Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Obesity-Related Infertility and In Vitro Fertilization Outcomes

Abstract Obesity-related infertility is one of the most common problems of reproductive-age obese women who desire childbearing. The various types of bariatric surgeries have proved effective in controlling excessive weight gain, improving fertility, and preventing certain maternal and fetal complications in these women. This article summarizes the current evidence regarding the impact of bariatric surgery on obesity-related infertility and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. We have also attempted to draw conclusions about maternal and fetal risks and the benefits of bariatric surgery. Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding and Roux-en-Y procedures are the two most commonly performed bariatric surgeries. Bariatric surgery was believed to improve menstrual irregularity and increase ovulation rate in anovulatory obese women, which lead to increased pregnancy rates. Although there are data in the literature suggesting the improvement of both the ovulatory function and the spontaneous pregnancy rates in obese women who lost weight after bariatric surgery, most of these are case-control studies with a small number of patients. The data are insufficient to determine an ideal time interval for pregnancy after bariatric surgery; however, the general consensus is that pregnancy should be delayed 12 to 18 months after bariatric surgery to avoid nutritional deficiencies. Few data exist regarding IVF success rates in women who have undergone bariatric surgery. One pairwise study discussed five patients who underwent bariatric surgery followed by IVF that resulted in three term pregnancies in three patients after the first IVF cycle. Many studies reported reductions in obesity-related pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders after bariatric surgery. Although data are inconsistent, some studies reported increased rate of preterm delivery and small for gestational age infants after bariatric surgery. Pregnancies after bariatric surgery may be considered high risk due to the concerns for vitamin deficiencies and gastrointestinal symptoms related to the surgery. Therefore the follow-up of these pregnancies might require a team approach including a maternal fetal medicine specialist, bariatric surgeon, and nutritionist.
Development and validation of assessment measures for a newly developed physical examination simulator.

OBJECTIVE Define, extract and evaluate potential performance indicators from computer-generated data collected during simulated clinical female pelvic examinations. DESIGN Qualitative and quantitative study analyzing computer generated simulator data and written clinical assessments collected from medical students who performed physical examinations on three clinically different pelvic simulators. SETTING Introduction to patient care course at a major United States medical school. PARTICIPANTS Seventy-three pre-clinical medical students performed 219 simulated pelvic examinations and generated 219 written clinical assessments. MEASUREMENTS Cronbach's alpha for the newly defined performance indicators, Pearson's correlation of performance indicators with scored written clinical assessments of simulator findings. RESULTS Four novel performance indicators were defined: time to perform a complete examination, number of critical areas touched during the exam, the maximum pressure used, and the frequency at which these areas were touched. The reliability coefficients (alpha) were time = 0.7240, critical areas = 0.6329, maximum pressure = 0.7701, and frequency = 0.5011. Of the four indicators, three correlated positively and significantly with the written clinical assessment scores: critical areas, p < 0.01; frequency, p < 0.05; and maximum pressure, p < 0.05. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates a novel method of analyzing raw numerical data generated from a newly developed patient simulator; deriving performance indicators from computer generated simulator data; and assessing validity of those indicators by comparing them with written assessment scores. Results show the new assessment measures provide an objective, reliable, and valid method of assessing students' physical examination techniques on the pelvic exam simulator.
The divIVA minicell locus of Bacillus subtilis

The Bacillus subtilis divIVA1 mutation causes misplacement of the septum during cell division, resulting in the formation of small, circular, anucleate minicells. This study reports the cloning and sequence analysis of 2.4 kb of the B. subtilis chromosome including the divIVA locus. Three open reading frames were identified: orf, whose function is unknown; divIVA; and isoleucyl tRNA synthetase (ileS). We identified the point mutation in the divIVA1 mutant allele. Inactivation of divIVA produces a minicell phenotype, whereas overproduction of DivIVA results in a filamentation phenotype. Mutants with mutations at both of the minicell loci of B. subtilis, divIVA and divIVB, possess a minicell phenotype identical to that of the DivIVB- mutant. The DivIVA-mutants, but not the DivIVB- mutants, show a decrease in sporulation efficiency and a delay in the kinetics of endospore formation. The data support a model in which divIVA encodes the topological specificity subunit of the minCD system. The model suggests that DivIVA acts as a pilot protein, directing minCD to the polar septation sites. DivIVA also appears to be the interface between a sporulation component and MinCD, freeing up the polar septation sites for use during the asymmetric septation event of the sporulation process.
Eicosanoids and membrane properties in arteries of aged spontaneously hypertensive rats.

OBJECTIVE The arteries of aged spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) exhibit spontaneous electrical activity together with membrane depolarization. Vascular eicosanoid production is increased in SHR, which is further accelerated with aging. We tested the hypothesis that eicosanoids are involved in spontaneous electrical activity, membrane depolarization or both in mesenteric arteries of aged SHR. DESIGN AND METHODS Membrane potentials were recorded with microelectrodes from the mesenteric arteries of aged (24 months and older) SHR, aged Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and adult (6- to 8-month-old) SHR. RESULTS The membrane potential was less negative in aged SHR (-38.5 +/- 0.9 mV) than in either aged WKY rats or adult SHR (-49.8 +/- 0.5 and -47.2 +/- 0.6 mV, respectively; P < 0.05 for both). Spontaneous electrical activity (5-20 mV, 1-7/min) was present only in arteries of aged SHR. Spontaneous electrical activity was not affected by phentolamine, atropine or tetrodotoxin, but was abolished by indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, and ONO-3708, a thromboxane A2/prostaglandin H2 receptor antagonist. Furthermore, indomethacin and ONO-3708 hyperpolarized the membrane by about 5 mV in aged SHR but not in the other two groups. Spontaneous electrical activity was enhanced by a thromboxane A2 analog and prostaglandin H2, and was abolished by a Ca2+ antagonist, nicardipine, and Ca(2+)-free solution. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that cyclooxygenase-dependent eicosanoids contribute importantly to both spontaneous electrical activity and membrane depolarization, presumably through activation of the thromboxane A2/prostaglandin H2 receptor, in mesenteric arteries of aged SHR, and that spontaneous electrical activity is mediated by a Ca2+ influx through voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels.
Parkinsonism due to Manganism in a Welder

A 33-year-old right-handed male presented complaining of a 2-year history of progressive cognitive slowing, rigidity, tremors, slowing of movements, and gait instability leading to falls. On examination, he had a Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) score of 29, slowed saccadic eye pursuit, hypomimia, cogwheel rigidity, a 3- to 4-Hz tremor, and a “cock-walk” gait. His symptoms and signs were similar to idiopathic Parkinson's disease; however, he was young, inattention and forgetfulness occurred early in the course of the disorder, levodopa was unhelpful, and his gait was atypical. His work up for secondary causes of parkinsonism was negative, except for increased signal intensity on T1-weighted magnetic resonance image (MRI) in the bilateral basal ganglia. Typical etiologies for that finding were ruled-out, which led to further inquiries into the patient's lifestyle. He was a welder, and discussion with his employer revealed that he used a steel-manganese alloy, he often worked in a confined ship's hold, and he did not use a respiratory mask. Because manganese toxicity can produce increased T1-weighted signal intensities in the basal ganglia, the authors tested his serum and urine manganese, and both were elevated. This patient emphasizes the importance of a careful occupational history in persons presenting with atypical manifestations of a neurodegenerative disorder. It also lends support to the hypothesis that welding can produce enough exposure to manganese to produce neurologic impairment.
Cathepsin B and L in isolated proximal tubular segments during acute and chronic proteinuria.

Acute and chronic proteinuria were studied in rats, using lysosomal cathepsin B and L as marker enzymes for tubular protein degradation. The activity of cathepsin B and L has been determined in microdissected segments S1, S2 and S3 of the proximal tubule by an ultramicroassay. Z-Phenylalanyl-arginine-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin served as a substrate. In normoproteinuric Sprague-Dawley rats, induction of acute unselective glomerular proteinuria with Adriamycin (5 mg/kg body weight) revealed a moderate activity increase of cathepsin B and L in the S2 segment, reaching 12.6 +/- 5.6 versus 8.6 +/- 4.2 pmol.mm-1.min-1 in controls. In contrast, Munich Wistar Frömter (MWF) rats, that are characterized by a genetically determined, chronically elevated glomerular protein excretion, showed a very high activity of cathepsin selectively in S2 of 25.0 +/- 12.1 pmol.mm-1.min-1. Acute proteinuria induced by Adriamycin in chronic proteinuric MWF rats could increase cathepsin activity in the S3 segment only, showing 12.0 +/- 8.3 versus 6.8 +/- 4.0 pmol.mm-1.min-1 in MWF control rats. In conclusion, chronically increased protein filtration changes the functional reserve capacity of the proximal tubule. While acutely induced glomerular proteinuria in normoproteinuric rats stimulates lysosomal proteolytic activity mainly in S2 segment, chronic proteinuric MWF rats may display already a maximally stimulated cathepsin activity in this segment probably due to long-term increased tubular protein load. In case of acute elevation of chronic proteinuria, the consecutive S3 segment shows increased lysosomal function for protein conservation.
In Vitro and in Vivo Antistaphylococcal Activity Determination of the New Recombinant Lysostaphin Protein

Background: Bacterial infection by antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains is a worldwide concern and the development of novel antistaphylococcal agents is acutely needed. Lysostaphin, an example of such novel agents, is a bacteriocin secreted by S. simulans to kill S. aureus through proteolysis of the Staphylococcus cell wall. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo antistaphylococcal activity of recombinant lysostaphin. Materials and Methods: The in vitro study of the recombinant lysostaphin activity against S. aureus was determined by turbidimetric assay. For in vivo investigation, two groups of rats were inoculated with 1.4 × 109 CFU S. aureus. Five days after the nasal instillation of S. aureus, treatment in one of the groups was performed with a single dose (200 μg/dose) of recombinant lysostaphin formulated in Eucerin-based cream. Results: Recombinant lysostaphin at 100 μg/mL concentration showed a significant decrease of the optical density compared to the control samples. The in vivo study demonstrated that a single dose (200 μg/dose) of recombinant lysostaphin cream significantly reduced nasal colonization in all the treated animals compared to the untreated ones. Conclusions: These results demonstrated that the recombinant lysostaphin produced in this study was able to kill nasal S. aureus in rats. It can be recommended for human clinical trial studies.
Septic Embolic Stroke Resulting From Staphylococcus lugdunensis Endocarditis.

BACKGROUND Staphylococcus lugdunensis, a member of the coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), has been recognized as a causal organism for infective endocarditis since the 1980s. Although most CoNS have an insidious and chronic nature, they are involved in a variety of systemic infections. S lugdunensis infective endocarditis is a rare entity but is as catastrophic as Staphylococcus aureus infective endocarditis and requires aggressive antibiotic therapy and, typically, valve replacement. S lugdunensis infective endocarditis-induced septic embolic cerebrovascular accident has rarely been reported in the literature. CASE REPORT We present the case of a 63-year-old African American man who presented with sudden-onset aphasia and right-sided hemiplegia and was admitted for the management of cerebrovascular accident. Afterwards, he developed a fever and was found to have S lugdunensis bacteremia, with subsequent imaging revealing vegetations of the mitral valve. Despite being treated with culture-appropriate antibiotics, he remained persistently bacteremic and required surgical mitral valve replacement. CONCLUSION S lugdunensis infective endocarditis is rare but can have a malignant course and requires early surgical intervention in most cases.
Comparison of a modern broiler and layer strain during embryonic development and the hatching process

1. This research focused on the embryonic development of broiler and layer embryos. 2. Egg, embryo and yolk weights were measured and partial pressure of gases in the air cell and blood were analysed at several embryonic ages. The static stiffness of the eggshell was measured before the start of incubation and at embryonic day (ED) 18 to register the change in shell strength. Times of internal pipping (IP), external pipping (EP) and hatch were recorded. Plasma corticosterone, triiodothyronine and thyroxine concentrations were determined. 3. Relative egg weight loss was higher in layer eggs. Before ED16, layer embryos showed a slower development which was reflected in lower (relative) embryo weight, lower air cell and blood pCO2 and higher air cell O2. From ED16 onwards, relative growth rate accelerated in the layer strain; as a consequence the difference in relative yolk-free chick weight at hatch had disappeared between strains. 4. Differences in physiological events necessary for hatching (thyroid hormones, corticosterone, air cell pCO2) are most probably responsible for the observed differences in timing of pipping and hatching events between layer and broilers.
Epistasis and Its Relationship to Canalization in the RNA Virus φ6

Although deleterious mutations are believed to play a critical role in evolution, assessing their realized effect has been difficult. A key parameter governing the effect of deleterious mutations is the nature of epistasis, the interaction between the mutations. RNA viruses should provide one of the best systems for investigating the nature of epistasis because the high mutation rate allows a thorough investigation of mutational effects and interactions. Nonetheless, previous investigations of RNA viruses by S. Crotty and co-workers and by S. F. Elena have been unable to detect a significant effect of epistasis. Here we provide evidence that positive epistasis is characteristic of deleterious mutations in the RNA bacteriophage φ6. We estimated the effects of deleterious mutations by performing mutation-accumulation experiments on five viral genotypes of decreasing fitness. We inferred positive epistasis because viral genotypes with low fitness were found to be less sensitive to deleterious mutations. We further examined environmental sensitivity in these genotypes and found that low-fitness genotypes were also less sensitive to environmental perturbations. Our results suggest that even random mutations impact the degree of canalization, the buffering of a phenotype against genetic and environmental perturbations. In addition, our results suggest that genetic and environmental canalization have the same developmental basis and finally that an understanding of the nature of epistasis may first require an understanding of the nature of canalization.
Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at the GHR gene and its associations with chicken growth and fat deposition traits

1. The growth hormone receptor (GHR) plays crucial roles on chicken growth and metabolism. 2. The full cDNA of the chicken GHR gene was scanned for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) by means of denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC). Three SNP, C6540334T, C6542011T and G6631778A, were genotyped in a F2 designed full-sib resource population to analyse their associations with chicken growth and fat deposition traits. 3. Fifty-five SNP and two other variations were identified in the 8908 bp region of the GHR gene. Among the 55 SNP, 10 were located in coding exons (6 resulted in changes of amino acids) and 45 were in non-coding regions (introns, 5′UTR and 3′UTR). The nucleotide diversity (θ), corrected for sample size of chicken GHR gene, is 1·45 × 10−3. Fourteen PCR-RFLP markers were developed in the chicken GHR gene. 4. The G6631778A was associated with body weight at 63 d (BW63), dressed weight (DW) and subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT), BW35 and BW49 (P < 0·01) as well as hatch weight (HW) and BW42 in the male population. However, G6631778A was only associated with BW28 in the female population. G rather than A was dominant for chicken growth and fat deposition. Haplotypes based on the three SNP were associated with BW21, BW70, BW77 and SFT, BW7, BW35, BW42, BW49 and BW56 in males, and associated with BW7 and BW14 in females. For growth in males, the H2 and H6 haplotypes had positive and negative effects, respectively; meanwhile H6 was predominant for fat deposition.
[Study of visual acuity and intraocular pressure in the treatment of macular diabetic edema with intravitreous triamcinolone].

PURPOSE To evaluate the effect of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide in patients with diffuse diabetic macular edema on the visual acuity and intraocular pressure. To report the potential adverse events and to analyze the potential relationship between age and visual acuity and intraocular pressure variability. METHODS This clinical controlled study included 14 patients (28 eyes), 14 of the eyes received an intravitreal injection of 4 mg triamcinolone acetonide for the treatment of diabetic macular edema. The study group was compared to a control group of 14 eyes, without diabetic macular edema. The follow-up period was of 3 months. RESULTS Pressure spikes >21 mmHg occurred in 28.7% of eyes, with a significant difference of intraocular pressure between the study group and the control group in the first week after treatment. Visual acuity showed a significant improvement when compared with the control group since the second day after the treatment. There was no association between age and variability of visual acuity and intraocular pressure. CONCLUSION Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide showed to be effective for improving visual acuity in patients with diabetic macular edema, in the first three months of treatment. The incidence of intraocular hypertension was 28.7%, easily manageable.
Pre-Treatment Syphilis Titers: Distribution and Evaluation of Their Use to Distinguish Early From Late Latent Syphilis and to Prioritize Contact Investigations

Background: Treatment, contact investigation, and reporting decisions for syphilis cases are based on the stage of disease. Because of limitations of current staging protocols, the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) titer has been proposed as an alternative priority marker for contact investigation. Methods: We describe the RPR titers and stages for 10,021 syphilis cases reported between 1997 and 1999 in Columbia, South Carolina; Houston, Texas; and Jackson, Mississippi. We constructed receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC curves) to compare titer and stage. We calculated the number of infected contacts to evaluate the use of titer to prioritize contact investigation. Results: RPR titers differed by stage, with 67% of primary, 95% of secondary, 78% of early latent, and 41% of late latent and unknown duration having titers >1:8; however, there was considerable overlap in titer distributions. The ROC curve based on titer values demonstrated good agreement between titer and latent stage. Prioritization by titer (≥1:8) of latent cases would result in a similar number of cases interviewed and contacts located as stage prioritization, although different cases are prioritized. Conclusion: Titer distributions meaningfully but imperfectly distinguish populations with different stages. Recent analyses and anecdotal reports indicate the difficulty and inconsistency of staging latent syphilis. Over time, titer could provide a more objective and reliable historical record of syphilis trends. Titer may be a useful alternative or adjunct to stage in prioritizing latent syphilis cases for investigation.
The survival effect of E‐cadherin and catenins in colorectal carcinomas

Aim The E‐cadherin/catenin complex plays an important role in epithelial tissue architecture. Decreased expression of cell adhesion molecules (E‐cadherin, α‐, β‐ and γ‐catenin) have been reported to correlate with invasive behaviour. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between the expression of adhesion molecules and clinicopathological characteristics and survival in colorectal carcinoma.
Survey of critical value reporting and reduction of false-positive critical value results.

CONTEXT Reporting of laboratory critical values has become an issue of national attention because of important regulatory, medicolegal, and clinical concerns. OBJECTIVE To survey aspects of the laboratory critical-value reporting process at a broad range of institutions. DESIGN A survey was developed regarding the operational and information-technology aspects of critical value reporting. RESULTS More than 730 responses were obtained from a broad distribution of hospitals. In addition, we analyzed more than 700 written responses from survey participants. CONCLUSIONS The survey results provide insight into the standard of practice and level of compliance with current Joint Commission and College of American Pathologists requirements for critical values, demonstrate considerable heterogeneity, and suggest areas for improvement. A common issue raised during the survey and follow-up teleconference was the incidence of outpatient false-positive critical values. In this report, we also demonstrate that attention to preanalytic transport and processing issues can assist in minimizing this issue.