Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Timing of Restorative Proctocolectomy in Patients With Medically Refractory Ulcerative Colitis: The Patient’s Point of View

Background: Development of biologic agents has led to new therapeutic options for patients with refractory ulcerative colitis, and intensive medical therapy allows delay of restorative colectomy. However, the overall rate of colectomies has not changed. The decision as to timing of the operation is difficult. Objective: Our aim was to elucidate the patients’ views about the timing of their own proctocolectomy. Design: This was a retrospective review of a prospectively designed database combined with a follow-up survey questionnaire. Settings and participants: We included patients who underwent proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for refractory ulcerative colitis from 1999 through 2009 at our university hospital. Main outcome measures: A questionnaire was sent to patients asking whether they would have preferred to have had the operation performed earlier, later, or at the same time as it was actually done and to give the number of years or months earlier or later that they would have preferred. They were also asked to give reasons for their preference. Patients who preferred an earlier operation were compared with those satisfied with the timing regarding measures of postoperative quality of life and pouch function collected from the institution’s prospective database. Results: Of 84 eligible patients, 70 (83%) responded. Of these, 37 (53%) would have preferred an earlier operation; 33 patients (47%) were satisfied with the timing. No patient would have chosen a later operation. Patients who preferred an earlier operation wished it to have been a median of 2 years earlier (range, 2–120 months). The main reasons for a preferred earlier time point were postoperative improvement of stool regulation in 89% (33/37), reduction of bleedings in 84% (31/37), and relief of pain in 68% (25/37). No significant differences were observed between groups regarding postoperative quality of life or pouch function. Limitations: Limitations of the study included lack of validation and a nonsymmetrical structure of the questionnaire. Conclusions: About half of the patients of our study would have preferred to have had proctocolectomy earlier than it had been performed, mainly because of the relief of symptoms that they experienced after the operation. For patients with an emerging refractory course of ulcerative colitis, earlier restorative proctocolectomy should be considered as an alternative to further intensified medical treatment.
Comparison of Three Different Timeframes for Pediatric Index of Mortality Data Collection in Transported Intensive Care Admissions*

Objective: To identify the most appropriate timeframe for Pediatric Index of Mortality-2 data collection in patients transported to PICUs by specialist teams. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: A regional PICU transport team in London, United Kingdom. Patients: Children admitted for intensive care to a tertiary children’s hospital PICU following transport by a PICU transport team between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2008. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Data on case mix and outcome from children transferred to the tertiary PICU during the study period were analyzed. The “standard” timeframe used in calculating Pediatric Index of Mortality-2 was compared with Pediatric Index of Mortality-2 calculated using data from two other 1-hour timeframes (during “retrieval” and during “admission”). A total of 759 transported admissions were studied. Eighty-three children died (mortality rate, 10.9%). Data were missing in up to 42.7% of admissions for some Pediatric Index of Mortality-2 variables from transport. However, missing data persisted even after the first hour of PICU admission in most cases. There was significant improvement in some physiological variables following transport (p < 0.01), but Pediatric Index of Mortality-2 did not change significantly. Pediatric Index of Mortality-2 from all three timeframes exhibited good discrimination (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve ≥ 0.77). Calibration across deciles of mortality risk was poor for the “admission” Pediatric Index of Mortality-2 (Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test p = 0.04) but good for the other two calculated Pediatric Index of Mortality-2 models (p > 0.20). Conclusions: The findings of our single-center study do not support the need for different timeframes for Pediatric Index of Mortality-2 data collection in transported and direct PICU admissions. Uniformity in scoring procedure may simplify data collection and improve data quality.
The role of ABO blood groups in Crohn's disease and in monitoring response to infliximab treatment.

BACKGROUND The variation in ABO blood groups is reported to be associated with multiple diseases. Infliximab (IFX) has been widely used in the treatment of Crohn's disease (CD). We aim to investigate the distribution of ABO blood groups in Chinese patients with CD and to explore its impact on response to IFX. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients with CD were consecutively recruited to the study between 2007 and 2014. CD patients receiving IFX therapy were followed for at least two years. RESULTS In 293 patients with CD, most patients (40.6%) had blood type O (119/293). The odds ratio (OR) of CD in blood type O patients was 1.06 (95%CI: 0.6-1.86; p=0.84) compared to all other blood types. Among those CD patients, 107 patients received IFX treatment. One year after the first course of IFX, a significant association was found between the overall ABO system and outcomes of IFX treatment (p<0.001). CD patients with blood type AB (OR=4.42, 95% CI: 1.04-18.76; p=0.044) were more likely to achieve mucosal healing, while CD patients with blood type A had a high risk of losing response (OR=0.38, 95% CI: 0.15-0.96; p=0.040). DISCUSSION ABO blood groups are not associated with prevalence of CD. Patients with blood type AB had a better response to IFX while those with blood type A appeared to have a risk of losing response to IFX.
Serum iron levels and response to hepatitis B virus.

Response to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection [HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs)], serum iron, total iron-binding capacity, hematological status (erythrocytes, Hb, and hematocrit), and evidence of liver damage (serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase; aspartate aminotransferase, L-aspartate:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.1) were determined for 201 patients on chronic renal dialysis. Four factors-serum iron level, transminase level, sex, and HBV response [i.e., infected-HBsAg(+) (HBsAg positive), anti-HBs(+) (anti-HBs positive), or no response]-were analyzed simultaneously to test the hypothesis that serum iron is higher in those with HBsAg in their serum than in those without HBsAg, independent of the transaminase level. Four independent, statistically significant two-factor interactions were identified. (i) Serum iron is higher in those HBsAg(+). (ii) Serum iron is higher in those with increased transaminase. (iii) Transaminase is higher in those HBsAg(+). (iv) Males are more likely to be HbsAg(+) and females are more likely to be anti-HBs(+). Also, those who are HBsAg(+) have significantly higher percent iron saturation (serum iron/total iron-binding capacity). That is, the hypothesis was supported by the findings. Several additional biological hypotheses are suggested, including a possible role of increased iron levels in susceptibility and response to HBV infection and the possible relationship between higher iron levels and the likelihood of HBV infection progressing to primary hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition, further tests of the initial hypothesis in nonhospitalized populations with endemic HBV infection are proposed.
A Multilayer Dipole-Type Element for Circularly Polarized Transmitarray Applications

A simple multilayer unit cell has been discussed for circularly polarized transmitarray applications in this letter. This element consists of three layers of identical substrates. Each substrate is printed by two sets of parallel dipoles of orthogonal directions on the opposite sides to realize a proper phase difference. The transmission coefficients have been studied to balance magnitude against phase difference. Then, the dipole dimensions are analyzed to obtain a satisfactory transmission. A transmitarray prototype of 137 elements has been designed, manufactured, and tested. The measurements present expected radiation patterns compared to the simulations. The measured result suggests a gain of 24.5 dBi with sidelobe level of -18.7 dB and cross polarization of -20.5 dB at 12.7 GHz, which is equivalent to a 38.9% aperture efficiency. The 1-dB gain bandwidth is 7.1%.
Signal integrity characterization of microwave XFP ASIC BGA package realized on low-K liquid crystal polymer (LCP) substrate

With the development of low-K nanometer devices, the need for compatible packaging material is ever increasing. Liquid crystal polymer (LCP) is emerging as a promising material for RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave packaging. Its coefficient of thermal expansion can be matched to that of low-K die to ensure mechanical reliability. This paper, for the first time, characterizes the electrical performance of a wire bonded application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) ball grid array (BGA) package based on LCP substrate technology for application in 10 Gb/s small form factor pluggable module (XFP) optical communication systems. Specifically, it compares the electrical performance of LCP to that of traditionally used FR4/spl I.bar/epoxy (FR-4) and Polyimide (PI) substrate materials. Findings show that at 10 GHz, insertion loss was decreased as much as 31% and 15% compared to FR-4 and PI, respectively. In particular, mode conversion was decreased by 66% and 42% compared to FR-4 and PI, respectively. Time delay was decreased by 10 and 4 ps compared to FR-4 and PI. No significant differences in power, ground coupling, and simultaneously switching output (SSO) noise at 10 GHz were observed. Based on the package structure used in this study, it was concluded that LCP offers superior electrical performance compared to FR/spl I.bar/4, PI, and is qualified as next generation substrate material for high data rate XFP BGA packaging.
The role of DYRK1A in neurodegenerative diseases

Recent studies indicate that the dual‐specificity tyrosine phosphorylation‐regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A) gene, which is located on chromosome 21q22.2 and is overexpressed in Down syndrome (DS), may play a significant role in developmental brain defects and in early onset neurodegeneration, neuronal loss and dementia in DS. The identification of hundreds of genes deregulated by DYRK1A overexpression and numerous cytosolic, cytoskeletal and nuclear proteins, including transcription factors, phosphorylated by DYRK1A, indicates that DYRK1A overexpression is central for the deregulation of multiple pathways in the developing and aging DS brain, with structural and functional alterations including mental retardation and dementia. DYRK1A overexpression in DS brains may contribute to early onset neurofibrillary degeneration directly through hyperphosphorylation of tau and indirectly through phosphorylation of alternative splicing factor, leading to an imbalance between 3R‐tau and 4R‐tau. The several‐fold increases in the number of DYRK1A‐positive and 3R‐tau‐positive neurofibrillary tangles in DS support this hypothesis. Moreover, the enhanced phosphorylation of amyloid precursor protein by overexpressed DYRK1A facilitates amyloidogenic amyloid precursor protein cleavage elevating Aβ40 and 42 levels, and leading to brain β‐amyloidosis. Therefore, inhibiting DYRK1A activity in DS may serve to counteract the phenotypic effects of its overexpression and is a potential method of treatment of developmental defects and the prevention of age‐associated neurodegeneration, including Alzheimer‐type pathology.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae CTF18 and CTF4 Are Required for Sister Chromatid Cohesion

ABSTRACT CTF4 and CTF18 are required for high-fidelity chromosome segregation. Both exhibit genetic and physical ties to replication fork constituents. We find that absence of eitherCTF4 or CTF18 causes sister chromatid cohesion failure and leads to a preanaphase accumulation of cells that depends on the spindle assembly checkpoint. The physical and genetic interactions between CTF4, CTF18, and core components of replication fork complexes observed in this study and others suggest that both gene products act in association with the replication fork to facilitate sister chromatid cohesion. We find that Ctf18p, anRFC1-like protein, directly interacts with Rfc2p, Rfc3p, Rfc4p, and Rfc5p. However, Ctf18p is not a component of biochemically purified proliferating cell nuclear antigen loading RF-C, suggesting the presence of a discrete complex containing Ctf18p, Rfc2p, Rfc3p, Rfc4p, and Rfc5p. Recent identification and characterization of the budding yeast polymerase κ, encoded by TRF4, strongly supports a hypothesis that the DNA replication machinery is required for proper sister chromatid cohesion. Analogous to the polymerase switching role of the bacterial and human RF-C complexes, we propose that budding yeast RF-CCTF18 may be involved in a polymerase switch event that facilities sister chromatid cohesion. The requirement for CTF4 and CTF18 in robust cohesion identifies novel roles for replication accessory proteins in this process.
Nonlinear thermoelectric properties of layered cobalt oxides

We synthesized whisker-crystal and thin-film samples of the layered cobalt oxide (Bi2Sr2O4)xCoO2 well known as a candidate of a thermoelectric material, and measured their resistivity, voltage-current characteristics and magnetoresistance with pulsed currents. Resistivity of the whisker sample with a small current density of 2 mA/cm2 increases with decreasing temperature below 100 K, suggesting development of a pseudogap on the density of states. This increase is suppressed by a large current density of 110 A/cm2. The nonlinear voltage-current characteristics are observed both for the whisker and thin-film samples. The negative magnetoresistance of the thin-film sample is suppressed by current density. These suggest that the density of states recovers owing to the suppression of the pseudogap by applying large current density.
Molecular characterization of the surface layer proteins from Clostridium difficile

Many bacteria express a surface‐exposed proteinaceous layer, termed the S‐layer, which forms a regular two‐dimensional array visible by electron microscopy. Clostridium difficile is unusual in expressing two S‐layer proteins (SLPs), which are of varying size in a number of strains. In an approach combining molecular biology with mass spectrometric sequencing strategies, we have identified the structural gene (slpA) for the S‐layer from three strains of C. difficile. Both proteins are derived from a common precursor, and processing involves the removal of a signal peptide and a second cleavage to release the two mature SLPs. To our knowledge, this is the first example in which two SLPs have been shown to derive from a single gene product through post‐translational processing, rather than from the expression of separate genes. The higher molecular weight (MW) SLP is highly conserved among the three strains, whereas the lower MW SLP shows considerable sequence diversity, reflecting the results from Western blotting. The high‐MW SLP shows weak homology to N‐acetyl muramoyl‐l‐alanine amidase from Bacillus subtilis, and both the native SLP from C. difficile and a recombinant protein expressed in Escherichia coli were found to display amidase activity by zymography. The high‐MW SLPs showed evidence of glycosylation, whereas the lower MW proteins did not. A family of genes with sequence homology to the amidase domain of the high‐MW SLP was identified in the C. difficile strain 630 genome, some of which are located in the same region of the genome as slpA and were shown by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) analysis to be transcribed.
Oral health-related quality of life and periodontal status.

BACKGROUND As patient-centered approaches become more popular, increasing attention is being given to assess the effects of various human health situations on an individual's overall quality of life (QoL). Measures have been used in dentistry to study the effects of orthodontic treatment and oral surgery, but so far little has been reported about the effects of periodontal disease. OBJECTIVE This study assessed the impact of periodontal health status on QoL. METHODS A subsample of 767 subjects were selected from a community study (n=1000) which investigated the association between psychological factors and clinical periodontal attachment level (CAL). The sample included subjects with full-mouth mean CAL<or=2 mm (healthy/low periodontal attachment loss group), and subjects with full-mouth mean CAL>3 mm (high/severe periodontal attachment loss group). The subjects were requested to complete the Chinese short-form version of Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14S) and a checklist of self-reported periodontal symptoms during the previous 12 months. RESULTS A total of 727 subjects (95%) completed the questionnaire. The OHIP-14S and subscale scores were significantly associated with six of seven of the self-reported periodontal symptoms. A comparison of the mean OHIP-14S scores of the healthy/low and the high/severe periodontal attachment loss groups revealed significant differences in respect of the subscales of functional limitation, physical pain, psychological discomfort, physical and psychological disabilities. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates a significant association between oral health-related QoL and periodontal disease.
Affective Properties of Mothers' Speech to Infants With Hearing Impairment and Cochlear Implants.

PURPOSE The affective properties of infant-directed speech influence the attention of infants with normal hearing to speech sounds. This study explored the affective quality of maternal speech to infants with hearing impairment (HI) during the 1st year after cochlear implantation as compared to speech to infants with normal hearing. METHOD Mothers of infants with HI and mothers of infants with normal hearing matched by age (NH-AM) or hearing experience (NH-EM) were recorded playing with their infants during 3 sessions over a 12-month period. Speech samples of 25 s were low-pass filtered, leaving intonation but not speech information intact. Sixty adults rated the stimuli along 5 scales: positive/negative affect and intention to express affection, to encourage attention, to comfort/soothe, and to direct behavior. RESULTS Low-pass filtered speech to HI and NH-EM groups was rated as more positive, affective, and comforting compared with the such speech to the NH-AM group. Speech to infants with HI and with NH-AM was rated as more directive than speech to the NH-EM group. Mothers decreased affective qualities in speech to all infants but increased directive qualities in speech to infants with NH-EM over time. CONCLUSIONS Mothers fine-tune communicative intent in speech to their infant's developmental stage. They adjust affective qualities to infants' hearing experience rather than to chronological age but adjust directive qualities of speech to the chronological age of their infants.
Effects of a Quick-Release Form of Bromocriptine (Ergoset) on Fasting and Postprandial Plasma Glucose, Insulin, Lipid, and Lipoprotein Concentrations in Obese Nondiabetic Hyperinsulinemic Women

OBJECTIVE To assess the effect on various aspects of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism of administering a quick-release formulation of bromocriptine (Ergoset) to obese, nondiabetic, hyperinsulinemic women. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Hourly concentrations of prolactin, glucose, insulin, free fatty acid (FFA), and triglyceride were measured for 24 h before and after approximately 8 weeks of treatment with Ergoset. In addition, fasting lipid and lipoprotein concentrations and the steady-state plasma glucose (SSPG) concentration in response to a continuous infusion of somatostatin, insulin, and glucose were determined before and after Ergoset administration. RESULTS Circulating prolactin concentrations were dramatically decreased (P < 0.001) following treatment, associated with a significant fall (P < 0.05) in 24-h-long plasma glucose, FFA, and triglyceride concentrations. Neither circulating plasma insulin concentrations nor the ability of insulin to mediate glucose disposal changed with treatment. Finally, fasting total cholesterol fell (P < 0.05) and the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol decreased (P = 0.06) in association with Ergoset treatment. CONCLUSIONS The fact that significant metabolic improvement was seen in the obese nondiabetic hyperinsulinemic women studied suggests that Ergoset could be of therapeutic benefit in clinical conditions of hyperglycemia and/or dyslipidemia.
Journalism, Environmental Issues, and Sport Mega-Events: A Study of South Korean Media Coverage of the Mount Gariwang Development for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games

Few studies on sport and communication consider how environmental issues are reported on—especially in non-Western media. In this article, we report findings from a study of South Korean mainstream and alternative print media coverage of the controversial development of Mount Gariwang for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Our study focused on (1) how the decisions and events unfolding around the development of Mount Gariwang were portrayed in South Korean mainstream and alternative news coverage and (2) how the issues at play were politicized and/or depoliticized within and across these outlets. We found that differences in coverage of environmental issues were starkest between, on one side, conservative mainstream media and, on the other side, left-leaning mainstream and alternative media outlets. We also found that environmental controversies were variably politicized or depoliticized in differently positioned media outlets—with left leaning and alternative media highlighting concerns about Olympic-related hypocrisy and corruption, and right-leaning media usually featuring depoliticizing statements from Olympic and government elites. All media outlets highlighted questions about why viable and existing venues were not being used instead of Mount Gariwang, with economic and environmental issues being emphasized differently across outlets. We conclude with reflections on the relevance of our findings for considering links between sport, mediatization, journalism, and environmental politics and suggestions for future research in international coverage of sport- and mega-event-related environmental issues.
Ultrasound image processing based on machine learning for the fully automatic evaluation of the Carotid Intima-Media Thickness

Atherosclerosis is responsible for a large proportion of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which are the leading cause of death in the world. The atherosclerotic process, mainly affecting the medium- and large-size arteries, is a degenerative condition that causes thickening and the reduction of elasticity in the blood vessels. The Intima-Media Thickness (IMT) of the Common Carotid Artery (CCA) is a reliable early indicator of atherosclerosis. Usually, it is manually measured by marking pairs of points on a B-mode ultrasound scan image of the CCA. This paper proposes an automatic image segmentation procedure for the measurement of the IMT, avoiding the user dependence and the inter-rater variability. In particular, Radial Basis Function (RBF) Networks are designed and trained by means of the Optimally Pruned-Extreme Learning Machine (OP-ELM) algorithm to classify pixels from a given ultrasound image, allowing the extraction of IMT boundaries. The suggested approach has been validated on a set of 25 ultrasound images by comparing the automatic segmentations with manual tracings.