Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recruitment maneuvers attenuate repeated derecruitment-associated lung injury

Objective:Repeated derecruitments of previously recruited lungs can exacerbate lung injuries during mechanical ventilation. The aim of this study was to assess lung injury associated with repeated derecruitments and to assess whether this type of injury could be attenuated by recruitment maneuvers. Design:Prospective, randomized, experimental animal study. Setting:University laboratory. Subjects:New Zealand White rabbits. Interventions:Twenty-one rabbits were ventilated in pressure-controlled mode with constant tidal volume (10 mL/kg). After lung injury was induced by repeated saline lavage, positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) at a lower inflection point was applied for 3 hrs. The control group (n = 7) received ventilation with the same PEEP for 3 hrs without derecruitments. In the derecruitment group (n = 7), derecruitment was repeatedly induced by intentional disconnection of the ventilatory circuit for 1 min every 10 mins for 3 hrs. In the recruitment maneuver group (n = 7), continuous positive airway pressure of 30 cm H2O was applied for 30 secs after each derecruitment. Measurements and Main Results:After PEEP levels were increased to lower the inflection point value, Pao2 increased to >500 mm Hg in all groups. Increased Pao2 persisted at >450 mm Hg in the control and recruitment maneuver groups, whereas progressive declines in arterial oxygen levels were observed in the derecruitment group (median, 381.1 mm Hg [interquartile range, 350.1–466.7 mm Hg] at 2 hrs and 318.2 mm Hg [214.3–414.9 mm Hg] at 3 hrs, p < .05 compared with other groups). Histologically, there was significantly increased hyaline membrane formation in alveolar ducts in the derecruitment group compared with the control group (p = .005). Also, significantly more membranous and respiratory bronchiolar injuries were observed in the derecruitment group compared with the control and recruitment maneuver group (p < .005). Conclusions:These findings suggest that repeated derecruitments could induce lung injuries during mechanical ventilation, and recruitment maneuvers may attenuate derecruitment-associated lung injuries.
Investor Perceptions of Board Performance: Evidence from Uncontested Director Elections

This paper provides evidence that uncontested director elections provide informative polls of investor perceptions regarding board performance. We find that higher (lower) vote approval is associated with lower (higher) stock price reactions to subsequent announcements of management turnovers. In addition, firms with low vote approval are more likely to experience CEO turnover, greater board turnover, lower CEO compensation, fewer and better-received acquisitions, and more and better-received divestitures in the future. These findings hold after controlling for other variables reflecting or determining investor perceptions, suggesting that elections not only inform as a summary statistic, but incrementally inform as well.
Value and Interpretation of Resection Margin after a Colonoscopic Polypectomy for Malignant Polyps

Purpose This study was designed to compare the clinicopathologic findings of an endoscopic polypectomy for malignant polyps with subsequent surgery and to evaluate the appropriateness of the pathologic finding criterion of the resection margin as an indicator for surgery in cases of malignant colorectal polyps. Methods We examined the clinicopathologic characteristics, complications and prognoses among the patients who underwent a colonoscopic polypectomy in both our hospitals and at other hospitals from April 2003 and April 2010. These patients were divided into two groups, the group (non-operation group) that only underwent a polypectomy (n = 37) and the group (operation group) that underwent a polypectomy with subsequent surgery (n = 33). Results There were no differences between two groups in the ratios of the number of men to the number of women, the ages or the comorbidities. In terms of endoscopic findings, we found no differences between the two groups in the locations of the polyps, the sizes of the polyps, or the presence of stalks. However, ulceration of polyps was higher in the non-operation group (51.5% vs. 21.6%; P = 0.009), as was the case with submucosal invasion (75.8% vs. 16.2%; P < 0.005). When an endoscopic polypectomy was performed, incomplete resection margins and specimens with margins involved occurred more frequently in the operation group (93.9% vs. 51.4%; P < 0.005), but no residual tumor was detected in 31 of 33 (93.9%) patients in that group. One pathologist reviewed the specimens of 54 patients (operation group, 19; non-operation group, 36). Six of the 19 polyps (31.6%) in the operation group and fifteen of the 36 polyps (41.7%) in the non-operation group had a margin without cancer cells. Conclusion We may accept the criterion of a safe margin, including a coagulation zone. A multidisciplinary approach has to be developed by surgeons, endoscopists and pathologists based on a discussion of the risk factors for the patient before making a decision on the treatment treatment.
Simulations of Biased Agonists in the β2 Adrenergic Receptor with Accelerated Molecular Dynamics

The biased agonism of the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), where in addition to a traditional G protein-signaling pathway a GPCR promotes intracellular signals though β-arrestin, is a novel paradigm in pharmacology. Biochemical and biophysical studies have suggested that a GPCR forms a distinct ensemble of conformations signaling through the G protein and β-arrestin. Here we report on the dynamics of the β2 adrenergic receptor bound to the β-arrestin and G protein-biased agonists and the empty receptor to further characterize the receptor conformational changes caused by biased agonists. We use conventional and accelerated molecular dynamics (aMD) simulations to explore the conformational transitions of the GPCR from the active state to the inactive state. We found that aMD simulations enable monitoring of the transition within the nanosecond time scale while capturing the known microscopic characteristics of the inactive states, such as the ionic lock, the inward position of F6.44, and water clusters. Distinct conformational states are shown to be stabilized by each biased agonist. In particular, in simulations of the receptor with the β-arrestin-biased agonist N-cyclopentylbutanepherine, we observe a different pattern of motions in helix 7 when compared to simulations with the G protein-biased agonist salbutamol that involves perturbations of the network of interactions within the NPxxY motif. Understanding the network of interactions induced by biased ligands and the subsequent receptor conformational shifts will lead to development of more efficient drugs.
Executive Control of Language in the Bilingual Brain: Integrating the Evidence from Neuroimaging to Neuropsychology

In this review we will focus on delineating the neural substrates of the executive control of language in the bilingual brain, based on the existing neuroimaging, intracranial, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and neuropsychological evidence. We will also offer insights from ongoing brain-imaging studies into the development of expertise in multilingual language control. We will concentrate specifically on evidence regarding how the brain selects and controls languages for comprehension and production. This question has been addressed in a number of ways and using various tasks, including language switching during production or perception, translation, and interpretation. We will attempt to synthesize existing evidence in order to bring to light the neural substrates that are crucial to executive control of language.
A cyclic nucleotide-gated channel is essential for polarized tip growth of pollen

Ion signals are critical to regulating polarized growth in many cell types, including pollen in plants and neurons in animals. Genetic evidence presented here indicates that pollen tube growth requires cyclic nucleotide-gated channel (CNGC) 18. CNGCs are nonspecific cation channels found in plants and animals and have well established functions in excitatory signal transduction events in animals. In Arabidopsis, male sterility was observed for two cngc18 null mutations. CNGC18 is expressed primarily in pollen, as indicated from a promoter::GUS (β-glucuronidase) reporter analysis and expression profiling. The underlying cause of sterility was identified as a defect in pollen tube growth, resulting in tubes that were kinky, short, often thin, and unable to grow into the transmitting tract. Expression of a GFP-tagged CNGC18 in mutant pollen provided complementation and evidence for asymmetric localization of CNGC18 to the plasma membrane at the growing tip, starting at the time of pollen grain germination. Heterologous expression of CNGC18 in Escherichia coli resulted in a time- and concentration-dependent accumulation of more Ca2+. Thus, CNGC18 provides a mechanism to directly transduce a cyclic nucleotide (cNMP) signal into an ion flux that can produce a localized signal capable of regulating the pollen tip-growth machinery. These results identify a CNGC that is essential to an organism's life cycle and raise the possibility that CNGCs have a widespread role in regulating cell-growth dynamics in both plant and animals.
The effect of humidity on the fracture properties of human fingernails

SUMMARY Fingernails are a characteristic anatomical feature of primates and their function is dictated by the environment in which they are utilised. The present study examined the mechanical properties of human fingernails as a function of relative humidity (RH) and the subsequent moisture content of the nail material. Nail clippings were stored at a range of RH values and then weighed in order to determine their moisture content. There was a non-linear relationship between the moisture content of nails and the RH of their local environment. The in vivo moisture content of nails, measured from 55% to 80% RH, was between 14% and 30%, similar to other keratinous materials such as claws, hooves and feathers. Cutting tests on the nail samples showed that the work of fracture was between 11 and 22 kJ m–2, rising to a peak at 55% RH and falling at higher and lower humidities. At all RH values there was anisotropy within the nail between the proximal and lateral directions, the work of fracture being greater proximally. This anisotropy was greatest at 55% RH, at which point the proximal work of fracture was double the lateral value. These results suggest that the mechanical behaviour of human fingernails is optimised at in vivo conditions; they resist tearing most strongly under these conditions and particularly resist tearing into the nail bed. At more extreme humidity levels the fracture properties of the nail deteriorate; they are brittle when fully dry and fracture and split when wet.
Use of Hydrogen for Measurement of Regional Cerebral Blood Flow Problem of Intercompartmental Diffusion

The extreme diffusibility of hydrogen, compared with xenon or krypton, may create serious artifacts when it is used to measure local blood flow with a tissue electrode. The errors are greatest when hydrogen is given by intra-arterial slug injection, and when the electrode is within 2 mm of another tissue compartment, CSF, or air. These all appear to be a consequence of intercompartmental diffusion which can occur at rates of the same order of magnitude as clearance from the tissue by blood flow. No matter how small the electrode, the ultimate spatial resolution of the method appears to be about 2 mm unless quantitative account is taken of diffusion. An important precaution in use of the method is to obtain homogeneous tissue saturation by prolonged inhalation administration.
Barnacles, their molluscan hosts, and comparative ecology in the St. Mary's Formation (late Miocene) of Maryland, USA

Abstract. Fossils can inform the study of modern ecosystems by showing how species interactions in ancient communities compare with those today and how extinction is selective not only with respect to species but also with respect to entire modes of life. We studied the life habits and pattern of occurrence of the barnacle Chesaconcavus chesapeakensis Zullo, 1992 on the shells of the gastropod Conradconfusus parilis (Conrad) and the bivalve Chesapecten santamaria (Tucker) from Chancellor's Point in the Windmill Point Member of the St. Mary's Formation (late Miocene, Tortonian) of Maryland. Using several criteria, we show that the barnacle occupied living hosts only. The 59% incidence of the barnacle on Conradconfusus parilis is high compared to known living associations between barnacles and gastropods. Although Conradconfusus parilis with and without barnacles do not differ in size, suggesting that the barnacle had little effect on this gastropod, there is some indication that Chesapecten santamaria with barnacles are somewhat smaller than those without and may therefore have been adversely affected by the presence of barnacles. On the basis of morphology and the low (15%) incidence of repaired scars, Conradconfusus parilis was a predator that did not use its shell lip to subdue prey. No ecological equivalents of Conradconfusus and Chesaconcavus have existed in the temperate northwestern Atlantic between Cape Cod and Cape Hatteras for the past three million years.
Psychometric properties of the portuguese version of the Jebsen-Taylor test for adults with mild hemiparesis.

OBJECTIVES to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Jebsen-Taylor Test (JTT) in patients with stroke. METHODS forty participants who suffered a stroke in the cerebral hemisphere were videotaped while performing the JTT. Scores were defined by the time taken to perform the tasks, and two physical therapists evaluated the performance of the participants. Intra- and inter-rater reliability was defined by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) through videotape analysis. Cronbach's alpha and Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) were used to measure the internal consistency of the scale. Confidence intervals (CI) were calculated, and the influence of handedness and educational level on the JTT scores was evaluated. RESULTS inter-rater (ICC = 1.0; CI, 1.0-1.0) and intra-rater reliabilities (ICC=0.997; CI, 0.995-0.998) were excellent. Regarding internal consistency, Cronbach's α was 0.924. The item "writing a sentence" was less consistent than the other items (Cronbach's alpha=0.884). Pearson's r (item score - total score) was lower for the item "small objects" (r=0.657). There was no significant influence of handedness or educational level on the JTT scores. CONCLUSIONS videotaping test performances can be a useful tool in multicenter studies if inter-rater reliability is appropriate. The inter- and intra-rater reliabilities of the Portuguese version of the JTT were excellent in patients with stroke. The JTT can be a valuable tool for evaluating dexterity in research protocols aiming at efficacy of rehabilitation interventions.
Evidence for a novel mechanism of binding and release of stimuli in the primate taste bud

In previous work, we showed that thaumatin, an intensely sweet protein, binds to certain formed elements in taste pores of Rhesus monkey foliate papillae, namely, microvilli and small vesicles shed from microvilli, in addition to amorphous secretions (Farbman et al., 1987). We suggested that the taste bud responds to a thaumatin stimulus by shedding the small vesicles containing fragments of microvillar membrane bearing the stimulus-binding site complex. To examine this hypothesis further, we used electron microscopy to examine taste pores of both vallate and foliate papillae from Rhesus monkeys before or after stimulation with thaumatin or sucrose. We also recorded the neural activity from the glossopharyngeal nerve during stimulation with thaumatin, sucrose, citric acid, and NaCl. The results indicate (1) with no stimulation, vesicles are found in pores of foliate papilla taste buds much more frequently than in pores of vallate papilla buds, (2) in both types of papillae, stimulation with sucrose has no apparent effect on the number of pores containing vesicles, (3) stimulation with thaumatin elicits release of vesicles into pores of both foliate and vallate buds, (4) repeated stimulation of taste buds with thaumatin results in a declining neural response, not seen after repeated stimulation with sucrose, citric acid, or NaCl, and (5) stimulation with thaumatin suppresses the neural response to sucrose, but the reverse does not occur. The combined morphological and physiological data support our original hypothesis that, in response to thaumatin stimulation, binding sites on taste microvillar membranes may be shed as a stimulus-receptor complex into the pore. Alternatively, the binding sites may in some way be altered by the shedding of part of the membrane. The data suggest further that the binding site for sucrose may be close to that for thaumatin because it too is lost or altered after thaumatin stimulation. The reduced neural response after repeated thaumatin stimulation indicates that cells may have suffered a net loss of functional receptors or at least a loss in functional capacity of the receptors. The data indicate that the cellular mechanism for handling the protein sweetener, thaumatin, is strikingly different from the adsorption-desorption response to saccharide sweeteners.
Medical and Psychologic Characteristics of Women Presenting With Premenstrual Symptoms

To establish the necessary elements of a program of evaluation and treatment of premenstrual syndrome, the medical and psychologic characteristics of 68 consecutive women presenting because of premenstrual symptoms were determined and compared with those of a similar group of 34 women without premenstrual symptoms (control group). Women with premenstrual symptoms exhibited a significantly greater frequency of previously undetected medical, psychologic, and marital problems than did controls. These findings demonstrate the need for a multidisciplinary comprehensive program of evaluation and treatment of the medical, psychologic, and mental health of women who present because of moderate-to-severe premenstrual symptoms.
Analysis of kinesin motor function at budding yeast kinetochores

Accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis requires biorientation of sister chromatids on the microtubules (MT) of the mitotic spindle. Chromosome–MT binding is mediated by kinetochores, which are multiprotein structures that assemble on centromeric (CEN) DNA. The simple CENs of budding yeast are among the best understood, but the roles of kinesin motor proteins at yeast kinetochores have yet to be determined, despite evidence of their importance in higher eukaryotes. We show that all four nuclear kinesins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae localize to kinetochores and function in three distinct processes. Kip1p and Cin8p, which are kinesin-5/BimC family members, cluster kinetochores into their characteristic bilobed metaphase configuration. Kip3p, a kinesin-8,-13/KinI kinesin, synchronizes poleward kinetochore movement during anaphase A. The kinesin-14 motor Kar3p appears to function at the subset of kinetochores that become detached from spindle MTs. These data demonstrate roles for structurally diverse motors in the complex processes of chromosome segregation and reveal important similarities and intriguing differences between higher and lower eukaryotes.
The Effect of Education Based on Health Belief Model on Health Beliefs of Women with Urinary Tract Infection

Background: Urinary Tract Infection is one of the commonest infections which affect humans. Half of all women have a UTI in their lifetime and one fourth have recurrent infections. Health behaviours can help patients to prevent Urinary Tract Infection recurrence and changing beliefs is necessary for health behaviour change. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of education based on Health Belief Model on health beliefs of women with Urinary Tract Infection. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study with pre-test and post-test design, conducted on 170 married women with Urinary Tract Infection, referred to selected hospital laboratories in Tehran. The laboratories were divided to experience and control groups. The data collection tool was a “self-administrated” questionnaire which was answered by samples of both groups, prior to the intervention and 12 weeks thereafter. The intervention (education based on Health Belief Model) was performed on the experiment group. Results: Based on the study results, after the intervention the average score of the perceived susceptibility (P<0.001), perceived severity (P<0.001), perceived benefits (P<0.001), cues to action (P<0.001) and health behaviours (P<0.001) of the experiment group showed a significant increase, compared to the control group, however, the average score of the perceived barriers (P=0.235) of the experiment group was not significantly different compared to the control group. Conclusion: The findings showed that education based on Health Belief Model was effective in promoting the health beliefs (except perceived barriers) and health behaviours of women with Urinary Tract Infection. Therefore, it can be suggested that the mentioned model can be used as one of the strategies for prevention of Urinary Tract Infection in women.
Tumor Genotype Is an Independent Prognostic Factor in Primary Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors of Gastric Origin: A European Multicenter Analysis Based on ConticaGIST

Purpose: Although the mutational status in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) can predict the response to treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, the role of tumor genotype as a prognostic factor remains controversial. The ConticaGIST study sought to determine the pathologic and molecular factors associated with disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with operable, imatinib-naive GIST. Experimental Design: Clinicopathologic and molecular data from 1,056 patients with localized GIST who underwent surgery with curative intention (R0/R1) and were registered in the European ConticaGIST database were prospectively obtained and reviewed. Risk of tumor recurrence was stratified using the modified NIH criteria. The median follow-up was 52 months. Results: On testing for potential prognostic parameters, the following were associated with inferior DFS on multivariable Cox model analysis: primary nongastric site, size >10 cm, mitotic index >10 mitoses per 50 high power field, and the KIT exon 9 duplication [hazard ratio (HR), 1.47; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.9–2.5; P = 0.037] and KIT exon 11 deletions involving codons 557 and/or 558 [KITdel-inc557/558; HR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.0–2.2; P = 0.004]. Conversely, PDGFRA exon 18 mutations were indicators of better prognosis [HR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.1–0.6; P = 0.002]. KITdel-inc557/558 were an adverse indicator only in GIST localized in the stomach (P < 0.001) but not in tumors with nongastric origin. In gastric GIST, all other mutations presented remarkably superior 5-year DFS. Conclusions: In conclusion, tumor genotype is an independent molecular prognostic variable associated with gastric GIST and should be used for optimizing tailored adjuvant imatinib treatment. Clin Cancer Res; 20(23); 6105–16. ©2014 AACR.