Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections and mental health needs of female child and adolescent survivors of rape and sexual assault attending a specialist clinic

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and the mental health needs of female child and adolescent survivors of rape and sexual assault who were referred to a specialist genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic. Method: Retrospective case notes review of 98 females aged 16 or less, who attended over a 5 year period (1996–2000). Results: The overall prevalence of STIs was 26%. Among the girls who were aged 0–12 years (n = 16), one had gonorrhoea and another had Trichomonas vaginalis infection. Prevalence of STIs in those aged 13–16 years, who were not sexually active before the index assault, was 24% and in those who gave a history of previous consensual sexual activity it was 39% (p = 0.17). Chlamydial infection was more common among the girls who disclosed previous consensual sexual activity than in those did not disclose previous sexual activity (p = 0.012). The overall prevalence of vaginal candidiasis was 17% and bacterial vaginosis 13%. More than one third of the study population gave a history of previous sexual, physical, or other abuse. 81% reported having current psychological difficulties. Mood changes and sleep disturbances were reported more frequently than other psychological symptoms; 15% attempted self harm. All types of psychological difficulties, except mood changes, were not affected by the time interval between index assault and first presentation to the clinic and the type of assailant. 29% had no involvement with social and mental health services before their attendance at the clinic Conclusions: The prevalence of STIs among female child and adolescent survivors of rape and sexual assault attending a specialist clinic was high. The range of mental health and social difficulties was wide and multiple. The importance of an early assessment for the presence of STIs and mental health difficulties was demonstrated.
Effect of uric acid-lowering therapy on blood pressure: systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine if uric acid-lowering therapy is associated with a decrease in blood pressure (BP) and serum creatinine levels. Materials and methods: Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases were searched until 29 June 2016, with keywords: uric-acid-lowering therapy, allopurinol, febuxostat, uricosuric, and BP. Only randomized controlled trials were included. The primary outcomes were reduction in systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP), and secondary was reduction in serum creatinine level. Results: Patients treated with allopurinol had greater reduction in SBP (standardized difference in means [SDM] = 0.321, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.145–0.497, p < 0.001), DBP (SDM = 0.260, 95% CI: 0.102 to 0.417, p = 0.001), and creatinine level (SDM = 0.312, 95% CI: 0.008 to 0.615, p = 0.044) than control patients. Subgroup analysis showed that allopurinol significantly decreased SBP whether or not antihypertensive drugs were being administered; a decrease in DBP was only seen in patients receiving antihypertensive drugs. Low-dose allopurinol (≤300 mg/day) was more effective at reducing SBP than high-dose (>300 mg/day) in patients receiving antihypertensive drugs. Conclusions: These results support that allopurinol decreases BP and creatinine levels in patients with hyperuricemia. KEY MESSAGES Allopurinol decreases SBP and DPB, and creatinine levels in patients with hyperuricemia. Allopurinol resulted in a significant decrease in SBP in patients with or without treatment of antihypertensive drugs. A dose of allopurinol of ≤300 mg per day might be more effective than a higher dose.
Ultrastructural aspects of the follicular cells of the pars tuberalis in bats related to the seasonal cycle.

The topography and structure of the follicular cells and the follicular cavity of the hypophyseal pars tuberalis (PT) were studied in adult hibernating bats (Pipistrellus pipistrellus and Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) of both sexes, during the annual seasonal cycle and the reproductive cycle. The follicular cells were found to be organized around a central cavity. They showed a polyhedral shape and apical microvilli protruding into central cavities. During hibernation, the follicular cells showed active cytoplasmic organelles, clusters of glycogen particles, and lipid droplets. In the supranuclear cytoplasm, 9+2 type cilia, some dense bodies, microvesicular vacuoles, and thin actin-like filaments (rather scarce during autumn) were detected. The contents of the follicular cavity showed well-defined ultrastructural seasonal characteristics, with a colloid-like aspect during awakening and a strongly granular aspect during autumn oestrus and mating. Positive staining for PAS and paraldehyde fuchsin, and a marked reaction to lectins PHA-L4, MAM, and RCA 60 suggested the presence of sialo-glycoproteins in the follicular cavities. Both follicular and endocrine PT-specific cells appeared to mark the boundary of follicular cavities. This finding suggests that the follicular cavity contents are comprised of both types of cells, rather than by cell fragmentation or degeneration products.
La educación sexual en la sociedad de consumo

Este articulo tiene como objetivo describir y analizar los contenidos de caracter sexual que se ofertan en la television, el cine, el video/DVD e Internet y su papel en la conformacion de actitudes y comportamientos sexuales. Los medios citados, forman parte de la sociedad de consumo y deben ser seriamente considerados porque estan ubicados en los espacios cotidianos de socializacion de ninos y adolescentes. Este contacto directo puede desplazar la labor de los adultos como agentes educativos naturales de los mas jovenes en materia de educacion sexual.
New S-Band Bandpass Filter (BPF) With Wideband Passband for Wireless Communication Systems

In this letter, a new wideband bandpass filter (BPF) using microstrip parallel-coupled line structure for s-band applications is proposed. The filter is constructed of two sections of three coupled lines separated by a nonuniform line resonator. In order to introduce one transmission zero at each edge of the desired passband, one of the outer coupled lines of each section is shorted to the ground. The nonuniform resonator is constructed by attaching pair of capacitive open-ended stubs at its central location. This resonator is implemented to increase the filter degree by moving the resonant mode inside the desired passband. The transmission zeros can be located at any desired frequency and the desired bandwidth can be obtained where the bandwidth is reversely proportional to the gap between the coupled lines. The filter is designed to have a wideband passband to cover the whole s-band frequency range. The design is successfully realized and verified by full-wave electromagnetic simulation and the experiment. Excellent agreement between the expected and measured results is obtained.
Significance of low‐level DSA detected by solid‐phase assay in association with acute and chronic antibody‐mediated rejection

We sought to clarify the controversial issue of whether detecting low‐level anti‐donor‐specific HLA antibody (HLA‐DSA) by single‐antigen flow‐bead assay (SAFB) may have a potential role in reducing acute and chronic antibody‐mediated rejection (AMR). We retrospectively studied the preoperative serum of ABO‐compatible living kidney transplantation recipients transplanted between 2001 and 2004 by SAFB using a Luminex platform. HLA‐DSA was detected only by SAFB in 24 patients, although all of them showed negative T‐cell and B‐cell complement‐dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) crossmatches. The HLA‐DSA patients went on to have surprisingly high levels of acute and chronic AMR despite being only weakly sensitized (acute AMR, 33.3%; chronic AMR, 41.7%). After 2005, we implemented SAFB routinely and any patient having a positive HLA‐DSA was considered to be a desensitization candidate. The 52 patients found to have HLA‐DSA underwent kidney transplantation after prior treatment with a single dose of rituximab (RIT) and three or four sessions of double‐filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) in addition to regimens commonly used between 2001 and 2004. After 2005, there was a significant reduction in the occurrence of acute and chronic AMR (acute AMR, 4.7%, P < 0.001; chronic AMR, 4.7%, P < 0.001). The 5‐year graft survival rate also improved after implementing SAFB (83.3–98.1%, P = 0.032). The RIT/DFPP‐induction protocol may improve graft survival even in patients with low‐level DSA.
Everolimus-eluting versus paclitaxel-eluting stents in coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND Previous studies have established the superiority of coronary everolimus-eluting stents over paclitaxel-eluting stents with respect to angiographic findings. However, these trials were not powered for superiority in clinical end points. METHODS We randomly assigned 3687 patients at 66 U.S. sites to receive everolimus-eluting stents or paclitaxel-eluting stents without routine follow-up angiography. The primary end point was the 1-year composite rate of target-lesion failure (defined as cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction, or ischemia-driven target-lesion revascularization). RESULTS Everolimus-eluting stents were superior to paclitaxel-eluting stents with respect to the primary end point of target-lesion failure (4.2% vs. 6.8%; relative risk, 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.46 to 0.82; P=0.001). Everolimus-eluting stents were also superior with respect to the major secondary end point of the 1-year rate of ischemia-driven target-lesion revascularization (P=0.001) and were noninferior with respect to the major secondary end point of the 1-year composite rate of cardiac death or target-vessel myocardial infarction (P<0.001 for noninferiority; P=0.09 for superiority). The 1-year rates of myocardial infarction and stent thrombosis were also lower with everolimus-eluting stents than with paclitaxel-eluting stents (1.9% vs. 3.1%, P=0.02 for myocardial infarction; 0.17% vs. 0.85%, P=0.004 for stent thrombosis). Target-lesion failure was consistently reduced with everolimus-eluting stents as compared with paclitaxel-eluting stents in 12 prespecified subgroups, except in the subgroup of patients with diabetes (6.4% vs. 6.9%, P=0.80). CONCLUSIONS Everolimus-eluting stents, as compared with paclitaxel-eluting stents, resulted in reduced rates of target-lesion failure at 1 year, results that were consistent in all patients except those with diabetes, in whom the results were nonsignificantly different. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00307047.)
Sleep Restriction Masks the Influence of the Circadian Process on Sleep Propensity

Previous forced desynchrony studies have highlighted the close relationship between the circadian rhythms of core body temperature (CBT) and sleep propensity. In particular, these studies have shown that a “forbidden zone” for sleep exists on the rising limb of the CBT rhythm. In these previous studies, the length of the experimental day was either ultrashort (90 min), short (20 h), or long (28 h), and the ratio of sleep to wake was normal (i.e., 1:2). The aim of the current study was to examine the relative effects of the circadian and homeostatic processes on sleep propensity using a 28-h forced desynchrony protocol in which the ratio of sleep to wake was substantially lower than normal (i.e., 1:5). Twenty-seven healthy males lived in a time-isolation sleep laboratory for 11 consecutive days. Participants completed either a control (n = 13) or sleep restriction (n = 14) condition. In both conditions, the protocol consisted of 2 × 24-h baseline days followed by 8 × 28-h forced desynchrony days. On forced desynchrony days, the control group had 9.3 h in bed and 18.7 h of wake, and the sleep restriction group had 4.7 h in bed and 23.3 h of wake. For all participants, each 30-s epoch of time in bed was scored as sleep or wake based on standard polysomnography recordings, and was also assigned a circadian phase (360° = 24 h) based on a cosine equation fitted to continuously recorded CBT data. For each circadian phase (i.e., 72 × 5° bins), sleep propensity was calculated as the percentage of epochs spent in bed scored as sleep. For the control group, there was a clear circadian rhythm in sleep propensity, with a peak of 98.5% at 5° (∼05:20 h), a trough of 64.9% at 245° (∼21:20 h), and an average of 82.3%. In contrast, sleep propensity for the sleep restriction group was relatively high at all circadian phases, with an average of 96.7%. For this group, the highest sleep propensity (99.0%) occurred at 60° (∼09:00 h), and the lowest sleep propensity (91.3%) occurred at 265° (∼22:40 h). As has been shown previously, these current data indicate that with a normal sleep-to-wake ratio, the effect of the circadian process on sleep propensity is pronounced, such that a forbidden zone for sleep exists at a phase equivalent to evening time for a normally entrained individual. However, these current data also indicate that when the ratio of sleep to wake is substantially lower than normal, this circadian effect is masked. In particular, sleep propensity is very high at all circadian phases, including those that coincide with the forbidden zone for sleep. This finding suggests that if the homeostatic pressure for sleep is sufficiently high, then the circadian drive for wakefulness can be overridden. In future studies, it will be important to determine whether or not this masking effect occurs with less severe sleep restriction, e.g., with a sleep-to-wake ratio of 1:3. (Author correspondence: charli.sargent@cqu.edu.au)
A simple genotyping procedure without DNA extraction to identify rare blood donors

Transfusion‐induced alloimmunization has severe clinical consequences including haemolytic transfusion reactions, impaired transfused RBCs longevity and greater difficulty in finding compatible blood. Molecular analysis of genomic DNA now permits prediction of blood group phenotypes based on identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms. Implementation of molecular technologies in donor centres would be helpful in finding RBC units for special patient populations, but DNA extraction remains an obstacle to donor genotyping.
Error detection based on correlation analysis for BCH encoded UHF RFID communication

To accomplish a reliable detection of goods and items over a couple of meters Long Range Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a common used wireless transmission technique. Most of the commercial systems use a transmission with passive transponders (tags) which backscatter their information back to a processing unit (reader). This communication is realized in the Electronic Product Code (EPC) Class-1 Gen-2 protocol. In the Gen-2 protocol only a CRC code is used, which can detect transmission errors very reliably but can not correct any errors. So a possible extension to this protocol is the implementation of Forward Error Correction (FEC). Because of its similarity with the CRC code a BCH code can be used. For the small scale fading characteristic and the dyadic backscatter channel a coding gain up to 8 dB regarding the bit error rate can be achieved during an RFID transmission. The disadvantage of a BCH decoding without any additional error detection is however, that the decoder can not decide if a decoded package is false when the erroneous codeword is wrongly detected as another correct codeword. This may lead to falsely detected packages especially for low SNR. This paper shows a simple technique which uses the information of the spreading sequences in the Gen-2 protocol for a detection of erroneous packets. It is shown that the combination of BCH FEC and reliability detection outperforms the conventional CRC-based transmission regarding the time to read a particular tag population in many cases.
Sincronización de sistemas de monitorización para el estudio de ronquidos en las distintas fases del sueño en pacientes con SAHS

El Sindrome de Apnea-Hipopnea del Sueno (SAHS) tiene una incidencia en sujetos de edad media, del 2-4% en mujeres y 4-6% en hombres, ademas de multiples consecuencias asociadas. Sin embargo, a pesar de su prevalencia, menos de un 10% de la poblacion con este sindrome es diagnosticada. Con el objetivo de identificar que senales deberia emplear un futuro metodo de diagnostico para pacientes con sospecha de SAHS mas eficaz que los actuales, se sugiere un estudio en detalle de los eventos respiratorios que tienen lugar durante la noche. Para ello se parte de los estudios de monitorizacion del sueno realizados a pacientes con sintomas de SAHS mediante dos plataformas comerciales distintas. En primer lugar, los registros procedentes de dichos estudios se combinan y sincronizan temporalmente de una forma precisa y robusta. Una vez llevada y sincronizada toda la informacion a una plataforma comun, el presente estudio se centra en la relacion del SAHS con una nueva informacion, el roncograma. El roncograma permite estudiar la evolucion de los ronquidos segun la fase de sueno. Aplicando esta medida sobre nuestra base de datos observamos como el tiempo en fase de vigilia, el tiempo en fase REM o la densidad de ronquidos en fases ligeras presentan diferencias estadisticamente significativas para pacientes con distinta severidad de SAHS.
Role of renal nerves for the expression of renin in adult rat kidney.

Utilizing a combination of mechanical and chemical unilateral denervation, we have examined the relevance of renal innervation for the expression of renin in kidneys of adult rats. Renal denervation led to a reduction by 57 +/- 4% of renin-containing areas in denervated kidneys as quantitated by morphometry of kidney sections immunoreactive against a polyclonal antirenin antibody. Preprorenin mRNA content in the denervated kidneys fell to 46 +/- 7% of the contralateral innervated kidneys. Treatment of rats with the beta 1-adrenoreceptor antagonist metoprolol (100 mg.kg-1.day-1) for 2 days decreased renal renin mRNA levels to 71% of control levels. Unilateral renal denervation led to a further decrease of renin mRNA levels also in metoprolol-treated animals to 60% of the values found in the contralateral kidneys. Hypotensive hemorrhage led to a 1.4-fold increase of renin mRNA in the kidneys of sham-treated animals. In unilaterally denervated rats renin mRNA increased to levels similar to those in sham-operated animals in both denervated and in contralateral innervated kidneys in response to bleeding. As a consequence, the ratio of abundance of renin mRNA in the denervated to the innervated kidneys rose to 86 +/- 7%. Pretreatment of the animals with metoprolol, on the other hand, prevented the rise of renin mRNA in response to hypotensive hemorrhage. Our findings suggest that in the adult organism renal neural input significantly contributes to the expression of renin under basal conditions, while it appears to be of less importance for stimulation of renin gene expression by severe blood loss.
Multiplex-FISH (M-FISH): technique, developments and applications

Multiplex FISH (M-FISH) represents one of the most significant developments in molecular cytogenetics of the past decade. Originally designed to generate 24 colour karyotyping, the technique has spawned many variations and an equally diverse range of applications. In tumour and leukaemia cytogenetics, the two groups that have been targeted represent both ends of the cytogenetic spectrum: those with an apparently normal karyotype (suspected of harbouring small rearrangements not detectable by conventional cytogenetics) and those with a complex aberrant karyotype (which are difficult to karyotype accurately due to the sheer number of aberrations). In research, mouse M-FISH provides a powerful tool to characterize mouse models of a disease. In addition, the ability to accurately karyotype single metaphases without selection makes M-FISH the perfect tool in chromosome breakage studies and for characterizing clonal evolution of tumours. Finally, M-FISH has emerged as the perfect partner for the developing genomic microarray (array CGH) technologies, providing a powerful approach to gene discovery.
A quantitative analysis of l‐glutamate‐regulated Na+ dynamics in mouse cortical astrocytes: implications for cellular bioenergetics

The mode of Na+ entry and the dynamics of intracellular Na+ concentration ([Na+]i) changes consecutive to the application of the neurotransmitter glutamate were investigated in mouse cortical astrocytes in primary culture by video fluorescence microscopy. An elevation of [Na+]i was evoked by glutamate, whose amplitude and initial rate were concentration dependent. The glutamate‐evoked Na+ increase was primarily due to Na+‐glutamate cotransport, as inhibition of non‐NMDA ionotropic receptors by 6‐cyano‐7‐nitroquinoxiline‐2,3‐dione (CNQX) only weakly diminished the response and d‐aspartate, a substrate of the glutamate transporter, produced [Na+]i elevations similar to those evoked by glutamate. Non‐NMDA receptor activation could nevertheless be demonstrated by preventing receptor desensitization using cyclothiazide. Thus, in normal conditions non‐NMDA receptors do not contribute significantly to the glutamate‐evoked Na+ response. The rate of Na+ influx decreased during glutamate application, with kinetics that correlate well with the increase in [Na+]i and which depend on the extracellular concentration of glutamate. A tight coupling between Na+ entry and Na+/K+ ATPase activity was revealed by the massive [Na+]i increase evoked by glutamate when pump activity was inhibited by ouabain. During prolonged glutamate application, [Na+]i remains elevated at a new steady‐state where Na+ influx through the transporter matches Na+ extrusion through the Na+/K+ ATPase. A mathematical model of the dynamics of [Na+]i homeostasis is presented which precisely defines the critical role of Na+ influx kinetics in the establishment of the elevated steady state and its consequences on the cellular bioenergetics. Indeed, extracellular glutamate concentrations of 10 μm already markedly increase the energetic demands of the astrocytes.
Apoptosis of Human Primary Osteoclasts Treated with Molecules Targeting Nuclear Factor‐κB

Osteoclasts (OCs) are involved in several pathologies associated with bone loss, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, bone metastasis of myeloma, osteosarcoma, and breast cancer. In this review we determined the effects of natural compounds, including extracts from medicinal plants, on differentiation and survival of human primary OCs obtained from peripheral blood. We found that OCs from umbilical cord blood and peripheral blood behave differently in response to molecules inducing apoptosis in this experimental system. Apoptosis induced by decoy oligonucleotides was reproducibly obtained in OCs from peripheral blood but not in OCs derived from cord blood. With respect to effects of medicinal plants, we found that crude extracts of Emblica officinalis are able to induce specifically programmed cell death of mature OCs without altering the process of osteoclastogenesis. E. officinalis specifically increased the expression levels of Fas, a critical member of the apoptotic pathway. Gel shift experiments BioPharmaNet demonstrate that E. officinalis extracts specifically compete with the binding of a transcription factor involved in osteoclastogenesis NF‐κB to its specific target DNA sequences. This might explain the observed effects of E. officinalis on the expression levels of IL‐6, an NF‐κB‐specific target gene. We suggest the application of natural products as an alternative tool for therapy applied to bone diseases.