Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rubus caesius L. leaves: Pharmacognostic analysis and the study of hypoglycemic activity

Background: Rubus caesius L. is used in traditional medicine, but pharmacological activity data and standardization methods are lacking. Aims and Objectives: This study sought to conduct a pharmacognostic analysis of R. caesius L. leaves and assess these leaves hypoglycemic activity. Materials and Methods: External, anatomical, and diagnostic features of the leaves were studied in accordance with the State Pharmacopoeia of the Republic of Belarus T1. Conventional qualitative thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used. The hypoglycemic activity of the aqueous extract of the leaves was investigated in an alloxan-induced diabetes model. Results: External, anatomical, and diagnostic features of the leaves were determined. The stomata were anomocytic; calcium oxalate crystals were observed in the mesophyll; stellate-arrayed hairs, star-arrayed hairs, capitate hairs, and simple unicellular hairs with a helical fold were identified. Qualitative results indicated that biologically active substances, such as flavonoids and tannins, were present in R. caesius L. leaves. HPLC and TLC revealed the presence of hyperoside in these leaves. Soundness indicators were defined: The weight loss on drying the R. caesius L. leaves varied from 8.61% to 9.52%, and the average weight loss was 9.1%; determinations of total ash varied from 5.40% to 6.50%; determinations of ash insoluble in hydrochloric acid varied from 0.12% to 0.13%. The hypoglycemic activity of an aqueous extract of R. caesius L. leaves in a 500 mg/kg draught was determined in a rat model of alloxan-induced diabetes. Conclusion: The data obtained here can be used to develop regulatory documentation for a new type of medicinal plant tissue: R. caesius L. leaves.
The Total Neuropathy Score as an assessment tool for grading the course of chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neurotoxicity: comparison with the National Cancer Institute‐Common Toxicity Scale

Abstract Chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN) is a major side effect of several antineoplastic drugs. However, despite its clinical importance, there is no agreement as to the best way to assess the severity and changes in CIPN. We have previously demonstrated a correlation between the severity of CIPN, assessed using the Total Neuropathy Score (TNS) or its reduced versions, and several common toxicity scales. In this study, we investigated two series of patients (total number = 173) who were evaluated at baseline and during chemotherapy with the TNS (n= 122) or the TNSc (the TNS version based exclusively on the clinical evaluation of the patients, n= 51) and with the National Cancer Institute‐Common Toxicity Criteria (NCI‐CTC) 2.0, with the aim of comparing the sensitivity to the changes in CIPN severity. In both series, the TNS and the TNSc had a significant correlation with the NCI‐CTC in scoring the severity of CIPN, confirming the results of previous studies. Moreover, both the TNS and the TNSc showed a higher sensitivity to CIPN changes. We, therefore, propose the TNSc as a reliable method for assessing not only the severity but also the changes in CIPN.
Flexible Control of Mutual Inhibition: A Neural Model of Two-Interval Discrimination

Networks adapt to environmental demands by switching between distinct dynamical behaviors. The activity of frontal-lobe neurons during two-interval discrimination tasks is an example of these adaptable dynamics. Subjects first perceive a stimulus, then hold it in working memory, and finally make a decision by comparing it with a second stimulus. We present a simple mutual-inhibition network model that captures all three task phases within a single framework. The model integrates both working memory and decision making because its dynamical properties are easily controlled without changing its connectivity. Mutual inhibition between nonlinear units is a useful design motif for networks that must display multiple behaviors.
Linear Systems Theory

Joao P. Hespanha February 4, 2015 Comments and information about typos are very welcome. Please contact the author at hespanha@ece.ucsb. edu. Errata 1) In page 7, the MATLAB R © command should read sys_ss=ss(A,B,C,D,. ’InputName’, {’input1’, ’input2’,.},. ’OutputName’,{’output1’,’output2’,.},. ’StateName’, {’state1’, ’state2’,.}); 2) In page 15 in Figure 2.3, the angle θ2 is incorrectly drawn, it should be drawn as follows:
Does primary sclerosing cholangitis occurring in association with inflammatory bowel disease differ from that occurring in the abssence of inflammatory bowel disease? A study of sixty‐six subjects

Primary sclerosing cholangitis often occurs in association with inflammatory bowel disease, particularly ulcerative colitis but also Crohn's disease of the colon either with or without terminal ileal disease. Little data exist as to the effect of inflammatory bowel disease on the presenting symptoms, radiological features, response to liver transplantation, and potential risk of bile duct carcinoma in individuals with primary sclerosing cholangitis. In an effort to answer these questions, 66 patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis were studied. The definitive diagnosis of primary sclerosing cholangitis in each was accomplished using cholangiography, which in each case demonstrated characteristic beading, ectasia and stricturing of the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts.
Transformation of follicular lymphoma to diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma proceeds by distinct oncogenic mechanisms

This study was undertaken to further elucidate the biological mechanisms underlying the frequent event of transformation of follicular lymphoma (FL) to diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (t‐FL). The gene expression profiles of 20 paired lymph node biopsies, derived from the same patient pre‐ and post‐transformation, were analysed using the Lymphochip cDNA microarray. TP53 mutation analysis was performed and copy number alterations at the c‐REL and CDNK2A examined. Immunohistochemistry was performed on an independent panel of paired transformation paraffin‐embedded samples. Transformed follicular lymphoma was predominantly of the germinal centre B‐like phenotype both at the mRNA and protein level. Despite this homogeneity, transformation proceeded by at least two pathways. One mechanism was characterised by high proliferation, as assessed by the co‐ordinately expressed genes of the proliferation signature. This group was associated with the presence of recurrent oncogenic abnormalities. In the remaining cases, proliferation was not increased and transformation proceeded by alternative routes as yet undetermined. Genes involved in cellular proliferation prevailed amongst those that were significantly increased upon transformation and T cell and follicular dendritic‐associated genes predominated amongst those that decreased. t‐FL is a germinal centre B (GCB)‐like malignancy that evolves by two pathways, one that is similar in proliferation rate to the antecedent FL and the other that has a higher proliferation rate and is characterised by the presence of recognised oncogenic abnormalities.
Leukotrienes in health and disease

The leukotrienes (LTs) are 5‐lipoxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid. The synthesis and release of LTs have been demonstrated in many cells and organs, and LTs are considered to be normal products of continuous metabolism of arachidonic acid. However, although evidence in favor of a critical role for LTs in regulation of physiological functions is still scarce, a growing body of evidence suggests a role for LTs in mediation of several pathophysiological processes such as generalized or local immune reactions, inflammation, asthma, shock, and trauma. LTs have been shown to have potent actions on many essential organs and systems, including the cardiovascular system (heart, blood vessels, microcirculation), the pulmonary system (lung, airways), the central nervous system (neural, glial, and vascular elements), the gastrointestinal tract, and the immune system. In these organs the effects of LTs are mediated by specific LT receptors. Identification of LTs and characterization of their regional and systemic pathological effects, together with characterization of their receptors and elucidation of their structure‐activity relationships, are fundamental to developing LT antagonists or synthesis inhibitors that might prevent or reverse LT‐dependent reactions. Preliminary reports have already shown that such pharmacological agents ameliorate some aspects of disease processes in experimental animals as well as in humans. In this brief review we intend to highlight the evidence that implicates LTs in normal physiological functions as well as in disease processes. — Feuerstein, G. ; Hallenbeck, J. M. Leukotrienes in health and disease. FASEB J. 1: 186‐192; 1987.
ATM-dependent telomere loss in aging human diploid fibroblasts and DNA damage lead to the post-translational activation of p 53 protein involving poly ( ADP-ribose ) polymerase block can be overcome upon expression of the SV 40 large

block can be overcome upon expression of the SV40 large Homayoun Vaziri, Michael D.West1, T antigen or the HPV-16 E6/E7 proteins, resulting in an Richard C.Allsopp1, Timothy S.Davison, extension of cellular lifespan (Shay et al., 1993). SV40 Yu-Sung Wu, Cheryl H.Arrowsmith, large T antigen is known to bind the p53 tumor suppressor Guy G.Poirier2 and Samuel Benchimol3 protein and to interfere with its DNA binding and transcrip-
VASCULAR REMODELING OF CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION AFTER ANTI–VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR THERAPY VISUALIZED ON OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY

Purpose: To describe the qualitative and quantitative changes in choroidal neovascularization (CNV) flow pattern after anti–vascular endothelial growth factor therapy, by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods: Consecutive patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration underwent multimodal imaging, including OCTA at initial examination and at last visit. High-flow networks in the choriocapillaris segmentation of OCTA were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed at baseline and at follow-up, to characterize vascular flow changes after anti–vascular endothelial growth factor treatment and to correlate these changes with final exudation signs on spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Results: Seventeen eyes were included. Mean follow-up was of 11.7 ± 3.3 months. Baseline images showed six medusa pattern (35.3%), four seafan pattern (23.5%), and seven indistinct network patterns (41.2%). Mean CNV area at baseline was 1.58 ± 1.72 mm2. Final OCTA images revealed a decrease in CNV total area of 21.6%. In 6/17 eyes, the baseline neovascular pattern was unchanged; these cases were associated with exudation at the final spectral domain optical coherence tomography examination (P = 0.034) and a decrease in CNV area of 34.1%. Conversely, in 11/17 eyes (64.7%), the initial pattern had changed to a pruned vascular tree pattern, with variable exudative status on spectral domain optical coherence tomography at the final visit and a decrease in total CNV area of 0.07%. Conclusion: The vascular flow remodeling induced by recurrent anti–vascular endothelial growth factor treatment can be assessed by OCTA. Optical coherence tomography angiography may help to accurately evaluate treatment response and to recognize patterns usually associated with recurrent exudative activity.
Brain surface spindle cell glioma in a patient with medically intractable partial epilepsy: A variant of monomorphous angiocentric glioma?

We report a case of brain surface angiocentric glioma in a 6‐year‐old Japanese boy with medically intractable partial epilepsy. MRI showed somewhat ill‐defined high‐signal lesions on fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery and T2‐weighted imagings of the right occipitoparietal cortex. At surgery, a yellowish tumor was localized in the superficial cortex. Histologically, the tumor was predominantly composed of elongated astrocytic cells forming rings around blood vessels. Tumor cells circumferential to vessels predominanted in low cellurarity areas, whereas radial alignment with perivascular pseudorosettes was observed in more cellular regions. These perivascular pseudorosettes closely resembled those of ependymoma. The tumor cells showed variable cytoplasmic immunoreactivity with GFAP. These findings were more likely monomorphous angiocentric glioma, which was first described by Wang et al. in 2005. However, in our case the tumor had a small foci of polymorphous appearance and a comparatively high MIB‐1 labeling index (8%). Therefore, the present case may be an atypical form of monomorphous angiocentric glioma. However, no de novo anaplastic monomorphous angiocentric glioma similar to our case has yet been reported in the literature. It remains to be determined whether the behavior of monomorphous angiocentric glioma is an example of benign biological characteristics or whether it more closely resembles a low‐grade malignant tumor.
Improving Nurses ' Compliance with Standard Precautions of Infection Control in Pediatric Critical Care Units

Severely ill pediatric patients have a greater risk of acquiring nosocomial infections, however, this problem is greatest in critical care units. Therefore, healthcare professionals have an obligation to follow scientifically accepted standards for infection control to prevent disease transmission amongst pediatric patients or among patients and healthcare professionals. This study aimed to improve the nurses’ compliance with standard precautions of infection control in pediatric critical care units. Research design was a quasiexperimental design. Settings: four pediatric critical care units (medicine, surgery, cardiac and neonatal intensive care unit) at El Mansoura University Children's Hospital. Purposive samples of 60 nurses working in the previously mentioned settings were used. Tools of data collection included 1Structured interview questionnaire to assess nurses' knowledge and barriers regarding standard precautions of infection control 2Nurses’ Observational checklists to assess nurses’ practices regarding standard precautions of infection control. 3Nurses' self-reported compliance with SPIC to assess the nurses' compliance with standard precautions of infection control 4-Educational and training intervention for nurses. Results revealed that there was a significant improvement in nurses' compliance as well as their knowledge and practices toward standard precautions of infection control after the intervention. In conclusion:, the intervention of the study improved the nurses' compliance with standard precautions of infection control by increasing their knowledge and practices. For recommendation, availability of all facilities and equipment required for applying SPIC as well as, the accessibility of written guidelines and emphasize on the importance of continuing in service education for nurses using the evidence-based practices for application of standard precautions of infection control.
Motor recovery of stroke patients after rehabilitation: one-year follow-up study

Purpose To investigate motor recovery of stroke patients 1 year after rehabilitation. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study of 192 stroke patients discharged from rehabilitation wards in nine tertiary hospitals was conducted. Motor recovery was assessed using the Brunnstrom motor recovery stages (BMRS), at 6 and 12 months after discharge. Factors related to the BMRS of the hand, arm and leg were analyzed. Results The mean age of patients was 62.2 years (57.3% male). Significantly more patients presented improvement of at least one BMRS of the hand, arm and leg compared with those with decreasing BMRS (p < 0.001). The percentage of patients with BMRS III– VI at 6 months was greater than that at discharge, but the recovery at 12 months was slightly higher than that at 6 months. It seems that motor recovery from stroke was near maximal at six months. Regarding the factors related to motor recovery, only lengths of stay (LOS) <30 d during the first admission and Barthel index at discharge ≥10 were related to the improvement of BMRS of the hand, arm and leg on multivariate analysis. Additionally, no complication at discharge was associated with the improvement of BMRS of the leg. Conclusions Approximately half of our stroke patients had motor improvement of at least one stage of BMRS at one year. Motor recovery after stroke at the end of the first year was associated with shorter LOS during the first admission, higher discharge Barthel index score and absence of complications at discharge.
Fatness of children and adolescents from various socio-economic groups between 1978 and 1988

The study material contains the data on boys and girls aged from 6 to 18 years collected in the course of the Third and Fourth Anthropological Surveys carried out in Poland in 1977/78 and 1987/88. The questionnaire data (father’s and mother’s education and number of children in the family) were supplemented with the results of measurements of the triceps skinfold. It is assumed that the triceps skinfold is a good indicator of the nutritional status. In both studies fatness of children decreased along with a decreasing level of parents’ education and with increasing family size. Triceps skinfold size was related mainly to the number of children in the family. In the decade from 1978 to 1988 a decline in social differences with regard to fatness of children coming from various socio-economic strata was observed.
Role of selenium in heart lesions produced by neuroleptics in the rabbit

Organic and/or functional heart lesions sometimes resulting in sudden death have been described in psychiatric patients treated with neuroleptics. As selenium has been suggested previously to play a role in the development of such lesions, the present study was undertaken to determine whether a correlation could be found between heart lesions induced by neuroleptics and changes in blood selenium as well as myocardial tissue concentrations in the rabbit. Twelve NZW adult rabbits were treated intramuscularly with both levomepromazine (3 mg kg−1 day−1) and risperidone (1 mg kg−1 once every other week) for 3 months, and compared with 12 saline‐treated controls. Blood samples were drawn before and at the end of the study. Tissue samples from the heart, liver and kidneys were obtained at the end of treatment, and the hearts were examined histologically. Heart lesions including disorganization of cardiac fibers, myolysis, interstitial and endocardial fibrosis, and necrosis were noted in treated animals, but not in controls. There was a 20% decrease in selenium blood levels and a 50% decrease in selenium myocardial tissue levels in treated animals compared with controls (P < 0.001). In contrast, no differences in selenium levels in liver and kidneys were found across the experimental groups. These results suggest a possible correlation between selenium depletion and neuroleptics‐induced heart lesions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In Vitro Selection and Characterization of Influenza A (A/N9) Virus Variants Resistant to a Novel Neuraminidase Inhibitor, A-315675

ABSTRACT With the recent introduction of neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors into clinical practice for the treatment of influenza virus infections, considerable attention has been focused on the potential for resistance development and cross-resistance between different agents from this class. A-315675 is a novel influenza virus NA inhibitor that has potent enzyme activity and is highly active in cell culture against a variety of strains of influenza A and B viruses. To further assess the therapeutic potential of this compound, in vitro resistance studies have been conducted and a comparative assessment has been made relative to oseltamivir carboxylate. The development of viral resistance to A-315675 was studied by in vitro serial passage of influenza A/N9 virus strains grown in MDCK cells in the presence of increasing concentrations of A-315675. Parallel passaging experiments were conducted with oseltamivir carboxylate, the active form of a currently marketed oral agent for the treatment of influenza virus infections. Passage experiments with A-315675 identified a variant at passage 8 that was 60-fold less susceptible to the compound. Sequencing of the viral population identified an E119D mutation in the NA gene, but no mutations were observed in the hemagglutinin (HA) gene. However, by passage 10 (2.56 μM A-315675), two mutations (R233K, S339P) in the HA gene appeared in addition to the E119D mutation in the NA gene, resulting in a 310-fold-lower susceptibility to A-315675. Further passaging at higher drug concentrations had no effect on the generation of further NA or HA mutations (20.5 μM A-315675). This P15 virus displayed 355-fold-lower susceptibility to A-315675 and >175-fold-lower susceptibility to zanamivir than did wild-type virus, but it retained a high degree of susceptibility to oseltamivir carboxylate. By comparison, virus variants recovered from passaging against oseltamivir carboxylate (passage 14) harbored an E119V mutation and displayed a 6,000-fold-lower susceptibility to oseltamivir carboxylate and a 175-fold-lower susceptibility to zanamivir than did wild-type virus. Interestingly, this mutant still retained susceptibility to A-315675 (42-fold loss). This suggests that cross-resistance between A-315675- and oseltamivir carboxylate-selected variants in vitro is minimal.
OPPORTUNISTIC YEAST INFECTIONS, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO CANDIDIASIS

A yeast-like isolate from clinical materials may be “unusual” in the sense that it is rarely encountered in the routine laboratory, and even more rarely as the etiologic agent of disease. Such an organism is Trichosporon cictuneurn, which occurs as a cutaneous saprophyte and questionable pathogen with a frequency of less than one per~ent. ~. 35,60 When this fungus is identified as the cause of a disseminated systemic mycosis, it is indeed exceptional. Such a case will be reported in the near future by Toni and Haley. FIGURE 1, reproduced here by permission of these authors, shows T. cutaneum in a kidney abscess. The organism was isolated repeatedly from the patient’s blood and was found postmortem also in the lungs, heart, and mesenteries. A microorganism may be “unusual” also when it is isolated from materials other than those in which it occurs with relative frequency. Candida albicans and Torulopsis glabruta are comparatively commonplace residents of the mucous membranes, but are cultured only rarely from blood and other body fluids and from the internal organs. Torulopsis glabrata is considered part of the normal gastrointestinal and urogenital flora,19 and has also been isolated from sputum and urine of hospitalized p a t i e n t ~ . l J ~ > ~ ~ Its role in infections of the human urinary tract is now being reassessed, particularly with regard to the diabetic patient (TABLE 1 ) . l J E Although its pathogenicity for laboratory animals is extremely low, T. glabrufu can cause severe kidney pathology in mice with induced alloxan diabetes.19 The organism has also been reported as an agent of septicemia (TABLE 1 ) . 17,33,39*41*47363 The experiences of Louria and c o ~ o r k e r s ~ ~ and of Negroni and colleagues41 indicate that such infections respond well to therapy with amphotericin B. The most common and most intensively studied yeast-like isolate from clinical materials is Candida albicans, which outnumbers T . glabruta by at least 3 : 1 and T . cutaneum by 150: 1 in overall frequency of 0ccurrence. ~~*~5 The very ubiquity of this organism creates difficulty in distinguishing between C. albicuns the mucosal saprophyte and C. albicans the pathogen and etiologic agent of a variety of superficial and systemic infections. Confusion may ensue when the organism is recovered from blood and other visceral specimens, and analogical reasoning may lead all too easily to dismissal of such isolates as “contaminants” or “saprophytes,”ll with often tragic consequences for the patient.