Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dual Role of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 pUS9 in Virus Anterograde Axonal Transport and Final Assembly in Growth Cones in Distal Axons

ABSTRACT The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) envelope protein pUS9 plays an important role in virus anterograde axonal transport and spread from neuronal axons. In this study, we used both confocal microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to examine the role of pUS9 in the anterograde transport and assembly of HSV-1 in the distal axon of human and rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons using US9 deletion (US9−), repair (US9R), and wild-type (strain F, 17, and KOS) viruses. Using confocal microscopy and single and trichamber culture systems, we observed a reduction but not complete block in the anterograde axonal transport of capsids to distal axons as well as a marked (∼90%) reduction in virus spread from axons to Vero cells with the US9 deletion viruses. Axonal transport of glycoproteins (gC, gD, and gE) was unaffected. Using TEM, there was a marked reduction or absence of enveloped capsids, in varicosities and growth cones, in KOS strain and US9 deletion viruses, respectively. Capsids (40 to 75%) in varicosities and growth cones infected with strain 17, F, and US9 repair viruses were fully enveloped compared to less than 5% of capsids found in distal axons infected with the KOS strain virus (which also lacks pUS9) and still lower (<2%) with the US9 deletion viruses. Hence, there was a secondary defect in virus assembly in distal axons in the absence of pUS9 despite the presence of key envelope proteins. Overall, our study supports a dual role for pUS9, first in anterograde axonal transport and second in virus assembly in growth cones in distal axons. IMPORTANCE HSV-1 has evolved mechanisms for its efficient transport along sensory axons and subsequent spread from axons to epithelial cells after reactivation. In this study, we show that deletion of the envelope protein pUS9 leads to defects in virus transport along axons (partial defect) and in virus assembly and egress from growth cones (marked defect). Virus assembly and exit in the neuronal cell body are not impaired in the absence of pUS9. Thus, our findings indicate that pUS9 contributes to the overall HSV-1 anterograde axonal transport, including a major role in virus assembly at the axon terminus, which is not essential in the neuronal cell body. Overall, our data suggest that the process of virus assembly at the growth cones differs from that in the neuronal cell body and that HSV-1 has evolved different mechanisms for virus assembly and exit from different cellular compartments.
Real time, dynamic target tracking using image motion

This paper describes the application of real time vision system for dynamic tracking of moving objects, using image motion. The study encompasses experimental development of an intelligent system that works in ordinary light and is capable of tracking moving objects with unpredictable motion. In this research the task of mobile target tracking using a pan-and-tilt camera is considered with motion-based dynamic target tracking to deal with complex targets (shape and motion pattern unknown). We propose a method based on retrieving the target position in the image from its estimated motion. Our proposed method is based on obtaining a desired 2-D motion field in the image sequence. In this study we link variations of visual features linearly to the camera velocity. Stereovision technique is used to calculate the maximum angular displacement to retrieve the object position in image and to get the direction of motion of the object. The results are obtained in a real time test environment and are discussed. We developed the program in C++ language for linking all the algorithms in one chain. The complete target tracking algorithm works in a real time mode and can be utilized for a number of applications.
Intraoperative Monitoring: Do you Know Where Your Neurophysiologist Is?

Objective: The professional practice of intraoperative monitoring has evolved over the past 30 years. This report describes the field’s current state and how site of service affects practice. Methods: A survey queried American Academy of Neurology intraoperative monitoringneurologist members about their intraoperative monitoring volume, case type, duration, numbers of simultaneous cases, and location of the monitoring physician. Results: Physicians located locally typically monitored fewer cases annually and simultaneously compared with physicians who monitored from remote locations. Physicians at remote locations monitored proportionally more spine procedures, whereas physicians who monitored locally monitored more intracranial procedures and a greater variety of cases. Conclusions: The remote monitoring practice model is different from local models in annual volume, simultaneous cases, work per case, and types of cases.
Advantages of mini-laparoscopic vs conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy: results of a prospective randomized trial.

HYPOTHESIS The use of smaller instruments during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has been proposed to reduce postoperative pain and improve cosmesis. However, despite several recent trials, the effects of the use of miniaturized instruments for LC are not well established. We hypothesized that LC using miniports (M-LC) is safe and produces less incisional pain and better cosmetic results than LC performed conventionally (C-LC). DESIGN A patient- and observer-blinded, randomized, prospective clinical trial. SETTING A tertiary care, university-based hospital. PATIENTS Seventy-nine patients scheduled for an elective LC who agreed to participate in this trial were randomized to undergo surgery using 1 of the 2 instrument sets. The criteria for exclusion were American Society of Anesthesiologists class III or IV, age older than 70 years, liver or coagulation disorders, previous major abdominal surgical procedures, and acute cholecystitis or acute choledocholithiasis. INTERVENTION Laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed with either conventional or miniaturized instruments. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Patients' age, sex, operative time, operative blood loss, intraoperative complications, early and late postoperative incisional pain, and cosmetic results. RESULTS Thirty-three C-LCs and 34 M-LCs were performed and analyzed. There were 8 conversions (24%) to the standard technique in the M-LC group. No intraoperative or major postoperative complications occurred in either group. The average incisional pain score on the first postoperative day was significantly less in the M-LC group (3.9 vs 4.9; P = .04). No significant differences occurred in the mean scores for pain on postoperative days 3, 7, and 28. However, 90% of patients in the M-LC group and only 74% of patients in the C-LC group had no pain (visual analog scale score of 0) at 28 days postoperatively (P = .05). Cosmetic results were superior in the M-LC group according to both the study nurse's and the patients' assessments (38.9 vs 28.9; P<.001, and 38.8 vs 33.4; P = .001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Laparoscopic cholecystectomy can be safely performed using 10-mm umbilical, 5-mm epigastric, 2-mm subcostal, and 2-mm lateral ports. The use of mini-laparoscopic techniques resulted in decreased early postoperative incisional pain, avoided late incisional discomfort, and produced superior cosmetic results. Although improved instrument durability and better optics are needed for widespread use of miniport techniques, this approach can be routinely offered to many properly selected patients undergoing elective LC.
A Phase II Study of Antineoplastons A10 and AS2-1 in Children with Low-Grade Astrocytomas—Final Report (Protocol BT-13)

Nonresectable Low-Grade Astrocytomas (LGA) can compromise function and threaten life. For the majority of patients, the most appropriate strategy is initial chemotherapy followed by Radiation Therapy (RT). Since curative treatment is not available for most of these patients, it is reasonable to conduct clinical studies to evaluate new agents. This Phase II study evaluates efficacy and safety of Antineoplastons A10 and AS2-1 (ANP) in LGA. Sixteen children diagnosed with LGA were treated. They included 12 males and 4 females, ages 1.6 - 17.4 years (median 10.6). Efficacy was evaluated in 16 patients. The majority of patients were previously treated, but 1 patient had stereotactic biopsy only. Out of the remaining 15 patients, 6 patients received chemotherapy, and 7 patients had surgery, and 2 patients received RT and chemotherapy after surgery. The patients received treatment with ANP administered daily every 4 hours (median dose of A10 was 7.71 g/kg/d and AS2-1 was 0.26 g/kg/d) until objective response or stable disease was documented and for 8 months thereafter. The duration of ANP IV ranged from 1.4 to 286 weeks with a median of 83 weeks. A complete response was documented in 25.0%, partial response in 12.5%, and stable disease in 37.5%. Overall survival was 67.7% at 5 years, and 54.2% at 10 and 15 years. Progression-free survival was 48.1%, 34.4% and 34.4% at 5, 10, and 15 years respectively. The treatment was associated with grade 3 or grade 4 Adverse Drug Experiences (ADE) in 6 patients. There were two hypernatremias of grade 4 (12%). Grade 3 ADE included urinary frequency (6%), fatigue (6%) and hypernatremia (6%). There were no chronic toxicities, and there was a high quality of survival. ANP shows efficacy with a very good toxicity profile in this cohort of children with low-grade astrocytoma.
Bias and Statistical Significance in Evaluating Speech Synthesis with Mean Opinion Scores

Listening tests and Mean Opinion Scores (MOS) are the most commonly used techniques for the evaluation of speech synthesis quality and naturalness. These are invaluable in the assessment of subjective qualities of machine generated stimuli. However, there are a number of challenges in understanding the MOS scores that come out of listening tests. Primarily, we advocate for the use of non-parametric statistical tests in the calculation of statistical significance when comparing listening test results. Additionally, based on the results of 46 legacy listening tests, we measure the impact of two sources of bias. Bias introduced by individual participants and synthesized text can a dramatic impact on observed MOS scores. For example, we find that on average the mean difference between the highest and lowest scoring rater is over 2 MOS points (on a 5 point scale). From this observation, we caution against using any statistical test without adjusting for this bias, and provide specific non-parametric recommendations.
Evaluating the Message: The Relationship Between Compliance Rate and the Subject of a Practice Guideline

To explore the relationship between providers' compliance and some key aspects of the clinical messages in practice guidelines, studies published in the English language medical literature between 1980 and 1991 were retrieved through MEDLINE and through relevant review articles in the field. All published studies providing compliance rates with practice guidelines and endorsed by official organizations were eligible for the study. The clinical content and the reported compliance rate were gathered for each recommendation in the 23 studies selected. The medical and surgical procedures addressed by 143 recommendations were identified according to specialty area, type of procedure (diagnostic, surgical, etc.) and were independently classified by the authors as being high or low on characteristics thought to influence diffusion: complexity, trialability and observability. The mean compliance rate with the 143 clinical recommendations was 54.5% (95% CI: 50.2%-58.9%), with those in the specialty areas of cardiology and oncology showing the highest compliance (mean 63.6% and 62.2%, respectively). Recommendations concerning procedures with high complexity had lower compliance rates than those low on complexity (41.9% vs. 55.9%; P =0.05), and those judged to be high on trialability had higher compliance rates than those low on trialability (55.6% vs 36.8%; P =0.03). Overall, all the characteristics of the clinical recommendations considered in the practice guidelines could account for no more than 47% of the observed variability in compliance rates. The target area of practice and the complexity and trialability of the recommended procedure appear to be useful, if partial, predictors of the level of compliance with a practice guideline.
Experimental production of diarrhea in rabbits with Clostridium perfringens.

Diarrhea, the principal symptom of human food poisoning caused by Clostridium perfringens, was experimentally produced in rabbits by intraluminal injection of C. perfringens, but not by oral challenge. The ability to induce diarrhea was dependent not only on the strain but also on the method of preparation of cells for challenge and the number of cells in the challenge. Good correlation was obtained between the ability of the strains to produce fluid accumulation in rabbit ileal loops and overt diarrhea after injection into the normal ileum.
Effect of tracheal gas insufflation on gas exchange in canine oleic acid-induced lung injury.

OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of tracheal gas insufflation on gas exchange in oleic acid-induced lung injury in dogs. DESIGN Prospective, longitudinal study. SETTING University research laboratory. SUBJECTS Five mongrel dogs. INTERVENTIONS The dogs were anesthetized, paralyzed, and mechanically ventilated. Lung injury was induced by infusing 0.09 mL/kg of oleic acid and pulmonary artery occlusion (wedge) pressure (PAOP) was increased to 15 mm Hg by infusing fluids to enhance pulmonary edema formation. After 60 mins, PAOP was allowed to decrease to 5 mm Hg and was maintained at 5 mm Hg for 60 mins to stabilize the pulmonary edema. We studied the effect of tracheal gas insufflation on gas exchange at low and high end-expiratory lung volumes achieved by a positive end-expiratory pressure of 5 and 12 cm H2O, respectively. The FIO2 values of the ventilator and catheter were equivalent (0.6). Each tracheal gas insufflation stage at low and high end-expiratory lung volume was preceded and followed by conventional mechanical ventilation stages without tracheal gas insufflation. During transitions between conventional mechanical ventilation and tracheal gas insufflation, end-expiratory lung volume was maintained constant by adjusting positive end-expiratory pressure while monitoring esophageal pressure and inductive plethysmography. Tidal volume was maintained constant throughout the protocol (0.40 L). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS. At end stage, we measured PaCO2, PaO2, total physiologic deadspace fraction, and venous admixture, which were 43 +/- 4 torr (5.7 +/- 0.5 kPa), 325 +/- 6 torr (43.3 +/- 0.8 kPa), 53 +/- 3%, and 4.0 +/- 0.3% before oleic acid lung injury, respectively. After oleic acid injury at low end-expiratory lung volume, these variables were 55 +/- 4 torr (7.3 +/- 0.5 kPa), 73 +/- 13 torr (9.7 +/- 1.7 kPa), 61 +/- 4%, and 50 +/- 7%, respectively. During tracheal gas insufflation at low end-expiratory lung volume conditions, PaCO2 and the total physiologic deadspace fraction decreased significantly (p < .05) to 45 +/- 4 torr (6.0 +/- 0.5 kPa) and 50 +/- 5%, respectively. Under high end-expiratory lung volume conditions, PaCO2 and the total physiologic deadspace fraction were 55 +/- 7 torr (7.3 +/- 0.9 kPa) and 61 +/- 6%, respectively; during tracheal gas insufflation, these variables decreased to 43 +/- 4 torr (5.7 +/- 0.5 kPa) and 52 +/- 5%, respectively (p < .05). Increasing end-expiratory lung volume improved both PaO2 and venous admixture (p < .05) but tracheal gas insufflation had no significant effect on oxygenation efficiency when end-expiratory lung volume was held constant. CONCLUSIONS Tracheal gas insufflation augmented alveolar ventilation effectively in the setting of oleic acid-induced lung injury in dogs. When end-expiratory lung volume and tidal volume were kept constant, tracheal gas insufflation did not affect oxygenation.
Differential Representation of Perception and Action in the Frontal Cortex

A motor illusion was created to separate human subjects' perception of arm movement from their actual movement during figure drawing. Trajectories constructed from cortical activity recorded in monkeys performing the same task showed that the actual movement was represented in the primary motor cortex, whereas the visualized, presumably perceived, trajectories were found in the ventral premotor cortex. Perception and action representations can be differentially recognized in the brain and may be contained in separate structures.
Clinical outcome of patients infected with hepatitis C virus infection on survival after primary liver transplantation under tacrolimus.

The outcome of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on patient and graft survival after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) has been controversial. An earlier experience with a higher dose of tacrolimus (>/=0.1 mg/kg/d intravenously and >/=0.2 mg/kg/d orally) was associated with a worse clinical outcome in patients infected with HCV. The clinical outcome of 183 liver transplant recipients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) secondary to HCV infection (HCV group) was compared with a contemporary cohort of 556 patients with HCV infection who underwent transplantation for nonviral, nonmalignant ESLD (control group). All patients were prospectively screened for anti-HCV antibodies and HCV RNA by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. All OLT patients were receiving low-dose tacrolimus immunosuppression. Cumulative patient survival rates for the HCV group were 80% after 1 year and 75% after 3 years compared with rates of 84% and 78%, respectively, in the control group (P = .452). Primary graft survival rates at the same time intervals for the HCV group and the control group were 72% and 77.5% at 1 year and 67% and 72% at 3 years, respectively (P = .144). The incidence of re-transplantation (re-OLT) in the HCV group and the control group was 12.6% and 10.4%, respectively (P = .42). Chronic HCV infection as an indication for OLT with a lower dose of tacrolimus immunosuppression (</=0.05 mg/kg/d intravenously and </=0.1 mg/kg/d orally) is associated with a similar patient and graft survival as those without HCV infection.
Biodegradation of oestrogens in nitrifying activated sludge

The degradation of 17β‐oestradiol (E2) and 17α‐ethinyloestradiol (EE2) was investigated in an aerobic activated sludge system fed with synthetic wastewater. The effect of different solid residence times (SRTs) and nitrification inhibitors, such as allylthiourea (ATU), was studied in order to assess which group of microorganisms plays a significant role in the degradation of oestrogens. E2 was effectively converted into oestrone (E1) under all the conditions encountered in the nitrifying activated sludge system. The degradation of E2 obeyed first‐order reaction kinetics; with an increase in SRT from 12 to 20 days, the degradation rate constant, k, decreased from 2.3 h−1 to 0.47 h−1. The removal of EE2 did not change significantly with the addition of ATU and at different SRTs. Only about 20% of EE2 was removed from the system, which demonstrated that EE2 was more recalcitrant than natural oestrogens. The results are supported by other recent studies, which suggest that co‐metabolic degradation of EE2 and E2 by ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria is not an important removal mechanism. The primary mechanism for E2 and EE2 degradation in activated sludge is most probably the activity of heterotrophic bacteria.
IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR-α, MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASE-12, AND TISSUE INHIBITOR OF METALLOPROTEINASE-2 ON ALVEOLAR MACROPHAGES OF BALB/c MICE EXPOSED TO SHORT-TERM CIGARETTE SMOKE

Alveolar cells were evaluated in BALB/c mice exposed to smoke from 9 cigarettes per day. The mice were sacrificed at 1, 5, and 10 days and examined by lung morphometry and immunohistochemical staining of alveolar macrophages for tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-12, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-2. Cigarette smoke (CS)-exposed mice showed a progressive increase in numbers of alveolar macrophages (AMs) up to 10 days. MMP-12 was increased in AMs compared to the control group. The number of AMs with TNF-α and TIMP-2 labeling was higher at 5 days but decreased at 10 days. Short-term CS exposure induced pulmonary inflammation with major participation of MMP-12–positive AMs.
Electromagnetic articulography with AG500 and AG501

The AG500 (Carstens Medizinelektronik GmbH) is widely used in electromagnetic articulography, as it allows the recording in 3D of the movements of the articulatory organs. However some anomalies in sensor position tracking were recognized and analyzed in previous works, which ultimately attributed them to numerical issues and not to external interferences. Recently a new upgraded model, the AG501, has been introduced. By means of both speech experiments and numerical measurements, we analyzed the reliability of the AG501 and compared it to that of the previous model, the AG500. While, in some scenarios, the positions obtained via the AG500 are afflicted by external perturbations, the AG501 showed a greater degree of precision in all the numerical experiments, and in the speech analyses that have been performed so far. Index Terms: AG501, AG500, electromagnetic articulography, speech analysis, machinery noise
Genome-wide determination of RNA stability reveals hundreds of short-lived noncoding transcripts in mammals

Mammalian genomes produce huge numbers of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). However, the functions of most ncRNAs are unclear, and novel techniques that can distinguish functional ncRNAs are needed. Studies of mRNAs have revealed that the half-life of each mRNA is closely related to its physiological function, raising the possibility that the RNA stability of an ncRNA reflects its function. In this study, we first determined the half-lives of 11,052 mRNAs and 1418 ncRNAs in HeLa Tet-off (TO) cells by developing a novel genome-wide method, which we named 5′-bromo-uridine immunoprecipitation chase–deep sequencing analysis (BRIC-seq). This method involved pulse-labeling endogenous RNAs with 5′-bromo-uridine and measuring the ongoing decrease in RNA levels over time using multifaceted deep sequencing. By analyzing the relationship between RNA half-lives and functional categories, we found that RNAs with a long half-life (t1/2 ≥ 4 h) contained a significant proportion of ncRNAs, as well as mRNAs involved in housekeeping functions, whereas RNAs with a short half-life (t1/2 < 4 h) included known regulatory ncRNAs and regulatory mRNAs. The stabilities of a significant set of short-lived ncRNAs are regulated by external stimuli, such as retinoic acid treatment. In particular, we identified and characterized several novel long ncRNAs involved in cell proliferation from the group of short-lived ncRNAs. We designated this novel class of ncRNAs with a short half-life as Short-Lived noncoding Transcripts (SLiTs). We propose that the strategy of monitoring RNA half-life will provide a powerful tool for investigating hitherto functionally uncharacterized regulatory RNAs.