Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Polyp size and advanced histology in patients undergoing colonoscopy screening: implications for CT colonography.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Colorectal cancer screening with diagnostic imaging can detect polyps. The management of patients whose largest polyp is less than 10 mm is uncertain. The primary aim of this study was to determine rates of advanced histology in patients undergoing colorectal cancer screening whose largest polyp is 9 mm or less. METHODS Subjects include all asymptomatic adults receiving colonoscopy for screening during 2005 from 17 practice sites, which provide both colonoscopy and pathology reports to the Clinical Outcomes Research Initiative repository. Patients were classified by size of largest polyp. Advanced histology was defined as an adenoma with villous or serrated histology, high-grade dysplasia, or an invasive cancer. Risk factors for advanced histology were determined using Pearson chi(2) and Fisher exact tests. RESULTS Among 13,992 asymptomatic patients who had screening colonoscopy, 6360 patients (45%) had polyps, with complete histology available in 5977 (94%) patients. The proportion with advanced histology was 1.7% in the 1- to 5-mm group, 6.6% in the 6- to 9-mm group, 30.6% in the greater than 10-mm group, and 72.1% in the tumor group. Distal location was associated with advanced histology in the 6- to 9-mm group (P = .04) and in the greater than 10-mm group (P = .002). CONCLUSIONS One in 15 asymptomatic patients whose largest polyp is 6 to 9 mm will have advanced histology and would undergo surveillance at 3 years based on current guidelines. Because histology is necessary for this decision, most of these patients should be offered colonoscopy. Further study should determine whether patients whose largest polyp is 1-5 mm can be safely followed without polypectomy.
Special Anniversary Review: Twenty-five years of human immunodeficiency virus research: successes and challenges

During 25 years of research since HIV‐1 was first identified in Paris, there have been great advances in our understanding of the virus and of the immune system. Practical advances include the early development of diagnostic tests of infection that made blood donation safe, and since 1996, combination anti‐retroviral therapy that has great reduced incidence of AIDS in HIV‐infected people who have access to the drugs. HIV prevention through behavioural change has been successful, and we do not yet have any safe and efficacious microbicides or vaccines.
Molecular cloning, expression, and primary sequence of outer membrane protein P2 of Haemophilus influenzae type b

The structural gene for the porin of Haemophilus influenzae type b, designated outer membrane protein P2, was cloned, and the DNA sequence was determined. An oligonucleotide probe generated by reverse translation of N-terminal amino acid sequence data from the purified protein was used to screen genomic DNA. The probe detected a single EcoRI fragment of approximately 1,700 base pairs which was cloned to lambda gt11 and then into M13 and partially sequenced. The derived amino acid sequence indicated that we had cloned the N-terminal portion of the P2 gene. An overlapping approximately 1,600-base-pair PvuII genomic fragment was cloned into M13, and the sequence of the remainder of the P2 gene was determined. The gene for P2 was then reconstructed under the control of the T7 promoter and expressed in Escherichia coli. The N-terminal sequence of the purified protein corresponds to residues 21 through 34 of the derived amino acid sequence. Thus, the protein is synthesized with a 20-amino-acid leader peptide. The Mr of the processed protein is 37,782, in good agreement with the estimate of 37,000 from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
Depression and thoughts of suicide among middle-aged and older persons living with HIV-AIDS.

OBJECTIVE This study examined the prevalence and characteristics of suicidal ideation among middle-aged and older persons who have HIV infection or AIDS. METHODS A total of 113 subjects older than age 45 who had HIV-AIDS were recruited from AIDS service organizations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and New York City. Participants completed confidential questionnaires covering suicidal ideation, emotional distress, quality of life, coping, and social support. RESULTS Twenty-seven percent of respondents reported having thought about taking their own life in the previous week. Those who had thought about suicide reported greater levels of emotional distress and poorer health-related quality of life than those who had not considered suicide. They were also significantly more likely to use escape and avoidance strategies for coping with HIV infection and less likely to use positive-reappraisal coping. Those who had thought about suicide also were more likely to have disclosed their HIV status to the people close to them, and yet they perceived receiving significantly less social support from friends and family. With the exceptions of physical functioning and coping strategies, differences between those who had contemplated suicide and those who had not remained unchanged after controlling for symptoms of depression. CONCLUSIONS Persons who are in midlife and older and are living with HIV-AIDS experience significant emotional distress and thoughts of suicide, suggesting a need for targeted interventions to improve mental health and prevent suicide.
Family Climate and Peer Pressure as Correlate of Students’ Academic Achievement in Social Studies in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

The study investigated family climate and peer pressure as correlates of students’ academic achievement in Social Studies in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Four research questions and four hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a correlation survey design. The population of the study consisted of all the 25,298 (twenty five thousand, two hundred and ninety eight made up of 12,501 male and 12789 female) SSI students in the three Education Zones of Abakaliki, Afikpo and Onueke that sat for the 2018 Junior Secondary School Certificate Examinations. Cluster sampling technique with replacement was employed to select 395 respondents (made up of 194 male and 201 female). Data were collected through a 30 item researchers – developed rating scale structured on a fourpoint rating scale; and Social Studies Achievement Test (SSAT)/30 item objective questions on Social Studies to determine the academic achievement scores of the students. The Instrument was divided into two clusters: cluster A centers on Family Climate with ten 10 items questions, while cluster B centers on Peer Pressure with 10 items questions. The researchers made use of three well trained research assistants to administer the instruments using direct delivery method. The instrument were validated by experts and tested for reliability. They yielded acceptable reliability coefficient values of 0.86; 0.87 respectively on FPRSQ and 0.45 on SSAT using Cronbach Alpha Statistics. Data collected were analyzed using means and Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient for research questions while the hypotheses 1, 2 and 3were tested at 0.05 level of significance using regression analyses; hypotheses 4, 5 and 6 were tested using UNIANOVA. The findings of the study include among others; a significant relationship existing between student’s family climate and their academic mean achievement in Social Studies;. Based on the findings, recommendations were made by the researchers which include: Parents should make every effort to reduce if not completely do away with broken homes and its causes. Since intact home predisposes good academic performance. On this parents should be enlightened through workshops/seminars on the dangers of unhealthy family climate.
Die politische Ökonomie deutscher Landkreise: Determinanten der Verschuldung

Zusammenfassung: Die kommunale Verschuldungssituation in Deutschland, insbesondere der starke und asymmetrische Anstieg in kurzfristigen Kassenkrediten in den letzten Jahren, steht verstärkt im Fokus von Politik, Forschung und der Öffentlichkeit. Dies betrifft nebst den Städten und Gemeinden auch die weniger wahrgenommene Landkreisebene. Diese verfügen über einen deutlich geringeren Grad an finanzieller Autarkie. Somit werden politökonomische Einflüsse auf die Kreisfinanzen eher in den jeweiligen Landesregierungen bzw. in der politischen Zusammenarbeit zwischen der Landkreis- und Landesebene vermutet. In dieser Arbeit werden bekannte politökonomische Determinanten der Kommunen und Staaten auf die Besonderheiten der Landkreise angepasst und für alle deutschen Landkreise für die Jahre 1998 bis 2010 empirisch untersucht. Wir finden Hinweise für einen verstärkenden Einfluss von Wahlzyklen der Landesregierung auf die Kassenkreditverschuldung der Landkreise. Ferner wirkt die politische Kooperation zwischen den Landräten und dem Finanzminister eines Bundeslandes verschuldungshemmend. Ebenso finden sich schwache Hinweise für einen positiven Einfluss des Wechsels von Landesregierungen und von Finanzministern auf die Verschuldung. Im Ergebnis unterstreicht die Analyse die Rolle des Landes als Finanzausstatter der Landkreise und somit deren hohe Abhängigkeit von der jeweiligen Landesregierung.
Mindfulness, by any other name…: trials and tribulations of sati in western psychology and science

The Buddhist construct of mindfulness is a central element of mindfulness-based interventions and derives from a systematic phenomenological programme developed over several millennia to investigate subjective experience. Enthusiasm for ‘mindfulness’ in Western psychological and other science has resulted in proliferation of definitions, operationalizations and self-report inventories that purport to measure mindful awareness as a trait. This paper addresses a number of seemingly intractable issues regarding current attempts to characterize mindfulness and also highlights a number of vulnerabilities in this domain that may lead to denaturing, distortion, dilution or reification of Buddhist constructs related to mindfulness. Enriching positivist Western psychological paradigms with a detailed and complex Buddhist phenomenology of the mind may require greater study and long-term direct practice of insight meditation than is currently common among psychologists and other scientists. Pursuit of such an approach would seem a necessary precondition for attempts to characterize and quantify mindfulness.
Evaluierung des Energieausweises – Eine empirische Studie zur Wahrnehmung der Energieeffizienz von Wohnimmobilien aus der Verbraucherperspektive (Evaluation of the German Energy Performance Certificate – An Empirical Study on the Perception of Energy Efficiency of Residential Properties from the Con

German Abstract: Nach Einfuhrung der verbindlichen Vorlagepflicht des Energieausweises versucht dieser Bericht Aufschluss daruber zu geben, wie die Energieeffizienz einer Immobilie von Verbrauchern wahrgenommen wird und in die Mietentscheidung einfliest. Daruber hinaus soll beantwortet werden, ob sich in Abhangigkeit der Marktverhaltnisse sowie der Vorlagepflicht ein Preiseffekt fur den Energieausweis im relativen Vergleich zu den eingesparten Energiekosten einstellt. Schlieslich werden Empfehlungen fur die verbraucherpolitischen Akteure bezuglich des Umgangs mit dem Energieausweis abgeleitet. English Abstract: After the introduction of the obligation to disclose the energy performance certificate to prospective tenants or buyers, this paper provides information on how consumers perceive the energy efficiency of a property and include it into their rental decision. Additionally, this paper answers whether, the price effect for the energy performance certificate is adjusted in relation to saved energy costs depending on market conditions and the obligation to disclose the energy performance certificate after May 2015. Lastly, we give recommendations for consumer policy to improve the utilization of the energy performance certificate.
Glucose Outcomes with the In-Home Use of a Hybrid Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery System in Adolescents and Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract Background: The safety and effectiveness of the in-home use of a hybrid closed-loop (HCL) system that automatically increases, decreases, and suspends insulin delivery in response to continuous glucose monitoring were investigated. Methods: Adolescents (n = 30, ages 14–21 years) and adults (n = 94, ages 22–75 years) with type 1 diabetes participated in a multicenter (nine sites in the United States, one site in Israel) pivotal trial. The Medtronic MiniMed® 670G system was used during a 2-week run-in phase without HCL control, or Auto Mode, enabled (Manual Mode) and, thereafter, with Auto Mode enabled during a 3-month study phase. A supervised hotel stay (6 days/5 nights) that included a 24-h frequent blood sample testing with a reference measurement (i-STAT) occurred during the study phase. Results: Adolescents (mean ± standard deviation [SD] 16.5 ± 2.29 years of age and 7.7 ± 4.15 years of diabetes) used the system for a median 75.8% (interquartile range [IQR] 68.0%–88.4%) of the time (2977 patient-days). Adults (mean ± SD 44.6 ± 12.79 years of age and 26.4 ± 12.43 years of diabetes) used the system for a median 88.0% (IQR 77.6%–92.7%) of the time (9412 patient-days). From baseline run-in to the end of study phase, adolescent and adult HbA1c levels decreased from 7.7% ± 0.8% to 7.1% ± 0.6% (P < 0.001) and from 7.3% ± 0.9% to 6.8% ± 0.6% (P < 0.001, Wilcoxon signed-rank test), respectively. The proportion of overall in-target (71–180 mg/dL) sensor glucose (SG) values increased from 60.4% ± 10.9% to 67.2% ± 8.2% (P < 0.001) in adolescents and from 68.8% ± 11.9% to 73.8% ± 8.4% (P < 0.001) in adults. During the hotel stay, the proportion of in-target i-STAT® blood glucose values was 67.4% ± 27.7% compared to SG values of 72.0% ± 11.6% for adolescents and 74.2% ± 17.5% compared to 76.9% ± 8.3% for adults. There were no severe hypoglycemic or diabetic ketoacidosis events in either cohort. Conclusions: HCL therapy was safe during in-home use by adolescents and adults and the study phase demonstrated increased time in target, and reductions in HbA1c, hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, compared to baseline. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02463097.
Effects of cGMP on Coordination of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells of Rat Mesenteric Small Arteries

Objective: We tested the hypothesis that cGMP can induce a state of only partial coordination of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Methods: This was done by studying the concentration-dependent effect of 8Br-cGMP on isometric and isobaric force development of noradrenaline-activated segments of rat mesenteric small arteries in which the endothelium was removed. We further measured the concentration-dependent effect of 8Br-cGMP on VSMC membrane potential, spatially resolved [Ca2+]i and VSMC membrane conductance. Results: With 300 µM 8Br-cGMP, coordinated [Ca2+]i activity and vasomotion were seen as previously reported. At 10–30 µM 8Br-cGMP, beating isometric tension oscillations were seen. Isobaric recordings revealed oscillations with different frequencies in different parts of the arteries. At these (10–30 µM) 8Br-cGMP concentrations, membrane potential oscillations did not always concur with isometric tension oscillations, and [Ca2+]i oscillations were only synchronized locally within groups of cells. 8Br-cGMP concentration-dependently decreased the frequency of vasomotion and, in unsynchronized hyperpolarized VSMC, the frequency of [Ca2+]i waves. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that cGMP can cause a partial coordination of the VSMC in the vascular wall (and at high concentrations near complete coordination). Furthermore, the cGMP concentration-dependent decrease of Ca2+ wave frequency and of vasomotion frequency suggests that cGMP modifies oscillatory Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum and supports the suggestion that this oscillatory release paces vasomotion.
An Nkx-dependent enhancer regulates cGATA-6 gene expression during early stages of heart development.

The evolutionarily conserved GATA-6 transcription factor is an early and persistent marker of heart development in diverse vertebrate species. We previously found evidence for a functionally conserved heart-specific enhancer upstream of the chicken GATA-6 (cGATA-6) gene and in the present study we used transgenic mouse assays to further characterize this regulatory module. We show that this enhancer is activated in committed precursor cells within the cardiac crescent and that it remains active in essentially all cardiogenic cells through the linear heart stage. Although this enhancer can account for cGATA-6 gene expression early in the cardiogenic program, it is not able to maintain expression throughout the heart later in development. In particular, the enhancer is sequentially downregulated along the posterior to anterior axis, with activity becoming confined to outflow tract myocardium. Enhancers with similar properties have been shown to regulate the early heart-restricted expression of the mouse Nkx2.5 transcription factor gene. Whereas these Nkx2.5 enhancers are GATA-dependent, we show that the cGATA-6 enhancer is Nkx-dependent. We speculate that these enhancers are silenced to allow GATA-6 and Nkx2.5 gene expression to be governed by region-specific enhancers in the multichambered heart.
Nuclear localization of functional metabotropic glutamate receptor mGlu1 in HEK293 cells and cortical neurons: role in nuclear calcium mobilization and development

The Group I metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGlu1) plays an important role in neuromodulation, development, and synaptic plasticity. Using immunocytochemistry, subcellular fractionation, and western blot analysis, the present study shows that mGlu1a receptors are present on nuclear membranes in stably transfected human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells as well as being endogenously expressed on rat cortical nuclei. Both glutamate and the group I agonist, quisqualate, directly activate nuclear mGlu1 receptors leading to a characteristic oscillatory pattern of calcium flux in isolated HEK nuclei and a slow rise to plateau in isolated cortical nuclei. In either case calcium responses could be terminated upon application of the mGlu1‐selective antagonist, 7‐(hydroxyamino)cyclopropa[b]chromen‐1a‐carboxylate ethyl ester. Responses could also be blocked by ryanodine and inositol 1,4,5‐triphosphate receptor inhibitors, demonstrating the involvement of these calcium channels. Agonist activation of intracellular receptors was driven by Na+‐dependent and ‐independent processes in nuclei isolated from either HEK or cortical neurons. Finally, mGlu1 nuclear receptors were dramatically up‐regulated in the course of post‐natal development. Therefore, like the other Group I receptor, mGlu5, mGlu1 can function as an intracellular receptor, suggesting a more encompassing role for nuclear G protein‐coupled receptors and downstream signaling elements in the regulation of nuclear events.
Structural modules for receptor dimerization in the S-locus receptor kinase extracellular domain

The highly polymorphic S-locus receptor kinase (SRK) is the stigma determinant of specificity in the self-incompatibility response of the Brassicaceae. SRK spans the plasma membrane of stigma epidermal cells, and it is activated in an allele-specific manner on binding of its extracellular region (eSRK) to its cognate pollen coat-localized S-locus cysteine-rich (SCR) ligand. SRK, like several other receptor kinases, forms dimers in the absence of ligand. To identify domains in SRK that mediate ligand-independent dimerization, we assayed eSRK for self-interaction in yeast. We show that SRK dimerization is mediated by two regions in eSRK, primarily by a C-terminal region inferred by homology modeling/fold recognition techniques to assume a PAN_APPLE-like structure, and secondarily by a region containing a signature sequence of the S-domain gene family, which might assume an EGF-like structure. We also show that eSRK exhibits a marked preference for homodimerization over heterodimerization with other eSRK variants and that this preference is mediated by a small, highly variable region within the PAN_APPLE domain. Thus, the extensive polymorphism exhibited by the eSRK not only determines differential affinity toward the SCR ligand, as has been assumed thus far, but also underlies a previously unrecognized allelic specificity in SRK dimerization. We propose that preference for SRK homodimerization explains the codominance exhibited by a majority of SRKs in the typically heterozygous stigmas of self-incompatible plants, whereas an increased propensity for heterodimerization combined with reduced affinity of heterodimers for cognate SCRs might underlie the dominant–recessive or mutual weakening relationships exhibited by some SRK allelic pairs.
Effect of cyclosporin A on murine natural killer cells

In mice, cyclosporin A decreased the natural killer cell-enhancing effect of two interferon inducers, infective murine cytomegalovirus and nonreplicating Newcastle disease virus. It also inhibited murine cytomegalovirus replication at doses greater than 20 mg/kg, but it did not significantly inhibit interferon induction by Newcastle disease virus. In cell culture, cyclosporin A had no direct effect on the natural killer activity of spleen mononuclear cells derived from normal or murine cytomegalovirus-infected animals. However, at 50 micrograms/ml it significantly reduced the ability of interferon to enhance the natural killer activity of normal spleen cell suspensions. The inhibitory effect of cyclosporin A on natural killer cell activity in infected mice may be partly explained by its ability to block the action of interferon.
Elevating financial capability in child welfare services: Early efforts in the Grand Challenge

ABSTRACT The great majority of families involved in the child welfare system are economically vulnerable, have limited incomes, and face a high risk of financial exploitation. Limited opportunities to participate meaningfully in the financial sector, along with poor decision making, can lead to overwhelming debt, eviction, and poverty that compromise child safety and wellbeing and can cripple efforts to reunify families. This article discusses the need to elevate financial capability–which scholars and practitioners define as knowledge of financial matters and means to exercise that knowledge. It addresses nascent research examining financial capability and asset building, the expanding role of the topic in human services, and efforts in Missouri to integrate an understanding of financial capability in work with families involved in the child welfare system. Such integration holds the promise of fulfilling the safety, permanence, and wellbeing goals of the child welfare system; involving a wider set of community partners; and achieving the federally mandated ‘normalcy’ in foster care.
Has the Beveridge Curve Shifted

The Beveridge curve is an empirical relationship between job openings (vacancies) and unemployment. It serves as a simple representation of how efficient labor markets are in terms of matching unemployed workers to available job openings in the aggregate economy. The fact that at any given point in time, there are unemployed workers looking for a job and firms looking for employees to fill their vacancies would be an anomaly in perfectly functioning markets. Economists attribute this apparent anomaly to frictions in the labor markets that prevent it from allocating unemployed workers to firms that are looking for employees. These frictions might take the form of skill-job mismatches, geographical mismatches, the cost of recruitment and job search, etc. Such frictions are typical, and we observe some level of vacancies and unemployment even in well-functioning labor markets. The Beveridge curve represents this equilibrium in the labor market over time in terms of these two variables.