Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Persistence of systemic and splanchnic hyperkinetic circulation in liver transplant patients

Portal pressure and portal‐systemic collateral circulation after orthotopic liver transplantation have not been investigated. We studied systemic and splanchnic hemodynamics in 17 patients with cirrhosis before and 205 ± 146 days after orthotopic liver transplantation. Among the 17 orthotopic liver transplantation patients, 12 had undergone hemodynamic study in the 6 mo before orthotopic liver transplantation. Controls were 50 patients with normal liver architecture. Cardiac index remained elevated in orthotopic liver transplantation patients compared with controls (3.6 ± 0.9 vs. 3.1 ± 0.4 L/min · m2; p < 0.05). Azygos blood flow, which was elevated before orthotopic liver transplantation (585 ± 402 ml/min), remained elevated after orthotopic liver transplantation (553 ± 343 ml/min). In transplant patients, hepatic blood flow was higher than it was in controls (2.26 ± 0.86 vs. 1.38 ± 0.57 L/min; p < 0.05). Elevated hepatic blood flow correlated with cardiac index (r = 0.647, p < 0.025). In patients with normal graft function, hepatic venous pressure gradient was normal (2 ± 1 mm Hg). In a patient with acute rejection, a sharp elevation in the hepatic venous pressure gradient was observed; it returned to normal 45 days after treatment. We conclude that despite normal portal pressure, portal‐systemic collateral blood flow remains elevated after orthotopic liver transplantation. Possibly because of persistent collateral circulation, which may keep portal tributary blood flow elevated, hepatic blood flow is increased after orthotopic liver transplantation. Elevated splanchnic blood flow, in turn, contributes to the high cardiac index in liver recipients. Finally, a sharp elevation in portal pressure, which may be observed during acute rejection and subsides after treatment, merits further study. (HEPATOLOGY 1993;17:175–178.)
Barriers and Suggested Facilitators to the Implementation of Best Practice: An Integrative Review

It is well known that the incorporation of research findings into practice leads to less costs of health care, more personal productivity, longer and healthier lives for patients, and also will decrease pain and suffering of patients. Thus, the aim of this integrative review was to identify the barriers and facilitators of research utilization among the world and the best strategies used to overcome the barriers. A literature search was conducted by viewing relevant studies via computerized searching through EBSCO, Medline, Science Direct, Pub Med, Ovid, and Arabic Journals research databases. The number of reviewed studies was 192 and all of them in English, no studies in Arabic. Only 26 of them were selected based on inclusion criteria. Twenty six studies were included, with most using a cross-sectional survey design. The most identified barriers are lack of time, inadequate facilities and resources to implement new ideas, no enough authority to implement new ideas, lack of administrative support and others, while the most identified suggested that facilitators are improving the scientific knowledge of nurses and support from unit managers. The majority of these studies used Barriers scale which is not a standardized tool. However, there is a big gap between real situation and the identified evidences resulted from researches.
Using Repertory Grids to Conduct Cross-Cultural Information Systems Research

As more business is being conducted internationally and corporations establishthemselves globally, the impact of cross-cultural aspects becomes an important research issue. The need to conduct cross-cultural research is perhaps even more important in the relatively newly emerging and quickly changing information systems (IS)field. This article presents issues relating to qualitative research, emic versus etic approaches, and describes a structured, yet flexible, qualitative research interviewing technique, which decreases the potential for bias on the part of the researcher. The grounded theory technique presented in this article is based on Kelly's Repertory Grid (RepGrid), which concentrates on "laddering," or the further elaboration of elicited constructs, to obtain detailed researchparticipant comments about an aspect within the domain of discourse. The technique provides structure to a "one-to-one "interview. But, at the same time, RepGrids allow sufficient flexibility for the research participants to be able to express their own interpretation about a particular topic. This article includes a brief outline of a series of research projects that employed the RepGrid technique to examine similarities and differences in the way in which "excellent" systems analysts are viewed in two different cultures. Also included is a discussion of the technique's applicability for qualitative researchin general and cross-cultural studies specifically. The article concludes by suggesting ways in which the RepGrid technique addresses some of the major methodological issues in cross-cultural research.
Bactericidal mode of action of bedaquiline.

OBJECTIVES It is not fully understood why inhibiting ATP synthesis in Mycobacterium species leads to death in non-replicating cells. We investigated the bactericidal mode of action of the anti-tubercular F1Fo-ATP synthase inhibitor bedaquiline (Sirturo™) in order to further understand the lethality of ATP synthase inhibition. METHODS Mycobacterium smegmatis strains were used for all the experiments. Growth and survival during a bedaquiline challenge were performed in multiple media types. A time-course microarray was performed during initial bedaquiline challenge in minimal medium. Oxygen consumption and proton-motive force measurements were performed on whole cells and inverted membrane vesicles, respectively. RESULTS A killing of 3 log10 cfu/mL was achieved 4-fold more quickly in minimal medium (a glycerol carbon source) versus rich medium (LB with Tween 80) during bedaquiline challenge. Assessing the accelerated killing condition, we identified a transcriptional remodelling of metabolism that was consistent with respiratory dysfunction but inconsistent with ATP depletion. In glycerol-energized cell suspensions, bedaquiline caused an immediate 2.3-fold increase in oxygen consumption. Bedaquiline collapsed the transmembrane pH gradient, but not the membrane potential, in a dose-dependent manner. Both these effects were dependent on binding to the F1Fo-ATP synthase. CONCLUSIONS Challenge with bedaquiline results in an electroneutral uncoupling of respiration-driven ATP synthesis. This may be a determinant of the bactericidal effects of bedaquiline, while ATP depletion may be a determinant of its delayed onset of killing. We propose that bedaquiline binds to and perturbs the a-c subunit interface of the Fo, leading to futile proton cycling, which is known to be lethal to mycobacteria.
Mean Energy Imparted in Relation to the Focus to Object Distance

The relationship between the energy absorbed by the patient at the exposure of a radiographic image and the focus to object distance is analysed. It is found that the mean energy imparted, or the integral absorbed dose, is the same irrespective of the focus to object distance when the energy fluence and the field size are both normalized at the film plane. When the field size is kept constant within the object whilst the focus to object distance is varied a limited increase in the mean energy imparted occurs when the focus to object distance is decreased; this statement is valid for the focus to object distances which are usually applied in diagnostic radiology. When estimating radiation risks the importance of the focus to object distance is found to be of limited interest.
Proteomic characterization of human milk whey proteins during a twelve‐month lactation period

Human milk is a rich source of bioactive proteins that support early growth and development of the newborn. Although the major components of the protein fraction have been studied, the minor components have received limited attention. We examined the expression of low‐abundance proteins in the whey fraction of human milk and their dynamic changes over a twelve‐month lactation period. The low‐abundance proteins were enriched by ProteoMiner beads, and protein identification was performed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry using a Paradigm MG4 HPLC system coupled with a Thermo LTQ ion trap spectrometer. X! Tandem software was set up to search the Uniprot human complete proteome set data base and Scaffold (Proteome Software) was used to validate MS/MS based peptide and protein identifications. One hundred and fifteen proteins were identified, thirty‐eight of which have not been previously reported in human colostrum or milk. Eight functional groups were found: 35% of all proteins are involved in immune function, 17% in cell communication/signal transduction, 16% in metabolism/energy production pathways, 8% in protein metabolism (including translation, folding, trafficking, etc), 5% in cell growth and/or maintenance, 3% in nucleic acid metabolism and 3 % are multifunctional proteins. We also for the first time describe differences in protein patterns among the low‐abundance proteins during lactation. These results enhance our knowledge about the complexity of the human milk proteome and provide suggestions for their physiological significance in the mammary gland and in the breast‐fed infant. (Supported by Mead Johnson Nutrition)
HIV Persistence and the Prospect of Long-Term Drug-Free Remissions for HIV-Infected Individuals

HIV infection can persist in spite of efficacious antiretroviral therapies. Although incomplete inhibition of viral replication may contribute to this phenomenon, this is largely due to the early establishment of a stable reservoir of latently infected cells. Thus, life-long antiviral therapy may be needed to control HIV. Such therapy is prone to drug resistance and cumulative side effects and is an unbearable financial burden for regions of the world hit hardest by the epidemic. This review discusses our current understanding of HIV persistence and the limitations of potential approaches to eradicate the virus and accordingly pleads for a joint multidisciplinary effort toward two highly related goals: the development of an HIV prophylactic vaccine and the achievement of long-term drug-free remissions in HIV-infected individuals.
Modeling Content Structures of Domain-Specific Texts with RUP-HDP-HSMM and Its Applications

SUMMARY We propose a novel method, built upon the hierarchical Dirichlet process hidden semi-Markov model, to reveal the content structures of unstructured domain-speciﬁc texts. The content structures of texts consisting of sequential local contexts are useful for tasks, such as text retrieval, classiﬁcation, and text mining. The prominent feature of our model is the use of the recursive uniform partitioning, a stochastic process taking a view di ﬀ erent from existing HSMMs in modeling state duration. We show that the recursive uniform partitioning plays an important role in avoiding the rapid switching between hidden states. Remarkably, our method greatly outperforms others in terms of ranking performance in our text retrieval experiments, and provides more accurate features for SVM to achieve higher F1 scores in our text classiﬁcation experiments. These experiment results suggest that our method can yield improved representations of domain-speciﬁc texts. Furthermore, we present a method of automatically discovering the local contexts that serve to account for why a text is classiﬁed as a positive instance, in the supervised learning settings.
The use of Instagram as a marketing tool by Emirati female entrepreneurs: an exploratory study

The UAE has an internet penetration rate of over 80% and has utilised social media for social and commercial purposes. This exploratory study is aimed at understanding the experiences of Emirati business women who chose Instagram to market their small businesses. Nine successful businesswomen were identified and their experiences with Instagram were analysed. The study found that Instagram is effectively used by Emirati women entrepreneurs, especially for home-based businesses. Instagram specific marketing strategies were created to ensure brand awareness and customer engagement. The entrepreneurs found Instagram in-expensive and user friendly; it also provided high exposure for their products. The business women relied on relatives and friends to spread information about their products and this mirrors Emirati culture that is based on tribal communities. Instagram also provided a secure private platform for Emirati women as they do not have to mix with strangers, especially from the opposite sex, and this allows them to engage in business freely without any social pressures.
Effect of single walled carbon nanotubes on the performance of poly-(3-hexylthiophene) solar cell

Thin films of P3HT formed from sonicated solutions were found to have larger absorption than those formed from homogenised solutions because of improved ordering of polymer chains. Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNNs) were dispersed in poly-[3-hexylthiophene] (P3HT), and were found to quench the photoluminescence (PL) of P3HT, both in solution and thin film form. The PL peak intensity of P3HT thin film was reduced by 4 orders of magnitude with the addition of 2 wt% SWNNs. P3HT-SWNT bulk heterojunction organic solar cells were fabricated with varying SWNT content. The solar cell efficiency increased by 2.4 times when the SWNT content is increased from 0.2 wt% to 2 wt% because of increased open circuit voltage and short circuit current.
Ablation of Paroxysmal and Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: 1‐Year Follow‐Up Through Continuous Subcutaneous Monitoring

Ablation of Paroxysmal and Persistent Atrial Fibrillation. Background: The aim of this prospective observational study was to identify responders to ablation through continuous subcutaneous monitoring for 1 year after ablation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) or persistent AF (PersAF).
Prostaglandin D2 Inhibits Hair Growth and Is Elevated in Bald Scalp of Men with Androgenetic Alopecia

Prostaglandin D2 inhibits hair growth through its receptor, GPR44, and this pathway could serve as a new target for developing treatments for male pattern baldness. A Not-So-Hairy Situation Everybody wishes his or her hair was different; curly hair wants straight locks, straight hair desires some curl. Patients with androgenetic alopecia (AGA), however, would take either one, as long as it meant having hair. AGA is a disorder that affects both men and women, leading to hair thinning and loss. Here, Garza and colleagues provide new insight into the pathogenesis of AGA, in hopes of developing new therapeutics that target specific pathways responsible for baldness. The authors first examined bald and haired scalp from five men with AGA and showed that the enzyme prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) synthase was elevated at the mRNA and protein levels in bald scalp only. In a larger group of 17 men, they confirmed that the synthase product PGD2 was also elevated in bald versus haired scalp. In mice with synchronized hair follicle cycling, Garza et al. uncovered a temporal relationship between PGD2 gene expression and hair follicle regression. The authors further found that PGD2 and a related metabolite, 15-dPGJ2, inhibited hair growth in both mice and human hair follicles, providing a crucial functional link between the prostaglandin pathway and AGA. Garza and coauthors identified the receptor GPR44 to be responsible for mediating the negative effects of PGD2. By discovering such therapeutic targets for downstream drug development, such as a topical treatment, Garza et al. may have given patients with AGA a long-awaited choice: curly or straight? Testosterone is necessary for the development of male pattern baldness, known as androgenetic alopecia (AGA); yet, the mechanisms for decreased hair growth in this disorder are unclear. We show that prostaglandin D2 synthase (PTGDS) is elevated at the mRNA and protein levels in bald scalp compared to haired scalp of men with AGA. The product of PTGDS enzyme activity, prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), is similarly elevated in bald scalp. During normal follicle cycling in mice, Ptgds and PGD2 levels increase immediately preceding the regression phase, suggesting an inhibitory effect on hair growth. We show that PGD2 inhibits hair growth in explanted human hair follicles and when applied topically to mice. Hair growth inhibition requires the PGD2 receptor G protein (heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide)–coupled receptor 44 (GPR44), but not the PGD2 receptor 1 (PTGDR). Furthermore, we find that a transgenic mouse, K14-Ptgs2, which targets prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 expression to the skin, demonstrates elevated levels of PGD2 in the skin and develops alopecia, follicular miniaturization, and sebaceous gland hyperplasia, which are all hallmarks of human AGA. These results define PGD2 as an inhibitor of hair growth in AGA and suggest the PGD2-GPR44 pathway as a potential target for treatment.
Biological, physiological and pathogenic variation in a genetically homogenous population of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense

Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc) is the causal agent of Fusarium wilt of banana and is divided into three races and 21 vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs). Within a VCG, Foc proved to be genetically homogenous. Previous studies on phenotypic characteristics were performed with isolates that represented different races and VCGs from different banana-producing countries. The aim of this study was to determine the phenotypic variation in a genetically similar South African population of Foc, where all isolates belong to VCG 0120. Twenty-six isolates of Foc ‘subtropical’ race 4 (VCG 0120) were selected for this study. Differences in growth rate, spore production and the number of spores were determined. Virulence of Foc isolates was determined by inoculating susceptible, tissue-cultured, banana plantlets. Differences in cultural characteristics and virulence among isolates were found. The South African isolates can be divided into sporodochial, cottony and slimy pionnotal types. All isolates produced microconidia in abundance, but production of macroconidia and sporodochia varied. Disease severity varied from no vascular discoloration to complete discoloration of vascular tissue. This study showed that, although the South African population of Foc is homogenous in terms of its genetic make-up, it varies considerably in terms of phenotypic characteristics.
Expanded experience with an intradermal skin test to predict for the presence or absence of carboplatin hypersensitivity.

PURPOSE Carboplatin-associated hypersensitivity is increasingly recognized as a potentially serious toxicity when this agent is administered for more than six total cycles. PATIENTS AND METHODS Our group has used a predictive skin test in women with gynecologic cancers who have previously received more than six cumulative cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy. Thirty minutes before all subsequent carboplatin courses, a 0.02-mL aliquot from the solution prepared for treatment is injected intradermally. A positive test is considered to be a > or = 5-mm wheal, with a surrounding flare. RESULTS From October 1998 through March 2003, 126 patients received a total of 717 carboplatin skin tests (median per patient, four tests; range, one to 54 tests). Of the 668 negative tests (93% of the total performed), 10 were associated with evidence of carboplatin hypersensitivity (1.5% false-negative rate; 95% CI, 0.6% to 2.4%), none of which were severe (eg, dyspnea, hypotension, cardiac/respiratory compromise). Of the 41 positive tests, the decision was made to not deliver the drug to 32 patients, although seven women ultimately underwent a future attempt at re-treatment with a platinum agent using a desensitization program. In seven episodes where patients received the carboplatin despite the finding of a positive test, six were associated with the development of symptoms of anaphylaxis (none severe). CONCLUSION A negative carboplatin skin test seems to predict with reasonable reliability for the absence of a severe hypersensitivity reaction with the subsequent drug infusion. The implications of a positive test remain less certain, but limited experience with continued treatment suggests this approach must be undertaken with considerable caution.
Salivary Diagnostics

Salivary diagnostics plays an important role in the early detection and prevention of many oral and systemic diseases in a fast and noninvasive way. Saliva collection is an easy, repeatable and inexpensive diagnostic source that can be used for both diagnosis and real-time monitoring of various human diseases. In the near future, many developed and validated salivary biomarkers have the potential to reach the clinical practice. Five diagnostic “omics” constituents of saliva include proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, microbiomics and microRNAs. Based on them, the newly emerging technologies of salivary diagnostics are developed that include RNA-sequencing, point-of-care technologies and liquid biopsy. They have potential to enable screening, early detection, prognosis and monitoring of various human diseases. The recent developments broadened the salivary diagnostic approach from the oral cavity to the whole physiological system, thus toward personalized individual medicine applications.
Fallopian tube torsion: laparoscopic evaluation and treatment of a rare gynecological entity.

BACKGROUND Fallopian tube torsion is a cause for acute low abdominal pain that is difficult to diagnose. The purpose of this article is to review the available data on and to update clinicians regarding its diagnosis and treatment in the era of laparoscopic surgery. METHODS We searched in MEDLINE and EMBASE and reviewed the lists of references. The keywords used were "laparoscopy," "fallopian tube," and "torsion. " RESULTS AND CONCLUSION Fallopian tube torsion is an uncommon cause for acute low abdominal pain in women. Because it has no pathognomonic clinical symptoms or findings on imaging or laboratory studies, a history of current or past pelvic pathologic conditions or surgery, as well as pregnancy, should draw the attention of the attending physician to its occurrence. Early laparoscopy is the reference standard in the diagnosis and treatment.
Degradation of Pectins with Different Degrees of Esterification by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron Isolated from Human Gut Flora

ABSTRACT A complete human fecal flora and cultures of defined species obtained from fecal flora were investigated in vitro to determine their ability to ferment the dietary fiber pectin. Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron was tested as a pectin-degrading microorganism alone and in coculture with Escherichia coli. Macromolecular pectins with different degrees of esterification were used as substrates in microbial degradation studies. The levels of oligogalacturonic acids formed in batch cultures were estimated during a 24- or 48-h incubation period by using high-performance thin-layer chromatography and high-performance anion-exchange chromatography. The spectrum and the amount of unsaturated oligogalacturonic acids formed as intermediate products of pectin fermentation changed permanently in the culture media during incubation with the complete fecal flora. After 24 h, no oligogalacturonic acids were detected. The pectin-degrading activities of pure cultures of B. thetaiotaomicron were lower than the pectin-degrading activity of a complete fecal flora. Cocultures of B. thetaiotaomicronand E. coli exhibited intermediate levels of degradation activity. In pure cultures of E. coli no pectin-degrading activity was found. Additionally, the rate of pectin degradation was affected by the degree of esterification of the substrate. Saturated oligogalacturonic acids were not found during pectin fermentation. The disappearance of oligogalacturonic acids in the later stages of fermentation with both the complete fecal flora and B. thetaiotaomicron was accompanied by increased formation of short-chain fatty acids.