Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interactions between drugs and polyvinyl chloride infusion bags.

Forty-six injectable drug products, many of which are administered by i.v. infusion, were studied for loss from aqueous solutions stored in polyvinyl chloride infusion bags for various periods of time. The polyvinyl bags were stored in the dark at room temperature for up to three months. Drugs stored in glass vials served as controls. The solutions were assayed spectrophotometrically at regular intervals. The effects of drug concentration and pH on the loss of drug from solution were studied. Octanol-water partition coefficients were used as a gauge of lipid solubility of the drugs. Five of the drug products-clomethiazole edisylate, diazepam, hydralazine hydrochloride, thiopental sodium, and warfarin sodium-were found to be lost to a substantial extent after one week. For all drugs studied, the effects of the initial concentration on drug loss varied. The amount of drug lost over a given time was a function of the pH of the solution. The main physico-chemical determinants controlling drug sorption appeared to be the extent of ionization and the lipid solubility of the drug. For most of the drugs studied, minimal losses from the aqueous solutions were observed over short periods of storage time. Disappearance was slow and time dependent, indicating a diffusion-controlled sorption process. The losses of clomethiazole edisylate, thiopental sodium, and diazepam may be clinically important.
GITR Triggering Induces Expansion of Both Effector and Regulatory CD4+ T Cells In Vivo1

Glucocorticoid-induced TNF receptor family-related protein (GITR) is expressed on activated and regulatory T cells, but its role on these functionally opposing cell types is not fully understood. Here we describe that transgenic expression of GITR’s unique ligand (GITRL) induces a prominent increase of both effector and regulatory CD4+ T cells, but not CD8+ T cells. Regulatory T cells from GITRL transgenic mice are phenotypically activated and retain their suppressive capacity. The accumulation of effector and regulatory T cells is not due to enhanced differentiation of naive T cells, but is a direct result of increased proliferation. Functional consequences of increased numbers of both regulatory and effector T cells were tested in an autoimmune model and show that GITR stimulation is protective, as it significantly delays disease induction. These data indicate that GITR regulates the balance between regulatory and effector CD4+ T cells by enhancing proliferation of both populations in parallel.
Respiratory Choristomatous Cysts in the Temporal Orbit

Purpose To describe the clinical and histopathological findings in two patients with cystic lesions located in the temporal orbit. Methods Case reports. Results Cystic lesions excised from the temporal orbit of two patients were found to be lined with ciliated pseudostratified epithelium, consistent with a choristoma composed of tissue derived from the respiratory system. A review of the literature suggests that this is an uncommon cause of a cystic orbital mass. Conclusions Respiratory choristomatous cysts should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cystic lesions of the temporal orbit.
Purposive Behavior in Animals and Men

as to where between the two poles of behaviorism and structuralism they will finally see their science find its place. It has become ever more evident that psychology after all is one; that structuralism has long since been at its most structuralistic, and that behaviorism, born more than full-grown, has been rapidly progressing from senescence toward a more normal adolescence. Thia is hopeful, and one is tempted to try to predict psychologists' ultimate meeting-point relative to these extremes by the rate at which they are approaching each other from them. Hence it is interesting to find Dr. Tolman intimating that in his own case he has arrived at his present position from an original point of departure very near the South Pole of "molecular behaviorism. " The doctrine of "purposive behaviorism" is developed in this book by an alternation, first, of analysis and definition, and second, of presentation of the experimental evidence indicating the existence of the objects of the
Artificial static and geomagnetic field interrelated impact on cardiovascular regulation

Spreading evidence suggests that environmental and artificial magnetic fields have a significant impact on cardiovascular system. The modulation of cardiovascular regulatory mechanisms may play a key role in observed effects. The objective was to study interrelated impacts of artificial static magnetic field (SMF) and natural geomagnetic field (GMF) on arterial baroreceptors. We studied baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) in conscious rabbits before and after 40 min of sham (n = 20) or application of Nd2‐Fe14‐B alloy magnets (n = 26) to the sinocarotid baroreceptor region in conjunction with GMF disturbance during the actual experiment, determined by K‐ and Ak‐indexes from a local geomagnetic observatory. SMF at the position of baroreceptors was 0.35 T. BRS was estimated from peak responses of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate expressed as percentages of the resting values preceding each pair of pressure (phenylephrine) and depressor drug (nitroprusside) injections. We observed a significant increase in BRS for the nitroprusside depressor test (0.78 ± 0.1 vs. 1.15 ± 0.14 bpm/mmHg%, initial value vs. SMF exposure, P < .0002) and a tendency for phenylephrine pressor test to increase in BRS. Prior to SMF exposure, a significant positive correlation was found between actual K index values and MAP (t = 2.33, P = .025, n = 46) and a negative correlation of the K index with BRS (t = −3.6, P = .001, n = 46). After SMF exposure we observed attenuation of the geomagnetic disturbance induced a decrease in BRS. Clinical trials should be performed to support these results, but there is a strong expectation that 0.35 T SMF local exposure to sinocarotid baroreceptors will be effective in cardiovascular conditions with arterial hypertension and decreased BRS, due to a favorable SMF effect on the arterial baroreflex. Magnets to the sinocarotid triangle along with modification of the pharmacotherapy for hypertension should be especially effective on days with intense geomagnetic disturbance, in moderating sympathetic activation and baroreceptor dysfunction. Bioelectromagnetics 23:329–338, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Glucuronidation of bilirubin and the occurrence of pigment gallstones in patients with chronic haemolytic diseases

Abstract. A group of thirty‐seven patients with increased haem catabolism has been studied to gain insight in their bilirubin conjugating capacity. Bilirubin UDP‐glucuronyl transferase activity (GlcATa) in the liver and bilirubin monoconjugates in bile were measured and the hepatic bilirubin clearance was calculated from the radio‐chromium‐survival data. In the present group, 41% of the patients clearly had a deficiency in bilirubin conjugation similar to what is classically found in Gilbert's syndrome. The association may facilitate detection of these patients as serum bilirubin levels were higher (65‐8 μM ± 19) (m ± 1 SD) in the fifteen patients with associated Gilbert's syndrome versus thirteen having only haemolysis (43‐6 μ± 15). A fair correlation was found between the percentage of monoconjugates in bile and the GlcATa levels in the liver as well as with the calculated hepatic bilirubin clearance, although some discrepancies exist. Using these determinations, a clearcut separation from normal values was not obtained, suggesting at least in the present group of patients that Gilbert's syndrome represents only one end of a continuum of bilirubin conjugation rates and not a separate entity.
Correlates of the age at natural menopause in Morocco

Primary objective : To determine the median age of natural menopause and factors associated with the timing of menopause in Morocco. Research design : A population-based sample of 299 women from Rabat, Morocco were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Methods and procedures : Logit analysis and logistic regression were used to estimate the median age and identify factors associated with the age at menopause. Main outcomes and results : The median age of natural menopause in Morocco is estimated to be 48.4 years (95% CI: 36.9, 70.3). Women who reported the onset of menstruation at age 11 or younger (OR = 2.84, 95% CI: 1.00, 8.10) had an earlier age at menopause than women who started menstruating at age 12 or older. Women who had ever used oral contraceptives were more likely to have a later age at menopause (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.30, 1.00). The length of time a woman used oral contraceptives influenced the timing of the menopause in unadjusted models but after adjusting for the age at menarche the effect was no longer statistically significant. Marital status, parity, education level, and social class were not statistically associated with the age at menopause. Conclusions : The estimated age at natural menopause in Morocco is 1-3 years earlier than the median ages reported in industrialized countries and some developing countries. Factors that alter the frequency of ovulation or rate of follicular atresia appear to be important in determining the age at menopause.
Effects of rolipram on the elevated plus-maze test in rats: a preliminary study

The objective of the present study was to assess the behavioural effects of rolipram, a specific cAMP phosphodiesterase (PDE4) inhibitor, in the elevated plus-maze (EPM) test in rats. Results showed that rolipram at the highest dose tested (0.1mg/kg) increased the percentage of both time spent and entries into open arms, although a decrease of locomotor activity in the EPM test was also observed. In contrast, diazepam (3.0 mg/kg) exhibited the typical profile of an anxiolytic in the EPM test, increasing the percentage of time spent and entries into open arms as well as locomotor activity. A posterior statistical analysis, however, established that the effects of both rolipram and diazepam on parameters denoting anxiolytic-like activity were statistically independent from those reflecting locomotor activity reduction. Furthermore, the effects of both rolipram and diazepam were shown to be distinct from those exhibited by tryciclic antidepressant imipramine which did not show any anxiolytic-like effects in the EPM test, although a reduction of locomotor activity was also detected. Although these preliminary results suggest that rolipram may have some anxiolytic-like properties on the EPM test in rats, such an interpretation should be taken cautiously due to the observed effects on locomotor activity, which could complicate the interpretation of results from rolipram and other PDE4 inhibitors in the current test and in other anxiety animal models.
Implication of the HTLV- I bZIP Factor Gene in the Leukemogenesis of Adult T-Cell Leukemia

Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) is a leukemia derived from CD4+ mature T-cells and induced by human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) infection. Although previous studies have revealed many aspects of its leukemogenesis, enigmas remain about how HTLV-I transforms mature T-cells in infected individuals. Furthermore, an effective therapy for ATL has not yet been established. The critical role of a nonstructural regulatory viral protein, Tax, in transformation has been established through many molecular studies, in vitro cell culture experiments, and transgenic mouse model systems. In addition, other accessory viral proteins have been implicated in ATL pathogenesis. Recent studies of a minus strand viral gene,HTLV- I bZIP factor (HBZ), suggest it plays a role in ATL leukemogenesis. In addition to viral components, genetic and epigenetic events of the host cellular genome must be considered in developing a complete picture of the transformation process. In this review, we summarize the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the leukemogenesis induced by HTLV-I; we consider both viral and host cellular factors and focus particularly on the viral geneHBZ.
Autocrine and paracrine regulation by cytokines and growth factors in melanoma.

Tumour development and progression involves the expression of oncogenes and inactivation of tumour suppressor genes, leading to the appearance of multiple malignant characteristics. Malignant melanoma cells express different growth factors and cytokines and their receptors in respective stages of tumour progression, which by autocrine and paracrine effects enable them to grow autonomously and confer competence to metastasis. Autocrine growth factors (bFGF, MGSA/GRO, IL-8 and sometimes IL-6, PDGF-A, IL-10) produced by melanoma cells stimulate proliferation of the producing cell itself, while paracrine growth factors (for example PDGF, EGF, TGF-beta, IL-1, GM-CSF, IGF-I, NGF, VEGF) modulate the microenvironment to the benefit of tumour growth and invasion. Paracrine effects include angiogenesis, stroma formation, modulation of host immune response, activation of proteolytic enzymes, adhesion or motility and metastasis formation. Some growth factors have inhibitory effects on melanocytes and early lesions (IL-1, IL-6, TGF-beta, OSM, TNF and IFN) but not on advanced stage melanomas, and in some cases they switch to autocrine stimulator (IL-6, TGF-beta). Understanding the involvement of different growth factors and cytokines in the molecular mechanism of melanoma progression will help to provide an insight into new future therapeutic approaches for melanoma.
Acute ankle sprain in a mouse model.

INTRODUCTION Ankle sprains remain the most common orthopedic pathology. Conducting long-term studies in humans is difficult and costly, so the long-term consequences of an ankle sprain are not entirely known. PURPOSE The objective of this study is to develop and test a mechanical ankle instability model in mice. METHODS Thirty male mice (CBA/2J) were randomly placed into one of three groups: the transected calcaneal fibular ligament (CFL) group, the transected anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL)/CFL group, and a SHAM group. Three days after surgery, all of the mice were individually housed in a cage containing a solid surface running wheel, and daily running wheel measurements were recorded. Before and after surgery, measures of balance and gait were measured on all mice for 4 wk. RESULTS The mice in the ATFL/CFL group had significantly decreased duration (P = 0.0239), distance (P = 0.013), and speed (P = 0.003) compared with the SHAM group during week 1. During weeks 2 and 3, the ATFL/CFL group had significantly less distance (P = 0.0001) and duration (P = 0.002) compared with the SHAM and CFL-only group. The transection of the lateral ankle ligaments did affect the number of slips experienced during the balance test. The ATFL/CFL group had greater slips at 1 and 4 wk postsurgery (P = 0.05), whereas the CFL-only group had greater slips at 3 d and 1 wk postsurgery (P = 0.05). Relative to the SHAM group, the ATFL/CFL group and CFL-only group had smaller right-stride lengths (involved limb) at 3 d postsurgery (P = 0.05). The ATFL/CFL group also had smaller right-side stride lengths at 1 and 4 wk postsurgery (P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The results of this study indicate that a mouse model can be used to induce mechanical instability in the ankle.
Reanalysis of the FEROS observations of HIP 11952

Aims. We reanalyze FEROS observations of the star HIP 11952 to reassess the existence of the proposed planetary system. Methods. The radial velocity of the spectra were measured by cross-correlating the observed spectrum with a synthetic template. We also analyzed a large dataset of FEROS and HARPS archival data of the calibrator HD 10700 spanning over more than five years. We compared the barycentric velocities computed by the FEROS and HARPS pipelines. Results. The barycentric correction of the FEROS-DRS pipeline was found to be inaccurate and to introduce an artificial one-year period with a semi-amplitude of 62 m/s. Thus the reanalysis of the FEROS data does not support the existence of planets around HIP 11952.
Occupational rhinitis: diagnostic criteria, relation to lower airway symptoms and IgE sensitization in bakery workers

Conclusions. The use of different diagnostic criteria has considerable consequences for the prevalence estimates of occupational rhinitis. There is a strong relationship between occupational rhinitis and lower airway symptoms. Storage mites appear to be important occupational allergens in Norwegian bakeries. Objectives. To study the consequences of various diagnostic criteria on the prevalence of occupational rhinitis, assess the prevalence of IgE sensitization and explore the relationships between upper and lower airway symptoms and between symptoms and IgE sensitization. Material and methods. A total of 197 employees in 6 bakeries were interviewed and completed a questionnaire. A skin prick test was performed, total and specific IgE were determined and a histamine release test was performed for relevant allergens. The criteria for the diagnosis of occupational rhinitis were based on the 1994 International Consensus Report on Rhinitis. Results. The prevalence of occupational rhinitis varied between 23% and 50%, depending on the criteria used. The occurrence of nasal symptoms was found to precede the development of lower airway symptoms. Occupational rhinitis, both IgE- and non-IgE-mediated, was associated with asthma symptoms. The most frequent causes of sensitization (20%) were different species of storage mites. Storage mite sensitization was related to occupational rhinitis and work exposure.
Total Hip Arthroplasty in Patients 50 Years and Younger

Because the young patient with a total hip arthroplasty is presumed to place increased demands on a reconstruction for a longer period than the average patient with a hip replacement, long-term results are expected to be inferior. To determine the efficacy of total hip replacements in this population, the current authors reviewed the long-term results of patients who were 50 years and younger who had cementless total hip arthroplasties at their institution, and reviewed the literature on total hip arthroplasty in younger patients. The results from the study population and the literature were encouraging. At the author’s institute, during the past 20 years, 561 hip replacements were done on 488 patients in this age group, using extensively porous-coated cobalt-chromium stems matched with beaded, press-fit acetabular components of cobalt-chrome or titanium. Using the Kaplan-Meier technique, the survival rates for femoral and acetabular components, using any revision as an end point, were 89′ at 10-year followup and 60′ at 15-year followup. A subset of the authors’ patients who were 40 years and younger (256 hips, 223 patients) had slightly inferior results, with 85′ 10-year survivorship and 54′ 15-year survivorship, using any revision as an end point. A comprehensive literature review also showed that long-term success can be achieved with cemented or cementless total hip arthroplasties in young patients. Because some reconstructions exhibited inferior results in younger patients, the authors recommend that surgeons be much more critical of the components used in these patients and allow long-term data to guide their decisions.
Development of an RFLP-based Rice Diversity Research Set of Germplasm

A rice diversity research set of germplasm (RDRS) was developed based on a genome-wide RFLP polymorphism survey of 332 accessions of cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.). The accessions used in the initial survey were selected based on the passport data from the whole collection maintained at the Genebank of the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS). These accessions were analyzed using 179 nuclear RFLP markers. A total of 554 alleles were detected, and the number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 8 (mean 3.1). Principal coordinate analysis using RFLP data enabled to classify the accessions into three major groups, one Japonica and other two Indica. To develop a rice diversity research set of germplasm, the RFLP data on the 332 accessions were subjected to cluster analysis and 67 groups were recognized at a similarity index of 0.915. A single accession from each of the 67 groups was selected. These 67 accessions retained 91% of the alleles detected in the original 332 accessions, and covered the variation of the initial set of accessions in terms of several agro-morphological traits. The 69 accessions including varieties from 19 countries and the reference varieties, Nipponbare and Kasalath, were selected for the development of a rice diversity research set of germplasm. This collection which is presently well characterized at the molecular level will be used for the detailed genetic studies and rice improvement.
“Mind the gap!” – How well does Natura 2000 cover species of European interest?

Setting aside protected areas is widely recognized as one of the most effective measures to prevent species from extinction. Accordingly, there has been a tremendous effort by governments worldwide to establish protected areas, resulting in over 100,000 sites, which are set aside, to achieve the 10% target proposed at the Fourth World Park Congress in 1992 in Caracas. The main effort of the European Union to achieve this target is the Natura 2000 network of protected areas, comprising over 25,000 sites representing 18% of the area of the 27 Member States of the European Union. The designation of Natura 2000 sites was based on species and habitats listed in the Annexes of the Habitats and Birds Directive. The effectiveness of the selection process and the resulting Natura 2000 network has often been questioned as each country made its designations largely independently and in most cases without considering the theories of optimal Nature Conservation 3: 45–63 (2012) doi: 10.3897/natureconservation.3. 3732 http://www.pensoft. net/natureconservation Copyright Bernd Gruber et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 (CC-BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. REsEARCH ARtiClE Launched to accelerate biodiversity conservation A peer-reviewed open-access journal
Differences in Carbon Isotope Discrimination of Three Variants of D-Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase Reflect Differences in Their Catalytic Mechanisms*♦

The carboxylation kinetic (stable carbon) isotope effect was measured for purified d-ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylases/oxygenases (Rubiscos) with aqueous CO2 as substrate by monitoring Rayleigh fractionation using membrane inlet mass spectrometry. This resulted in discriminations (Δ) of 27.4 ± 0.9‰ for wild-type tobacco Rubisco, 22.2 ± 2.1‰ for Rhodospirillum rubrum Rubisco, and 11.2 ± 1.6‰ for a large subunit mutant of tobacco Rubisco in which Leu335 is mutated to valine (L335V). These Δ values are consistent with the photosynthetic discrimination determined for wild-type tobacco and transplastomic tobacco lines that exclusively produce R. rubrum or L335V Rubisco. The Δ values are indicative of the potential evolutionary variability of Δ values for a range of Rubiscos from different species: Form I Rubisco from higher plants; prokaryotic Rubiscos, including Form II; and the L335V mutant. We explore the implications of these Δ values for the Rubisco catalytic mechanism and suggest that Rubiscos that are associated with a lower Δ value have a less product-like carboxylation transition state and/or allow a decarboxylation step that evolution has excluded in higher plants.