Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A multicenter trial for resuscitation of injured patients with 7.5% sodium chloride. The effect of added dextran 70. The Multicenter Group for the Study of Hypertonic Saline in Trauma Patients.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the use of 250 mL of a 7.5% sodium chloride solution, both with and without added dextran 70, for the prehospital resuscitation of hypotensive trauma patients. DESIGN Double-blind randomized trial. SETTING Six trauma systems served by helicopter transport. PATIENTS Injured patients with systolic blood pressures less than 90 mm Hg at any time in the field or during helicopter transport. INTERVENTIONS Infusion of study solution, in the field or during transport, followed by conventional isotonic solutions as needed. Solutions studied in four cohorts were as follows: (1) lactated Ringer's; (2) 7.5% sodium chloride (hypertonic saline); (3) 7.5% sodium chloride combined with 6% dextran 70; and (4) 7.5% sodium chloride combined with 12% dextran 70. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Blood pressure response; survival to time of hospital discharge among the treatment groups; and survival compared with that predicted by norms from the Major Trauma Outcome Study (MTOS). RESULTS The mean (+/- SD) change in systolic blood pressure on arrival in the emergency department was significantly higher in the hypertonic saline solution group than that in the lactated Ringer's solution group (34 +/- 46 vs 11 +/- 49 mm Hg, P < .03). Overall survival in the four treatment groups was 49%, 60%, 56%, and 45% (not statistically significant). Survival in the hypertonic saline solution group, however, was significantly higher than that predicted by the MTOS norms (60% vs 48%, P < .001). Survival to hospital discharge in patients with baseline Glasgow Coma Scale scores of 8 or less was correlated with treatment group (P < .05 by logistic regression and P < .01 by Cox proportional-hazards analysis; with survival in the hypertonic saline solution group [34%] vs lactated Ringer's solution group [12%]). CONCLUSIONS Prehospital infusion of 250 mL of 7.5% sodium chloride is associated with an increase in blood pressure and an increase in survival to hospital discharge compared with survival predicted by the MTOS norms. Patients with low baseline Glasgow Coma Scale scores seem to benefit the most from 7.5% sodium chloride resuscitation. Hypertonic saline solution without added dextran 70 is as effective as the more expensive solutions that contain dextran 70.
Melatonin uptake through glucose transporters: a new target for melatonin inhibition of cancer

Melatonin is present in a multitude of taxa and it has a broad range of biological functions, from synchronizing circadian rhythms to detoxifying free radicals. Some functions of melatonin are mediated by its membrane receptors but others are receptor‐independent. For the latter, melatonin must enter into the cell. Melatonin is a derivative of the amino acid tryptophan and reportedly easily crosses biological membranes due to its amphipathic nature. However, the mechanism by which melatonin enters into cells remains unknown. Changes in redox state, endocytosis pathways, multidrug resistance, glycoproteins or a variety of strategies have no effect on melatonin uptake. Herein, it is demonstrated that members of the SLC2/GLUT family glucose transporters have a central role in melatonin uptake. When studied by docking simulation, it is found that melatonin interacts at the same location in GLUT1 where glucose does. Furthermore, glucose concentration and the presence of competitive ligands of GLUT1 affect the concentration of melatonin into cells. As a regulatory mechanism, melatonin reduces the uptake of glucose and modifies the expression of GLUT1 transporter in prostate cancer cells. More importantly, glucose supplementation promotes prostate cancer progression in TRAMP mice, while melatonin attenuated glucose‐induced tumor progression and prolonged the lifespan of tumor‐bearing mice. This is the first time that a facilitated transport of melatonin is suggested. In fact, the important role of glucose transporters and glucose metabolism in cell fate might explain some of the diverse functions described for melatonin.
[Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the prostate: a report of 2 cases and review of the literature].

OBJECTIVE To study the clinicopathological characteristics of primary Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) of the prostate. METHODS Two cases of primary NHL of the prostate were studied by analyzing the clinical data, pathological features, prognosis and review of the literature. RESULTS HE showed that the normal prostatic tissues were replaced by diffuse-type cancer tissues composed of oval or round medium- to large- size lymphoid cells, with vesicular nuclei, fine chromatin, 2-4 membrane-bound nucleoli and scanty cytoplasm, with either amphophilic or basophilic. Immunohistochemistry revealed: CD20 +, CD79a +, CD10 -, CD5 -, CD3 - and CD45 - in Case 1 and CD20+ + +, PSA +/-, CKpan -, Syn -, CgA -, 34betaE12 -, P504S - and CD3 - in Case 2. Case 1 received chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy, relapsed 4 years later and stabilized by repeated chemotherapy. Case 2 experienced no recurrence after treated by chemotherapy. CONCLUSION Surgical treatment could be avoided by preoperative pathological diagnosis of primary NHL of the prostate, for which combined chemotherapy should be the first preference.
The ambivalent coalition: doing the least one can do against the Islamic state

ABSTRACT The effort to degrade and defeat the Islamic State is like many other multilateral military efforts – characterized by widely varying contributions to the effort. This article seeks to understand the patterns of contributions. Three sets of explanations are applied: the lessons of Afghanistan and Libya, variations in how potential contributors feel the threat posed by the Islamic State, and domestic political dynamics. While there may be some political processes that overlap with the big lessons and with the threat of the Islamic State, the patterns of contributions thus far suggest that the key drivers of reactions to the Islamic State are the desire not to repeat Afghanistan combined with some impetus provided by Islamic State attacks in the various homelands. The conclusion suggests some policy implications as well as some ideas for future research.
Real-time hand posture and gesture-based touchless automotive user interface using deep learning

In this study, a vision based in-car entertainment user interface is presented. The user interface is designed using a hand posture and gesture recognition algorithm in deep learning framework. The hand posture recognition algorithm is formulated using the convolutional neural network to perform the fundamental tasks in the user interface. The hand gesture recognition algorithm is formulated using the long-term recurrent convolutional neural network to intuitively interact with the touchless automotive user interface in a detailed manner. In the recurrent deep learning framework, typically, the gesture frames are taken from a uniformly sampled image sequence. In this work, the recurrent structure is enhanced using a reduced number of input frames captured from the image sequence. The reduced input frames or key frames represent the action present in the video sequence. Sparse dictionary learning provide reliable key frame extraction from video sequences. However, sparse dictionary learning is computationally expensive, and are individually optimized for every video sequence. In this paper, we propose to approximate sparse dictionary learning using a non-linear regression framework. The multilayer perceptron is utilized to model the non-linear regression framework. The optimal neural network architecture is identified after a detailed evaluation. We evaluate the proposed recognition methods on public datasets. The proposed methods yield a recognition accuracy of 92% and 90% for pose and gestures, respectively. The combined hand posture and gesture recognition takes 82ms which is a reasonable for real time implementation.
Refractive keratotomy in keratoconus suspects.

BACKGROUND We utilized videokeratography to determine the frequency of keratoconus suspects in a refractive surgery population, and compared the results of refractive keratotomy in these patients to those of patients with normal corneal topography. METHODS The records of 67 consecutive patients (120 eyes) undergoing refractive keratotomy were reviewed retrospectively. Quantitative measurements of relative inferior corneal steepening (inferior-superior value, I-S value) were obtained from preoperative videokeratography. RESULTS Three of 120 eyes (3 of 67 patients, 4.5%) were identified as keratoconus suspects based on I-S (inferior-superior) values greater than +1.74 (range, +1.76 to +2.00), which represented two standard deviations (+/- 0.66) above the mean (+0.42). All three of these eyes achieved postoperative uncorrected visual acuity of 20/30 or better. Of those eyes with normal preoperative topography (I-S value +1.74 or less), 90 of 112 (80%) achieved postoperative uncorrected visual acuity of 20/30 or better, and 105 of 112 (94%) achieved 20/40 or better. CONCLUSIONS Although long-term follow up is needed to confirm stability of refractive surgery outcome, it appears that keratoconus suspects can obtain acceptable results with refractive keratotomy. Studies on larger patient populations using videokeratography are needed to better define keratoconus, keratoconus suspects, and normal variants of corneal topography and to determine how eyes with abnormal topography respond to refractive keratotomy.
Feasibility of Delivering Mesenchymal Stem Cells via Catheter to the Proximal End of the Lesion Artery in Patients with Stroke in the Territory of the Middle Cerebral Artery

Stem cell-based therapy shows great potential in stroke patients. Intra-artery infusion exhibits greater biological distribution compared to intravenous delivery. In addition, umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs) have several advantages compared with other types of stem cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of UCMSCs delivered by a catheter to a near lesion site for treatment of an infarction in the middle cerebral artery territory. Four patients with stroke (three with ischemic and one with hemorrhagic stroke) in the middle cerebral artery territory were recruited in this study. One single dose of 2 × 107 UCMSCs was infused within 20 min via catheterization in the M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery. The safety and efficacy of this approach were assessed during the in-hospital and 6-month follow-up evaluation. The cell delivery was successfully performed in all of the patients, and no major accidents (stroke or death) were observed. Moreover, no fever or rash was reported. After cellular therapy, two of the three ischemic stroke patients demonstrated improved muscle strength. The improvement of the modified Rankin scale was observed in two patients, both of whom suffered from ischemic stroke at 90 and 180 days after the stem cell therapy. The hemorrhagic stroke patient failed to demonstrate improved muscle strength and did not amend his daily activities. Intra-artery delivery of UCMSCs via catheterization was a feasible and safe approach and may improve the neurological function of ischemic stroke patients with the middle cerebral artery territory infarcts.
Relationship between mean platelet volume elevation and left ventricular mass index in hypertensive patients

Objectives: To compare the mean platelet volume (MPV; a general marker of platelet activation) in groups of patients with and without hypertension and to analyse its relationship with left ventricular mass index (LVMI). Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study enrolled newly diagnosed patients with untreated stage I–II hypertension and healthy control subjects without hypertension. MPV was measured using a haematology analyser. Echocardiography was performed on all of the study participants. Results: A total of 50 newly diagnosed patients with hypertension and 50 healthy control subjects were enrolled in the study. The majority of the demographic characteristics and laboratory findings were not significantly different between the two groups. The mean ± SD MPV was significantly higher in the hypertensive group compared with the control group (10.3 ± 1.4 fl versus 9.2 ± 1.8 fl, respectively). The mean ± SD LVMI was significantly higher in the hypertensive group compared with the control group (115.9 ± 23.0 g/m2 versus 95.7 ± 23.4 g/m2, respectively). There was no significant correlation between MPV and LVMI. Conclusion: In patients with untreated hypertension, despite elevated MPV levels there was no correlation between LVMI and MPV.
Answering the Call: Black Male Faculty Mentoring Black Male Student-Athletes

Abstract This chapter explores the potential of African American male faculty and staff members to serve as mentors to high-profile African American male student-athletes at large, predominantly White institutions (PWIs) of higher education. These students are a large and very visible subset of the African American male student population at these institutions and often influence how African American male students are viewed and treated by other faculty, students, and the university communities at large. Based on empirical research and combined classroom and administrative experience of over 35 years, this chapter will present the issues that African American male student-athletes face as they transition into these institutions utilizing the athletic identity, transition, and mentoring frameworks and provide solutions for administrators and faculty members to use in their efforts to help guide these students toward achieving athletic, academic, and personal success.
EphB4 promotes or suppresses Ras/MEK/ERK pathway in a context-dependent manner

EphB4 is a member of the Eph receptor tyrosine kinase family shown to act in neuronal guidance and mediate venal/arterial separation. In contrast to these more established roles, EphB4’s function in cancer is much less clear. Here we illustrate both tumor promoting as well as suppressing roles of EphB4, by showing that its activation resulted in inhibition of the Ras/ERK pathway in endothelial cells but activation of the same pathway in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. This was true if EphB4 was stimulated with EphrinB2, its natural ligand, or an agonistic monoclonal antibody for EphB4. Correspondingly, EphB4 activation stimulated MCF7 growth while inhibiting HUVEC cell proliferation. The reason for these dramatic differences is due to functional coupling of EphB4 to different downstream effectors. Reduction of p120 RasGAP in HUVEC cells attenuated the inhibitory effect of EphB4 activation on the ERK pathway, whereas knockdown of PP2A in MCF7 cells attenuated EphB4 activation of the ERK pathway. This represents the first time a functional coupling between Eph receptor and PP2A has been demonstrated leading to activation of an oncogenic pathway. Our study illustrates the caveats and potential challenges of targeting EphB4 for cancer therapy due to the conflicting effects on cancer cell and endothelial cell compartments.
Peasant Class Differentiation and Differentiated Structure of Credit: A Study of West Bengal, India

This paper based on primary field survey deals with the nature and extent of peasant class differentiation and the differentiated structure of credit. Accessibility and distribution of credit will be our major concern of investigation. Particularly, we shall try to explore the role of institutional credit in the process of differentiation. The analysis made in this paper would help us to know first of all, to what extent households are dependent on private sources of credit vis-a-vis the institutional sources, secondly, whether credit absorption has something to do with the intensity of class differentiation.
UPA promotes lipid-loaded vascular smooth muscle cell migration through LRP-1.

AIM Migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is a crucial event in atherosclerosis and vascular repair. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) infiltrated in the vessel wall become aggregated (agLDL) and internalized by VSMC through the LDL receptor-related protein LRP1, deriving in lipid-loaded cells with reduced motility capacity. The urokinase-plasminogen activator (UPA)/UPA receptor (UPAR) system plays a relevant role in vascular remodelling. Here, we investigated whether UPA-ligand binding is involved in the detrimental effects of lipid loading in VSMC migration. METHODS AND RESULTS Animals fed a high-fat diet had 10-fold higher cholesterol-LDL plasma levels, >60% decrease in aortic UPA-protein expression, and VSMC showed impaired outgrowth from aortic explants. Angiotensin II infusion significantly increased aortic UPA expression and accelerated VSMC migration. Using an in vitro model of wound repair, we showed that agLDL inhibits UPA-mediated VSMC migration. UPA silencing reduced migration in control cells to levels observed in lipid-loaded VSMC. UPA silencing did not affect migration in lipid-loaded VSMC. UPA expression was significantly decreased in agLDL-exposed VSMC. agLDL also induced changes in the subcellular localization of UPA, with a reduction in colocalization with UPAR strongly evident at the front edge of agLDL-treated migrating cells. Rescue experiments showed that UPA acting as UPAR ligand restored migration capacity of agLDL-VSMC to control levels. The effects of UPA/UPAR on migration of lipid-loaded cells occurred through the binding to LRP-1. CONCLUSION UPA-ligand binding regulates VSMC migration, a process that is interfered by LDL. Thus, tissue infiltrated LDL through the abrogation of UPA function reduces VSMC-regulated vascular repair.
Incidence of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension after pulmonary embolism.

BACKGROUND Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTPH) is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Its incidence after pulmonary embolism and associated risk factors are not well documented. METHODS We conducted a prospective, long-term, follow-up study to assess the incidence of symptomatic CTPH in consecutive patients with an acute episode of pulmonary embolism but without prior venous thromboembolism. Patients with unexplained persistent dyspnea during follow-up underwent transthoracic echocardiography and, if supportive findings were present, ventilation-perfusion lung scanning and pulmonary angiography. CTPH was considered to be present if systolic and mean pulmonary-artery pressures exceeded 40 mm Hg and 25 mm Hg, respectively; pulmonary-capillary wedge pressure was normal; and there was angiographic evidence of disease. RESULTS The cumulative incidence of symptomatic CTPH was 1.0 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 0.0 to 2.4) at six months, 3.1 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 0.7 to 5.5) at one year, and 3.8 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 1.1 to 6.5) at two years. No cases occurred after two years among the patients with more than two years of follow-up data. The following increased the risk of CTPH: a previous pulmonary embolism (odds ratio, 19.0), younger age (odds ratio, 1.79 per decade), a larger perfusion defect (odds ratio, 2.22 per decile decrement in perfusion), and idiopathic pulmonary embolism at presentation (odds ratio, 5.70). CONCLUSIONS CTPH is a relatively common, serious complication of pulmonary embolism. Diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for the early identification and prevention of CTPH are needed.
Do Donors Care About Results? An Analysis of Nonprofit Arts and Cultural Organizations

ABSTRACT: Nonprofits are facing increasing pressure to measure and demonstrate their performance outcomes. However, we know little about the relationship between a nonprofit’s performance and its ability to attract donations. Do donors value an organization’s performance information when making giving decisions? We find that organizations that are more successful (i.e., attract larger audiences to their programs and more visitors to their websites) tend to receive fewer contributions. Despite a growing culture of performance measurement, the empirical evidence does not provide strong support of its relevance among donors. A plausible theoretical reasoning is that better performance outcomes create the image of success, making organizations look less needy. These results call for more research on the link between performance outcomes and philanthropy.
Analysis of paraoxonase 1 (PON1) genetic polymorphisms and activities as risk factors for ischemic stroke in Turkish population

Paraoxonase1 (PON1) is protective against the development of atherosclerosis, a risk factor for ischemic stroke. PON1 gene has one promoter region (−107T/C) and two coding region (192Q/R and 55L/M) polymorphisms that affect the levels and catalytic efficiency of the enzyme, respectively. In this study, we aimed to determine the importance of −107T/C, 192Q/R and 55L/M polymorphisms of PON1 gene and three PON1 activities (diazoxonase, paraoxonase, arylesterase) as risk factors for ischemic stroke.
PAC Contributions and Congressional Voting on National Defense

This paper analyzes how PAC contributions from defense contractors influence members' votes for prodefense positions on the floor of the House of Representatives. Previous studies of defense voting in Congress have emphasized the powerful effects of ideological predispositions on members' roll-call votes on national defense. By contrast, PAC contributions are hypothesized to have a marginal impact. Even at the margins, the influence of PAC money is not likely to be the same for all members; it is hypothesized to be greater for moderate members than for liberal or conservative members.
The function of spliceosome components in open mitosis

Spatial separation of eukaryotic cells into the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartment permits uncoupling of DNA transcription from translation of mRNAs, and allows cells to modify newly transcribed pre mRNAs extensively. Intronic sequences (introns), which interrupt the coding elements (exons), are excised (“spliced”) from pre mRNAs in the nucleus to yield mature mRNAs. This not only enables alternative splicing as an important source of proteome diversity. Splicing is also an essential process in all eukaryotes and knock-out or knock-down of splicing factors frequently results in defective cell proliferation and cell division. However, higher eukaryotes progress through cell division only after breakdown of the nucleus (“open mitosis”). Open mitosis suppresses basic nuclear functions such as transcription and splicing, but allows separate, mitotic functions of nuclear proteins in cell division. Mitotic defects arising after loss-of-function of splicing proteins therefore could be an indirect consequence of compromised splicing in the closed nucleus of the preceding interphase, or reflect a direct contribution of splicing proteins to open mitosis. Although experiments to directly distinguish between these two alternatives have not been reported, indirect evidence exists for either hypotheses. In this review, we survey published data supporting an indirect function of splicing in open mitosis or arguing for a direct function of spliceosomal proteins in cell division.