Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protein gene product 9.5‐immunoreactive nerve fibers and cells in human cervix of late pregnant, postpartal and non‐pregnant women

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to examine the occurrence and distribution of the general neuronal marker protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 in the cervix uteri. METHODS Cervical biopsies were obtained from late pregnant (n=5), postpartal (n=5) and non-pregnant (n=5) women. The samples were prepared for immunohistochemistry using antibodies to PGP 9.5. RESULTS Nerve fibers were found consistently in all biopsies. There were differences in the occurrence and distribution of PGP 9.5 immunoreactive nerve fibers and cells between the three groups. Immunoreactive nerve fibers were observed at a moderate to abundant frequency in the stroma and around arterial vessel walls, in all groups. Immunoreactive nerve fibers were also observed at high frequency within and around glandular epithelium in the late pregnant and postpartal groups. PGP 9.5 immunoreactive cells were seen occasionally in the stroma of the non-pregnant group, but at a high frequency in the stroma, around arterial blood vessel walls, around and within the glandular epithelium in the late pregnant and postpartal groups. The total frequency of immunoreactive nerve fibers and cells was the highest in the late pregnant group, slightly lower in the postpartal group, and the lowest in the non-pregnant group. CONCLUSIONS These findings show that changes in the general innervation take place during human cervical ripening until late pregnancy and parturition.
The impact of prenatal care on preterm births among twin gestations in the United States, 1989-2000.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the association between prenatal care and preterm births among twin gestations in the presence and absence of high-risk pregnancy conditions. STUDY DESIGN Twin birth data in the United States were used to determine the association between preterm birth and prenatal care with the use of logistic regression. RESULTS Of the 779,387 twin births, 54.7% twin births were delivered preterm. The rate was higher among black women than among white women in the presence (57.0% vs 51.2%, respectively) and absence (70.3% vs 61.6%, respectively) of prenatal care. The absence of prenatal care increased the relative risk for preterm birth by 1.24-fold among black women and by 1.22-fold among white women. Lack of prenatal care was associated with increased preterm birth rates in the presence of most high-risk conditions. CONCLUSION Prenatal care is associated with fewer twin preterm births in the presence and absence of high-risk conditions. Increased prenatal care participation may help decrease preterm birth rates and also narrow the black-white twin preterm birth disparity.
Breastfeeding support services in the neonatal intensive-care unit.

OBJECTIVE To describe a model for providing breastfeeding support in the neonatal intensive-care unit (NICU). DESIGN Naturalistic, participant observation. SETTING Suburban Level III NICU. PATIENTS One hundred thirty-two mother-infant pairs over 1 year. Infants were hospitalized in the NICU, and mothers had initiated lactation efforts. INTERVENTIONS Investigators provided breastfeeding interventions for the mother-infant pairs, based on identified problems, the research literature, or both. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Percentage of mothers who were breastfeeding at the time of discharge from the NICU. RESULT Interventions were classified into five categories: expression and collection of mothers' milk, gavage feeding of expressed mothers' milk, in-hospital breastfeeding sessions, postdischarge breastfeeding management, and additional consultation. CONCLUSIONS This model was effective in preventing breastfeeding failure for this population. The model can provide the basis for NICU breastfeeding standards of care, protocols, and chart records, or for reimbursement purposes. The model also provides a framework for studying a specific category or breastfeeding intervention.
Diagnostic accuracy of surface coil magnetic resonance imaging at 1.5 T for local staging of elevated risk prostate cancer.

INTRODUCTION Preoperative prostate cancer stage predicts prognosis and affects treatment decisions. The purpose of this study was to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of surface coil magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for prostate cancer stage using surgical pathologic data as the reference standard. METHODS High-risk patients (>/=cT3 or PSA >/=20 ng/mL or Gleason >/=8) and selected intermediate-risk patients (clinically bulky disease on exam or biopsy, cT2b/c, or Gleason 7 with >/=3 of 5 biopsy cores positive in a lobe) routinely received a pelvic MRI at our institution. The images of identified patients were reviewed by one radiologist who was blinded to clinical information. The radiologist reported presence or absence of tumour within each lobe of the prostate. Extraprostatic extension (EPE), seminal vesicle (SV) invasion and pelvic lymph node (PLN) metastasis were also reported. Radiological findings were compared with prostatectomy pathology reports. RESULTS During the study period, about 320 radical prostatectomies were performed. Of these, 32 had a preoperative surface coil pelvic MRI adequate for analysis. Pathologically, 53 of 64 (82.8%) prostate lobes contained tumour, 17 (26.6%) lobes had associated EPE, 12 (18.8%) had SV involvement and 7 (10.9%) sets of PLNs contained cancer. Magnetic resonance imaging sensitivity and specificity were, respectively, 94.3% and 81.8% for tumour location, 82.4% and 87.2% for EPE, 83.3% and 92.3% for SV invasion and 71.4% and 94.7% for PLN involvement. INTERPRETATION Surface coil MRI accurately stages many prostate cancer patients with elevated risk of extraprostatic disease. This mode of imaging may be reasonable at centres that do not have endorectal coil MRI.
Certification of cause of death in patients dying soon after proximal femoral fracture

Certification of cause of death has been a legal obligation for medical practitioners since 18741 and has been central to our knowledge of the incidence of fatal diseases. To assess whether certified cause of death reflects the well documented high mortality after fracture of the proximal femur,2 we reviewed the certification of cause of death in patients who died soon after such injuries. If a fracture is mentioned on the death certificate as contributory to death the registrar of deaths has a duty to report it to the coroner and the coroner must hold an inquest. We suspected that the need for an inquest might act as a barrier to doctors recording fractures on the death certificate. We collected data prospectively in 1991-2 …
ICI problem and compensation in MIMO SC‐FDMA system with SC‐SFBC scheme

In this paper, we address the ICI (intercarrier interference) problem and compensation in MIMO (multiple input multiple output) SC‐FDMA (single carrier frequency division multiple access) system that exploits SC‐SFBC (single carrier‐space frequency block coding) scheme. Recently, SC‐FDMA technique has received more attention due to the low PAPR (peak to average power ratio) property. However, SC‐FDMA system is sensitive to phase noise and CFO (carrier frequency offset) which is unavoidable in wireless communication systems. Phase noise and CFO introduce CPE (common phase error) as well as ICI into the received signal and seriously degrade the system performance. Therefore, analysis and suppression of these interferences are of great importance. In this paper, we analyze the interferences in MIMO SC‐FDMA system with SC‐SFBC. Then a new ICI estimation and suppression method is proposed to suppress the interferences. Instead of directly estimating the CFO and phase noise, which is pretty difficult and complex, this algorithm exploits block‐type pilots, which is a common pilot pattern in wireless communication systems, such as LTE standard, to estimate the interferences. After that the interferences are suppressed by the inverse matrix method. Simulation results show that the system performance is significantly improved. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Head circumference, leg length and its association with dementia among older adult population in Singapore

Head circumference and leg length serve as reliable proxy indicators of early‐life environment. Research studies have shown that these anthropometric measurements are associated with cognitive impairment and dementia among older adults. The aim of the present study was to assess the associations between dementia with head circumference and leg length among the older adult population in Singapore. This study also aimed to examine the sociodemographic correlates of these anthropometric measurements.
Direct optical measurement of the Q values of RF-MEMS resonators

Q values of a RF MEMS square-plate resonator are determined using a scanning Michelson laser interferometer. In- and out-of-plane vibration components have been measured as a function of frequency under ambient air pressure and in vacuum for both the main square-extensional (SE) mode and the Lam´ e mode. From the data collected with the interferometer, amplitude responses of the modes are determined as a function of frequency. Theoretical response is fitted to the experimental data and the Q value is determined from the fit. The Q values for SE mode are 9,000 and 87,000 and for Lam´ e mode 6,000 and 37,000 (air pressure and vacuum, respectively). The results agree with the Q values determined from the electrical measurements.
Relation of saphenous vein graft obstruction to serum cholesterol levels.

OBJECTIVES To determine the potential of lipid-lowering therapy to reduce saphenous vein graft obstruction, we retrospectively studied the association between graft obstruction and serum cholesterol levels. BACKGROUND Atherosclerosis is the major cause of vein graft obstruction. Approximately 50% of grafts are occluded by 10 years after operation. It remains to be established whether lipid control affects long-term graft survival. METHODS We carried out a retrospective review of all 284 patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery at Juntendo University Hospital between 1976 and 1991 and met the following additional criteria: at least one saphenous vein graft, repeat coronary arteriography at some point after coronary artery bypass graft surgery and a serum cholesterol level > or = 200 mg/dl before operation. Saphenous vein graft obstruction rates were compared among three groups classified by serum cholesterol levels at follow-up arteriography: group I < 200 mg/dl; group II 200 to 239 mg/dl; group III > or = 240 mg/dl. A vein graft was considered obstructed if it was narrowed by > or = 70%. RESULTS In group I, 88% of grafts were not obstructed 7 years after operation. The respective rates were 61% in group II and 57% in group III (p < 0.005). This relation was true for vein grafts to the left anterior descending and other coronary arteries. CONCLUSIONS Lower serum cholesterol levels are associated with lower rates of vein graft obstruction for up to 7 years. This suggests that cholesterol-lowering therapy may improve long-term saphenous vein graft survival after coronary artery bypass surgery.
Classical Capacities of Averaged and Compound Quantum Channels

We determine the capacity of compound classical-quantum channels. As a consequence we obtain the capacity formula for the averaged classical-quantum channels. The capacity result for compound channels demonstrates, as in the classical setting, the existence of reliable universal classical-quantum codes in scenarios where the only a priori information about the channel used for the transmission of information is that it belongs to a given set of memoryless classical-quantum channels. Our approach is based on the universal classical approximation of the quantum relative entropy which in turn relies on the universal hypothesis testing results.
Factors Affecting Low Back Pain in Adolescents

Study Design Prospective multifactorial study on low back pain (LBP) in adolescents. Background Data Most studies on LBP have focused on adults although many investigations have shown that the roots of LBP lie in adolescence. Several mechanical, physical, and behavioral factors have been associated with nonspecific LBP in adolescents. Objective To investigate the effect of all previously reported parameters together with psychological and psychosocial factors using advanced statistics, on LBP in adolescents aged 15 to 19 years. Material and Methods Six hundred and eighty-eight students aged 16±1 years from 5 randomly selected high schools participated in this study and completed a questionnaire containing questions on daily activity, backpack carrying, psychological and psychosocial behavior. Anthropometric data as well as biplane spinal curvatures together with questionnaire results were included in the analysis using advanced statistics. Results LBP reported 41% of the participants. Generally, statistically significant correlations were found between LBP (0.002), physical activity (P<0.001), physician consultation (P=0.024), and depression (P<0.001). Sex-related differences were shown regarding LBP intensity (P=0.005) and frequency (P=0.013), stress (P<0.03), depression (P=0.005), and nervous mood (P=0.036) in favor of male students. Male adolescents had continuous energy (P=0.0258) and were calm (P=0.029) in contrast with female counterparts. Discussion LBP was sex-related and was less common in adolescents with frequent activity. Adolescent girls with stress, depressive mood, and low energy have more LBP than boys, which makes physician consultation for LBP more common in female adolescents. Conclusions Systematic physical activity and control of psychological profile should decrease LBP frequency and intensity.
Auxin and Fusicoccin Enhancement of beta-Glucan Synthase in Peas : An Intracellular Enzyme Activity Apparently Modulated by Proton Extrusion.

Fusicoccin (FC), like indoleacetic acid (IAA), causes Golgi-localized beta-1,4-glucan synthase (GS) activity to increase when applied to pea third internode segments whose GS activity has declined after isolation from the plant. This suggests that GS activity is modulated by H(+) extrusion; in agreement, vanadate and nigericin inhibit the GS response. The GS response is not due to acidification of the cell wall. Treatment of tissue with heavy water, which in effect raises intracellular pH, mimics the IAA/FC GS response. However, various treatments that tend to raise cytoplasmic pH directly, other than IAA- or FC-induced H(+) extrusion, failed to increase GS activity, suggesting that cytoplasmic pH is not the link between H(+) extrusion and increased GS activity. Although FC stimulates H(+) extrusion more strongly than IAA does, FC enhances GS activity at most only as much as, and often somewhat less than, IAA does. This and other observations indicate that GS enhancement is probably not due to membrane hyperpolarization, stimulated sugar uptake, or changes in ATP level, but leave open the possibility that GS is controlled by H(+) transport-driven changes in intracellular concentrations of ions other than H(+).
A novel robust digital image watermarking method using SVD and GA

A novel evolutionary-based watermarking algorithm for digital images is proposed. Robustness and imperceptibility are two important properties in digital image watermarking which compete with each other. In this paper a DCT and SVD based intelligent algorithm is applied to make a tradeoff between these two properties. First of all, a cover image is divided into 8×8 blocks and some of them which are special ones are transformed to DCT domain. The singular value decomposition is applied to DCT coefficients and singular values change according to a binary watermark image. The binary watermark image is obtained by Genetic Algorithm to solve the optimization problem between robustness and imperceptibility. So the novelty of this method is image adaptability. Robustness of the proposed method against several attacks such as filtering, noise contamination, JPEG compression and some geometrical attacks is good. In comparison with a recently similar existing work, experimental results show improvement in both imperceptibility and robustness.
AMPK activators – potential therapeutics for metabolic and other diseases

AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK)‐mediated cellular metabolic responses to tissue‐specific and whole‐body stimuli play a vital role in the control of energy homeostasis. As a cellular energy‐sensing mechanism, AMPK activation stimulates glucose uptake and fat oxidation, while it suppresses lipogenesis and gluconeogenesis. The cumulative effects of AMPK activation lead to beneficial metabolic states in liver, muscle and other peripheral tissues that are critical in the pathogenesis of obesity, type 2 diabetes and related metabolic disorders. Activators of AMPK that target selected tissues hold potential as novel therapeutics for diseases in which altered energy metabolism contributes to aetiology.
Internal consistency and factor structure of the Chinese Health Questionnaire

The internal consistency and factor structure of the Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ) were investigated in 2 samples in Taiwan, one from 3 communities (n= 1023) and the other from consecutive attenders for health screening in a general hospital (n= 386). Cronbach's alpha coefficients were calculated to be 0.84 and 0.83 for the 12‐item and 0.90 and 0.92 for the 30‐item CHQ version. Four factors similarly extracted for the CHQ‐30 in both samples include somatic symptoms, anxiety and worrying, social dysfunction, and depression and poor family relationship. The implications of these findings were discussed from a cross‐cultural perspective.
Patterns of Collaboration in Co-authorship Networks in Chemistry-Mesoscopic Analysis and Interpretation

We are investigating the manner in which different scientific fields differ in their communication cultures. Our research methodology combines quantitative (graph-theoretic) and qualitative (ethnographic) techniques, which mutually inform each other. In this paper, we present the results of a case study on the identification and classification of scientific collaborations based on structural patterns in co-authorship networks. We investigate three co-authorship networks in specialised subfields of organic chemistry and physical chemistry using an information-theoretic clustering algorithm by Rosvall et al. to extract the modular structure of the networks and thereby investigate the mesoscopic structures of these networks. The clusters found mostly correspond to hierarchically organised research groups or multi-centre research networks. Based on the co-author links between these clusters we analyse group and network interactions, using interviews with participants from the fields in question to inform our interpretation. Structurally one can distinguish two broad classes of linking patterns between clusters: 'exclusive' connections where a single node (author) connects two clusters, and 'manyto-many' connections where substantial fractions of the nodes of both clusters are involved. Within these broad classes one can find further subclasses that correspond to typical collaboration and mobility events.
The Kurzweil integral in financial market modeling

Certain financial market strategies are known to exhibit a hysteretic structure similar to the memory observed in plasticity, ferromagnetism, or magnetostriction. The main difference is that in financial markets, the spontaneous occurrence of discontinuities in the time evolution has to be taken into account. We show that one particular market model considered here admits a representation in terms of Prandtl-Ishlinskii hysteresis operators, which are extended in order to include possible discontinuities both in time and in memory. The main analytical tool is the Kurzweil integral formalism, and the main result proves the well-posedness of the process in the space of right-continuous regulated functions.
Low‐molecular‐weight heparin for the long‐term treatment of symptomatic venous thromboembolism: meta‐analysis of the randomized comparisons with oral anticoagulants

Summary. Background: The management of venous thromboembolism (VTE) requires an initial treatment with unfractionated heparin (UFH) or low‐molecular‐weight heparin (LMWH), followed by oral anticoagulants (OA) for at least 3 months. OA treatment however, requires laboratory monitoring of anticoagulation, carries a definite risk of bleeding, and may be contraindicated in some patients. As an alternative to vitamin K antagonists, subcutaneous LMWH has been proposed and evaluated in randomized clinical trials, but they are all small studies that lack the power to establish if these two treatment modalities are equivalent in efficacy or safety. Objectives: The objective of this review was to evaluate the efficacy (VTE recurrence) and safety (bleeds and deaths) of long‐term treatment of VTE with LMWH compared with OA. A secondary endpoint was to evaluate the effect of LMWH on cancer mortality. Methods: Computerized searches of MedLine and EmBase were performed. In addition, randomized clinical trials were located through personal communication with colleagues, and through the manual scanning of meeting proceedings and reference lists of relevant studies. When necessary, the authors of the selected papers were called to obtain additional information. Two reviewers (AI and FG) reviewed and extracted data independently using a standard form. The primary analysis was performed for efficacy and safety endpoints on an intention‐to‐treat basis for the study period of randomized treatment. A meta‐regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between daily dose and clinical outcome. Results: Seven studies that fulfillled our predefined criteria were identified, for a total of 1379 patients. When all studies were combined, a statistically non‐significant reduction in the risk of VTE (OR 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.41, 1.07) and in the risk of major bleeding (OR 0.45; 95% CI 0.18, 1.11) in favor of LMWH treatment was found. No difference in total mortality (OR 1.19; 95% CI 0.78, 1.83) or in cancer‐related mortality was observed between the LMWH and the OA treatment. Conclusions: The results of this meta‐analysis indicate that a 3‐month course of LMWH is as effective and safe as a corresponding period of OA treatment, and may thus be considered as a valuable alternative option for patients in whom OA treatment appears contraindicated or problematic.
Respiratory Motion of the Heart: Kinematics and the Implications for the Spatial Resolution in Coronary Imaging

Respiratory motion is a major limiting factor in improving image resolution and signal‐to‐noise ratio in MR coronary imaging. In this work the effects of respiration on the cardiac position were studied quantitively by imaging the heart during diastole at various positions of tidal respiration with a breath‐hold segmented fast gradient echo technique. It was found that during tidal breathing the movement of the heart due to respiration is dominated by superior‐inferior (SI) motion, which is linearly related to the SI motion of the diaphragm. The motion of the heart due to respiration is approximately a global translation. These results provide motivation for employing adaptive motion correction techniques to reduce image blurring in nonbreath‐hold coronary MR imaging.
Using Stem Cells in Toxicological Assessments

An increasing number of regulations around the world support and require in vitro toxicity testing in order to replace animal studies and to obtain more predictable results under in vitro conditions [1]. Towards this direction, stem cells and their use in in vitro pharmacological and toxicological studies are gaining increasing scientific interest [2,3]. Stem cells have the capacity for self-renewal and generation of differentiated cells, such as cardiomyocytes, hepatocytes, neurons, and muscle cells. In the field of toxicology, stem cell studies mainly focus on target organ toxicity and developmental toxicity.