Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interstitial Muscle Insulin and Glucose Levels in Normal and Insulin-Resistant Zucker Rats

To study interstitial insulin and glucose concentrations, microdialysis was performed in the medial femoral muscles in normal SD rats as well as in insulin-resistant obese Zucker rats during a euglycemic insulin clamp. [14C]inulin was given (0.1 mCi/rat) as a constant subcutaneous infusion 24 h before the insulin clamp. Insulin infusion rates were 5–8 mU · kg−1 · min−1 (low rate) for 140 min and 10–20 mU · kg−1 · min−1 (high rate) for another 100 min. The relationship between insulin and [14C]inulin dialysate recoveries was evaluated in vivo and in vitro in plasma to calculate interstitial insulin concentration. Relative microdialysis recovery of interstitial insulin in vivo was 3.0 ± 0.3% (mean ± SE, n = 68). In normal SD rats, plasma and interstitial insulin concentrations were identical when plasma insulin was ≤250 mU/ml, whereas interstitial insulin was lower when plasma insulin was ≥350 mU/ml. Half-maximal glucose infusion rate was achieved in the presence of plasma and interstitial insulin concentrations of ∼140 mU/ml, whereas maximal glucose disposal was seen at interstitial insulin concentrations of ∼325 mU/ml, corresponding to ∼500 mU/ml in plasma. In electrically stimulated and contracting (1 Hz) normal muscle with markedly increased blood flow, the dialysate insulin concentration was significantly higher at high rates, but not at low rates, of insulin infusion. In insulin-resistant obese Zucker rats, the interstitial insulin concentration was similar to that in plasma, even at pharmacological concentrations. The glucose infusion rate was significantly lower in the obese Zucker rats at both insulin infusion rates than in the lean animals. The glucose content in dialysates from skeletal muscle was equal in both obese and lean rats during the low insulin infusion rate. During the high insulin infusion rate, dialysate glucose concentrations decreased significantly in both groups but were significantly higher in the obese Zucker rats. The data suggest that transport of insulin and glucose diffusion across the capillary wall are rate limiting for insulin as well as for glucose metabolism in muscle in normal rats. This does not appear to be the case in the insulin-resistant obese Zucker rats, where the reduced insulin responsiveness in muscle is due to muscular cellular defects rather than an inhibited transcapillary delivery of insulin.
Recurrent inhibition of cat phrenic motoneurons

These experiments were performed to re-examine the presence of a recurrent inhibitory pathway to phrenic motoneurons in cats. Following intracellular staining of 49 phrenic motoneurons with horseradish peroxidase, initial axon collaterals were demonstrated in six axons (12%). Intracellular recording and averaging of the synaptic responses evoked by stimulation of the phrenic roots with an intensity subthreshold for axons of the examined motoneurons revealed (in spinalized cats with dorsal roots cut) inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (i.p.s.p.s) in 11/28 (40%) motoneurons (amplitude, 115 +/- 69 (SD) microV; latency, 3.0 +/- 0.6 msec; duration from 12 to 25 msec). In the vicinity of the phrenic nucleus, Renshaw-like units were extracellularly recorded, which fired high-frequency bursts of action potentials following the stimulation of the phrenic roots (burst duration, 8 to 21 msec). Antidromic activation of the C5 phrenic root reduced the firing probability of fibers in the C6 root. The duration of the reduced firing probability corresponded to the duration of both the i.p.s.p.s and the Renshaw units' firing period. It is concluded that Renshaw inhibition is present in phrenic motoneurons. The inhibitory effects of this recurrent pathway may be greater than judged from the small amplitude of the i.p.s.p.s recorded in individual motoneurons, particularly when the whole phrenic pool is activated and when motoneurons are near threshold. It is suggested that one of the functions of the pathway is to control phrenic motoneurons supplying the dorsal part of the diaphragm through the C6 root when the more ventral part of the diaphragm is strongly activated.
Maxillary sinus cancer: a study of 33 cases.

A retrospective analysis of 33 cases of maxillary sinus cancer seen at R.P.M.I. between 1970 and 1979 was performed. The age of the patients ranged from 18-88 years, with a median age of 60.3. The male to female ratio was 2:1.3. Twenty-seven (81.8%) of the cases were squamous cell carcinomas. Of the 33 cases, there were no cases in Stage 1, 2 cases in Stage 2, 8 and 23 in Stages 3 and 4, respectively. The 5-year survival among the patients who were available for a long-term follow-up was 36.4% (8 of 22). The 5-year survival was best for Stage 3 disease (75%) and Stage 4, without local and/or distant metastasis (57.14%). No patient with metastasis lived for more than 3 years. While poorer diagnosis could be related to the degree of local involvement and presence of metastasis, it could not be related to site of involvement, previous treatment, histological findings or delay in diagnosis. Correlation of treatment with prognosis is difficult because selection of treatment is based on a variety of factors, including stage of disease and patient acceptance of treatment. Of the 4 patients treated with surgery alone, all 4 survived for 5 years. Of the 8 patients treated with combined surgery and radiation, 4 survived for 5 years and 2 died without evidence of tumor before 2 years. Other treatments were far less successful.
Auditory Training in Patients With Unilateral Cochlear Implant and Contralateral Acoustic Stimulation

Objectives: It was hypothesized that auditory training would allow bimodal patients to combine in a better manner the low-frequency acoustic information provided by a hearing aid with the electric information provided by a cochlear implant, thus maximizing the benefit of combining acoustic (A) and electric (E) stimulation (EAS). Design: Performance in quiet or in the presence of a multitalker babble at +5 dB signal to noise ratio was evaluated in seven bimodal patients before and after auditory training. The performance measures comprised identification of vowels and consonants, consonant-nucleus-consonant words, sentences, voice gender, and emotion. Baseline performance was evaluated in the A-alone, E-alone, and combined EAS conditions once per week for 3 weeks. A phonetic-contrast training protocol was used to facilitate speech perceptual learning. Patients trained at home 1 hour a day, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks with both their cochlear implant and hearing aid devices on. Performance was remeasured after the 4 weeks of training and 1 month after training stopped. Results: After training, there was significant improvement in vowel, consonant, and consonant-nucleus-consonant word identification in the E and EAS conditions. The magnitude of improvement in the E condition was equivalent to that in the EAS condition. The improved performance was largely retained 1 month after training stopped. Conclusion: Auditory training, in the form administered in this study, can improve bimodal patients’ overall speech understanding by improving E-alone performance.
Follicular Lymphoma of the Thyroid Gland

The majority of lymphomas arising in the thyroid gland are mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas and diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, which arise from a background of chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. Follicular lymphoma may also present in the thyroid gland, but its clinicopathologic features at this site are not well characterized, leading to difficulties in diagnosis and clinical management. We have addressed this problem by studying the clinical, morphologic, immunophenotypic, and genetic features of 22 such cases. All cases showed morphology characteristic of follicular lymphoma, however, in many the interfollicular neoplastic infiltrate was particularly prominent and all lymphomas contained readily identifiable and often striking lymphoepithelial lesions, features heretofore considered indicative of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma at this site. Furthermore, 13 of 18 cases for which sufficient evidence was available had clinical and/or histologic evidence of chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. Analysis of genetic and immunohistochemical features identified 2 distinct groups. In 1 group, similar to typical adult follicular lymphoma, cases carried a t(14;18)/IGH-BCL2 and/or expressed Bcl-2, and were mostly CD10-positive and of World Health Organization (WHO) grade 1 to 2. Follicular lymphomas in the other group lacked IGH-BCL2 and Bcl-2 expression, were often of WHO grade 3 and were often CD10-negative, similar to the minority of follicular lymphomas previously described that are Bcl-2–negative and are often encountered at other extranodal sites. The 2 groups differed in clinical stage at presentation, 11 patients in the former group but none in the latter group having disease beyond the thyroid gland. Appreciation of the spectrum of morphologic, immunophenotypic, and genetic characteristics of follicular lymphoma presenting in the thyroid gland should aid both diagnosis and clinical management.
Structural Insights into Saccharomyces cerevisiae Msh4–Msh5 Complex Function Using Homology Modeling

The Msh4–Msh5 protein complex in eukaryotes is involved in stabilizing Holliday junctions and its progenitors to facilitate crossing over during Meiosis I. These functions of the Msh4–Msh5 complex are essential for proper chromosomal segregation during the first meiotic division. The Msh4/5 proteins are homologous to the bacterial mismatch repair protein MutS and other MutS homologs (Msh2, Msh3, Msh6). Saccharomyces cerevisiae msh4/5 point mutants were identified recently that show two fold reduction in crossing over, compared to wild-type without affecting chromosome segregation. Three distinct classes of msh4/5 point mutations could be sorted based on their meiotic phenotypes. These include msh4/5 mutations that have a) crossover and viability defects similar to msh4/5 null mutants; b) intermediate defects in crossing over and viability and c) defects only in crossing over. The absence of a crystal structure for the Msh4–Msh5 complex has hindered an understanding of the structural aspects of Msh4–Msh5 function as well as molecular explanation for the meiotic defects observed in msh4/5 mutations. To address this problem, we generated a structural model of the S. cerevisiae Msh4–Msh5 complex using homology modeling. Further, structural analysis tailored with evolutionary information is used to predict sites with potentially critical roles in Msh4–Msh5 complex formation, DNA binding and to explain asymmetry within the Msh4–Msh5 complex. We also provide a structural rationale for the meiotic defects observed in the msh4/5 point mutations. The mutations are likely to affect stability of the Msh4/5 proteins and/or interactions with DNA. The Msh4–Msh5 model will facilitate the design and interpretation of new mutational data as well as structural studies of this important complex involved in meiotic chromosome segregation.
Approximation of Fixed Points of Nonexpansive Mappings and Solutions of Variational Inequalities

Let be a real -uniformly smooth Banach space with constant , . Let and be a nonexpansive map and an -strongly accretive map which is also -Lipschitzian, respectively. Let be a real sequence in that satisfies the following condition: and . For and , define a sequence iteratively in by , , . Then, converges strongly to the unique solution of the variational inequality problem (search for such that for all , where . A convergence theorem related to finite family of nonexpansive maps is also proved.
Autonomous Bidding Agents: Strategies and Lessons from the Trading Agent Competition

E-commerce increasingly provides opportunities for autonomous bidding agents: computer programs that bid in electronic markets without direct human intervention. Automated bidding strategies for an auction of a single good with a known valuation are fairly straightforward; designing strategies for simultaneous auctions with interdependent valuations is a more complex undertaking. This book presents algorithmic advances and strategy ideas within an integrated bidding agent architecture that have emerged from recent work in this fast-growing area of research in academia and industry. The authors analyze several novel bidding approaches that developed from the Trading Agent Competition (TAC), held annually since 2000. The benchmark challenge for competing agents--to buy and sell multiple goods with interdependent valuations in simultaneous auctions of different types--encourages competitors to apply innovative techniques to a common task. The book traces the evolution of TAC and follows selected agents from conception through several competitions, presenting and analyzing detailed algorithms developed for autonomous bidding. Autonomous Bidding Agents provides the first integrated treatment of methods in this rapidly developing domain of AI. The authors--who introduced TAC and created some of its most successful agents--offer both an overview of current research and new results. Michael P. Wellman is Professor of Computer Science and Engineering and member of the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Amy Greenwald is Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Brown University. Peter Stone is Assistant Professor of Computer Sciences, Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow, and Director of the Learning Agents Group at the University of Texas, Austin. He is the recipient of the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI) 2007 Computers and Thought Award.
Prevalence of Bed Sore and its associated Factors among Patients admitted at Jimma University Medical Center, Jimma Zone, Southwestern Ethiopia, 2017 Cross-sectional study

Introduction: Bed sore or pressure ulcer is an area of localized damage to the skin and underlying tissue caused by pressure, shear and or a combination of these. The current study was done to determine the magnitude bed sore, and its associated factors among patients admitted at Jimma University Medical Center. Methods: A Hospitalbased cross-sectional study was conducted from March 1-15/ 2017 among patients admitted in Jimma University Medical Center with a total sample size of 166. The study subjects were selected by systematic random sampling technique and the first study unit was taken by lottery method. Data was collected through face to face interview using structured questionnaire. The Braden scale risk assessment tool was used to assess the risk of bed sore occurrence. Descriptive statistics and chi square test was done using SPSS version 20.0. Chi squire was done to check the potential predictors of bed sore. The result was displayed using statements and tables. Results: All selected admitted adults patients were participated in the study. The overall prevalence of bed sore among admitted patients was 9.6 % and out of these 13 (81.2%) were developed after admission. From the total of bed sore identified, 18.5% were stage I, 44% were stage II, 25% were stage III and 12.5% were stage IV. Among the total patients who developed bed sore, 44 % were found on sacral area, 25 % were greater trochanter, 12.5 % were on the heel and 18.5 % were on the occipital region. Age, Educational status, being bed ridden , change of patient position in bed and its frequency, and Braden scale risk assessment scoring were predictors of bedsore. Conclusion and Recommendation: The prevalence of bed sore was high. Health care professionals particularly Nurses are responsible for the prevention of bed sore by applying quality of care such as frequent hygienic and comforting care.
Wayne’s assay: a screening method for indirect detection of pyrazinamide resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by members of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) complex is one of the common lung diseases, causing 3,000,000 deaths per year worldwide [1]. This global epidemic has become more dangerous due to the presence of HIV/AIDS especially in developing countries, the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR)TB and recently described extensively drug-resistant TB [1]. Timely detection of drug resistance in patients with TB is a priority and reliable methods for rapid drug susceptibility testing (DST) are needed for better control of the disease [2]. The increasing number of drug-resistant MTB strains has made the rapid identification of susceptibility clinically important because patients suffering from infections due to these strains require specialized antibiotic treatment [1]. Antimycobacterial drug susceptibility testing (DST) is necessary for the proper treatment of patients with TB. Pyrazinamide (PZA) is an important first-line anti-TB drug used in combination with rifampicin, isoniazid and ethambutol forms the cornerstone of modern TB therapy. MDR-TB has recently become a serious public health problem [3,4]. It is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for treatment of every TB patient. It is also used to treat MDR-TB patients [2]. The PZA is an analogue of nicotinamide, which is a vitamin B3 (nicotinic acid; also called niacin) precursor. The discovery of PZA in the late 1940s as a powerful drug against TB was based on the serendipitous observation that nicotinamide, curiously, had activity against tubercle bacilli in animal models. Subsequent synthesis of analogues of nicotinamide led to the identification of PZA as the most active derivative against MTB strains [3,5]. Although PZA was synthesized before 1940s its anti-TB activity was not recognized until the early 1950’s [4]. Despite many studies since its discovery 50 years ago, the mechanism of action of PZA is the least understood of all TB drugs, because of its unusual properties [6].
Chromosome 15q11-13 abnormalities and other medical conditions in individuals with autism spectrum disorders

Objectives The frequency of abnormalities of 15q11-q13 and other possibly causal medical disorders including karyotypic abnormalities was investigated in an unselected series of children who were referred to one of two autism assessment centres. Methods Two hundred and twenty-one cases were assessed using the Autism Diagnostic Interview and Observation Schedule and, where appropriate, standardized tests of intelligence and language abilities. Medical histories and notes were reviewed, and molecular and cytogenetic investigations used to detect chromosomal abnormalities. Results One hundred and eighty-one cases were diagnosed according to International Classification of Diseases – version 10 criteria as having an autism spectrum disorder (autistic-like Pervasive Developmental Disorder) and 40 cases as having other disorders. Twenty-one (11.6%) of the children with autism spectrum disorders had a possibly causal condition compared with six (15%) of the children with other diagnoses. One child with an autism spectrum disorder had a paternally inherited familial duplication of 15q11-13. The pattern of genotype–phenotype correlation within the family indicated that this form of abnormality might carry a risk for developmental difficulties, although the risk did not appear to be specific for autism spectrum disorders. Conclusion The overall rate of possibly causal medical and cytogenetic conditions in children with autism spectrum disorders was low and no different from the rate of disorder in children with other developmental/neuropsychiatric disorders that attended the same clinics. Further research is required to determine whether paternal duplication of 15q11-13 gives rise to adverse developmental outcomes.
Slow Polymerization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis FtsZ

ABSTRACT The essential cell division protein, FtsZ, from Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been expressed in Escherichia coliand purified. The recombinant protein has GTPase activity typical of tubulin and other FtsZs. FtsZ polymerization was studied using 90° light scattering. The mycobacterial protein reaches maximum polymerization much more slowly (∼10 min) than E. coliFtsZ. Depolymerization also occurs slowly, taking 1 h or longer under most conditions. Polymerization requires both Mg2+and GTP. The minimum concentration of FtsZ needed for polymerization is 3 μM. Electron microscopy shows that polymerized M. tuberculosis FtsZ consists of strands that associate to form ordered aggregates of parallel protofilaments. Ethyl 6-amino-2,3-dihydro-4-phenyl-1H-pyrido[4,3-b][1,4]diazepin-8-ylcarbamate (SRI 7614), an inhibitor of tubulin polymerization synthesized at Southern Research Institute, inhibits M. tuberculosis FtsZ polymerization, inhibits GTP hydrolysis, and reduces the number and sizes of FtsZ polymers.
The role of Th-U minerals in assessing the performance of nuclear waste forms

Abstract Materials designed for nuclear waste disposal include a range of ceramics, glass ceramics and glass waste forms. Those with crystalline phases have provided the momentum for studies of minerals as a means to understand aspects of waste-form crystal chemistry, behaviour in aqueous systems and radiation damage over geological periods of time. Although the utility of natural analogue studies varies, depending upon the degree of analogy to the proposed geological repository and other factors such as chemical composition, the available data suggest that Th-U host phases such as brannerite, monazite, pyrochlore, zircon and zirconolite are resistant generally to dissolution in aqueous fluids at low temperatures. Geochemical durability may or may not extend to hydrothermal systems depending on the specifics of fluid composition, temperature and pressure. At elevated temperatures, for example, davidite may break down to new phase assemblages including titanite, ilmenite and rutile. Perovskite is generally less resistant to dissolution at low temperatures and breaks down to TiO2, releasing A-site cations to the aqueous fluid. Studies of radiation damage indicate that the oxide and silicate phases become amorphous as a result of the gradual accumulation of alpha-recoil collision cascades. Monazite tends to remain crystalline on geological time scales, a very attractive property that potentially eliminates major changes in physical properties such as density and volume, thereby reducing the potential for cracking, which is a major concern for zircon. In spite of recent success in describing the behaviour of Th-U minerals in geological systems, considerable work remains in order to understand the P-T-X conditions during alteration and T-t history of the host rocks.