jimnoneill/paper-to-field-training huggingface dataset:
A history of the treatment of appendicitis in children: lessons learned

During the latter half of the 19th century, surgeons increasingly reported performing appendicectomies. Fitz from Harvard, Groves from Canada and Tait from Britain all recorded successful removal of the appendix. McBurney described the point of maximal tenderness in classic appendicitis and also the muscle‐splitting incision centred on this point. Priority is given to McArthur in describing the lateral muscle‐splitting incision. The direction of the cutaneous incision was later modified by Elliott and Lanz. Incisions that healed well were essential to recovery. Appendicectomy became a ‘fashionable’ operation after the London surgeon, Treves, removed the appendix of King Edward VII . Through the 20th century, the mortality from appendicitis fell notably with the advent of sulphonamide and penicillin, improvements in fluid therapy and safer anaesthesia. By 1990, diagnostic delay was the main cause of death. Semm performed the first laparoscopic appendicectomy in 1990, roundly criticized at the time for what is now a routine procedure. We view contemporary debates on the indications for appendicectomy, the best approach and how to optimize recovery in the light of the history of this intriguing disease.

Topic: Appendicitis Diagnosis and Management
Subfield: Emergency Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Cost Implications of Indefinite Delivery–Indefinite Quantity Contracting in the US Defense Sector

Public sector procurement policies are traditionally designed to encourage open competition to ensure a fair price. Yet many public agencies also deliberately use procurement strategies, such as contract types, delivery methods, or bidding terms, that restrict competition to obtain other benefits. One such tool in the US public sector is the indefinite delivery–indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract, which selects a limited number of firms to compete for subsequent construction requirements. Because IDIQ contracts by design limit competition after the initial award, the purpose of this study is to explore whether these contracts are associated with cost differences from traditional contract forms in the context of US defense sector construction procurement. The study presents a statistical analysis of three cost metrics across 316 completed US Air Force projects, the largest analysis of costs on IDIQ contracts to date. The results show a 5% cost premium when using IDIQ contracts based on differences at the contract-award and no statistically significant difference in costs after the contract-award. The findings suggest that public sector owners should carefully consider and justify the cost tradeoffs before employing IDIQ contracts for construction services. The findings contribute to a small but growing body of knowledge on IDIQ contracting, while establishing a path forward for researchers to examine transaction costs and the total value for money in using these contracting tools.

Topic: Construction Project Management and Performance
Subfield: Management Science and Operations Research
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Why do children differ in mathematical competencies? The experience of a standardized test in the primary school of Canton Ticino, Switzerland

Standardized tests are, as it is well known, a highly controversial and widely debated topic. On the one side they are considered a relatively objective tool for measuring student achievement that consumes little class time and produces useful information on which teachers, school administrators and policy makers can rely in order to assess and improve their classes or schools (Crescentini and Zanolla, 2013). On the other side, according to some authors, they only reveal students’ knowledge during the very short timeframe in which the tests are administered (Boaler, 2003), the results are influenced by factors such as anxiety or time pressure (Buck, Ritter, Jenson &amp; Rose, 2010) and reflect the inequities that already exist within schools and end up advantaging the students from higher socioeconomic statuses (Vigdor and Clotfelter 2003; Alon, 2010). Despite all the criticism, a recent project aimed at producing and administering a standardized test to evaluate mathematical competencies in the fourth class of primary school in Ticino, an Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, has brought some interesting findings about the pupils’ weaknesses and strengths and the overall school system. The paper is aimed at presenting this test, which has involved almost 3,000 pupils, and at examining the main determinants of the results obtained by the pupils. The analysis of the impact of environmental, school, class, teacher, individual and household factors reveals that children’s scores differ considerably in relation to the district where the school is located (in Ticino there are 9 districts, each of which is a geographical area with its own inspector who is responsible for the quality of teaching), the family socioeconomic status, the nationality and the age of the pupil and the Math’s grade given by the teacher. While factors such as the school’s size, the urban/rural location of the community, the attendance of a multi-class, the teacher’s and the pupil’s gender exert a significant effect only on a part of the competencies that have been considered, class size, seems to be overall irrelevant.

Topic: School Choice and Performance
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Medial Thalamus and Memory

<h3>To the Editor.</h3> —We read with great interest the article by Kritchevsky et al<sup>1</sup>describing two patients who did not develop any memory defect after infarction in the dorsomedial (DM) nucleus of the thalamus. To localize the lesion, and to estimate the volume of the nucleus involved, they used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with a stereotaxic method, a modification of that described by Archer et al<sup>2</sup>and Graff-Radford et al.<sup>3</sup>One patient had a right-sided lesion involving about 15% of the DM nucleus, and the other had bilateral lesions that affected about 15% of the left side of the DM nucleus and less than 5% of the right side of the DM nucleus. In the stereotaxic method they used, errors on the order of millimeters can inevitably arise. First, although they used the center of the lesion as a reference point, it is difficult to determine the

Topic: Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Gene expression, growth and survival of European sea bass post-larvae (Dicentrarchus labrax) after PHB administration

The stable production of high quality fry in marine aquaculture is still hampered by unpredictable mortality caused by infectious diseases during larval rearing. Consequently, the development of new biocontrol agents is crucial for a viable aquaculture industry. The bacterial energy storage compound poly-ß-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) has been shown to exhibit beneficial properties on aquatic organisms such as enhanced survival, growth, disease resistance and a controlling effect on the gastrointestinal microbiota. However, the effect of PHB on the developing immune system of fish larvae has so far not been investigated. In the present study, the effect of feeding PHB-enriched Artemia nauplii on survival, growth and immune response in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) post-larvae was examined. Amorphous PHB was administered to 28 days old sea bass larvae over a period of 10 days. The survival and growth performance were monitored and the expression of 29 genes involved in immunity, growth, metabolism and stress-response was measured. While the expression of the insulin-like growth factor 1 (igf1), an indicator of relative growth, was upregulated in response to feeding PHB, the larval survival and growth performance remained unaffected. After 10 days of PHB treatment, the expression of the antimicrobial peptides dicentracin (dic) and hepcidin (hep) as well as mhc class IIa and mhc class IIb was elevated in the PHB fed larvae. This indicates that PHB is capable of stimulating the immune system of fish early life stages, which may be the cause of the increased resistance to diseases and robustness observed in previous studies.

Topic: Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth
Subfield: Aquatic Science
Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Domain: Life Sciences
Vanadium(<scp>v</scp>)-induced Oxidative Cross-coupling of Enolate Species

The selective intermolecular oxidative cross-coupling of enolates provides a potentially direct method for the synthesis of unsymmetrical 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds, which are common substructures found in natural products and pharmaceuticals and their synthetic intermediates, as well as building blocks for the construction of various heterocyclic compounds. The main point of this reaction is achieving selective cross-coupling, as well as minimizing undesired homocoupling. The proposed strategy depends on the selective one-electron oxidation of one enolate, resulting in a Lewis acid-activated electrophilic carbonyl α-radical species, followed by trapping with another enolate. This chapter summarizes the oxovanadium(v)-induced oxidative cross-coupling of enolates between boron and silyl enolates that have been developed in the author's studies.

Topic: Alkaloids: synthesis and pharmacology
Subfield: Pharmacology
Field: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics
Domain: Life Sciences
Alcohol Impairs Bioenergetics and Differentiation Capacity of Myoblasts from Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Female Macaques

Alcohol misuse and HIV independently induce myopathy. We previously showed that chronic binge alcohol (CBA) administration, with or without simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), decreases differentiation capacity of male rhesus macaque myoblasts. We hypothesized that short-term alcohol and CBA/SIV would synergistically decrease differentiation capacity and impair bioenergetic parameters in female macaque myoblasts. Myoblasts from naïve (CBA−/SIV−), vehicle [VEH]/SIV, and CBA/SIV (N = 4–6/group) groups were proliferated (3 days) and differentiated (5 days) with 0 or 50 mM ethanol (short-term). CBA/SIV decreased differentiation and increased non-mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate (OCR) versus naïve and/or VEH/SIV. Short-term alcohol decreased differentiation; increased maximal and non-mitochondrial OCR, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and aldolase activity; and decreased glycolytic measures, ATP production, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and pyruvate kinase activity. Mitochondrial ROS production was closely associated with mitochondrial network volume, and differentiation indices were closely associated with key bioenergetic health and function parameters. Results indicate that short-term alcohol and CBA non-synergistically decrease myoblast differentiation capacity. Short-term alcohol impaired myoblast glycolytic function, driving the bioenergetic deficit. Results suggest potentially differing mechanisms underlying decreased differentiation capacity with short-term alcohol and CBA, highlighting the need to elucidate the impact of different alcohol use patterns on myopathy.

Topic: HIV Research and Treatment
Subfield: Virology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
<i>In Vitro</i> Pepsin Digestion Characteristics of Silver Carp (<i>Hypophthalmichthys molitrix</i>) Surimi Gels with Different Degrees of Cross-Linking Induced by Setting Time and Microbial Transglutaminase

Surimi gels are favored for their abundant proteins and unique taste. In this study, the pepsin digestion behaviors of surimi gels with different degrees of cross-linking induced by microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) and different setting times were investigated. For gels without (CK group) and with (TG group) MTGase, the slowest digestion rate (<i>t</i><sub><i>M</i>/2</sub> = 20.13 and 79.19 min for CK and TG group, respectively), the least amino acid concentration (5.32 and 3.73 μmol/mL for CK and TG group, respectively), and the peptide amounts (1355 and 1788 for CK and TG group, respectively) were obtained at a moderate setting time (1-4 h) with the finest microstructure. However, the excessive setting time (8-12 h) formed an inhomogenous network, which accelerated the hydrolysis of gel proteins (<i>t</i><sub><i>M</i>/2</sub> = 9.40 and 52.33 min for CK and TG group, respectively) and produced more amino acids (6.63 and 5.15 μmol/mL for CK and TG group, respectively) and peptide amounts (1644 and 2143 for CK and TG group, respectively). The above results also demonstrated that the presence of MTGase strengthened the compactness of gels as well as slowed down the digestion process with the release of less amino acids but more peptides. A large proportion of unique peptides were from the tail domain of myosin heavy chain. The discrepancy in bioactive peptides between different gels might be reduced in the subsequent intestinal digestion according to the <i>in silico</i> methods, demonstrating the diminished difference in the gastrointestinal digestion process in the aspect of releasing functional peptides. This study provides the theoretical basis and guideline in the field of gelation food digestion and surimi food industry to produce healthier surimi-based food.

Topic: Meat and Animal Product Quality
Subfield: Animal Science and Zoology
Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Domain: Life Sciences
Regulation of uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase 2B15 expression during ovulation in the rat

Uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase 2B15 (UGT2B15) conjugates 5α-androstane-3α, 17β-diol (3α-diol) to 3α-diol glucuronide (3α-diol G) in steroid target tissues. The present study investigated the regulation of UGT2B15 expression during the ovulatory process in the rat. Real-time PCR analysis revealed that treatment of immature rats with equine chorionic gonadotropin followed by human chorionic gonadotropin transiently stimulated UGT2B15 gene expression in granulosa cells of preovulatory follicles within 6 h. The progesterone receptor antagonist RU486 suppressed the gonadotropin-induced UGT2B15 expression. The expression of UGT2B15 and the levels of 3α-diol G were transiently increased by luteinizing hormone (LH) treatment in cultured preovulatory follicles. The LH-stimulated UGT2B15 mRNA level in cultured preovulatory follicles was inhibited by inhibitors of adenylyl cyclase, phosphoinositide 3-kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase. Furthermore, a vitamin D receptor agonist (calcitriol) suppressed the LH-stimulated UGT2B15 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, these results indicate that gonadotropins transiently stimulate UGT2B15 expression and activity in preovulatory follicles, and UGT2B15 mRNA levels are regulated by the progesterone receptor and vitamin D receptor.

Topic: Pharmacogenetics and Drug Metabolism
Subfield: Pharmacology
Field: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics
Domain: Life Sciences
Postherpetic neuralgia after shingles: an under-recognized cause of chronic vulvar pain

Vulvar shingles, an uncommon presentation of a common disease, probably affects 1.5 million American women during their lifetime and leaves about 150,000 with postherpetic neuralgia, a chronic neuropathic pain syndrome. Prompt diagnosis and treatment can minimize pain severity and duration.The case of an 88-year-old woman with sacral shingles is described. Complications led to her demise. A 35-year-old with a 6-year history of disabling vulvar pain and many diagnostic procedures was ultimately diagnosed with postherpetic neuralgia.Shingles needs to be included in the differential diagnosis of vulvar rashes because it is a modifiable risk factor for chronic vulvar pain. The possibility of postherpetic neuralgia must be considered in women with unexplained vulvar dysesthesia.

Topic: Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Dynamic Kinetic Resolution of α‐Aminonitriles to Form Chiral α‐Amino Acids

Abstract We have succeeded in the enzymatic synthesis of ( R )‐α‐aminobutyric acid from racemic α‐aminobutyronitrile. This has been demonstrated by the use of non‐stereoselective nitrile hydratase (NHase) from Rhodococcus opacus 71D, D ‐aminopeptidase from Ochrobactrum anthropi C1‐38 and α‐amino‐ε‐caprolactam (ACL) racemase from Achromobacter obae . Racemic α‐aminobutyronitrile was completely converted in 6 h at 30 °C to ( R )‐α‐aminobutyric acid whose optical purity was more than 99%. ( S )‐α‐Aminobutyric acid was also synthesized from α‐aminobutyronitrile by NHase, ACL racemase and L ‐amino acid amidase from Brevundimonas diminuta TPU 5720. In a similar manner, other ( R )‐ or ( S )‐α‐amino acids with more than 97.5% ee could be synthesized from the corresponding α‐aminonitriles. This is the first report on the dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of α‐aminonitriles to form chiral α‐amino acids. The key enzyme in this DKR is non‐stereoselective NHase, which had been newly screened from soil samples, and its gene cloned.

Topic: Enzyme Catalysis and Immobilization
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Experimental Evidence for the Relationship between Al Site Distribution and Catalytic Performance in Methanol-to-Olefins Reaction over ZSM-5 Zeolite

The designed synthesis of zeolite catalysts, especially in the control of the framework structure and heteroatom distribution, offers advantages to their catalytic performance. In the methanol-to-olefins reaction, the shape of intermediate species defined by the reaction space surrounding an acid site impacts the reaction mechanism and, in turn, the product selectivity. However, because of the difficulty in observing the active intermediate species, presenting a clear relationship between the catalytic site (i.e., Al atom) distribution and the catalytic property is challenging. Herein, we experimentally demonstrate a structure–catalytic performance relationship between the Al distribution in the ZSM-5 zeolite and the behavior of the methanol-to-olefins reaction, particularly in regard to propylene formation, by isotopic labeling experiments. Two ZSM-5 zeolite samples, which were synthesized with different organic structure-directing agents, were shown to possess different Al distributions based on constraint index measurements. Although their catalytic properties in the methanol-to-olefins reaction in terms of conversion and selectivity were almost identical, the transient responses of the insertion of 13C into propylene fragments showed contrasting results. The results successfully revealed via an experimental approach the relationship between the zeolite design and the catalytic performance.

Topic: Zeolite Catalysis and Synthesis
Subfield: Inorganic Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Enhanced Secretory Leukocyte Protease Inhibitor in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Infected Patients

ABSTRACT Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) has been found to possess activity against the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in vitro at physiological concentrations. A study was undertaken to evaluate SLPI levels in human saliva and plasma among HIV-positive (HIV + ) patients with various HIV-1 viral loads in comparison to uninfected controls. Whole blood in EDTA and unstimulated saliva samples were collected from 37 HIV + patients, of whom 20 had a history of intravenous drug abuse (IVDA). Control samples were collected from 20 appropriate age- and sex-matched HIV-1-negative individuals. SLPI was estimated from both saliva and serum samples by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. HIV viral load was determined using a quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. SLPI levels were increased 16.7% in plasma and 10.3% in saliva among HIV + patients in comparison to uninfected controls. SLPI levels were increased 5.9% in saliva and 3.9% in plasma among HIV + patients with a high viral load (&gt;10,000 copies/ml) as compared to patients with a low viral load (&lt;400 copies/ml). Only 23% of patients with a high viral load used combination therapy with protease inhibitor drugs, whereas 92.9% of HIV + patients with a low viral load used protease inhibitors. SLPI levels did not differ significantly among the IVDA patients, patients with different viral loads, or patients using protease inhibitor drugs. There was a statistically significant increase in SLPI levels in saliva among HIV patients in comparison to non-HIV-infected controls. An increase in SLPI levels among HIV + patients may be a natural consequence of HIV pathogenesis and an important factor in preventing oral transmission of HIV, but this increase may not be evident during plasma viremia in patients with a high viral load.

Topic: HIV Research and Treatment
Subfield: Virology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Processing Technology of Ketupat

Indonesia has a typical rice processing method as part of the nation’s culture, namely ketupat. Ketupat is typical food made of rice wrapped in diamond shaped-woven coconut leaves and boiled in water. This article reviewed the variety of processing ketupat as well as changes in ketupat during storage of ketupat according to the results of research and related references. Traditionally, ketupat is cooked in boiling water for 5 hours. This is considered inefficient in terms of cooking fuel and time required for cooking. The efforts of modifying ketupat cooking method have been done to shorten processing time, such as cooking ketupat in pressure cooker for 30 minutes. The development of ready-to-cook ketupat or quick-cooking product in attractive package becomes a promising opportunity. Quick-cooking ketupat was made by immersing ketupat in salt, steaming, freezing and drying. The package of quick-cooking ketupat was designed using HDPE plastics made square shape that requires boiling period for 30 minutes. Ingredients and the amount of rice, the size of coconut leaves, immersion process and cooking technic affected the texture of ketupat produced. Ketupat is normally stored for 2 days in room temperature and 4-7 day if it is refrigerated. Spoilage of ketupat is due to microbiological and physical changes during storage. Starch retrogradation and increase in RS III may occur when ketupat is stored at low temperature.

Topic: GABA and Rice Research
Subfield: Plant Science
Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Domain: Life Sciences
Therapeutic community provision at regional and district levels

Aims and method The aim of the study was to investigate changes in service utilisation following therapeutic community treatment for patients with severe personality disorder. The study examined service usage, in the form of acute psychiatric admissions, of a series of 52 admissions to a residential therapeutic community in the three years before and year after admission. Results There was a reduction in the mean duration of acute psychiatric admissions after treatment, this was greater for extra-contractual referral patients than local district patients. Clinical Implications This study replicates results from previous studies. It also suggests that more accessible local services may be able to intervene earlier in patients' psychiatric careers preventing heavy use of acute services. We argue for greater provision of therapeutic community treatment for severe personality disorder.

Topic: Psychiatric care and mental health services
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences