodia formation. We find that Cdc42 is essential for organization of EC adhesion, as its loss results in disorganized cell-cell junctions and reduced focal adhesions. Endothelial polarity is also rapidly lost upon Cdc42 deletion, as seen by failed localization of apical podocalyxin (PODXL) and basal actin. We link observed failures to a defect in F-actin organization, both in vitro and in vivo, which secondarily impairs EC adhesion and polarity. We also identify Cdc42 effectors Pak2/4 and N-WASP, as well as the actomyosin machinery, to be crucial for EC actin organization. This work supports the notion of Cdc42 as a central regulator of the cellular machinery in ECs that drives blood vessel formation. Summary: Cdc42 and its effectors Pak2/4 and N-WASP are required for organisation of the actin cytoskeleton during blood vessel development, both in filopodia and nascent cell-cell junctions.
Urinary nerve growth factor level is increased in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and decreased in responders to treatment

To measure urinary nerve growth factor (NGF) levels in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), and to evaluate the role of urinary NGF in predicting the response to treatment, as the clinical diagnosis of IC/BPS is based on subjective symptoms and recent investigations suggest that urinary NGF is increased in patients with IC/BPS.
Cheap Facts and Counter-Facts

This paper describes our experiments of using Amazon's Mechanical Turk to generate (counter-)facts from texts for certain named-entities. We give the human annotators a paragraph of text and a highlighted named-entity. They will write down several (counter-)facts about this named-entity in that context. The analysis of the results is performed by comparing the acquired data with the recognizing textual entailment (RTE) challenge dataset.
Microprocessor pipeline energy analysis

The increase in high-performance microprocessor power consumption is due in part to the large power overhead of wide-issue, highly speculative cores. Microarchitectural speculation, such as branch prediction, increases instruction throughput but carries a power burden due to wasted power for mis-speculated instructions. Pipeline over-provisioning supplies excess resources which often go unused. In this paper, we use our detailed performance and power model for an Alpha 21264 to measure both the useful energy and the wasted effort due to mis-speculation and over-provisioning. Our experiments show that flushed instructions account for approximately 6% of total energy, while over-provisioning imposes a tax of 17% on average. These results suggest opportunities for power savings and energy efficiency throughout microprocessor pipelines.
Construction and Modification of 3 D Geometry Using a Sketch-based Interface

We present an interactive pen-based computer program for designing 3D objects through direct sketching. The proposed techniques are tailored toward the creation of free-form curves and surfaces, and are therefore particulary useful for styling design purposes. In our approach, the design process consists of two main steps. In the first step, the user designs a wireframe model by sketching its constituent curves in 3D. Using purely sketch-based operations, the initial curves can then be modified as desired. In the second step, the user constructs interpolating surfaces on the wireframe to obtain a solid model. Again, through sketch-based operations, the user can modify the initial surfaces, and specify the boundary conditions if necessary. In addition to the main modeling operations, a gesture-based command interface allows many of the frequently used commands to be input through pen strokes. The utility of our system is demonstrated with various examples.
A genetic association study of single nucleotide polymorphisms in GNβ3 and COMT in elderly patients with irritable bowel syndrome

Background Several polymorphisms have been reported to be associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), including C825T, the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), responsible for a truncated G protein β3 subunit (GNβ3), and the Vall158Met substitution in catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). We investigated the association between these mutations and the prevalence of IBS in 66 elderly Chinese patients. Material/Methods Sixty-six patients (over age 60 years) were diagnosed with IBS according to the Rome III criteria, and divided into 3 groups based on symptom presentation. The groups consisted of 7 patients with constipation, 46 patients with diarrhea, and 13 patients with both or neither symptoms. We enrolled 115 age-matched individuals without IBS as the control group. All patients were evaluated by using the Geriatric Depression Scale, disease progression was recorded, and GNβ3 and COMT were genotyped by PCR. Results There was no significant difference in GNβ3 C825T genotype distribution and allele frequency between the 2 groups. In contrast, compared with control subjects, COMT 158Met was significantly more prevalent in the IBS group (P=0.040) and significantly more prevalent in patients with diarrhea (P=0.029). 158Met was also more prevalent in those patients who had experienced symptoms for over 5 years (P=0.022). Conclusions In elderly Chinese patients, the 158Met SNP in COMT is associated with IBS pathogenesis, but the GNβ3-C825T SNP is not associated with IBS pathogenesis.
The Development of Word Order Patterns in Old English

The major focus of this book involves the testing of theories of word order change with data on change in Old English. The data are drawn from such sources as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and from the work of other scholars in Old English and historical linguistics. The book provides support for the ideas of earlier linguists such as Sapir, and will represent a major study for those working in Old English and historical linguistics. Contents: Introduction; Natural Word Order Types and Natural Word Order Change; Proto-Indo-European and Proto-Germanic Word Order Patterns; Order of Major Elements in Main Clauses in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle; Word Order Patterns in Conjunct, Relative and Subordinate Clauses; Further Studies in Old English Word Order; Conclusions. ^R
Le diagnostic précoce de l'autisme : données actuelles

Si la plupart des professionnels sont d’accord sur les signes centraux de l’autisme, l’identification des signes precoces pose encore des problemes. Les signes precoces peuvent etre discrets et ne representent generalement que de legeres deviations par rapport au developpement normal. De ce fait, ils peuvent ne pas etre reconnus par les parents et meme par des professionnels non specialises dans les troubles envahissants du developpement. Differentes methodes ont ete utilisees pour enregistrer les signes precoces. L’observation du comportement, les questionnaires permettant de recueillir l’information aupres des parents, les outils de depistage ont ete utilises pour faire un diagnostic precoce et pour tester leur validite par la stabilite du diagnostic dans le temps. Tous les professionnels impliques dans le suivi de jeunes enfants devraient etre suffisamment familiarises avec les signes precoces de l’autisme afin d’etre en mesure d’adresser l’enfant a risque a un specialiste car l’identification precoce permet une prise en charge rapide.
Scaffolding one Thai youth’s drawing toward resilience

Drawings have been used extensively to explore the psychosocial development of children and youth. Focusing on the drawings of one thriving migrant Thai adolescent, this case study employs multiple sources of data from this youth to ground an integrated interpretation of his resilient processes in ecological context. Our participant, ‘Pond’, had recently relocated to northern Thailand with his father. Employing reflective interviews with the teenager about his experiences, his sketchbooks and a filmed ‘day in his life,’ we identified ‘promotive’ factors contributing to his well-being in the context of strong familial support. During his filmed day, we observed him drawing for one uninterrupted hour, the products of which he proudly shared with his artist father as well as the researchers. His sketchbook graphic endeavors included traditional Thai representations, pop-cultural sketches and cartooning, bridging the worlds he navigates as he adapts to his new domicile. Pond’s drawing activities and reflections on them confirm his sense of responsibility, self-confidence, positive affect in familial connection and his striving for social inclusion. His use of pictorial language reveals his cultural values and their potential for enhanced thriving. Pond affirmed that his artistic transactions are sources of strength to him in his migratory transition.
Privacy-preserving quantization learning for distributed binary decision with applications to smart meters

Vector Quantization (VQ) design for distributed binary decision in the presence of an eavesdropper (Eve) is investigated. An encoder/quantizer (Alice) observes i.i. d. samples and communicates them via a public noiseless rate-limited channel to the detector (Bob) who has also access to a correlated analog source. Bob can take advantage of both informations to perform a binary decision on the joint probability law of these observations. Eve is further assumed to have access to another correlated analog source. This paper evaluates relevant trade-offs between the error probability of the two types and the amount of tolerated information leakage, for the particular case of testing against independence. An application to illustrate our results to real-data measured from the electric consumption at houses to perform anomaly detection is also provided.
A preferência por subscrições privadas de ações no Brasil

Este artigo investiga a preferencia de empresas brasileiras nao financeiras por emissoes particulares de acoes ou por emissoes publicas no periodo de 1995 a 2002. Apresenta-se evidencia estatistica descritiva, e em seguida sao desenvolvidos modelos de analise discriminante multipla e de regressao logistica. Os resultados apontam maior propensao a emissao privada de acoes por empresas com menor rentabilidade ou maiores prejuizos, que realizaram emissoes de menor porte, apresentam maior concentracao de propriedade, maior endividamento, menor liquidez por negocio em Bolsa de Valores, e empresas estatais ou holdings.
Patterning and Lifetime of Plasma Membrane-Localized Cellulose Synthase Is Dependent on Actin Organization in Arabidopsis Interphase Cells1[W]

The rate of insertion and lifetime of cellulose-synthesizing complexes at the plasma membrane is dependent on the organization of the actin cytoskeleton. The actin and microtubule cytoskeletons regulate cell shape across phyla, from bacteria to metazoans. In organisms with cell walls, the wall acts as a primary constraint of shape, and generation of specific cell shape depends on cytoskeletal organization for wall deposition and/or cell expansion. In higher plants, cortical microtubules help to organize cell wall construction by positioning the delivery of cellulose synthase (CesA) complexes and guiding their trajectories to orient newly synthesized cellulose microfibrils. The actin cytoskeleton is required for normal distribution of CesAs to the plasma membrane, but more specific roles for actin in cell wall assembly and organization remain largely elusive. We show that the actin cytoskeleton functions to regulate the CesA delivery rate to, and lifetime of CesAs at, the plasma membrane, which affects cellulose production. Furthermore, quantitative image analyses revealed that actin organization affects CesA tracking behavior at the plasma membrane and that small CesA compartments were associated with the actin cytoskeleton. By contrast, localized insertion of CesAs adjacent to cortical microtubules was not affected by the actin organization. Hence, both actin and microtubule cytoskeletons play important roles in regulating CesA trafficking, cellulose deposition, and organization of cell wall biogenesis.
Special Issues in Counseling Lesbian Women for Sexual Addiction, Compulsivity, and Sexual Codependency

While much of the knowledge and interpersonal skills needed to counsel lesbian women are the same as for counseling heterosexual women, there are numerous additional dynamics and concerns that need to be addressed. These include: understanding the patterns of sexual addiction in lesbian relationships; a basic knowledge of issues lesbian women face in their daily lives; internalized oppression (the absorption of negative cultural stereotypes), the lack of cultural support for lesbian relationships, homophobia, the oppression -avoidance syndrome, typical sexual difficulties in lesbian relationships, subculture dynamics, and the coming out process. In addition, therapists needs to explore their own questions, fears, and fantasies of lesbian relationships, life style, and sexuality that can manifest in countertransference issues that are often more subtle and unconscious than therapists realize. While some of the material presented here is not specific to sexual addiction and codependency, it is all relevant because it lays the groundwork to form a trusting client-therapist relationship where a lesbian woman feels safe to explore her addictive issues. This material helps form a backdrop of knowledge that gives therapists a context for understanding lesbian oppression and its impact on sexuality, dependency, and building primary sexual relationships. This does not suggest that therapists analyze all problems based on oppression, but rather that they have a broad understanding that can help facilitate a meaningful integration of this knowledge with the presenting problems of their clients.