Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anesthesia and perioperative management of patients who undergo transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation: an observational study of general versus local/regional anesthesia in 125 consecutive patients.

OBJECTIVE To describe differences in intra- and postoperative care between general (GA) and local/regional anesthesia (LRA) in consecutive high-risk patients with aortic stenosis who underwent transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). DESIGN A retrospective review of data collected in an institutional registry. SETTING An academic hospital. PARTICIPANTS One hundred twenty-five consecutive patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent transfemoral TAVI. INTERVENTIONS GA versus LRA followed by postoperative care. Complications were defined by pre-established criteria. MATERIAL AND METHODS Consecutive patients referred for transfemoral TAVI between October 2006 and October 2010 initially underwent GA (n = 91) followed by LRA after March 2010 (n= 34). Results are presented as mean ± standard deviation or median (25-75 percentiles) as appropriate. GA and LRA TAVI patients had similar preoperative characteristics. LRA was associated with a significantly shorter procedure duration (LRA: 80 [67-102]; GA: 120 [90-140 minutes]; p < 0.001), hospital stay (LRA: 8.5 [7-14.5]; GA: 15.5 [10-24] days; p < 0.001), intraoperative requirements of catecholamines (LRA 23%; GA: 90% of patients; p < 0.001), and volume expansion (LRA: 11 [8-16]; GA: 22 [15-36] mL/kg; p < 0.001). There were significant differences in delta creatinine (day 1, preoperative creatinine values; LRA: 0 [-12 to 9]; GA: -15 (-25 to 2.9) μmol, p < 0.004). The frequency of any postoperative complications was 38% (LRA) and 77% (GA) (p = 0.11). Thirty-day mortality was 7% (GA) and 9% (LRA) (p = 0.9). CONCLUSIONS This observational study suggests that LRA was associated with less intraoperative hemodynamic instability and significant shortening of the procedure and hospital stay. Changes in the anesthetic technique adapted to changes in TAVI interventional techniques and did not increase the rate of postoperative complications.
HSP70 Inhibition by the Small-Molecule 2-Phenylethynesulfonamide Impairs Protein Clearance Pathways in Tumor Cells

The evolutionarily conserved stress-inducible HSP70 molecular chaperone plays a central role in maintaining protein quality control in response to various forms of stress. Constitutively elevated HSP70 expression is a characteristic of many tumor cells and contributes to their survival. We recently identified the small-molecule 2-phenylethyenesulfonamide (PES) as a novel HSP70 inhibitor. Here, we present evidence that PES-mediated inhibition of HSP70 family proteins in tumor cells results in an impairment of the two major protein degradation systems, namely, the autophagy-lysosome system and the proteasome pathway. HSP70 family proteins work closely with the HSP90 molecular chaperone to maintain the stability and activities of their many client proteins, and PES causes a disruption in the HSP70/HSP90 chaperone system. As a consequence, many cellular proteins, including known HSP70/HSP90 substrates, accumulate in detergent-insoluble cell fractions, indicative of aggregation and functional inactivation. Overall, PES simultaneously disrupts several cancer critical survival pathways, supporting the idea of targeting HSP70 as a potential approach for cancer therapeutics. Mol Cancer Res; 9(7); 936–47. ©2011 AACR.
Stressful Life Events and Relapse Among Formerly Alcohol Dependent Adults

We examined associations between stressful life events and relapse among adults in the United States with at least 1 year of remission from DSM-IV alcohol dependence. The sample consisted of individuals in remission from alcohol dependence at the Wave 1 interview (2001–2002) for the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) who also participated in a Wave 2 interview (2004–2005; N = 1,707). Associations between stressful life events, demographic variables, and the binary outcome of alcohol dependence relapse were examined with multiple logistic regression models. After adjustment for potential confounders, respondents who were divorced or separated in the year preceding the baseline assessment (Wave 1) were over two times more likely (OR = 2.32; CI = 1.01–5.34) to have relapsed 3 years later (Wave 2), compared to those not experiencing a divorce/separation in the 12 months prior to Wave 1. No other stressful life event was associated with relapse. Findings suggest that formerly alcohol dependent adults are at increased risk for relapse following divorce/separation. These results highlight the need for social work practitioners to consider the possibility of relapse following a divorce when one or both partners have a history of alcohol dependence.
Carbohydrate side chains of Rauscher leukemia virus envelope glycoproteins are not required to elicit a neutralizing antibody response

Antisera raised against Rauscher leukemia virus (R-MuLV) contain a preponderance of antibodies against glycoprotein gp70 that are dependent on the presence of carbohydrate side chains for reactivity, as judged by immunoprecipitation or Western blotting. However, the majority of neutralizing antibodies were not dependent on the presence of carbohydrate, as indicated by (i) the ability of deglycosylated R-MuLV to adsorb neutralizing antibody from sera as efficiently as glycosylated R-MuLV and (ii) the ability of deglycosylated R-MuLV to induce neutralizing antibody responses when injected into rabbits. Moreover, a faster response was obtained with deglycosylated R-MuLV than with untreated control virus in the latter experiments. The results indicate that the neutralizing antibodies are a discrete subpopulation of the total antibody response. Furthermore, the carbohydrate moieties appear to afford protection to the virion during infection, rather than serve as a target for neutralization.
Interactive tree modeling and deformation with collision detection and avoidance

We present an interactive tree modeling and deformation system that supports an efficient collision detection and avoidance using a bounding volume hierarchy of sweep surfaces. Starting with conventional tree models (given as meshes), we convert them into sweep surfaces and deform their branches interactively while detecting and avoiding collisions with many other branches. Multiple tree models (sharing the same topology) can be generated with great ease using this sweep‐based approach, and they can serve as a basis for the generation of a multiparameter family of trees. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in an automatic generation of similar trees, the colonization of trees to form a forest, and the tree growth, aging, and withering simulations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effects of rapid hemodialysis on brain tissues and cerebrospinal fluid of dogs.

The effects of hemodialysis on cerebral tissue and cerebrospinal fluid constituents and on intracranial pressure were investigated in dogs. It was shown that the potassium content of the cerebral cortical gray matter is decreased in uremic brain. In uremic animals the urea concentration of cerebral tissues was found to be in equilibrium with that of plasma whereas the urea concentration of cerebrospinal fluid was significantly lower. Hemodialysis for 60 minutes with a Kolff twin-coil artificial kidney rapidly decreased the urea concentration in the plasma and caused a considerable but slower decrease in the urea content of cerebral tissues. The urea level in cerebrospinal fluid was only slightly altered. Consequently, a significant transient difference developed between the urea concentrations in brain and plasma. The difference between the concentration of urea in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma was always more pronounced and of longer duration after hemodialysis. Swelling of cortical gray matter was demo.
Engraftment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia in NOD/SCID Mice Is Independent of CXCR4 and Predicts Poor Patient Survival

The aim of this study was to investigate factors influencing the engraftment potential of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) CD34+ cells in nonobese diabetic/ severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID) mice. We examined the relationship between engraftment, CXCR4 expression on CD34+ and CD34+CD38− cells, and patient (Pt) clinical/laboratory characteristics in 44 samples from 11 Pts. Engraftment, evaluated by Southern blot and CD45 flow cytometric analyses, was observed in murine bone marrow of 6 of 11 Pt samples, ranging from 0.1% to 73.9% by Southern blot and from 0.1%‐36.8% by flow cytometry. Poor Pt prognosis was inversely correlated with engraftment; the median overall survival was 95.9 weeks for Pts whose cells did not engraft and 26.1 weeks for those whose cells did engraft (p = 0.012, log‐rank test). No other clinical/laboratory variable predicted engraftment. No correlation between the level of CXCR4 expression on AML cells and engraftment was observed. Cells with virtually absent CXCR4 expression were able to engraft, and cells from two Pts with high expression levels of CXCR4 did not engraft. Furthermore, anti‐CXCR4 antibody failed to block the engraftment of AML cells into NOD/SCID mice. In conclusion, we demonstrated that CXCR4 is not critical for the engraftment of AML CD34+ cells in NOD/SCID mice. The model may, however, reflect the clinical course of the disease.
Facts, Fiction, and Figures of the Sarcoptes scabiei Infection

Today scabies, an ectoparasitic skin disease caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei variety hominis, is estimated to infect over 300 million humans worldwide. Scabies most frequently occurs among children and young adults. Outbreaks in child care facilities and schools are common. Scabies affects all socioeconomic classes and races. Students presenting with a possible outbreak of scabies in the school setting must be referred by the school nurse to a medical provider for diagnosis and treatment because scabies is highly contagious and can be spread by skin contact. This article will provide school nurses with the history, etiology, mode of transmission, symptoms, and the recommended treatment of a S. scabiei infection. Implications for school nursing practice will be discussed.
Comparative crystallographic x-ray analysis of three photoactive furanocoumarins

The molecular and crystal structure of imperatorin, phellopterin and rutaretin have been determined by using crystallographic and computational techniques. The compound of imperatorin crystallizes in triclinic space group P1 with unit cell parameters a=11.1150(10)Å, b=11.8240(10)Å, c=11.9290(10)Å, α=64.90(1)°, β=83.53(1) °, γ=89.25(1) °. The compound of phellopterin crystallizes in triclinic space group P1with unit cell parameters a=8.431(3)Å, b=8.947(3)Å, c=11.125(4)Å, α=64.11(5)°, β=71.13(5) °, γ=78.04(5) °. The compound of rutaretin crystallizes in monoclinic space group C2 with unit cell parameters a=24.616(8)Å, b=8.186(3)Å, c=6.632(2)Å, β=103.99(2) °. The number of molecules per unit cell is 4 for imperatorin and rutaretin and 2 for phellopterin. The crystal structure of imperatorin has two asymmetric molecule whereas phellopterin and rutaretin have one asymmetric molecule. The final R-factor for (imperatorin) is 0.0431, (phellopterin) 0.0592 and (rutaretin) 0.0356. All the three molecules exhibit intra and inter C-H.O hydrogen bonding. A comparative crystallographic analysis of these three photoactive furanocoumarins is reported in this paper.
Introduction of hepatitis delta virus into animal cell lines via cationic liposomes

Cationic liposomes are known to facilitate efficient transfection of animal cells with DNA and even some viruses. As reported here, we have been able to use such a commercially available formulation (Lipofectamine) and introduce human hepatitis delta virus (HDV) into lines of cultured cells and demonstrate replication of the HDV genome both by immunofluorescence and by Northern (RNA) analysis. As much as 10% of the human hepatoma cell line Huh7 was transfected with HDV. Also transfected were the baby hamster kidney cell line BHK-21 and the Morris rat hepatoma line 7777. Two initial applications of HDV transfection have been made. (i) The ribonucleoprotein structure of HDV was isolated from disrupted virions and demonstrated as being sufficient to transfect Huh7 cells. In contrast, naked HDV RNA was not sufficient. (ii) From a study of cells transfected with HDV particles, it was found that, even after as long as 7 weeks and the associated replication of the transfected cells, the HDV RNA genome was still replicating. Apparently, HDV, in the absence of helper virus and in the absence of virus assembly, can maintain persistent replication and expression of the HDV genome. Transfection was also achieved with woodchuck hepatitis virus introduced into Huh7 cells. In summary, this transfection procedure should be of use for the study of these and maybe other recalcitrant animal viruses.
Influence of exercise intensity and duration on perceived exertion in adolescent Taekwondo athletes

Abstract The aim of this study was to examine the influence of exercise intensity and session duration on rating of perceived exertion (RPE) in adolescent Taekwondo (TKD) athletes. Twelve male youth competitive TKD athletes, aged between 13 and 18 years took part in this study. Training data (368 individual sessions) were collected during the 12 weeks of the pre-competitive TKD season. Daily training load was calculated using the heart rate and the session-RPE. Exercise intensity was also classified in five zones [i.e. 50–60%, 61–70%, 71–80%, 81–90% and 91–100% of maximal heart rate (HRmax)] and the time spent in each zone was expressed as percentage of total session time. The analysis of variance showed a significant main effect for zone (p<0.001) with most of the time (69%) spent at intensities between 61 and 90% of HRmax, and only 10% spent above 91% (mean differences compared to the other zones ranging from –6.6% versus zone 1 to –14.8% versus zone 3; p<0.0001). The individual correlation between session-RPE and HR-based methods were moderate to large. The stepwise multiple regression showed that RPE was influenced mainly by the time spent in the high intensity zone that explained 22.1% of the variance in RPE. Session duration accounted for only an additional 3.2%. The results suggest the time spent at high-intensity (i.e. between 91 and 100% HRmax) and only marginally the session duration influences the RPE referred to the whole training session. This seems to confirm that the determination of the TL multiplying the RPE and session duration is acceptable.
Spatial and Temporal Stability of Airglow Measured in the Meinel Band Window at 1191.3 nm

We report on the temporal and spatial fluctuations in the atmospheric brightness in the narrow band between Meinel emission lines at 1191.3 nm using a λ/Δλ = 320 near-infrared instrument. We present the instrument design and implementation, followed by a detailed analysis of data taken over the course of a night from Table Mountain Observatory. At low airmasses, the absolute sky brightness at this wavelength is found to be 5330 ± 30 nW m−2 sr−1, consistent with previous measurements of the inter-band airglow at these wavelengths. This amplitude is larger than simple models of the continuum component of the airglow emission at these wavelengths, confirming that an extra emissive or scattering component is required to explain the observations. We perform a detailed investigation of the noise properties of the data and find no evidence for a noise component associated with temporal instability in the inter-line continuum. This result demonstrates that in several hours of ∼100 s integrations the noise performance of the instrument does not appear to significantly degrade from expectations, giving a proof of concept that near-infrared line intensity mapping may be feasible from ground-based sites.
T-cell reactivity against AQP4 in neuromyelitis optica

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an idiopathic demyelinating disease of the CNS that can be clearly distinguished from multiple sclerosis (MS) by clinical, neuroradiogic, and pathologic criteria and the presence of the highly specific serum autoantibodies against the water channel aquaporin-4 (AQP4). 1 Although studies support a central role of the anti-AQP4 antibodies in the pathogenesis of NMO, their exact involvement in the immunopathogenetic cascade of the disease is still not clear, and T cells seem to be equally crucial for the full development of clinical and histopathologic NMO.
Barriers to treatment seeking for anxiety disorders: initial data on the role of mental health literacy

Background: Anxiety disorders represent the single largest mental health problem in the United States [Greenberg et al., 1999. J Clin Psychiatry 60:427–435; Rice and Miller, 1998. Br J Psychiatry 173:4–9]. However most individuals with anxiety disorders never seek treatment [Henderson et al., 2002. Can J Psychiatry 47:819–824; Mojtabai et al., 2002. Arch Gen Psychiatry 59:77–84; Roness et al., 2005. Acta Psychiatr Scand 111:51–58]. Deficits in the ability to recognize anxiety disorders and beliefs about them, (i.e., “mental health literacy”) may contribute to low levels of help seeking. Methods: Survey data assessing mental health literacy for multiple anxiety disorders and for depression were collected from 284 undergraduate students enrolled in psychology courses at a public university in the United States. Specifically, respondents were presented with vignettes portraying individuals experiencing various forms of mental illness and were asked to label the disorder, its cause and whether or not they would recommend treatment. Results: Findings showed that social phobia and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) were associated with recognition rates that were generally high and similar to depression (∼80%). In contrast, less than half of the respondents labeled panic disorder or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) correctly. Symptoms of OCD were attributed to mental illness by approximately 50% of respondents, but such attributions were rare for the other anxiety disorders studied (<12%). Finally, data on help‐seeking recommendations suggested that such recommendations are far from universal and varied between different anxiety disorders and according to perceptions of the causes of symptoms. Conclusions: Given that the current sample was well‐educated young adults, mental health literacy of the general public may be even lower. Depression and Anxiety, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Autoimmune Regulator Initiates the Expression of Promiscuous Genes in Thymic Epithelial Cells

The expression of peripheral antigens in the thymus, known as promiscuous gene expression, has been implicated in T cell tolerance and autoimmunity. Here we identified thymic epithelial cells (TECs) as the main cell type that expresses a diverse range of tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs). The TECs of a common autoimmune (non-obese diabetic [NOD]) mouse model express much lower levels of an autoimmune regulator (Aire) and TRAs than normal (Balb/c) TECs. Transfection of an Aire plasmid led to increased levels of TRA expression in cultured TECs from Balb/c and NOD mice; an increase that was enhanced by the presence of thymocytes. These data show that Aire initiates promiscuous gene expression in TECs, and that this function might be under thymocyte control.
Methodological Issues in Relating Psychiatric Symptoms to Social Stressors

Two major methodological issues have arisen in the analysis and interpretation of data from a Chicago-area cross-sectional survey on stress with 2,299 normal adults. These are (1) the relative independence between measures of current social stressors and of psychiatric symptomatology and (2) the predominant direction of effect between these two phenomena. To test relative independence we developed a matrix of intercorrelations among the indices. The low to moderate correlations vary in magnitude several-fold and support the notion that social stressors and psychiatric symptoms occur relatively independently of one another. To test predominant direction of effect the estimated durations in time of stressors and of symptoms are compared. Stressors consistently show a longer duration than symptoms, supporting the view that they influence symptoms more than the reverse.
Oncogenic Transformation by the Signaling Adaptor Proteins Insulin Receptor Substrate (IRS)-1 and IRS-2

Insulin receptor substrates (IRSs) are adaptor proteins that link signaling from upstream activators to multiple downstream effectors to modulate normal growth, metabolism, survival, and differentiation. Recent cell culture studies have shown that IRSs can interact with, and are functionally required for, the transforming ability of many oncogenes. Consistent with this, IRSs are elevated and hyperactive in many human tumors. IRSs respond to many extracellular signals that are critical for mammary gland development, and we have shown that IRSs disrupt normal mammary acini formation in vitro, and cause mammary tumorigenesis and metastasis in vivo. In this review we will discuss the role of IRSs in both transformation and cancer progression.
Shifting Attention Between Visual Dimensions as a Source of Switch Costs

Task-switching experiments have documented a puzzling phenomenon: Advance warning of the switch reduces but does not eliminate the switch cost. Theoretical accounts have posited that the residual switch cost arises when one selects the relevant stimulus–response mapping, leaving earlier perceptual processes unaffected. We put this assumption to the test by seeking electrophysiological markers of encoding a perceptual dimension. Participants categorized a colored letter as a vowel or consonant or its color as “warm” or “cold. ” Orthogonally to the color manipulation, some colors were eight times more frequent than others, and the letters were in upper- or lowercase. Color frequency modulated the electroencephalogram amplitude at around 150 ms when participants repeated the color-classification task. When participants switched from the letter task to the color task, this effect was significantly delayed. Thus, even when prepared for, a task switch delays or prolongs encoding of the relevant perceptual dimension.
Structural and Vibrational Properties and NMR Characterization of (2’-furyl)-Imidazole Compounds

Ana E. Ledesma1, Juan Zinczuk2, Juan J. Lopez Gonzalez3 and Silvia A. Brandan4* 1INQUINOA-UNSE, Facultad de Agronomia y Agroindustrias, Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero, Santiago del Estero 2Instituto de Quimica Rosario (CONICET-UNR), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquimicas y Farmaceuticas, Rosario, Santa Fe 3Departamento de Quimica Fisica y Analitica, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Jaen, Jaen 4Catedra de Quimica general, Instituto de Quimica Inorganica, Facultad de Bioquimica, Quimica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Tucuman, San Miguel de Tucuman, Tucuman, Republica 1,2,4Argentina 3Spain