Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fetal Macrosomia – A Continuing Obstetric Challenge

Background: Macrosomic fetuses represent a continuing challenge in obstetrics. Objectives: We studied maternal risk factors of fetal macrosomia and maternal and infant outcome in such cases. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried out with a total of 26,961 singleton pregnancies between 1989 and 2001. Records of 886 mothers who gave birth to live born infants weighing ≧4,500 g were compared to those of 26,075 mothers with normal weight (<4,500 g) infants. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify independent reproductive risk factors. Perinatal complications were also assessed. Results: The incidence of fetal macrosomia was 3.4%. Diabetes, previous macrosomic birth, postdatism (>42 weeks of gestation), obesity (BMI > 25 before pregnancy), male infant, gestational diabetes mellitus, and non-smoking were independent risk factors of fetal macrosomia, with adjusted risks of 4.6, 3.1, 3.1, 2.0, 1.9, 1.6, 1.4, respectively. In the macrosomic group, birth and maternal traumas occurred significantly more often than in the control group. However, records of subsequent pregnancies (n = 250) after the study period showed that a previous uncomplicated birth appeared to decrease complication risks. Conclusions: Most cases of fetal macrosomia occur in low-risk pregnancies and evaluation of maternal risks cannot accurately predict which women will eventually give birth to an overweight newborn. After an uncomplicated birth of a macrosomic infant, vaginal delivery may be a safe option for the infant and mother.
Position-Independent Decoding of Movement Intention for Proportional Myoelectric Interfaces

In this decade, myoelectric interfaces based on pattern recognition have gained considerable attention thanks to their naturalness enabling human intentions to be conveyed to and in control of a machine. However, the high variations of electromyogram signal patterns caused by arm position changes prohibit application to the real world. In this paper, we propose a novel method of decoding movement intentions robust to arm position changes towards proportional myoelectric interfaces. Specifically, we devise the position-independent decoding that estimates the likelihood of different arm positions, which we predefine during a training step, and also decodes the movement intention in a unified framework. The proposed method has an advantage that could be used to decode the movement intentions on untrained arm positions in a realistic scenario. Our experimental results showed that the proposed method could successfully decode the continuous movement intentions (e.g., flexion/extension and radial/ulnar deviation) on both trained and untrained arm positions. Our study also proved the effectiveness of the proposed method by comparing the existing methods in terms of the decoded trajectories as movement intentions in untrained arm positions.
Depression of a sustained calcium current by kainate in rat hippocampal neurones in vitro.

1. High‐threshold, slow inactivating inward Ca2+ currents were studied in CA1 pyramidal neurones from rat hippocampal slices using the single‐electrode voltage clamp technique. 2. Kainate (50‐400 nM) induced a dose‐dependent depression of the amplitude of the slow Ca2+ current. At a dose of 200 nM the current amplitude was reduced from ‐0.63 +/‐ ‐0.06 to ‐0.32 +/‐ 0.06 nA. Such an effect of kainate was associated with the development of a small inward current (‐0.11 +/‐ 0.03 nA). Kynurenic acid (1 mM) or 6‐cyano‐7‐nitroquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione (CNQX; 20 microM) fully prevented these actions of kainate. 3. The structurally related kainate analogue alpha‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionate (AMPA; 200 nM) depressed the slow Ca2+ current by 30 +/‐ 7%, an effect also blocked by CNQX. 4. In low‐Na+ medium slow Ca2+ currents were followed by sustained inward tail currents. Kainate reduced both the steady‐state Ca2+ current (from ‐0.98 +/‐ 0.14 to ‐0.63 +/‐ 0.15 nA) and the tail current (from ‐0.40 +/‐ 0.04 to ‐0.14 +/‐ 0.03 nA). 5. The inactivation process of the slow Ca2+ current was tested by a double‐pulse protocol and was found to be enhanced by kainate. 6. Equimolar replacement of Ca2+ by Ba2+ produced larger inward currents followed by prolonged tails. Kainate reduced the Ba2+ steady‐state current from ‐1.77 +/‐ 0.18 to ‐1.44 +/‐ 0.24 nA and the tail current from ‐0.47 +/‐ 0.15 to ‐0.17 +/‐ 0.05 nA. 7. In current clamp experiments Ca2+ action potentials were recorded from cells loaded with the Ca2+ chelator BAPTA. In these conditions kainate failed to reduce the Ca2+ action potential, while in the absence of BAPTA kainate shortened the Ca2+ action potentials by 30%. 8. It is suggested that low concentrations of kainate reduced the slow Ca2+ current by promoting its inactivation perhaps through a rise in free intracellular Ca2+.
Elements of elastic electronics created on textile substrate

The most well-known method for producing conductive elements for flexible electronics is to print the paths of electronic circuits directly onto polymer materials. The authors of the paper propose an alternative solution for creation of conductive elements such as using PVD vacuum deposition technology and laser shaping. The resistors and conductors obtained in this way have good electrical and mechanical properties. In the paper the results of the possibility of achieving thin-film structures of a small width by using laser ablation of the vaporized metal layer are also presented.
High-performance monolithically-integrated E/D mode InAlN/AlN/GaN HEMTs for mixed-signal applications

Monolithically-integrated E- and D-mode InAlN/AlN/GaN HEMTs for mixed-signal applications have been demonstrated. For devices with gate lengths of 144 nm, peak tranconductances of 0.92 S/mm and 0.84 S/mm have been obtained for E- and D-mode devices, respectively, while maximum drain currents of 1.84 A/mm and 1.9 A/mm have been measured for E- and D-mode devices. RF performance is also well-matched, with E-mode devices exhibiting ft's of 94 GHz and fmax's of 176 GHz, while D-mode devices had ft's of 94 GHz and fmax's of 174 GHz. Ring oscillators have been fabricated to demonstrate the technology.
Relationship between Thy‐1 expression and cell‐cycle distribution in human bone marrow hematopoietic progenitors

Analysis of the relationship between Thy‐1 expression and cell‐cycle distribution of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) showed that freshly isolated Thy‐1+ and Thy‐1− subsets of the CD34highCD38−flt‐3−Lin− population were predominantly in G0/G1 phase and remained essentially quiescent, whereas after 6 days of cytokine stimulation, the Thy‐1+ subset of the population entered the cycling state while the Thy‐1− subset again remained quiescent. Expression of Thy‐1 antigen resulted in a drastic increase in the percentage of cycling cells in CD34highCD38‐flt‐3‐Lin‐Thy‐1+‐ as well as CD34highCD38−flt‐3−Lin− Thy‐1−‐cell‐initiated cultures. The Thy‐1+ subset of the CD34highCD38−flt‐3−Lin− population exists in the freshly isolated CD34highCD38−flt‐3−Lin− Thy‐1+ fraction, loses Thy‐1 expression during 6 days, and re‐expresses Thy‐1 for an additional 2 days. Cell‐cycle analysis demonstrated that this unique subset contains abundant S/G2M cells. Thus, Thy‐1 expression appears to be an indicator of cell‐cycle phase in targeting HSC, which might serve in the cell subset best suited for gene transfer. Am. J. Hematol. 79:187–193, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
p53 Designer Genes for the Modern Mouse

Major efforts are underway to develop molecular strategies that target the p53 pathway for the treatment of cancer. Mouse strains with humanized p53 sequences, which presents the precise human DNA-binding domain as mutation target, could be informative models to test p53 rescue drugs, and to explore experimentally the causes of human tumor mutations.
Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2, but not caspase-3, facilitates distinction between benign and malignant thyroid follicular neoplasms.

PURPOSE Definite diagnosis of follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) is based on the presence of capsular or vascular invasion. To date, no reliable and practical method has been introduced to discriminate this malignant neoplasm from follicular thyroid adenoma (FTA) in fine needle aspiration biopsy material. Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), by degrading extracellular matrix, and caspase-3, by induction of apoptosis, have been shown to play important roles in carcinogenesis and aggressive behavior in many tumor types. The aim of this study was to examine expression of MMP-2 and caspase-3 in thyroid follicular neoplasms and to determine their usefulness for differential diagnosis. METHOD Sixty FTAs and 41 FTCs were analysed immunohistochemically for MMP-2 and caspase-3. RESULT MMP-2 was positive in 4 FTCs (9.8%), but in none of FTAs, with statistical significance (p=0.025). Caspase-3 was positive in 30 (50%) of FTAs and in 27 (65.9%) of FTCs. CONCLUSION Our results show MMP-2 expression only in FTCs and suggest that this protein may be a useful marker to confirm diagnosis of FTC versus FTA with 100% specificity and 100% predictive value of a positive test. We failed to show any differential diagnostic value for caspase-3 in thyroid follicular neoplasms.
Open-ring imaging sign

Objective: To test the specificity for demyelination of a new neuroimaging sign: contrast enhancement shaped as an open ring or a crescent circumscribed to the white matter. Background: Brain demyelination can cause ring enhancement mimicking neoplasm or infection on CT or MRI. Methods: A MEDLINE search of pathology-proved demyelination yielded 32 illustrated cases of ring-enhancing lesions published between 1981 and 1995. Controls consisted of the same number of published images of neoplasms and infections, pathology proved, and matched by year of publication, and age and gender of the patient. Two neuroradiologists read the images twice independently 1 year apart. Results: Interrater agreement was good (κ = 0.64 and 0.66 for either reading). Test-retest reliability was high (κ = 0.75 and 0.74 for either rater). The open-ring sign clearly distinguished demyelinating lesions from neoplasms and infections. For demyelination versus neoplasm or infection, the specificity of the reading by the first neuroradiologist was 93.8 (95% CI, 86 to 98), and that of the second was 84.4 (95% CI, 74 to 92). The likelihood ratio of demyelination versus neoplasm averaged 5.2, and versus infection, 17.2. That is, if the lesions had the same incidence in the population, in the presence of an open-ring sign demyelination would be five times more likely than neoplasm and 17 times more likely than infection. However, given the much higher incidence of neoplasms and infections, these lesions are still frequently responsible for open-ring enhancement. Conclusions: The open-ring sign is often present in large, contrast-enhancing demyelinating lesions and helps to differentiate them from neoplasms and infections.
Genetic variation in herbivore resistance and tolerance: the role of plant life‐history stage and type of damage

Information of the patterns of genetic variation in plant resistance and tolerance against herbivores and genetic trade‐offs between these two defence strategies is central for our understanding of the evolution of plant defence. We found genetic variation in resistance to two specialist herbivores and in tolerance to artificial damage but not to a specialist leaf herbivore in a long‐lived perennial herb. Seedlings tended to have genetic variation in tolerance to artificial damage. Genetic variation in tolerance of adult plants to artificial damage was not consistent in time. Our results suggest that the level of genetic variation in tolerance and resistance depends on plant life‐history stage, type of damage and timing of estimating the tolerance relative to the occurrence of the damage, which might reflect the pattern of selection imposed by herbivory. Furthermore, we found no trade‐offs between resistance and tolerance, which suggests that the two defence strategies can evolve independently.
Comprehensive discharge planning with postdischarge support for older patients with congestive heart failure: a meta-analysis.

CONTEXT Comprehensive discharge planning plus postdischarge support may reduce readmission rates for older patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of comprehensive discharge planning plus postdischarge support on the rate of readmission in patients with CHF, all-cause mortality, length of stay (LOS), quality of life (QOL), and medical costs. DATA SOURCES We searched MEDLINE (1966 to October 2003), the Cochrane Clinical Trials Register (all years), Social Science Citation Index (1992 to October 2003), and other databases for studies that described such an intervention and evaluated its effect in patients with CHF. Where possible we also contacted lead investigators and experts in the field. STUDY SELECTION We selected English-language publications of randomized clinical trials that described interventions to modify hospital discharge for older patients with CHF (mean age > or =55 years), delineated clearly defined inpatient and outpatient components, compared efficacy with usual care, and reported readmission as the primary outcome. DATA EXTRACTION Two authors independently reviewed each report, assigned quality scores, and extracted data for primary and secondary outcomes in an unblinded standardized manner. DATA SYNTHESIS Eighteen studies representing data from 8 countries randomized 3304 older inpatients with CHF to comprehensive discharge planning plus postdischarge support or usual care. During a pooled mean observation period of 8 months (range, 3-12 months), fewer intervention patients were readmitted compared with controls (555/1590 vs 741/1714, number needed to treat = 12; relative risk [RR], 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64-0.88). Analysis of studies reporting secondary outcomes found a trend toward lower all-cause mortality for patients assigned to an intervention compared with usual care (RR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.73-1.03; n = 14 studies), similar initial LOS (mean [SE]: 8.4 [2.5] vs 8.5 [2.2] days, P =.60; n = 10), greater percentage improvement in QOL scores compared with baseline scores (25.7% [95% CI, 11.0%-40.4%] vs 13.5% [95% CI, 5.1%-22.0%]; n = 6, P =.01), and similar or lower charges for medical care per patient per month for the initial hospital stay, administering the intervention, outpatient care, and readmission (-359 dollars [95% CI, -763 dollars to 45 dollars]; n = 4, P =.10 for non-US trials and -536 dollars [95% CI, -956 dollars to -115 dollars]; n = 4, P =.03, for US trials). CONCLUSION Comprehensive discharge planning plus postdischarge support for older patients with CHF significantly reduced readmission rates and may improve health outcomes such as survival and QOL without increasing costs.
Does uterine gauze packing increase the risk of puerperal morbidity in the management of postpartum hemorrhage during caesarean section: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND To compare the outcomes especially the puerperal morbidity of uterine gauze packing (UGP) with those of uterine balloon tamponade (UBT) in the management of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) during caesarean section (c-section). METHODS It was considered success as no requirement for either a further therapy or hysterectomy for PPH. The postpartum infection risk was pragmatically measured as puerperal morbidity. RESULTS The identified PPH subjects were subdivided into two groups for comparison, in which UGP or UBT was used as second-line therapy for women undergoing c-sections between January 2010 and September 2014. Of the 318 c-section subjects initially treated by basic managements for expected PPH, 99 cases underwent UGP and 66 UBT as the second-line therapies to stop persistent bleeding. The success rates of the UGP and UBT groups were 90.91 and 87.88%, respectively. Only one patient in UBT group resorted to hysterectomy. The respective rates of puerperal morbidity were 10.10 and 13.64%, with risk ratio of 0.74 (95% CI: 0.32, 1.72). There were no significant differences between the two groups even after the adjustment for potential confounding factors. CONCLUSION UGP appears to be effective in treating PPH during c-section without an observed increase in the risk of potential postpartum infection when compared with UBT. UGP could be recommended as routine for patients who are not responding to conventional basic therapies in addressing PPH, along with the provision of appropriate training.
FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR EMPOWERING MARGINALIZED PEOPLE IN NEPAL

By empowering the individuals, the society is possible to change and transform. However, empowerment has several facets to understand and several ways to implement. Providing financial knowledge and skill to the individuals is one of the ways of empowering the individuals. Previous studies conclude that financial knowledge and skill help people to change their financial attitude, behavior and well-being. The theories of behavioral study also show that the behavior of the individuals are subject to change their knowledge, skill and attitude. Similarly, the agenda of empowerment and transformation are relative, contextual and dynamic in nature. This study concludes that empowerment is one of the prime concerns of those people who are still marginalized and excluded from the mainstream of societies from several aspects. The paper stands on the assumption that the financial literacy simply works all around the place in the similar degree and directions. This approach believes that financial literacy is more relevant for the marginalized people and one of the tools of national development through empowering the marginalized and excluded people. The paper follows the methodology of desk review.
Effect of lipid reduction on the progression of renal disease: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND It has been proposed that hyperlipidemia contributes to the progression of renal disease. A large trial has not been performed; however, a number of small, controlled trials have been reported. We examined the effects of antilipemic agents on glomerular filtration rate and proteinuria or albuminuria in patients with renal disease. METHODS We used Medline, abstracts from scientific meetings, and bibliographies from recent reviews and scientific reports to locate pertinent studies. Thirteen prospective controlled trials examining the effects of antilipemic agents on renal function, proteinuria, or albuminuria were included. Studies were published as full reports or abstracts and were at least three months in duration. For five of the studies, individual patient data were obtained. Other summary data were independently extracted from the published reports by two investigators and included study quality, subject characteristics, cause of renal disease, change in serum cholesterol, blood pressure, glomerular filtration rate, proteinuria, and albuminuria. RESULTS There was a lower rate of decline in glomerular filtration rate with treatment compared with controls (treated controls, 0.156 mL/min/month; 95% CI, 0.026 to 0. 285 mL/min/month, P = 0.008). The study results were statistically homogeneous, and in a regression analysis, the effect of treatment on glomerular filtration rate did not correlate with study quality, the percentage change in cholesterol, the type of lipid-lowering agent, or the cause of renal disease. However, longer follow-up correlated with the amount of improvement in glomerular filtration rate from treatment (P = 0.007). There was a tendency for a favorable effect of treatment on protein or albumin excretion [Ln (treatment) - Ln (control) = -0.248, 95% CI, -0.562 to 0.064, P = 0. 077]. However, these results were statistically heterogeneous between studies (P < 0.001). No obvious explanation for this heterogeneity was apparent in a regression analysis examining potential reasons for differences in study results. CONCLUSIONS Lipid reduction may preserve glomerular filtration rate and may decrease proteinuria in patients with renal disease.
Comparative behavior of lysosomes and the pre-lysosome compartment (PLC) in in vivo cell fusion experiments.

Interspecies cell fusion was used to compare protein intermixing within the mannose 6-phosphate receptor (MPR)-enriched pre-lysosome compartment (PLC) and within the MPR-negative lysosomal compartment. Both compartments were positive for lysosomal glycoprotein (lgp) membrane markers but were morphologically distinct. In most experiments, rat-mouse cell syncytia were formed by u.v. -inactivated Sindbis virus-mediated fusion. By immunogold electron microscopy of syncytia, extensive intermixing of species-specific lysosomal membrane proteins was observed in both lysosomes and PLC. At 3 h post cell fusion, multiple-label immunogold studies showed that 82% of the lysosome-like structures positive for the rat lysosomal membrane protein LIMP-I were also positive for the mouse lysosomal membrane protein mLAMP-1. By immunofluorescence, LIMP-I and mLAMP-1 co-localized with a t1/2 of 30 min after cell fusion; although the lgp-positive organelle populations had evidently interchanged their proteins, the lysosomal structures remained small, punctate bodies distributed throughout the syncytoplasm as observed in single cells. In contrast, the initially separate units of the PLC congregated with a t1/2 of 1 h to form large, pre-lysosome complexes associated with individual nuclear clusters. At the electron-microscope level, gold markers endocytized by the rat and mouse parent cells in a 1 h uptake followed by a 16-20 h chase co-localized in these extended PLC complexes, as did the membrane markers mLAMP-1 and LIMP-I. The density of labeling for rat MPR in the extended PLCs was markedly decreased, consistent with membrane fusions and dilution of the antigen upon congregation of the PLC compartments from the donor cells. The extended PLC complex behaved as a late endocytic compartment, as shown by co-localization of the MPR and rhodamine-dextran following a 10 min dextran uptake and a 50 min chase. These differences in behavior between lysosomes and the PLC in rat-mouse cell syncytia suggest that the pathway(s) of protein intermixing with respect to the two organelles may be different.
Vitamin C is reduced in human milk after storage

In order to establish how cold storage of human milk affects levels of bioavailable vitamin C, 11 samples were stored for 24 h in the refrigerator or up to 2 mo in the freezer. Total vitamin C levels decreased on average by one‐third in the refrigerator or after 1 mo of freezing, with wide variations between individuals (6 to 76% and 3 to 100%, respectively). After 2 mo of freezing, the average decrease was two‐thirds (7–100%).