Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Norgestrel may be a potential therapy for retinal degenerations

Retinal degenerations cover a broad spectrum of diseases, retinitis pigmentosa being the most common inherited retinal degeneration. It remains an untreatable disorder, partly owing to its genetic complexity and variability. Gene therapies, stem cell transplantation and administration of slow release growth factors are some of the treatments currently under development for the treatment of this disease. More recently, steroid hormones, now known to have functions within the CNS aside from their traditional targets, have been suggested as potential therapeutic agents. Progestogenic hormones are thought to modulate pro-survival pathways in the retina and since these hormones are produced naturally in the body their value as potential therapeutic agents is clear. Current data detailing the pro-survival effects of progestogens in the brain and particularly in the eye will be discussed.
Anethum graveolens and hyperlipidemia: A randomized clinical trial

Background: It has been established that hyperlipidemia increases the incidence and mortality associated with coronary heart disease. In this study, the effects of Dill (Anethum graveolens) were evaluated on lipid profile of hypercholesterolemic patients. Materials and Methods: In this clinical study, 91 hyperlipidemic patients were randomly designated into two groups. One group received gemfibrozil (900 mg daily) and the other group received Dill tablet (six tablets daily) for 2 months. The blood lipids including total cholesterol, triglyceride and high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol from each group were assessed at the beginning and end of the trial. Results: Use of gemfibrozil brought about increased HDL-cholesterol by 3.91% (P < 0.05) and reduced triglyceride and total cholesterol by 32.7% (P < 0.05) and 9.41% (P < 0.05), respectively. Applying Dill tablet for 2 months resulted in reduction of total cholesterol up to 18% (P < 0.05) and triglyceride by 7.38% (P < 0.05). However, circulating HDL-cholesterol was not affected by this treatment. In this study, gemfibrozil decreased triglyceride and increased HDL-cholesterol more than anethum (P < 0.05). Anethum decreased total cholesterol more than gemfibrozil (P < 0.05). Patients treated with anethum did not report any side effects. Conclusion: The results of this trial indicate that Dill might be beneficial for hypercholesterolemic and hypertriglycemic patients.
Diferentes tareas de solución de problemas y funciones ejecutivas en niños de 7 a 12 años

Los constructos “solucion de problemas” y funciones ejecutivas estan intimamente emparentados e inclusive superpuestos. No existen estudios que diluciden si se trata de diferentes dominios cognitivos, ya sea total o parcialmente. Por otra parte, hay poca informacion acerca de la diferencia entre problemas aritmeticos y no aritmeticos. En este estudio se compara el desempeno en pruebas estandar de solucion de problemas matematicos y no matematicos (Bateria III Woodcock-Munoz, Test de las 20 preguntas) con dos tareas que exploran funciones ejecutivas: Torre de Londres (ToL) y el test de Anticipacion Visual de Brixton (TAVB) en una muestra de escolares. Se encontro que el rendimiento en las pruebas matematicas correlaciona significativamente con el desempeno en ToL, y que el rendimiento en la prueba de solucion de problemas no matematicos se asocia con el desempeno en el TAVB. Los resultados encontrados indican que, frente a la solucion de problemas matematicos, la capacidad de planificacion juega un rol relevante, mientras que ante problemas no matematicos la situacion es distinta: aqui, al requerirse alternancia entre dos o mas categorias semanticas, la flexibilidad cognitiva es critica. Estos hallazgos sugieren que el concepto “solucion de problemas” es amplio, muchas veces poco definido, admite al menos una diferencia para problemas matematicos y no matematicos y se diferencia de las funciones ejecutivas. Se discuten las implicancias del estudio de las funciones ejecutivas en escolares normales. Palabras clave: Funciones ejecutivas, solucion de problemas, matematicas, rendimiento escolar, desarrollo.
Monitoring emergence from coma following severe brain injury in an octogenarian using behavioural indicators, electrophysiological measures and metabolic studies: A demonstration of the potential for good recovery in older adults

This case study describes a multi-disciplinary investigation of the emergence from coma of an 80-year old female (KE) following severe traumatic brain injury. The relationship between cognitive/behavioural ability and the integrity of cerebral function was assessed using neuropsychological measures, positron emission tomography, electroencephalography, somatosensory evoked potentials and trans-cranial magnetic stimulation. These investigations were performed as KE was beginning to emerge from coma (4 weeks) and, again, ∼1 year following brain injury, when she was judged to have achieved her maximum level of recovery. Neuropsychological measures revealed improvement during the first year post-injury in KE's speed of information processing, memory and executive abilities. Electrophysiological and metabolic studies indicated a restoration of functional integrity that was consistent with the gradual recovery in higher brain function documented using behavioural procedures. This case study demonstrates the rehabilitation potential of pre-morbidly healthy older adults following severe traumatic brain injury.
Murine intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes. I. Relationship of a novel Thy‐1−, Lyt‐1−, Lyt‐2+, granulated subpopulation to natural killer cells and mast cells

Highly purified populations of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) were obtained from the murine small intestine. We found that 84% of IEL expressed Lyt‐2 and that 45‐55% possessed the unique phenotype, Thy‐1−, Lyt‐1‐, Lyt‐2+. Sixty percent of IEL had granules in their cytoplasm and thus resembled the large granulated lymphocytes associated with natural killer (NK) activity. However, less than 15% of IEL had NK activity in a 6‐h assay. This activity resided in a subpopulation of Lyt‐2‐ lymphocytes, leaving a large population of Thy‐1−, Lyt‐1−, Lyt‐2+ granulated cells (45‐55% of IEL) with unknown function. Sensitive radioenzymic assays for histamine showed that IEL from healthy CBA mice do not contain this amine. IgE‐binding assays revealed that IEL, unlike mast cells, do not carry high‐affinity receptors for IgE. Thus, only a small percentage of granulated IEL (< 15%) possess NK activity, whereas 45‐55% of IEL have granules, lack typical characteristics of mast cells, express the unique antigenic phenotype, Thy‐1−, Lyt‐1−, Lyt‐2+ and have unknown function.
Evidence for the intra-uterine programming of adiposity in later life

Aim: Research in animals has shown that altering foetal nutrition by under-nourishing or over-nourishing the mother or rendering her diabetic or foetal exposure to glucocorticoids and toxins can programme obesity in later life. The increased adiposity is mediated by permanent changes in appetite, food choices, physical activity and energy metabolism. In humans, increased adiposity has been shown in people who experienced foetal under-nutrition due to maternal famine or over-nutrition due to maternal diabetes. Lower birth weight (a proxy for foetal under-nutrition) is associated with a reduced adult lean mass and increased intra-abdominal fat. Higher birth-weight caused by maternal diabetes is associated with increased total fat mass and obesity in later life. There is growing evidence that maternal obesity, without diabetes, is also a risk factor for obesity in the child, due to foetal over-nutrition effects. Maternal smoking is associated with an increased risk of obesity in the children, although a causal link has not been proven. Other foetal exposures associated with increased adiposity in animals include glucocorticoids and endocrine disruptors. Conclusions: Reversing the current obesity epidemic will require greater attention to, and better understanding of, these inter-generational (mother-offspring) factors that programme body composition during early development.
Suramin Is an Active Site-directed, Reversible, and Tight-binding Inhibitor of Protein-tyrosine Phosphatases*

The effect of suramin, a well known antitrypanosomal drug and a novel experimental agent for the treatment of several cancers, on protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases) has been examined. Suramin is a reversible and competitive PTPase inhibitor withK is values in the low μm range, whereas the K is for the dual specificity phosphatase VHR is at least 10-fold higher. Although suramin can also inhibit the activity of the potato acid phosphatase at a slightly higher concentration, it is 2–3 orders of magnitude less effective against the protein Ser/Thr phosphatase 1α and the bovine intestinal alkaline phosphatase. Suramin binds to the active site of PTPases with a binding stoichiometry of 1:1. Furthermore, when suramin is bound to the active site of PTPases, its fluorescence is enhanced approximately by 10-fold. This property has allowed the determination of the binding affinity of suramin for PTPases and several catalytically impaired mutant PTPases by fluorescence titration techniques. Thus, the active site Cys to Ser mutants bind suramin with similar affinity as the wild type, while the active site Arg to Ala mutant exhibits a 20-fold reduced affinity toward suramin. Interestingly, the general acid deficient Asp to Ala mutant PTPases display an enhanced affinity toward suramin, which is in accord with their use as improved “substrate-trapping” agents. That suramin is a high affinity PTPase inhibitor is consistent with the observation that suramin treatment of cancer cell lines leads to an increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of several cellular proteins. Given the pleiotropic effects of suramin on many enzyme systems and growth factor-receptor interactions, the exact in vivo actions of suramin require further detailed structure-activity investigation of suramin and its structural analogs.
Renal Effects of Iodixanol in Healthy Volunteers and Patients with Severe Renal Failure

Contrast medium- (CM) induced nephropathy may be evident from symptoms ranging from acute renal failure to minor changes in tubular function tests. While the incidence is usually low, it increases with the presence of risk factors and when arterial injections are made. The pathogenesis is not fully understood. No specific therapy exists, but in most cases it can be prevented by ensuring that the patient is well hydrated prior to injection of CM. The extended phase I study with iodixanol (Visipaque) included detailed investigations on its renal effects. No changes in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were found. Even though enzymuria was less pronounced after injection of iodixanol than after various monomeric CM, a somewhat higher degree of intrarenal retention of CM was observed on CT examination of the kidneys after iodixanol. In nondiabetic patients suffering from severe renal failure, angiography with either iodixanol or iohexol caused no changes in GFR, or in urinary excretion of protein and enzymes. However, a higher degree of contrast retention than that seen in healthy volunteers was found.
Maternal methyl supplements increase offspring DNA methylation at Axin fused

Transient environmental exposures during mammalian development can permanently alter gene expression and metabolism by influencing the establishment of epigenetic gene regulatory mechanisms. The genomic characteristics that confer such epigenetic plasticity upon specific loci, however, have not been characterized. Methyl donor supplementation of female mice before and during pregnancy permanently increases DNA methylation at the viable yellow agouti (Avy) metastable epiallele in the offspring. The current study tested whether another murine metastable epiallele, axin fused (AxinFu), similarly exhibits epigenetic plasticity to maternal diet. We found that methyl donor supplementation of female mice before and during pregnancy increased DNA methylation at AxinFu and thereby reduced by half the incidence of tail kinking in AxinFu/+ offspring. The hypermethylation was tail‐specific, suggesting a mid‐gestation effect. Our results indicate that stochastic establishment of epigenotype at metastable epialleles is, in general, labile to methyl donor nutrition, and such influences are not limited to early embryonic development. genesis 44:401–406, 2006. Published 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Virus Inactivation of Fresh Frozen Plasma by a Solvent Detergent Procedure: Biological Results

In order to increase the safety of blood products, we have developed a procedure for the virus inactivation of fresh frozen plasma. Several batches have been prepared and with the first 10 batches, each of them composed of 60 litres of plasma, we have determined a set of biological parameters. Virus inactivation was realised using TnBP (1%) and Octoxynol 9 (1%). After their elimination with castor oil using chromatography on insolubilized C18 resin, glycine was added and the pH of the plasma was adjusted to 7.4. Plastic bags were aseptically filled with a mean volume of 200 ml of plasma. The mean levels of coagulation factors were all over 0.7 U/ml and their recovery from initial plasma was nearly the same as total protein except for factor VIII:C. The net loss in factor VIII:C was 16%, when including the dilution of plasma. In vivo and in vitro tests demonstrated that in the final product there were no activated factors. As in fresh frozen plasma, the protein concentration was over 50 g/l and the potassium level lower than 5 mmol/l. According to these results, virus‐inactivated plasma has the same qualities of fresh frozen plasma and could now replace it.
The S Segment of Punta Toro Virus (Bunyaviridae, Phlebovirus) Is a Major Determinant of Lethality in the Syrian Hamster and Codes for a Type I Interferon Antagonist

ABSTRACT Two strains of Punta Toro virus (PTV), isolated from febrile humans in Panama, cause a differential pathogenesis in Syrian hamsters, which could be a useful model for understanding the virulence characteristics and differential outcomes in other phleboviral infections such as Rift Valley fever virus. Genetic reassortants produced between the lethal Adames (A/A/A) and nonlethal Balliet (B/B/B) strains were used in this study to investigate viral genetic determinants for pathogenesis and lethality in the hamster model. The S segment was revealed to be a critical genome segment, determining lethality with log10 50% lethal doses for each PTV genotype as follows (L/M/S convention): A/A/A, <0.7; B/A/A, <0.7; A/B/A, 1.5; B/B/A, 2.2; B/A/B, 4.7; A/B/B, >4.7; A/A/B, >4.7; B/B/B,> 4.7. In addition, the Adames strain inhibits the induction of alpha/beta interferon (IFN-α/β) in vivo and in vitro and inhibits the activation of the IFN-β promoter. Expression of the PTV Adames NSs protein, encoded by the S RNA segment, inhibited the virus-mediated induction of an IFN-β promoter-driven reporter gene, suggesting that PTV NSs functions as a type I IFN antagonist. Taken together, these data indicate a mechanism of pathogenesis in which the suppression of the type I IFN response early during PTV infection leads to early and uncontrolled viral replication and, ultimately, hamster death. This study contributes to our understanding of Phlebovirus pathogenesis and identifies potential targets for immune modulation to increase host survival.
Prophylactic Antibiotic Administration Reduces Sepsis and Mortality in Acute Necrotizing Pancreatitis: A Meta-Analysis

Severe acute pancreatitis is frequently complicated by local and systemic infections resulting in substantial morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. Antibiotic prophylaxis may prevent some infections. We searched for randomized, controlled trials comparing antibiotic prophylaxis with no prophylaxis in patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP). Only trials that used antibiotics that reach minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) in necrotic pancreatic tissue were included. We calculated relative risk reduction (RRR), absolute risk reduction (ARR), and number needed to treat (NNT) for individual trials and pooled data. Antibiotic prophylaxis significantly reduced sepsis by 21.1% (NNT = 5) and mortality by 12.3% (NNT = 8) compared with no prophylaxis. There was also a nonsignificant trend toward a decrease in local pancreatic infections (ARR = 12%; NNT = 8). Antibiotic prophylaxis decreases sepsis and mortality in patients with ANP. All patients with ANP should be given prophylaxis with an antibiotic with proven efficacy in necrotic pancreatic tissue.
Three-Scale Finite Element Discretizations for Quantum Eigenvalue Problems

Based on globally and locally coupled discretizations, some three-scale finite element schemes are proposed in this paper for a class of quantum eigenvalue problems. It is shown that the solution of a quantum eigenvalue problem on a fine grid may be reduced to the solution of an eigenvalue problem on a relatively coarse grid, and the solutions of linear algebraic systems on a globally mesoscopic grid and the locally fine grid, and the resulting solution is still very satisfactory.
Effect of Plasma Treatment on Plain Woven Cotton Fabric

Plasma treatment has an explosive increase in interest and use in industrial applications as for example in medical, biomedical, automobile, electronics, semiconductor and textile industry. It is applicable to most of textile materials for surface treatment. Plasma treatment improves wet ability, hydrophobic finishing, adhesion, product quality, functionality in fabrics without alteration of inherent properties of the textile material. It is a dry treatment without expenses on effluent treatment. In this study an attempt has been made to study the effect of Plasma treatment on plain woven cotton fabric. The bleached and dyed fabrics were treated with oxygen and argon gases. The effect of plasma treatment on absorbency, fabric weight, tensile strength, elongation, thickness, stiffness, crease recovery, abrasion resistance and drape of the fabric were investigated and compared to the grey fabric. Plasma treatment with oxygen gas was found superior to argon gas as it improved the absorbency, drape and air permeability. As the treatment time was increased most of the physical properties improved. Tensile strength decreased with increased exposure to the plasma gas. Plasma treatment done after dyeing seemed to improve the qualities of the fabric better than when done before dyeing.
The efficacy and safety of the dorzolamide-timolol combination versus the concomitant administration of its components. Dorzolamide-Timolol Study Group.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether a fixed combination of 2% dorzolamide and 0.5% timolol given twice daily showed equivalent efficacy to the concomitant administration of 2% dorzolamide given three times daily and 0.5% timolol given twice daily in patients whose intraocular pressure (IOP) remained elevated during monotherapy with 0.5% timolol twice daily. DESIGN Multicenter, parallel, randomized, double-masked clinical trial with an open-label extension. PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTION In the masked phase, 242 patients received either the dorzolamide-timolol combination twice daily and placebo three times daily or dorzolamide three times daily and timolol twice daily for up to 3 months. In the open-label extension, 220 patients received the dorzolamide-timolol combination twice daily for up to 9 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The criterion for establishing treatment equivalency was a 95% or greater confidence that the absolute difference in the mean change in IOP from baseline was less than 1.5 mmHg between treatments. RESULTS During 3 months of treatment, the dorzolamide-timolol combination reduced IOP relative to the 0.5% timolol baseline by approximately 14% at hour 0 (just before the morning dose), 20% at hour 2, and 15% at hour 8. The IOP-lowering effect of concomitant therapy with dorzolamide and timolol was approximately 16% at hour 0.20% at hour 2, and 17% at hour 8. At hours 0, 2, and 8, there was greater than 97% confidence that the treatments were equivalent. During the open-label extension, the mean IOP reduction ranged from 14% to 15% at hour 0 and from 20% to 21% at hour 2. The treatment groups were generally comparable in terms of adverse events, symptoms, ocular signs, visual acuity, visual fields, physical examination, and laboratory measures. CONCLUSIONS The IOP-lowering effect of the dorzolamide-timolol combination is comparable to that of dorzolamide three times daily plus timolol twice daily and is maintained for up to 1 year. The dorzolamide-timolol combination provides clinically important reduction in IOP relative to baseline treatment with timolol alone and is generally well-tolerated for up to 1 year.
Numerical modelling and diagnostic techniques of hydraulic fractures based on their inlet behaviour

En las actuales condiciones de las minas explotadas por metodos de hundimiento, el pre-acondicionamiento con fracturamiento hidraulico ha probado tener impactos positivos como la disminucion del tamano de bloques asociados a la fragmentacion primaria. Parte fundamental del diseno del preacondicionamiento es la estimacion de la longitud de las fracturas hidraulicas. Por otro lado, la energia disipada por el flujo dentro de la fractura modifica las caracteristicas de propagacion de estas fracturas, haciendo dificil el uso de los metodos estandar de la mecanica de fracturas en la modelacion numerica. Por esta razon, para los casos de deformaciones planas y de simetria de revolucion se presentan estrategias de resolucion numerica, que pueden ser utilizadas para cualquier conjunto de parametros del fracturamiento hidraulico. Estos criterios utilizan los valores de la presion o de la apertura de la fractura en el punto de inyeccion, ademas de su longitud (o radio). Ademas, esta ultima caracteristica permite modificar los criterios de propagacion generando herramientas de diagnostico para la estimacion de las dimensiones de las fracturas hidraulicas en terreno.
On the Development of Practice Guidelines for Evidence–Based Group Approaches Following Disaster

The move by the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) toward developing and implementing practice guidelines for group therapies represents positive forward–thinking and is commendable (Klein, this issue). It is also in keeping with the current trend for such guidelines being developed for other forms of mental health interventions. Examples of recently published guidelines include: Effective Treatments for PTSD: Practice Guidelines from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (Foa, Keane, & Friedman, 2000) and VHA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorders (2006). While the movement away from emphasis on the art of psychotherapy and toward the science of it may be lamented for losses in therapists’ flexibility and creativity, standardizing therapy goals and procedures has obvious advantages for larger–scale, consistent training for mental health professionals in the use of specific interventions and the evaluation of their outcomes. Otherwise, we are left with an apprenticeship model of learning therapy approach at the “feet of master therapists” that will fall short of meeting the needs for a supply of competent mental health practitioners to practice state–of–the–art psychotherapies. Moving away from apprenticeship model training for process– oriented group therapy to systematic, manualized, and evidence–