Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Free Radical-Induced Redox Chemistry of Platinum-Containing Anti-cancer Drugs

Abstract Swancutt, K. L. , Mezyk, S. P. and Kiddle, J. J. Free Radical-Induced Redox Chemistry of Platinum-Containing Anti-cancer Drugs. Radiat. Res. 168, 423–427 (2007). Arrhenius parameters for the reactions of oxidizing hydroxyl radicals and reducing hydrated electrons with cisplatin, transplatin and carboplatin in aqueous solution have been determined using pulsed electron radiolysis and absorption spectroscopy techniques. Under physiological pH and chloride concentration conditions, hydroxyl radical reaction rate constants of (9.99 ± 0.20) × 109, (8.38 ± 0.55) × 109, and (6.03 ± 0.08) × 109 M−1 s−1 at 24.0, 20.7 and 24.0°C, respectively, with corresponding activation energies of 12.79 ± 0.57, 13.88 ± 1.14, and 14.35 ± 0.56 kJ mol−1 for these three reactions, were determined. These oxidations of cisplatin and transplatin to form a PtIII transient are significantly faster than reported previously at room temperature. The lower rate constant for carboplatin is consistent with hydroxyl radical reaction partitioning between reaction at the platinum center and the cyclobutanedicarboxylate ligand. The equivalent reductive hydrated electron reaction rate constants measured were (1.99 ± 0.04) × 1010 (24.0°C), (1.77 ± 0.08) × 1010 (22.0°C), and (8.92 ± 0.06) × 109 M−1 s−1 (24.0°C), with corresponding activation energies of 15.75 ± 1.00, 19.74 ± 1.82, and 19.99 ± 0.34 kJ mol−1. Again, the values determined for cisplatin and transplatin are faster than reported; however, all three values are consistent with direct reduction of the platinum center to form a PtI moiety.
Video assisted thoracoscopic excision of mediastinal ectopic parathyroid adenomas: a UK regional experience.

BACKGROUND To report the first series of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) resection of mediastinal ectopic parathyroid adenomas (MEPAs) in the UK. METHODS A case series of seven cases undergoing VATS between 2004 and 2009 to treat single gland hyperparathyroidism. Methylene blue (MB) was used in 5/7 cases immediately before exploration to identify the adenomas. Carbon dioxide (CO2) up to pressures of 10 mmHg was used safely to deflate the lung in two cases. RESULTS There were five women and two men with a mean age of 53 years (range, 27-72 years). Histopathology confirmed successful resection of the parathyroid adenoma in 6/7 cases. There was one conversion to open thoracotomy due to bleeding from the azygos vein resulting from excessive traction. Despite marked MB uptake, this patient proved to have tuberculoid adenopathy and no parathyroid tissue was identified. Postoperative plasma calcium returned to normal in 6/7 patients and parathyroid hormone (PTH) level in 6/7 patients. The median hospital stay was 2 days and there was no mortality in this series. CONCLUSIONS MEPAs can be safely resected using VATS with minimal surgical morbidity, short drainage time and short hospital stay. CO2 insufflation and the intraoperative use of MB are safe and help to accurately localise the ectopic adenoma. VATS should be considered as the first-line approach for resection of MEPAs.
A weight-gain-for-gestational-age z score chart for the assessment of maternal weight gain in pregnancy.

BACKGROUND To establish the unbiased relation between maternal weight gain in pregnancy and perinatal health, a classification for maternal weight gain is needed that is uncorrelated with gestational age. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to create a weight-gain-for-gestational-age percentile and z score chart to describe the mean, SD, and selected percentiles of maternal weight gain throughout pregnancy in a contemporary cohort of US women. DESIGN The study population was drawn from normal-weight women with uncomplicated, singleton pregnancies who delivered at the Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA, 1998-2008. Analyses were based on a randomly selected subset of 648 women for whom serial prenatal weight measurements were available through medical chart record abstraction (6727 weight measurements). RESULTS The pattern of maternal weight gain throughout gestation was estimated by using a random-effects regression model. The estimates were used to create a chart with the smoothed means, percentiles, and SDs of gestational weight gain for each week of pregnancy. CONCLUSION This chart allows researchers to express total weight gain as an age-standardized z score, which can be used in epidemiologic analyses to study the association between pregnancy weight gain and adverse or physiologic pregnancy outcomes independent of gestational age.
Reduction of Serum Prolactin in Rats by 2 Ergot Alkaloids and 2 Ergoline Derivatives: A Comparison 1

Suppression of the secretion of pituitary prolactin by the use of drugs (1-4) has been possible for only a few years, although increasing the secretion of this hormone by drugs has been feasible for many years (5). Ergocornine (Ergo) and/or 2-bromo-α-ergocryptine (CB-154), 2 chemically similar natural alkaloids extracted from ergot, have been reported to terminate early pregnancy (6), prevent deciduoma formation (7), suppress mammogenesis (4) and inhibit lactation and luteolysis (8) in rodents, all of which imply suppression of prolactin secretion. More recently, Ergo when administered to rats (1-4) and CB-154 when administered to cows (9) or humans (10) markedly reduced serum prolactin, as determined by radioimmunoassay, thus confirming and extending these earlier observations. Evidence indicates that the effects of these drugs are exerted at both the hypo-thalamic (1) and the pituitary (2, 3) levels. Considerable attention has recently been given to a number of ergoline derivatives which also appear to suppress prolactin secretion (11). 6-Methyl-8-β-ergoline-ace-tonitrile (MEA) has been reported to interfere with pseudopregnancy (12), pregnancy (12) and mammogenesis (13) in mice and to prevent pregnancy (14) in rats. Recent evidence has also been provided showing that a chlorinated derivative of MEA, 2-chloro-6-methyl-8-β-ergoline-ace-tonitrile (Cl-MEA), is also capable of suppressing the secretion of this hormone (11).
Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex: comparative cytoarchitectonic analysis in the human and the macaque brain and corticocortical connection patterns

The cytoarchitecture of the human and the macaque monkey dorsolateral prefrontal cortex has been examined in a strictly comparative manner in order to resolve major discrepancies between the available segmentations of this cortical region in the human and the monkey brain. In addition, the connections of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortical areas were re‐examined in the monkey. The present analysis showed that only a restricted portion of what had previously been labelled as area 46 in the monkey has the same characteristics as area 46 of the human brain; the remaining part of this monkey region has the characteristics of a portion of the middle frontal gyrus in the human brain that had previously been included as part of area 9. We have labelled this cortical area as 9/46 in both species. These two areas (i.e. 46 and 9/46), which constitute the lower half of the mid‐dorsolateral frontal cortex, have a well‐developed granular layer IV, and can easily be distinguished from area 9, on the upper part of the mid‐dorsolateral region, which does not have a well‐developed granular layer IV. Area 9 has the same basic pattern of connections as areas 46 and 9/46, but, unlike the latter areas, it does not receive input from the lateral parietal cortex. Caudal to area 9, on the dorsomedial portion of the frontal cortex, there is a distinct strip of cortex (area 8B) which, unlike area 9, receives significant input from the prestriate cortex and the medial parietal cortex. The present results provide a basis for a closer integration of findings from functional neuroimaging studies in human subjects with experimental work in the monkey.
The Effectiveness of Four Translation Strategies on Nurses’ Adoption of an Evidence-Based Bladder Protocol

ABSTRACT The primary purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an intervention consisting of the four translation strategies of educational materials, educational meetings, reminders, and audit and feedback on nurses’ adoption of an evidence-based bladder program for patients with stroke in an acute care setting. The secondary purpose was to evaluate the difference in incontinence episodes of patients with stroke before and after nurses received the intervention. Finally, the purpose was to evaluate the influence of nurses’ attitudes and the demographic characteristics on the adoption and use of the evidence-based bladder program after receiving the intervention. This study was the first to provide empirical support for the influence of the combination of these four translation strategies and nurses’ attitudes toward research on the adoption of evidence-based practice in a time-series design study. Thus, the combined use of the four translation strategies did have an impact on nurses’ adoption of evidence-based practice.
Myoelectric activity of the ileum, cecum, proximal loop of the ascending colon, and spiral colon in cows with naturally occurring cecal dilatation-dislocation.

OBJECTIVE To analyze myoelectric activity of the ileum, cecum, proximal loop of the ascending colon (PLAC), and spiral colon in cows with naturally occurring cecal dilatation-dislocation (CDD) and compare findings with those in healthy cows. ANIMALS 8 CDD-affected and 6 healthy control cows. PROCEDURES Immediately after diagnosis, CDD-affected cows underwent surgery; control cows underwent a similar surgical procedure. Before completion of surgery, 8 bipolar silver electrodes were implanted in the ileum (n = 2), cecum (1), PLAC (1), and spiral colon (4) of each cow. Beginning the day after surgery, intestinal myoelectric activity was recorded daily (8-hour period) for 4 days; data were analyzed by use of specialized software programs. Quantitative variables of myoelectric activity were compared between groups. RESULTS Cows of both groups recovered without complications after surgery. In control cows, physiologic myoelectric activity was recorded in all intestinal segments on all days after surgery. Apparently normal myoelectric activity was evident in the ileum of CDD-affected cows on the first day after surgery, but myoelectric activity patterns in the cecum, PLAC, and spiral colon were variable with no organized cyclic myoelectric patterns, incomplete or normally organized migrating myoelectric complexes, and slow normalization over time. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE After surgery for CDD, normal myoelectric patterns were disrupted in the large intestine of cows, especially in the spiral colon. Clinical recovery with effective transit of ingesta occurred before normalization of myoelectric activity in the large intestine. Therapeutic protocols for restoration or normalization of spiral colon motility should be developed for treatment of CDD-affected cattle.
Brain Plasticity in Poststroke Aphasia: What Is the Contribution of the Right Hemisphere?

The brain may use two strategies to recover from poststroke aphasia: the structural repair of primarily speech-relevant regions or the activation of compensatory areas. We studied the cortical metabolic recovery in aphasic stroke patients with positron emission tomography (PET) at rest and during word repetition. The left supplementary motor area (SMA) showed the most prominent compensatory activation in the subacute state of stroke. The restitution of the left superior temporal cortex determined the long-term prognosis of aphasia. The brain recruited right-hemispheric regions for speech processing, when the left-hemispheric centers were permanently impaired. This strategy, however, was significantly less effective than the repair of the original speech-relevant network.
To Hold (Enteral Feeding) or Not to Hold: That IS the Question; A Commentary and Tutorial

the new feeding regimen by the patient may become an issue. From the pharmacotherapeutic perspective, there are concerns that the absorption pattern and bioavailability of drug are altered by EN, thus affecting the safety and efficacy profiles of medications. The aim of this article is to discuss when these concerns are clinically significant and what actions could be taken to optimize patient care. The purpose of this paper is to serve as a tutorial to guide clinical decision making rather than a comprehensive review of the existing literature. Clinicians are strongly encouraged to review the literature concerning drug-specific management approaches that have been published and exercise good clinical judgment to individualize the patient care plan.
Implementation of IEEE 802.11n LDPC codes based on general purpose processors

Recently, General-purpose processor (GPP) soft defined radio (SDR) platforms have drawn great attention for their programmability and flexibility, and some high-speed wireless protocol stacks (e.g., IEEE 802.11a/b/g) have been implemented on them using commodity general-purpose PCs. Low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes are optionally used in IEEE 802.11n high throughput (HT) system as a high-performance error correcting code instead of convolutional codes for the near Shannon limit performance. In order to complete the implementation of IEEE 802.11n on SDR platforms, this paper presents the encoding and decoding of IEEE 802.11n LDPC codes on GPPs. We extensively use the features of contemporary processor architectures to accelerate data processing, including large low-latency caches to store lookup tables and SIMD processing on GPPs. Layered decoding is used in this paper, which can significantly reduce the number of iterations and is well suited to using SIMD instructions. The implementation results show that the throughput can meet the protocol timing requirement under the performance premise.
Angptl4 links α-cell proliferation following glucagon receptor inhibition with adipose tissue triglyceride metabolism

Significance Hyperactivity of the hormone glucagon plays an important role in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes, but the factors that affect glucagon levels and α-cell proliferation are not entirely understood. This is particularly important for the development diabetes drugs based on glucagon receptor inhibition, which increase glucagon levels in plasma and α-cell mass. Here we show that increased levels of Angiopoietin-like 4 (Angptl4) in adipose tissue and plasma are sufficient to induce α-cell proliferation. Angptl4 is a conserved, secreted lipoprotein lipase inhibitor expressed by many tissues that is regulated by exercise and feeding. Moreover, Angptl4 is required for the compensatory hyperglucagonemia and α-cell proliferation following treatment with glucagon receptor antagonists. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by a reduction in insulin function and an increase in glucagon activity that together result in hyperglycemia. Glucagon receptor antagonists have been developed as drugs for diabetes; however, they often increase glucagon plasma levels and induce the proliferation of glucagon-secreting α-cells. We find that the secreted protein Angiopoietin-like 4 (Angptl4) is up-regulated via Pparγ activation in white adipose tissue and plasma following an acute treatment with a glucagon receptor antagonist. Induction of adipose angptl4 and Angptl4 supplementation promote α-cell proliferation specifically. Finally, glucagon receptor antagonist improves glycemia in diet-induced obese angptl4 knockout mice without increasing glucagon levels or α-cell proliferation, underscoring the importance of this protein. Overall, we demonstrate that triglyceride metabolism in adipose tissue regulates α-cells in the endocrine pancreas.
Exponential bounds on error probability with Feedback

Feedback is useful in memoryless channels for decreasing complexity and increasing reliability; the capacity of the memoryless channels, however, can not be increased by feedback. For fixed length block codes even the decay rate of error probability with block length does not increase with feedback for most channel models. Consequently for making the physical layer more reliable for higher layers one needs go beyond the framework of fixed length block codes and consider relaxations like variable-length coding, error-erasure decoding. We strengthen and quantify this observation by investigating three problems. 1. Error-Erasure Decoding for Fixed-Length Block Codes with Feedback: Error-erasure codes with communication and control phases, introduced by Yamamoto and Itoh, are building blocks for optimal variable-length block codes. We improve their performance by changing the decoding scheme and tuning the durations of the phases, and establish inner bounds to the tradeoff between error exponent, erasure exponent and rate. We bound the loss of performance due to the encoding scheme of Yamamoto-Itoh from above by deriving outer bounds to the tradeoff between error exponent, erasure exponent and rate both with and without feedback. We also consider the zero error codes with erasures and establish inner and outer bounds to the optimal erasure exponent of zero error codes. In addition we present a proof of the long known fact that, the error exponent tradeoff between two messages is not improved with feedback. 2. Unequal Error Protection for Variable-Length Block Codes with Feedback: We use Kudrayashov's idea of implicit confirmations and explicit rejections in the framework of unequal error protection to establish inner bounds to the achievable pairs of rate vectors and error exponent vectors. Then we derive an outer bound that matches the inner bound using a new bounding technique. As a result we characterize the region of achievable rate vector and error exponent vector pairs for bit-wise unequal error protection problem for variable-length block codes with feedback. Furthermore we consider the single message message-wise unequal error protection problem and determine an analytical expression for the missed detection exponent in terms of rate and error exponent, for variable-length block codes with feedback. 3. Feedback Encoding Schemes for Fixed-Length Block Codes: We modify the analysis technique of Gallager to bound the error probability of feedback encoding schemes. Using the encoding schemes suggested by Zigangirov, D'yachkov and Burnashev we recover or improve all previously known lower bounds on the error exponents of fixed-length block codes. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
The handbook of historical linguistics

Part I: Introduction:. On Language, Change, and Language Change -- Or, Of History, Linguistics, and Historical Linguistics: Richard D. Janda & Brian D. Joseph, both The Ohio State University. Part II: Methods for Studying Language Change: . 1. The Comparative Method: Robert L. Rankin, University of Kansas. 2. On the Limits of the Comparative Method: S.P. Harrison, University of Western Australia. 3. Internal Reconstruction: Don Ringe, University of Pennsylvania. 4. How to Show Languages are Related: Methods for Distant Genetic Relationship: Lyle Campbell, University of Canterbury, New Zealand. 5. Diversity and Stability in Language: Johanna Nichols, University of California, Berkeley. Part III: Phonological Change:. 6. The Phonological Basis of Sound Change: Paul Kiparsky, Stanford University. 7. Neogrammarian Sound Change: Mark Hale, Concordia University. 8. Variationist Approaches to Phonological Change: Gregory R. Guy, York University. 9. "Phonologization" as the Start of Dephoneticization -- Or, On Sound--Change and its Aftermath: Of Extension, Generalization, Lexicalization, and Morphologization: Richard D. Janda, The Ohio State University. Part IV: Morphological and Lexical Change: . 10. Analogy: The Warp and Woof of Cognition: Raimo Anttila, University of California, Los Angeles. 11. Analogical Change: Hans Henrich Hock, University of Illinois, Urbana--Champaign. 12. Naturalness and Morphological Change: Wolfgang U. Dressler, Vienna University. 13. Morphologization from Syntax: Brian D. Joseph, The Ohio State University. Part V: Syntactic Change: . 14. Grammatical Approaches to Syntactic Change: David Lightfoot, Georgetown University. 15. Variationist Approaches to Syntactic Change: Susan Pintzuk, University of York. 16. Cross--linguistic Perspectives on Syntactic Change: Alice C. Harris, Vanderbilt University. 17. Functional Perspectives on Syntactic Change: Marianne Mithun, University of California, Santa Barbara. Part VI: Pragmatico--Semantic Change:. 18. Grammaticalization: Bernd Heine, University of Cologne. 19. Mechanisms of Change in Grammaticization: The Role of Frequency: Joan Bybee, University of New Mexico. 20. Constructions in Grammaticalization: Elizabeth Closs Traugott, Stanford University. 21. An Approach to Semantic Change: Benjamin W. Fortson, IV. Part VII: Explaining Linguistic Change:. 22. Phonetics and Historical Phonology: John J. Ohala, University of California, Berkeley. 23. Contact as a Source of Language Change: Sarah Grey Thomason, University of Pittsburgh. 24. Dialectology and Linguistic Diffusion: Walt Wolfram & Natalie Schilling--Estes, North Carolina State University and Georgetown University. 25. Psycholinguistic Perspectives on Linguistic Change: Jean Aitchison, University of Oxford. Bibliography. Subject Index. Name Index. Language Index.
Synthetic selective inhibitors of coagulation factor Xa strongly inhibit thrombin generation without affecting initial thrombin forming time necessary for platelet activation in hemostasis

Summary. DX‐9065a and JTV‐803, synthetic selective inhibitors of activated factor X (FXa), have recently been demonstrated as strongly effective antithrombotic agents in animal thrombosis models, yet with a low risk of bleeding. The aim of the present study was to elucidate these characteristics. Using a chromogenic assay with purified coagulation factors, 73.9% of thrombin generation was suppressed by the addition of DX‐9065a (0.20 µm) and 75.7% by JTV‐803 (0.18 µm). Inhibition by argatroban (0.19 µm) was less (36.0%) and initial thrombin forming time (T50), the time required to generate 50% thrombin activity in vitro, which is considered important for platelet aggregation in hemostasis, was significantly prolonged by argatroban. In contrast, DX‐9065a and JTV‐803 had no apparent influence on T50, suggesting that initial thrombin was formed immediately, as in the control. We also investigated platelet aggregation in defibrinated plasma induced by tissue factor, to clarify whether initial thrombin contributes to hemostasis. Aggregation was not affected by the addition of either FXa inhibitor, whereas it was significantly reduced by argatroban. Our results suggest that initial thrombin, which is formed despite the presence of a FXa inhibitor, can activate platelets. We concluded that DX‐9065a and JTV‐803 are able to inhibit thrombin generation significantly without affecting the formation of initial thrombin for platelet activation, which may contribute to hemostasis through the preservation of normal bleeding time.
Social Support and Depression among Elderly Korean Immigrants in the United States

Based on the integrative concept of social support, we investigated the effects of quantitative, structural, and functional aspects of social relationships on the level of depressive symptoms among elderly Korean immigrants, taking into account their level of acculturation and life stress. Korean elders having more close persons and more frequent contacts with them exhibited fewer depressive symptoms. Networks providing instrumental support consisted mainly of family ties; networks for emotional support included diverse relationships as well as family members. Emotional support was found to moderate the harmful effect of life stress, and thus to be more relevant than instrumental support to the mental health of Korean elderly.