Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pharmacodynamics and Tolerance of Two Nadroparin Formulations (10,250 and 20,500 Anti Xa IU·ml-1) Delivered for 10 Days at Therapeutic Dose

Summary Venous thromboembolism may be efficiently treated by once-a-day (o.d.) administration of a high dose of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) instead of administration of the same total dose in two injections a day (b.i. d.). To reduce the volume of the subcutaneous (s.c.) injection, a more concentrated form of the drug is advisable. This study was designed to compare the bioavailability of 2 formulations of nadroparin containing 10,250 and 20,500 anti-Xa IU·ml-1 respectively. This was an open, randomized, cross-over study where 12 healthy volunteers (age 18-35) were enrolled. They received either 90 anti-Xa IU·kg-1 b.i. d. of the 10,250 IU preparation (treatment A), or 180 anti-Xa IU·kg-1 o.d. of the 20,500 IU preparation (treatment B) for 10 days. On day 1, the subjects were sampled between 0 and 12 h (treatment A) or between 0 and 24 h (treatment B). On day 10, they were sampled between 0 and 12 h and between 12 and 24 h (treatment A) or between 0 and 24 h (treatment B). Anti-Xa and anti-IIa activities were determined by specific chromogenic assays. The main result of the study was that the bioavailability of the anti-Xa activity of the 2 nadroparin formulations was equivalent, as shown by the comparison of the AUC0-12 h plus AUC12-24 h (treatment A) and the AUC0-24 h (treatment B), calculated on day 10. This study also allowed a number of interesting observations to be made. 1) Between day 1 and day 10, there was an accumulation of the anti-Xa activity for treatment A but not for treatment B (accumulation factors: 1.6 and 1.1 respectively); 2) On day 10, the AUC0-12 h were slightly but significantly lower than the AUC12-24 h suggesting a circadian effect for anti-Xa and anti-IIa activities; 3) the clearance of the anti-Xa activity was comparable at the 2-dose regimens, while that of the anti-IIa activity was lower in treatment B than in treatment A, indicating a significant dose effect for the pharmacodynamics of the longer heparin chains; 4) On average, the clearance of the anti-IIa activity was twice as high as that of the anti-Xa activity; 5) For treatment B, significant APTT prolongations were noticed at Tmax (prolongation factor: 1.7 ± 0.25), in relation with the anti-IIa activity (0.3 ± 0.1 IU·ml–1).
Income Disparities in the Quality of Life of Cancer Survivors

Background:Studies of cancer survivors usually report positive correlations between income and health-related quality of life (QoL). These correlations cannot necessarily be interpreted as income disparities because earnings and income are affected by health, as well as the reverse. Objectives:The goal of this study was to quantify income disparities in QoL among cancer survivors by using instrumental variables (IV) to assess and, if necessary, correct for reverse causality. Methods:We constructed an instrumental variable for income from home ownership, sources of unearned income, marital status at diagnosis, and spousal characteristics. Then, we examined income's effect on QoL in regressions controlling for other clinical and demographic predictors of QoL. The data were from interviews in 2002 with a cohort of cancer survivors who were 25 to 62 years of age when diagnosed during 1997 to 1999. Measures:The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) and the SF-12 measured QoL in multiple domains. Questions adapted from the Health and Retirement Study ascertained the ratio of annual family income to the poverty threshold in 2001. Results:Endogeneity tests were sensitive to assumptions of linearity for the income–QoL relationship and the choice of QoL measure. Consistently estimated income disparities were significant in all QoL models. The income elasticity of QoL ranged from 2% to 10%. Conclusions:There are income-related disparities in the QoL of cancer survivors that cannot be explained away by the effect of health on earnings. High-income patients are not only more likely to survive cancer, but they enjoy better QoL as survivors.
Human isolates of Listeria monocytogenes in Sweden during half a century (1958–2010)

SUMMARY Isolates of Listeria monocytogenes (n = 932) isolated in Sweden during 1958–2010 from human patients with invasive listeriosis were characterized by serotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) (AscI). Of the 932 isolates, 183 different PFGE types were identified, of which 83 were each represented by only one isolate. In all, 483 serovar 1/2a isolates were distributed over 114 PFGE types; 90 serovar 1/2b isolates gave 32 PFGE types; 21 serovar 1/2c isolates gave nine PFGE types; three serovar 3b isolates gave one PFGE type; and, 335 serovar 4b isolates gave 31 PFGE types. During the 1980s in Sweden, several serovar 4b cases were associated with the consumption of European raw soft cheese. However, as cheese-production hygiene has improved, the number of 4b cases has decreased. Since 1996, serovar 1/2a has been the dominant L. monocytogenes serovar in human listeriosis in Sweden. Therefore, based on current serovars and PFGE types, an association between human cases of listeriosis and the consumption of vacuum-packed gravad and cold-smoked salmon is suggested.
Exploring the Sequence Context of Phosphorylatable Amino Acids: The Contribution of the Upgraded MAPRes Tool

Several models that predict where post‐translational modifications are likely to occur and formulate the corresponding association rules are available to analyze the functional potential of a protein sequence, but an algorithm incorporating the functional groups of the involved amino acids in the sequence analyses process is not yet available. In its previous version, MAPRes was utilized to investigate the influence of the surrounding amino acids of post‐ translationally and co‐translationally modifiable sites. The MAPRes has been upgraded to take into account the different biophysical and biochemical properties of the amino acids that have the potential to influence different post‐ translational modifications (PTMs). In the present study, the upgraded version of MAPRes was implemented on phosphorylated Ser/Thr/Tyr data by considering the polarity and charge of the surrounding amino acids. The patterns mined by MAPRes incorporating structural information on polarity and charge of amino acids suggest distinct structure‐function relationships for phosphorylated serines in a multifunctional protein such as the insulin‐receptor substrate‐1 (IRS‐1) protein. The new version of MAPRes is freely available at http://www.imsb. edu.pk/Database.htm. J. Cell. Biochem. 116: 370–379, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Expression and Localization of Tissue Factor-Based Procoagulant Activity (PCA) in Pigeon Monocyte-Derived Macrophages

Summary Monocyte-derived macrophages, focal to initiation and progression of atherosclerosis, have been implicated in thrombotic complication of this disease. In the present study we demonstrated tissue factor based procoagulant activity in cultured macrophages from the White Carneau pigeon following endotoxin (1-2 μg/ml) stimulation. This macrophage procoagulant activity paralleled activity obtained with pigeon brain homogenate. We used Enzyme-Linked Coagulation Assay (ELCA), an ultrasensitive microtiter plate assay, to measure procoagulant activity in these cells. Through the use of clotting factors purified from pigeon plasma, procoagulant activity could be detected with as few as 1-3 cells. Tissue factor antigen, detected through the use of immunogold labelling in conjunction with a polyclonal antibody which was highly specific to human tissue factor, was distributed uniformly over the plasma membrane of the endotoxin-stimulated cells. These studies suggest that this procoagulant activity might play an important role in the pathobiology of atherosclerosis in White Carneau pigeons by initiating fibrin polymerization and thus leading to thrombotic complications of the disease.
Highly Drug-Resistant Salmonella enterica Serovar Indiana Clinical Isolates Recovered from Broilers and Poultry Workers with Diarrhea in China

ABSTRACT Highly drug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Indiana became the most common serovar in broilers with diarrhea in China over the course of this study (15% in 2010 to 70% in 2014). While most S. Indiana isolates (87%, 384/440) were resistant to 13 to 16 of the 16 antibiotics tested, 89% of non-S. Indiana isolates (528/595) were resistant to 0 to 6 antibiotics. Class 1 integrons and IncHI2-type plasmids were detected in all S. Indiana isolates, but only in 39% and 1% of non-S. Indiana isolates.
Brain potentials associated with outcome expectation and outcome evaluation

Feedback-related negativity is a negative deflection in brain potentials associated with feedback indicating monetary losses or response errors. Feedback-related negativity is studied primarily in paradigms in which participants experience negative outcomes that appear to be contingent upon their previous choices. This study investigated whether feedback-related negativity can be elicited by a randomly assigned cue indicating potential monetary loss. The expected loss or win can be materialized or averted depending on participants’ performance in a subsequent game. Compared with the win cue, the loss cue elicited a weak but significant feedback-related negativity-like effect. It is suggested that the anterior cingulate cortex, which generates feedback-related negativity, may function as a pre-warning system that alerts the brain to get ready for future events.
A Radioimmunoassay for Circulating Human Proinsulin

A radioimmunoassay for human proinsulin (hPI) has been developed using biosynthetic hPI prepared by recombinant DNA technology as immunogen, standard, and tracer. The antiserum was raised in a guinea pig and then adsorbed against insulin and C-peptide conjugated to Sepharose to improve its specificity. After adsorption of the antiserum, the cross-reactivities to insulin and C-peptide were each <0.2%. Competition studies using in vitro enzymatically split forms of proinsulin demonstrated that the major antigenic determinant recognized was the junctional region between the B-chain of insulin and the C-peptide. The range of the assay extended from 10 to 150 fmol/tube, with a 50% displacement of 45–55 fmol/tube. This sensitivity proved suitable for measurements of serum hPI concentrations during infusion of biosynthetic hPI into normal subjects and type I diabetic subjects. Eightyfive of 89 serum samples from the normal subjects and each of 20 samples from diabetic subjects diluted in parallel with the hPI standard. Since the direct assay sensitivity was not sufficient for measurement of endogenous hPI levels, a simple procedure for quantitative extraction of proinsulin-like material (PLM) from up to 40 ml of plasma on insulin antibody-Sepharose columns was developed. Log it-log slopes were calculated for dilutions of extracts of samples collected in the fasting state and 60 min after 75 g of oral glucose from eight healthy subjects. The slopes of 15 of the 16 samples did not differ significantly from the slope of the hPI standard. The fasting PLM concentration was 5.8 ± 3.0 fmol/ml (mean ± S.D, N = 8) and rose to 22.5 ± 6.7 fmol/ml (N = 6) 60 min after a 75-g oral glucose load. This assay will be useful in characterizing the metabolism and metabolic effects of biosynthetic human proinsulin and its intermediate forms and determining their therapeutic potential, and for measuring endogenous PLM in extracted plasma samples.
Consequences of Total and Subtotal Myeloperoxidase Deficiency: Risk or Benefit ?

A group of 100 totally or subtotally myeloperoxidase (MPO)-deficient individuals was compared to a reference population of 118 probands selected at random. Data for a protective effect of the deficiency against cardiovascular damage are presented. On the other hand, a significantly higher occurrence of severe infections and chronic inflammatory processes was noted among the deficient patients. An increased incidence of cancer among the MPO-deficient individuals was not demonstrated.
Happy Twitter Tweets are More Likely in American States with Lower Levels of Resident Neuroticism

Relations between Big Five personality scores aggregated at the American state level and the happiness of Twitter tweet content emanating from each of the 50 American states were explored with the 50 states as the units of analysis. Tweet happiness correlated negatively with Neuroticism, and the relation remained when partial correlation and multiple regression adjusted and controlled for state socioeconomic status, white population percent, and urban population percent. In contrast, state levels of Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, and Agreeableness showed no relation to state levels of the happiness of tweet content.
VRSPV Soft-Start Strategy and AICS Technique for Boost Converters to Improve the Start-Up Performance

Soft-start strategy is very important for boost converters to guarantee the stability of the output voltage. However, previous methods may cause large initial inrush current and long output voltage settling time. In this paper, a variable ramp-slope with predefined voltage (VRSPV) soft-start strategy is proposed. As a result, one branch of the initial inrush current is successfully eliminated and the output settling time of the boost converter is shortened by using the variable slope soft-start voltage. Also, an adaptive inrush current suppressing (AICS) technique is designed. The series resistance of the output capacitor is adaptively regulated by AICS technique to further suppress the initial inrush current. Finally, the VRSPV strategy and AICS technique are combined and implemented in a voltage-mode boost converter. The measurement results show that the peak initial inrush current and settling time are decreased by 60% and 40%, respectively. The output voltage of the boost converter increases smoothly during the soft-start period and finally achieves stability. The proposed method of combining VRSPV strategy and AICS technique is very suitable to be integrated on a chip to save the printed circuit board area and cost.
Low complexity turbo space-time code for system with large number of antennas

We consider the design of a space-time code for a system with large number of antennas using a serial turbo code structure with a parity cheek code as the outer code under a quasistatic and independent Rayleigh fading environment. By studying the case with a large number of receive antennas, we have proven that interference between different transmit antennas vanishes as the number of receive antennas approaches infinity. The design of a code can then be largely simplified by dividing the antennas into groups, using a small space-time code on each group. An outer code is added to allow each information bit to fully utilize the full range of antenna diversity and to be benefited from all the space-time codes. Dividing the overall system into groups enables a trade off between complexity and performance. This scheme has been investigated for systems with 5 receive antennas and 2 or 4 transmit antennas. Simulation results showed that the system performance in terms of the frame error rate degrades only slightly when both the data rate and the number of transmit antennas are doubled while keeping the received energy per bit at the receiver constant.
Optimal Lymphatic Vessel Structure

Lymphatic vessels transport excess interstitial fluid from the low-pressure tissues to the higher pressure veins. The basic structural unit of lymphatic vessels is the lymphangion, a segment of the vessel separated by two unidirectional valves. Lymphangions cyclically contract like ventricles and can actively pump lymph. Lymphangions, as conduit vessels, also can act as arteries, and resist lymph flow. Functional parameters such as pressures, flow, and efficiency are determined by structural parameters like length, radius, and wall thickness. Since these structural parameters are unalterable experimentally, we developed a computational model to study the effect of a particular structural parameter, lymphangion length, to a particular functional variable, lymph flow. The model predicts that flow is a bimodal function of length, exhibiting an optimal length in the same order of magnitude as that observed experimentally. In essence, when the length to radius ratio is small, lymphangions act more like ventricles, where longer lengths yield greater chamber volume and thus lymph pumped. When the length to radius ratio is large, lymphangions act more like arteries, where longer lengths yield greater resistances to flow. This approach provides the means to explore how lymphatic vessel structure is optimized in a variety of conditions.
Factor structure of the Eating Disorder Inventory-C.

OBJECTIVE The Eating Disorder Inventory-C (EDI-C) is a multidimensional self-report questionnaire for children and adolescents used to characterize differences in the symptoms of eating disorders. It is based on the EDI-2 questionnaire, which is designed for adults. Although the psychometric properties of the EDI and EDI-2 have been well characterized, no studies exist on the EDI-C. Thus, we aimed to establish the factor structure of the EDI-C questionnaire among children. METHOD A nonclinical sample of 898 children aged 9-16 years completed the EDI-C questionnaire at school. RESULTS Instead of the original 11-factor structure of the EDI-2, 5 factors with high reliability were extracted when 27 items with low communality were removed from analysis. DISCUSSION When the EDI-C is used, the reliability of the original 11 factors may be low. A modified subscale structure with five factors is proposed.
Auditory Event-Related Potentials during Phonetic and Semantic Processing in Children

This study was designed to follow the time course of different levels of linguistic processing using auditory event-related potentials (AERPs). A hierarchical set of acoustically controlled stimuli was used to elicit AERPs in 20 normal children who performed discrimination tasks involving pure tones, phonetic ‘easy’ and ‘difficult’ stimuli and semantic stimuli. Results show that (1) AERP latencies were similar for phonetic ‘easy’ and ‘difficult’ stimuli, (2) prolonged P2, N2 and P3 latencies characterized semantic processing compared to phonetic processing, (3) a late negativity was elicited during semantic processing only, (4) P3 amplitudes were larger over the left compared to right scalp during linguistic processing (phonetic and semantic) but were similar during nonlinguistic processing (pure tones) and (5) reaction time was found to be longest for semantic processing whereas performance accuracy was found to be an insensitive measure. These results provide insight into brain processes underlying the perception of speech. Furthermore, they support a dual model of speech perception that includes parallel and serial processing.
Long-term outcome of sports injuries: results after inpatient treatment

Objective: To investigate whether sports injuries result in long-term disabilities and handicaps and to establish variables with a prognostic value for the occurrence of these long-term consequences. Materials and methods: All patients older than 17 years of age and admitted to the University Hospital Groningen because of a sports injury were entered in the study. By filling in a questionnaire 1–4 years after the injury an inventory was made of the long-term consequences. Main outcome measures: Absenteeism from work and sports, experienced disabilities or handicaps and the Sickness Impact Profile 68 (SIP68). Results: Out of 306 patients 229 (75%) returned a completed questionnaire. Sixty-seven per cent of the working population had been unfit for work up to one year, whereas 4% still had not resumed work. Absenteeism from sports was also considerable; nearly half of the population did not participate in sports for more than a year. Furthermore, 32% of the patients still experienced disability or handicap following the injury. This finding is in agreement with the results of the SIP68 (odds ratio 6.8; confidence interval (95% CI): 3.51–13.08). Two prognostic variables could be distinguished: ‘gender’ and ‘type of sport’. Long-term consequences occur more often in women (p < 0.03) and with playing outdoor soccer, horse riding or skiing (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Sports injuries can lead to long-term disabilities and handicaps. The variables ‘gender’ and ‘type of sport’ were of prognostic significance.
Nutrient intake, acid base status and weight gain in water buffalo calves fed different dietary levels of sodium bicarbonate

The impact of different dietary levels of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) on nutrient intake, acid-base status, nitrogen balance and weight gain was examined in growing male buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) calves exposed to hot summer conditions. In a complete randomized block design 60 animals of similar age and weight were divided into five treatment groups of 12 per group. Five isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets were formulated and randomly allocated to a treatment group. The control diet (0SB) contained no NaHCO3, while diets 4SB, 8SB, 12SB and 16SB contained 0.4, 0.8, 1.2 and 1.6% NaHCO3, respectively. An increase in nutrient intake was recorded with increasing dietary NaHCO3 level while the reverse was true for nutrient digestibility. Calves fed the 12SB and 16SB diets had higher nitrogen retentions than those fed the 0SB and 4SB diets. Significant increases in blood pH, serum HCO3 and urine pH were recorded with increasing NaHCO3 levels, with the highest in calves receiving the 16SB diet. Calves fed the 14SB and 16SB diets gained more weight than those fed the 0SB and 4SB diets. These results indicate that the best nutrient intake, acid-base status, nitrogen retention and weight gain occurred in the calves receiving the diet containing 1.2% NaHCO3.
HD 34700 is a T Tauri multiple system

We have imaged the young double-lined spectroscopic binary HD 34700 in the near-infrared and find evidence for two faint, visual, stellar components at 5$\farcs$2 and 9$\farcs$2 distance. High-resolution echelle spectroscopy of both stars shows strong Li I 6708 A absorption and H α emission. The spectral types of the companions are estimated from the spectra and photometry as M1–M2 and M2–M3. Their radial velocities are similar to the center-of-mass velocity of the central SB2; hence all four stars are most probably physically bound and constitute a young quadruple stellar system with an inner short-period binary. We provide a list of pre-main sequence spectroscopic binaries with additional components of which HD 34700 is yet another example. The available statistics strengthen the suspicion that dynamical effects in multiple systems play a key role in the formation of very close binaries early in their evolution.
EFFECTS OF STRYCHNINE AND PROCAINE ON COLLATERAL INHIBITION OF THE MAUTHNER CELL OF GOLDFISH.

Collateral inhibition in the goldfish Mauthner cell consists of three different types of inhibition, i. e. , the electrical inhibition, postsynaptic inhibition acting on the soma, and the third type of inhibition. The last one acts on presynaptic elements and on the lateral dendrite. Effects of strychnine and procaine, administered intramuscularly, were selective among these different types of inhibition. Strychnine blocked postsynaptic inhibition acting on the soma as well as the third type of inhibition leaving the electrical inhibition little suppressed, while procaine selectively blocked the electrical inhibition and the postsynaptic inhibition acting on the soma sparing the third type of inhibition. Possible mechanisms as well as loci of action of two drugs were discussed based upon these findings.