Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Persistent microcirculatory alterations are associated with organ failure and death in patients with septic shock*

Objective:To characterize the time course of microcirculatory alterations and their relation to outcome in patients with septic shock. Design:Prospective, observational study. Setting:Thirty-one-bed, medico-surgical intensive care unit in a university hospital. Patients:Forty-nine patients with septic shock. Interventions:The sublingual microcirculation was investigated with an orthogonal polarization spectral imaging device on the day of onset of septic shock (baseline) and each day until resolution of shock. Measurements and Main Results:Five sequences of 20 secs each were recorded and analyzed off-line by a semiquantitative method. Data were analyzed with nonparametric tests and presented as median (25th–75th percentiles). Three patients died after the resolution of shock from unrelated causes and were excluded. Of the other 46 patients, 26 survived and 20 died: 13 due to unresolving shock and seven due to persistent multiple organ failure after resolution of shock. At the onset of shock, survivors and nonsurvivors had similar vascular density (5.6 [4.7–7.0] vs. 6.2 [5.4–7.0]/mL; p = nonsignificant) and percentage of perfused small vessels (65.0 [53.1–68.9] vs. 58.4 [47.5–69.1]%; p = nonsignificant). Small vessel perfusion improved over time in survivors (analysis of variance, p < .05 between survivors and nonsurvivors) but not in nonsurvivors. Despite similar hemodynamic and oxygenation profiles and use of vasopressors at the end of shock, patients dying after the resolution of shock in multiple organ failure had a lower percentage of perfused small vessels than survivors (57.4 [46.6–64.9] vs. 79.3 [67.2–83.2]%; p = .02). Conclusions:Microcirculatory alterations improve rapidly in septic shock survivors but not in patients dying with multiple organ failure, regardless of whether shock has resolved.
Pharmaceutical-grade chondroitin sulfate in the management of knee osteoarthritis

ABSTRACT Introduction: Chondroitin Sulfate (CS) is a drug which is available as pharmaceutical-grade and nutriceutical-grade products, with important variations in preparation, composition, purity and therapeutic effects. Previous studies using pharmaceutical-grade CS suggested that the compound improves pain and function and delays structural progression in knee osteoarthritis (OA), whereas discrepant results were observed when lower grade preparations were investigated. Areas covered: The recently published chondroitin versus celecoxib versus Placebo Trial (CONCEPT) assessed the symptomatic effect of pharmaceutical-grade CS 800 mg/day in symptomatic knee OA. Expert opinion: This prospective, randomized, 6-month, 3-arm, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo and celecoxib (200 mg/day) – controlled trial involved 604 patients aged above 50 years with primary knee OA. This study showed that CS is superior to placebo and similar to celecoxib in reducing pain and improving function in Kellgren-Lawrence grade 1–3 patients supporting the role of pharmaceutical-grade CS as a potential first-line treatment for the management of patients with mild to moderate knee OA.
Some remarks on intensification of nouns in Latin

Abstract The phenomenon of intensification – intended as the strategy of scaling upwards or downwards the semantic content of linguistic entities belonging to different word classes (i.e., not only adjectives but also nouns and verbs) – has received a great deal of attention from both a synchronic and a diachronic point of view. This paper investigates intensification of Latin nouns in the light of recent research in theoretical linguistics on this topic, by giving a preliminary account of some issues related to the Latin state of affairs. I will examine the strategies employed to intensify nouns in some Plautus' and Cicero's texts, by focusing on the use of adverbs as intensifiers expressing a high degree or the highest degree. Moreover, it will be shown that the approach followed in this paper, based on the individuation of the degree meaning of adjectives, may cast new light on their use as nominal intensifiers in the Latin language. It will be further suggested that in Latin nouns may be strengthened by intensifiers independently of their being gradable or not, as happens in modern languages.
Morphological characterization of indigenous and crossbred pigs in rural and peri-urban areas of southwestern Nigeria

We sought to determine morphological descriptors of Nigerian indigenous pigs (NIP) and crossbred pigs (CBP) based on relationships among live weight (LW) and a suite of 18 morphometric measurements plus the number of teats. We sampled four locations in southwestern Nigeria and obtained data for a total of 120 NIP and CBP. More female pigs (61.7%) than males (38.3%) were sampled, and they had a mean live weight of 19.9 ± 6.10 kg (range 9 - 32 kg) and 20.1 ± 6.08 kg (range 8 - 37 kg), respectively. The NIP had a longer snout, wider head and longer erect ears than CBP (P 2) of 0.97, 0.92, 0.96, 0.97, 0.91, 0.97, 0.97, 0.90, and 0.93, respectively (all P 2 = 0.93; P 2 = 0.96; P 2 = 0.84; P 2 = 0.94; P
Summation and inhibition effects of weak and strong carcinogenic hydrocarbons: 1:2-benzanthracene, chrysene, 1:2:5:6-dibenzanthracene, and 20-methylcholanthrene.

Summary 1.1:2-Benzanthracene and chrysene were carcinogenic, inducing sarcoma on subcutaneous injection. The former was stronger than the latter, having both a shorter induction time and a higher tumor yield. The significance of these results with regard to the relation of chemical-physical characteristics of hydrocarbons to their carcinogenicity is discussed. 2.1:2-Benzanthracene and chrysene injected together showed definite summation of carcinogenic effects if not actually a synergistic action. The tumor yield was greater than the sum of their individual tumor yields, despite the halving of the dose of each compound injected. This observation is significant, because it cannot be explained by the existing theories of inhibition or summation effects of carcinogenic compounds. 3.The carcinogenic effects of 1:2-benzanthracene and 1:2:5:6-dibenzanthracene injected together were not those of summation but apparently of inhibition. 4.The carcinogenic effects of 1:2:5:6-dibenzanthracene and 20-methylcholanthrene injected together were additive, although imperfectly so.
Radiation Risk of Malignant Neoplasms in Organs of Main Deposition for Plutonium in the Cohort of Mayak Workers with Regard to Histological Types

Abstract This paper presents the results of analyses of the incidence of malignant neoplasms in lung, liver, and bone and associated connective tissues among Mayak nuclear workers exposed to both internally incorporated plutonium and to external gamma radiation. The study cohort included 22,373 individuals employed at the reactors and radiochemical and plutonium production facilities of the Mayak nuclear complex during 1948–1982 and followed up to the end of 2004. All analyses were carried out by Poisson regression, and the doses used were derived using a recently available update of organ doses, Mayak doses-2008. There was clear evidence for the linear association between internal plutonium dose and the risk of lung cancer. For males, there was evidence of a significant internal plutonium dose response for all histological types of lung cancer evaluated (adenocarcinoma, squamous-cell, and other epithelial); the estimated excess relative risk (ERR)/Gy for adenocarcinoma was the largest (ERR/Gy = 32.5; 95% CI: 16.3; 71.9), about 11-fold higher than that for squamous-cell lung cancer (ERR/Gy = 3.1; 95% CI: 0.3; 9.1). The relationship between liver cancer risk and plutonium exposure was best described by a linear-quadratic (LQ) function, but the LQ effect was diminished after restricting internal doses <2 Gy. Hepatocellular cancer was the most frequently observed type of liver cancer associated with internal plutonium exposure, and hemangiosarcomas were exclusively observed only at high internal plutonium doses (>4 Gy). For malignant neoplasms of bone and associated connective tissues, the trend was not statistically significant in relation to internal plutonium dose, but a statistically significantly higher risk (RR=13.7; 95% CI= 3.0; 58.5) was found among unmonitored female plutonium workers who were employed in the most hazardous plutonium production facility commissioned prior to 1950.
Isolation and characterization of insect PC2‐like prohormone convertase cDNA

Endoproteolytic processing of large precursor molecules at basic amino acid residues plays an important role in the maturation of many hormones, neuropeptides and other regulatory proteins. Enzymes performing these reactions are designated as prohormone or proprotein convertases and belong to the subtilisin family of serine proteases. The screening of a larval cDNA library of the sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina resulted in the isolation of two cDNAs encoding a PC2‐like prohormone convertase. The predicted 675 amino acid preproprotein (LcuPC2) exhibits its highest identity to invertebrate and vertebrate prohormone convertase 2 homologues, and a noticeably lower identity to the so far known insect furin‐like prohormone convertases of Drosophila melanogaster and Aedes aegypti. In Northern blot experiments a signal at 2.5 kb could be detected.
Polar versus Cartesian velocity models for maneuvering target tracking with IMM

This paper compares various model sets in different IMM filters for the maneuvering target tracking problem. The aim is to see whether we can improve the tracking performance of what is certainly the most widely used model set in the literature for the maneuvering target tracking problem: a Nearly Constant Velocity model and a Nearly Coordinated Turn model. Our new challenger set consists of a mixed Cartesian position and polar velocity state vector to describe the uniform motion segments and is augmented with the turn rate to obtain the second model for the maneuvering segments. This paper also gives a general procedure to discretize up to second order any non-linear continuous time model with linear diffusion. Comparative simulations on an air defence scenario with a 2D radar, show that this new approach improves significantly the tracking performance in this case.
Contributions of bicarbonate ion and of dissolved CO2 to expired CO2 in dogs.

The indicator-dilution technique has been applied to the heart-lung system of anesthetized dogs with injection of test solutions into the right ventricle or pulmonary artery, collection of some thirty anaerobic blood samples over a period of 1 minute from a carotid artery, and collection of expired gases. The test solution contained a reference substance (Na 22 or T-1824), labeled water, and C-13- or C-14-labeled HCO 3 – or dissolved CO 2 . Under control conditions, losses of the carbon isotopes from the blood stream and recoveries in the expired air indicated equilibration of CO 2 amongst its several forms in the time of transit from the site of injection to the alveoli. After administration of acetazoleamide in dosages of 100 down to 20 mg/kg, fractional losses of labeled dissolved carbon dioxide increased by a factor of 4. Confirmatory results were obtained in experiments on the incorporation of O 18 from H 2 O 18 into expired CO 2 . It is concluded that, after inhibition of carbonic anhydrase, peripheral arterial blood differs in composition from end-alveolar capillary blood.
In vitro activities of enoxacin and 17 other antimicrobial agents against multiply resistant, gram-negative bacteria

Enoxacin (CI-919) was evaluated for activity against 120 multiply resistant clinical isolates of the family Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The MIC of enoxacin for 95% of the strains tested was less than or equal to 2 micrograms/ml. Approximately 90% of the isolates were susceptible to enoxacin, norfloxacin, ceftazidime, moxalactam, cefotaxime, cefoperazone, and amikacin. Marked resistance to the other seven antimicrobial agents tested was observed.
Monocyte‐derived dendritic cells from HCV‐infected patients transduced with an adenovirus expressing NS3 are functional when stimulated with the TLR3 ligand poly(I:C)

Summary. Dendritic cells (DC) transfected with an adenovirus encoding hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3 protein (AdNS3) induce potent antiviral immune responses when used to immunize mice. However, in HCV infected patients, controversial results have been reported regarding the functional properties of monocyte‐derived DC (MoDC), a cell population commonly used in DC vaccination protocols. Thus, with the aim of future vaccination studies we decided to characterize MoDC from HCV patients transfected with AdNS3 and stimulated with the TLR3 ligand poly(I:C). Phenotypic and functional properties of these cells were compared with those from MoDC obtained from uninfected individuals. PCR analysis showed that HCV RNA was negative in MoDC from patients after the culture period. Also, phenotypic analysis of these cells showed lower expression of CD80, CD86, and CD40, but similar expression of HLA‐DR molecules as compared to MoDC from uninfected individuals. Functional assays of MoDC obtained from patients and controls showed a similar ability to activate allogeneic lymphocytes or to produce IL‐12 and IL‐10, although lower IFN‐α levels were produced by cells from HCV patients after poly(I:C) stimulation. Moreover, both groups of MoDC induced similar profiles of IFN‐γ and IL‐5 after stimulation of allogeneic T‐cells. Finally, migration assays did not reveal any difference in their ability to respond to CCL21 chemokine. In conclusion, MoDC from HCV patients are functional after transduction with AdNS3 and stimulation with poly(I:C). These findings suggest that these cells may be useful for therapeutic vaccination in chronic HCV infection.
Loss of E‐cadherin expression resulting from promoter hypermethylation in oral tongue carcinoma and its prognostic significance

E‐cadherin is expressed on the surface of normal epithelial cells. Loss of E‐cadherin expression has been found in cancers and is postulated to facilitate tumor cell dissociation and metastasis. This study evaluated the role of promoter dense methylation in the downregulation of E‐cadherin expression in oral tongue carcinoma.
Enhancement of sparse silicon retina-based stereo matching using belief propagation and two-stage postfiltering

Abstract. We present two improvement techniques for stereo matching algorithms using silicon retina sensors. We verify the results with ground truth data. In contrast to conventional monochrome/color cameras, silicon retina sensors deliver an asynchronous flow of events instead of common framed and discrete intensity or color images. While using this kind of sensor in a stereo setup to enable new fields of applications, it also introduces new challenges in terms of stereo image analysis. Using this type of sensor, stereo matching algorithms have to deal with sparse event data, thus, less information. This affects the quality of the achievable disparity results and renders improving the stereo matching algorithms a necessary task. For this reason, we introduce two techniques for increasing the accuracy of silicon retina stereo results, in the sense that the average distance error is reduced. The first method is an adapted belief propagation approach optimizing the initial matching cost volume, and the second is an innovative two-stage postfilter for smoothing and outlier rejection. The evaluation shows that the proposed techniques increase the accuracy of the stereo matching and constitute a useful extension for using silicon retina sensors for depth estimation.
Endovascular Management of Mycotic Aortic Aneurysms

Purpose: We report a single-center experience with the endovascular management of mycotic aortic aneurysms. Case reports: Four cases of mycotic aortic aneurysms are described; all treated with endovascular stent graft with variable configurations. All patients underwent successful placement of stent grafts for their aneurysms. No 30-day perioperative mortality was observed. One patient died during the follow-up period from a cause unrelated to the aneurysm. Conclusion: Repair of mycotic aneurysms can be accomplished with endovascular repair. This may be a valid alternative to open repair particularly in patients who are not candidates for conventional open repair.
A New Method to Quantify Mitral Regurgitation 37 A New Method to Quantify Mitral Regurgitation

INTRODUCTION In cases of mitral regurgitation, the severity of the regurgitation is the major determinant of progression to left ventricular dilatation and dysfunction. Therefore, precise measurement of regurgitant volume in patients with mitral regurgitation is important for evaluating the progression of the disease which can then determine the optimal time for surgical repair or replacement. A wide range of analytic approaches and diagnostic technologies have been proposed to aid clinical evaluation of mitral r e g u rgitation. Yet all existing quantification methods have shown limitations in one form or another. The aim of this paper is to present a new technique based on a control volume method which can accurately quantify mitral regurgitation with the use of velocity encoded magnetic resonance images.
‘You're Not a Man at All!’: Masculinity, Responsibility, and Staying on the Land in Contemporary Ireland

This paper explores some of the competing pressures at work in the lives of a particular group of Irish men, that is, young male farmers working in different types of farming regions in Ireland. As the economic and social landscape of farming is undergoing transformation, reducing the attractiveness and viability of farming as an occupation, there is, simultaneously, a strong association between constructions of farming masculinity and staying on the land. The paper explores some of these tensions. Farming masculinities are bound up with a sense of cultural and familial responsibility, which is attached to maintaining the family farm, but it is increasingly difficult to fulfil these responsibilities in the current environment. This can lead to stress and anxiety on the part of young farmers. It is argued that the construction and negotiation of farming masculinity is spatially contingent, reflecting local and regional geographies of gender.
POTENTIAL BIAS IN “CONTROLS” USED IN A HEART FAILURE DISEASE‐MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

To the Editor: The annual incidence of venous thromboembolism is approximately one to two cases per 1,000 persons, with its risk rising exponentially with age, from fewer than five cases per 100,000 persons younger than 15 to approximately 500 per 100,000 persons aged 80. Common symptoms and signs (e.g., dyspnea, tachypnea, tachycardia, and pleuritic chest pain) can raise the suspicion but are inconsistent in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) and are nonspecific.
Radiographic evaluation of the prevalence and technical quality of root canal treatment in a French subpopulation.

AIM This study was undertaken to examine the prevalence and technical quality of root fillings and the periapical status of endodontically treated teeth in a French subpopulation. METHODOLOGY Full-mouth periapical radiographs were obtained from 208 consecutive adult patients seeking care within the dental service provided by the Hôtel-Dieu in Paris. The occurrence and technical quality of root fillings were assessed for each root according to the position and the density of the obturation. The periapical status was evaluated using the Periapical Index Scoring System. The type of coronal restoration and the presence of posts were also noted. RESULTS Of the 8743 roots included in the survey, 23% were root-filled. An acceptable standard of treatment was found in 21% of roots with 16% of these cases associated with signs of periapical disease. In roots with unacceptable root-fillings, 27% had periapical pathology. A post was seen in 26% of the root-filled canals, with 29% of these cases associated with periapical pathology. An intracoronal restoration existed in 30% of the filled roots, of which 22% exhibited a periapical lesion. An extra-coronal restoration was present in 60% of the filled roots, of which 24% had radiographic signs of periapical pathology. The remaining 10% of filled roots that had no coronal restoration were associated with periapical pathology in 33% of cases. At least one periapical lesion was seen in 63% of the patients. CONCLUSION The results demonstrate a high prevalence of root-filled teeth and poor technical quality of treatment. Roots presenting with acceptable root fillings were associated with a lower prevalence of periapical pathology (P < 0.001). Posts in roots were associated with periapical pathology significantly more than in roots without posts (P < 0.001).
The hyperdynamic circulation of chronic liver diseases: From the patient to the molecule

The hyperdynamic circulatory syndrome observed in chronic liver diseases is a great example of research that originated from clinical observations and progressed in the last 50 years from the patient to the experimental laboratory. Our knowledge has evolved from the patient to the molecule, using experimental models that serve as a source for understanding the complex pathophysiological mechanisms that govern this complex syndrome. We now know that progressive vasodilatation is central to the detrimental effects observed in multiple organs. Although nitric oxide has been shown to be the primary vasodilator molecule in these effects, other molecules also participate in the complex mechanisms of vasodilatation. This review summarizes three major areas: first, clinical observation in patients; second, experimental models used to study the hyperdynamic circulatory syndrome; and third, the vasodilator molecules that play roles in vascular abnormalities observed in portal hypertension. (Hepatology 2006;43:S121–S131.)
Platelet hyper-function in acute coronary syndromes

Previous studies have demonstrated shortened bleeding times in patients with acute coronary syndromes, especially in myocardial infarction (MI). In this study we have investigated platelet hyper-function using the PFA-100 with collagen/adenosine diphosphate and collagen/epinephrine cartridges in 78 patients presenting with acute chest pain. Patients were classified into MI, unstable angina (UA) and non-specific chest pain. All patients received 300 mg aspirin (ASA) more than 2 h before blood samples were collected. Twenty healthy normal subjects were also tested before and 2 h after 300 mg ASA (n = 10). The collagen/adenosine diphosphate closure time was significantly shorter in MI patients (median, 71 s; P = 0.0237) but not in UA patients (median, 81 s; P > 0.05) compared with normal subjects (median, 92.5 s). The collagen/epinephrine closure times were significantly longer in UA patients (median, 233 s) than in untreated controls (median, 125 s; P < 0.0001), as expected, but there was no difference in MI patients (median, 149.24 s; P > 0.05), suggesting that the MI patients were not all responding to ASA. Analysis of a subset of the apparent ASA non-responders (n = 5) by platelet aggregation demonstrated that this was not related to failure of ASA to block cyclo-oxygenase activity. Von Willebrand factor levels were significantly elevated in both UA and MI patients compared with normal subjects (mean, 175.5 and 248.9 versus 89.1 s; P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001, respectively) and were also significantly higher in the MI group compared with the UA group (P < 0.05). There is evidence for platelet hyper-function and elevated von Willebrand factor levels in the MI group that could explain their decreased responsiveness to ASA on the collagen/epinephrine cartridge.