Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A brief reeducation in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation after six months-the benefit from timely repetition

Objectives. Sudden cardiac death is a major cause of death in today’s world. During the minutes passing from the onset of cardiac arrest to the arrival of professional help, the cardiac arrest victim can only rely upon cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) provided by educated bystanders. Our aim was to explore the possibility of whether a short and affordable course of CPR reeducation could have a significant effect on skills retention and quality of CPR delivered. Methods. We performed a prospective randomized study that included 72 first and second year medical students who had no clinical experience and no prior training in CPR. Subjects were educated in CPR in accordance with a standardized CPR education protocol. Six months later, half of the studied group (randomly chosen) underwent short reeducation in CPR. One year after initial education they were all tested for CPR skills. The results were printed and filmed. Results. Students who attended the short reeducation were significantly better in approaching the victim safely, in obtaining a clear airway and in checking the pulse of the victim. Conclusions. A short and inexpensive course of reeducation, carried out six months after initial education, may render CPR performance more effective for the victim and safer for the rescuer.
Metabolic Reconstruction for Metagenomic Data and Its Application to the Human Microbiome

Microbial communities carry out the majority of the biochemical activity on the planet, and they play integral roles in processes including metabolism and immune homeostasis in the human microbiome. Shotgun sequencing of such communities' metagenomes provides information complementary to organismal abundances from taxonomic markers, but the resulting data typically comprise short reads from hundreds of different organisms and are at best challenging to assemble comparably to single-organism genomes. Here, we describe an alternative approach to infer the functional and metabolic potential of a microbial community metagenome. We determined the gene families and pathways present or absent within a community, as well as their relative abundances, directly from short sequence reads. We validated this methodology using a collection of synthetic metagenomes, recovering the presence and abundance both of large pathways and of small functional modules with high accuracy. We subsequently applied this method, HUMAnN, to the microbial communities of 649 metagenomes drawn from seven primary body sites on 102 individuals as part of the Human Microbiome Project (HMP). This provided a means to compare functional diversity and organismal ecology in the human microbiome, and we determined a core of 24 ubiquitously present modules. Core pathways were often implemented by different enzyme families within different body sites, and 168 functional modules and 196 metabolic pathways varied in metagenomic abundance specifically to one or more niches within the microbiome. These included glycosaminoglycan degradation in the gut, as well as phosphate and amino acid transport linked to host phenotype (vaginal pH) in the posterior fornix. An implementation of our methodology is available at http://huttenhower.sph. harvard.edu/humann. This provides a means to accurately and efficiently characterize microbial metabolic pathways and functional modules directly from high-throughput sequencing reads, enabling the determination of community roles in the HMP cohort and in future metagenomic studies.
Small dose of clonidine mixed with low-dose ropivacaine and fentanyl for epidural analgesia after total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND We studied whether a small dose of clonidine added to a ropivacaine-fentanyl mixture improves epidural analgesia without provoking side effects typically related to larger amounts of epidural clonidine. METHODS In this randomized, double-blinded study, patients (< or =85 yr, ASA I-III) underwent total knee arthroplasty (TKA) performed under spinal anaesthesia. After the operation, patients received an epidural infusion consisting of ropivacaine 2 mg ml(-1) and fentanyl 5 microg ml(-1) either without (Group RF, n=33) or with clonidine 2 microg ml(-1) (Group RFC, n=36). The infusion rate was adjusted within the range 3-7 ml h(-1). RESULTS Average rate of infusion was slightly smaller in Group RFC than in Group RF (mean (sd) 4.7 (0.72) vs 5.2 (0.8) ml h(-1), P=0.004). Compared with the RF group, patients in the RFC group required significantly less rescue pain medication, that is i.m. oxycodone (median (25th, 75th percentile) 0 (0, 7) vs 7 (0, 12) mg, P=0.027). Arterial pressure and heart rate were slightly lower in Group RFC throughout the study period (mean difference between the groups 5 mm Hg (P<0.002) and 3 min(-1) (P=0.12), respectively). The groups did not differ statistically with respect to nausea, motor block, and sedation. CONCLUSIONS The small amount of clonidine added to the low-dose ropivacaine-fentanyl mixture reduced the need for opioid rescue pain medication after TKA. Clonidine slightly decreased arterial pressure and heart rate without jeopardizing haemodynamics. Otherwise, the side effect profiles were comparable in both groups.
A decision procedure for subset constraints over regular languages

Reasoning about string variables, in particular program inputs, is an important aspect of many program analyses and testing frameworks. Program inputs invariably arrive as strings, and are often manipulated using high-level string operations such as equality checks, regular expression matching, and string concatenation. It is difficult to reason about these operations because they are not well-integrated into current constraint solvers. We present a decision procedure that solves systems of equations over regular language variables. Given such a system of constraints, our algorithm finds satisfying assignments for the variables in the system. We define this problem formally and render a mechanized correctness proof of the core of the algorithm. We evaluate its scalability and practical utility by applying it to the problem of automatically finding inputs that cause SQL injection vulnerabilities.
Loss of protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type 22 regulates interferon-γ-induced signaling in human monocytes.

BACKGROUND & AIMS A gain-of-function variation within the locus that encodes protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type (PTPN)22 is associated with a reduced risk for Crohn's disease (CD), whereas a loss-of-function variant seems to promote autoimmune disorders. We investigated how loss of PTPN22 could contribute to chronic inflammation of the intestine. METHODS Intestinal tissue samples from patients with or without inflammatory bowel disease (controls) were analyzed for levels of PTPN22 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein. In human THP-1 monocytes, protein levels were analyzed by immunoblotting, mRNA levels by real-time polymerase chain reaction, and cytokine release by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS Intestinal tissue samples from patients with CD had reduced levels of PTPN22 mRNA and protein, compared with samples from controls. In human THP-1 monocytes, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) induced expression and activity of PTPN22. Loss of PTPN22 increased levels of p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase, but reduced phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB subunits. Increased activity of suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 was accompanied by reduced phosphorylation of signal-transducer and activator of transcription protein 1 and signal-transducer and activator of transcription protein 3 in PTPN22-deficient cells incubated with cytokines. PTPN22 knockdown increased secretion of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-17, but reduced expression or secretion of T-bet, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing-2, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, IL-2, and IL-12p40 in response to IFN-γ. CONCLUSIONS PTPN22 expression is reduced in intestinal tissues of patients with active CD. PTPN22 regulates intracellular signaling events and is induced by IFN-γ in human monocytes. Knockdown of PTPN22 alters activation of inflammatory signal transducers, increasing secretion of T-helper 17-related inflammatory mediators. Genetic variants that reduce PTPN22 activity might contribute to the pathogenesis of CD by these mechanisms.
Neuropsychological dysfunction, soft neurological signs and social disability in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder

Background Neurocognitive deficits exist in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder, but relationships between symptoms, psychosocial and neurological factors remain uncertain. Aims To measure neurocognitive function in bipolar disorder and explore links to sub-syndromal mood symptoms, soft neurological signs and psychosocial impairment. Method Attention, memory and executive function were tested in 37 euthymic patients with bipolar disorder and 37 controls. Psychosocial functioning, soft neurological signs and residual mood symptoms were assessed. Results Performances on tests reflecting executive function and verbal memory (but not attention) were significantly poorer in the bipolar disorder group. Sub-syndromal mood symptoms produced small cognitive effects, predominantly on verbal memory. Soft neurological signs, especially frontal signs, were marked; some patients showed marked social disability which correlated strongly with soft neurological signs but weakly with executive dysfunction, which was linked to illness episodes. Conclusions Cognitive dysfunction, social dysfunction and soft signs occur in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder and may represent trait deficits.
The Interaction between Auxin and Nitric Oxide Regulates Root Growth in Response to Iron Deficiency in Rice

Fe deficiency (-Fe) is a common abiotic stress that affects the root development of plants. Auxin and nitric oxide (NO) are key regulator of root growth under -Fe. However, the interactions between auxin and NO regulate root growth in response to Fe deficiency are complex and unclear. In this study, the indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and NO levels in roots, and the responses of root growth in rice to different levels of Fe supply were investigated using wild type (WT), ospin1b and osnia2 mutants. -Fe promoted LR formation but inhibited seminal root elongation. IAA levels, [3H] IAA transport, and expression levels of PIN1a-c genes in roots were reduced under -Fe, suggesting that polar auxin transport from shoots to roots was decreased. Application of IAA to -Fe seedlings restored seminal root length, but not LR density, to levels similar to those under normal Fe (+Fe), and the seminal root length was shorter in two ospin1b mutants relative to WT under +Fe, but not under -Fe, confirming that auxin transport participates in -Fe-inhibited seminal root elongation. Moreover, -Fe-induced LR density and -Fe-inhibited seminal root elongation paralleled NO production in roots. Interestingly, similar NO accumulation and responses of LR density and root elongation were observed in osnia2 mutants compared to WT, and the higher expression of NOA gene under -Fe, suggesting that -Fe-induced NO was generated via the NO synthase-like pathway rather than the nitrate reductase pathway. However, IAA could restore the functions of NO in inhibiting seminal root elongation, but did not replace the role of NO-induced LR formation under -Fe. Overall, our findings suggested that NO functions downstream of auxin in regulating LR formation; NO-inhibited seminal root elongation by decreasing meristem activity in root tips under -Fe, with the involvement of auxin.
Comparative pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evaluation of branded and generic formulations of meloxicam in healthy male volunteers

Purpose The primary aim of the present study was to assess the pharmacokinetic bioequivalence between a generic formulation of meloxicam 15 mg tablets (Meloxicam Hexal) and its respective brand product (Mobic), in order to verify whether the generic product conforms to the regulatory standards of bioequivalence in the postmarketing setting. As a secondary exploratory aim, the pharmacodynamic effects of the two formulations were also evaluated by means of rating scales following hyperalgesia induced by cutaneous freeze injury. Subjects and methods A single 15 mg dose of generic or branded meloxicam tablets was administered to 24 healthy male volunteers in a crossover fashion. Plasma samples, collected for 24 hours after dosing, were assayed for meloxicam concentration by a validated highperformance liquid chromatography method. Results The analysis of pharmacokinetic parameters did not show any significant difference between the two meloxicam formulations: the 90% confidence intervals fell within the acceptance range of 80%–125% (0.84–1.16 for area under the curve [0–24], and 0.89–1.23 for peak concentration). No difference in the pharmacodynamic end point was observed between the two groups. Conclusion The pharmacokinetic profiles of the two meloxicam formulations confirm the regulatory criteria for bioequivalence; pharmacodynamic data indicate a similar antihyperalgesic effect. The two formulations can be used interchangeably in the clinical setting.
Preoperative levels of plasma micronutrients are related to endometrial cancer risk

Objective. To examine the relation between the plasma concentration of antioxidant micronutrients and endometrial cancer risk in Korean women. Design. Hospital‐based case–control study. Setting. Seven tertiary medical institutes in Korea. Population. Incidence of 28 endometrial cancer cases were identified and 140 age‐matched controls selected for the same period.Methods. Preoperative plasma concentrations of β‐carotene, lycopene, zeaxanthin plus lutein, retinol, α‐tocopherol, and γ‐tocopherol were measured by reverse‐phase, gradient high‐pressure liquid chromatography. Conditional logistic regression was used to evaluate micronutrient effect after adjustment for body mass index (BMI), menopause, parity, oral contraceptive use, smoking status, and alcohol consumption status.Main outcome measures. Effect of micronutrients on endometrial cancer risk.Results. The mean concentration of plasma β‐carotene (p = 0.001), lycopene (p = 0.008), zeaxanthin plus lutein (p = 0.031), retinol (p = 0.048), and γ‐tocopherol (p = 0.046) were significantly lower in endometrial cancer patients than in controls. Plasma levels of β‐carotene (p for trend = 0.0007) and lycopene (p for trend = 0.007) were inversely associated with endometrial cancer risk across tertiles. Women in the highest tertile of plasma β‐carotene and lycopene had a 0.12‐fold (95% confidence intervals (CIs) 0.03–0.48) and 0.15‐fold (95% CIs 0.04–0.61) decreased risk of endometrial cancer compared to women in the lowest tertile, respectively. Other micronutrients such as zeaxanthin plus lutein (p for trend = 0.142), retinol (p for trend = 0.108), α‐tocopherol (p for trend = 0.322), and γ‐tocopherol (p for trend = 0.087) showed no association with endometrial cancer risk.Conclusions. Plasma levels of β‐carotene and lycopene are inversely associated with the risk of endometrial cancer in Korean women.
Is Self-Esteem a "Double Edged Sword"? Self-Esteem and the Onset of Adolescent Sexual Activity

Self-esteem has been conceptualized as a "social vaccine". The belief is that high self-esteem can inoculate young people, against vulnerability to a wide range of social illnesses. This study gives a contribution in the understanding of the causal relation between self-esteem and sexual behaviour among American adolescents. I analyzes the impact of different levels of early self-esteem on a wide set of risky sexual behaviours. I use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and I take into account the endogeneity of self-esteem using instrumental variables methods and measuring self-esteem before sexual initiation. I find that self-esteem over a certain threshold' is a protective resource for girls, delaying the onset of sexual activity, reducing the number of occasional sexual partners and increasing the likelihood of having protected sexual encounters.
Central programming of postural movements: adaptation to altered support-surface configurations.

We studied the extent to which automatic postural actions in standing human subjects are organized by a limited repertoire of central motor programs. Subjects stood on support surfaces of various lengths, which forced them to adopt different postural movement strategies to compensate for the same external perturbations. We assessed whether a continuum or a limited set of muscle activation patterns was used to produce different movement patterns and the extent to which movement patterns were influenced by prior experience. Exposing subjects standing on a normal support surface to brief forward and backward horizontal surface perturbations elicited relatively stereotyped patterns of leg and trunk muscle activation with 73- to 110-ms latencies. Activity began in the ankle joint muscles and then radiated in sequence to thigh and then trunk muscles on the same dorsal or ventral aspect of the body. This activation pattern exerted compensatory torques about the ankle joints, which restored equilibrium by moving the body center of mass forward or backward. This pattern has been termed the ankle strategy because it restores equilibrium by moving the body primarily around the ankle joints. To successfully maintain balance while standing on a support surface short in relation to foot length, subjects activated leg and trunk muscles at similar latencies but organized the activity differently. The trunk and thigh muscles antagonistic to those used in the ankle strategy were activated in the opposite proximal-to-distal sequence, whereas the ankle muscles were generally unresponsive. This activation pattern produced a compensatory horizontal shear force against the support surface but little, if any, ankle torque. This pattern has been termed the hip strategy, because the resulting motion is focused primarily about the hip joints. Exposing subjects to horizontal surface perturbations while standing on support surfaces intermediate in length between the shortest and longest elicited more complex postural movements and associated muscle activation patterns that resembled ankle and hip strategies combined in different temporal relations. These complex postural movements were executed with combinations of torque and horizontal shear forces and motions of ankle and hip joints. During the first 5-20 practice trials immediately following changes from one support surface length to another, response latencies were unchanged. The activation patterns, however, were complex and resembled the patterns observed during well-practiced stance on surfaces of intermediate lengths. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
CALL FOR PAPERS Mitochondrial Function/Dysfunction in Health and Disease Altered mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in placentas from undernourished rat gestations

Belkacemi L, Desai M, Nelson DM, Ross MG. Altered mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in placentas from undernourished rat gestations. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 301: R1599–R1615, 2011. First published September 14, 2011; doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00100. 2011. —Maternal undernutrition (MUN) during pregnancy results in intrauterine growth-restricted (IUGR) fetuses and small placentas. Although reduced fetal nutrient supply has been presumed to be etiologic in IUGR, MUNinduced placental dysfunction may occur prior to detectable fetal growth restriction. Placental growth impairment may result from apoptosis signaled by mitochondria in response to reduced energy substrate. Therefore, we sought to determine the presence of mitochondrial-induced apoptosis under MUN and ad libitum diet (AdLib) pregnancies. Pregnant rats were fed an AdLib or a 50% MUN diet from embryonic day 10 (E10) to E20. At E20, fetuses and placentas from proximaland mid-horns (extremes of nutrient/oxygen supply) were collected. Right-horn placentas were used to quantify apoptosis. Corresponding left-horn placentas were separated into basal (hormone production) and labyrinth (fetomaternal exchange) zones, and protein expression of the mitochondrial pathway was determined. Our results show that the MUN placentas had significantly increased apoptosis, with lower expression of cytosolic and mitochondrial anti-apoptotic Bcl2 and Bcl-XL, and significantly higher expression of pro-apoptotic Bax and Bak especially in the labyrinth zone. This was paralleled by higher coimmunostaining with the mitochondrial marker manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), indicating transition of pro-apoptotic factors to the mitochondrial membrane. Also, cytosolic cytochrome c and activated caspases-9 and -3 were significantly higher in all MUN. Conversely, peroxisome proliferator-activator receptor(PPAR ), a member of the nuclear receptor family with anti-apoptotic properties, was significantly downregulated in both zones and horns. Our results suggest that MUN during rat pregnancy enhances mitochondriadependent apoptosis in the placenta, probably due to the downregulation of PPAR expression.
Preterm delivery and low maternal serum cholesterol level: Any correlation?

Background: The study assessed whether low maternal serum cholesterol during early pregnancy is associated with preterm delivery. Patients and Methods: It was a prospective observational cohort study involving pregnant women at gestational age of 14-20 weeks over a period of 12 months. Blood samples were obtained to measure total serum cholesterol concentrations and the sera were then analysed enzymatically by the cholesterol oxidase: p-aminophenazone (CHOD PAP) method. Results: The study showed an incidence of 5.0% for preterm delivery in the low risk study patients. Preterm birth was 4.83-times more common with low total maternal cholesterol than with midrange total cholesterol (11.8% versus 2.2%, P = 0.024). Conclusion: Low maternal serum cholesterol (hypocholesterolaemia) is associated with preterm delivery. Optimal maternal serum cholesterol during pregnancy may have merit, therefore pregnant women should be encouraged to follow a healthy, balanced diet.
Analysis and simulation of passenger flows in an airport terminal

As human behavior is often thought to be hard to define in models, simulations of processes with people involved are less common than industrial simulations. Nevertheless simulation has been very valuable in passenger logistics to study bottlenecks and test potential solutions. This paper describes a project concerning the analysis and redesign of passenger handling at an airport, in which dynamic modeling played an important role. Simulation has been applied here to gain insights into the relations between the distinguished processes, the presence of bottlenecks and their causes. With the simulation models future situations were represented, through which long-term expectations can be posted. In this way critical aspects in the passenger flow through the airport terminal have been explored and studied. All potential bottlenecks have to be suppressed by apt arrangements. These can consist of an expansion of the availability of resources or floor space, but many times improving the processes can be a more effective or more efficient solution. Several supposed measurements have been tested in a quantitative way, to examine whether they fulfill the expectations, are robust and do not create new problems. The overview of bottlenecks and the comparison of measurements formed the required results of the simulation project. As detailed simulation studies require exact descriptions of processes and representative data, a large amount of information had to be collected and laid down. Process control and management will take advantage of it.