Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Post-operative Analgesic Characteristics of Intrathecal Adjuvant AgentsIncluding Ketamine, Fentanyl, Sufentanyl, Neostigmine, Dexmedetomidine, Midazolame and Droperidole and their Effects on Spinal Anesthesia

Aim: This study was designed to compare the intraoperative, postoperative analgesic characteristics and adverse effects of intrathecal combinations of several adjuvant agents combined with hyperbaric bupivacaine in the cases who underwent spinal anaesthesia. Materials and methods: 180 cases were randomized to 9 groups of 20 cases (n=20). 15 mg of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine and 0.5 ml of serum physiological were administrated to the control group (group-0). In the other groups, instead of serum physiological: Group-1 (2.5 mg hyperbaric bupivacaine), Group-2 (12.5 mg ketamine), Group-3 (25 μgr Fentanyl), Group-4 (2.5 μg sufentanyl), Group-5 (2 μg dexmedetomidine), Group-6 (250 μg neostigmine), Group-7 (500 μg midazolame), Group-8 (1.25 mg Droperidole) were combined with hyperbaric bupivacaine. Total spinal drug volume was 3.5 ml. Intraoperative and postoperative side effects, time to the first pain, and the characteristics of spinal anaesthesia were recorded. Results: Intrathecal adjuvant agents had no effects on the characteristics of the spinal anaesthesia (p>0.05). Time to the first pain was similar between the groups (p>0.05). The most common side effect was pruritus in Group-3 and Group-4 (p>0.05), nausea-vomiting in Group-6 (p>0.05), urinary retention in Group-2 and Group-4 (p>0.05), and PSBA in Group-1 and Group-3 (p>0.05). Discussion: No differences in the time to the first pain were found between intrathecal adjuvant agents. Their effects on the characteristics of spinal anaesthesia were similar. Each adjuvant agent causes specific side effects. However, postoperative analgesic requirement was not considered in our study, and dose-finding studies (which are performed to determine the adjuvant agent doses that cause minimal and maximal side effects) were not performed. Further studies should be performed to evaluate those factors.
Congenital mesenteric hernia in neonates: Still a dilemma

Congenital transmesenteric hernia in neonates is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction with devastating outcomes and still remains a challenge to diagnose pre-operatively. Patients are often managed with emergency surgical exploration and may need bowel resection. We present 2 neonates with small bowel obstruction secondary to strangulated transmesenteric hernia through a congenital defect in the small bowel mesentery, which were managed successfully. We have also reviewed the literature about congenital transmesenteric hernia in neonates.
Anaerobic Digestion of Renewable Biomass: Thermophilic Temperature Governs Methanogen Population Dynamics

ABSTRACT Beet silage and beet juice were digested continuously as representative energy crops in a thermophilic biogas fermentor for more than 7 years. Fluorescence microscopy of 15 samples covering a period of 650 days revealed that a decrease in temperature from 60°C to 55°C converted a morphologically uniform archaeal population (rods) into a population of methanogens exhibiting different cellular morphologies (rods and coccoid cells). A subsequent temperature increase back to 60°C reestablished the uniform morphology of methanogens observed in the previous 60°C period. In order to verify these observations, representative samples were investigated by amplified rRNA gene restriction analysis (ARDRA) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Both methods confirmed the temperature-dependent population shift observed by fluorescence microscopy. Moreover, all samples investigated demonstrated that hydrogenotrophic Methanobacteriales dominated in the fermentor, as 29 of 34 identified operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were assigned to this order. This apparent discrimination of acetoclastic methanogens contradicts common models for anaerobic digestion processes, such as anaerobic digestion model 1 (ADM1), which describes the acetotrophic Euryarchaeota as predominant organisms.
Hexafluorenium-suxamethonium relaxation for abdominal surgery.

SUMMARY Hexafluorenium was used to potentiate suxamethonium in 93 patients undergoing abdominal surgery of up to 60 minutes duration. Anaesthesia consisted of thiopentone-nitrous oxide-oxygen, usually with pethidine supplementation, and ventilation was controlled. In one group hexafluorenium was administered before induction, the intubating dose of suxamethonium then providing relaxation for surgery. In a second group of patients hexafluorenium followed by suxamethonium was given after the intubating dose of suxamethonium had worn off. No bronchospasm or cardiovascular side effects were noted. It is considered that this drug combination provides excellent relaxation for abdominal surgery but is particularly suitable in cases which last 30 minutes or longer.
Design of scalable PGAS collectives for NUMA and manycore systems

El numero de nucleos por procesador esta creciendo, convirtiendo a los sistemas multinucleo en omnipresentes. Esto implica lidiar con multiples niveles de memoria en sistemas NUMA, accesibles a traves de complejas jerarquias para procesar las crecientes cantidades de datos. La clave para un movimiento eficiente y escalable de datos es el uso de operaciones de comunicacion colectivas que minimizen el impacto de los cuellos de botella. Usar comunicaciones unilaterales se vuelve mas importante en estos sistemas, para evitar sincronizaciones entre pares de procesos en operaciones colectivas implementadas usando funciones punto a punto bilaterales. Esta tesis propone una serie de algoritmos que proporcionan buen rendimiento y escalabilidad en operaciones colectivas. Estos algoritmos usan arboles jerarquicos, solapamento de comunicaciones unilaterais, pipelining de mensajes y afinidad NUMA. Se ha desarrollado una implementacion para UPC, un lenguaje PGAS cuyo rendimiento tambien ha sido evaluado en esta tesis. Para comprobar el rendimiento de estos algoritmos una nueva herramienta de microbenchmarking fue disenada e implementada. La evaluacion de los algoritmos, realizada en 6 sistemas representativos, con 5 arquitecturas de procesador y 5 redes de interconexion diferentes, ha mostrado en general un buen rendimiento y escalabilidad, mejor que los algoritmos lideres en MPI en muchos casos, lo que confirma el potencial de los algoritmos desarrollados para arquitecturas multi- y manycore.
Photovoltaic Effects in Asymmetrically Contacted CNT Barrier-Free Bipolar Diode

Photovoltaic effects are studied for asymmetrically contacted single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) barrier-free bipolar diode (BFBD) under infrared laser illumination. The BFBD is based on a SWCNT with a diameter d ∼ 1.5 nm and length L ∼ 800 nm, and the device shows a good open-circuit voltage of VOC = 0.23V and large photocurrent ISC of more than 15 nA.
Commuters' Preferences for Fast and Reliable Travel: A Semi-Parametric Estimation Approach

We employ a semi-parametric estimation approach to analyse observed and unobserved heterogeneity in the value of savings in travel time and schedule delay. Our econometric approach allows for the estimation of unobserved and observed heterogeneity in preferences in a flexible way, meaning that we do not put any structure on how individual characteristics (such as income and age) relate to the value of savings in travel time and schedule delay. Using data from a stated choice experiment, we illustrate the estimation approach and find that there is substantial heterogeneity in the value of savings in travel time and schedule delay. For our data, we find that unobserved heterogeneity is more important than heterogeneity related to individual characteristics.
Excited states properties of organic molecules: from density functional theory to the GW and Bethe–Salpeter Green's function formalisms

Many-body Green's function perturbation theories, such as the GW and Bethe–Salpeter formalisms, are starting to be routinely applied to study charged and neutral electronic excitations in molecular organic systems relevant to applications in photovoltaics, photochemistry or biology. In parallel, density functional theory and its time-dependent extensions significantly progressed along the line of range-separated hybrid functionals within the generalized Kohn–Sham formalism designed to provide correct excitation energies. We give an overview and compare these approaches with examples drawn from the study of gas phase organic systems such as fullerenes, porphyrins, bacteriochlorophylls or nucleobases molecules. The perspectives and challenges that many-body perturbation theory is facing, such as the role of self-consistency, the calculation of forces and potential energy surfaces in the excited states, or the development of embedding techniques specific to the GW and Bethe–Salpeter equation formalisms, are outlined.
Disease progression: identification of high-risk groups and individuals for periodontitis.

AIMS While the role of bacteria in the initiation of periodontitis is primary, a range of host-related factors influence the onset, clinical presentation and rate of progression of disease. The objectives of this review are (1) to present evidence for individual predictive factors associated with a patient's susceptibility to progression of periodontitis and (2) to describe the use of prognostic models aimed at identifying high-risk groups and individuals in a clinical setting. METHODS Relevant publications in the English language were identified after Medline and PubMed database searches. Because of a paucity of longitudinal studies investigating factors including clinical, demographic, environmental, behavioural, psychosocial, genetic, systemic and microbiologic parameters to identify individuals at risk for disease progression, some association studies were also included in this review. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS Cigarette smoking is a strong predictor of progressive periodontitis, the effect of which is dose related. High levels of specific bacteria have been predictive of progressive periodontitis in some studies but not all. Diabetics with poor glycaemic control have an increased risk for progression of periodontitis. The evidence for the effect of a number of putative factors including interleukin-1 genotype, osteoporosis and psychosocial factors is inconclusive and requires further investigation in prospective longitudinal studies. Specific and sensitive diagnostic tests for the identification of individuals susceptible to disease progression are not yet a reality. While factors assessed independently may not be valuable in predicting risk of future attachment loss, the combination of factors in a multifactorial model may be useful in identifying individuals at risk for disease progression. A number of multifactorial models for risk assessment, at a subject level have been developed but require validation in prospective longitudinal studies.
Pour une gestion paysanne de l'agrobiodiversité : le cas du sorgho au Mali

Au Mali, l'evolution des strategies paysannes et la baisse de la pluviometrie ont conduit a une perte importante de la diversite varietale du sorgho. Differents projets ont vu le jour afin de contrer cette perte et favoriser le maintien des dynamiques creant cette diversite. Le present travail a contribue a la conception et a la mise en place d'une nouvelle demarche participative avec les paysans maliens pour favoriser l'emergence de formes de gestions alternative. En s'inspirant de la demarche de modelisation d'accompagnement, un travail iteratif de recherche a ete developpe, passant du travail de terrain avec les paysans au travail de modelisation. Une premiere enquete de terrain dans deux villages du Mali a permis de formaliser notre representation du systeme. Un Jeu de Role (JdR) a ensuite ete cree et deux sessions de jeu ont ete organisees, dont une avec des paysans maliens. Nous avons ainsi pu partager et valider notre representation de l'environnement des paysans, ameliorer nos connaissances sur la dynamique du systeme, notamment en caracterisant un certain nombre de strategies de gestion du risque, et amorce une reflexion collective sur la gestion de la diversite varietale. Un travail de modelisation a ensuite ete mene et des strategies fictives des paysans ont ete simulees dans un modele multi agents (SMA) simple. L'utilisation des resultats de ces simulations est a envisager lors de futures sessions de jeu dans lesquelles les paysans pourront explorer differents scenarios. (Resume d'auteur)
Chaotic invariants modeling of motion patterns in multiple cameras

Extracting the motion patterns from videos is a basic task in video surveillance and has become an active research area. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for discovering motion patterns in a scene observed by one or two cameras. The chaos theory is employed to compute the chaotic invariant features (CIFs) after obtaining all the trajectories. The CIFs and other features are combined to a feature vector and the trajectory is represented by the feature vector. Based on the CIFs, the motion patterns are grouped via mean shift clustering algorithm. Five challenging datasets are used for validation. Experimental results show the proposed method is effective in single camera and multiple cameras situation.
Robust consensus for a class of uncertain multi-agent systems

This paper addresses robust consensus for a class of linear multi-agent systems (MASs) with uncertainty in communication network. It is suppose that the weighted adjacency matrix of the MAS is known to lie within an uncertainty polytope. Base on the Lyapunov stability theory combining with homogeneous parameter-dependent (HPD) Lyapunov functions, necessary and sufficient conditions for ensuring robust consensus of the MAS are given. Furthermore, how these conditions can be checked through convex programming is provided with the aid of sum of squares. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the approach.
Lack of association with TorsinA haplotype in German patients with sporadic dystonia

Genetic variability at loci underlying autosomal dominant forms of neurologic diseases may also contribute to the risk of developing sporadic disease. The most common cause of autosomal dominantly inherited, primary generalized dystonia is a deletion of a glutamate codon (GAG) in the TorsinA gene on chromosome 9q34.1 Sporadic (typically focal) dystonia is considerably more common. A strong association of sporadic dystonia with the TorsinA haplotype T2 was recently reported in the Icelandic population.2 The use of population isolates in genetic studies is increasingly popular. However, genetic and environmental homogeneity does not reflect the diversity of humankind as a whole. Furthermore, genetic drift influences the genotypic makeup of population isolates. Thus, findings derived from studies of population isolates need to be replicated in normal, out-bred populations to confirm their relevance outside the population isolate.3 We explored whether sporadic dystonia is also associated with any of the TorsinA haplotypes in a more typical, nonisolated population. We assessed TorsinA haplotypes …
Industry-funded Positive Studies Not Associated with Better Design or Larger Size

Previous studies have associated commercial funding with positive outcomes in orthopaedic research. Those reports, however, failed to account for potential confounding variables that can lead to a disproportion of positive outcomes, including sample size, study design, and study quality. We tested the hypothesis that nonscientific factors (funding source, orthopaedic subspecialty, and geographic region of origin) are associated with positive study outcomes, but not the result of differences in study design, study quality, or sample size. All 747 abstracts presented at the 2004 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting underwent blinded analysis using previously published criteria. Studies that received commercial funding were more likely to conclude with positive outcomes. Subspecialty and country of origin were not associated with positive outcomes. Commercially funded studies were not more likely than non-funded studies to be well-designed. When control groups were used, those in commercially funded studies were not larger than those used in nonfunded studies. Our data suggest commercial funding was associated with positive outcomes, but we found no evidence to suggest commercially funded studies were better designed or larger than non-funded studies.
HIF and the lung: role of hypoxia-inducible factors in pulmonary development and disease.

The ability to sense and respond to changes in oxygen concentration is a fundamental requirement for the survival of all organisms. Throughout evolution, control of oxygen homeostasis has developed into a complex system, requiring both rapid adjustment to acute changes in oxygen and durable adaptation when the hypoxic stimulus is prolonged. There are numerous instances, in both physiologic and pathophysiologic conditions, during which the lung experiences localized or global hypoxia. It has become increasingly appreciated that adaptation to hypoxia requires the coordinated regulation of a large battery of genes, and that this collective response is controlled, to a large extent, at the level of transcription. In particular, the hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), have been identified as key mediators of adaptation to hypoxia. In this review, we will describe the HIF system and its role in a variety of developmental, physiologic, and pathogenic processes within the lung.
Effect of siRNA nuclease stability on the in vitro and in vivo kinetics of siRNA‐mediated gene silencing

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules achieve sequence‐specific gene silencing through the RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism. Here, live‐cell and live‐animal bioluminescent imaging (BLI) is used to directly compare luciferase knockdown by unmodified and nuclease‐stabilized siRNAs in rapidly (HeLa) and slowly (CCD‐1074Sk) dividing cells to reveal the impact of cell division and siRNA nuclease stability on the kinetics of siRNA‐mediated gene silencing. Luciferase knockdown using unmodified siRNAs lasts approximately 1 week in HeLa cells and up to 1 month in CCD‐1074Sk cells. There is a slight increase in the duration of luciferase knockdown by nuclease‐stabilized siRNAs relative to unmodified siRNAs after cationic lipid transfection, but this difference is not observed after electroporation. In BALB/cJ mice, a fourfold increase in maximum luciferase knockdown is observed after hydrodynamic injection (HDI) of nuclease‐stabilized siRNAs relative to unmodified siRNAs, yet the overall kinetics of the recovery after knockdown are nearly identical. By using a mathematical model of siRNA‐mediated gene silencing, the trends observed in the experimental data can be duplicated by changing model parameters that affect the stability of the siRNAs before they reach the cytosolic compartment. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that the stabilization advantages of nuclease‐stabilized siRNAs originate primarily from effects prior to and during internalization before the siRNAs can interact with the intracellular RNAi machinery. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2007;97: 909–921. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Acquiring New Technologies and Capabilities: A Grounded Model of Acquisition Implementation

In this study, we explore seven in-depth cases of high-technology acquisitions and develop an empirically grounded model of technology and capability transfer during acquisition implementation. We assess how the nature of the acquired firms' knowledge-based resources, as well as multiple dimensions of acquisition implementation, have both independent and interactive effects on the successful appropriation of technologies and capabilities by the acquirer. Our inquiry contributes to the growing body of research examining the transfer of knowledge both between and within organizations. Propositions are developed to help guide further inquiry into the dynamics of acquisition implementation processes in general and, more specifically, the process of acquiring new technologies and capabilities from other firms.
Prevention of progression to severe obesity in a group of obese schoolchildren treated with family therapy.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of family therapy on childhood obesity. DESIGN Clinical trial. One year follow-up. SETTING Referral from school after screening. PARTICIPANTS Of 1774 children (aged 10 to 11), screened for obesity, 44 obese children were divided into two treatment groups. In an untreated control group of 50 obese children, screened in the same manner, body mass index (BMI) values were recorded twice, at 10 to 11 and at 14 years of age. INTERVENTION Both treatment groups received comparable dietary counseling and medical checkups for a period of 14 to 18 months, while one of the groups also received family therapy. RESULTS At the 1-year follow-up, when the children were 14 years of age, intention-to-treat analyses were made of the weight and height data for 39 of 44 children in the two treatment groups and for 48 of the 50 control children. The increase of BMI in the family therapy group was less than in the conventional treatment group at the end of treatment, and less than in the control group (P = .04 and P = .02, respectively). Moreover, mean BMI was significantly lower in the family therapy group than in the control group (P < .05), and the family therapy group also had fewer children with BMI > 30 than the control group (P = .02). The reduction of triceps, subscapular, and suprailiac skinfold thicknesses, expressed as percentages of the initial values, was significantly greater in the family therapy group than in the conventional treatment group (P = .03, P = .005 and P = .002, respectively), and their physical fitness was significantly better (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS Family therapy seems to be effective in preventing progression to severe obesity during adolescence if the treatment starts at 10 to 11 years of age.
Towards an integrated model of defense in gynecological cancer. Psychoneuroimmunological and psychological factors, between risk and protection in cancer: A review

Current cancer conceptualization and management focuses it as a chronic disease that could be directly modulated by psychosocial stressors. An individual is considered a cancer survivor from the time of diagnosis and from the balance of his or her life, including health, mental states, identity, sexuality and financial standings. Moving within the theoretical frames of Psycho- oncology and Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), this review aims to analyze, in cancer population and in the specific subsample of ovarian cancer, literature regarding PNI pathways as cancer exacerbating factors, PNI pathways promoting cancer survivorship, adaptive psychological variables linked to Quality of Life and specific areas of psychological pain. Scientific books and full-text articles published in English between 20032013were collected. Evidences were collected of the key role of the stress activation main secretions on tumorigenesis and tumor progression, highlighting the role of life events coping. Evidences of the protective role of Parasympathetic Nervous System activation, expressed through the Heart Rate Variability in cancer survivorship and quality of life were also collected. Were detected the main psychological issues in cancer and specific critical psychological sufferance for Ovarian Cancer (sexual impairments, body image alterations). Was also identified the protective central role of Social Support in cancer adjustment. This literature systematic review seems to give the possibility to hypothesize a new model, here called “Integrated Model of Defense” which, integrating psychological and physiological factors, could suggest a protective mechanism in time and quality of survivorship in cancer and, more specifically, in Gynecological Cancer.