Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Red maple (Acer rubrum) leaf toxicosis in horses: a retrospective study of 32 cases.

BACKGROUND Ingestion of wilted red maple leaves by horses can result in severe hemolytic anemia and methemoglobinemia. Little is known about what factors influence the outcome of red maple leaf toxicosis in horses. HYPOTHESIS Our hypothesis was that physical examination findings, clinicopathologic variables or therapeutic modalities may predict outcome in horses with red maple leaf toxicity. ANIMALS Horses with red maple leaf toxicosis presented to referral hospitals in the southeast region of the United States. METHODS A multi-institutional retrospective study was designed to identify factors that predict mortality in horses with red maple toxicosis. RESULTS Thirty-two horses with red maple toxicosis were identified, 19 of which died. Twenty-nine horses presented with anemia and 24 had clinicopathologic evidence of systemic inflammation. Renal insufficiency was identified in 12/30 (41%) horses. Laminitis (9/28) and colic (13/30) also were identified in horses with red maple toxicosis, but development of these 2 conditions did not have a negative effect on short-term survival. Horses with red maple toxicosis that survived to discharge were likely to have developed pyrexia during hospitalization (P = .030). Horses that were treated with a corticosteroid had a significantly increased likelihood of death (P = .045). There was no significant relationship between initial serum hemoglobin concentration, methemoglobin concentration, or percentage methemoglobin and mortality in this horse series. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE This study suggests that information obtained on initial examination cannot be used to accurately predict survival in horses with red maple toxicosis, but horses that receive corticosteroids are unlikely to survive.
Definitive Hematopoietic Multipotent Progenitor Cells Are Transiently Generated From Hemogenic Endothelial Cells in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Generation of fully functional hematopoietic multipotent progenitor (MPP) cells from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) has a great therapeutic potential to provide an unlimited cell source for treatment of hematological disorders. We previously demonstrated that CD34+CD31+CD144+ population derived from hPSCs contain hemato‐endothelial progenitors (HEPs) that give rise to hematopoietic and endothelial cells. Here, we report a differentiation system to generate definitive hematopoietic MPP cells from HEPs via endothelial monolayer. In the presence of angiogenic factors, HEPs formed an endothelial monolayer, from which hematopoietic clusters emerged through the process of endothelial‐to‐hematopoietic transition (EHT). EHT was significantly enhanced by hematopoietic growth factors. The definitive MPP cells generated from endothelial monolayer were capable of forming multilineage hematopoietic colonies, giving rise to T lymphoid cells, and differentiating into enucleated erythrocytes. Emergence of hematopoietic cells from endothelial monolayer occurred transiently. Hematopoietic potential was lost during prolonged culture of HEPs in endothelial growth conditions. Our study demonstrated that CD34+CD31+CD144+ HEPs gave rise to hematopoietic MPP cells via hemogenic endothelial cells that exist transiently. The established differentiation system provides a platform for future investigation of regulatory factors involved in de novo generation of hematopoietic MPP cells and their applications in transplantation. J. Cell. Physiol. 231: 1065–1076, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Low-dose radiation therapy for massive chylous leakage after subtotal gastrectomy

Massive chylous leakage is a rare postoperative complication that can prolong hospital stay and cause secondary morbidities. Conservative management strategies are the treatment of choice; however, radiation therapy (RT) can be used as an alternative for cases that are refractory to conservative treatment. Herein, we report a 69-year-old female patient who suffered from massive chylous leakage after subtotal gastrectomy. Due to persistent massive chylous leakage, she was scheduled to undergo low-dose RT. Radiation was delivered with a daily dose of 1 Gy, using an anterior-posterior and posterior-anterior beam arrangement. The clinical target volume encompassed the entire lymph node area of the D2 dissection. RT was completed at the total dose of 8 Gy because the amount of chylous leakage declined rapidly. Percutaneous drainage tube was removed after 3 days of RT. The patient did not complain of any symptoms related to massive chylous leakage 2 years after the completion of RT.
Distorted Body Representations in Healthy Cognition

Delusions and misperceptions about the body are a conspicuous feature of numerous neurological and psychiatric conditions. In stark contrast to such pathological cases, the immediacy and familiarity of our ordinary experience of our body can make it seem as if our representation of our body is highly accurate, even infallible. Recent research has begun to demonstrate, however, that large and systematic distortions of body representation are a normal part of healthy cognition. Here, I describe this research, focusing on distortions of body representations underlying tactile distance perception and position sense. I also discuss evidence for distortions of higher-order body representations, such as the conscious body image. Finally, I will end with a discussion of the potential relations among different body representations and their distortions.
Clinical Research in Acute Fatal Illness

Clinical research to evaluate the effectiveness of life support systems in acute fatal illness has unique problems of logistics, ethics, and consent. There have been 10 prospective comparative trials of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in acute fatal respiratory failure, utilizing different study designs. The trial designs were prospective controlled randomized, prospective adaptive randomized, sequential, and matched pairs. The trials were reviewed with regard to logistics, ethics, consent, statistical methods, economics, and impact. The matched pairs method is the best study design for evaluation of life support systems in acute fatal illness.
Long-Term Follow-Up of Multilayer Amniotic Membrane Transplantation (MLAMT) for Non-Traumatic Corneal Perforations or Deep Ulcers with Descemetocele

Abstract Background: To evaluate the long-term efficacy of multilayer amniotic membrane transplantation for reconstruction of epithelium and stroma in non-traumatic corneal perforations (less than 2 mm) or deep ulcers with descemetocele. Design: Retrospective, non-comparative, interventional case series. Patients and Methods: Eleven consecutive patients with non-traumatic corneal perforations or deep corneal ulcers with descemetocele refractory to conventional treatments: herpetic or zoster keratitis (n = 4), Sjögrenʼs syndrome (n = 2), rosacea (n = 1), hydrops (n = 1), mucous membrane pemphigoid (n = 1), bacterial keratitis (n = 1) and perforation after protontherapy for melanoma (n = 1). Intervention was: multilayer amniotic membrane transplantation with cryopreserved amniotic membrane. Complication rate and clinical outcome were evaluated in this long-term follow-up. Results: Mean follow-up was 32 months (12 to 60). Integration of the multilayer amniotic membrane was obtained in 10 cases after one year. Corneal epithelium healed above the membrane in 10 cases within 3 weeks and remained stable after 32 months in 9 cases. Thickness of the stroma was increased and remained stable during the follow-up in 9 cases. In one case herpetic keratitis recurred with a corneal perforation. The clearing of the amniotic membrane was gradually obtained over a period of 11 months. Complications occurred in 15 % of the eyes during the long-term follow-up. Conclusion: Multilayer amniotic membrane transplantation is a safe and efficient technique for a long restoration of the corneal integrity after non-traumatic corneal perforations or deep corneal ulcers with descemetocele. Long-term prognosis of these eyes depends of the gravity of the initial disease.
Precursor flux control through targeted chromosomal insertion of the lysine epsilon-aminotransferase (lat) gene in cephamycin C biosynthesis

Targeted gene insertion methodology was used to study the effect of perturbing alpha-aminoadipic acid precursor flux on the overall production rate of beta-lactam biosynthesis in Streptomyces clavuligerus. A high-copy-number plasmid containing the lysine epsilon-aminotransferase gene (lat) was constructed and used to transform S. clavuligerus. The resulting recombinant strain (LHM100) contained an additional complete copy of lat located adjacent to the corresponding wild-type gene in the chromosome. Biological activity and production levels of beta-lactam antibiotics were two to five times greater than in wild-type S. clavuligerus. Although levels of lysine epsilon-aminotransferase were elevated fourfold in LHM100, the level of ACV synthetase, whose gene is located just downstream of lat, remained unchanged. These data strongly support the notion that direct perturbation of alpha-aminoadipic acid precursor flux resulted in increased antibiotic production. This strategy represents a successful application of metabolic engineering based on theoretical predictions of precursor flux in a secondary metabolic pathway.
Increasing the Number of Steps Walked Each Day Improves Physical Fitness in Japanese Community-Dwelling Adults

We aimed to investigate the effects of increasing the number of steps each day on physical fitness, and the change in physical fitness according to the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) genotype. A total of 174 participants were randomly assigned to two groups. Subjects in group A were instructed for 24-week trial to increase the number of steps walked each day, while subjects in group B were instructed to engage in brisk walking, at a target heart rate, for 20 min or more a day on two or more days a week. The values of the 3-min shuttle stamina walk test (SSWT) and the 30-s chair-stand test (CS-30) significantly increased, but no differences in increase were found between the groups. A significant relationship was found between the percentage increase in SSWT values and the increase in the number of steps walked by 1 500 steps or more per day over their baseline values. Our results suggest that increasing the number of steps walked daily improves physical fitness. No significant relationships were observed between the change in physical fitness and ACE genotypes.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) Levels and IL-6, TNF-Polymorphisms in Children With Thrombosis

Infection has an important role in the pathogenesis of thrombosis and it becomes more prominent in childhood cases, in whom the infection frequency is higher. It has been suggested that patients with high tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 levels might be at increased risk of developing thrombotic complications owing to the effects of these cytokines on the coagulation pathway. Functional polymorphisms in the promoter regions of the genes coding for TNF-α and IL-6 are associated with increased plasma levels of these cytokines. The aims of this study were to evaluate the serum levels of acute phase reactants, such as C-reactive protein, and of cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) and to investigate the association between the TNF-α-308 G/A and IL-6-174 G/C polymorphisms in Turkish pediatric patients with thrombosis. Fifty-eight children with thrombosis (group 1) and 89 controls (group 2) were included in the study. Patients who had a history of infection within the 15 days before thrombosis were classified as group 1a and those who had no infection history before thrombosis were classified as group 1b. Serum TNF-α did not differ significantly between the groups. However, the IL-6 level was higher in group 1a than in group 1b (P<0.05). The genotype distribution and allele frequencies of TNF-α G/A polymorphism were significantly higher in the thrombotic children without infection and in the control group than in the thrombotic children with an infection history (P<0.05). The IL-6-174 C/C genotype was significantly higher in thrombotic children with an infection history (P<0.05); there were no differences between the groups in mean allele frequency (Table 2). On the basis of our results, patients with a history of infection seem to have higher C-reactive protein and IL-6 levels and IL-6-174 C/C genotype. Furthermore, venous thrombosis is more frequent in this group than arterial thrombosis (P<0.05).
Nephrotic tunnels in glomerular basement membrane as revealed by a new electron microscopic method.

To clarify the ultrastructure in situ of the normal human glomerular basement membrane and ultrastructural changes of the glomerular basement membrane in patients with nephrotic syndrome, specimens of normal renal tissue and specimens from patients with membranous nephropathy, lupus nephritis, minimal change nephrotic syndrome, diabetic nephropathy, and Alport's syndrome were obtained. Specimens were examined by transmission electron microscopy by the newly devised "tissue negative staining method. " Normal glomerular basement membrane showed a three-dimensional lattice-like meshwork of fibrils measuring 1.9 +/- 0.4 nm in diameter that formed numerous uniform, round, oval, or polygonal pores 2.5 +/- 0.4 nm in short diameter and 2.8 +/- 0.5 nm in long dimension. The nephrotic glomerular basement membrane revealed varying degrees of ultrastructural defects, the most prominent being tunnels and cavities. Tortuous tunnels measuring approximately 15 to 50 nm in diameter penetrated the entire glomerular basement membrane. Cavities of various shapes measuring 15 to 200 nm in diameter were diffusely scattered in the glomerular basement membrane and occasionally aggregated to form a honeycomb structure that occupied the whole thickness of the glomerular basement membrane. These defects appeared to be the pathway for protein leakage.
Choriorétinopathie séreuse centrale : étude de l'évolution à long terme au moyen de l'angiographie au vert d'indocyanine

Nous avons analyse les alterations de la circulation choroidienne au moyen de l'angiographie au vert d'indocyanine (angiographie-ICG) chez les patients atteints d'une chorioretinopathie sereuse centrale (CSC), pour decrire l'evolution a long terme. L'etude fut portee sur 22 yeux de 20 patients, 16 hommes et 4 femmes de 45,6±5,2 ans. Les patients furent suivis pendant 33,1±18,3 mois avec des examens reguliers, y compris des angiographies ICG. Trois groupes furent etudies, correspondant aux formes aigue, chronique et cicatricielle. L'angiographie-ICG a demontre une hyperpermeabilite anormale des choriocapillaires dans des regions actives et non-actives, souvent associee a des decollements de l'epithelium pigmentaire (EP). Cette hyperpermeabilite serait a l'origine des alterations de la CSC. Il s'agit de lesions evolutives a long terme, pouvant entrainer des alterations permanentes de l'EP et des photorecepteurs, telles que decompensation diffuse de l'EP, cicatrices multiples et plages atrophiques. Ceci expliquerait la diminution de l'acuite visuelle finale retrouvee dans le groupe CSC-chronique.
Weight bias as a function of person variables and contact experiences

ABSTRACT We tested a mediation model of weight bias that considers person attributes and contact experiences with overweight individuals. In Study 1, we administered a survey to assess Openness, Agreeableness, Attributional Complexity, contact experiences with overweight individuals, and weight bias. Mediation analyses found that Agreeableness predicted less weight bias through contact experiences. In Study 2, we asked participants to interact with a peer whose weight and attributions regarding the weight were experimentally manipulated. We then measured acceptance of the peer. Agreeableness was found to indirectly predict more acceptance of an overweight peer through Empathy and contact experiences. These results show that contact theory is applicable to the domain of weight bias, and support person-situation approaches to prejudice.
Efficient Dynamic Economic Load Dispatch Using Parallel Process of Enhanced Optimization Approach

In Dynamic Economic Load Dispatch (DELD), optimization and evolution computation become a major part with the strategy for solving the issues. From various algorithms Differential Evolution (DE) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithms are used to encode in a vector form and in sharing information and both approaches are based on the master-apprentice mechanism for the Dual Evolution Strategy. In order to overcome the challenges like the clustering of PSO, optimization problems and maximum and minimum searching, a new approach is developed with the improvement of searching and efficient process. In this paper, an Enhanced Hybrid Differential Evolution and Particle Swarm Optimization (EHDE-PSO) is proposed with Dynamic Sigmoid Weight using parallel procedures. A hybrid form of the proposed approach combines the optimizing algorithm of Enhanced PSO with the Differential Evolution (DE) for the improvement of computation using parallel process. The implementation and the parallel process are analyzed and discussed to gather relevant data to show the performance enhancement which is better than the existing algorithm.
Risk compensation, motivation, injuries, and biomechanics in competitive sport

There is a need for an integrated perspective on sports injury Science and medical researchers and practitioners working in the field of sports injury prevention tend to have very tangible objectives and focus on identifying and solving specific injury risks. There is an uncertainty, however, that “solving” one problem may not simply create another. As the field matures, it is worth considering whether theories and models can be developed that have more general application to a range of injury issues. There is a need for an integrated perspective on sports injury that is inclusive of medical, behavioural (psychological, sociological, and organisational), physiological, and biomechanical factors. On the one hand, training and skills development are advocated as the best methods to reduce injury, but injury rates appear only to increase the more competitively a person approaches sport. This leads to the questions: are significant reductions in sports injury risk possible at all—or in only very specific sports, age groups, or competition levels—and only through absolute reductions in exposure, or after reconsideration of injury prevention methods? A biomechanically focused model of injury causation and prevention has been developed that draws on models by Wismans1 and Norton.2 From a biomechanical perspective, injury is “equivalent to the failure of a machine or structure”. 3 Injury results from a transfer of energy to the tissue. The mechanical properties of human tissue, such as stiffness (stress–strain relation), ultimate strength, and critical stress, govern how the body responds to physical loads. …
The thiol-activated toxin streptolysin O does not require a thiol group for cytolytic activity

Site-directed mutagenesis of the TGC codon in a cloned streptolysin O (SLO) gene exchanged the single Cys residue in SLO for either Ala or Ser. The parent wild-type SLO (SLO.Cys-530) and the SLO.Ala-530 and SLO.Ser-530 mutant toxins, expressed in Escherichia coli, were purified and analyzed. Wild-type SLO.Cys-530 and the SLO.Ala-530 mutant showed no significant differences in their specific hemolytic activities, while the SLO.Ser-530 mutant had a reduced (ca. 25%), but still considerable, specific hemolytic activity as compared with that of wild-type SLO. The parent and mutant toxins extracted from lysed erythrocyte membranes had similar sedimentation profiles on sucrose density gradients, suggesting that the mutations did not affect the ability of SLO to form oligomers in membranes. These results show that the widely held assumption that the in vitro cytolytic activity of SLO requires an essential Cys residue is not true.
Genetic variants of ADAM33 are associated with asthma susceptibility in the Punjabi population of Pakistan

Abstract Objective: A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 33 (ADAM33) gene has been considered as an asthma susceptibility gene due to its possible role in airway remodeling, abnormal cell proliferation, and differentiation. Association of this gene with asthma has been reported in several genetic studies on various populations. The current study aims to evaluate the association of ADAM33 gene polymorphisms with the risk of asthma in the Punjabi population of Pakistan. Method: A total of 101 asthma patients and 102 age-matched healthy controls from Lahore, a city in Punjab, were recruited. ADAM33 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) T + 1[rs2280089], T2[rs2280090], T1[rs2280091], ST + 5[rs597980], ST + 4[rs44707], S2[rs528557], Q − 1[rs612709], and F + 1[rs511898] were genotyped in both patients and controls using single base extension and capillary electrophoresis-based genetic analyzer. The basic allelic and genotypic model was analyzed for association of the SNPs with asthma using SHEsis software. Haploview software was used to calculate pairwise linkage disequilibrium (LD) among six of the genotyped SNPs. Results: Of the 8 SNPs genotyped, only S2[rs528557] showed significant association with asthma (Allele p = 0.0189, Genotype p = 0.021). SNPs T + 1[rs2280089], T2[rs2280090], T1[rs2280091], ST + 4[rs44707], S2[rs528557], and Q − 1[rs612709] were found to be in moderate to strong LD. The significantly higher frequency of haplotype “AAGTCG” in healthy controls suggests a protective effect against asthma risk in the studied population (p = 0.0059). Conclusion: These findings suggest that genetic variants of ADAM33 gene may play important roles in asthma susceptibility in the Punjabi population of Pakistan.
A Simulation-Based Shop Floor Monitoring and Decision Support System

In this article, simulation and data acquisition techniques are integrated to provide a decision support system for shop floor planning and control activities. Data are continuously collected from a manufacturing cell and processed to detect any potential problem. When a problem is detected, a simulation model is automatically updated to match current shop floor conditions and control logic, and is executed to assess the impact of the problem on production plans. The system also allows manual execution of simulation studies to experiment with various solutions of the detected problem or any production scenario of interest. The system is designed in a modular fashion with considerations for real-time performance. Results of a validation study indicate that the system provides an efficient tool for utilizing the power of simulation to support shop floor planning and control decisions.
REPAIR OF DAMAGED PRESTRESSED CONCRETE BRIDGES USING CFRP

Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) have been proposed as a method of repairing and strengthening prestressed concrete girder bridges that have been damaged by overheight vehicles. CFRP materials offer large strength/weight ratios, excellent corrosion and fatigue properties, and relatively simple installation. This paper presents results from a field test using the CFRP repair method. Findings indicate that flexural strengthening of impact damaged prestressed concrete girders is feasible when approximately 15% of the strands are severed. Transverse CFRP sheets assist in the development of the longitudinal CFRP plates and prevent debonding. These jackets also confine patch material so that if some of the patch material becomes loose, it will not fall on passing vehicles. CFRP was also found to reduce beam deflections by as much as 20%, although actual deflections measured were very small.