Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of Endoscopic Ultrasound to Guide Adalimumab Treatment in Perianal Crohn's Disease Results in Faster Fistula Healing

Background:Perianal disease is a manifestation of Crohn's disease (CD) that has poor long-term treatment outcomes. The aim was to determine if rectal endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)–guided therapy with adalimumab (ADA) can improve outcomes for patients with perianal fistulizing CD. Methods:This is a randomized prospective study comparing serial EUS guidance of fistula treatment versus standard of care in fistulizing perianal CD. At enrollment, all patients underwent a rectal EUS and an EUA with seton placement and/or I&D. Treatment was maximized with immunomodulators, antibiotics, and ADA induction. Surgical interventions were determined by the surgeon's discretion in the control group and assisted by every 12th week EUS in the intervention group. Primary and secondary endpoints where complete drainage cessation at week 48 was fistula status per EUS, respectively. Results:Twenty patients were enrolled: 11 control and 9 EUS guidance. At 24 weeks, 7/9 (78%) in EUS group and 3/11 (27%) in control group had drainage cessation (P = 0.04). This significant difference was lost at week 48 (P = 0.44). Three patients in the EUS and 1 in the control group had additional surgical intervention. Those in the EUS group had more rapid escalation of ADA dosing (P = 0.003). There was no difference in the change in PDAI at week 48 versus baseline (P = 0.81). Conclusions:Rectal EUS-guided ADA therapy for CD perianal fistulas showed an initial benefit at 24 weeks, which was lost at week 48. This is likely due to small sample size and higher fistula closure in the controls. However, the faster rate of fistula resolution is a clinically significant finding.
Malaria in Ghana: Integrated Macroeconomic and Epidemiological-Demographic Impact Assessment

The use of macroeconomic modelling including CGE is gaining momentum in the health field. There are many aspects of population health which have significant economic effects including workforce implications of morbidity and mortality effects, and public budget implications of prevention, treatment and care. In response to rising healthcare costs in most countries, a vast literature has emerged on health policies related to aging populations, epidemics, pandemics, and welfare-related illnesses. A particular line of published research has focussed on applying CGE models to assess the macroeconomic impact of epidemics (mainly HIV/AIDS). The methodology have, in most cases, relied on a recursive approach whereby an epidemiological-demographic model is applied to measure morbidity and mortality effects, which are subsequently imposed as shocks in the CGE model (e.g. Jefferis et al 2008; Thurlow et al 2009). Whilst the standard recursive applications capture the direct macroeconomic effects of illness/improved health, feedback effects and interactions have not been captured in model applications to date. It is postulated that these interactions may be significant and, if correctly estimated, might lead to better informed decisions by governments and policy makers. One context in which interaction between demographics, economics and disease is likely to be important is that of malaria epidemics in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study will illustrate the importance of integrated frameworks for modelling of epidemics by constructing and applying an integrated economic-epidemiological-demographic CGE model of Malaria for Ghana. Focus will be on economic feedback effects to demographics and malaria transmission (through migration, better health conditions, and increased adoption of prevention measures). Malaria is an important health concern in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2010, 216 million episodes of malaria were recorded worldwide, resulting in 655,000 malaria deaths. 81% of mal.
Tumour necrosis factor/cachectin plays a key role in autoimmune pulmonary inflammation in lupus‐prone mice

The role of tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) in the development of autoimmune pulmonary inflammation has been investigated in lupus‐prone mice. An increase in TNF‐α mRNA level from whole lung preparation of lupus‐prone mice was evident, from 3 weeks to 12 weeks during growing process, as shown by Northern blot analysis, but not in control mice. Furthermore, it is also found that the major source of this increase in TNF‐α mRNA was attributed to infiltrating mononuclear cells found within the lung. Treatment of lupus‐prone mice with rabbit anti‐mouse TNF‐α IgG prevented the development of pulmonary inflammation lesions such as lung fibrosis and alveolitis. These results suggest that an increased TNF‐α production by infiltrating mononuclear cells in the lungs of lupus‐prone mice may play a role in the development of autoimmune pulmonary inflammation and in significant changes of cytokines and the immune responses in pulmonary inflammation lesions of lupus‐prone mice.
Physicians Caring for Celiac Patients do not Routinely Recommend Screening of First-Degree Family Members.

AIM Screening first-degree relatives of celiac disease (CD) patients offers an opportunity to diagnose CD in a high-risk population.This study aims to determine how frequently CD patients receive a physician-issued recommendation for first-degree relative screening. MATERIALS AND METHODS A 12-question survey assessing whether CD patients receive a physician recommendation to screen first-degree relatives for CD, and the impact of such a recommendation, was validated with outpatients in a university gastroenterology practice ("University"). The 12-question survey was then distributed online to members of a celiac organization - the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness ("NFCA"). Results were collected over 3 months. Univariate analysis was used to compare cohort means and assess the association between demographic and diagnostic factors and first-degree relative screening recommendations. RESULTS 87 University patients participated in the validation phase. Test-retest reliability of 4 key survey questions was high (Kappa coefficient > 0.80). The main analyses were based on data from 677 NFCA and 82 University respondents. Respondents were predominantly female, with a mean age of 45 years. Significantly more University patients received a recommendation for screening (78% vs 44%, p < 0.001). Ninety-eight percent receiving a screening recommendation (both groups) discussed this with family members, leading to CD screening (University 71%, NFCA 79%) and, ultimately, a CD diagnosis (University 18%, NFCA 27%). CONCLUSIONS Physicians of CD patients often do not recommend screening first-degree family members. The high clinical impact of this recommendation suggests that greater physician compliance with screening may increase the diagnosis of CD in high risk individuals.
Evolution of Agricultural Spatial Market Integration: Evidence from the Hog Market in China

Abstract This article investigates the evolution of hog spatial market integration in China based on a minimal spanning tree by using provincial hog price data. The empirical results show that hog spatial market integration in China has increased gradually and reached a high stable level after 2012. Hog spatial market integration underwent a structural break in April 2007, after which hog market integration was greatly strengthened. Moreover, the market power of hog markets in eastern China and central China is increasing, and Shandong is a price setter, whereas hog markets in southwestern, northeastern, and northern China are price followers.
Chasing Fool’s Gold? Converting U.S. Senate Appointments into Election

Abstract Existing scholarship on the electoral careers of U.S. Senate appointees has made progress toward identifying the determinants of appointee success and failure in the electoral arena. This study builds on these analyses by considering the universe of Senate appointees and examining each stage of the electoral process, including the decision to run. In addition, appointee personal characteristics, including gender and dynastic familial relationships, which have not been investigated in past work are examined here. The results demonstrate the centrality of personal attributes, specifically previous elective office and familial connections, to the electoral fate of appointees. These findings have implications for governors who make appointments, the role of family dynasties in elections, and the elements of incumbency that help to create electoral advantage.
RDH5 RETINOPATHY (FUNDUS ALBIPUNCTATUS) WITH PRESERVED ROD FUNCTION

Purpose: The aim of this study is to characterize the clinical features of four unrelated Chinese patients with retinal dehydrogenase 5 (RDH5) retinopathy (fundus albipunctatus) and to identify the genetic defects underlying this disorder. Methods: Complete ophthalmic examinations, including slit-lamp biomicroscopy, dilated indirect ophthalmoscopy, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, and full-field electroretinography were performed. Genomic DNA was prepared from peripheral venous leukocytes. Polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing were used to screen the coding exons and exon/intron boundaries of the RDH5 gene (11-cis-retinol dehydrogenase). Results: Four patients with RDH5 retinopathy, including two 6-year-old boys, from 4 unrelated Chinese families were recruited in this study. A novel c.832C>T (p.Arg278Ter) nonsense mutation of the RDH5 gene was identified in one 6-year-old boy, who has a compound heterozygous mutation with c.928delC/InsGAAG (p.Leu310GluVal). Homozygous Leu310GluVal mutations were identified in 2 male patients including the other 6-year-old boy. The other patient was a 29-year-old woman in whom compound heterozygous changes c.500G>A (p.Arg167His) and Leu310GluVal in RDH5 were identified. All patients manifested the fundus phenotype of fundus albipunctatus. Electroretinograms recorded in 1 boy (Case 3) showed scotopic waveforms within normal range under standard conditions and no change after prolonged dark adaptation. Scotopic waveforms were within the normal range for Case 4 while higher amplitudes (30% increase) were recorded after prolonged dark adaptation. The two adult patients had depressed scotopic electroretinogram responses under standard conditions. Optical coherence tomography showed discrete highly reflective lesions extending from the retinal pigment epithelium to the level of the external limiting membrane. Conclusion: A novel c.832C>T (p.Arg278Ter) nonsense mutation in RDH5 was identified. A specific mutation, Leu310GluVal, was seen in the homozygous state in one adult male and one boy and in the heterozygous state in one female adult and one boy with RDH5 retinopathy, suggesting a common mutation. Preserved rod function was observed in one young subject in this study.
Persistent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and rate of FEV1 decline in cystic fibrosis.

RATIONALE The prevalence in cystic fibrosis (CF) of respiratory cultures with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has dramatically increased over the last 10 years, but the effect of MRSA on FEV(1) decline in CF is unknown. OBJECTIVES To determine the association between MRSA respiratory infection and FEV(1) decline in children and adults with CF. METHODS This was a 10-year cohort study using the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation patient registry from 1996-2005. We studied individuals who developed new MRSA respiratory tract infection. Repeated-measures regression was used to assess the association between MRSA and FEV(1) decline, adjusted for confounders, in individuals aged 8-21 years and adults (aged 22-45 yr). Two different statistical models were used to assess robustness of results. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The study cohort included 17,357 patients with an average follow-up of 5.3 years. During the study period, 1,732 individuals developed new persistent MRSA infection (> or =3 MRSA cultures; average, 6.8 positive cultures) and were subsequently followed for an average of 3.5 years. Even after adjustment for confounders, rate of FEV(1) decline in individuals aged 8-21 years with persistent MRSA was more rapid in both statistical models. Their average FEV(1) decline of 2.06% predicted/year was 43% more rapid than the 1.44% predicted/year in those without MRSA (difference, -0.62% predicted/yr; 95% confidence interval, -0.70 to -0.54; P < 0.001). Effect of MRSA on FEV(1) decline in adults was not clinically significant. CONCLUSIONS Persistent infection with MRSA in individuals with CF between the ages of 8 and 21 years is associated with a more rapid rate of decline in lung function.
Performance benchmarks for screening mammography.

PURPOSE To retrospectively evaluate the range of performance outcomes of the radiologist in an audit of screening mammography by using a representative sample of U.S. radiologists to allow development of performance benchmarks for screening mammography. MATERIALS AND METHODS Institutional review board approval was obtained, and study was HIPAA compliant. Informed consent was or was not obtained according to institutional review board guidelines. Data from 188 mammographic facilities and 807 radiologists obtained between 1996 and 2002 were analyzed from six registries from the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC). Contributed data included demographic information, clinical findings, mammographic interpretation, and biopsy results. Measurements calculated were positive predictive values (PPVs) from screening mammography (PPV(1)), biopsy recommendation (PPV(2)), biopsy performed (PPV(3)), recall rate, cancer detection rate, mean cancer size, and cancer stage. Radiologist performance data are presented as 50th (median), 10th, 25th, 75th, and 90th percentiles and as graphic presentations by using smoothed curves. RESULTS There were 2 580 151 screening mammographic studies from 1 117 390 women (age range, <30 to >/=80 years). The respective means and ranges of performance outcomes for the middle 50% of radiologists were as follows: recall rate, 9.8% and 6.4%-13.3%; PPV(1), 4.8% and 3.4%-6.2%; and PPV(2), 24.6% and 18.8%-32.0%. Mean cancer detection rate was 4.7 per 1000, and the median [corrected] mean size of invasive cancers was 13 mm. The range of performance outcomes for the middle 80% of radiologists also was presented. CONCLUSION Community screening mammographic performance measurements of cancer outcomes for the majority of radiologists in the BCSC surpass performance recommendations. Recall rate for almost half of radiologists, however, is higher than the recommended rate.
Drosophila as a model for epithelial tube formation

Epithelial tubular organs are essential for life in higher organisms and include the pancreas and other secretory organs that function as biological factories for the synthesis and delivery of secreted enzymes, hormones, and nutrients essential for tissue homeostasis and viability. The lungs, which are necessary for gas exchange, vocalization, and maintaining blood pH, are organized as highly branched tubular epithelia. Tubular organs include arteries, veins, and lymphatics, high‐speed passageways for delivery and uptake of nutrients, liquids, gases, and immune cells. The kidneys and components of the reproductive system are also epithelial tubes. Both the heart and central nervous system of many vertebrates begin as epithelial tubes. Thus, it is not surprising that defects in tube formation and maintenance underlie many human diseases. Accordingly, a thorough understanding how tubes form and are maintained is essential to developing better diagnostics and therapeutics. Among the best‐characterized tubular organs are the Drosophila salivary gland and trachea, organs whose relative simplicity have allowed for in depth analysis of gene function, yielding key mechanistic insight into tube initiation, remodeling and maintenance. Here, we review our current understanding of salivary gland and trachea formation – highlighting recent discoveries into how these organs attain their final form and function. Developmental Dynamics 241:119–135, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Anatomical investigation of projections to the basis pontis from posterior parietal association cortices in rhesus monkey

The projections to the basis pontis from cytoarchitectonically defined subregions of the superior (SPL) and inferior (IPL) parietal lobules were investigated in 14 rhesus monkeys by using the anterograde tracing techniques of autoradiography and horseradish peroxidase histochemistry. The results of our study confirm and complement available information regarding the parietopontine projections. The projections are found in clusters distributed in lamellae approximately concentric to the peduncle. They are directed most heavily towards the peripeduncular and lateral nuclei of the pons. There are also lesser, but nevertheless substantial projections to other nuclei including the intrapeduncular, ventral, dorsolateral, extreme dorsolateral, and dorsal nuclei. The dorsomedial, paramedian, and NRTP nuclei receive only minor projections. The SPL projections are relatively widespread with respect to the more focussed IPL projections. The IPL projections are, in general, situated more laterally and at more rostral levels of the pontine nuclei than are those of the SPL.
Profit Distribution Model of Green Building Supply Chain with Fairness Preferences and Cap-and-Trade Policy

The green building is a sustainable form of construction. Carbon emissions are one of the important criteria for measuring the green building. The cap-and-trade policy is widely used by governments as an effective emission reduction policy. Green building supply chain companies need to decide how to distribute profit under the cap-and-trade policy. At the same time, supply chain members with fairness preferences have an impact on supply chain decisions. The paper formulates the profit distribution models under the cap-and-trade policy, which are the model without considering fairness preferences and the other model considering the subcontractor cares about fairness preferences. The paper drives the optimal proportion of the profit and the unit carbon emissions in the two models. The fairness preferences degree of the subcontractor is considered to analyse the effect of fairness preferences degree on the unit carbon emissions and the profit of the supply chain. Our study also shows that subcontractors’ fairness preferences will damage the profit of the general contractor and the supply chain. So, when the general contractor chooses the subcontractor, he should try to choose the subcontractor that does not pay too much attention to fairness.
Long‐term fluoxetine administration does not result in major changes in bone architecture and strength in growing rats

Many studies have indicated that serotonin and its transporter play a role in bone metabolism. In this study we investigated the effect of selective serotonin re‐uptake inhibitor (SSRI), fluoxetine (Prozac®) on bone architecture and quality in growing female rats. We therefore administrated rats with clinically relevant doses of fluoxetine for a period of 6 months. DXA scans were performed during the treatment period in order to follow parameters as body weight, fat percentage and BMD. After 6 months of treatment, femurs were used to analyze bone architecture and bone strength, by means of µCT scans and three‐point bending assays, respectively. We found a slightly diminished bone quality, reflected in a lower bone tissue strength, which was compensated by changes in bone geometry. As leptin and adiponectin could be possible factors in the serotonergic regulation of bone metabolism, we also determined the levels of these factors in plasma samples of all animals. Leptin and adiponectin levels were not different between the control group and fluoxetine‐treated group, indicating that these factors were not involved in the observed changes in bone geometry and quality. J. Cell. Biochem. 101: 360–368, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Conducting psychosocial research with children and adolescents: a developmental perspective.

In the past 10 years, childhood has become a focal point of concern. Children are viewed as symbolizing an investment in the future of societies around the world. In the past, knowledge about children's views was realized through objective measures or from representative accounts by adults (e.g., parents and teachers) who were thought to know the child best. Current research suggests that most adult representations and interpretations are only attempts to describe something that more or less represents the child's world. The literature suggests that in the past, children have been perceived mainly as objects rather than subjects of research interest. This perhaps reflects the viewpoint held by many that children are unable to comprehend and describe their world and life experiences because of developmental immaturity and/or that there are intrinsic difficulties in researching children. The purpose of this article is to describe how a child's developmental level affects the research process. Specifically discussed are developmental differences in responses to research including psychosocial research methods, assent, and consent with children.
Rate-distortion function for finite block codes: analysis of symmetric binary hamming problem

Shannon's rate-distortion theory provides an asymptotic analysis, where delays are allowed to grow unbounded. In practice, real-time applications, such as video streaming and network storage, are subject to certain maximum delay. Accordingly, it is imperative to develop a finite-delay framework for analyzing the rate-distortion limit. In this backdrop, we propose an intuitive generalization of Shannon's asymptotic operational framework to finite block codes. In view of the extreme complexity of such framework, we obtain insight by specializing to the symmetric binary hamming problem. Even upon such specialization, the proposed framework is computationally so intensive that accurate evaluation of the finite-delay rate-distortion function is practical only upto a block length of three. In order to obtain further insight, we then propose a lower-complexity lower bound, based on the partition function of natural numbers, whose computation is practical upto a block length of six. Finally, using a simple combinatorial argument, we propose an upper bound to localize the desired rate-distortion function between our lower and upper bounds.