Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Peptidoglycans in cutting fluids - a good indicator of bacterial contamination?

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to estimate the content of peptidoglycans in cutting fluids (CFs) and to assess the possibility of using them as a marker of bacterial contamination in this type of occupational environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 11 samples of CFs were collected: 8 were taken from the working machine systems and 3 were unused CF samples. The peptidoglycans were determinated with the kinetic version of the Silkworm Larvae Plasma (SLP) test. RESULTS The average concentration of bacteria was 5.58×10⁵ CFU/mL, and peptidoglycans - 28.2 ng/mL. The variability for peptidoglycans concentration was less pronounced than that for bacteria (GSD 6 and 13.3, respectively). Taking into consideration the National Research and Safety Institute (INRS - Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité) limit value the concentrations of bacteria and peptidoglycans, as well as the usage of the fluids, the analysis showed that peptidoglycans reflect the differences between the studied factors much more accurately than bacteria. The correlation analysis, however, showed that the levels of peptidoglycans in the examined CFs strongly correlated with the concentrations of viable bacteria (R² = 0.50, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The study confirmed that the CFs may contain immunologically active substances of bacterial origin even though they did not show any bacterial growth. Moreover, it showed that the concentrations of peptidoglycans in CFs precisely reflect the exposure to bacteria, and as a structural component of the cell wall can be treated as their marker.
Phenotypes of patients with "simple" Mendelian disorders are complex traits: thresholds, modifiers, and systems dynamics.

One of the firmly held concepts in human molecular genetics has been that, if we can understand the details of specific genetic mutations and their effects on protein products, we will be better able to correlate genotype with phenotype. One of the promises of this concept is that such a knowledge base will move clinical genetics into a predictive mode: knowledge of the mutant alleles responsible for a disease would permit an accurate prediction of the prognosis and a better-informed selection among therapeutic strategies for any individual patient.
Volumetric Properties and Fluid Phase Equilibria of CO2 + H2O

The need for accurate modeling of fluid-mineral processes over wide ranges of temperature, pressure and composition highlighted considerable uncertainties of available property data and equations of state, even for the CO2 + H2O binary system. In particular, the solubility, activity, and ionic dissociation equilibrium data for the CO2-rich phase, which are essential for understanding dissolution/precipitation, fluid-matrix reactions, and solute transport, are uncertain or missing. In this paper we report the results of a new experimental study of volumetric and phase equilibrium properties of CO2 + H2O, to be followed by measurements for bulk and confined multicomponent fluid mixtures. Mixture densities were measured by vibrating tube densimetry (VTD) over the entire composition range at T = 200 and 250 C and P = 20, 40, 60, and 80 MPa. Initial analysis of the mutual solubilities, determined from volumetric data, shows good agreement with earlier results for the aqueous phase, but finds that the data of Takenouchi and Kennedy (1964) significantly overestimated the solubility of water in supercritical CO2 (by a factor of more than two at 200 C). Resolving this well-known discrepancy will have a direct impact on the accuracy of predictive modeling of CO2 injection in geothermal reservoirs and geologicalmore » carbon sequestration through improved equations of state, needed for calibration of predictive molecular-scale models and large-scale reactive transport simulations. « less
Chemical characterization of the ester-linked 3-hydroxy fatty acyl-containing lipids in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

In a previous study (S. Alugupalli, F. Portaels, and L. Larsson, J. Bacteriol. 176:2962-2969, 1994), we reported the occurrence of 21 3-hydroxy fatty acids (3-OH-FAs) in the methanolysis products of different mycobacterial species. The present study was undertaken in order to chemically characterize the ester-linked complex native forms of these acids in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Three 3-OH-FA-containing lipids were purified by chromatography and analyzed by one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, by fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry, and by various conventional chemical analysis techniques. 3-OH-2,4,6-trimethyl-FAs were found in 2,3-diacyl trehalose and 2,3,6,6'-tetra-acyl-2'-sulfate trehalose (sulfatide I), two specific glycolipids of the tubercle bacillus, explaining the specific occurrence of these fatty acids in the methanolysis products of virulent strains of M. tuberculosis. Straight-chain 3-OH-FAs were localized in phosphatidyl ethanolamine but not in the other phospholipids, suggesting a possible role of this class of phospholipids in the metabolism of fatty acids in actinomycetes.
Enhanced Postoperative Sensitivity to Painful Pressure Stimulation After Intraoperative High Dose Remifentanil in Patients Without Significant Surgical Site Pain

ObjectivesThis clinical study tested the hypothesis whether intraoperative high versus low dose of intravenous remifentanil resulted in postoperatively increased pain sensitivity to painful cold or pressure stimulation in eye surgery patients without significant postoperative pain. MethodsForty-two minor eye surgery patients were randomized to receive intraoperative high (0.4 μg/kg/min) or low (0.1 μg/kg/min) dose of intravenous remifentanil plus isoflurane over an average period of 70 minutes. Pain assessment at the surgical site, postoperative versus preoperative baseline measurements by the cold as well as the pressor test, sedation score, and withdrawal signs were evaluated 30 and 90 minutes after stop of remifentanil infusion. Patients with pain at the surgical site were excluded. ResultsPressure pain tolerance thresholds at the palmar carpus of the right hand were significantly decreased in these patients after cessation of intraoperative high but not low dose of IV remifentanil. However, withdrawal latencies to cold stimulation were not significantly altered. Isoflurane concentrations were slightly higher in patients receiving the low dose of remifentanil, however, there were no significant differences in length of anesthesia and postoperative sedation. Signs of withdrawal were not observed. DiscussionAfter high dose intravenous remifentanil our results show signs of a reduced tolerance to painful pressure but not cold stimuli distant to the surgical field. Although clinically relevant surgical pain was not reported in these patients, the demonstrated induction of hyperalgesia to painful pressure stimuli suggests a general effect in the central nervous system.
Traditional male circumcision in the Eastern Cape--scourge or blessing?

BACKGROUND Traditional male circumcision is still widely practised in the Xhosa population throughout South Africa. It is a rite of passage from boyhood to manhood. Unfortunately, botched circumcisions are a public health hazard and lead to tragic mutilations and deaths. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS The present study was undertaken to assess the extent of circumcision-related complications and fatalities in the Eastern Cape. Health care data were provided by the Eastern Cape Department of Health. Hospital admissions, amputations and deaths per circumcision season were recorded as well as causes of death and the number of legal and illegal initiation schools, respectively. The aim was to establish if the Application of Health Standards in Traditional Circumcision Act of 2001 has been successful in reducing the health risks of the ritual. RESULTS The findings show that the incidence of circumcision related complications and fatalities has remained virtually unchanged in the observation period 2001 - 2006. Unqualified surgeons, negligent nurses, irresponsible parents and youths medically unfit for the hardships of initiation continue to contribute to tragic outcomes. One of the main problems is the perception that government interference in the ritual is undesirable, and the fact that a stigma is attached to non-completion of the procedure. CONCLUSION Progress is only possible if all the relevant stakeholders--traditional surgeons, traditional nurses, traditional leaders, traditional healers, representatives of the Department of Health, medical officers, police, parents, initiates and the communities concerned--can be made aware of the problem and rendered willing to work together in preserving a cultural tradition in the spirit of the Constitution, that is, without violating fundamental human rights.
Open Defects Caused by Scratches and Yield Modelling in Deep Sub-Micron Integrated Circuit

This paper tries to find out whether commonly used spot defect fault model is still viable for deep sub-micron (DSM) integrated circuits' test and yield model. It is believed that for DSM products spot defects may be no longer major source of yield loss. Results from number of computer experiments are presented and discussed.
Desempenho de escolares de ensino público com e sem dificuldade de aprendizagem em habilidadefonológica, nomeação rápida, leitura e escrita

Este estudo¹ teve por objetivos caracterizar e comparar o desempenho de escolares do ensino publico com e sem dificuldades de aprendizagem em habilidades fonologicas, nomeacao rapida, leitura e escrita. Participaram desse estudo 60 escolares de 2a a 4a series de escola de ensino particular, distribuidos em seis grupos, sendo cada grupo composto por 10 escolares, sendo tres grupos de escolares sem dificuldades de aprendizagem e tres grupos de escolares com dificuldades de aprendizagem. Como procedimentos, foram realizadas a prova de nomeacao automatica rapida, a de consciencia fonologica e a prova de leitura oral e escrita sob ditado. Os resultados deste estudo evidenciaram desempenho superior dos escolares sem dificuldades de aprendizagem em relacao aqueles com dificuldades. Os escolares com dificuldades de aprendizagem apresentaram maior relacao velocidade/tempo em tarefas de nomeacao e, consequentemente, desempenho inferior em tarefas de consciencia fonologica, leitura e escrita de palavras isoladas quando comparados aos sem dificuldades de aprendizagem. Os escolares com dificuldades de aprendizagem apresentaram comprometimento na relacao entre as capacidades de nomeacao e automatizacao dos estimulos apresentados com a capacidade de acesso lexical, discriminacao visual, frequencia de uso dos estimulos e competicao para a apresentacao do menor tempo possivel na nomeacao dos codigos necessarios para o estabelecimento do mecanismo de conversao fonema-grafema, exigido para a realizacao da leitura e escrita em um sistema alfabetico como o portugues
Current role of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors in acute coronary syndromes.

CONTEXT The central role of platelet-rich thrombus in the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndromes (ACSs) is well-known. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (Gp IIb/IIIa) receptor antagonists are potent inhibitors of platelet function that may be expected to affect favorably the natural history of ACSs. OBJECTIVE To define the optimal role of Gp IIb/IIIa inhibitors in treatment strategies for ACSs. DATA SOURCES A MEDLINE search was performed to identify all English-language articles regarding use of Gp IIb/IIIa inhibitors in ACSs published between 1966 and June 2000. In addition, relevant abstracts from the annual meetings of the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, and the European Society of Cardiology were reviewed. STUDY SELECTION Only studies of 500 or more patients were included. Of 15 studies identified, 10 randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials of Gp IIb/IIIa inhibitors in ACSs were selected for review. DATA EXTRACTION Data quality was determined by publication in the peer-reviewed literature or presentation at an official cardiology society-sponsored meeting, as well as by verification with the primary author. DATA SYNTHESIS Three members of this class of drugs are available for intravenous use. Abciximab, eptifibatide, and tirofiban hydrochloride, each have data demonstrating their value in improving the outcomes of patients presenting with ACSs. Current evidence supports use of these drugs in both conservative and invasive treatment strategies. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa-blocking therapy is safe, and with proper precautions, bleeding risks can be minimized. Biological differences exist among these agents, but as of yet, no head-to-head comparisons have been made of their clinical efficacy. Unlike intravenous Gp IIb/IIIa inhibitors, available data regarding any role of oral Gp IIb/IIIa inhibitors are not favorable. CONCLUSION Current data indicate that intravenous Gp IIb/IIIa inhibitor therapy merits a prominent role in the initial management of patients with ACSs. JAMA. 2000;284:1549-1558.
5G ultra-reliable and low-latency systems design

5G New Radio (NR) is envisioned to support three broad categories of services: evolved mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-type communications (mMTC). The URLLC services refer to future applications that require secure data communications from one end to another with ultra-high reliability and deadline-based low latency requirements. This type of quality-of-service is vastly different from that of traditional mobile broadband applications. In this paper, we discuss the systems design principles to enable the URLLC services in 5G. Theoretical queueing analysis and system-level simulations are provided to support these systems design choices, many of which have been considered as work items in the 3GPP Release 15 standards, which will be the first release for 5G NR.
Caspases influence the mode but not the extent of cell death induced by purine analogues in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Caspases are known to be involved in the apoptotic killing of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) cells by fludarabine. However, it is unclear whether these enzymes are required for the induction of such killing, or whether they simply determine the mode of cell death. To address this question, we examined the effect of the broad‐spectrum caspase inhibitor Z‐VAD.fmk on six different manifestations of nucleoside cytotoxicity. Our results indicate that while caspase activity is required for nucleoside‐induced poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage and DNA fragmentation, other manifestations of cell death (mitochondrial depolarization, exposure of phosphatidyl serine, cell membrane disruption and cell shrinkage) are caspase independent. By showing that caspases influence the mode, but not the extent, of nucleoside cytotoxicity, our results exclude defects in these enzymes as a mechanism of nucleoside resistance in CLL.
Pulmonary Mechanics of Normal Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants at 40 Weeks Postconception: A Comparison with Normal Term Infants

We evaluated pulmonary function status in healthy, nonventilated very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants at 40 weeks postconception because little is known about the pulmonary function status of these infants at the time of discharge. Seven normal VLBW infants were evaluated at 40 weeks postconception, and five normal term infants were examined as a control. The neonates were placed supine with their heads in the neutral position. Data were obtained while the infant was resting quietly and breathing spontaneously prior to feeding. Pulmonary mechanics and energetics were measured with a CP-100 pulmonary monitor (Bicore Co. Ltd.). Pulmonary mechanics and energetics were determined by the least mean square technique. Dynamic compliance (Cdyn), resistance (Rtot, Re), and work of breathing (WOB) were calculated for the total breath, and tidal volume, minute ventilation, ratio of inspiratory time to respiratory period (Ti/Ttot), and respiratory rate were measured. There were no significant differences between normal VLBW infants and term infants in regard to ventilation, mechanics, or energetics. Although the respiratory system of normal VLBW infants is immature at birth, its development caught up to term infants by the time of discharge.
Are Cash Transfers a Silver Bullet? Evidence from the Zambian Child Grant

We document the broad impacts of the Zambian Government’s Child Support Grant , including on consumption, livelihood strengthening, material welfare of children, young child feeding, investment in assets, productive activities and housing after two years, making this one of the first studies to demonstrate both protective and productive impacts of a national unconditional cash transfer programme. However impacts in areas such as child nutritional status and schooling depend on initial conditions of the household, suggesting that cash alone is not enough to solve all constraints faced by these poor, rural households.
Social support for physical activity of middle school students.

OBJECTIVE To explore gender and age differences in social support and their relationship with physical activity. DESIGN AND SAMPLE This cross-sectional study with enhanced reliability due to repeated measures involved 105 boys and 101 girls. MEASUREMENTS Information on sources and forms of social support, as well as physical activity, was obtained from students, who completed the same questionnaire twice, 2 weeks apart. RESULTS Boys, compared with girls, were more likely to name fathers and less likely to identify sisters. Compared with older boys, older girls were less likely to identify fathers. Older girls were less likely than both younger girls and older boys to name brothers. Students who identified fathers reported more minutes and days of physical activity and had a stronger physical activity self-definition than those who did not name fathers. Students who selected peers and sisters had more minutes of physical activity and a stronger physical activity self-definition, respectively, than those who did not name peers and sisters. Transportation and encouragement were related to physical activity. CONCLUSIONS Gender differences in social support are not uniform across age groups. Awareness of these differences can inform the development of appropriate physical activity programs.
Pilot Study Lipodystrophy and Dyslipidemia in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Thai Patients receiving Antiretroviral Therapy

Background: Lipodystrophy and dyslipidemia are increasing problems in HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). Objective: Determine the prevalence and predicting factors for lipodystrophy and dyslipidemia in these patients. Material and Method: A cross-sectional study was performed on HIV-infected patients receiving ART in January 2006. Clinical assessment for lipodystrophy and blood tests for lipid profile were obtained. Results: There were 56 patients with a mean age of 42.3 years and 71.4% were male. Lipodystrophy was detected in 66.1%. Baseline characteristics between patients with and without lipodystrophy were similar except for age, history of receiving d4T and undetectable HIV-RNA (p < 0.05). There was a high prevalence of dyslipidemia (53.6%). By logistic regression, undetectable HIV-RNA (odds ratio (OR) 6.4, p = 0.016) and receiving d4T (OR 7.4, p = 0.022) are predicting factors for lipodystrophy. Conclusion: Lipodystrophy and dyslipidemia in HIV-infected Thai patients receiving ART are common. Clinical monitoring for these abnormalities during ART is highly recommended.
The organization of visual object representations: a connectionist model of effects of lesions in perirhinal cortex

We have developed a simple connectionist model based on the idea that perirhinal cortex has properties similar to other regions in the ventral visual stream, or ‘what’ pathway. The model is based on the assumption that representations in the ventral visual stream are organized hierarchically, such that representations of simple features of objects are stored in caudal regions of the ventral visual stream, and representations of the conjunctions of these features are stored in more rostral regions. We propose that a function of these feature conjunction representations is to help to resolve ‘feature ambiguity’, a property of visual discrimination problems that can emerge when features of an object predict a given outcome (e.g. reward) when part of one object, but predict a different outcome when part of another object. Several recently reported effects of lesions of perirhinal cortex in monkeys have provided key insights into the functions of this region. In the present study these effects were simulated by comparing the performance of connectionist networks before and after removal of a layer of units corresponding to perirhinal cortex. The results of these simulations suggest that effects of lesions in perirhinal cortex on visual discrimination may be due not to the impairment of a specific type of learning or memory, such as declarative or procedural, but to compromising the representations of visual stimuli. Furthermore, we propose that attempting to classify perirhinal cortex function as either ‘perceptual’ or ‘mnemonic’ may be misguided, as it seems unlikely that these broad constructs will map neatly onto anatomically defined regions of the brain.
Physician Facilitation of Patient Involvement in Care: Correspondence Between Patient and Observer Reports

Abstract The authors surveyed 128 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (1) to evaluate the congruence between patients' and observers' perceptions of physicians' facilitation of patients' involvement in care and (2) to identify which physician behaviors were most closely related to patients' perceptions that their doctors encouraged them to be involved in their care. The patients reported the degree to which they perceived that their physicians encouraged their involvement in the medical care process. Raters blind to the study hypotheses coded audiotapes of the physician-patient interactions. Pearson's r and simultaneous multiple regression used to address the study questions indicated a small to moderate, but statistically significant, association between patients' perceptions and observers' reports concerning the physicians' levels of facilitation. Open-ended questions, responding to patient questions, and offering fewer alternatives were all associated with the patients' positive reports of physician facilitation.
Anemia in diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma: the role of interleukin-6, hepcidin and erythropoietin

Abstract Anemia is a frequent sign in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) at diagnosis. We determined erythropoietin, hepcidin and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in plasma samples of 53 patients with DLBCL. The majority of patients (40/53, 75%) showed defective endogenous erythropoietin production, in particular when anemia was present (p = 0.01). Hepcidin plasma levels were significantly higher in patients compared to controls (p = 0.006), particularly in those with characteristics associated with a more active disease, including elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (p = 0.0004), B-symptoms (p = 0.07) and an age-adjusted international prognostic index (IPI) score > 1 (p = 0.01). Hepcidin levels correlated strongly to ferritin (r = 0.77, p < 0.0001) and weakly to IL-6 concentrations (r = 0.30, p = 0.03), but not to hemoglobin values. IL-6 inversely correlated to hemoglobin values in both univariate and multivariate analysis (p = 0.04), including hepcidin and erythropoietin as variables. Our findings suggest that elevated hepcidin levels and inadequate erythropoietin response are frequent in DLBCL, but elevated IL-6 plays the major role for the development of anemia.