Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Traumatic brain injury in anticoagulated patients.

BACKGROUND Coumadin is widely used in the elderly population. Despite its widespread use, little is known about its effect on the outcome of elderly traumatic brain-injured patients. This study was undertaken to describe the outcomes of such a cohort. METHODS Clinical material was identified from a Level I trauma center prospective head injury database, and a database obtained from the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma Verification and Review Committee from 1999 to 2002. Both databases contain many relevant variables, including age, sex, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, mechanism of injury, Injury Severity Score, International Normalized Ratio (INR), computed tomography (CT) findings, operative procedure, time to operating room, complications, length of stay, and outcome at hospital discharge. RESULTS For patients with GCS scores less than 8, average INR was 6.0, with almost 50% having an initial value greater than 5.0. Overall mortality was 91.5%. For the 77 patients with GCS scores of 13 to 15, average INR was 4.4. Overall mortality for this group was 80.6%. A subset of patients deteriorated to a GCS score of less than 10 just hours after injury, despite most having normal initial CT scans. Mortality in this group was 84%. CONCLUSIONS All patients on warfarin should have an INR performed, and a CT scan should be done in most anticoagulated patients. All supratherapeutically anticoagulated patients, as well as any anticoagulated patient with a traumatic CT abnormality, should be admitted for neurologic observation and consideration given to short term reversal of anticoagulation. Routine repeat CT scanning at 12 to 18 hours or when even subtle signs of neurologic worsening occur is a strong recommendation. A multi-institutional, prospective trial using these guidelines would be a first step toward demonstrating improved outcomes in the anticoagulated patient population after head trauma.
Hyaluronan Facilitates Invasion of Colon Carcinoma Cells in Vitro via Interaction with CD44

Hyaluronan (HA) and its biosynthetic enzymes, HA synthases (HAS1, 2, and 3) are thought to participate in cancer progression. We have shown previously that HA production and HAS3 expression are increased in metastatic colon carcinoma cells (SW620) when compared with cells isolated from a primary tumor (SW480). Because invasion of the extracellular matrix is a fundamental event in tumor growth and metastasis, we hypothesized that SW620 cells would show greater invasive capability than SW480 cells, that invasion is HA dependent, and that HA mediates invasion via interaction with a cell-surface receptor. Invasion into artificial basement membrane (Matrigel) was assessed in vitro. To assess HA functionality, HAS expression was inhibited in SW620 cells by transfection with antisense HAS constructs. Decreased HA secretion and retention in the transfectants were confirmed using competitive binding and particle exclusion assays. SW620 cells demonstrated greater invasion through Matrigel than did SW480 cells. Antisense transfection decreased Matrigel invasion by SW620 cells by >60%; addition of exogenous HA restored invasion. Because the cell-surface HA receptor CD44 has been implicated in cancer progression, HA-CD44 interaction was then inhibited by incubation with an anti-CD44 antibody. Anti-CD44 antibody impaired invasion into Matrigel by 95%. Taken together, these data suggest that pericellular HA is critical for colon carcinoma cell invasion and that this invasive capability is dependent on interaction with CD44.
The petrous carotid artery: Anatomic relationships in skull base surgery

Advanced transcranial lesions may be successfully resected through a variety of contemporary skull base approaches. The identification and isolation of the internal carotid artery throughout its petrous course is essential in most of these surgical techniques. Anatomic landmarks normally used to identify this vital structure, however, may be severely distorted by tumor involvement or previous operative dissection. In an effort to define surgical landmarks that may be used in the identification of the petrous carotid artery, histologic sections of 100 temporal bones from adults were examined and microscopic measurements were recorded from the anatomic dissection of 10 fresh cadaver halfheads. On the basis of these studies, structures we have found useful in identification of the vertical petrous carotid artery during lateral skull base approaches include the: base of the styloid process, bony vascular crest, basal turn of the cochlea, medial wall of the eustachian tube, and the cochleariform process. Identification of the horizontal segment can be achieved by the preliminary delineation of the middle meningeal artery, greater petrosal nerve, tensor tympani muscle, mandibular and maxillary divisions of the trigeminal nerve, and the eustachian tube. Specific anatomic relationships with associated measurements are detailed and correlated with selected, illustrative cases.
Breast cancer risk associated with polymorphism in CYP19 in Japanese women

Screening of the entire coding and major promoter regions of the CYP19 gene identified two novel polymorphisms at codon 39 (Trp to Arg) and codon 408 (silent) in addition to those reported previously at codon 264 (Arg to Cys) and intron 4 [tetranucleotide (TTTA) simple tandem repeat]. A case‐control study was conducted in order to see whether or not these polymorphisms were associated with breast cancer risk in Japanese women. Homozygous and heterozygous carriers of the variant allele Arg at codon 39 showed a significantly decreased risk of breast cancer (OR=0.39, 95%C.I.=0.17–0.89). On the other hand, homozygous carriers of the allele with 10 or more TTTA repeats at intron 4 showed a trend toward an increase (OR=1.80, 95%C.I.=0.97–3.36) in breast cancer risk. Other polymorphisms were found not to be associated with breast cancer risk. These results suggest that the CYP19 polymorphisms at exon 39 and intron 4 would be useful for selecting Japanese women at a high risk of breast cancer. Int. J. Cancer 89:325–328, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Investigations of antisense oligonucleotides targeted against bcl-2 RNAs.

Expression of the bcl-2 gene becomes deregulated in many non-Hodgkin lymphomas as the result of t(14;18) chromosomal translocations. Because bcl-2 regulates the survival of cells, and because its over-expression is associated with cellular resistance to killing by chemotherapeutic drugs and gamma-irradiation, this gene and its mRNA and protein products represent ideal targets for designing novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of cancer. Here we describe the effects of an 18-mer phosphodiester oligonucleotide that is complementary to the first 6 codons of the bcl-2 mRNA's open reading frame. When tested for inhibition of in vitro protein synthesis using RNAse-H-supplemented reticulocyte lysates and RNA prepared by in vitro transcription of a human bcl-2 cDNA, the bcl-2 antisense (AS) oligomer completely abolished Bcl-2 protein production at 10 microM, but had no effect on the in vitro translation of a chicken bcl-2 RNA that contained three mismatches relative to the oligomer binding site on the human bcl-2 RNA. A control 18-mer having the same base composition as the AS oligomer but with scrambled order (SC) was not inhibitory. Addition of AS and SC oligomers to cultures of a NIH-3T3 fibroblast cell line that had been stably infected with a recombinant retrovirus containing the same human bcl-2 cDNA used for in vitro transcription/translation experiments revealed concentration-dependent reductions in the relative levels of the 26-kD human Bcl-2 protein (as determined by immunoblotting) by the AS but not by the SC oligomer. Similar results were obtained when AS and SC oligomers were applied to a t(14;18)-containing lymphoma cell line SU-DHL-4 that was cultured in low-serum media. When used at 200 microM, the bcl-2 AS oligomer produced 84-95% reductions in Bcl-2 protein levels in SU-DHL-4 cells but had relatively little effect on the levels of other mitochondrial control proteins, suggesting that the inhibitory effects were specific. Treatment of SU-DHL-4 cells with AS oligomer lead to essentially complete loss of bcl-2 mRNA from cells within 1 day of addition to cultures, but presumably because of the long half-life of the Bcl-2 protein (approximately 14 h), commensurate reductions in Bcl-2 protein levels did not occur until 3 days. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Distinctive structural motifs of RNA G-quadruplexes composed of AGG, CGG and UGG trinucleotide repeats

Trinucleotide repeats are microsatellite sequences that are polymorphic in length. Their expansion in specific genes underlies a number of neurodegenerative disorders. Using ultraviolet-visible, circular dichroism, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, the structural preferences of RNA molecules composed of two and four repeats of AGG, CGG and UGG in the presence of K+, Na+ and NH4+ were analysed. (AGG)2A, (AGG)4A, p(UGG)2U and p(UGG)4U strongly prefer folding into G-quadruplexes, whereas CGG-containing sequences can adopt different types of structure depending on the cation and on the number of repeats. In particular, the two-repeat CGG sequence folds into a G-quadruplex in potassium buffer. We also found that each G-quadruplex fold is different: A:(G:G:G:G)A hexads were found for (AGG)2A, whereas mixed G:C:G:C tetrads and U-tetrads were observed in the NMR spectra of G(CGG)2C and p(UGG)2U, respectively. Finally, our NMR study highlights the influence of the strand sequence on the structure formed, and the influence of the intracellular environment on the folding. Importantly, we highlight that although potassium ions are prevalent in cells, the structures observed in the HeLa cell extract are not always the same as those prevailing in biophysical studies in the presence of K+ ions.
Contribution of the After-School Period to Children’s Daily Participation in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviours

Objectives Children’s after-school physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviours (SB) are not well understood, despite the potential this period holds for intervention. This study aimed to describe children’s after-school physical activity and sedentary behaviours; establish the contribution this makes to daily participation and to achieving physical activity and sedentary behaviours guidelines; and to determine the association between after-school moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), screen-based sedentary behaviours and achieving the physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines. Methods Children (n = 406, mean age 8.1 years, 58% girls) wore an ActiGraph GT3X accelerometer. The percentage of time and minutes spent sedentary (SED), in light- physical activity (LPA) and MVPA between the end-of-school and 6pm (weekdays) was calculated. Parents (n = 318, 40 years, 89% female) proxy-reported their child’s after-school participation in screen-based sedentary behaviours. The contribution that after-school SED, LPA, MVPA, and screen-based sedentary behaviours made to daily levels, and that after-school MVPA and screen-based sedentary behaviours made to achieving the physical activity/sedentary behaviour guidelines was calculated. Regression analysis determined the association between after-school MVPA and screen-based sedentary behaviours and achieving the physical activity/sedentary behaviours guidelines. Results Children spent 54% of the after-school period SED, and this accounted for 21% of children’s daily SED levels. Boys spent a greater percentage of time in MVPA than girls (14.9% vs. 13.6%; p<0.05), but this made a smaller contribution to their daily levels (27.6% vs 29.8%; p<0.05). After school, boys and girls respectively performed 18.8 minutes and 16.7 minutes of MVPA, which is 31.4% and 27.8% of the MVPA (p<0.05) required to achieve the physical activity guidelines. Children spent 96 minutes in screen-based sedentary behaviours, contributing to 84% of their daily screen-based sedentary behaviours and 80% of the sedentary behaviour guidelines. After-school MVPA was positively associated with achieving the physical activity guidelines (OR: 1.31, 95%CI 1.18, 1.44, p<0.05), and after-school screen-based sedentary behaviours were negatively associated with achieving the sedentary behaviours guidelines (OR: 0.97, 95%CI: 0.96, 0.97, p<0.05). Conclusions The after-school period plays a critical role in the accumulation of children’s physical activity and sedentary behaviours. Small changes to after-school behaviours can have large impacts on children’s daily behaviours levels and likelihood of meeting the recommended levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Therefore interventions should target reducing after-school sedentary behaviours and increasing physical activity.
Express Attentional Re-Engagement but Delayed Entry into Consciousness Following Invalid Spatial Cues in Visual Search

Background In predictive spatial cueing studies, reaction times (RT) are shorter for targets appearing at cued locations (valid trials) than at other locations (invalid trials). An increase in the amplitude of early P1 and/or N1 event-related potential (ERP) components is also present for items appearing at cued locations, reflecting early attentional sensory gain control mechanisms. However, it is still unknown at which stage in the processing stream these early amplitude effects are translated into latency effects. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, we measured the latency of two ERP components, the N2pc and the sustained posterior contralateral negativity (SPCN), to evaluate whether visual selection (as indexed by the N2pc) and visual-short term memory processes (as indexed by the SPCN) are delayed in invalid trials compared to valid trials. The P1 was larger contralateral to the cued side, indicating that attention was deployed to the cued location prior to the target onset. Despite these early amplitude effects, the N2pc onset latency was unaffected by cue validity, indicating an express, quasi-instantaneous re-engagement of attention in invalid trials. In contrast, latency effects were observed for the SPCN, and these were correlated to the RT effect. Conclusions/Significance Results show that latency differences that could explain the RT cueing effects must occur after visual selection processes giving rise to the N2pc, but at or before transfer in visual short-term memory, as reflected by the SPCN, at least in discrimination tasks in which the target is presented concurrently with at least one distractor. Given that the SPCN was previously associated to conscious report, these results further show that entry into consciousness is delayed following invalid cues.
A review of the volatiles from the healthy human body

A compendium of all the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emanating from the human body (the volatolome) is for the first time reported. 1840 VOCs have been assigned from breath (872), saliva (359), blood (154), milk (256), skin secretions (532) urine (279), and faeces (381) in apparently healthy individuals. Compounds were assigned CAS registry numbers and named according to a common convention where possible. The compounds have been grouped into tables according to their chemical class or functionality to permit easy comparison. Some clear differences are observed, for instance, a lack of esters in urine with a high number in faeces. Careful use of the database is needed. The numbers may not be a true reflection of the actual VOCs present from each bodily excretion. The lack of a compound could be due to the techniques used or reflect the intensity of effort e.g. there are few publications on VOCs from blood compared to a large number on VOCs in breath. The large number of volatiles reported from skin is partly due to the methodologies used, e.g. collecting excretions on glass beads and then heating to desorb VOCs. All compounds have been included as reported (unless there was a clear discrepancy between name and chemical structure), but there may be some mistaken assignations arising from the original publications, particularly for isomers. It is the authors' intention that this database will not only be a useful database of VOCs listed in the literature, but will stimulate further study of VOCs from healthy individuals. Establishing a list of volatiles emanating from healthy individuals and increased understanding of VOC metabolic pathways is an important step for differentiating between diseases using VOCs.
No-Reference Image Quality Assessment Using Visual Codebooks

The goal of no-reference objective image quality assessment (NR-IQA) is to develop a computational model that can predict the human-perceived quality of distorted images accurately and automatically without any prior knowledge of reference images. Most existing NR-IQA approaches are distortion specific and are typically limited to one or two specific types of distortions. In most practical applications, however, information about the distortion type is not really available. In this paper, we propose a general-purpose NR-IQA approach based on visual codebooks. A visual codebook consisting of Gabor-filter-based local features extracted from local image patches is used to capture complex statistics of a natural image. The codebook encodes statistics by quantizing the feature space and accumulating histograms of patch appearances. This method does not assume any specific types of distortions; however, when evaluating images with a particular type of distortion, it does require examples with the same or similar distortion for training. Experimental results demonstrate that the predicted quality score using our method is consistent with human-perceived image quality. The proposed method is comparable to state-of-the-art general-purpose NR-IQA methods and outperforms the full-reference image quality metrics, peak signal-to-noise ratio and structural similarity index on the Laboratory for Image and Video Engineering IQA database.
Relativistic spin networks and quantum gravity

Relativistic spin networks are defined by considering the spin covering of the group SO(4), SU(2)×SU(2). Relativistic quantum spins are related to the geometry of the two-dimensional faces of a 4-simplex. This extends the idea of Ponzano and Regge that SU(2) spins are related to the geometry of the edges of a 3-simplex. This leads us to suggest that there may be a four-dimensional state sum model for quantum gravity based on relativistic spin networks that parallels the construction of three-dimensional quantum gravity from ordinary spin networks.
Nebulized 3% hypertonic saline solution treatment in ambulatory children with viral bronchiolitis decreases symptoms.

OBJECTIVE To determine the utility of inhaled hypertonic saline solution to treat ambulatory infants with viral bronchiolitis. DESIGN Randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Sixty-five ambulatory infants (mean +/- SD age, 12.5 +/- 6 months) with viral bronchiolitis received either of the following: inhalation of 0.5 mL (5 mg) terbutaline added to 2 mL of 0.9% saline solution as a wet nebulized aerosol (control; group 1; n = 32) or 0.5 mL (5 mg) terbutaline added to 2 mL of 3% saline solution administered in the same manner as above (treatment; group 2; n = 33). This therapy was repeated three times every day for 5 days. RESULTS The clinical severity (CS) scores at baseline on the first day of treatment were 6.4 +/- 1.8 in group 1 and 6.6 +/- 1.5 in group 2 (not significant). After the first day, the CS score was significantly lower (better) in group 2 as compared to group 1 on each of the treatment days (p < 0.005; Fig 1 ). On the first day, the percentage decrease in the CS score after inhalation therapy was significantly better for group 2 (33%) than for group 1 (13%) [p < 0.005; Fig 1 ]. On the second day, the percentage improvement was better in the hypertonic saline solution-treated patients (group 2) as compared to the 0.9% saline solution-treated patients (group 1) [p = 0.01; Fig 1 ]. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that in nonasthmatic, nonseverely ill ambulatory infants with viral bronchiolitis, aerosolized 3% saline solution plus 5 mg terbutaline is effective in decreasing symptoms as compared to 0.9% saline solution plus 5 mg terbutaline.
[Effects of anxiety and depression on haemodialysis adequacy].

UNLABELLED Depression and anxiety are the most commonly encountered psychological problems in patients with end-stage renal disease, especially those on renal replacement therapy. We sought to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients undergoing haemodialysis treatment and to establish the relationship between these psychological problems and criteria of haemodialysis adequacy. METHODS We implemented a transversal study on 93 adult haemodialysis patients recruited from in Ibn-Sina Haemodialysis department in Rabat in April 2003. They underwent three tests performed by a psychiatrist. The first one was the brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS) and then Hamilton anxiety and depression rating scales. We also studied anthropometric features, comorbidity, dialysis session's characteristics, and the following haemodialysis adequacy parameters: extracellular volume, nitrogenous retention, nutritional status, phosphocalcic balance, serum potassium, acid-basic equilibrium, anaemia, and inflammatory markers. RESULTS The mean (+/-SD) age of our population was 42+/-15.5. The sex-ratio was 1.11 (49 W/44 M). Only one patient had a history of psychological care by a psychiatrist. The prevalence of depression and anxiety among the patients surveyed was 67 and 69.3% respectively. Seven patients had a severe depression. We did not found any other psychological condition by BPRS. Depression has been shown to be associated to several haemodialysis adequacy markers like high blood pressure, interdialytic weight intake, nutritional parameters (serum albumin concentration.), and serum creatinin concentration. Depression was more frequent in women, diabetics, and patients with C hepatitis. CONCLUSION This study will be continued by a prospective screening of patients under appropriate therapy.
Evaluation of mechanical properties of wood for destructive and non-destructive methods.

This study aims to estimate the modules elasticity dynamic (MOEd), static modulus of elasticity (MOE) and rupture (MOR) of wood Qualea brevipedicellata Stafleu and Erisma uncinatum Warm obtained by destructive testing and through non-destructive testing with ultrasonic waves and Stress Wave. 20 sample were made up by species dimensions 2 x 2 x 30 cm, totaling 40 specimens. Were done conventional testing standard COPANT 30: 1 006/72 and non-destructive tests by Stress Wave and Ultrasound. Descriptive statistics and correlations between variables were performed. Ultrasonic waves they showed up efficient and an important tool for non-destructive inference the modulus of elasticity of the wood. The values of coefficients of variation are relatively lower in dynamic modulus of elasticity (MOEd) relative to the module static elasticity (MOE).