Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electrophysiological analysis of the mode of action of muscle relaxants in spasticity

Variations in four electrophysiological tests (H/M, T/M, vibratory inhibition, and recovery curve of Hoffmann's reflex following stimulation at the ankle) were studied following a single administration of four myorelaxant drugs: diazepam (10 mg intramuscularly), baclofen (20 mg intramuscularly), tizanidine (4 mg orally), and idrocilamide (60 mg intramuscularly). Fifty‐one spastic patients, divided into four groups, were tested. All four drugs reduced the H/M and T/M ratios very slightly. Only diazepam and tizanidine reinforced vibratory inhibition. Diazepam and tizanidine did not modify the abnormal recovery curves, however, whereas baclofen and idrocilamide did. Reinforcement of vibratory inhibition suggests an increase in presynaptic inhibition mediated by gamma‐aminobutyric acid; changes in recovery curves are likely due to modifications of interneuronal reactivity. Matching myorelaxants to the predominant pathophysiological abnormality detected by electrophysiological exploration may lead to better treatment of spasticity.
Structural Basis for the Receptor Binding Specificity of Norwalk Virus

ABSTRACT Noroviruses are positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses that cause acute gastroenteritis. They recognize human histo-blood group antigens as receptors in a strain-specific manner. The structures presented here were analyzed in order to elucidate the structural basis for differences in ligand recognition of noroviruses from different genogroups, the prototypic Norwalk virus (NV; GI-1) and VA387 (GII-4), which recognize the same A antigen but differ in that NV is unable to bind to the B antigen. Two forms of the receptor-binding domain of the norovirus coat protein, the P domain and the P polypeptide, that were previously shown to differ in receptor binding and P-particle formation properties were studied. Comparison of the structures of the NV P domain with and without A trisaccharide and the NV P polypeptide revealed no major ligand-induced changes. The 2.3-Å cocrystal structure reveals that the A trisaccharide binds to the NV P domain through interactions with the residues Ser377, Asp327, His329, and Ser380 in a mode distinct from that previously reported for the VA387 P-domain-A-trisaccharide complex. Mutational analyses confirm the importance of these residues in NV P-particle binding to native A antigen. The α-GalNAc residue unique to the A trisaccharide is buried deeply in the NV binding pocket, unlike in the structures of A and B trisaccharides bound to VA387 P domain, where the α-fucose residue forms the most protein contacts. The A-trisaccharide binding mode seen in the NV P domain complex cannot be sterically accommodated in the VA387 P domain.
Ventilatory and pulmonary vascular response to hypoxia and susceptibility to high altitude pulmonary oedema.

Reduced tolerance to high altitude may be associated with a low ventilatory and an increased pulmonary vascular response to hypoxia. We therefore, examined whether individuals susceptible to acute mountain sickness (AMS) or high altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE) could be identified by noninvasive measurements of these parameters at low altitude. Ventilatory response to hypoxia (HVR) and hypercapnia (HCVR) at rest and during exercise, as well as hypoxic pulmonary vascular response (HPVR) at rest, were examined in 30 mountaineers whose susceptibility was known from previous identical exposures to high altitude. Isocapnic HVR expressed as difference in minute ventilation related to difference in arterial oxygen saturation (delta V'E/ delta Sa,O2) (L.min-1/%) was significantly lower in subjects susceptible to HAPE (mean +/- SEM 0.8 +/- 0.1; n = 10) compared to nonsusceptible controls (1.5 +/- 0.2; n = 10), but was not significantly different from subjects susceptible to AMS (1.2 +/- 0.2; n = 10). Hypercapnic ventilatory response was not significantly different between the three groups. Discrimination between groups could not be improved by measurements of HVR during exercise (50% maximum oxygen consumption (V'O2,max)), or by assessing ventilation and oxygen saturation during a 15 min steady-state exercise (35% V'O2,max) at fractional inspiratory oxygen (FI,O2) of 0.14. Pulmonary artery pressure (Ppa) estimated by Doppler measurements of tricuspid valve pressure at an FI,O2 of 0.21 and 0.12 (10 min) did not lead to a further discrimination between subjects susceptible to HAPE and AMS with the exception of three subjects susceptible to HAPE who showed an exaggerated HPVR. It is concluded that a low ventilatory response to hypoxia is associated with an increased risk for high altitude pulmonary oedema, whilst susceptibility to acute mountain sickness may be associated with a high or low ventilatory response to hypoxia. A reliable discrimination between subjects susceptible to high altitude pulmonary oedema and acute mountain sickness with a low ventilatory response to hypoxia is not possible by Doppler echocardiographic estimations of hypoxic pulmonary vascular response.
IRT 895 and 896: Two inscriptions from Gheriat el-Garbia

Abstract IRT 895 refers to the construction of a burgus at Gheriat in the reign of Severus Alexander. From its location when first discovered it is clear that it related to the building of the circular tower about 1 km north-east of the fort and not to the fort itself. Up until now the tower has generally been considered of post-Roman date. IRT 896 refers to repairs to the fort under Gordian III. A suggestion is made about the garrison of Gheriat at that date and the history of this unit, the cohors I Syrorum sagittariorum, is reviewed.
Effects of Maternal Alcohol Consumption on the Allometric Growth of Muscles in Fetal and Neonatal Rats

The effect of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy as well as the neonatal period on allometric growth of skeletal muscles of fore and himdlimbs was studied in 252 rats (126 males and 126 females). At the inception of the study the dams of alcohol-exposed groups received 10% ethanol (v/v) in water for 2 weeks and 20% ethanol (v/v) for another 3 weeks. They were then bred overnight by introducing 1 male per 4 females into the cage. Following diagnosis of pregnancy, the two alcohol-exposed groups received 30% ethanol (v/v) till delivery. Neonatally the pre- and postnatal alcohol-exposed group continued to receive alcohol till weaning at 21 days of age. The offspring randomly selected (7 males and 7 females) from each group were killed at 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 14 weeks of age. The body weights, muscle weights and percentage of body weights contributed by each muscle were significantly smaller in the offspring of the alcohol-exposed groups as compared to the controls. These parameters were significantly higher in the group exposed to alcohol only prenatally as compared to those exposed both pre- and postnatally up to the 7th week of age, and thereafter were similar in the subsequent weeks. Although the alcohol-exposed groups grew faster than the controls from 9 to 14 weeks of age, they were, however, not able to catch up. This demonstrated that allometric growth of muscles of fetal and neonatal rats was adversely affected by maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy and neonatally.
Measurement of the distribution of red blood cell deformability using an automated rheoscope.

BACKGROUND Red blood cells (RBCs) have to deform markedly to pass through the smallest capillaries of the microcirculation. Techniques for measuring RBC deformability often result in an indication of the mean value. A deformability distribution would be more useful for studying diseases that are marked by subpopulations of less deformable cells because even small fractions of rigid cells can cause circulatory problems. METHODS We present an automated rheoscope that uses advanced image analysis techniques to determine a RBC deformability distribution (RBC-DD) by analyzing a large number of individual cells in shear flow. The sensitivity was measured from density-separated fractions of one blood sample and from cells rendered less deformable by heat treatment. A preliminary experiment included the RBC-DDs of a patient with sickle cell anemia, one on dialysis and being treated with erythropoietin, and one with elliptocytosis. RESULTS Measurement of the RBC-DD was highly reproducible. The sensitivity test showed markedly different deformability distributions of density-separated cells and yielded distinct RBC-DDs after each additional minute of heat treatment. CONCLUSION The automated rheoscope enabled the determination of RBC-DDs from which less deformable subpopulations can be established. The shape of an RBC-DD may be valuable in assessing cell fractions with normal and anomalous deformability within pathologic blood samples.
Large-for-Gestational-Age Neonates: Anthropometric Reasons for Shoulder Dystocia

From 1960 to 1980 at Memorial Hospital Medical Center-Miller Children's Hospital, the mean birth weight for termsize neonates increased from 3381 to 3458 g in spite of increases in ethnic groups known to have smaller neonates. More significantly, the incidence of macrosomic neonates (birth weight greater than 4000 g) increased from 7.0 to 10.7%. Because of this marked increase in the incidence of neonatal macrosomia, a prospective study was designed to characterize the macrosomic neonate anthropometrically. The results of this study revealed that neonates experiencing shoulder dystocia had significantly greater shoulder-to-head and chest-to-head disproportions than did macrosomic neonates delivered by cesarean section for failed progress in labor or macrosomic neonates delivered without shoulder dystocia. In addition, neonates of diabetic mothers also showed significantly greater shoulder-head and chest-head size differences than did neonates of nondiabetic mothers of comparable weight. These data suggest that antenatal ultrasonic measurements to compare chest-head size difference in fetuses suspected to be macrosomic and in diabetic pregnancies could be of value in selecting patients for the appropriate route of delivery.
Hyperbolicity of a complex manifold and other equivalent properties

Defining the notions of Schottky, Landau and Picard properties on a plane domain, the first author [3] proved that a domain in C having any of these properties is equivalent to the hyperbolicity of the domain. In this paper the authors extend these notions to higher-dimensional case and obtain other various equivalent conditions for the hyperbolicity of a complex manifold.
STRESS PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN MURINE TUMOR CELLS FOLLOWING PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY WITH BENZOPORPHYRIN DERIVATIVE

Abstract— Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been proven as a method of tumor eradication and is currently being used clinically to treat a wide variety of malignancies. Although it is understood that the interaction of light and sensitizer results in the production of potentially damaging oxygen species, the mechanism by which tumors are destroyed has yet to be defined fully. Using a new porphyrin sensitizer, benzoporphyrin derivative(BPD), we examined protein expression in murine tumor cells following treatment as an indication of molecular changes to target tissue concurrent with PDT‐mediated damage. In order to assess the relevance of the results obtained using an in vitro PDT model, metabolic labeling of proteins synthesized subsequent to PDT was performed both in tumor cells grown and treated in tissue culture dishes and in cells explanted from PDT‐treated solid tumors. We observed that the oxidative stress associated with PDT‐resulted in the induction of a number or proteins corresponding to a set of heat‐shock or stress proteins, and that the pattern of expression was similar when tumor cells were treated in vitro and in vivo. These results support the use of in vitro models in the dissection of the molecular erects of PDT and provide the foundation for future experiments that will examine the role of the immune system in tumor eradication by PDT.
Iron age diet at Sisak, Croatia : Archaeobotanical evidence of Foxtail Millet (Setaria Italica[L.] P. Beauv.)

Summary Recent excavations at Sisak, Croatia, unearthed an Early Iron Age pot filled with archaeobotanical remains within the floor of a structure dating to between the sixth and fourth centuries BC. Burnt in situ the archaeobotanical remains provide unique evidence for diet and agriculture in a region where archaeobotanical evidence is rare. The preliminary results from this analysis are outlined here, with a focus on the discovery of foxtail millet (Setaria italica [L.] P. Beauv.) and its contribution to the diet of the Early Iron Age population at Sisak.
Differences in cell proliferation and prognostic significance of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and Ki‐67 antigen immunoreactivity in in situ and invasive carcinomas of the extrahepatic biliary tract

Cell proliferative activity is an important indicator of growth and behavior of various human tumors. Immunostaining of tissue sections with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki‐67 antibodies appears to be reliable in the assessment of tumor cell proliferation. This study examined differences in cell kinetics between neoplastic and nonneoplastic lesions of the gallbladder and biliary tract using an antibody against PCNA and Ki‐67.
Connectin/titin, giant elastic protein of muscle

The structure and function of the giant elastic protein connectin/titin are described on the basis of recent investigations. The 3000 kDa protein links the Z line to the myosin filament in striated muscle sarcomeres. The NH2‐terminal region of connectin filament is involved in the Z line binding, and the COOH‐terminal region is bound onto the myosin filament with an overlap between the counter‐connectin filaments at the M line. The PEVK region in the I band is shown to be mainly responsible for passive tension generation. The longitudinal continuity of myosin‐, actin‐free sarcomeres is explained by the linkage of freed connectin filaments extending from both sides of the Z lines in a sarcomere. The role of connectin in myofibrillar differentiation and the biodiversity of connectin‐related proteins in the animal kingdom are briefly reviewed. —Maruyama, K. Connectin/ titin, giant elastic protein of muscle. FASEB J. 11, 341‐345(1997)
Incidence of Use of Acid Suppression Medications in Infants with Oral Clefting

Objective Less than 1% of the general pediatric population needs pharmacologic therapy for reflux symptoms; yet, the co-existence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with oral clefting remains unclear. The purpose of this retrospective study was to appreciate the difference in the incidence of anti-GERD pharmacotherapy in a sample population of infants with oral clefting compared to the general pediatric population. Materials and Methods One hundred ninety-six consecutive patients diagnosed with cleft lip only, cleft lip and palate, and isolated cleft palate were analyzed through clinical record review. Demographic and clinical information including but not limited to the type of oral cleft present at birth, reported signs and symptoms of GERD, and anti-GERD medications used were compiled for all subjects. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Sixty-four (33%) of 196 infants with oral clefts had documented signs and symptoms of GERD. Nine percent (18 of 196) of the subjects received anti-GERD medications. The infant subgroup with treated GERD consisted of 11 out of 62 (18%) patients with isolated cleft palate, 5 of 112 (4.5%) with cleft lip and palate, and 2 of 17 (11%) with cleft lip only. Conclusions The incidence of anti-GERD pharmacologic therapy among infants with oral clefts (9%) is significantly higher than among the general pediatric population (<1%). Furthermore, palatal clefts impart a greater risk of GERD symptoms than clefts of the alveolus, lip, or nose. In order to minimize the long-term consequences of GERD, a standardized interdisciplinary clinical protocol is necessary for evaluating infants with oral clefts.
Validity and reliability of a hand-held dynamometer with two populations.

Research supported by a grant from Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma. With the trend in our society toward mainstreaming persons with mental retardation, there is a need to evaluate the efficacy of rehabilitation procedures for this population. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of measurements determined with the Nicholas Manual Muscle Tester (MMT) and with the Cybex II isokinetic dynamometer using a sample of 20 adults without mental retardation and 10 adults with mental retardation. Utilizing stabilization techniques, knee extension and elbow flexion were measured with both dynamometers. The Nicholas MMT manifested excellent discriminatory function among subgroups. Correlational analyses between the dynamometers yielded coefficients of . 74 and . 77 for knee and elbow actions. Significant differences between dynamometers for the subgroups were found in three of the six analyses. Intrarater and interrater reliability coefficients were all greater than . 90 for subjects with mental retardation. In conclusion, measurements of muscle strength obtained with the Nicholas MMT from subjects with and without mental retardation were reliable. The validity of this dynamometer assessed by construct and criterion processes was not conclusively established. This dynamometer, which is portable and relatively inexpensive, appears to be suitable as an assessment tool in clinical settings for persons with mental retardation. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1992;16(5):229-234.
Identification of Novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis Antigens with Potential as Diagnostic Reagents or Subunit Vaccine Candidates by Comparative Genomics

ABSTRACT An independent review for the British government has concluded that the development of a cattle vaccine against Mycobacterium bovis holds the best long-term prospects for tuberculosis control in British herds. The development of complementary diagnostic tests to differentiate between vaccinated and infected animals is necessary to allow the continuation of test-and-slaughter-based control policies alongside vaccination. Vaccination with M. bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), the only available vaccine, results in tuberculin purified protein derivative sensitivity and has shown varying vaccine efficacies in cattle. Thus, identification of more-specific reagents to distinguish between vaccination and infection, as well as the identification of subunit vaccine candidates for improved tuberculosis vaccines, is a research priority. In the present study, we applied comparative genomics to identify M. bovis-Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens whose genes had been deleted in BCG Pasteur. In total, 13 open reading frames (ORFs) from the RD1, RD2, and RD14 regions of the M. tuberculosis genome were selected. Pools of overlapping peptides spanning these ORFs were tested in M. bovis-infected (n = 22), BCG-vaccinated (n = 6), and unvaccinated (n = 10) control cattle. All were recognized in infected cattle, with responder frequencies varying between 16 and 86%. In particular, eight highly immunogenic antigens were identified whose potentials as diagnostic reagents or as subunit vaccines warrant further study (Rv1983, Rv1986, Rv3872, Rv3873, Rv3878, Rv3879c, Rv1979c, and Rv1769).
Interactive Learning Experience-Driven Smart Communications Networks for Cognitive Load Management in Grammar Learning Context

The widespread adoption of technology-enhanced learning in various knowledge disciplines has pushed forward the development of information technology-assisted media for language learning and teaching. However, most of the existing electronic-learning (e-learning) solutions have underexplored and under-addressed given specific characteristics of grammar learning, which is one of the most demanding areas of language education. The lack of pedagogically informed instructional design to enhance learning performance on the current system can result in low motivation and engagement due to an imbalance and excessive increase of the cognitive load. This paper attempts to address these deficiencies posed by the existing systems by proposing smart communication networks that are driven by the student learning experience to manage cognitive load in the context of grammar learning. The e-grammar learning networks serve as a collaborative learning platform that combines a pedagogically informed instructional model named attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (ARCS) and cyber interaction among teaching/learning agents. From the technological perspective, our numerical simulations demonstrate the desirable performance indicators of the proposed networks to facilitate information exchange and learning. From the education perspective, our empirical studies show that the overall smart network-enabled e-grammar learning system has desirable characteristics to motivate learners ( $m = 3.78$ ) and manage their overall cognitive load (m = 1.73), which suggest the promising capability of the proposed system.
Acute effects of sustained isometric knee extension on cerebral and muscle oxygenation responses

Cerebral contra‐lateral frontal lobe and the dominant vastus lateralis muscle oxygenation (Cox, Mox) and blood volume (Cbv, Mbv) were recorded simultaneously using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in 12 healthy volunteers (37·4 ± 9·9 years; 72·3 ± 16·1 kg; 171·0 ± 9·6 cm) during 2 min resting baseline, an isometric knee extension with the 1 RM load sustained to the point of fatigue, and 3 min recovery. The mean exercise duration was 19·1 ± 2·6 s. During the contraction, Cox and Cbv increased systematically with no sign of levelling off until the point of fatigue. In contrast, Mox and Mbv declined continuously until the termination of exercise. Qualitative analysis of these NIRS profiles suggested that maximal isometric performance under normoxic conditions was most likely not limited by central neuronal activation, but rather, was due to factors within the exercising muscle. It is likely that depletion of intramuscular stores of high energy phosphates and oxymyoglobin, as well as the accumulation of metabolites from anaerobic pathways, were implicated in fatigue during this sustained high intensity isometric contraction.