Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Haematological reference values for full-term, healthy, newborns of Karachi, Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE To establish reference haematological values (complete blood count) in healthy full-term newborns of Karachi. METHODS This is a cross sectional study design based on cord blood sample of 404 newborns and their mothers recruited from Sindh Government Qatar Hospital, Ziauddin University Hospital gole market campus, Sindh Government hospital, Liaquatabad and Chinniot maternity and child hospital. Karachi from July 2006 to April 2008. Both mother's and the new born baby's blood was collected in EDTA containing tubes and analyzed for different haematological parameters. The data entry and analysis was done on computer package SPSS (Statistical Packages of Social Sciences) version 12.0. The results were given in the text as mean, standard deviation and 95% confidence intervals of haematological values (complete blood count). RESULTS The mean haemoglobin was found to be (14.99 +/- 1.47 gm), which is lower than the standard value described in literature. However the total WBCs count and platelet count were found to be (13.61 +/- 4.23) and (256. 25 +/- 76.54) respectively, which were similar to the other studies. CONCLUSION Our values provide reference range for haematological values in healthy newborns of Karachi, for clinical use by our physicians.
Shoulder Adaptations Among Pitchers and Position Players Over the Course of a Competitive Baseball Season

Objective:To determine if throwing arm shoulder range of motion (ROM) and scapular kinematic differences exist between baseball pitchers and position players over the course of a baseball season. Design:Prospective cohort. Setting:Professional baseball athletic training room. Participants:Sixteen asymptomatic professional baseball pitchers and 16 position players. Independent Variables:Preseason glenohumeral (GH) posterior tightness and scapular position. Main Outcome Measures:Throwing arm GH horizontal adduction ROM and GH internal rotation bilateral asymmetry ROM, as well as bilateral differences in forward scapular posture and throwing arm scapular upward rotation at rest, 60, 90, and 120 degrees of humeral elevation were measured. These measurements were taken before and at the conclusion of a 140-game baseball season. Results:Analyses of covariances showed no significant differences in GH horizontal adduction or internal rotation asymmetry ROM between groups over the course of the season. However, the pitchers developed significantly less scapular upward rotation at 60 degrees (P = 0.007) and 90 degrees (P = 0.006) of humeral elevation compared with the position players during the season. Forward scapular posture (P = 0.23) and scapular upward rotation at 0 degrees (P = 0.93) and 120 degrees (P = 0.29) of humeral elevation were not significantly different between groups. Conclusions:These results suggest that baseball position players develop more scapular upward rotation over the course of a competitive season than pitchers. This discrepancy may increase the pitchers' risk of injury and may partially explain their higher incidence of shoulder injury compared with position players. Therefore, pitchers may benefit from strengthening exercises and stretches aimed at increasing scapular upward rotation throughout the competitive baseball season.
The incidence of permanent work disability in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Sweden 1990-2010: before and after introduction of biologic agents.

OBJECTIVE To explore the incidence of disability pension (DP) due to RA as an estimation of permanent work disability before and after introduction of biologic drugs. METHODS The annual incidence of DP was derived from the Swedish National Social Insurance Register and rates of DP due to RA were compared with the total amount of new DPs. RESULTS The incidence of DP due to RA has decreased over recent years, coinciding with earlier and more aggressive treatment with DMARDs and biologics. A similar declining incidence of DP was simultaneously seen in patients with all diagnoses in the general population. The decrease in DPs was, however, larger for RA and was evident even before introduction of biologics. In 1990, the proportion of DPs caused by RA was 1.9% out of total amount of DPs, decreasing to 1.5% in 2000 and to 1% in 2009. This may reflect effects of treatment, but may also be due to changing political policies as well as changes in age structure, increasing educational level and less physically demanding jobs. CONCLUSION The decrease in DPs due to RA coincides with new treatment strategies as well as with decreasing levels of DPs in patients with all diagnoses. Prevailing political and economic conditions have a large impact on permanent work disability and may affect patients with various diagnoses in different ways. To determine if the decline is a true effect of better treatment, there is a need for further investigations, taking possible confounding factors into account.
Multicentre randomized therapeutic trial for advanced centrocytic lymphoma: Anthracycline does not improve the prognosis

Within a multicentre observation study on non‐Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) diagnosed according to the Kiel classification advanced stages III and IV of centrocytic (CC) lymphoma exhibited the worst prognosis among lymphomas of low‐grade malignancy with a 5‐year survival probability of less than 10 per cent. Treatment had been solely expectative and palliative with treatment results showing a prognostic superiority of patients achieving partial and complete remissions over non‐responders. Therefore, a randomized multicentre study was initiated to compare the remission‐inducing potential of the COP regimen (Bagley et al., 1972) with that of the more intensive adriamycin‐containing CHOP regimen (McKelvey et al., 1976).
Fibrosarcoma in Infants and Children: Application of New Techniques

Fibrosarcomas occurring in infants and young children are intriguing tumors. Although biologically more benign than their counterparts occurring in old patients, they are histologically similar. Microscopically, they fit in one end of a spectrum of fibrous proliferations occurring in the pediatric population. Prompted by recent karyotypic reports of nonrandom gains of chromosomes 8, 11, 17, and 20 in infantile fibrosarcomas, we retrospectively analyzed 12 infantile fibrosarcomas utilizing fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) with chromosome 8-, 11-, 17-, and 20-specific probes. Parallel studies were performed on fibrosarcomas occurring in older children and young adults and also on cellular fibromatoses, myofibroma-toses, and fibromatoses. Gains of chromosomes 8, 11, 17, and 20 (in various combinations) were observed in 11 of 12 fibrosarcomas occurring in infants <2 years of age. Extra copies of chromosomes 17 and 20 were observed in a fibrosarcoma occurring in a 5-year-old child but no abnormalities were detected by FISH in four additional fibrosarcomas occurring in patients aged 6–17 years. One of three cellular fibromatoses was characterized by extra copies of chromosome 8, 11, 17, and 20. Similar findings were not observed in any of the noncellular fibromatoses or in myofibromatoses.
Body dysmorphic disorder and its associated psychological and psychopathological features in an Italian community sample

Abstract Objective: Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a psychiatric condition characterized by preoccupation with perceived defects in physical appearance that are not observable or appear slight to others, along with low self-esteem, high perfectionism, and high comorbidity. Little is known about BDD prevalence and phenomenology in the Italian context, and no data are currently available on BDD prevalence using DSM-5 criteria in the Italian context. The aims of the current study were to explore the prevalence and the phenomenology of BDD and its associated psychological and psychopathological features such as self-esteem, perfectionistic traits, social anxiety, depressive, and obsessive–compulsive symptoms in a community sample. Methods: Six hundred and fifteen community individuals completed a battery of self-report questionnaires. Results: 10 (1.63%) individuals met DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for BDD; hair, nose and teeth were the most common areas of concern. Individuals with BDD reported also lower levels of self-esteem, more severe social anxiety symptomatology, general distress, depression and obsessive–compulsive features than people without BDD. Conclusions: BDD is not a rare condition in the Italian context and it emerged to be associated with significant morbidity.
AcrA suppressor alterations reverse the drug hypersensitivity phenotype of a TolC mutant by inducing TolC aperture opening

In Escherichia coli, the TolC–AcrAB complex forms a major antibiotic efflux system with broad substrate specificity. During the complex assembly, the periplasmic helices and bottom turns of TolC are thought to interact with a hairpin helix of AcrA and hairpin loops of AcrB respectively. In the present study we show that a four‐residue substitution in TolC's turn 1, which connects outer helices 3 and 4 proximal to TolC's periplasmic aperture, confers antibiotic hypersensitivity, without affecting TolC‐mediated phage or colicin infection. However, despite the null‐like drug sensitivity phenotype, chemical cross‐linking analysis revealed no apparent defects in the ability of the mutant TolC protein to physically interact with AcrA and AcrB. A role for TolC turn 1 residues in the functional assembly of the tripartite efflux pump complex was uncovered through isolating suppressor mutations of the mutant TolC protein that mapped within acrA and by utilizing a labile AcrA protein. The data showed that AcrA‐mediated suppression of antibiotic sensitivity was achieved by dilating the TolC aperture/channel in an AcrB‐dependent manner. The results underscore the importance of the periplasmic turn 1 of TolC in the functional assembly of the tripartite efflux complex and AcrA in transitioning TolC from its closed to open state.
The effect of helium on ventilator performance: study of five ventilators and a bedside Pitot tube spirometer.

OBJECTIVE To assess in vitro the performance of five mechanical ventilators-Siemens 300 and 900C (Siemens-Elma; Solna, Sweden), Puritan Bennett 7200 (Nellcor Puritan Bennett; Pleasanton, CA), Evita 4 (Dragerwerk; Lubeck, Germany), and Bear 1000 (Bear Medical Systems; Riverside CA)-and a bedside sidestream spirometer (Datex CS3 Respiratory Module; Datex-Ohmeda; Helsinki, Finland) during ventilation with helium-oxygen mixtures. DESIGN In vitro study. SETTING ICUs of two university-affiliated hospitals. METHODS AND MEASUREMENTS Each ventilator was connected to 100% helium through compressed air inlets and then tested at three to six different tidal volume (VT) settings using various helium-oxygen concentrations (fraction of inspired oxygen [FIO(2)] of 0.2 to 1.0). FIO(2) and VT were measured with the Datex CS3 spirometer, and VT was validated with a water-displacement spirometer. MAIN RESULTS The Puritan Bennett 7200 ventilator did not function with helium. With the other four ventilators, delivered FIO(2) was lower than the set FIO(2). For the Siemens 300 and 900C ventilators, this difference could be explained by the lack of 21% oxygen when helium was connected to the air supply port, while for the other two ventilators, a nonlinear relation was found. The VT of the Siemens 300 ventilator was independent of helium concentration, while for the other three ventilators, delivered VT was greater than the set VT and was dependent on helium concentration. During ventilation with 80% helium and 20% oxygen, VT increased to 125% of set VT for the Siemens 900C ventilator, and more than doubled for the Evita 4 and Bear 1000 ventilators. Under the same conditions, the Datex CS3 spirometer underestimated the delivered VT by about 33%. CONCLUSIONS At present, no mechanical ventilator is calibrated for use with helium. This investigation offers correction factors for four ventilators for ventilation with helium.
Cerebral Cortex Ammonia and Glutamine Metabolism in Two Rat Models of Chronic Liver Insufficiency‐Induced Hyperammonemia: Influence of Pair‐Feeding

Abstract: Enhanced cerebral cortex ammonia uptake, subsequent glutamine synthesis, and glutamine release into the bloodstream have been hypothesized to deplete cerebral cortex glutamate pools. We investigated this hypothesis in rats with chronic liver insufficiency‐induced hyperammonemia and in pair‐fed controls to rule out effects of differences in food intake. Cerebral cortex plasma flow and venous‐arterial concentration differences of ammonia and amino acids, as well as cerebral cortex tissue concentrations, were studied 7 and 14 days after surgery in portacaval‐shunted/bile duct‐ligated, portacaval‐shunted, and sham‐operated rats, while the latter two were pair‐fed to the first group, and in normal unoperated ad libitum‐fed control rats. At both time points, arterial ammonia was elevated in the chronic liver insufficiency groups and arterial glutamine was elevated in portacaval shunt/biliary obstruction rats compared to the other groups. In the chronic liver insufficiency groups net cerebral cortex ammonia uptake was observed at both time points and was accompanied by net glutamine release. Also in these groups, cerebral cortex tissue glutamine, many other amino acid, and ammonia levels were elevated. Tissue glutamate levels were decreased to a similar level in all operated groups compared with normal unoperated rats, irrespective of plasma and tissue ammonia and glutamine levels. These results demonstrate that during chronic liver insufficiency‐induced hyperammonemia, the rat cerebral cortex enhances net ammonia uptake and glutamine release. However, the decrease in tissue glutamate concentrations in these chronic liver insufficiency models seems to be related primarily to nutritional status and/or surgical trauma.
Bevacizumab in Combination with Taxane versus Non-Taxane Containing Regimens for Advanced/Metastatic Nonsquamous Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review

Background: In preclinical studies, the efficacy of the combination of antiangiogenic agents with chemotherapy seems to be dependent on the specific cytotoxic agent. We conducted a systematic review of the efficacy of bevacizumab in combination with taxane or non-taxane containing regimens for untreated, nonsquamous non–small-cell lung cancer patients. Methods: An extensive search of published clinical trials was conducted from electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane) and meeting proceedings using relevant search criteria. Phase 2 and randomized trials reporting on the efficacy of bevacizumab combined with taxane or non-taxane regimens were selected. A systematic analysis of extracted data was performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (Version 2.2) software. Clinical outcome in patients treated with taxane versus non-taxane regimen was compared using point estimates for weighted values of median overall survival, progression-free survival, and response rate. Results: Twenty-nine studies reported between 2005 and 2015 were eligible. A total of 5890 patients (2767 and 3123 in the taxane and non-taxane groups, respectively) were included. The taxane and non-taxane groups were comparable in patient characteristics: median age, 62.8 versus 61.2 years; males, 57% versus 58%; adenocarcinomas, 83% versus 83%; stage IV, 87% versus 82%; performance status 0/1- 45/55% versus 41/59%, respectively. The weighted median overall survival was 14.4 versus 13.7 months (p = 0.5); progression-free survival was 6.93 versus 6.99 months (p = 0.61); response rate was 41% versus 39% (p = 0.65) for taxane and non-taxane groups. Conclusions: The outcomes between taxane and non-taxane regimens when given in combination with bevacizumab for patients with nonsquamous non–small-cell lung cancer are comparable.
Multi-Agent Simulation of Urban Social Dynamics for Spatial Load Forecasting

A multi-agent system for spatial electric load forecasting, especially suited to simulating the different social dynamics involved in distribution systems, is presented. This approach improves the spatial forecasting techniques that usually consider the service zone as a static entity to model or simulate the spatial electric load forecasting in a city. This paper aims to determine how the electric load will be distributed among the sub-zones in the city. For this, the service zone is divided into several subzones, each subzone considered as an independent agent identified with a corresponding load level, and their relationships with the neighbor zones are represented through development probabilities. These probabilities are considered as input data for the simulation. Given this setting, different kinds of agents can be developed to simulate the growth pattern of the loads in distribution systems in parallel. The approach is tested with data from a real distribution system in a mid-size city; the results show a low spatial error when compared to real data. Less than 6% of the load growth was identified 0.71 km outside of its correct location on the test system.
Macular Hole Closure With Internal Limiting Membrane Abrasion Technique.

IMPORTANCE Internal limiting membrane (ILM) abrasion is an alternative surgical technique for successful full-thickness macular hole (MH) repair. OBJECTIVE To study the effects of ILM abrasion as an alternative method of MH repair. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Retrospective consecutive case series from January 2006 to December 2008. Demographic data and preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative examination records of all patients were reviewed for patients who underwent ILM abrasion with a diamond-dusted membrane scraper during vitrectomy for MH repair. A total of 100 eyes underwent ILM abrasion as an alternative to traditional ILM peeling. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Rate of MH closure and visual acuity (VA) outcomes at 3 months after surgery. RESULTS Macular hole closure was achieved with a single surgical procedure in 94 of 100 eyes (94.0%; 95% CI, 87.4%-97.8%). Among all patients, the median preoperative VA was 20/100 (range, 20/30 to hand motions; 25th quartile, 20/60; and 75th quartile, 20/160), and the median postoperative VA at 3 months after surgery was 20/60 (range, 20/20 to hand motions; 25th quartile, 20/40; and 75th quartile, 20/100). Among all patients with stage 2 MHs, 30 of 38 patients (78.9%) had at least 2 lines of VA gain: 15 of 23 (65.2%) were phakic, and 15 of 15 (100%) were pseudophakic. Four of 38 patients (10.5%) with stage 2 MHs had at least 2 lines of VA loss, and all were phakic. Among all patients with stage 3 or 4 MHs, 42 of 62 (67.7%) had at least 2 lines of VA gain, of which 30 of 38 (78.9%) were phakic and 22 of 24 (91.7%) were pseudophakic. Six of 62 patients (9.7%) with stage 3 or 4 MHs had at least 2 lines of VA loss: 4 were phakic, and 2 were pseudophakic. In total, 35.0% (95% CI, 25.7%-44.3%) of patients achieved 20/40 vision or better, and 52.0% (95% CI, 42.2%-61.8%) of patients achieved 20/50 vision or better. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Abrasion of the ILM with a diamond-dusted membrane scraper at the time of vitrectomy achieves high rates of MH closure. This technique avoids complete removal of the retinal ILM basement membrane and subjacent tissues and appears to provide MH closure rates similar to those of traditional ILM peeling.
Volume‐controlled inverse ratio ventilation: effect on dynamic hyperinflation and auto‐PEEP

The effects of inverse ratio ventilation (IRV) and PEEP on dynamic hyperinflation and auto‐PEEP were studied in sedated, paralysed patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (n = 9) and in 10 postoperative patients after coronary artery by‐pass (CABG). During volume‐controlled mechanical ventilation with constant tidal volume (VT 12 ml‐kg‐1) and respiratory rate (12‐min‐1), two consecutive experiments were carried out: (1) with constant I:E ratio PEEP was increased in steps of 2 cmH20 (0.2 kPa) from 0 to 12 craH2O (0 to 1.2 kPa) and (2) with no PEEP I: E ratio was changed stepwise from 1: 4 to 4: 1. Flow, V‐T peak airway pressure (Pmax) and static end‐expiratory pressure (PEEPtot) were registered. PEEPtot was measured while occluding the airway in the end‐expiration. The changes in the end‐expiratory lung volume (EELV) were measured with respiratory inductive plethysmograph. We found that: (1) increasing PEEP and IRV caused a similar increase in EELV and PEEPtot in ARDS, but in CABG the increase in EELV was greater with PEEP; (2) at the same PEEPtot the increase in EELV was similar with PEEP and IRV in both groups; and (3) the reduction in Pmax was marginal during IRV. We conclude that the effect of reduced expiratory time on end‐expiratory lung volume and pressure during volume controlled IRV is similar to the use of PEEP.
Osmotic flow transients during acetylcholine stimulation in the perfused rat submandibular gland

Osmotic stress was applied to the perfused rat submandibular gland during steady‐state fluid secretion. Alterations of perfusate osmolarity, by addition or withdrawal of sucrose or NaCl, caused transient changes in secretory rate during continuous stimulation with 1 microM acetylcholine (ACh). Hyposmotic perfusates transiently increased, and hyperosmotic perfusates transiently reduced, the secretory rate. The transients were attributed to changes in osmotic flow resulting from changes in the instantaneous transepithelial osmotic gradient. The time course of the change in interstitial osmolarity was determined by using a Cl‐ electrode to record the changes in interstitial Cl‐ concentration following a step change in perfusate Cl‐ concentration. From the calculated changes in interstitial osmolarity and the resulting changes in secretory rate, the osmotic water permeability of the secretory pathway was estimated to be greater than 15.0 +/− 1.2 microliter (mosmol 1‐1)‐1 min‐1 (g wet weight)‐1 (9.8 x 10(‐6) +/− 0.8 x 10(‐6) l atm‐1s‐1g‐1). The transepithelial gradient required to sustain steady state, ACh‐evoked secretion would therefore be less than 16 mosmol l‐1 NaCl, which is consistent with previous micropuncture data indicating that the luminal fluid is approximately isosmotic.
Na+‐NQR (Na+‐translocating NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase) as a novel target for antibiotics

Abstract The recent breakthrough in structural studies on Na+‐translocating NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (Na+‐NQR) from the human pathogen Vibrio cholerae creates a perspective for the systematic design of inhibitors for this unique enzyme, which is the major Na+ pump in aerobic pathogens. Widespread distribution of Na+‐NQR among pathogenic species, its key role in energy metabolism, its relation to virulence in different species as well as its absence in eukaryotic cells makes this enzyme especially attractive as a target for prospective antibiotics. In this review, the major biochemical, physiological and, especially, the pharmacological aspects of Na+‐NQR are discussed to assess its ‘target potential’ for drug development. A comparison to other primary bacterial Na+ pumps supports the contention that NQR is a first rate prospective target for a new generation of antimicrobials. A new, narrowly targeted furanone inhibitor of NQR designed in our group is presented as a molecular platform for the development of anti‐NQR remedies.