Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lymph Circulation in Congestive Heart Failure: Effect of External Thoracic Duct Drainage

The lymphatic circulation was evaluated after cannulation of the cervical thoracic duct in 12 patients with severe intractable congestive heart failure. After venting the distended duct, lymph flowed rapidly under increased pressure, and signs and symptoms of circulatory congestion were dramatically relieved. Dyspnea, orthopnea, anorexia, abdominal discomfort, distended neck veins, hepatomegaly, peripheral and scrotal edema, and ascites diminished or disappeared. Central venous pressure fell and armto-tongue circulation time decreased. In some patients arterial pressure, amplitude of peripheral pulses, central venous Po2, and urinary output rose further suggesting enhanced cardiac output. Considered together with previous observations in experimental animals, the findings indicate that elevated systemic venous pressure greatly increases formation of thoracic duct lymph but at the same time impedes the return of lymph into the great veins. While therapeutic drainage of lymph from the thoracic duct in patients with cardiac failure is limited, the capacity of the lymphatic system to transport excess capillary filtrate back to the blood stream constitutes a major control mechanism regulating the manifestations of this disorder.
Electronic nose performance optimization for continuous odour monitoring in ambient air

Industrial plants with odour emissions affect the quality of air and are often cause of public complaints by the people living surrounding the plant. For this reason, the control of odour represent a key issue. The starting point for an effective odour control it‟s their objective quantification. The electronic nose represent the odour measurement technique with probably the greatest potential, but currently there is not a universally recognized procedure of their application for the continuous monitoring of environmental odours.The aim of this paper is to present and describe a novel procedure to training electronic noses in order to maximize their capability of operating a qualitative classification and estimating the odour concentration of ambient air. This novel approach will reduce the uncertainty and increase the reliability of the continuous odour measures. The research is carried out through a real case study application in a big liquid waste treatment plant (LWTP). The seedOA system, patented by the SEED group of the University of Salerno, was used as e.nose device. The characterization of the odour concentrations from the different treatment units and the identification of the principal odour sources is discussed.
Renal physiology and pathophysiology of aging.

Aging is associated with significant changes in renal structure and function. Ability of many normal subjects to maintain stable renal function over long periods of time, however, suggests that decline in renal function with age observed in cross-sectional studies is related to the superimposition of disease, often undetected, rather than to any unrelenting involutional process common to aging individuals.
Gliders 2016 : Integrating multi-agent approaches to tactical diversity

We summarize approaches to tactical diversity, mobility and field control developed over the recent years in team Gliders, ranging from tactic-dependent evaluation and selection of players’ actions, to dynamic tactics based on Voronoi Diagrams, to tactical analysis and opponent modeling with information dynamics, to a bio-inspired mechanism for dynamic repositioning. All these approaches are sufficiently generic to be applicable to other RoboCup Soccer Leagues and various team sports scenarios. The reviewed approaches have been integrated in Gliders2016 and successfully tested against benchmarks.
Acute Liver Injury due to Flavocoxid (Limbrel), a Medical Food for Osteoarthritis

BACKGROUND Flavocoxid is a prescription medical food that is used to treat osteoarthritis. It is a proprietary blend of 2 flavonoids, baicalin and catechins, which are derived from the botanicals Scutellaria baicalensis and Acacia catechu, respectively. OBJECTIVE To describe characteristics of patients with acute liver injury suspected of being caused by flavocoxid. DESIGN Case series. SETTING Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network Prospective Study ongoing at multiple academic medical centers since 2004. PATIENTS Four adults with liver injury. MEASUREMENTS Clinical characteristics, liver biochemistry values, and outcomes. RESULTS Among 877 patients enrolled in the prospective study, 4 had liver injury suspected to have been caused by flavocoxid. All were women; ages ranged from 57 to 68 years. All developed symptoms and signs of liver injury within 1 to 3 months after initiating flavocoxid. Liver injury was characterized by marked elevations in levels of alanine aminotransferase (mean peak, 1268 U/L; range, 741 to 1540 U/L), alkaline phosphatase (mean peak, 510 U/L; range, 286 to 770 U/L), and serum bilirubin (mean peak, 160.7 µmol/L [9.4 mg/dL]; range, 34.2 to 356 µmol/L [2.0 to 20.8 mg/dL]). Liver biochemistry values decreased to the normal range within 3 to 12 weeks after flavocoxid was stopped, and all patients recovered without experiencing acute liver failure or chronic liver injury. Causality was adjudicated as highly likely in 3 patients and as possible in 1 patient. LIMITATION The frequency and mechanism of liver injury could not be assessed. CONCLUSION Flavocoxid can cause clinically significant liver injury, which seems to resolve within weeks after cessation.
Solving the Non-Linear Dynamic Asset Allocation Problem: Effects of Arbitrary Stochastic Processes and Unsystematic Risk on the Super Efficient Portfolio Space

In this paper we propose a methodology that we believe improves the effectiveness of several common assumptions underlying Modern Portfolio Theory's dynamic optimization framework. The paper derives a general outline of a stochastic nonlinear-quadratic control for analyzing and solving a non-linear mean-variance optimization problem. The study first develops and then investigates the role of unsystematic (credit) risk in this continuous time stochastic asset allocation model where the wealth generating process has a non-negative constraint. The paper finds that given unsystematic risk, wealth constraints and higher order moments the market price of risk is non-constant and the investor's optimal terminal return may be lower than previously indicated by a number of classical models. This result provides a convenient solution to practitioners seeking to evaluate competing investment strategies.
CD of ethidium bromide complexes with normal and electrophoretically anomalous DNA restriction fragments

The equilibrium binding of ethidium bromide (EB) to two small 147 base‐pair (bp) DNA restriction fragments, which exhibit different mobilities in polyacrylamide gels, was investigated by CD. Two larger DNA restriction fragments and calf thymus DNA were also studied for comparison. Difference spectra were calculated by subtracting the spectrum of the pure DNA from the spectra of its DNA–EB complexes. The D/P ratios ranged from 0.03 to 1.0. The difference CD spectra of all fragments are characterized by bands with maxima near 310, 275, and 207 nm, and minima near 290, 253, 225, and 190 nm. The band near 310 nm, which has a shoulder at about 335 nm, has zero intensity at D/P ≤ 0.05, and rises to a plateau value, different for each fragment, at D/P ≃ 0.3 for large fragments (≥ 1400 bp), and D/P ∼ 0.7 for the two small 147 bp fragments. The minimum near 290 nm is markedly blue shifted with increasing D/P, the wavelength of the extremum corresponding approximately to the wavelength of the uv absorption maximum of the DNA–EB complex. The negative amplitude of this band at D/P = 1.0 depends on the molecular weight of the DNA. The difference CD maximum near 275 nm is positive at low D/P ratios, increases and goes through a maximum at D/P = 0.06–0.1, and then becomes increasingly negative with increasing D/P. The amplitude of the negative ellipticity per added dye is constant at high D/P ratios, suggesting that the transition can be attributed to outside‐bound EB molecules. The ellipticities at 310, 290, and 253 nm increase in absolute magnitude with increasing D/P at approximately the same rate, suggesting that all three bands are associated with the same optical and/or conformational transition. For the two small 147 bp fragments the fractional increases in amplitude of these bands parallel the fractional increase in length of the DNA upon binding EB, determined by electric birefringence measurements. The titration of the restriction fragments with EB was also followed by optical absorption. Two end points are observed, the first at a D/P ratio of ∼ 0.1, reflecting the transition between intercalated and outside‐bound dye molecules, and the second at D/P ≃ 1.0, the equivalence point of the titration.
Undergraduate rheumatology: can peer-assisted learning by medical students deliver equivalent training to that provided by specialist staff?

OBJECTIVE This study addressed whether medical students using peer-assisted learning (PAL) can deliver training comparable with didactic teaching provided by a specialist. METHODS Twelve senior students were trained in PAL and the gait, arms, legs, spine (GALS) screening technique for musculoskeletal system (MSS) examination. The students recruited and trained 45 year-2 students in the use of GALS. Nineteen students were recruited by a physiotherapist for GALS training tutorials. Trainee responses were compared by analysis of pre/post training confidence (using 100 mm visual analogue scale), course experience questionnaires (using a 5-point Likert scale) including free text comments, and in end of year examinations. RESULTS Trainee confidence increased after PAL training from 3.7 to 89.9 (P < 0.0001). There were no significant differences in confidence levels from student trainees after PAL when compared with expert-led teaching. Results from course experience questionnaires demonstrated benefits in all parameters investigated with all students recommending PAL training. No differences between PAL and expert-led training were observed. Free-text comments showed that PAL-trained students perceived that this learning technique has potential to be applied to other areas of training, an observation not raised by expert-trained students. Examination results revealed that PAL-trained and expert-tutored students were respectively, 1.4 and 1.3 times more likely to pass the MSS examination, when compared with students undertaking standard training (P < 0.002 and P = 0.0001, respectively). CONCLUSION PAL is a useful adjunct to musculoskeletal clinical skills training. Students using PAL techniques offered a comparable level of training with that provided by an expert.
Long-term outcomes after radiosurgery for acoustic neuromas.

BACKGROUND Stereotactic radiosurgery is the principal alternative to microsurgical resection for acoustic neuromas (vestibular schwannomas). The goals of radiosurgery are the long-term prevention of tumor growth, maintenance of neurologic function, and prevention of new neurologic deficits. Although acceptable short-term outcomes have been reported, long-term outcomes have not been well documented. METHODS We evaluated 162 consecutive patients who underwent radiosurgery for acoustic neuromas between 1987 and 1992 by means of serial imaging tests, clinical evaluations, and a survey between 5 and 10 years after the procedure. The average dose of radiation to the tumor margin was 16 Gy, and the mean transverse diameter of the tumor was 22 mm (range, 8 to 39). Resection had been performed previously in 42 patients (26 percent); in 13 patients the tumor represented a recurrence of disease after a previous total resection. Facial function was normal in 76 percent of the patients before radiosurgery, and 20 percent had useful hearing. RESULTS The rate of tumor control (with no resection required) was 98 percent. One hundred tumors (62 percent) became smaller, 53 (33 percent) remained unchanged in size, and 9 (6 percent) became slightly larger. Resection was performed in four patients (2 percent) within four years after radiosurgery. Normal facial function was preserved in 79 percent of the patients after five years (House-Brackmann grade 1), and normal trigeminal function was preserved in 73 percent. Fifty-one percent of the patients had no change in hearing ability. No new neurologic deficits appeared more than 28 months after radiosurgery. An outcomes questionnaire was returned by 115 patients (77 percent of the 149 patients still living). Fifty-four of these patients (47 percent) were employed at the time of radiosurgery, and 37 (69 percent) remained so. Radiosurgery was believed to have been successful by all 30 patients who had undergone surgery previously and by 81 (95 percent) of the 85 who had not. Thirty-six of the 115 patients (31 percent) described at least one complication, which resolved in 56 percent of those cases. CONCLUSIONS Radiosurgery can provide long-term control of acoustic neuromas while preserving neurologic function.
Administration of efavirenz (600 mg/day) with rifampicin results in highly variable levels but excellent clinical outcomes in patients treated for tuberculosis and HIV.

OBJECTIVES Pharmacokinetic interactions between rifampicin and antiretroviral therapy (ART), including efavirenz, are problematic and need to be better defined to determine proper dose and to be correlated with short-term and long-term clinical outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS Consenting patients with smear-positive pulmonary TB and HIV received once daily didanosine + lamivudine + efavirenz (600 mg), with rifampicin-containing TB regimen by directly observed therapy and self-administration at TB therapy completion. Trough efavirenz levels were measured by HPLC at 1, 2, 4 and 6 months while on rifampicin and after discontinuation. HIV and TB outcomes were monitored. RESULTS Twenty African patients were enrolled [15 female, mean age 31 years, baseline weight 59.4 kg (range 45-97), viral load 5.75 log10 copies/mL and CD4 230 cells/mm3]. Seventy-two efavirenz concentrations were available from 19 patients (58 on, 14 after rifampicin). The geometric mean efavirenz concentration was 1730 ng/mL (range 354-27,179) on and 1377 ng/mL (range 572-3975) off rifampicin (P = 0.55). Inter-subject variability in efavirenz concentrations was greater on rifampicin (CV 157% versus 58% off) with relatively consistent intra-subject variation over time (median CV 24%). Over half of patients had efavirenz concentrations above or below the expected therapeutic range (1000-4000 ng/mL). Efavirenz levels were not predicted by weight or gender and were not associated with HIV clinical outcomes. Overall 80% of patients had non-detectable viral loads at 6 months and 65% at 21 months with a cumulative CD4 cell increase of 196 cells/mm3. CONCLUSIONS In this longitudinal study, despite wide variability in plasma efavirenz concentrations during rifampicin administration, excellent clinical outcomes were obtained. In African patients treated for HIV and TB, our data support the routine use of efavirenz at 600 mg/day when receiving rifampicin.
Association of ezrin isoforms with the neuronal cytoskeleton

We are studying the changes in the organization of the cytoskeleton which accompany expression of differentiated neuronal morphology. Of particular interest is the elaboration of growth cones, the motile domains of the neuronal plasma membrane, and the cytoskeletal structures that underlie them. A candidate for a component of the growth cone cytoskeleton of cultured hippocampal neurons is the antigen recognized by the monoclonal antibody, 13H9 (Birgbauer and Solomon, J Cell Biol 109:1609–1620, 1989; Goslin et al., J Cell Biol 109:1621–1631, 1989). That antibody binds strongly to growth cones, but barely stains neurites. The characterization of the antigen, both biochemical and microscopic, suggests that it may interact with microfilaments and microtubules. We have established that 13H9 recognizes a subset of the isoforms of ezrin (unpublished results). Here, we describe the properties and localization of ezrin isoforms in differentiating neuronal cells, using two in vitro systems and developing spinal cord. In embryonal carcinoma cells, both the abundance of ezrin and the proportion of ezrin associated with the cytoskeletal fraction increase upon induction of neuronal differentiation with retinoic acid. In the neuronal cells within such cultures, the 13H9‐positive forms of ezrin are enriched in the growth cone, while the bulk of ezrin identified by a polyclonal antibody shows no specific localization. In mouse DRG neurons, 13H9 staining is asymmetrically distributed along the edges of the complex growth cones of these cells. Staining of developing spinal cord in rat embryos also demonstrates that the 13H9‐positive forms of ezrin do not colocalize with the majority of ezrin. These results support the conclusion that ezrin is a component of the neuronal cytoskeleton, and that the localization of covalently distinct isoforms of the protein may be significant for growth cone function.
Long-term Outcomes and Role of Chemotherapy in Adults With Newly Diagnosed Medulloblastoma

Objective:To assess the survival and role of adjuvant chemotherapy in adult medulloblastoma. Methods:We reviewed outcomes of 66 patients (aged 18 y or more; median age, 33 y) with medulloblastoma. Forty-four (67%) patients had M0 disease, 9 had M1-M4, and 13 had MX. Thirty-one patients each for whom risk stratification was available were classified as high risk or standard risk. Fifty-six patients had histologic results: classic histology was the most common (n=46 [84%]), followed by desmoplastic (n=9), and large cell/anaplastic (n=1). Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated with Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests. Cox regression analysis was used to compare recurrences. Results:Median follow-up was 6.7 years. The estimated 5-year OS and PFS were 74% and 59%, respectively. High-risk versus standard-risk classification was associated with worse OS (61% vs. 86%; P=0.03) and recurrence (hazard ratio, 2.56; P=0.05) and a trend for worse PFS (49% vs. 69%; P=0.13). Gross total resection was associated with improved OS (P=0.03) and a trend toward improved PFS (P=0.09). No chemotherapy benefit could be demonstrated for the group as a whole. For high-risk patients with classic histology (n=25), chemotherapy was associated with a trend for improvement in 5-year PFS from 36% to 71% (P=0.10) and in 5-year OS from 49% to 100% (P=0.08). Conclusions:In adult patients with medulloblastoma, the extent of resection and risk classification predicts the outcome. These results suggest a chemotherapy benefit for high-risk patients with classic histology.
Association of UBE2L3 polymorphisms with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis in a Japanese population

Susceptibility genes to systemic sclerosis (SSc) are substantially shared by other autoimmune diseases.1 UBE2L3 , encoding a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, was associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)2 3 and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). 4 In this study, we examined whether UBE2L3 is associated with SSc. A case–control association study was performed on 391 Japanese patients and 1010 healthy controls recruited at Kanazawa University, the University of Tokyo, Institute of Rheumatology, Tokyo Women's Medical University and Sagamihara Hospital, National Hospital Organisation. All patients and …
HDL regulates the displacement of hepatic lipase from cell surface proteoglycans and the hydrolysis of VLDL triacylglycerol Published, JLR Papers in Press, January 16, 2003. DOI 10.1194/jlr.M200339-JLR200

We have previously shown that hepatic lipase (HL) is inactive when bound to purified heparan sulfate proteoglycans and can be liberated by HDL and apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), but not by LDL or VLDL. In this study, we show that HDL is also able to displace HL directly from the surface of the hepatoma cell line, HepG2, and Chinese hamster ovary cells stably overexpressing human HL. ApoA-I is more efficient at displacing cell surface HL than is HDL, and different HDL classes vary in their ability to displace HL from the cell surface. HDL2s have a greater capacity to remove HL from the cell surface and intracellular compartments, as compared with the smaller HDL particles. The different HDL subclasses also uniquely affect the activity of the enzyme. HDL2 stimulates HL-mediated hydrolysis of VLDL-triacylglycerol, while HDL3 is inhibitory. Inhibition of VLDL hydrolysis appears to result from a decreased interlipoprotein shuttling of HL between VLDL and the smaller, more dense HDL particles. This study suggests that high HDL2 levels are positively related to efficient triacylglycerol hydrolysis by their ability to enhance the liberation of HL into the plasma compartment and by a direct stimulation of VLDL-triacylglycerol hydrolysis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS Procurement of Lactobacillus acidophilus Culture : Probiotic

Functional foods containing probiotic bacteria (lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria) are getting popularity in the world, due to tremendous health benefits conferred by these bacteria. However, the total viable count of bacteria in the final product and the sensory attributes of the product are of higher importance for its consumer acceptability. In this study, flavored (strawberry, pineapple, and mango) probiotic acidophilus milk (from buffalo) using probiotic starter culture (Lactobacillus acidophilus) was prepared and its microbiological, physicochemical and sensory quality studies were carried out up to 6 days of storage. A slight increase in acidity of the milk was observed after 6 days of storage resulting in a decrease of pH (from pH 4.5 to 4.3). Total viable count of L. acidophilus bacteria was decreased after 6 days of storage due to increase in acidity but it was still within acceptable range (>10). Sensory evaluation data shows that the quality of sensory attributes (color, taste, aroma, appearance and overall acceptability) was slightly decreased after 6 days of storage but still had considerable acceptability.
Chronic surgical site infection due to suture-associated polymicrobial biofilm.

BACKGROUND Surgical site infection (SSI) is a common surgical complication; culture-negative SSI presents a particular problem in management. METHODS Examination of explanted foreign bodies (sutures) using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) after surgical exploration of a chronic culture-negative SSI. RESULTS Confocal microscopy (CM) demonstrated bacilli and cocci attached to the surface of the explanted sutures in a mixed biofilm. Fluorescent in situ hybridization confirmed that Staphylococci were components of the mixed biofilm. Removal of the foreign bodies (sutures) resolved the chronic infection. CONCLUSION Chronic SSI can arise from underlying bacterial biofilms, which can invest implanted foreign bodies and associated soft tissue surfaces.