Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of tendon graft fixation using alpha-BSM calcium phosphate cement.

PURPOSE Many ligament reconstruction procedures require tendon healing within a surgically prepared bone tunnel. The interface between the graft and tunnel wall is the "weak link" in the initial phase of this process. By providing additional fixation and serving as a carrier for bone-derived growth factors, calcium phosphate cements may augment healing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate alpha-BSM calcium phosphate cement as the sole method of fixation for tendon and bone-tendon-bone grafts in an in vitro porcine model. METHODS Ten tendon grafts and ten bone-tendon-bone grafts were fixed within porcine femoral and tibial bone tunnels by use of alpha-BSM calcium phosphate cement. The grafts were then loaded to failure. The ultimate pullout strength and the site of failure were recorded for each specimen. RESULTS The bone-tendon-bone grafts achieved a mean pullout strength of 224.8 N (+/-79.9 N). Of the grafts, 6 failed at the cement-bone plug interface, 2 failed because of fracture of the bone plug, and 2 failed at the tendon-bone plug interface. The tendon grafts had a mean load to failure of 81.2 N (+/-23.7 N), and all 10 failed at the tendon-cement interface. The difference in fixation strength between these graft types was significant (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS Though inadequate as the sole means of graft fixation, alpha-BSM calcium phosphate cement can help to augment bone plug fixation during the early phase of tendon-bone healing. In addition, alpha-BSM may provide added graft fixation and increased stiffness and act as a growth factor carrier for both tendon grafts and bone-tendon-bone grafts in ligament reconstruction surgery. CLINICAL RELEVANCE This study evaluated the ability of alpha-BSM cement to augment tendon-bone healing because it may play a role as a growth factor carrier in future tendon healing models.
Purification of P-glycoprotein from plasma membrane vesicles of Chinese hamster ovary cell mutants with reduced colchicine permeability.

Plasma membrane vesicles were isolated from col- chicine-resistant mutant lines and sensitive wild type and revertant lines of Chinese hamster ovary cells after controlled cell disruptions. The pressures required to disrupt the mutant cells (150 p.s.i.) similarly were less than for the wild type (350 p.s.i.) or revertant (300 p.s.i.) cells indicating an increased fragility of the drug-re- sistant mutants. In all three cases, however, the final plasma membrane preparations consisted of homoge- neous populations of vesicles ranging between 0.1 and 0.7 pm in diameter and were enriched lo-fold in 5’- nucleotidase and (Na+ + K’)-Mti+ATPase. An integral membrane glycoprotein with a molecular weight of approximately 170,000 (“P-glycoprotein”) was present in vesicles from the drug-resistant cells but not the others. The amount of this protein was related to the degree of drug resistance. The protein was purified by the following procedure: removal of peripheral mem- brane proteins with 35 lll~ lithium diiodosalicylate, solubilization in 0.5% N-dodecylsarcosinate, and frac- tionation by lectin-agarose affinity chromatography using Ricinus communis-I which bound the P-glycopro- tein and Lens culinaris and Pisum sativum lectins which bound other membrane glycoproteins. The amount of purified P-glycoprotein thus obtained ac- counted for approximately 3 to 4% of the total plasma membrane protein in one colchicine-resistant mutant line.
Influence of a New Monofilament Polyester Mesh on Inflammation and Matrix Remodeling

ABSTRACT Synthetic mesh is widely used for hernia repairs, but mesh-induced chronic inflammatory responses may lead to postoperative complications. We previously showed an elevated response to multifilament polyester (PE) versus monofilament polypropylene (PP) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) meshes, but it is unclear whether this discrepancy is due to the differences in chemical composition or filament structure. This study compares the influence of a newly available monofilament PE mesh to that of multifilament PE, monofilament PP, and monofilament PTFE on the expression of genes important in inflammation and extracellular matrix remodeling in a rat model. Full thickness abdominal wall defects were corrected with onlay repair or suture repair with no mesh. Explants were harvested 7 or 90 days after repair and divided for histology and mRNA analyses using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction arrays to profile expression at the tissue-mesh interface. Monofilament PE elicited a reduced foreign body reaction compared to multifilament PE, corresponding with reduced mRNA expression of important inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Unexpectedly, monofilament PE also resulted in markedly reduced mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor and MMPs 3 and 9 compared to the widely-used monofilament PP mesh. Findings from this study revealed that both chemical composition and filament structure are important mesh characteristics that may affect a patient's wound healing response and clinical outcome, and should be considered by the surgeon when choosing a particular mesh. Although clinical studies are warranted, results in a rodent model suggest that monofilament PE may be more beneficial than the multifilament form for certain hernia repairs.
A nomogram for individualized estimation of survival among patients with brain metastasis.

PURPOSE An estimated 24%-45% of patients with cancer develop brain metastases. Individualized estimation of survival for patients with brain metastasis could be useful for counseling patients on clinical outcomes and prognosis. METHODS De-identified data for 2367 patients with brain metastasis from 7 Radiation Therapy Oncology Group randomized trials were used to develop and internally validate a prognostic nomogram for estimation of survival among patients with brain metastasis. The prognostic accuracy for survival from 3 statistical approaches (Cox proportional hazards regression, recursive partitioning analysis [RPA], and random survival forests) was calculated using the concordance index. A nomogram for 12-month, 6-month, and median survival was generated using the most parsimonious model. RESULTS The majority of patients had lung cancer, controlled primary disease, no surgery, Karnofsky performance score (KPS) ≥ 70, and multiple brain metastases and were in RPA class II or had a Diagnosis-Specific Graded Prognostic Assessment (DS-GPA) score of 1.25-2.5. The overall median survival was 136 days (95% confidence interval, 126-144 days). We built the nomogram using the model that included primary site and histology, status of primary disease, metastatic spread, age, KPS, and number of brain lesions. The potential use of individualized survival estimation is demonstrated by showing the heterogeneous distribution of the individual 12-month survival in each RPA class or DS-GPA score group. CONCLUSION Our nomogram provides individualized estimates of survival, compared with current RPA and DS-GPA group estimates. This tool could be useful for counseling patients with respect to clinical outcomes and prognosis.
Arabidopsis calmodulin-like protein CML36 is a calcium (Ca2+) sensor that interacts with the plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase isoform ACA8 and stimulates its activity

Calmodulin-like (CML) proteins are major EF-hand–containing, calcium (Ca2+)–binding proteins with crucial roles in plant development and in coordinating plant stress tolerance. Given their abundance in plants, the properties of Ca2+ sensors and identification of novel target proteins of CMLs deserve special attention. To this end, we recombinantly produced and biochemically characterized CML36 from Arabidopsis thaliana. We analyzed Ca2+ and Mg2+ binding to the individual EF-hands, observed metal-induced conformational changes, and identified a physiologically relevant target. CML36 possesses two high-affinity Ca2+/Mg2+ mixed binding sites and two low-affinity Ca2+-specific sites. Binding of Ca2+ induced an increase in the α-helical content and a conformational change that lead to the exposure of hydrophobic regions responsible for target protein recognition. Cation binding, either Ca2+ or Mg2+, stabilized the secondary and tertiary structures of CML36, guiding a large structural transition from a molten globule apo-state to a compact holoconformation. Importantly, through in vitro binding and activity assays, we showed that CML36 interacts directly with the regulative N terminus of the Arabidopsis plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase isoform 8 (ACA8) and that this interaction stimulates ACA8 activity. Gene expression analysis revealed that CML36 and ACA8 are co-expressed mainly in inflorescences. Collectively, our results support a role for CML36 as a Ca2+ sensor that binds to and modulates ACA8, uncovering a possible involvement of the CML protein family in the modulation of plant-autoinhibited Ca2+ pumps.
Adaptive robust control of quadrotor helicopter towards payload transportation applications

Sliding mode control is known as a robust control approach to maintain system performance and keep it insensitive to disturbances. This paper proposes an integral sliding mode based adaptive robust control for a quadrotor helicopter with parametric uncertainties and disturbances. With the help of the synthesized on-line adaptive scheme, the uncertain parameters can be accurately estimated without the knowledge of the uncertainty bounds. In this case, there is no need to increase the discontinuous control gain, which may stimulate control chattering effect, to maintain the robustness of the controller. The effectiveness of the proposed control strategy is validated through a simulation of the payload transportation application. Compared to the commonly used linear quadratic regulator (LQR) approach, the proposed adaptive robust control strategy can maintain the tracking performance during the whole flight phase.
On the Widening Transfer Aspiration-Achievement Gap: Contextualizing the Transfer Intentions of Community College Students in New Mexico

This study examines the character and potential changes of transfer intention to attend four-year institutions among community college students in New Mexico. Since the early 1970s, national transfer achievement rates have declined in spite of high transfer aspirations resulting in a widening national transfer aspiration-achievement gap. Given that initial education expectations are often unmet, I study how the variability of students’ development and maintenance of transfer intentions may partly account for the gap. This project, designed as an inductive descriptive study, pursues one central research question: What does transferring mean to students? This question elicits more inquiry: How does a student’s intention to transfer vary due to underlying socio-cultural processes? Within the respective institutional and demographic contexts, what are the most salient processes at the student level? Do these processes differ in nature or outcome when accounting for different intersections of gender, race and ethnicity, or socio-economic status? Using concepts from Multicontext theory and Social and Cultural Capital theories, I evaluate the descriptive and exploratory findings of a local survey-interview study on community college students’ transfer intentions. Beginning with insights gained from two social capital indicators and three cultural capital indicators, I found diminishing (and heightening) of transfer intentions associated with these five socio-cultural processes,
Respiratory rhythm generation in the in vitro brain stem‐spinal cord preparation of the neonatal rat.

An in vitro preparation was described for studying electrical activity of mammalian brain stem and spinal cord. The brain stem and the spinal cord were isolated from 0‐4‐day‐old rats, placed in a bath and perfused with modified Krebs solution. Various reflex responses could be recorded from cranial nerves by stimulation of other cranial nerves. The preparation was viable for more than 7 h. Spontaneous periodic neural activity could be recorded from phrenic, hypoglossal and other spinal nerves. The periodic discharges of phrenic nerves are synchronized with those of ventral roots C4 and the upward movements of the thorax which was isolated together with the spinal cord. The rhythm of periodic activity seems to be generated in the brain stem. The periodic activity was enhanced by perfusion with low pH solution and depressed by high pH solution. It was markedly depressed by opioid compounds such as enkephalin. It is suggested that this periodic activity corresponds to the respiratory rhythm generated in the brain stem of intact animals. The present preparation may be valuable for elucidating cellular mechanisms of generation and control of respiratory rhythm in the mammalian central nervous system.
Testing Market Efficiency of Indian Capital Market

The paper is an empirical study on Indian capital market for the period 1 st January, 2010 to 31 st December, 2015. The random walk hypothesis is tested to see the behavior of stock prices. While there are three forms of Market efficiency namely weak, semi strong and the strong, market efficiency of weak form is tested here by applying the Runs test and Auto-correlation test. The random walk hypothesis proves the market efficiency of the Indian market. The Runs test shows the daily return on nifty index does not move in a random manner. The results of the test raise the question mark on the efficiency of the market. Auto-correlation test suggest that there is no serial correlation in the nifty index data which supports the market efficiency in the Indian capital market.
Anionic Phospholipids and the Albino3 Translocase Activate Signal Recognition Particle-Receptor Interaction during Light-harvesting Chlorophyll a/b-binding Protein Targeting*

The universally conserved signal recognition particle (SRP) co-translationally delivers newly synthesized membrane and secretory proteins to the target cellular membrane. The only exception is found in the chloroplast of green plants, where the chloroplast SRP (cpSRP) post-translationally targets light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins (LHCP) to the thylakoid membrane. The mechanism and regulation of this post-translational mode of targeting by cpSRP remain unclear. Using biochemical and biophysical methods, here we show that anionic phospholipids activate the cpSRP receptor cpFtsY to promote rapid and stable cpSRP54·cpFtsY complex assembly. Furthermore, the stromal domain of the Alb3 translocase binds with high affinity to and regulates GTP hydrolysis in the cpSRP54·cpFtsY complex, suggesting that cpFtsY is primarily responsible for initial recruitment of the targeting complex to Alb3. These results suggest a new model for the sequential recruitment, remodeling, and unloading of the targeting complex at membrane translocase sites in the post-translational cpSRP pathway.
Parallel Improvement of Cognitive Functions and P300 Latency Following Donepezil Treatment in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease: A Case–Control Study

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of donepezil, one of the cholinesterase inhibitors, on P300 measurements in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and investigate the relationship between the subfactors of cognitive performance and P300 components. Methods: One hundred outpatients with AD were evaluated for cognitive function (cognitive ability screening instrument) and event-related potentials before and after 22 to 23 weeks of treatment with donepezil (5 mg/day). Twenty age-matched normal control subjects were recruited. Results: The patients with AD showed prolonged P300 and N200 latency, no significant differences in N100 and P200 components, and poor performance in neuropsychological assessments compared with control subjects at baseline. After donepezil treatment, the patients with AD had reduction in P300 latency at Pz lead, which was associated with a parallel improvement in cognitive function in terms of remote memory, recent memory, visual instruction, and orientation. The pre–post treatment difference of P300 latency significantly correlated with the cognitive ability screening instrument score difference and recent memory score difference, respectively. Conclusions: The patients with AD still had intact early sensory processing but impaired higher-level cognitive processes that could influence behavior deviation. The donepezil treatment, which enhances higher-level cognitive processing time, revealed that P300 latency decreases as cognitive capability increases, especially improved in recent memory.
Ecological feedbacks following deforestation create the potential for a catastrophic ecosystem shift in tropical dry forest

The long-term ecological response to recurrent deforestation associated with shifting cultivation remains poorly investigated, especially in the dry tropics. We present a study of phosphorus (P) dynamics in the southern Yucatán, highlighting the possibility of abrupt shifts in biogeochemical cycling resulting from positive feedbacks between vegetation and its limiting resources. After three cultivation–fallow cycles, available soil P declines by 44%, and one-time P inputs from biomass burning decline by 76% from mature forest levels. Interception of dust-borne P (“canopy trapping”) declines with lower plant biomass and leaf area, limiting deposition in secondary forest. Potential leaching losses are greater in secondary than in mature forest, but the difference is very small compared with the difference in P inputs. The decline in new P from atmospheric deposition creates a long-term negative ecosystem balance for phosphorus. The reduction in soil P availability will feed back to further limit biomass recovery and may induce a shift to sparser vegetation. Degradation induced by hydrological and biogeochemical feedbacks on P cycling under shifting cultivation will affect farmers in the near future. Without financial support to encourage the use of fertilizer, farmers could increase the fallow period, clear new land, or abandon agriculture for off-farm employment. Their response will determine the regional balance between forest loss and forest regrowth, as well as the frequency of use and rate of recovery at a local scale, further feeding back on ecological processes at multiple scales.
Denervation of the Lacrimal Gland Leads to Corneal Hypoalgesia in a Novel Rat Model of Aqueous Dry Eye Disease.

PURPOSE Some dry eye disease (DED) patients have sensitized responses to corneal stimulation, while others experience hypoalgesia. Many patients have normal tear production, suggesting that reduced tears are not always the cause of DED sensory dysfunction. In this study, we show that disruption of lacrimal innervation can produce hypoalgesia without changing basal tear production. METHODS Injection of a saporin toxin conjugate into the extraorbital lacrimal gland of male Sprague-Dawley rats was used to disrupt cholinergic innervation to the gland. Tear production was assessed by phenol thread test. Corneal sensory responses to noxious stimuli were assessed using eye wipe behavior. Saporin DED animals were compared to animals treated with atropine to produce aqueous DED. RESULTS Cholinergic innervation and acetylcholine content of the lacrimal gland were significantly reduced in saporin DED animals, yet basal tear production was normal. Saporin DED animals demonstrated normal eye wipe responses to corneal application of capsaicin, but showed hypoalgesia to corneal menthol. Corneal nerve fiber density was normal in saporin DED animals. Atropine-treated animals had reduced tear production but normal responses to ocular stimuli. CONCLUSIONS Because only menthol responses were impaired, cold-sensitive corneal afferents appear to be selectively altered in our saporin DED model. Hypoalgesia is not due to reduced tear production, since we did not observe hypoalgesia in an atropine DED model. Corneal fiber density is unaltered in saporin DED animals, suggesting that molecular mechanisms of nociceptive signaling may be impaired. The saporin DED model will be useful for exploring the mechanism underlying corneal hypoalgesia.
Induction of hepatic microsomal drug metabolizing enzyme system by levamisole in male mice

Abstract— To examine the effect of levamisole on the hepatic drug metabolizing enzyme system of mice, levamisole at a dose of 20 mg kg−1 day−1 was administered i.p. for 5 days. Compared with the control values, the levamisole treatment significantly increased the amount of cytochrome P450 and cytochrome b5 and the in‐vitro activities of aminopyrine N‐demethylase, benzphetamine N‐demethylase and aniline hydroxylase. In contrast, there was no change in microsomal NADPH‐cytochrome c reductase activity in‐vitro or in the relative liver weight and microsomal protein content compared with the corresponding values for control mice. Furthermore, in‐vivo induction of drug metabolism was demonstrated by decreased pentobarbitone sleeping times after levamisole pretreatment. These results indicate that certain hepatic microsomal mixed function oxidases of mice are induced by levamisole, the drug that is frequently used as an anthelmintic in veterinary medicine and as an immunostimulant drug in human medicine.
Structural and functional analysis of APOA5 mutations identified in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia[S]

During the diagnosis of three unrelated patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia, three APOA5 mutations [p.(Ser232_Leu235)del, p.Leu253Pro, and p.Asp332ValfsX4] were found without evidence of concomitant LPL, APOC2, or GPIHBP1 mutations. The molecular mechanisms by which APOA5 mutations result in severe hypertriglyceridemia remain poorly understood, and the functional impairment/s induced by these specific mutations was not obvious. Therefore, we performed a thorough structural and functional analysis that included follow-up of patients and their closest relatives, measurement of apoA-V serum concentrations, and sequencing of the APOA5 gene in 200 nonhyperlipidemic controls. Further, we cloned, overexpressed, and purified both wild-type and mutant apoA-V variants and characterized their capacity to activate LPL. The interactions of recombinant wild-type and mutated apoA-V variants with liposomes of different composition, heparin, LRP1, sortilin, and SorLA/LR11 were also analyzed. Finally, to explore the possible structural consequences of these mutations, we developed a three-dimensional model of full-length, lipid-free human apoA-V. A complex, wide array of impairments was found in each of the three mutants, suggesting that the specific residues affected are critical structural determinants for apoA-V function in lipoprotein metabolism and, therefore, that these APOA5 mutations are a direct cause of hypertriglyceridemia.
Effects of hazelnuts and cocoa on vascular reactivity in healthy subjects: a randomised study

Abstract Cocoa helps maintain endothelium-dependent vasodilation; consumption of hazelnuts has been associated with reduced cardiovascular disease risk. This study assesses the effects of hazelnuts and cocoa on vascular reactivity and metabolic profile. Sixty-one healthy volunteers, examined in a randomised, controlled, two-week intervention, received one of six breakfast integrations containing either hazelnuts, cocoa, both or none. Consumption of unpeeled hazelnuts improved HDL-cholesterol (+7.3%, p = .01 vs. baseline, p = .02 vs. control). Brachial artery peak systolic velocities (PSV) at rest increased with hazelnut integrations by 43.4% (p = .04 vs. control) and hazelnut-cocoa integrations by 26.4% (p = .01 vs. control). PSV after 3-min cuff occlusion increased by 60.7% (p = .002 vs. control) with a peeled hazelnut snack and by 64.7% with a hazelnut-cocoa integration (p = .04 vs. control). The combination hazelnut-cocoa may act in a synergic and protective way on cardiovascular system.