Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epsilon‐Aminocaproic Acid Therapy for Dental Extractions in Haemophilia and Christmas Disease: A Double Blind Controlled Trial

Summary. The results are reported of a pilot study and two separate double blind controlled trials of the effectiveness of epsilon‐aminocaproic acid (EACA) in dental extractions in patients with haemophilia and Christmas disease. In the major trial 31 patients were studied; 23 at Oxford and eight at Cardiff. All patients received either EACA (6 g four times daily for 10 days at Oxford or for 7 days at Cardiff) or a placebo, in conjunction with a single preoperative dose of therapeutic materials expected to raise the plasma factor‐VIII or factor‐IX level to 50%. Post‐operative therapeutic materials were withheld unless intraoral bleeding occurred. Despite the fact that plasma factor‐VIII or factor‐IX levels were, on average, lower, the number of teeth extracted larger, the amount of therapeutic concentrates less and the postinfusion plasma factor‐VIII or factor‐IX levels lower in the EACA group at Oxford, the incidence of postoperative intraoral bleeding was lower and the requirements for postoperative therapeutic materials less in the group treated with EACA. Side‐effects were not a major problem. The number of patients studied at Cardiff was too few for statistical analysis but the results were similar to those at Oxford. The total conservation of therapeutic materials at Oxford in comparison to the amount utilized before EACA was used is estimated on the basis of these results to be approximately 12 000 factor‐VIII or factor‐IX units/patient, or approximately 190 units/kg/patient, equivalent, for each patient, to the amount derived from approximately 120 blood donations.
PCR Assay for Detecting Porcine Cytomegalovirus

ABSTRACT This is the first published report of a PCR assay for detecting porcine cytomegalovirus (PCMV), the causative agent of inclusion body rhinitis in pigs. The DNA to be tested was extracted directly from lungs and nasal scrapings of pigs with various clinical syndromes. Fifty-nine percent (74 of 126) of tested pigs with various clinical syndromes were found to be PCR positive for PCMV. It is hoped that veterinary diagnostic laboratories will benefit by using this PCR assay for routine testing and surveillance of PCMV in pigs.
Soluble TNF and membrane TNF expressed on CD4+ T lymphocytes differ In their ability to activate macrophage antileishmanial defense

In our studies of host defense against the intracellular parasite Leishmania major, we obtained evidence for a novel mechanism of macrophage activation for antimicrobial defense that involves direct cell contact between CD4+ T lymphocytes and Leishmania‐infected macrophages. The mechanism is distinctive as it does not involve secretion of lymphokines but is apparently mediated by the membrane‐anchored form of tumor necrosis factor (mTNF; ~50–60 kd) present on the surface of the effector T lymphocytes. Furthermore, it is not cytotoxic to the host cell and its expression is antigen specific and genetically restricted. We prepared a Leishmania‐specific cloned T‐T cell hybridoma line 1B6 (CD4+ TH1) that expresses membrane‐bound TNF but does not secrete TNF or other macrophage activators. We now report that 1B6 cells can activate antileishmanial defense in inflammatory macrophages, whereas soluble recombinant murine TNF (sTNF) alone is unable to do so. On the other hand, both 1B6 cells and sTNF can act synergistically with recombinant murine interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ, a known soluble macrophage‐activating factor) in activating antimicrobial defense and NO−2 release. The effects of 1B6 alone and the synergistic effects of 1B6 and IFN‐γ or sTNF and IFN‐γ are arginine dependent. These results suggest that mTNF may be more efficient than sTNF in macrophage activation and that contact with effector CD4+ lymphocytes that express mTNF may be an important mechanism of host defense.
Chapter 12 Current State-ofthe-Science Adjuvant and Neoadjuvant Therapy in Surgically Resected Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer represents the third most prevalent cancer in the United States, and the third most common cause of cancer-related mortality [1]. Due to the widespread introduction of screening of asymptomatic patients age 50 and above, the incidence of colorectal cancer has been declining [2]. Unfortunately the incidence of colorectal cancer in those under the age of 50 is increasing [3]. In its earliest stages colorectal cancer is highly treatable and curable. Cures in patients with advanced disease are uncommon, but with improved systemic therapies and oncologic surgery, is increasing over time. However, despite modern therapeutic advances, less than 20% of patients with distant metastatic disease will be alive and disease free for five years following the diagnosis [4].
Propensity Score Methods in Nursing Research: Take Advantage of Them but Proceed With Caution.

Intervention research on health outcomes is important to advancing the nursing science. Using randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to estimate intervention (or treatment) effects is optimal for this purpose. Unfortunately, for practical or ethical reasons, RCTs are often not feasible, and thus, researchers often rely on observational or non-RCT data to estimate treatment effects. Such practice poses a threat to the validity of treatment effect estimation, because the lack of randomization introduces selection bias in observational and non-RCT data. Since the inception of Rosenbaum and Rubin’s (1983) seminal work on propensity score methods for reducing selection bias, numerous studies have been published in the social, behavioral, and medical literature in applying propensity score methods to observational studies and non-RCTs. A propensity score is defined as the conditional probability of a subject (e.g., patient) being assigned to a treatment group given a set of observed covariates (or confounders) such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, and health status (Rosenbaum & Rubin, 1985). Propensity score methods are a set of statistical procedures for using propensity scores to balance the distributions of observed covariates between the treatment and control (or comparison) groups with the aim of reducing selection bias. Such covariate balance enables a direct comparison between the treatment and control groups, similar to RCTs; therefore, applying propensity score methods can increase the validity of treatment effect estimation when observational or non-RCT data are used (Bai, 2011b; Pan & Bai, 2015b; Rubin, 2008). Propensity score methods usually consist of four basic steps: (a) selecting covariates; (b) estimating propensity scores; (c) matching, weighting, or stratifying subjects on/using propensity scores; and (d) conducting the intended outcome analysis (Pan & Bai, 2015a). Although propensity score methods are widely used in social, behavioral, and medical research, few publications related to propensity score methods are found in nursing research. For example, a search in Web of Science using “propensity score” as a topic keyword showed that, of the 14,561 articles related to propensity scores published since 1983 in Web of Science categorized journals, only 48 of them (0.33%) were published in nursing journals. The dearth of applications of propensity score methods to nursing research suggests that propensity score methods may not be well known to nursing
mutualists Evolutionary origins and diversification of proteobacterial

Supplementary data tml http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing. org/content/suppl/2013/11/26/rspb.2013. 2146.DC1. h "Data Supplement" References http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing. org/content/281/1775/20132146.full. html#ref-list-1 This article cites 45 articles, 17 of which can be accessed free Email alerting service here right-hand corner of the article or click Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article sign up in the box at the top
Biomass production and nutrient binding of catch crops.

The trials were carried out during the 2008–2010 growing seasons at the Estonian University of Life Sciences’ Department of Field Crop Husbandry. The experiments were performed to measure the amount of biomass produced by catch crops and how effectively they bind the soil nutrients. The experiment was performed four times on a Stagnic Luvisol (LVst). The catch crops were white mustard, fodder radish, faba bean, winter oil rape, winter oil turnip, Italian ryegrass, pea, rye and phacelia. The amount of biomass that catch crops produced differed significantly from year to year. Sowing time had a great effect on biomass production, with August having the greatest sum of effective temperatures. The best nutrient binders were pea and beans. In better growth years these crops bound 50–100 kg ha-1 N, 7–10 kg ha-1 P, 40–60 kg ha-1 K. Of Brassicaceae, white mustard and fodder radish produced the highest biomass, used up to 9 kg ha-1 P and up to 82 kg ha-1 K (2010, fodder radish) in the biological cycle of organic matter. The catch crops did not reduce soil NO3-N and NH4-N content compared to the control fields without catch crops variant.
Frs2α-deficiency in cardiac progenitors disrupts a subset of FGF signals required for outflow tract morphogenesis

The cardiac outflow tract (OFT) is a developmentally complex structure derived from multiple lineages and is often defective in human congenital anomalies. Although emerging evidence shows that fibroblast growth factor (FGF) is essential for OFT development, the downstream pathways mediating FGF signaling in cardiac progenitors remain poorly understood. Here, we report that FRS2α (FRS2), an adaptor protein that links FGF receptor kinases to multiple signaling pathways, mediates crucial aspects of FGF-dependent OFT development in mouse. Ablation of Frs2α in mesodermal OFT progenitor cells that originate in the second heart field (SHF) affects their expansion into the OFT myocardium, resulting in OFT misalignment and hypoplasia. Moreover, Frs2α mutants have defective endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition and neural crest cell recruitment into the OFT cushions, resulting in OFT septation defects. These results provide new insight into the signaling molecules downstream of FGF receptor tyrosine kinases in cardiac progenitors.
The Effects of Acute Amiodarone on Short- and Long-duration Ventricular Defibrillation Threshold in Canines

Introduction: Some studies have shown that the defibrillation threshold (DFT) differs between short-duration ventricular fibrillation (SDVF, <1 minute) and long-duration ventricular fibrillation (LDVF > 1 minute). The goal of this study is to evaluate the effects of acute intravenous amiodarone on SDVF-DFT and LDVF-DFT and its possible mechanism as well. Methods: Twelve open-chest dogs were randomly divided into 2 groups (control group, normal saline, 10 mL·kg−1·h−1 maintenance, n = 6; amiodarone group, loading dose 10 mg/kg over 10 minutes, maintenance dose 5 mg·kg−1·h−1, n = 6). VF was electrically induced and recorded with a 12 × 12 unipolar electrode plaque (2-mm spacing) sutured on the left ventricular epicardium and a plunge needle (6 unipolar electrode) inserted in the left ventricular apex. The DFTs of SDVF and LDVF were determined 20 seconds and 3 minutes after VF induction, respectively. Restitution was estimated from activation recovery intervals during pacing from the plaque and plunge needle electrodes. The activation rate was estimated by Fast Fourier Transform analysis of VF at same electrodes. The VF cycle length was defined as the reciprocal of the activation rate. The epicardial and transmural dispersion of the maximal slope of the restitution curve and VF cycle length of SDVF and LDVF were calculated, respectively. Results: In controls, LDVF-DFT was higher than SDVF-DFT (645 ± 61 vs. 520 ± 63 V, P < 0.01). Amiodarone did not significantly alter SDVF-DFTs (496 ± 49 vs. 552 ± 69 V, P > 0.05) but decreased LDVF-DFT by 31% (P < 0.01). Compared with control, amiodarone significantly reduced the maximum slope of the restitution curve (1.12 ± 0.35 vs. 0.81 ± 0.25, P = 0.03) and its epicardial dispersion (0.32 ± 0.07 vs. 0.24 ± 0.04,coefficient of variation, P = 0.017). Amiodarone significantly increased the SDVF-CL (92 ± 8 vs. 99 ± 10 milliseconds, P < 0.01) and epicardial dispersion 0.14 ± 0.06 vs. 0.18 ± 0.05, P < 0.01. Amiodarone did not change the LDVF-CL (228 ± 12 vs. 226 ± 10 milliseconds, P > 0.05) or epicardial dispersion (0.17 ± 0.03 vs. 0.15 ± 0.02, P > 0.05) compared with control. However, the drug significantly decreased the transmural dispersion of LDVF-CL (68 ± 28 vs. 39 ± 14 milliseconds, P < 0.01) without changing the transmural dispersion of SDVF-CL (29 ± 22 vs. 32 ± 30 milliseconds, P > 0.05). Conclusions: Acute amiodarone significantly decreased the LDVF-DFT. The decreased transmural dispersion of LDVF-CL by amiodarone might contribute to the decreased LDVF-DFT.
Role of the Heme Oxygenases in Abnormalities of the Mesenteric Circulation in Cirrhotic Rats

Carbon monoxide (CO), a product of heme metabolism by heme-oxygenase (HO), has biological actions similar to those of nitric oxide (NO). The role of CO in decreasing vascular responses to constrictor agents produced by experimental cirrhosis induced by carbon tetrachloride was evaluated before and after inhibition of HO with tin-mesoporphyrin (SnMP) in the perfused superior mesenteric vasculature (SMV) of cirrhotic and normal rats and in normal rats transfected with the human HO-1 (HHO-1) gene. Perfusion pressure and vasoconstrictor responses of the SMV to KCl, phenylephrine (PE), and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were decreased in cirrhotic rats. SnMP increased SMV perfusion pressure and restored the constrictor responses of the SMV to KCl, PE, and ET-1 in cirrhotic rats. The relative roles of NO and CO in producing hyporeactivity of the SMV to PE in cirrhotic rats were examined. Vasoconstrictor responses to PE were successively augmented by stepwise inhibition of CO and NO production, suggesting a complementary role for these gases in the regulation of reactivity of the SMV. Expression of constitutive but not of inducible HO (HO-1) was increased in the SMV of cirrhotic rats as was HO activity. Administration of adenovirus containing HHO-1 gene produced detection of HHO-1 RNA and increased HO activity in the SMV within 7 days. Rats transfected with HO-1 demonstrated reduction in both perfusion pressure and vasoconstrictor responses to PE in the SMV. We propose that HO is an essential component in mechanisms that modulate reactivity of the mesenteric circulation in experimental hepatic cirrhosis in rats.
Porcine islet isolation, cellular composition and secretory response.

Porcine islets were isolated by infusion of a warm collagenase solution into whole pancreata followed by static incubation at 37 degrees C for 15 minutes. The pancreata were then chopped into small pieces and the free islets purified by filtration and centrifugation over a ficoll gradient. The insulin:amylase ratio of the islets compared to that in the intact pancreas was determined in 19 pancreata and indicates that the isolated islets were of a high degree of purity. The distribution of insulin, glucagon, somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide containing cells in pig pancreas sections was compared with that in rat. Porcine islets were much smaller and less well defined than rat islets with infiltration of acinar material even into the islet core. The levels of insulin, glucagon and somatostatin in porcine pancreas and isolated porcine islets were measured using conventional radioimmunoassay techniques. The ratio of these hormones in the pancreas was 105.1:5.8:1 respectively, and in the islets 105.1:0.68:0.087 respectively. Fragmentation of the islets during the isolation may have led to the loss of glucagon and somatostatin-containing cells. Islets cultured overnight and tested with a range of glucose concentrations for one hour did not show a significant stimulation of insulin secretion in the presence of 8.3 mM or 16.7 mM glucose compared to that in 2.8 mM glucose. However freshly isolated islets challenged with 8.3 mM, 13.9 mM and 22.2 mM glucose showed a 1.8 fold, 2.0 fold and 2.3 fold response respectively, over that in 2.8 mM glucose. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A Comparison of Laparoscopy and Laparotomy for the Treatment of Ectopic Pregnancy

A case-control method was used to examine differences, in outcome between laparoscopy and laparotomy for the treatment of ectopic pregnancy. Cases and controls, 25 each, were matched by criteria selected to minimize differences in preoperative morbidity and technical difficulty. Patients treated laparoscopically had significantly shorter hospital stays (1.34 ± 0.8 versus 3.92 ± 1.1 days; mean ± SD; P < .01) and less operating time (77.5 ± 26.1 versus 103.6 ± 26.7 minutes; P < .05). In addition, a laparoscopic approach resulted in a shorter convalescence (8.7 ± 7.8 versus 25.7 ± 16.2 days; P < .01) and reduced postoperative analgesia requirements (0.84 ± 2.3 versus 4.64 ± 2.9 doses; P < .01). We conclude that laparoscopic treatment of ectopic pregnancy is well tolerated by patients and, in comparison with laparotomy, requires fewer medical resources, thereby significantly reducing cost.
Neurotrophins and Neurotrophin Receptors in Human Pulmonary Arteries

The localization of neurotrophins (NTs) and NT receptors was analyzed in sections of human extra- and intrapulmonary arteries by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. In extrapulmonary branches of human pulmonary artery, NT and NT receptor immunoreactivity was located in the tunica intima, within endothelium, in the tunica media, within smooth muscle and in the tunica adventitia. In different sized intrapulmonary arteries, NT and NT receptor immunoreactivity was observed primarily in the tunica adventitia. A faint NT and NT receptor immunoreactivity was observed in the tunica media of large-sized branches of intrapulmonary arteries, but not within medium- or small-sized intrapulmonary vessels or in tunica intima of different sized intrapulmonary arteries. These findings suggest that NTs may have a role in the control of vascular responses in the pulmonary system acting as local paracrine or autocrine mediators. The possible relevance of the NT system in human pulmonary vasculature identified in this study is discussed.
Preventive Effects of Oral Tolerance on Allergic Inflammation and Airway Remodeling in a Murine Model

Background Oral tolerance (OT) is considered as a preventive and therapeutic strategy for treating asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR). We investigated the preventive effects of OT on allergic inflammation and remodeling in the upper and lower airways in a mouse model of allergy. Methods BALB/c mice were divided into four groups: control, allergy, low-dose OT, and high-dose OT. To induce OT, mice were fed ovalbumin (OVA) before sensitization with OVA/Al(OH)3 at a dose of 1 mg for 6 days in low-dose OT group and a single dose of 25 mg in high-dose OT group. After sensitization followed by OVA challenge, nasal symptoms, interleukin (IL)-13, interferon (IFN)-gamma, IL-10, and transforming growth factor (TGF) beta-1 levels in nasal lavage (NAL) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids were measured, and OVA-specific IgE, IgG1, and IgG2a levels were measured in the serum. The airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) was measured by enhanced pause. The goblet cell hyperplasia and the thickness of lamina propria were observed in the upper and lower airways. Results In the allergy group, the allergic behavior scores, AHR, and OVA-specific IgE, IgG1, and IgG2a levels; inflammatory cells; IFN-gamma levels; and IL-13 levels in NAL/BAL fluids were elevated compared with the control group, low-dose OT group, and high-dose OT group. The allergy group had higher levels of IL-10 and TGF-beta-1 in BAL fluids when compared with the other groups. The goblet cell hyperplasia and the thickness of the lamina propria were attenuated in both OT groups compared with the allergy group. Conclusion OT may effectively prevent AHR, allergic inflammation, and airway remodeling in the upper and lower airways.
Antibodies against high‐risk human papillomavirus proteins as markers for invasive cervical cancer

Different human papillomavirus (HPV) genes are expressed during the various phases of the HPV life cycle and may elicit immune responses in the process towards malignancy. To evaluate their association with cervical cancer, antibodies against proteins from HPV16 (L1, E1, E2, E4, E6 and E7) and HPV18/31/33/35/45/52/58 (L1, E6 and E7) were measured in serum of 307 invasive cervical cancer cases and 327 controls from Algeria and India. Antibody response was evaluated using a glutathione S‐transferase‐based multiplex serology assay and HPV DNA detected from exfoliated cervical cells using a GP5+/6+‐mediated PCR assay. Among HPV16 DNA‐positive cases, seroprevalence of HPV16 antibodies ranged from 16% for HPV16 E1 to 50% for HPV16 E6 and all were significantly higher than controls. Seroprevalence of E6, E7 and L1 antibodies for HPV18 and for at least one of HPV31/33/35/45/52/58 were also higher in cases positive for DNA of the corresponding type (50% and 30% for E6 of HPV18 and HPV31/33/35/45/52/58 combined, respectively). E6 and E7 antibodies were rarely found in controls, but cross‐reactivity was evident among cancer cases positive for DNA of closely phylogenetically‐related HPV types. E6 or E7 antibodies against any of the eight HPV types were detected in 66.1% of all cervical cancer cases, as compared to 10.1% of controls. E6, and to a lesser extent E7, antibodies appear to be specific markers of HPV‐related malignancy. However, even among cases positive for the same type of HPV DNA, approximately one‐third of cervical cancer cases show no detectable immune response to either E6 or E7.
CARBOHYDRATE-DEFICIENT TRANSFERRIN (CDT)—A BIOMARKER FOR LONG-TERM ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) is a biomarker for chronic alcohol intake of more than 60g ethanol/d. It has been reported to be superior to conventional markers like gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV). This review covers theoretical and analytical aspects, with data from controlled drinking experiments and from different population subgroups such as subjects with different liver diseases or different drinking patterns. CDT determinations are particularly indicated in (1) cases of chronic alcohol consumption and relapses after withdrawal, (2) license reapplication after driving under alcohol influence, (3) differentiating patients with enzyme-inducing medication from those with alcohol abuse, (4)congenital disorders of glycosylation such as carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome la (CDGS la), and (5) patients treated for galactosemia. The main advantage of CDT is its high specificity, as evidenced in combination with increased alcohol consumption. CDT values are not markedly influenced by medication except in immunosuppressed patients, who may show low CDT values. In general, CDT values appear less elevated after alcohol intake in women. The main disadvantage is the relatively low sensitivity. Hence, this parameter is not suitable for screening for subjects with alcohol abuse in the general population. As CDT, GGT, and MCV are connected with chronic alcohol consumption by different pathophysiological mechanisms, a combination of these parameters will further improve the diagnostic value.