Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The influence of the obstetrical condition on canine neonatal pulmonary functional competence.

OBJECTIVE To compare the influence of the obstetrical condition on neonatal respiratory performance, to estimate surfactant synthesis through lecithin and sphingomyelin ratio (L/S) in amniotic fluid of pregnant bitches and correlate the L/S with the respiratory condition during the first hour of life. DESIGN Prospective randomized study. SETTING University veterinary teaching hospital and private referral centers. ANIMALS In accordance to the condition at birth, puppies from 25 healthy bitches aged 2-6 years were allocated into: Eutocia Group--EUT (n = 19 neonates and 14 bitches); Dystocia Group--DYS (n = 8 neonates and 5 bitches) and Elective Cesarean Section Group--CS (n = 12 neonates and 11 bitches). INTERVENTIONS Amniotic fluid was drawn from amniotic sac and lecithin (L) and sphingomyelin (S) were measured by high performance liquid chromatography to obtain the L/S ratio. Neonatal physical examination was performed at 1, 5, and 60 minutes after delivery, and included the assessment of respiratory rate (RR) and respiration effort (RE). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS CS group had significantly lower amniotic L/S ratio when compared to EUT and DYS. There were no significant differences between vaginal groups (EUT versus DYS) in respect to L/S ratios. RE of eutocic neonates improved promptly, while RE of DYS and CS groups improved only 1 hour following birth. Moreover, amniotic L/S ratio positively correlated with RR after 60 minutes. CONCLUSIONS We identified a possible influence of the delivery method on the final surfactant maturation process. Thus, neonates born by elective CS prior to the onset of expulsive uterine contractions should have their respiratory parameters carefully monitored. Additionally, we propose that assessment of respiratory parameters 1 hour following birth can serve as a practical means to indirectly estimate pulmonary maturation (ie, surfactant synthesis) in puppies.
Novel Mutations in FA2H-Associated Neurodegeneration

Hereditary spastic paraplegias and related genetically heterogeneous disorders may be difficult to distinguish clinically. The FA2H gene has been associated with autosomal recessive neurodegenerative phenotypes encompassing spastic paraplegia with or without dystonia, and demyelinating leukodystrophy. To date, few individuals with mutations in the FA2H gene have been described. We report a 5-year-old girl of mixed Filipino and Vietnamese origin who presented with progressive lower limb spasticity and periventricular leukomalacia. The clinical diagnosis of FA2H-associated neurodegeneration was confirmed on the basis of 2 novel mutations in compound heterozygosity in the FA2H gene (p.S70L/p.P323L). This family highlights that FA2H-associated disorders may be underrecognized in children with neurodegeneration of many different ethnicities. Magnetic resonance imaging features play an important role as diagnostic clues in this and other hereditary spastic paraplegias. The consideration of this diagnosis is essential in providing families with important information on prognosis, as well as accurate genetic counseling.
Ligand-induced signaling in the absence of furin processing of Notch1.

Notch is a conserved cell surface receptor that is activated through direct contact with neighboring ligand-expressing cells. The primary 300-kDa translation product of the Notch1 gene (p300) is cleaved by a furin-like convertase to generate a heterodimeric, cell-surface receptor composed of 180- (p180) and 120- (p120) kDa polypeptides. Heterodimeric Notch is thought to be the only form of the receptor which is both present on the cell surface and able to generate an intracellular signal in response to ligand. Consistent with previous reports, we found that disruption of furin processing of Notch1, either by coexpression of a furin inhibitor or by mutation of furin target sequences within Notch1 itself, perturbed ligand-dependent signaling through the well-characterized mediator of Notch signal transduction, CSL (CBF1, Su(H), and LAG-1). Yet contrary to these reports, we could detect the full-length p300 Notch1 product on the cell surface. Moreover, this uncleaved form of Notch1 could suppress the differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts in response to ligand. Taken together, these data support our previous studies characterizing a CSL-independent Notch signaling pathway and identify this uncleaved isoform of Notch as a potential mediator of this pathway. Our results suggest a novel paradigm in signal transduction, one in which two isoforms of the same cell-surface receptor could mediate two distinct signaling pathways in response to ligand.
Survey Study of the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Expected Behaviors of Critical Care Clinicians Regarding an Influenza Pandemic

Objective. Intensive care units (ICUs) are potential high-risk areas for the transmission of respiratory viruses such as influenza. An influenza pandemic is expected to result in a dramatic surge of critically ill patients, and ICU healthcare workers (HCW) are likely to be at high risk of infection. Objective. To characterize the knowledge, attitudes, and expected behaviors of ICU HCWs concerning the risk of and response to an influenza pandemic. Design, Participants, and Setting. A survey was distributed to 292 HCWs (ie, internal medicine house staff, pulmonary and critical care fellows and faculty members, nurses, and respiratory care professionals) at 2 hospitals in Baltimore, Maryland. Results. Of the 292 HCWs, 256 (88%) completed the survey. Just over one-half of the respondents believed there is at least a 45% chance of an influenza pandemic within the next 5 years. However, only 41% reported knowing how to protect themselves during an outbreak. Despite this common belief that a pandemic is likely in the near future, 59% of those surveyed reported only minimal knowledge of the risks of and protective strategies for an influenza pandemic, and 20% reported being unlikely to report to work during a pandemic or being unsure about whether they would do so. The odds of reporting to work varied on the basis of race and responsibility for child care. Conclusions. ICU HCWs reported having minimal knowledge concerning the risk of and response to an influenza pandemic, even though more that one-half of HCWs expect that a pandemic will occur in the near future. This finding in a high-risk setting is of concern, given that lack of knowledge among HCWs may result in increased nosocomial transmission to HCWs and patients. Interventions to improve knowledge of pandemics and understanding of risks among ICU HCWs are essential.
Propylene glycol accumulation associated with continuous infusion of lorazepam in pediatric intensive care patients

ObjectiveTo determine if propylene glycol accumulates in children receiving continuous lorazepam infusion and, if accumulation occurs, to determine if it is associated with significant laboratory abnormalities. DesignProspective study. SettingA tertiary care pediatric intensive care unit. PatientsEleven intubated pediatric intensive care patients receiving continuous lorazepam infusion for sedation. InterventionsPropylene glycol accumulation was determined by comparing concentrations at baseline, after 48 hrs, and at end of therapy. Laboratory abnormalities were determined by comparing serum lactate and osmolar gap at baseline, after 48 hrs, and at end of therapy. Correlation between the cumulative dose of lorazepam received and the propylene glycol concentration measured at the end of therapy was determined. Measurements and Main ResultsPatients aged 1–15 months were studied. Lorazepam infusion rates ranged from 0.1 to 0.33 mg·kg−1·hr−1 and lasted 3–14 days. Propylene glycol accumulated significantly in patients receiving continuous infusion of lorazepam. The propylene glycol concentration increased during the study from 86 ± 93 &mgr;g/mL at baseline to 763 ± 660 &mgr;g/mL at the end of the study (p = .038). A statistically significant correlation between the cumulative dose of lorazepam received and propylene glycol concentration at the end of therapy was demonstrated (r2 = .65, p < .005). However, the propylene glycol accumulation was not associated with significant laboratory abnormalities. Neither serum lactate concentrations nor osmolar gap were significantly elevated over baseline. ConclusionPropylene glycol accumulated significantly in pediatric intensive care patients receiving continuous lorazepam infusion, and propylene glycol concentration correlated with the cumulative lorazepam dose the patient received. However, significant laboratory abnormalities due to propylene glycol accumulation were not observed.
A Hybrid Approach for Quantification of Novelty in Rule Discovery

Rule Discovery is an important technique for mining knowledge from large databases. Use of objective measures for discovering interesting rules lead to another data mining problem, although of reduced complexity. Data mining researchers have studied subjective measures of interestingness to reduce the volume of discovered rules to ultimately improve the overall efficiency of KDD process. In this paper we study novelty of the discovered rules as a subjective measure of interestingness. We propose a hybrid approach that uses objective and subjective measures to quantify novelty of the discovered rules in terms of their deviations from the known rules. We analyze the types of deviation that can arise between two rules and categorize the discovered rules according to the user specified threshold. We implement the proposed framework and experiment with some public datasets. The experimental results are quite promising.
Impact of anthropmetric measures on sural nerve conduction in healthy subjects.

BACKGROUND Nerve conduction studies are an invaluable aid to investigate and quantify the physiological activity of peripheral nerves. These include measurement of sensory and motor conduction velocities and latencies of peripheral nerves. These nerve conduction parameters may be affected by anthropometric factors like age, sex, height, weight and BMI. In this observational study the impact of these anthropometric parameters was measured on sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) and sensory latency (SNSL) of sural nerve. METHOD Sural nerve conduction studies were conducted in EMG room of Neurology section of Medical Unit 1 at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore on Electromyograph by Nihon Kohden MEB-5304K. RESULTS After following strict exclusion criteria by careful history and physical examination 25 normal healthy subjects recruited from local population by random sampling technique. The age range was 40-70 years with mean age 47.2 +/- 9.23 years. Gender distribution was 60% females and 40% males. The mean SNCV was found to be 53.16 +/- 5.68 meter per second (m/sec) and mean SNSL was 2.81 +/- 0.45 milliseconds (msec). CONCLUSION It was found that the mean sural nerve conduction velocity was higher and the mean sensory latency was shorter in healthy subjects than that of the Western races. Moreover, the SNCV decreases and SNSL increases significantly with age.
Preferred conformation of the benzyloxycarbonyl-amino group in peptides.

Structural parameters, derived from X-ray crystallographic data, have been compiled for 35 derivatives of amino acids, peptides, and related compounds, which contain the N-terminal benzyloxycarbonyl (Z) group. The geometry of the urethane moiety of this end group is closely similar to that of the tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc) group, except for a relaxation of some bond angles because the Z group is sterically less crowded than the Boc group. For the same reason, the Z group has greater conformational flexibility. As a result, packing forces in the crystal may cause greater deformations of bond angles, resulting in larger variations of observed bond lengths and bond angles than in Boc-peptide crystals. The aromatic rings of the Z end groups tend to stack in crystals. Conformational energy calculations indicate that most conformations of Z-amino acid-N'-methylamides and of corresponding Boc derivatives have similar dihedral angles and relative energies, i.e. the nature of the N-terminal end group has little effect on the conformational preferences of the residue next to it. In particular, the computed fraction of molecules with a cis urethane (C-N) bond is similar for the two derivatives: 0.51 and 0.42 in Boc-Pro-NHCH3 and Z-Pro-NHCH3, respectively, and 0.02 in the two Ala derivatives. There exist several computed conformations of Z-Ala-NHCH3 and Z-Pro-NHCH3 in which the phenyl ring and the C-terminal methylamide group are close to each other. Because of favorable nonbonded interactions, such conformations are of low energy.
Validation of a urine test and characterization of the putative genetic mutation for hyperuricosuria in Bulldogs and Black Russian Terriers.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether hyperuricosuria was a predisposing factor for urate urolithiasis in Bulldogs and Black Russian Terriers (BRTs) and to estimate the allele frequency of the Cys181Phe genetic mutation in urate transporter SLC2A9 in these breeds. ANIMALS 192 Bulldogs, 101 BRTs, 10 Dalmatians, and 9 dogs of other breeds. PROCEDURES Uric acid (UA) and creatinine (Cr) concentrations were quantified in urine samples collected from all dogs via midstream catch during natural voiding. Buccal swab or blood samples were also obtained, and DNA was extracted and used to genotype SLC2A9 sequence variants by use of pyrosequencing assays. A urine test for hyperuricosuria was validated in adult dogs by comparing urinary UA:Cr ratios between known hyperuricosuric and nonhyperuricosuric dogs. RESULTS Significantly higher UA:Cr ratios were found in some Bulldogs and BRTs, compared with ratios in other dogs from these breeds. These dogs were also homozygous for the SLC2A9 Cys181Phe mutation. The allele frequency of the Cys181Phe mutation was 0.16 in Bulldogs and 0.51 in BRTs. On the basis of these allele frequencies, 3% of the Bulldog population and 27% of the BRT population were estimated to be hyperuricosuric. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested the genetic mutation associated with hyperuricosuria, first identified in Dalmatians, also appears to cause hyperuricosuria in Bulldogs and BRTs, indicating that similar management strategies for urate urolithiasis can be used in these breeds. The allele frequency of the mutation was high in both breeds, and DNA testing can be used to select against the mutation.
Temporal Association Between Rhinovirus Circulation in the Community and Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Children

Background: Mucosal coinfections with respiratory viruses and Streptococcus pneumoniae are common, but the role of rhinovirus infections in the development of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in children has not been studied. Methods: During 1995 and 2007, we analyzed the association of IPD in children less than 5 years of age with respiratory virus epidemics by combining data from the National Infectious Disease Register, 3 prospective epidemiologic studies, and the database of the Department of Virology, University of Turku, Finland. Results: The mean IPD rate in children younger than 5 years of age in Finland was 2.9 cases per week (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.5–3.3) during periods of high rhinovirus activity, and 1.4 (95% CI, 1.2–1.6) during periods of low rhinovirus activity (P < 0.001). The IPD rate correlated with the rhinovirus activity recorded at the Department of Virology (correlation coefficient, 0.23; P = 0.001) and in the epidemiologic studies (correlation coefficients, 0.28, 0.25, and 0.31). The IPD rate was moderately increased during periods of high respiratory syncytial virus activity (mean, 2.1 cases per week; 95% CI, 1.8–2.3) compared with periods of low respiratory syncytial virus activity (mean, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.6–1.9; P = 0.008). There were no differences in the IPD rate between the periods of high and low influenza activity. Conclusions: Rhinovirus circulation in the community had an association with IPD in children younger than 5 years of age. This study suggests that rhinovirus infection may be a contributor in the development of IPD in the population of young children.
Super-connections and non-commutative geometry

We show that Quillen's formalism for computing the Chern character of the index using superconnections extends to arbitrary operators with functional calculus. We thus remove the condition that the operators have, up to homotopy, a gap in the spectrum. This is proved using differential graded algebras and non-commutative differential forms. Our results also give a new proof of the coincidence of the Chern character of a difference bundle defined using super-connections with the classical definition.
A computer approach to content analysis: studies using the General Inquirer system

The General Inquirer is an IBM 7090 program system that was developed at Harvard in the spring of 1961 for content analysis research problems in the behavioral sciences. The first part of this paper describes this system and how it has been used. During the summer of 1962, the General Inquirer was merged with the Hunt Concept Learner to produce a method for automatic theme analysis. The second part of this paper discusses the rationale behind this development and some recent signs of its future promise.
Inhibition of Cerebral Oxygen and Glucose Consumption in the Dog by Hypothermia, Pentobarbital, and Lidocaine

The effect of lidocaine, 160 mg/kg, and pentobarbital, 40 mg/kg, on cerebral oxygen and glucose consumption was examined at brain temperatures of 37°C, 28°C, and 18°C. Cerebral metabolic rate was measured in dogs on cardiopulmonary by pass circulation by using the sagittal sinus outflow technique. When studied separately, both drugs suppressed synaptic transmission and inhibited metabolism, and a maximum effect was obtained when the EEG became flat. Using halothane 1–1.5 per cent as the control condition, this function-metabolism coupled inhibition was about 30 per cent. When the drugs were studied in combination, it was found that when lidocaine was given after pentobarbital, it caused an additional metabolic inhibition of 15–20 per cent, while pentobarbital given after lidocaine had no effect. It is concluded that pentobarbital has no inhibitory effect on cerebral metabolism in the absence of synaptic activity, while lidocaine—in addition to the effect related to suppression of synaptic transmission—has a specific “membrane stabilizing” effect. In analogy to its local anesthetic action, lidocaine blocks the Na+ channels and restricts the Na+-K+ leak fluxes. The load on the ion pump is reduced and metabolism is decreased accordingly. This specific effect of lidocaine was evident also at brain temperatures of 28°C and 18°C. The study supports the possibility that lidocaine, like hypothermia, may provide protection for the ischemic brain.
Surface of Lactic Acid Bacteria: Relationships between Chemical Composition and Physicochemical Properties

ABSTRACT The surface chemical composition and physicochemical properties (hydrophobicity and zeta potential) of two lactic acid bacteria,Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis bv. diacetilactis and Lactobacillus helveticus, have been investigated using cells harvested in exponential or stationary growth phase. The surface composition determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was converted into a molecular composition in terms of proteins, polysaccharides, and hydrocarbonlike compounds. The concentration of the last was always below 15% (wt/wt), which is related to the hydrophilic character revealed by water contact angles of less than 30°. The surfaces of L. lactis cells had a polysaccharide concentration about twice that of proteins. The S-layer of L. helveticus was either interrupted or crossed by polysaccharide-rich compounds; the concentration of the latter was higher in the stationary growth phase than in the exponential growth phase. Further progress was made in the interpretation of XPS data in terms of chemical functions by showing that the oxygen component at 531.2 eV contains a contribution of phosphate in addition to the main contribution of the peptide link. The isoelectric points were around 2 and 3, and the electrophoretic mobilities above pH 5 (ionic strength, 1 mM) were about −3.0 × 10−8 and −0.6 × 10−8 m2 s−1 V−1 forL. lactis and L. helveticus, respectively. The electrokinetic properties of the latter reveal the influence of carboxyl groups, while the difference between the two strains is related to a difference between N/P surface concentration ratios, reflecting the relative exposure of proteins and phosphate groups at the surface.
Mediating Factors in Martial Arts and Combat Sports: An Analysis of the Type of Martial Art, Characteristics, and Social Background of Young Participants

To date, most studies regarding the social-psychological effects of martial arts and combat sports (MA&CS) on young people focus on measuring effects without considering mediating factors. The aim of the present study was to analyze three mediating factors that might be influential when examining outcomes of MA&CS for youth (i.e., the type of MA&CS, participants' characteristics, and social background). Young MA&CS participants (N = 477, M age = 14.0 yr., SD = 2.13) practicing judo, aikido, kick-/Thai boxing or karate, as well as their parents (N = 307), were assessed in terms of their goal orientations, aggressiveness, psychosocial behavior, and social background. It was concluded that differences exist in the characteristics and social background of participants depending on the type of MA&CS being practiced. The fact that differences in these mediating factors can be identified indicates that in future research these and possible other mediating factors should be considered when trying to determine social-psychological outcomes of MA&CS.
Prolactin activation of mammary nitric oxide synthase: molecular mechanisms.

Prolactin (PRL) is capable of stimulating both calcium and nitric oxide (NO) accumulation in mammary epithelial cells within 15min. A calcium ionophore was also able to stimulate NO levels to an extent similar to that generated by PRL. Furthermore, maximal concentrations of PRL and the ionophore were not additive, suggesting that they were both using the same pathway, i.e. calcium. Finally, the depletion of intracellular calcium completely abrogated the effect of PRL on NO production. No other pathway known to affect NO synthase (NOS) influenced the action of PRL. Specifically, manipulations of protein phosphatase 2B, protein kinase B (PKB), protein kinase C (PKC), and arginine transport did not alter the activation of NOS by PRL. Therefore, the ability of PRL to stimulate NO production at 15min can be completely explained by its ability to elevate intracellular calcium.
DEEP MULTIWAVEBAND OBSERVATIONS OF THE JETS OF 0208–512 AND 1202–262

We present deep Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra, Very Large Array, and Australia Telescope Compact Array images of the jets of PKS 0208–512 and PKS 1202–262, which were found in a Chandra survey of a flux-limited sample of flat-spectrum radio quasars with jets. We discuss in detail their X-ray morphologies and spectra. We find optical emission from one knot in the jet of PKS 1202–262 and two regions in the jet of PKS 0208–512. The X-ray emission of both jets is most consistent with external Comptonization of cosmic microwave background photons by particles within the jet, while the optical emission is most consistent with the synchrotron process. We model the emission from the jet in this context and discuss implications for jet emission models, including magnetic field and beaming parameters.