Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the profile of thrombin generation during the process of whole blood clotting as assessed by thrombelastography

Summary. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possibility of linking the tracing of whole blood clotting in a thrombelastograph® (TEG®) hemostasis system with the generation of thrombin assessed by thrombin/antithrombin complex (TAT). Citrated whole blood containing corn trypsin inhibitor from volunteers was clotted in the presence of CaCl2 and tissue factor. Clotting was monitored with the eight channels of a TEG® system. At different time points, the whole blood TEG® reaction cups were kept in a cold quenching solution, centrifuged, and the supernatants were kept at −80 °C until assayed for TAT by ELISA. The total thrombus generation (TTG) was calculated from the first derivative of the TEG® waveform and was compared with thrombin generation measured by TAT. The two vector values – the TAT thrombin generation data and the corresponding TEG® TTG – were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients (r) and linear, non‐linear and natural log (ln) transformation of TAT values for least‐squares goodness‐of‐fit curves. The best least‐squares fit is an exponential curve. Linearizing using the ln of the TAT thrombin generation variable produces the same r (0.94) as of the exponential curve. The prediction equation is y = 8.0465 + 0.0005x (P ≤ 0.0001), where y is the TAT thrombin generation variable in the ln transformation and x is the TEG® TTG variable. The high magnitude of r and the high significance of the prediction equation demonstrate the high efficacy of the prediction of TAT thrombin generation by the use of TEG® TTG.
Maternal Mortality in Ribat University Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan: Seven years of experience

Background : Maternal death is a tragedy that leaves an enormous negative impact on the family. The objectives of the study were to determine the rate and causes of maternal mortality in Ribat University Hospital Methods : This was a descriptive, hospital-based study conducted in Ribat University Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan. Maternal mortality records were reviewed for causes of maternal death. Data were collected by a check list and analysed by SPSS soft ware. Results : The number of maternal deaths was 10 while the number of live births during the study period was 19604. The maternal mortality rate was 51:100000 live births. 40% of patients were below the age of 30 while 60% were 30 years of age and more. Rural and urban residence constituted 70% and 30% respectively. 60% of patients had a parity of more than four. Results showed that 62.5% delivered by emergency caesarean section. The study revealed that 20% of the patients died as a result of pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) (Hellp syndrome and eclampsia), 20% of PIH (eclampsia), 10% of PIH (rupture liver), 10% of ante partum haemorrhage (placenta praevia), 10% of primary postpartum haemorrhage following twin vaginal delivery, 10% of puerperal sepsis and septic shock following emergency caesarean section, 10% of hypovolaemia due to hyperemisis gravidarum and 10% of septicaemia with acute renal failure following missed miscarriage, Conclusions : Maternal mortality rate was 51:100000 live births. Pregnancy induced hypertension constituted one half of the causes of maternal deaths, followed by haemorrhage and septicaemia.
Endothelin peptide and receptors in human atherosclerotic coronary artery and aorta.

The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an alteration in the distribution or quantity of endothelin (ET) peptide or receptor subtypes in human atherosclerotic arteries. Levels of endogenous ET and big ET-1 detectable by radioimmunoassay in human aorta containing raised atherosclerotic plaques were significantly higher than those in histologically normal tissue (Student's t test, P < .01). Immunohistochemistry revealed ET-like immunoreactivity in endothelial cells lining the vessel lumen, neovascularization, recanalization of organized thrombus, and regions rich in macrophages. Little immunoreactivity was associated with vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Saturation binding assays with [125I]ET-1 indicated comparable affinities and maximal densities of receptors in the media of diseased and normal coronary arteries. Quantitative autoradiography with subtype-selective radioligands revealed similar small proportions of ETB receptors in the diseased and normal arterial media. In arteries with early and late disease, ETA receptors were localized to medial smooth muscle but were lacking in the VSMCs of the intimal layer, where ETB receptors were absent. ETB receptors were detected on perivascular nerves and lymphoid aggregates. In atherosclerotic arteries, microautoradiography localized ETB receptors to neovascularization and, interestingly, to macrophages. The results of this study indicate that there is an increase in ET and big ET-1 associated with fully developed atherosclerotic plaques. It is likely that this is derived from endothelial cells and macrophages but not VSMCs. ETA receptors predominate in the media of both normal and diseased arteries. ET receptors are deficient in intimal smooth muscle, and ETB receptors, where present, are found on endothelial cells and macrophages.
Affective Disorder amongst Women in the General Population: A Longitudinal Study

This paper reports upon a longitudinal general population survey of psychiatric disorder among a sample of women in Edinburgh. The course and outcome of the identified disorders, defined according to the RDC, are described. In addition the report documents the consequence, for the description of episodes, of adopting a diagnostic scheme which embodies hierarchical and inter-episode interval rules. Estimates of disease rates per year revealed a period prevalence of RDC disorder of 25.2% (17.6% depressive and 7.6% anxiety disorder) and an RDC new episode inception rate of 12.6%. In spite of the evident nontrivial nature of these conditions, and of the extent to which they were found to endure, contact with the psychiatric services was found to be minimal.
Educating Intuition

Risky decision making, especially in adolescence, is a major public health problem. However, fuzzy-trace theory suggests that bad outcomes are preventable by changing thinking and, therefore, feelings about risks. The theory aligns with new findings and has been shown to be effective in experiments on decreasing sexual risk taking, increasing medication adherence, and tailoring genetic testing. Despite the vulnerabilities of the adolescent brain, decision processes can be modified by applying evidence-based theory.
Availability of Business Services and Outward Investment: Evidence from French Firms

This paper considers the link between the local availability of services and a firm's decision to become a multinational. This is a highly topical issue, given that many industrialised countries are increasingly becoming services economies and firms become increasingly more globalised. In an analysis of rich firm level data for France we find evidence that the availability of services in the home country indeed has a positive impact on firms' decisions to become multinationals. This is robust to endogeneity concerns. The result can be interpreted in a simple set up where the local availability of business services improves firm efficiency and, hence, allows firms to overcome sunk costs of investing abroad more easily.
Neurologic complications of the reactivation of varicella-zoster virus.

Varicella–zoster virus is an exclusively human herpesvirus that causes chickenpox (varicella), becomes latent in cranial-nerve and dorsal-root ganglia, and frequently reactivates decades later to produce shingles (zoster) and postherpetic neuralgia. In immunocompetent elderly persons or immunocompromised patients, varicella–zoster virus may produce disease of the central nervous system. Since the last major review of varicella–zoster virus in the Journal, 1,2 advances in molecular biology have provided important new insights into the pathogenesis of infection with varicella–zoster virus. The detection of varicella–zoster virus in blood vessels and other tissues by methods based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has widened the recognized .
Thermal management in vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers: finite-element analysis of a heatspreader approach

The use of crystalline heatspreaders to improve thermal management in optically pumped vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers is studied via finite-element analysis. The required properties of a heatspreader are examined and the effect on heat flow is discussed, as are thermal lensing effects. The advantages of diamond heatspreaders are highlighted. The power-scaling potential is compared to other approaches. Heatspreaders are found to be promising, particularly for use with low thermal conductivity semiconductors.
A multicentric prospective study of intensive induction chemotherapy (API-AI) in localized osteosarcoma patients: Results of a phase II trial coordinated by the French Sarcoma Group (FSG) and the FNCLCC BECT.

9521 Background: Based on the severe toxicity of high dose methotrexate (MTX) in adult patients, an alternative intensive chemotherapy (CT) was designed, associating doxorubicin, cisplatinum and ifosfamide in API-AI regimen. Promising results in 32 patients in a single institution study (Le Cesne ASCO 2004) led to a national multicenter phase II trial coordinated by the FSG of FNCLCC. METHODS Patients with a localized operable osteosarcoma were eligible. API-AI regimen consisted in 2 cycles every 28 days of doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 d1 and d15, cisplatinum 100 mg/m2 d1 and ifosfamide 5g/m2 d2 and d15, with equivalent dose of mesna and lenograstim after each course for 7 days. Good responders ≥95% necrosis (GR) received 2 postoperative API courses, and poor responders <95% necrosis (PR) a salvage regimen of 3 cycles of etoposide 100 mg/m2 d1 to d3 and ifosfamide 4 g/m2 d1 to d3. RESULTS From March 2001 to January 2004, 43 patients (male/female 28/15) with a median age of 23 years (range 17-50), were included. The median tumor size was 88 mm (13-280). All 43 patients received the preoperative API-AI regimen, with a dose intensity of ≥ 89% of the planned protocol. Toxicity was mainly haematological, with grade 3-4 sepsis, grade 4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia observed in 12%, 79% and 49% of patients respectively. There was no severe renal and cardiac toxicity. All but 5 patients had a limb sparing surgery performed 77 days (median) after the first cycle (range 56-114 days). Intent to treat analysis showed 16/43 GR (37%). With a median follow-up of 36 months (25-48), the 2 year event-free and overall survival were 74% and 86% respectively. CONCLUSIONS Despite the haematological toxicities, these results compare favorably with other previous induction CT schedules containing MTX in adults. A longer follow-up is required to evaluate the impact of this regimen on overall survival. No significant financial relationships to disclose.
Childhood Hodgkin's disease in the United States: an analysis of histologic subtypes and association with Epstein-Barr virus.

Hodgkin's disease (HD) typically has a bimodal age distribution and is less common than non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the pediatric age group, especially in very young children. Recent reports described a high prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in HD from developing countries in both adult and pediatric populations. In this series, we studied with immunohistochemical analysis 44 cases of pediatric HD from the United States to investigate the association with EBV in developed countries and to determine which subtypes occur in this group. The 44 cases (40 boys, 4 girls; male-to-female ratio, 10:1) were categorized as nodular lymphocyte predominance in 16 (36.4%) of 44; nodular sclerosis in 13 (29.5%); and mixed cellularity in 4 (9.1%). Eleven of the cases were difficult to subclassify by the usual morphologic and immunophenotypic criteria. Of these, eight (18.1%) were designated interfollicular HD, and three were classified as HD "not otherwise specified. " EBV LMP was positive in 38.6% of cases: 5 (38.5%) of the 13 with nodular sclerosis; 3 (75%) of the 4 with mixed cellularity; 1 (6.0%) of the 16 with nodular lymphocyte predominance; 7 (87.5%) of the 8 with interfollicular HD; and 1 (33.3%) of the 3 with HD "not otherwise specified. " There was a strong association between the age of the patient and EBV expression. In children 4 years or younger, all of the 3 cases were LMP positive; in the 5- to 9-year-old age group, 8 (61.5%) of 13 were LMP positive; and in the 10- to 15-year-old group, only 21.4% were positive. Our results confirm the male predominance in pediatric HD and show an association with EBV, especially in the youngest patients and with the mixed cellularity and interfollicular subtypes. Most, but not all, cases of pediatric HD can be subclassified by traditional criteria.
Explaining the Influence of Anger and Compassion on Negotiators' Interaction Goals: An Assessment of Trust and Distrust as Two Distinct Mediators

This study examined the influence of anger and compassion, two discrete emotions that differ in valence and appraisals, on negotiators’ interaction goals through trust and distrust, two related, but functionally distinct constructs. Findings showed that the influence of anger (a negative emotion with appraisal of other-person control) on perceived importance of competitively oriented goals was mediated by distrust, but not trust, whereas the influence of compassion (a positive emotion with appraisal of situational control) on perceived importance of cooperatively oriented goals was mediated by trust, but not distrust. This study not only sheds light on the process whereby anger and compassion influence negotiation performance but also supports the proposition that trust and distrust represent two distinct psychological processes that are associated with different antecedents and consequences.
Human Islet Amyloid Polypeptide Oligomers Disrupt Cell Coupling, Induce Apoptosis, and Impair Insulin Secretion in Isolated Human Islets

Insulin secretion from the 2,000–3,000 β-cells in an islet is a highly synchronized activity with discharge of insulin in coordinate secretory bursts at approximately 4-min intervals. Insulin secretion progressively declines in type 2 diabetes and following islet transplantation. Both are characterized by the presence of islet amyloid derived from islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP). In the present studies, we examined the action of extracellular human IAPP (h-IAPP) on morphology and function of human islets. Because oligomers of h-IAPP are known to cause membrane disruption, we questioned if application of h-IAPP oligomers to human islets would lead to disruption of islet architecture (specifically cell-to-cell adherence) and a decrease in coordinate function (e.g., increased entropy of insulin secretion and diminished coordinate secretory bursts). Both hypotheses are affirmed, leading to a novel hypothesis for impaired insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes and following islet transplantation, specifically disrupted cell-to-cell adherence in islets through the actions of membrane-disrupting IAPP oligomers.
Role of Ceramides 2 and 5 in the Structure of the Stratum Corneum Lipid Barrier

We utilized Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to investigate headgroup and chain interactions in model SC lipid barriers containing equimolar amounts of deuterated hexadecanoic acid, cholesterol, and ceramide 2 (non‐hydroxy sphingosine) or ceramide 5 (α‐hydroxy sphingosine). In the ceramide 2 model the thermotropic response of the CD and CH stretching modes indicates that hexadecanoic acid begins to disorder at 42°C while ceramide 2 remains ordered until 52°C. Additionally, splitting of the CD bending and CH rocking modes provides evidence for separate orthorhombic hexadecanoic acid and ceramide domains. The ceramide amide I mode (1650 cm ) is split into two components indicating strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding between headgroups. In the ceramide 5 model, the CH and CD stretching frequencies again reveal highly conformationally ordered ceramide 5 and hexadecanoic acid chains. Splitting of both the CD bending and CH rocking modes is observed. However, the CH rocking frequencies indicate distorted packing of the ceramide. The collapse of these highly ordered phases, and the onset of conformational disorder, occurs at 50°C for both ceramide 5 and hexadecanoic acid. The amide I and II frequencies of ceramide 5 indicate strong H‐bonding, although neither mode is split. Our results demonstrate that model SC lipid systems have quite different physical properties depending on whether they contain ceramide 2 or 5. From this we infer that ceramide 2 and 5 make distinct contributions to the structural biophysics of the SC lipid barrier. Our observation of ordered lipid domains is also consistent with the recently proposed domain mosaic model of the skin barrier.
The alteration of asymmetric dimetilarginine (ADMA) levels in cardiac and gastrocnemius muscles following radioactive iodine application in guinea pigs and the effect of L-carnitine on this alteration

Purpose: Tissue levels of asymmetric dimetilarginine (ADMA) and symmetric dimetilarginine (SDMA) were investigated in cardiac ventricle and gastrocnemius muscles of guinea pigs treated with radioactive iodine (RAI) alone or in combination with L-carnitine (LC). Material and methods: Group 1 received no treatment (control group). Group 2 received a total dose of 30 mCi−1kg−1 body weight iodine-131 alone. Group 3 received 200 mg−1kg−1 of LC for 10 days alone. Group 4 received 200 mg−1kg−1 of LC plus RAI therapy. Free thyroid hormones, ADMA and SDMA concentrations were measured. Results: Serum free thyroid hormone concentrations were found decreased in the RAI and LC-RAI groups after RAI application. A significant decrease in ADMA and SDMA concentration was observed in ventricle muscle following RAI application. The LC-RAI group had significantly decreased ADMA levels in ventricle muscle compared with those of the control group. Similarly, SDMA concentrations in ventricle and gastrocnemius muscles of the LC-RAI groups were significantly lower than those of the control groups. Conclusions: Our results indicated that RAI appears to exert an inhibitory effect on ADMA and SDMA levels of ventricular muscle. LC administration when given adjuvant to RAI therapy may cause a marked decrease in ADMA concentrations of both ventricular and gastrocnemius muscles.
HIV Infection Is Associated with a Preferential Decline in Less-Differentiated CD56dim CD16+ NK Cells

ABSTRACT HIV-1 infection is characterized by loss of CD56dim CD16+ NK cells and increased terminal differentiation on various lymphocyte subsets. We identified a decrease of CD57− and CD57dim cells but not of CD57bright cells on CD56dim CD16+ NK cells in chronic HIV infection. Increasing CD57 expression was strongly associated with increasing frequencies of killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) and granzyme B-expressing cells but decreasing percentages of cells expressing CD27+, HLA-DR+, Ki-67+, and CD107a. Our data indicate that HIV leads to a decline of less-differentiated cells and suggest that CD57 is a useful marker for terminal differentiation on NK cells.
Seasonal Movements, Habitat Use, Aggregation, Exploitation, and Entrainment of Saugers in the Lower Yellowstone River: An Empirical Assessment of Factors Affecting Population Recovery

Abstract Migratory barriers, habitat loss, entrainment in irrigation canals, and overexploitation, especially at times of aggregation, have been suggested to explain the failure of Yellowstone River saugers Sander canadensis to return to historical abundances after a late-1980s decline that was attributed to drought. These factors are thought to affect saugers throughout their range and migratory large-river fishes in general. We characterized the seasonal movement patterns, habitat use, and aggregation of saugers and estimated movement, exploitation, and irrigation canal entrainment rates to test these hypotheses. Saugers aggregated near spawning areas in spring and subsequently dispersed 5–350 km to upstream home locations, where they remained for the rest of the year. Upstream movement was not overtly restricted by low-head diversion dams. During the spawning period, terrace and bluff pools, which are unique geomorphic units associated with bedrock and boulder substrate, were positively selected, while.
Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions and High Risk Register in Neonates

The development and application of otoacoustic emissions in clinical practice marked the beginning of a new era in the field of screening for congenital hearing loss. In particular, transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) have been widely adopted by many universal hearing screening (UNHS) programs. The test is quick, non-invasive, objective, sensitive, frequency specific, relatively cheap and can be performed in non-soundproofed facilities [1].
Intraflagellar transport drives flagellar surface motility

The assembly and maintenance of all cilia and flagella require intraflagellar transport (IFT) along the axoneme. IFT has been implicated in sensory and motile ciliary functions, but the mechanisms of this relationship remain unclear. Here, we used Chlamydomonas flagellar surface motility (FSM) as a model to test whether IFT provides force for gliding of cells across solid surfaces. We show that IFT trains are coupled to flagellar membrane glycoproteins (FMGs) in a Ca2+-dependent manner. IFT trains transiently pause through surface adhesion of their FMG cargos, and dynein-1b motors pull the cell towards the distal tip of the axoneme. Each train is transported by at least four motors, with only one type of motor active at a time. Our results demonstrate the mechanism of Chlamydomonas gliding motility and suggest that IFT plays a major role in adhesion-induced ciliary signaling pathways. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.00744. 001
Stop Smoking—Tube-In-Tube Helical System for Flameless Calcination of Minerals

Mineral calcination worldwide accounts for some 5–10% of all anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year. Roughly half of the CO2 released results from burning fossil fuels for heat generation, while the other half is a product of the calcination reaction itself. Traditionally, the fuel combustion process and the calcination reaction take place together to enhance heat transfer. Systems have been proposed that separate fuel combustion and calcination to allow for the sequestration of pure CO2 from the calcination reaction for later storage/use and capture of the combustion gases. This work presents a new tube-in-tube helical system for the calcination of minerals that can use different heat transfer fluids (HTFs), employed or foreseen in concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. The system is labeled ‘flameless’ since the HTF can be heated by other means than burning fossil fuels. If CSP or high-temperature nuclear reactors are used, direct CO2 emissions can be divided in half. The technical feasibility of the system has been accessed with a brief parametric study here. The results suggest that the introduced system is technically feasible given the parameters (total heat transfer coefficients, mass- and volume flows, outer tube friction factors, and –Nusselt numbers) that are examined. Further experimental work will be required to better understand the performance of the tube-in-tube helical system for the flameless calcination of minerals.