Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The prognostic value of cognitive functioning in the survival of patients with high-grade glioma

The authors studied cognitive functioning as a potential predictor of survival in 68 newly diagnosed patients with high-grade glioma. In a combined Cox proportional hazards model, the influence of tumor, treatment, and patient characteristics, including cognitive functioning, was studied. Older age and higher tumor grade were associated with poorer survival. Although cognitive impairment was not found to be an independent prognostic factor for the entire sample, it was associated with significantly poorer survival among older patients with World Health Organization grade IV gliomas. Assessment of cognitive functioning in these patients may improve clinical decision making and thus quality of treatment.
Pharmacokinetics and clinical toxicity of prilocaine and ropivacaine following combined drug administration in brachial plexus anesthesia.

OBJECTIVE Local anesthetics (LA) are often administered in combination for regional anesthesia in order to obtain the specific advantages (onset and duration of effect) of each drug. However, few data on the safety of such combinations are available and consequently plasma concentrations possibly associated with toxicity and interactions between the specific anesthetics are not sufficiently established. We measured pharmacokinetics and toxicity parameters of prilocaine and ropivacaine after combined use as single doses in brachial plexus blockade. METHODS In an open clinical study using a combined dose regime (300 mg prilocaine followed immediately by 75 mg ropivacaine) total plasma concentrations of prilocaine and ropivacaine were measured serially in 60 patients using a gas-chromatographic method. The data were analyzed regarding a relationship with central nervous and cardiovascular toxicity. RESULTS Following the administration in combination prilocaine and ropivacaine were rapidly absorbed. Mean prilocaine peak plasma concentrations (mean Cmax = 1.51 microg/ml) were measured between 15 and 30 min after injection. Highest ropivacaine plasma concentrations (mean Cmax = 1.12 microg/ml) were seen between 30 min and 1 hour after injection (calculated mean tmax = 44 min). One of 59 patients showed signs of myoclonus which were suspected of being due to intravascular injection. There was no relevant cardiovascular toxicity observed in terms of changes in the QRS complex, PQ interval prolongation, AV dissociation, occurrence of extrasystoles or sinus arrest. The pharmacokinetics of combined administration did not differ from those of prilocaine and ropivacaine given alone. CONCLUSION The use of a combined prilocaine/ ropivacaine (300 mg/75 mg) dose regimen in patients given single dose for brachial plexus blockade can generally be regarded as safe with regard to peak plasma concentrations and cardiovascular toxicity and this holds true for patients with a higher perioperative risk profile (ASA III grading, American Society of Anesthesiologists). The considerable inter-individual variation in LA peak plasma concentrations observed in our patients and the one case of suspected accidental intravascular injection, highlight the necessity of adequate monitoring of the patients undergoing LA injections.
Delayed tumor necrosis factor alpha blockade attenuates pulmonary dysfunction and metabolic acidosis associated with experimental gram-negative sepsis.

OBJECTIVE To ascertain the effect of delayed tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) on the evolution of systemic and pulmonary injury after the onset of sepsis. DESIGN Prospective controlled trial. INTERVENTION Anesthetized swine were made septic with a 1-hour infusion of live Pseudomonas aeruginosa, following which a treatment group received an infusion of anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibody (5 mg/kg). Control animals received 0.9% saline. RESULTS Delayed anti-TNF-alpha treatment had no effect on septic pulmonary hypertension or decline in cardiac output. Late recovery in systemic arterial hypotension was associated with a reversal of arterial acidosis (P < .05 by t test and analysis of variance with Tukey's Studentized Range Test) compared with unprotected septic animals. Septic animals had a significant increase in mean (+/- SEM) plasma lactate levels at 5 hours compared with baseline values (3.8 +/- 0.7 vs 2 +/- 0.4, P < .05), but remained unchanged from baseline following anti-TNF-alpha treatment (1.5 +/- 0.1 vs 1.6 +/- 0.2, not significant). Characteristic septic neutropenia was dramatically reversed by anti-TNF-alpha treatment and was associated with downregulation (P < .05 by t test and analysis of variance) of polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) leukocyte CD18 adhesion receptors and reduction (P < .05 by t test and analysis of variance) in lung PMN sequestration measured by myeloperoxidase activity. The mean (+/- SEM) decrease in bronchoalveolar lavage protein indicated an attenuated permeability injury in anti-TNF-alpha animals (septic animals at 5 hours compared with baseline value, 1044 +/- 270 vs 149 +/- 28 micrograms/mL; control animals at 5 hours compared with baseline value, 217 +/- 83 vs 129 +/- 19 micrograms/mL; P < .05 by t test and analysis of variance). CONCLUSIONS These data show that delayed anti-TNF-alpha treatment reversed metabolic acidosis associated with sepsis. Furthermore, anti-TNF-alpha treatment reversed septic neutropenia, reduced PMN sequestration, and was associated with attenuated lung injury in a model of fulminant sepsis. This supports evidence of PMN-mediated tissue injury in sepsis and suggests mechanisms for potential therapeutic benefit of anti-TNF-alpha treatment in clinical practice.
A multiplex PCR test for determination of mating type applied to the plant pathogens Tapesia yallundae and Tapesia acuformis.

A multiplex PCR test for determining mating type of the pathogens Tapesia yallundae and Tapesia acuformis is described. The test involves three primers: a "common" primer annealing to DNA sequence conserved in the flanking region of both mating-type idiomorphs and two specific primers annealing to sequence in either the MAT-1 or the MAT-2 idiomorphs. Locating the specific primers in different positions relative to the common primer yielded PCR products of 812 or 418 bp from MAT-1 and MAT-2 isolates, respectively. The test was used successfully to determine the mating type of 118 isolates of T. yallundae and T. acuformis from Europe, North America, and New Zealand. Isolates of both mating types were found on all continents for both species despite the rarely observed occurrence of sexual reproduction of T. acuformis. The multiplex test design should be applicable to other ascomycete species, of use in studies of MAT distribution and facilitating sexual crossing by identifying compatible isolates.
Expression of WASP and Scar1/WAVE1 actin-associated proteins is differentially modulated during differentiation of HL-60 cells.

The Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WAS) is a disease associated with mutations in the WAS gene and characterised by developmental defects in haematopoietic cells such as myeloid cells. The Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein (WASP)-family includes Scar1 and WASP, which are key regulators of actin reorganization in motile cells. To understand the roles of Scar1 and WASP in myeloid cells and their cytoskeletal control in haematopoietic tissues, we have explored their expression during differentiation of the promyeloid cell line HL-60. Undifferentiated HL-60 cells expressed Scar1 and WASP, and differentiation to neutrophils, induced by retinoic acid or non-retinoid agent treatments, led to a decrease in the level of expression of Scar1, whereas WASP expression was unaffected. Differentiation to monocytes/macrophages, induced by phorbol ester treatment, resulted in a decreased expression of both proteins in the adherent mature cells. Vitamin D(3) treatment or cytochalasin D in combination with PMA treatment did not affect WASP expression suggesting that adhesion and cytoskeletal integrity were both essential to regulate WASP expression. Scar1 expression was regulated by differentiation, adhesion, and cytoskeletal integrity. Recently, WASP was found to colocalize with actin in the podosomes. In contrast, we show here that Scar1 did not localize with the podosomes in mature monocytes/macrophages. These observations show for the first time that modulation of Scar1 and WASP expression is a component of the differentiation program of myeloid precursors and indicate that WASP and Scar1 have different roles in mature myeloid cells.
Obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome

The aetiology of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is complex and multifactorial. There is much evidence, however, to suggest that adipose tissue plays an important role in the development and maintenance of PCOS pathology. There is a close correlation between adiposity and symptom severity in women with PCOS, and even modest reductions in weight generally translate into significant improvements in menstrual regularity, fertility and hyperandrogenic features. This review article considers the various mechanisms that might underlie this link between excess adiposity and PCOS – including the effects of differential insulin sensitivity, abnormal steroid hormone metabolism and adipocytokine secretion. Greater attention to the therapeutic options available to reduce the impact of excess adiposity on ovarian and metabolic function is essential to the management of PCOS.
Interannual variability of the air‐sea flux of oxygen in the North Atlantic

In studies using timeseries observations of atmospheric O2/N2 to infer the fate of fossil fuel CO2, it has been assumed that multi‐year trends in observed O2/N2 are insensitive to interannual variability in air‐sea fluxes of oxygen. We begin to address the validity of this assumption by investigating the magnitude and mechanisms of interannual variability in the flux of oxygen across the sea surface using a North Atlantic biogeochemical model. The model, based on the MIT ocean general circulation model, captures the gross patterns and seasonal cycle of nutrients and oxygen within the basin. The air‐sea oxygen flux exhibits significant interannual variability in the North Atlantic, with a standard deviation (0.36 mol m−2 y−1) that is a large fraction of the mean (0.85 mol m−2 y−1). This is primarily a consequence of variability in winter convection in the subpolar gyre.
Seasonally resolved Alpine and Greenland ice core records of anthropogenic HCl emissions over the 20th century

[1] The continuous highly resolved records of Cl−, Na+, and Ca2+ in ice cores from Col du Dome (4250 m elevation, French Alps) and Summit (3240 m elevation, central Greenland) are used to reconstruct the history of atmospheric HCl pollution over Europe and Greenland since the early 20th century. The evaluation of the HCl amount in summer snow deposits at high-elevation Alpine sites is complex since continental emissions (soils, halide evaporites, and possibly manure-fertilized fields) account for 80% of the chloride budget and only one fifth of Cl− is related to HCl. During the preindustrial era the HCl content of summer Alpine snow layers fluctuated between 0 and 6 ng g−1, likely in relation with a highly variable interannual biomass burning activity in western Europe. From 1925 to 1960 the HCl levels were slightly higher (3–9 ng g−1), mainly due to growing coal burning emissions in western Europe. In the late 1960s a sharp increase of HCl levels (up to 17 ng g−1) took place as a result of the setup of waste incineration in western Europe, this process contributing 3–4 times more than coal combustion to the HCl budget of summer Alpine snow layers deposited between 1970 and 1990. In winter, sea spray emissions dominate (∼78%) the total Cl− level of Alpine snow layers. The HCl trend in these snow layers remained limited to ∼2 ng g−1 over the 20th century, likely in relation to waste incineration after 1965. In Greenland snow layers most of particulate Cl− originates from sea spray, 1/3 to 2/3 of Cl− being present as HCl in spring and summer, respectively. The Greenland HCl ice core records indicate a preindustrial HCl level close to 4 ng g−1, which is found to be mainly due to the sea-salt dechlorination, while the contribution of passive volcanic HCl emissions at high northern latitudes can be neglected. The input from sea-salt dechlorination has been enhanced by a factor of 2–3 during the second half of the 20th century similarly to the increase of the atmospheric acidity in response to growing NOx and SO2 anthropogenic emissions.
Social Network Constellation and Sexuality of Sexually Abused and Comparison Girls in Childhood and Adolescence

This longitudinal study examines how childhood and early adolescent (age 6 to 15) peer and nonpeer social networks relate to sexual attitudes and behaviors in adolescence and young adulthood (age 12 to 25) for sexually abused and comparison girls. A large number of male peers in childhood is related to heightened sexual activity, sexual preoccupation, increased sexual pressure, and risky sexual behavior in adolescence. High-quality, female, nonpeer relationships have a positive effect on attitudes toward casual sex. Multiple group models illuminate several cross-lag group moderators: (a) Abused girls who are happier with male nonpeers are less pre-occupied with sex; (b) abused girls who are happier with male peers are more likely to use birth control; and (c) abused girls who have early physical relationships are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior. Treatment implications include monitoring the effects of low-status peer groups, encouraging contact with female role models, and encouraging the formation of high-quality relationships with male peers and nonpeers.
Presentation and management of childhood psychosocial problems.

BACKGROUND Between 15% and 25% of children who visit primary care physicians have emotional, behavioral, or psychiatric problems that affect their functioning. The majority of these children are treated by primary care physicians. The purpose of this study was to examine the presentation and treatment of children's psychosocial problems in primary care and to investigate ways in which physician management of a problem is related to parent-physician agreement that the problem exists. METHODS Twenty-six physicians at an ambulatory care center of a community-based, university-affiliated family medicine training program collected data during outpatient visits of 898 children aged 2 to 16 years. The physicians used a checklist to collect data on children's developmental problems, parents' concerns about the psychosocial functioning of their children, whether physicians and parents were in agreement about these concerns, and the parents' influence on physicians' management of the problems. RESULTS Family physicians and parents agreed that 10% of the children were experiencing psychosocial problems. For 5% of children, physicians recorded emotional or behavioral concerns when parents did not disclose any such concerns. For only 1.8% of children, parents raised psychosocial concerns while physicians did not. Physicians diagnosed and managed psychosocial concerns during both acute-care and well-child visits. When parents and physicians agreed on the presence of pediatric psychosocial problems, referral to a mental health professional was more likely than when they disagreed (60% vs 16%). CONCLUSIONS Pediatric psychosocial concerns are raised by parents during acute-care and well-child visits. Family physicians identified and managed these problems at rates consistent with past research. Management strategies appeared to differ as a function of agreement between physicians and parents on whether a problem existed.
Computable Boolean algebras

Feiner [F] showed that a Boolean algebra need not have a computable copy (see also [T2]). Downey and Jockusch [D-J] showed that every low Boolean algebra does have a computable copy. Thurber [T3], showed that every low2 Boolean algebra has a computable copy. Here we show that every Boolean algebra which is low3, or even low4, has a computable copy. The results of [D-J] and [T3] were obtained by passing to linear orderings. In [D-J], there is an embedding theorem saying that any linear ordering which is with the successor relation as an added predicate can be embedded in a slightly larger linear ordering which is computable. An isomorphism theorem of Remmel [R] is used to show that the interval algebras of the two linear orderings are isomorphic (except in a trivial case). In [T3], there is an embedding theorem saying that any linear ordering which is with certain added predicates can be embedded in one which is with successor. Again the isomorphism theorem of Remmel is used to show that the interval algebras are isomorphic (except in a trivial case). Here, instead of passing to linear orderings, we work directly with Boolean algebras. We begin with a review of the known results. We re-formulate the embedding theorems of Downey-Jockusch and Thurber in terms of Boolean algebras. We extract from Remmel's isomorphism theorem some information on complexity. In this way, we show that a low Boolean algebra is isomorphic to a computable one by an isomorphism which is , at worst, and the same is true for a low2 Boolean algebra.
Motor neuron disease in the province of Ferrara, Italy, in 1964–1982

We carried out an intensive incidence, prevalence, and mortality survey of motor neuron disease (MND) in the province of Ferrara, northern Italy. Based on 72 patients, the mean incidence per year for the period 1964 through 1982 was 0.98 cases per 100,000. On December 31, 1981, the prevalence rate was 3.95 per 100,000. In the 19-year period the average mortality rate was 0.83 per 100,000 per year. The disease was more common in men, in individuals aged 50 to 70 years, and in residents in rural areas engaged in agricultural work. A retrospective case-control study, confirming a significantly higher frequency of MND in farmers and persons living in rural areas, revealed that the disease was more common in the lower social classes to which most unskilled and heavy laborers belong. In addition, a significantly increased risk for MND was found in patients with previous histories of trauma, but confounding variables may account for this association.
Implications of the Bank Merger Wave for Competition and Stability

This paper discusses the effects of bank consolidation on competition and stability in the banking sector. Most empirical literature seems to point towards the standard adverse effects on prices of increased concentration in banking. A major issue is the still regional character of loan and deposit markets for households and small enterprises, which contrasts with the generally increasing globalisation of other financial services. In line with other recent papers, we challenge the view that market power as may be created through banking consolidation is unambiguously good for banking system stability. Various features of bank mergers may actually increase the scope for instability, in particular when they lead to a small number of large “national champions”, monitoring problems, lower money market liquidity or organisational inefficiencies/lack of market discipline. Overall, we stress that competition considerations need to receive adequate attention, even in the special banking sector.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Induces Expression of the Antiapoptotic Proteins Bcl-2 and A1 in Vascular Endothelial Cells*

We examined the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in preventing apoptosis in primary human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVE) cells. VEGF was capable of preventing serum starvation-induced apoptosis at concentrations between 10 and 100 ng/ml. The addition of VEGF to serum-starved HUVE cells led to a 5.2-fold induction of Bcl-2 after 36 h and to a transient, 2.4-fold induction of A1 after a 7-h incubation, as quantitated by real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis. Western blot analysis demonstrated a 2–3-fold induction of Bcl-2 protein after 18–36 h of exposure to VEGF and a transient induction of A1 after 7 h of VEGF stimulation. Moreover, overexpression of Bcl-2 by means of transient biolistic transfection experiments of HUVE cells was sufficient to prevent endothelial cells from apoptotic cell death in the absence of VEGF. These findings indicate that Bcl-2 plays an important role in mediating the survival activity of VEGF on endothelial cells.
Based on IAHP comprehensive evaluation method of the single-phase ground fault protection in cable distribution network

With the growing of cable outlets in distribution network, the ground current increases quickly when single-phase ground fault occurs. Which results show single-phase ground fault protection mode selection becomes difficult. Based on interval analytic hierarchy process (IAHP), the comprehensive evaluation method for single-phase ground fault protection modes in cable network was researched. Indicators for comprehensive evaluation were obtained, the steps of evaluation method were gained, and evaluation process was given. An example proves that the evaluation method is simple and effective and the workload is not too big, so this method is worthy applying for evaluation of fault protection modes in other kinds' distribution network. Evaluation results provide theoretical basis and reference for operation units and design departments.
A Cooperative Model Predictive Control Technique for Spacecraft Formation Flying

This paper investigates the control problem for a group of cooperative spacecraft with communication constraints. It is assumed that a set of cooperative local controllers corresponding to the individual spacecraft is given which satisfies the desired objectives of the formation. It is to be noted that due to the information exchange between the local controllers, the overall control structure can be considered centralized, in general. However, communication in flight formation is expensive. Thus, it is desired to have some form of decentralization in control structure, which has a lower communication requirement. A decentralized controller is obtained which consists of local estimators inherently, so that each local controller estimates the state of the whole formation. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the stability of the formation under the proposed decentralized controller is attained and its robustness is studied. It is then shown that the resultant decentralized controller can be converted to a decentralized model-predictive controller so that most of the features of its centralized counterpart such as the collision avoidance capability are recovered. The results presented in this paper for stability, robustness and performance evaluation can be envisaged as the extension of recent developments for the relevant problems in the literature.