Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pharmacokinetic Profile of Meropenem, Administered at 500 Milligrams Every 8 Hours, in Plasma and Cantharidin-Induced Skin Blister Fluid

ABSTRACT The pharmacokinetic disposition of meropenem, administered at 500 mg every 8 h, in plasma and cantharidin-induced blister fluid is described. Peak meropenem concentrations in blister fluid lagged behind peak meropenem concentrations in plasma, while a lower elimination rate from blister fluid was also noted. The mean penetration of meropenem into blister fluid was 67%. The pharmacokinetic profile of meropenem in blister fluid supports the utility of this dose in the management of skin and soft tissue infections.
Shifting the boundaries for early caffeine initiation in neonatal practice: Results of a prospective, multicenter study on very preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome

Background There is growing evidence that supports the benefits of early use of caffeine in preterm neonates with RDS; however, no formal recommendations specifying the exact timing of therapy initiation have been provided. Objectives We compared neonatal outcomes in infants receiving early (initial dose on the 1st day of life) and late (initial dose on day 2+ of life) caffeine therapy. Methods Using data from a prospective, cohort study, we identified 986 infants ≤32 weeks’ gestation with RDS and assessed the timing of caffeine therapy initiation, need for ventilatory support, mortality and incidence of typical complications of prematurity. To adjust for baseline severity, the early and late caffeine groups were propensity score (PS) matched to 286 infants (1:1). Clinical outcomes were compared between the PS-matched groups. Results Early treatment with caffeine citrate was associated with a significantly reduced need for invasive ventilation (71.3% vs 83.2%; P = 0.0165) and total duration of mechanical ventilation (mean 5 ± 11.1 days vs 10.8 ± 14.6 days; P = 0.0000) and significantly lower odds of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) (OR 0.4827; 95% CI 0.2999–0.7787) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) (OR 0.5686; 95% CI 0.3395–0.9523). The incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (36.4% vs 45.8%) and rates of moderate and severe BPD were not significantly different between the two groups. The mortality rates were comparable between the two groups (8.6% vs 8.5%, P = ns) Conclusion Early caffeine initiation was associated with a decreased need for invasive ventilatory support and lower incidence of IVH and PDA.
Arthroscopic Meniscal Transplants in Soccer Players: Outcomes at 2- to 5-Year Follow-up

Objective: To assess the midterm effects of meniscal transplants on clinical and functional knee scores and on the return to sports rate in soccer players. Design: Retrospective case series. Setting: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Clínica del Pilar, Barcelona, Spain. Patients: Fifty-nine meniscal transplants in 57 patients between 2001 and 2006 were reviewed. Only soccer players with a history of meniscectomy and no other ipsilateral knee surgeries before or after the meniscal transplant were included in the study. Fifteen patients met inclusion criteria. Intervention: Main outcomes were obtained from the sample after meniscal transplant and compared with preoperative data, with a mean follow-up of 36 months. A subgroup analysis was performed considering the degree of chondral lesion (no lesions, grade I-II, and grade III-IV). Main Outcome Measures: Scores on Lysholm, Subjective International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) form, and visual analog scale (VAS) scale for pain and information regarding return to play. Results: One of the 15 patients had a graft failure (6.6%) after a daily life accident. Twelve of the 14 patients included in the analysis (85.7%) returned to play soccer. Patients demonstrated significant improvements for Lysholm (P = 0.006), Subjective IKDC Form (P = 0.001), and VAS for pain (P < 0.0001) scores after the meniscal transplant. Depending on the degree of chondral lesion (subgroup analysis), there were no significant interactions for Lysholm, Subjective IKDC Form, and VAS for pain scores. Conclusions: Arthroscopic meniscal transplants improve knee symptoms and knee function and allow return to play in soccer players, regardless of the degree of chondral lesion.
The CUHK Discourse TreeBank for Chinese: Annotating Explicit Discourse Connectives for the Chinese TreeBank

The lack of open discourse corpus for Chinese brings limitations for many natural language processing tasks. In this work, we present the first open discourse treebank for Chinese, namely, the Discourse Treebank for Chinese (DTBC). At the current stage, we annotated explicit intra-sentence discourse connectives, their corresponding arguments and senses for all 890 documents of the Chinese Treebank 5. We started by analysing the characteristics of discourse annotation for Chinese, adapted the annotation scheme of Penn Discourse Treebank 2 (PDTB2) to Chinese language while maintaining the compatibility as far as possible. We made adjustments to 3 essential aspects according to the previous study of Chinese linguistics. They are sense hierarchy, argument scope and semantics of arguments. Agreement study showed that our annotation scheme could achieve highly reliable results.
Probing optically silent superfluid stripes in cuprates

A nonlinear peek into stripes In many theoretical models of high-temperature superconductors, remnants of superconductivity persist to temperatures higher than the transition temperature, TC. Rajasekaran et al. used nonlinear terahertz spectroscopy to probe this region of the phase diagram of a cuprate superconductor that is well known for a stripe phase that appears for certain doping levels (see the Perspective by Ergeçen and Gedik). For a sample deep in the stripe phase, a large nonlinear signal persisted from the superconducting region up to temperatures much higher than TC. The findings suggest the formation of a peculiar spatially modulated superconducting state called the pair-density wave. Science, this issue p. 575; see also p. 519 Nonlinear terahertz spectroscopy data on La2−xBaxCuO4 are consistent with the presence of a pair density wave state. Unconventional superconductivity in the cuprates coexists with other types of electronic order. However, some of these orders are invisible to most experimental probes because of their symmetry. For example, the possible existence of superfluid stripes is not easily validated with linear optics, because the stripe alignment causes interlayer superconducting tunneling to vanish on average. Here we show that this frustration is removed in the nonlinear optical response. A giant terahertz third harmonic, characteristic of nonlinear Josephson tunneling, is observed in La1.885Ba0. 115CuO4 above the transition temperature Tc = 13 kelvin and up to the charge-ordering temperature Tco = 55 kelvin. We model these results by hypothesizing the presence of a pair density wave condensate, in which nonlinear mixing of optically silent tunneling modes drives large dipole-carrying supercurrents.
The LMC H II region N 214C and its peculiar nebular blob

We study the Large Magellanic Cloud H ii region N 214C using imaging and spectroscopy obtained at the ESO New Technology Telescope. On the basis of the highest resolution images so far obtained of the OB association LH 110, we show that the main exciting source of the H ii region, Sk $-71^{\circ}51$, is in fact a tight cluster of massive stars consisting of at least 6 components in an area ~4 '' wide. Spectroscopic observations allow us to revise the spectral type of the main component (# 17) to O2 V ((f*)) + OB, a very rare, hot type. We also classify several other stars associated with N 214C and study the extinction and excitation characteristics of the H ii region. Moreover, we obtain BVR photometry and astrometry of 2365 stars and from the corresponding color–magnitude diagram study the stellar content of N 214C and the surrounding LH 110. Furthermore, we discover a striking compact blob of ionized gas in the outer northern part of N 214C. A spherical structure of ~5 '' in radius (~1.3 pc), it is split into two lobes by absorbing dust running diametrically through its center. We discuss the possible nature of this object.
Human Papillomavirus and Cervical Cancer

Though cervical cancer is highly curable when detected early, it remains one of the leading causes of cancer death in women worldwide. Early detection is effective because the precursor lesions evolve slowly into invasive cancer, typically over a period of >10 years. These precursor lesions (dysplasias or cervical intraepithelial neoplasias [CIN]) are detected with cervical cytology screening, the Pap smear. In every country where a Pap smear screening program has been introduced, rates of cervical cancer have been substantially reduced. The discovery that human papillomaviruses (HPV) are etiologically linked with cervical cancer has led to efforts to apply this knowledge to improve cervical cancer screening and to potentially prevent cervical cancer through vaccination.
Estimation of ejection fraction and stroke volume using single- and biplane magnetic resonance imaging of the left cardiac ventricle

Background: In cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), left ventricular stroke volume (SV) and ejection fractions (EF) are occasionally calculated using single-plane and biplane ellipsoid models. In previous studies, the calculated SV and EF using single- and biplane ellipsoid models have been compared to reference values calculated from short-axis (SA) images. In these studies, however, it has been emphasized that through-plane motion of the basal SA images represents an important source of error, which may result in incorrect reference values. Purpose: To compare the calculated SV and EF using single-plane and biplane ellipsoid models with SV and EF calculated from SA images in which compensation was made for through-plane motion. Material and Methods: A group of 20 patients who underwent MRI examination were included in the study. SV and EF were calculated using the stack of SA images (which had been compensated for through-plane motion) and compared to the SV and EF calculated according to the single- and biplane ellipsoid models. Results: The mean difference between the single-plane model and the reference was -0.3±6.5 for EF and 7.2±17.1 ml for SV. Corresponding comparison between the biplane method and the reference resulted in a mean difference of 0.3±6.1 for EF and 11.8±14.9 ml for SV. Conclusion: The results from this study show that left ventricular EF can be adequately estimated using the single- and biplane ellipsoid models, while SV tends to be overestimated using both geometrical models.
In vitro antibacterial activity of different pulp capping materials

Background Direct pulp capping involves the application of a dental material to seal communications between the exposed pulp and the oral cavity (mechanical and carious pulp exposures) in an attempt to act as a barrier, protect the dental pulp complex and preserve its vitality. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare, by the agar disc diffusion test, the antimicrobial activity of six different pulp-capping materials: Dycal (Dentsply), Calcicur (Voco), Calcimol LC (Voco), TheraCal LC (Bisco), MTA Angelus (Angelus), Biodentine (Septodont). Material and Methods Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus sanguis and Streptococcus mutans strains were selected to evaluate the antimicrobial activity by the agar disc diffusion test of different pulp capping materials. Paper disks were impregnated whit each pulp capping materials and placed onto culture agar-plates pre-adsorbed with bacterial cells and further incubated for 24 h at 37°C. The growth inhibition zones around each pulp capping materials were recorded and compared for each bacterial strain. Results For the investigation of the antibacterial properties the ANOVA showed the presence of significant differences among the various materials. Tukey test showed that MTA-based materials induced lower growth inhibition zones. Conclusions MTA-based products show a discrete antibacterial activity varying from calcium hydroxide-based materials which present an higher antibacterial activity. Key words:Agar disc diffusion test, antimicrobial activity, calcium hydroxide, MTA, pulp capping materials.
A Green Ultrasound Synthesis, Characterization and Antibacterial Evaluation of 1,4-Disubstituted 1,2,3-Triazoles Tethering Bioactive Benzothiazole Nucleus

The synthesis of N-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-2-(4-substituted-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)acetamides 5a–r via the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction between 2-azido-N-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)acetamide derivatives 3a–c and different alkynes were performed in the presence and absence of ultrasound irradiation. The synthesis was carried out using t-BuOH/H2O (1:1, v/v) as reaction solvents and CuSO4·5H2O/sodium ascorbate as the catalyst. The copper catalyst was implemented to provide the regioselective 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles 5a–r. Significant reductions in reaction times with comparably higher yields were observed when the reactions were carried out under ultrasound irradiation. The structures of the newly synthesized 1,2,3-triazoles were elucidated by IR, NMR, MS, and elemental analyses. They were also screened for their antimicrobial activity against three gram-positive (Streptococcus pneumonia, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus), three gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeuroginosa, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumonia), and two fungal strains (Aspergillus fumigates and Candida albicans). Most of the tested compounds displayed promising antimicrobial activities at a Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC) of 4–16 μg/mL.
Maternal region of birth and stillbirth in Victoria, Australia 2000–2011: A retrospective cohort study of Victorian perinatal data

Background There is growing evidence from high-income countries that maternal country of birth is a risk factor for stillbirth. We aimed to examine the association between maternal region of birth and stillbirth between 2000 and 2011 inclusive in Victoria, Australia. Methods Retrospective population based cohort study of all singleton births at 24 or more weeks gestational age from 2000–2011 in Victoria, Australia. Stillbirths due to termination of pregnancy, babies with congenital anomalies and Indigenous mothers were excluded. Main Outcome Measure: Stillbirth. Results Over the 12-year period there were 685,869 singleton births and 2299 stillbirths, giving an overall stillbirth rate of 3·4 per 1000 births. After adjustment for risk factors, compared to women born in Australia/New Zealand, women born in South Asia (aOR 1.27, 95% CI 1.01–1.53, p = 0.01), were more likely to have a stillbirth whereas women born in South East and East Asia were (aOR 0.60, (95% CI 0.49–0.72, p<0.001) less likely to have a stillbirth. Additionally, the increasing rate of stillbirth as gestation length progressed began to rise earlier and more steeply in the South Asian compared to Australian/New Zealand born women. The following risk factors were also significantly associated with an increased odds of stillbirth in multivariate analyses: maternal age <20 and 35 years and more, nulliparity, low socio-economic status, previous stillbirth, no ultrasound reported in 1st trimester, pre-existing hypertension, antepartum haemorrhage and failure to detect growth restriction antenatally. Conclusion Maternal region of birth is an independent risk factor for stillbirth. Improvements in the rate of stillbirth, particularly late pregnancy stillbirth, are likely to be gained in high-income settings where clinical care is informed by maternal region of birth.
IDH1 and IDH2 Mutations in Tumorigenesis: Mechanistic Insights and Clinical Perspectives

Genes encoding for isocitrate dehydrogenases 1 and 2, IDH1 and IDH2, are frequently mutated in multiple types of human cancer. Mutations targeting IDH1 and IDH2 result in simultaneous loss of their normal catalytic activity, the production of α-ketoglutarate (α-KG), and gain of a new function, the production of 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). 2-HG is structurally similar to α-KG, and acts as an α-KG antagonist to competitively inhibit multiple α-KG–dependent dioxygenases, including both lysine histone demethylases and the ten-eleven translocation family of DNA hydroxylases. Abnormal histone and DNA methylation are emerging as a common feature of tumors with IDH1 and IDH2 mutations and may cause altered stem cell differentiation and eventual tumorigenesis. Therapeutically, unique features of IDH1 and IDH2 mutations make them good biomarkers and potential drug targets. Clin Cancer Res; 18(20); 5562–71. ©2012 AACR.
OK‐432‐stimulated chemokine secretion from human monocytes depends on MEK1/2, and involves p38 MAPK and NF‐κB phosphorylation, in vitro

Interaction between the immune system and cancer cells allows for the use of biological response modifiers, like OK‐432, in cancer therapy. We have studied the involvement of monocytes (MOs) in the immune response to OK‐432 by examining MCP‐1, MIP‐1α and MIP‐1β secretion, in vitro. OK‐432‐induced IL‐6/TNF‐α secretion has previously been shown to depend on mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) ERK1/2 and p38, and we therefore investigated the role of these MAPKs in OK‐432‐induced chemokine secretion. Here we demonstrate that pharmacological MEK1/2 kinase inhibition generally impaired chemokine secretion from MOs, whereas p38 MAPK inhibition in particular reduced MIP‐1α production. Furthermore, simultaneous inhibition of MEK1/2 and Syk kinase was seen to have an additive impact on reduced MCP‐1, MIP‐1α and MIP‐1β secretion. Based on single cell flow cytometry analyses, OK‐432, lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were seen to induce p38 MAPK and NF‐κB phosphorylation in MOs with different time kinetics. LTA and LPS have been shown to induce ERK1/2 phosphorylation, whereas the levels of phosphorylated ERK1/2 remained constant following OK‐432 treatment at the time points tested. Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) recognize pathogen‐associated molecular patterns, and we demonstrate increased TLR2 cell surface levels on the MO population, most profoundly following stimulation with LTA and OK‐432. Together these results indicate that modulation of MEK1/2 and p38 MAPK signalling could affect the response to OK‐432 treatment, having the potential to improve its therapeutic potential within cancer and lymphangioma treatment.
Hippo Signaling Pathway Reveals a Spatio-Temporal Correlation with the Size of Primordial Follicle Pool in Mice

Background: The Hippo signaling pathway, a highly conserved cell signaling system, exists in most multicellular organisms and regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. It has been reported that the members of Hippo signaling are expressed in mammalian ovaries, but the exact functions of this pathway in primordial follicle development remains unclear. Methods: To analyze the spatio-temporal correlation between the core component of Hippo pathway and the size of primordial follicle pool, Western blot, Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry were used, and the expression and localization of MST1, LATS2 and YAP1 mRNA and protein were examined in 3 d, 1 m, 5 m, 16 m postnatal mice ovary and the culture model of mice primordial follicle in vitro. Results: Both the protein and mRNA expression of the MST1 and LATS2 were decreased significantly as mouse age increased (p < 0.05), however, the mRNA expression of them increased significantly in 16 m compared with 5 m as well as the protein expression of LATS2.The expression of YAP showed the opposite trend, and the significant protein expression of pYAP was increased before 1 m, after which no significant change was observed. Moreover, the ratio of pYAP/YAP decreased significantly. Culturing ovaries for 8 d in vitro resulted in the activation of primordial follicles in 3 d postnatal mice ovaries, and these developed into primary follicles with the expression of PCNA increasing significantly (p < 0.05). The mRNA and protein expression of MST and LATS decreased significantly (p < 0.05), and the expression of YAP increased significantly (p < 0.05, p < 0.01), whereas the ratio of pYAP/YAP decreased significantly (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The above results reveal that the expression of the core components of Hippo pathway changed during mouse follicular development, especially before and after primordial follicle activation in vitro. The primordial follicle activation may be related to the significant decrease of the ratio of pYAP1/YAP1. In conclusion, Hippo signaling pathway expressed in mice ovaries and have spatio-temporal correlation with the size of primordial follicle pool.
Sample size determination in group‐sequential clinical trials with two co‐primary endpoints

We discuss sample size determination in group‐sequential designs with two endpoints as co‐primary. We derive the power and sample size within two decision‐making frameworks. One is to claim the test intervention's benefit relative to control when superiority is achieved for the two endpoints at the same interim timepoint of the trial. The other is when superiority is achieved for the two endpoints at any interim timepoint, not necessarily simultaneously. We evaluate the behaviors of sample size and power with varying design elements and provide a real example to illustrate the proposed sample size methods. In addition, we discuss sample size recalculation based on observed data and evaluate the impact on the power and Type I error rate. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A meta-synthesis of factors influencing nursing home staff decisions to transfer residents to hospital.

AIM To report a meta-synthesis of qualitative research studies exploring the role of nursing home staff in decisions to transfer residents to hospital. BACKGROUND Nurses and nurse assistants provide the majority of care to residents living in nursing homes and may be the only health workers present when a resident deteriorates. To inform future strategies, it is vital to understand the role of nursing home staff in decisions to transfer to hospital. DESIGN AND REVIEW METHODS A systematic review identified 17 studies to be included. The process of meta-synthesis was undertaken using the Joanna Briggs Institute's guidelines. DATA SOURCES Qualitative research papers published between January 1989-October 2012 were identified in key databases including Cinahl, Embase, Medline and PsycInfo. RESULTS Nursing home staff members play a key role in decision-making at the time of a resident's deterioration. Multiple factors influence decisions to transfer to hospital including an unclear expectation of the nursing home role; limited staffing capacity; fear of working outside their scope of practice; poor access to multidisciplinary support and difficulties communicating with other decision-makers. CONCLUSIONS There is a lack of consensus regarding the role of the nursing home when a resident's health deteriorates. Nursing home staff would benefit from a clear prescription of their expected minimum clinical skill set; a staffing capacity that allows for the increased requirements to manage residents on-site, greater consistency in access to outside resources and further confidence and skills to optimize their role in resident advocacy.