Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intensive versus standard physical rehabilitation therapy in the critically ill (EPICC): a multicentre, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial

Background Early physical rehabilitation in the intensive care unit (ICU) has been shown to improve short-term clinical outcomes but long-term benefit has not been proven and the optimum intensity of rehabilitation is not known. Methods We conducted a randomised, parallel-group, allocation-concealed, assessor-blinded, controlled trial in patients who had received at least 48 hours of invasive or non-invasive ventilation. Participants were randomised in a 1:1 ratio, stratified by admitting ICU, admission type and level of independence. The intervention group had a target of 90 min physical rehabilitation per day, the control group a target of 30 min per day (both Monday to Friday). The primary outcome was the Physical Component Summary (PCS) measure of SF-36 at 6 months. Results We recruited 308 participants over 34 months: 150 assigned to the intervention and 158 to the control group. The intervention group received a median (IQR) of 161 (67–273) min of physical rehabilitation on ICU compared with 86 (31–139) min in the control group. At 6 months, 62 participants in the intervention group and 54 participants in the control group contributed primary outcome data. In the intervention group, 43 had died, 11 had withdrawn and 34 were lost to follow-up, while in the control group, 56 had died, 5 had withdrawn and 43 were lost to follow-up. There was no difference in the primary outcome at 6 months, mean (SD) PCS 37 (12.2) in the intervention group and 37 (11.3) in the control group. Conclusions In this study, ICU-based physical rehabilitation did not appear to improve physical outcomes at 6 months compared with standard physical rehabilitation. Trial registration number ISRCTN 20436833.
Signaling across the synapse: a role for Wnt and Dishevelled in presynaptic assembly and neurotransmitter release

Proper dialogue between presynaptic neurons and their targets is essential for correct synaptic assembly and function. At central synapses, Wnt proteins function as retrograde signals to regulate axon remodeling and the accumulation of presynaptic proteins. Loss of Wnt7a function leads to defects in the localization of presynaptic markers and in the morphology of the presynaptic axons. We show that loss of function of Dishevelled-1 (Dvl1) mimics and enhances the Wnt7a phenotype in the cerebellum. Although active zones appear normal, electrophysiological recordings in cerebellar slices from Wnt7a/Dvl1 double mutant mice reveal a defect in neurotransmitter release at mossy fiber–granule cell synapses. Deficiency in Dvl1 decreases, whereas exposure to Wnt increases, synaptic vesicle recycling in mossy fibers. Dvl increases the number of Bassoon clusters, and like other components of the Wnt pathway, it localizes to synaptic sites. These findings demonstrate that Wnts signal across the synapse on Dvl-expressing presynaptic terminals to regulate synaptic assembly and suggest a potential novel function for Wnts in neurotransmitter release.
Reliability, Validity, and Optimal Cutoff Score of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (Changsha Version) in Ischemic Cerebrovascular Disease Patients of Hunan Province, China

Background/Aims: The goal of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Changsha version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-CS) in ischemic cerebrovascular disease patients of Hunan Province, China, and to explore the optimal cutoff score for detecting vascular cognitive impairment-no dementia (VCI-ND) and vascular dementia (VD). Methods: Three hundred and thirty-eight ischemic cerebrovascular disease patients (131 with normal cognition, 111 with VCI-ND, and 96 with VD) and 132 healthy controls were recruited. All participants accepted examination by the MoCA-CS, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and other related scales. A detailed neuropsychological battery was used for making a final cognitive diagnosis. SPSS 16.0 statistical software was used for reliability, validity examination, and optimal cutoff score detection. Results: Cronbach’s α of the MoCA-CS was 0.884, and test-retest and interrater reliability of the MoCA-CS were 0.966 and 0.926, respectively. MoCA-CS scores were highly correlated with MMSE scores (r = 0.867) and simplified intelligence quotients (r = 0.822). The results indicate that 1 point should be added for subjects with less than 6 years of education, and that the optimal cutoff score for detecting VCI-ND is 26/27 (sensitivity 96.1%, specificity 75.6%), whereas the optimal cutoff score for detecting VD is 16/17 (sensitivity 92.7%, specificity 96.3%). Conclusion: The MoCA-CS has good reliability and validity, and is a useful cognitive screening instrument for detecting VCI in the Chinese population.
Dynamic roughness perturbation of a turbulent boundary layer

Abstract The zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer over a flat plate was perturbed by a temporally oscillating, spatial impulse of roughness, and the downstream response of the flow field was interrogated by hot-wire anemometry and particle-image velocimetry. The key features common to impulsively perturbed boundary layers, as identified in Jacobi & McKeon (J. Fluid Mech., 2011), were investigated, and the unique contributions of the dynamic perturbation were isolated by contrast with an appropriately matched static impulse of roughness. In addition, the dynamic perturbation was decomposed into separable large-scale and small-scale structural effects, which in turn were associated with the organized wave and roughness impulse aspects of the perturbation. A phase-locked velocity decomposition of the entire downstream flow field revealed strongly coherent modes of fluctuating velocity, with distinct mode shapes for the streamwise and wall-normal velocity components. Following the analysis of McKeon & Sharma (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 658, 2010, pp. 336–382), the roughness perturbation was treated as a forcing of the Navier–Stokes equation and a linearized analysis employing a modified Orr–Sommerfeld operator was performed. The experimentally ascertained wavespeed of the input disturbance was used to solve for the most amplified singular mode of the Orr–Sommerfeld resolvent. These calculated modes were then compared with the streamwise and wall-normal velocity fluctuations. The discrepancies between the calculated Orr–Sommerfeld resolvent modes and those experimentally observed by phase-locked averaging of the velocity field were postulated to result from the violation of the parallel flow assumption of Orr–Sommerfeld analysis, as well as certain non-equilibrium effects of the roughness. Additionally, some difficulties previously observed using a quasi-laminar eigenmode analysis were also observed under the resolvent approach; however, the resolvent analysis was shown to provide reasonably accurate predictions of velocity fluctuations for the forced Orr–Sommerfeld problem over a portion of the boundary layer, with potential applications to designing efficient flow control strategies. The combined experimental and analytical effort provides a new opportunity to examine the non-equilibrium and forcing effects in a dynamically perturbed flow.
IN ANIMAL COGNITION

This paper analyzes the function of certain aspects of cognition, like planning, deceiving, self-awareness, and communication. I distinguish between two kinds of representations of information. A cued representation stands for something that is present in the current situation. Detached representations stand for objects or events that are neither present in the situation nor triggered by some recent situation. The inner environment of an animal is defined as the collection of all detached representations. The fundamental difference between signals and symbols is that the reference of a symbol is a detached representation, while a signal refers to a cued representation. Detached representations make planning possible. I distinguish between immediate planning, where plans are made for present needs, and anticipatory planning, where future needs are predicted. The evolution of self-consciousness is outlined as a series of steps. The first is when other agents are seen as having an inner environment of their own. This is when deception becomes possible. A further step is when the agent realizes that the other agents’ representations of the external world includes a representation of the inner environment of the agent itself. Then the agent can become self-conscious since it can form representations of its own representations. L’ homo tient debout. S’ accouple, en toute saison, face à face. A le pouce opposable. Omnivore. Capable d’attention, même à des objets
Spoilage of Microfiltered and Pasteurized Extended Shelf Life Milk Is Mainly Induced by Psychrotolerant Spore-Forming Bacteria that often Originate from Recontamination

Premature spoilage and varying product quality due to microbial contamination still constitute major problems in the production of microfiltered and pasteurized extended shelf life (ESL) milk. Spoilage-associated bacteria may enter the product either as part of the raw milk microbiota or as recontaminants in the dairy plant. To identify spoilage-inducing bacteria and their routes of entry, we analyzed end products for their predominant microbiota as well as the prevalence and biodiversity of psychrotolerant spores in bulk tank milk. Process analyses were performed to determine the removal of psychrotolerant spores at each production step. To detect transmission and recontamination events, strain typing was conducted with isolates obtained from all process stages. Microbial counts in 287 ESL milk packages at the end of shelf life were highly diverse ranging from <1 to 7.9 log cfu/mL. In total, 15% of samples were spoiled. High G+C Gram-positive bacteria were the most abundant taxonomic group, but were responsible for only 31% of spoilage. In contrast, psychrotolerant spores were isolated from 55% of spoiled packages. In 90% of samples with pure cultures of Bacillus cereus sensu lato and Paenibacillus spp. , counts exceeded 6 log cfu/mL. In bulk tank milk, the concentration of psychrotolerant spores was low, accounting for merely 0.5 ± 0.8 MPN/mL. Paenibacillus amylolyticus/xylanexedens was by far the most dominant species in bulk tank milk (48% of all isolates), but was never detected in ESL milk, pointing to efficient removal during manufacturing. Six large-scale process analyses confirmed a high removal rate for psychrotolerant spores (reduction by nearly 4 log-units). B. cereus sensu lato, on the contrary, was frequently found in spoiled end products, but was rarely detected in bulk tank milk. Due to low counts in bulk tank samples and efficient spore removal during production, we suggest that shelf life is influenced only to a minor extent by raw-milk-associated factors. In contrast, recontamination with spores, particularly from the B. cereus complex, seems to occur. To enhance milk quality throughout the entire shelf life, improved plant sanitation and disinfection that target the elimination of spores are necessary.
NMR Metabolomics in Ionizing Radiation

Ionizing radiation is an invisible threat that cannot be seen, touched or smelled and exists either as particles or waves. Particle radiation can take the form of alpha, beta or neutrons, as well as high energy space particle radiation such as high energy iron, carbon and proton radiation, etc [1]. Non-particle radiation includes gammaand x-rays. Publically, there is a growing concern about the adverse health effects due to ionizing radiation mainly because of the following facts. (a) The X-ray diagnostic images are taken routinely on patients. Even though the overall dosage from a single X-ray image such as a chest X-rays scan or a CT scan, also called X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT), is low, repeated usage can cause serious health consequences, in particular with the possibility of developing cancer [2,3]. (b) Human space exploration has gone beyond moon and is planning to send human to the orbit of Mars by the mid-2030s. And a landing on Mars will follow. ("Obama Promises Renewed Space Program". The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2010). Completely shield the high energy space radiation in outer space is a big challenging [4,5]. (c) The impact of past nuclear disasters such as Chernobyl disaster (1986/4/26) and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster (2011/3/12) are long lasting, including leaving behand radiation contaminated sites that are very difficult to clean [6,7]. And (d) Radiological hazards are likely to be employed by terrorists via nuclear detonation, radiological dispersion devices, and covert placement/ distribution of radioactive substances [8]. The worst case scenario for a radiation incident would involve a nuclear detonation-either from an improvised nuclear device or an actual warhead.
Parasites Leishmania Functions and Innate Immunity to Type I IFN Receptor Regulates Neutrophil

Type I IFNs exert diverse effector and regulatory functions in host immunity to viral and nonviral infections; however, the role of endogenous type I IFNs in leishmaniasis is unclear. We found that type I IFNR-deﬁcient (IFNAR 2 / 2 ) mice developed attenuated lesions and reduced Ag-speciﬁc immune responses following infection with Leishmania amazonensis parasites. The marked reduction in tissue parasites, even at 3 d in IFNAR 2 / 2 mice, seemed to be indicative of an enhanced innate immunity. Further mechanistic analyses indicated distinct roles for neutrophils in parasite clearance; IFNAR 2 / 2 mice displayed a rapid and sustained inﬁltration of neutrophils, but a limited recruitment of CD11b + Ly-6C + inﬂammatory monocytes, into inﬂamed tissues; interactions between IFNAR 2 / 2 , but not wild-type (WT) or STAT1 2 / 2 , neutrophils and macrophages greatly enhanced parasite killing in vitro; and infected IFNAR 2 / 2 neutrophils efﬁciently released granular enzymes and had elevated rates of cell apoptosis. Furthermore, although coinjection of parasites with WT neutrophils or adoptive transfer of WT neutrophils into IFNAR 2 / 2 recipients signiﬁcantly enhanced infection, the coinjection of parasites with IFNAR 2 / 2 neutrophils greatly reduced parasite survival in WT recipients. Our ﬁndings reveal an important role for type I IFNs in regulating neutrophil/monocyte recruitment, neutrophil turnover, and Leishmania infection and provide new insight into innate immunity to protozoan parasites. The Journal of Immunology , 2010, 184: 000–000.
The Role of High‐Energy Phosphate in Norepinephrine‐Induced Acute Renal Failure in the Dog

Previous studies have demonstrated that pretreatment with mannitol, furosemide, or bradykinin can attenuate the severity of norepinephrine-induced renal functional impairment. The present studies were designed to evaluate the possibility that these agents are protective, in part, by preserving cellular metabolic integrity. The renal cortex was repetitively biopsied during the course of this study, and high-pressure liquid chromatography was used to analyze the tissue content of adenine nucleotides (expressed in nanomoles per gram of wet tissue). The adenine nucleotide charge ratio (CR) and total adenine nucleotide (TAN) content were calculated as indices of cellular metabolic integrity. In addition to the above-established protective agents, phenoxybenzamine was used to evaluate a direct toxic effect of norepinephrine on renal tissue. Inulin clearance at 3 hours post infusion (expressed as a percent of control) was 7% with norepinephrine alone and, in the protected groups, 36% with bradykinin, 61% with furosemide, 51% with mannitol, and 100% with phenoxybenzamine. There was no change in CR or TAN with phenoxybenzamine. In contrast, during norepinephrine administration CR fell significantly in all other groups. Three hours after stopping norepinephrine, CR had returned toward control values and the level of CR was significantly better in all protected groups when compared with norepinephrine alone. Similarly, the levels of TAN were significantly diminished in the norepinephrine-alone group when compared to all protected groups, and there was significantly more tubular necrosis as well. The maintenance of higher levels of TAN and the preserved ability to regenerate adenosine triphosphate in the protected groups, when compared to the norepinephrine-alone group, support the contention that these agents offer protection, at least in part, by preserving cellular metabolic integrity.
Environmentally assisted cracking in light water reactors

This report summarizes work performed by Argonne National Laboratory on fatigue and environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) in light water reactors (LWRs) from April 1995 to December 1995. Topics that have been investigated include fatigue of carbon and low-alloy steel used in reactor piping and pressure vessels, EAC of Alloy 600 and 690, and irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) of Type 304 SS. Fatigue tests were conducted on ferritic steels in water that contained various concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) to determine whether a slow strain rate applied during different portions of a tensile-loading cycle are equally effective in decreasing fatigue life. Crack-growth-rate tests were conducted on compact-tension specimens from several heats of Alloys 600 and 690 in simulated LWR environments. Effects of fluoride-ion contamination on susceptibility to intergranular cracking of high- and commercial- purity Type 304 SS specimens from control-tensile tests at 288 degrees Centigrade. Microchemical changes in the specimens were studied by Auger electron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy to determine whether trace impurity elements may contribute to IASCC of these materials.
Changes in the Staphylococcus aureus Transcriptome during Early Adaptation to the Lung

Staphylococcus aureus is a common inhabitant of the human nasopharynx. It is also a cause of life-threatening illness, producing a potent array of virulence factors that enable survival in normally sterile sites. The transformation of S. aureus from commensal to pathogen is poorly understood. We analyzed S. aureus gene expression during adaptation to the lung using a mouse model of S. aureus pneumonia. Bacteria were isolated by bronchoalveolar lavage after residence in vivo for up to 6 hours. S. aureus in vivo RNA transcription was compared by microarray to that of shake flask grown stationary phase and early exponential phase cells. Compared to in vitro conditions, the in vivo transcriptome was dramatically altered within 30 minutes. Expression of central metabolic pathways changed significantly in response to the lung environment. Gluconeogenesis (fbs, pckA) was down regulated, as was TCA cycle and fermentation pathway gene expression. Genes associated with amino acid synthesis, RNA translation and nitrate respiration were upregulated, indicative of a highly active metabolic state during the first 6 hours in the lung. Virulence factors regulated by agr were down regulated in vivo and in early exponential phase compared to stationary phase cells. Over time in vivo, expression of ahpCF, involved in H2O2 scavenging, and uspA, which encodes a universal stress regulator, increased. Transcription of leukotoxic α and β-type phenol-soluble modulins psmα1-4 and psmβ1-2 increased 13 and 8-fold respectively; hld mRNA, encoding δ-hemolysin, was increased 9-fold. These were the only toxins to be significantly upregulated in vivo. These data provide the first complete survey of the S. aureus transcriptome response to the mammalian airway. The results present intriguing contrasts with previous work in other in vitro and in vivo models and provide novel insights into the adaptive and temporal response of S. aureus early in the pathogenesis of pneumonia.
Proteome-Wide Analysis of Functional Divergence in Bacteria: Exploring a Host of Ecological Adaptations

Functional divergence is the process by which new genes and functions originate through the modification of existing ones. Both genetic and environmental factors influence the evolution of new functions, including gene duplication or changes in the ecological requirements of an organism. Novel functions emerge at the expense of ancestral ones and are generally accompanied by changes in the selective forces at constrained protein regions. We present software capable of analyzing whole proteomes, identifying putative amino acid replacements leading to functional change in each protein and performing statistical tests on all tabulated data. We apply this method to 750 complete bacterial proteomes to identify high-level patterns of functional divergence and link these patterns to ecological adaptations. Proteome-wide analyses of functional divergence in bacteria with different ecologies reveal a separation between proteins involved in information processing (Ribosome biogenesis etc.) and those which are dependent on the environment (energy metabolism, defense etc.). We show that the evolution of pathogenic and symbiotic bacteria is constrained by their association with the host, and also identify unusual events of functional divergence even in well-studied bacteria such as Escherichia coli. We present a description of the roles of phylogeny and ecology in functional divergence at the level of entire proteomes in bacteria.
Production , Manufacturing and Logistics Cooperation and game-theoretic cost allocation in stochastic inventory models with continuous review

We study cooperation strategies for companies that continuously review their inventories and face Poisson demand. Our main goal is to analyze stable cost allocations of the joint costs. These are such that any group of companies has lower costs than the individual companies. If such allocations exist they provide an incentive for the companies to cooperate. We consider two natural cooperation strategies: (i) the companies jointly place an order for replenishment if their joint inventory position reaches a certain reorder level, and (ii) the companies reorder as soon as one of them reaches its reorder level. Numerical experiments for two companies show that the second strategy has the lowest joint costs. Under this strategy, the game-theoretical Shapley value and the distribution rule—a cost allocation in which the companies share the procurement cost and each pays its own holding cost—are shown to be stable cost allocations. These results also hold for situations with three companies. 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.