Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical efficacy and safety of a new flexible interbody spacer system.

BACKGROUND Patients with lumbar degenerative disk disease (DDD) often require an interbody fusion. Several spacer systems have been developed to achieve an adequate fusion. The newly developed flexible interbody spacer system (Luna®, Benvenue Medical Inc.) expands to the disk space and is adjustable to the patient's anatomy. OBJECTIVE Prospective monocentric evaluation of interbody fusions performed with the new system in patients with DDD to assess the device's efficacy and safety. METHODS The study includes patients with DDD of one or two contiguous lumbar levels. All patients were treated with the new flexible cage system. To evaluate the clinical outcome, examinations were conducted preoperatively, 6 weeks, 6 months and 12 months postoperatively. At each study visit possible implant loosening was assessed by plain radiography and any adverse events were documented. Furthermore, back pain was evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS), functional impairment using the Oswestry-Disability-Index (ODI) and quality of life using the SF36. RESULTS A total of 30 patients (age: 52.8 ± 11 years, gender: 53% male) were included. None of the patients showed signs of implant loosening and the total number of adverse events was low (3%). The VAS improved significantly from 81.2 ± 9.5 mm at baseline to 28 ± 26.2 mm after 12-months (p ≤ 0.0001). The ODI also improved significantly from 57.9 ± 9.6% at baseline to 20 ± 15.6% after 12-months (p ≤ 0.0001). The physical component score (PCS) of the SF36 improved significantly ongoing from 29.2 ± 9.3 at baseline to 56.1 ± 14.9 after 12-months (p = 0.0079) and the mental component score (MCS) improved significantly from 49.2 ± 20.7 at baseline to 62.8 ± 18.9 after 12 months (p = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS Minimal-invasive lumbar interbody fusion with the new flexible system is a safe and effective treatment method for patients with DDD. Complication rates are low and treatment leads to an improvement of pain, functional impairment and quality of life.
Progress in allogeneic transplantation for multiple myeloma

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to treat multiple myeloma has been attempted since the early 1980s. The original conditioning regimen including high‐dose total body irradiation (TBI) plus cyclophosphamide was myeloablative and associated with a relatively low relapse/progression rate, but high transplant‐related mortality and no obvious improvement in progression‐free survival or overall survival. Some risk groups may benefit from this transplant modality and occasional patients may be cured, but due to the high‐transplant‐related mortality it is mainly abandoned. Reduced intensity conditioning (RIC), non‐myeloablative allogeneic transplantation reduces transplant‐related mortality significantly when compared with myeloablative conditioning, but the relapse/progression rate is somewhat higher. However although the treatment‐related mortality is higher than after autologous transplantation, the progression‐free and overall survival was better or tended to be better in three of five prospective trials comparing tandem autologous/RIC allogeneic transplantation to single or tandem autotransplantation due to lower relapse/progression rate. Adding donor lymphocyte infusions post‐transplant, new drugs like bortezomib, thalidomide, lenalidomide or pomalidomide pre‐ and/or post‐transplant, and more specific antimyeloma cell therapy like NK cells post‐transplant, may in future studies prove to improve results.
Nuclear localization of herpesvirus proteins: potential role for the cellular framework

Two herpes simplex virus proteins, the major capsid protein and the major DNA binding protein, are specifically localized to the nucleus of infected cells. We have found that the major proportion of these proteins is associated with the detergent-insoluble matrix or cytoskeletal framework of the infected cell from the time of their synthesis until they have matured to their final binding site in the cell nucleus. These results suggest that these two proteins may interact with or bind to the cellular cytoskeleton during or soon after their synthesis and throughout transport into the cell nucleus. In addition, the DNA binding protein remains associated with the nuclear skeleton at times when it is bound to viral DNA. Thus, viral DNA may also be attached to the nuclear framework. We have demonstrated that the DNA binding protein and the capsid protein exchange from the cytoplasmic framework to the nuclear framework, suggesting the direct movement of the proteins from one structure to the other. Inhibition of viral DNA replication enhanced the binding of the DNA binding protein to the cytoskeleton and increased the rate of exchange from the cytoplasmic framework to the nuclear framework, suggesting a functional relationship between these events. Inhibition of viral DNA replication resulted in decreased synthesis and transport of the capsid protein. We have been unable to detect any artificial binding of these proteins to the cytoskeleton when solubilized viral proteins were mixed with a cytoskeletal fraction or a cell monolayer. This suggested that the attachment of these proteins to the cytoskeleton represents the actual state of these proteins within the cell.
Auditory Backward Masking in Normal Hearing Children

Backward masking (BM) is an auditory phenomenon in which the threshold of an auditory signal is elevated due to the presence of another signal (masker) that follows it. Models related to central auditory temporal processes, such as the 'temporal window' model, have been suggested to explain this phenomenon. If this assumption is correct then BM thresholds are expected to improve as a function of age. Electrophysiological data suggest that the central auditory system undergoes maturation in the first two decades of life. Empirical data on the development of BM with age are limited. Therefore, the goals of the present study were to study the effect of age on the performance of backward masking in normal developing children and to determine the age at which children reach adult-like performance. Subjects were 30 normal developing children divided into three groups according to age: 7, 9 and 11 years old. Stimuli consisted of a 1000 Hz pure tone and a bandpass masker (600-1400 Hz). Three BM threshold estimates were obtained for each subject using a three-alternative forced-choice adaptive procedure. The data show a trend for improvement in backward-masking thresholds with increasing age. Specifically, 7 and 9 year-old children performed significantly poorer than those reported for adults, whereas 11 year-old children reached adult-like performance. These data contribute to the small body of literature on backward masking in normal developing children. They are in keeping with what is known regarding the age of physiological maturation of the auditory system and have important clinical implications in the assessment of children with suspected temporal processing deficits.
Isolation of Cellulolytic Anaerobic Extreme Thermophiles from New Zealand Thermal Sites

Avicel enrichment cultures from 47 thermal-pool sites in the New Zealand Rotorua-Taupo region were screened for growth and carboxymethyl cellulase activity at 75°C. Eight anaerobic cellulolytic cultures were obtained. The effect of temperature on carboxymethyl cellulase activity was measured, and bacteria were isolated from the five best cultures. Bacteria from two sources designated TP8 and TP10 grew at 75°C, accumulated reducing sugar in the growth medium and gave free cellulases with avicelase activity. Bacteria from sources designated Tok4, Tok8, and Wai21 grew at 75°C, accumulated no free sugars in the medium, and gave free carboxymethyl cellulases with virtually no avicelase activity. All were obligate anaerobic nonsporeforming rods which stained gram negative, grew on pentoses as well as hexoses, and gave ethanol and acetate as major fermentation end products. The isolated strain which produced the most active and stable cellulases (trivially designated TP8.T) had lower rates of free endocellulase accumulation at 75°C than did Clostridium thermocellum at 60°C, but its cellulase activity against avicel and filter paper in culture supernatants was comparable. Tested at 85°C, TP8.T carboxymethyl cellulases included components which were very stable, whereas C. thermocellum carboxymethyl cellulases were all rapidly inactivated. The TP8.T avicelase activity was relatively unaffected by Triton X-100, EDTA, and dithiothreitol. Evidence was obtained for the existence of unisolated, cellulolytic extreme thermophiles producing cellulases which were more stable and active than those from TP8.T.
3′ polymorphisms of ETS1 are associated with different clinical phenotypes in SLE

A microsatellite repeat polymorphism was identified in the 3′ flanking region of the human ETS1 gene. Sequencing revealed two CA repeat segments in close proximity. Seven different alleles comprising various combinations of CA repeat units were identified in a healthy control population. Because ETS1 plays a role in lymphocyte development and function, apoptosis, and inflammation, we examined whether any of these polymorphisms were associated with a systemic inflammatory condition, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Inheritance of this disease is polygenic and a recent genome‐wide screen for SLE susceptibility loci revealed linkage with chromosome 11q14‐23, the region in which the ETS1 gene lies. This region has also been identified as a general autoimmune susceptibility region. None of the seven distinct ETS1 alleles appeared statistically more frequently in SLE patients than controls, however, two alleles were associated with particular clinical manifestations. Allele 1 is associated with discoid lesions and allele 7 is associated with vasculitis. While this polymorphism does not directly affect the coding region of ETS1, it may be a marker for overexpression of a particular isoform or inheritance of another polymorphism which does affect function. These data suggest that ETS1 may be involved in the phenotypic expression of systemic lupus erythematosus. Hum Mutat 16:49–53, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Model of the delayed translation of cyclin B maternal mRNA after sea urchin fertilization

Sea urchin eggs exhibit a cap‐dependent increase in protein synthesis within minutes after fertilization. This rise in protein synthesis occurs at a constant rate for a great number of proteins translated from the different available mRNAs. Surprisingly, we found that cyclin B, a major cell‐cycle regulator, follows a synthesis pattern that is distinct from the global protein population, so we developed a mathematical model to analyze this dissimilarity in biosynthesis kinetic patterns. The model includes two pathways for cyclin B mRNA entry into the translational machinery: one from immediately available mRNA (mRNAcyclinB) and one from mRNA activated solely after fertilization (XXmRNAcyclinB). Two coefficients, α and β, were added to fit the measured scales of global protein and cyclin B synthesis, respectively. The model was simplified to identify the synthesis parameters and to allow its simulation. The calculated parameters for activation of the specific cyclin B synthesis pathway after fertilization included a kinetic constant (ka) of 0.024 sec−1, for the activation of XXmRNAcyclinB, and a critical time interval (t2) of 42 min. The proportion of XXmRNAcyclinB form was also calculated to be largely dominant over the mRNAcyclinB form. Regulation of cyclin B biosynthesis is an example of a select protein whose translation is controlled by pathways that are distinct from housekeeping proteins, even though both involve the same cap‐dependent initiation pathway. Therefore, this model should help provide insight to the signaling utilized for the biosynthesis of cyclin B and other select proteins. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 83: 1070–1082, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cooperation for secure broadcasting in cognitive radio networks

This paper explores the trade-off between cooperation and secrecy in cognitive radio networks. We consider a scenario consisting of a primary and a secondary system. In the simplest case, each system is represented by a pair of transmitter and receiver. We assume a secrecy constraint on the transmission in the sense that the message of the primary transmitter has to be concealed from the secondary receiver. Both situations where the secondary transmitter is aware and unaware of the primary message are investigated and compared. In the first case, the secondary transmitter helps by allocating power for jamming, which increases the secrecy of the first message. In the latter case, it can also act as a relay for the primary message, thus improving the reliability of the primary transmission. Furthermore, we extend our results to the scenario where the secondary system comprises multiple receivers. For each case we present achievable rate regions. We then provide numerical illustrations for these rate regions. Our main result is that, in spite of the secrecy constraint, cooperation is beneficial in terms of the achievable rates. In particular, the secondary system can achieve a significant rate without decreasing the primary rate below the benchmark rate achievable without the help of the secondary transmitter. Finally, we investigate the influence of the distances between users on the system's performance.
Group psychotherapy for recently diagnosed breast cancer patients: a multicenter feasibility study

As many as 80% of breast cancer patients report significant distress during initial treatment, yet there is little in the way of systematic psychotherapeutic interventions for women coping with the stress of a recent diagnosis of breast cancer. The literature on psychotherapeutic treatment of cancer patients provides uniform evidence for an improvement in mood, coping and adjustment as a result of group therapy. The present study examined the feasibility of implementing a manualized treatment, supportive–expressive group psychotherapy, in busy oncology practices across the US. This intervention was applied to women with primary breast cancer in a manner which tests not only the efficacy of the approach but also its accessibility to group therapists not previously experienced in its use. One hundred and eleven breast cancer patients within 1 year of diagnosis were recruited from ten geographically diverse sites of the National Cancer Institute's Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) and two academic medical centers. Two therapists from each site were trained in supportive–expressive group psychotherapy. Training consisted of participation in a workshop, reading a treatment manual, and viewing explanatory videotapes. Each patient participated in a supportive–expressive group that met for 12 weekly sessions lasting 90 min. Assessment of mood disturbance was made at entry, 3, 6, and 12 months. Results indicated a significant 40% decrease in the Total Mood Disturbance (TMD) scores of the Profile of Mood States (POMS) (ANOVA F [2,174]=3.98, p<0.05). The total symptom score of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was likewise significantly reduced over the 6‐month period (F [2,174]=5.2, p<0.01). Similarly, the total score of the Impact of Event Scale (IES) was significantly reduced (F [2,174]=4.0, p<0.05). There was substantial uniformity of treatment effect across sites. Outcome was independent of stage of disease (I vs. II). We conclude that this treatment program can be effectively implemented in a community setting and results in reduced distress among breast cancer patients. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Barriers to alcoholism treatment: reasons for not seeking treatment in a general population sample.

OBJECTIVE The present study reports responses to numerous direct questions related to reasons for not seeking alcoholism treatment given the perceived need for treatment among respondents classified with an alcohol use disorder (N = 964, 69.8% male, 93.5% nonblack) in a larger representative sample of the United States population. METHOD Data were derived from the 1992 National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey, a national probability sample of 42,862 respondents, aged 18 years and older, from the noninstitutionalized population of the contiguous states. RESULTS Lack of confidence in the alcoholism treatment system and its effectiveness, stigmatization and denial were identified as significant barriers to alcoholism treatment at the aggregate level. In general, enabling factors such as lack of financial resources or facilities for child care were much less important barriers to care than were individual predisposing factors including attitudes towards alcoholism treatment. CONCLUSIONS Important sociodemographic differences in identified barriers to care are discussed in terms of their minimization through proposed changes in education, screening, outreach, detection, and referral patterns in alcoholism treatment delivery systems.
Inhibition of metastatic potential by fucosidase: An NMR study identifies a cell surface metastasis marker

NMR spectroscopy is able to detect subtle changes to the surface chemistry of cells. We have previously shown that high‐resolution 1H NMR methods can identify tumor cells with the capacity to metastasize, and we now report that the long T2 relaxation value (500–800 ms) observed in metastatic rat mammary adenocarcinoma cells is removed by treatment with fucosidase. Two‐dimensional scalar‐correlated NMR (COSY) spectra of fucosidase‐treated cells show that a cross peak, consistent with scalar coupling between the methyl and methinè groups on fucose and usually associated with malignancy and metastatic ability, is absent. Metastases were observed in only two out of ten rats injected subcutaneously with enzyme‐treated cells compared to eight out of ten with untreated cells. NMR studies on isolated cellular lipids identified the long T2 relaxation value only in the ganglioside fraction. This fraction accounts for 51% of the total 14C‐labelled fucose incorporated into the cells. We propose that fucogangliosides are an indicator of metastatic potential in rats. The observation that a cell surface metastasis marker has an NMR signal with a characteristically long relaxation value has important consequences for the future use of magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy in the cancer clinic.
Early G1 in the male rat meiotic cell cycle is hypersensitive to N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced micronucleus formation.

The effects of the known carcinogenic and teratogenic agent N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) were studied on male rat meiosis. To examine possible cell-cycle delay, an immunohistochemical technique based on 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) labelling of S-phase cells was developed. BrdU tablets were implanted subcutaneously in adult male rats. A single i.p. injection of 10 mg/kg of MNU was given simultaneously. After 16-22 days, preparations of stage I of the seminiferous epithelium were made and stained immunohistochemically using anti-BrdU antibodies. MNU did not cause any significant meiotic delay, but did cause a slight non-significant reduction of the percentages of BrdU-labelled step 1 spermatids at 18 days (80%) compared to controls (95%). In addition, the induction of meiotic micronuclei was studied after short (1-3 days: late meiotic stages) and long (16-22 days: early spermatocytes and B spermatogonia) exposure times. The peak induction occurs between 21 and 20 days, indicating that the M-G1 transition or the very beginning of G1 of the cell cycle of primary spermatocytes are the most sensitive stages of the action of MNU. The number of step 1 spermatids decreased dramatically in animals treated for 22 days, denoting a highly toxic effect on type-B spermatogonia. No unscheduled DNA synthesis was detected in any meiotic stage of spermatogenesis by using this BrdU labelling method. The results indicate that the spermatid micronucleus test based on microdissection of seminiferous tubules can accurately point out the most sensitive stage for chemically induced clastogenesis. Moreover, the BrdU-immunohistochemical application enables the simultaneous study of cell cycle kinetics. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Health providers' competence in the management of reproductive tract infections in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess health providers' reported knowledge and practice competence regarding management of reproductive tract infections (RTIs) including sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Vientiane, Laos. All 272 health providers (medical doctors/assistants, midwives/nurses and drug sellers) working with RTI/STI patients in one urban and one rural district were invited to fill in a self-completed questionnaire including four written simulated case scenarios, and 93% participated in the study. Of 252 respondents, 34% scored below 50% regarding both the case scenarios and reported knowledge, and 87% gave inadequate advice regarding health education. Only 34% gave correct advice on contact tracing, 38% on counselling, 52% regarding compliance and 59% on condom promotion. Drug sellers scored lowest in all aspects of RTI/STI management. Urban respondents were more likely to report adequate knowledge. Continuous training in syndromic approach and supervision are recommended to improve the quality of RTI/STI management, particularly at private pharmacies and in rural areas.
In vivo and in vitro comparison of ICDAS II, DIAGNOdent pen, CarieScan PRO and SoproLife camera for occlusal caries detection in primary molar teeth.

AIM This research was aimed to investigate the in vivo and in vitro performance of traditional and novel methods in the detection of occlusal caries in primary teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred twenty primary molar teeth were assessed by two examiners both in vivo using ICDAS II, radiographic examination, DIAGNOdent pen, CarieScan PRO and SoproLife camera and in vitro using the mentioned diagnostic methods except radiographic examination. In addition, in vitro examinations were repeated 2 weeks later. After sectioning and evaluation under stereomicroscope, the lesion depth was determined with Downer's histological criteria. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, accuracy and area under the ROC curve were calculated at D1 and D3 thresholds. The intra- and inter-examiners' reproducibility were analysed using Cohen's kappa statistics and intraclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS Intra- and inter-examiner repeatability were high for all methods. While ICDAS and SoproLife camera showed the highest sensitivity value at D1 and D3 thresholds in vivo, radiographic examination showed the lowest sensitivity values. While ICDAS and SoproLife camera showed the highest sensitivity values at D3 threshold in vitro, CarieScan PRO showed the lowest sensitivity value. CONCLUSION The ICDAS II method could be sufficient alone in diagnosis of occlusal caries of primary teeth. However, SoproLife camera may be useful in monitoring caries lesions.
The regulation of K‐ and L‐cell activity by GLUT2 and the calcium‐sensing receptor CasR in rat small intestine

• In intestine, nutrients including glucose and amino acids and non‐nutrients including bile acids increase secretion of anti‐diabetic gut peptides such as gluco‐insulinotropic peptide (GIP), glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) and peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY). • Facilitative glucose transporter pathways in addition to active electrogenic transporter pathways contribute to GIP, GLP‐1 and PYY secretion; in particular, the facilitative glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) is involved. • Sucralose, in the presence of glucose, can strongly and acutely upregulate GIP, GLP‐1 and PYY secretion in a time scale of minutes. • Amino acid‐stimulated GIP, GLP‐1 and PYY secretion is acutely regulated by the calcium‐sensing receptor (CasR). • The results establish new functions for GLUT2 and CasR as regulators of gut peptide secretion that sense nutrients and provide signalling pathways for the release of GIP, GLP‐1 and PYY.