Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EFFECT OF DIFFERENT RESUSCITATION FLUIDS ON CYTOKINE RESPONSE IN A RAT MODEL OF HEMORRHAGIC SHOCK

This study was designed to determine the effects of different resuscitation fluids on the production of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in an animal model of hemorrhagic shock. Wistar male rats (n = 24; 8/group) were subjected to a volume-controlled hemorrhagic shock for 30 minutes and resuscitated as follows: (1) sham group without resuscitation, (2) lactated Ringer solution (LR), 3:1; (3) 4% hydroxyethyl starch (HES) solution, 1:1; and (4) 4% modified fluid gelatin (GEL), 1:1. Hemodynamic parameters were recorded, and blood samples were collected at 0 min and 30, 90, 150, 210, 270, and 330 min after hemorrhage for plasma levels of IL-6, IL-10, and TNFα. The circulating concentrations of IL-6 at 90, 150, 210, 270, and 330 min and TNFα levels at 150, 210, and 270 min after hemorrhage were significantly elevated in animals resuscitated with GEL compared with HES or LR (P < 0.05). At 210, 270, and 330 min, IL-10 concentration was decreased significantly in GEL-resuscitated rats compared with rats resuscitated with LR or HES (P < 0.05). Mean blood pressure and serum levels of lactate after resuscitation were not different among three kinds of fluids. LR, HES, and GEL are comparable in volume efficacy for resuscitation of hemorrhagic shock but are associated with different postresuscitation immune responses. Resuscitation with GEL may be associated with cytokine production favoring a proinflammatory response. The marked elevation of IL-6 observed in the GEL-treated animals may play a role in the relatively high frequency of anaphylactoid reaction in clinical use of GEL.
Development of a Quantitative Tool to Assess the Content of Physical Therapy for Infants

Purpose: The study aim was to describe and quantify physical therapy interventions for infants at high risk for developmental disorders. Methods: An observation protocol was developed based on knowledge about infant physical therapy and analysis of directly observable physiotherapeutic (PT) actions. The protocol's psychometric quality was assessed. Videos of 42 infant physical therapy sessions at 4 or 6 months of corrected age were analyzed. Results: The observation protocol classified PT actions into 8 mutually exclusive categories. Virtually all PT actions during treatment could be classified. Inter- and intrarater agreements were satisfactory (intraclass correlations, 0.68–1.00). Approximately 40% of treatment time was spent challenging the infant to produce motor behavior by themselves, whereas approximately 30% of time facilitation techniques were applied. Tradition-based sessions could be differentiated from function-oriented ones. Conclusions: It is possible to document PT actions during physical therapy treatment of infants at high risk for cerebral palsy in a systematic, standardized, and reliable way.
Intrauterine Devices and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: Meta-Analyses of Published Studies, 1974–1990

We conducted a meta-analysis of 36 papers published between 1974 and 1990 to estimate the effects of intrauterine device (IUD) use and Dalkon Shield use, in particular, on pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The number of women studied in each report ranged from 50 to 26,507. For general IUD use, analyses were separated by type of PID (symptomatic or asymptomatic) because of extreme rate-ratio heterogeneity across studies. Dalkon Shield rate ratios were more homogeneous and were considered in a single meta-regression. There was substantial heterogeneity, however, in all three meta-regressions; the rate-ratio estimates ranged from 0.51 to 12 for IUD use and symptomatic PID, from 1.0 to 132 for IUD use and asymptomatic PID, and from 0.32 to 28 for Dalkon-Shield use and PID. This heterogeneity appeared to be due to differences in reference groups, study populations, and characteristics of study design. We observed consistent, positive associations of IUD use with both symptomatic and asymptomatic PID. These associations were largest for the Dalkon Shield.
Role of the DinB Homologs Rv1537 and Rv3056 in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

ABSTRACT The environment encountered by Mycobacterium tuberculosis during infection is genotoxic. Most bacteria tolerate DNA damage by engaging specialized DNA polymerases that catalyze translesion synthesis (TLS) across sites of damage. M. tuberculosis possesses two putative members of the DinB class of Y-family DNA polymerases, DinB1 (Rv1537) and DinB2 (Rv3056); however, their role in damage tolerance, mutagenesis, and survival is unknown. Here, both dinB1 and dinB2 are shown to be expressed in vitro in a growth phase-dependent manner, with dinB2 levels 12- to 40-fold higher than those of dinB1. Yeast two-hybrid analyses revealed that DinB1, but not DinB2, interacts with the β-clamp, consistent with its canonical C-terminal β-binding motif. However, knockout of dinB1, dinB2, or both had no effect on the susceptibility of M. tuberculosis to compounds that form N2-dG adducts and alkylating agents. Similarly, deletion of these genes individually or in combination did not affect the rate of spontaneous mutation to rifampin resistance or the spectrum of resistance-conferring rpoB mutations and had no impact on growth or survival in human or mouse macrophages or in mice. Moreover, neither gene conferred a mutator phenotype when expressed ectopically in Mycobacterium smegmatis. The lack of the effect of altering the complements or expression levels of dinB1 and/or dinB2 under conditions predicted to be phenotypically revealing suggests that the DinB homologs from M. tuberculosis do not behave like their counterparts from other organisms.
Concurrent Detection of Software and Hardware Data-Access Faults

A new approach allows low-cost concurrent detection of two important types of faults, software and hardware data-access faults, using an extension of the existing signature monitoring approach. The proposed approach detects data-access faults using a new type of redundant data structure that contains an embedded signature. Low-cast fault detection is achieved using simple architecture support and compiler support that exploit natural redundancies in the data structures, in the instruction set architecture, and in the data-access mechanism. The software data-access faults that the approach can detect include faults that have been shown to cause a high percentage of system failures. Hardware data-access faults that occur in all levels of the data-memory hierarchy are also detectable, including faults in the register file, the data cache, the data-cache TLB, the memory address and data buses, etc. Benchmark results for the MIPS R300D processor executing code scheduled by a modified GNU C Compiler show that the new approach can concurrently check a high percentage of data accesses, while causing little performance overhead and little memory overhead.
The Influential Factors on Capital Adequacy Ratio in Iranian Banks

One of essential requirements for banks and financial institutions is adequate and sufficient capital and every banks and financial organizations must keep balance between capital and available risk in its assets in order to guarantee its stability. Thus it has become one of the most important criteria for depository institutions. This study focuses on influential factors (precisely seven financial factors) over capital adequacy in Iranian private banks for the period 2006–2012. The results obtained indicate negative relationship between bank size and capital adequacy ratio of banks and positive relationship between Loan Asset Ratio (LAR), Return on Equity (ROE), and Return on Asset (ROA), Equity Ratio (EQR), and capital adequacy ratio. RAR and DAR do not have any impact on capital adequacy ratio.
Simian virus 40 large T antigen contains two independent activities that cooperate with a ras oncogene to transform rat embryo fibroblasts

The simian virus 40 large T antigen immortalizes growing primary cells in culture. In addition, this viral oncoprotein cooperates with an activated ras protein to produce dense foci on monolayers of rat embryo fibroblasts (REF). The relationship between independent immortalization and cooperative transformation with ras has not been defined. Previously, two regions of T antigen were shown to contain immortalization activities. An N-terminal fragment consisting of amino acids 1 to 147 immortalizes rodent cells (L. Sompayrac and K. J. Danna, Virology 181:412-415, 1991). Loss-of-function analysis indicated that immortalization depended on integrity of the T-antigen segments containing amino acids 351 to 450 and 533 to 626 (T. D. Kierstead and M. J. Tevethia, J. Virol. 67:1817-1829, 1993). The experiments described here were directed toward determining whether these same T-antigen regions were sufficient for cooperation with ras. Initially, constructs that produce T antigens containing amino acids 176 to 708 (T176-708) or 1 to 147 were tested in a ras cooperation assay. Both polypeptides cooperated with ras to produce dense foci on monolayers of primary REF. These results showed that T antigen contains two separate ras cooperation activities. In order to determine the N-terminal limit of the ras cooperation activity contained within the T176-708 polypeptide, a series of constructs designed to produce fusion proteins containing T-antigen segments beginning at residues 251, 301, 337, 351, 371, 401, 451, 501, 551, 601, and 651 was generated. Each of these constructs was tested for the capacity to cooperate with ras to produce dense foci on REF monolayers. The results indicated that a polypeptide containing T-antigen amino acids 251 to 708 (T251-708) was sufficient to cooperate with ras, whereas the more extensively truncated products were not. The abilities of the N-terminally truncated T antigens to bind p53 were examined in p53-deficient cells infected with a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing a phenotypically wild-type mouse p53. The results showed that polypeptides containing T-antigen amino acids 251 to 708, 301 to 708, 337 to 708, or 351 to 708 retained p53-binding capacity. The introduction into the T251-708 polypeptide of deletions that either prevented p53 binding (dl434-444) or did not prevent p53 binding (dl400) abrogated ras cooperation. These results indicated that although p53 binding may be necessary for ras cooperation, an additional, as-yet-undefined activity contained within the T251-708 polypeptide is needed.
Nucleotide sequences of gag-pol regions that determine the Fv-1 host range property of BALB/c N-tropic and B-tropic murine leukemia viruses

Previously, in vitro recombinant DNA studies demonstrated that genetic determinants of N-tropism and B-tropism, or Fv-1-related host range properties of murine leukemia viruses, were located in a BamHI-HindIII DNA segment derived from the 5' portion of the cloned viral genome. We sequenced this segment and its immediate 5' region from cloned DNA of two BALB/c mouse C-type viruses (WN1802N and WN1802B) and found base differences at 12 positions out of the otherwise identical 1,390-base-pair sequences. Analysis of the most likely reading frame showed that 6 of the 12 base differences would result in four encoded amino acid changes, three of which occur at positions 109 (glutamine in WN1802N versus threonine in WN1802B), 110 (arginine in WN1802N versus glutamic acid in WN1802B), and 159 (glutamic acid in WN1802N versus glycine in WN1802B) of the p30 protein. The remaining one is located at position 36 (threonine in WN1802N versus isoleucine in WN1802B) of the viral polymerase protein. Significant conformational alteration of the p30 protein could be predicted from these amino acid changes.
Expanding Current EVAR Indications to Include Small Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms: A Glimpse of the Future

The traditional criterion of maximum transverse diameter is not sufficient to differentiate the small abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) that are either prone to rupture or prone to enlarge rapidly. Wall stress may be a more reliable indicator with respect to these tasks. We review the importance of geometric features in rupture- or growth-predictive models and stress the need for further evaluation and validation of geometric indices. This study may lead to identifying those small AAAs that could justify early endovascular intervention.
Methodological issues in determining rates of childhood immunization in office practice. A study from pediatric research in office settings (PROS).

OBJECTIVE To compare 3 methods for measuring pediatric office immunization rates. DESIGN Retrospective and prospective cross-sectional surveys. PATIENTS Children 2 and 3 years old from 15 pediatric practices in 11 states. METHODS Immunization rates were determined for each practice using 3 methods. The Consecutive method used data from the practice's medical records of patients seen consecutively in the office; the Chart method used data from randomly selected practice medical records; and the Active method (reference standard) used a combination of medical record data with a telephone interview to collect additional immunization data and current patient status, using data only on current patients. Analyses were based on a mean of 57, 62, and 51 (Consecutive, Chart, and Active method, respectively) patients per practice. Patients were considered fully immunized if they had received 4 doses of DTP/DT vaccine, 3 doses of OPV/IPV, and 1 dose of MMR vaccine by their second birthday Comparisons were made using the paired t test. RESULTS The mean immunization rate by method was Consecutive, 81.5% (range, 51%-97%); Chart, 71.6% (range, 42%-94%); and Active, 79.6% (range, 53%-96%). Within a given practice, the differences between methods varied considerably (0 to 28 percentage points). The mean difference from the reference standard Active method was 8 percentage points (P < .001) for the Chart method and -1.9 percentage points (P = .36) for the Consecutive method. The largest difference was between the Consecutive and Chart methods (mean difference, 9.9 percentage points; P = .003). Practitioners uniformly found the Consecutive method easiest to implement. CONCLUSIONS Practice-specific immunization rates are one of the few objective measures of the quality of preventive pediatric care. Pediatric practices monitoring their immunization rates should consider using the Consecutive method, a simple, acceptable, and valid measure of practice immunization rate.
Relationship of resting hemoglobin concentration to peak oxygen uptake in heart failure patients

Anemia is frequent in chronic heart failure (HF). To calculate what change in peak oxygen uptake ( $ {\dot {\bf V}} $O2) should be expected in the event of changes in hemoglobin concentration, we studied the correlation between peak $ {\dot {\bf V}} $O2 and hemoglobin concentration in a large HF population. We carried out retrospective analysis of all cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET) performed in our HF Clinic between June 2001 and March 2009 in HF patients who had a resting hemoglobin concentration measurement taken within 7 days of the CPET. We collected 967 CPETs, 704 tests were considered maximal and analyzed. We identified 181 patients (26%) as anemic. Peak $ {\dot {\bf V}} $O2 was lower (P < 0.001) in anemic patients (971 ± 23 ml/min) compared with nonanemic (1243 ± 18 ml/min). The slope of the $ {\dot {\bf V}} $O2 vs. hemoglobin ratio was 109 ml/min/g/dl at peak exercise. This correlation remained significant also when several confounding variables were analyzed by multivariate analysis. As an average, each gram of hemoglobin accounts, at peak exercise, for 109 ml/min change in $ {\dot {\bf V}} $O2 which is equivalent to 0.97 ml/min/kg. Therefore, in HF patients anemia treatment should increase $ {\dot {\bf V}} $O2 by 109 ml/min for each g/dl of hemoglobin increase. Am. J. Hematol. 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Orphan nuclear receptor regulation of reproduction.

Orphan nuclear receptors, those without known ligands, were discovered because of their structural similarity to the ligand-driven steroid and thyroid receptors. Since their characterization, many of the orphan receptors have been adopted, i.e., ligands, usually lipids or derived lipids, have been discovered. The orphan receptors are transcriptional regulators, functioning in the reproductive context to upregulate or suppress gene expression. By this means, the orphan receptors regulate a plethora of reproductive events. In the majority of cases, the effects are stimulatory, indeed, members of the NR2 family promote Leydig cell differentiation and testicular steroidogenesis, while those of the NR4 family regulate early gestation and placental formation. The NR5 family has two members, steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1, NR5A1) and liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1, NR5A2). These receptors interact with the same DNA sequence and are believed to be constitutive transcription factors. Their effects are modulated by the repressive effects of the NR0 family of orphan receptors that comprise the short heterodimeric partner (SHP, NR0B2) and dosagesensitive sex reversal adrenal hypoplasia congenital region on the X chromosome, gene 1 (DAX1, NROB1). SHP and DAX1 inhibit the interaction of LRH-1 and SF-1 with coactivators, thereby reducing their constitutive transcriptional effects. Overall, the orphan nuclear receptors are essential regulators of reproductive function in mammals.
Establishment of human adult astrocyte cultures derived from postmortem multiple sclerosis and control brain and spinal cord regions: immunophenotypical and functional characterization

We have successfully established highly enriched astrocyte cultures upon passaging of primary cultures derived from various regions of postmortem human adult brain and spinal cord. Tissues were collected at autopsies with relatively short postmortem times (3–9 hr) from multiple sclerosis (MS) and (normal) control cases. Immunocytochemical analysis showed that primary cultures were composed of colonies of oligoclonal cells that expressed the intermediate filament proteins glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), vimentin, as well as glutamine synthetase (GS). Passaging the astrocytes did not affect their proliferating capacity as monitored by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation. Astrocyte‐specific markers were stably expressed for at least 12 passages per individual tissue sample. Large numbers of GFAP‐positive astrocytes were obtained from each sample and could be stored frozen and recultured. Very few macrophages/microglial cells (1–3%) were present in the human adult astrocyte cultures, using a panel of macrophage‐specific markers. However, the monoclonal antibodies (mAbs KP1, EBM11, 25F9) and lysozyme antiserum directed against lysosomal antigens strongly immunostained cultured astrocytes derived from MS and control cases, implicating that expression of these lysosomal antigens is not restricted to macrophages/microglial cells in human glial cell cultures. Interestingly, astrocytes derived from active demyelinated MS lesions showed an increased proliferating capacity compared to astrocytes derived from non‐lesioned and normal brain and spinal cord regions, as shown with a microculture tetrazolium assay (MTT assay). J. Neurosci. Res. 49:342–354, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An extension of UTAUT model for Palestine e-commerce

This study investigates the extension of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model to online shopping. The results show that performance expectancy has a significant positive impact on the intention to shop online. A significant positive impact of effort expectancy on the intention to shop online has also been observed. Social influence has a significant positive impact on the intention to shop online. However, facilitating condition has no significant influence on the intention to shop online. The results also show that the attitude towards online shopping is salient in determining the intention to shop online. Trust has a significant positive impact on the attitude towards online shopping. Perceived competence, perceived security control, perceived privacy control, shared values and communication have a significant positive impact on the trust. Yet, perceived integrity has no significant positive impact on the trust. Furthermore, opportunistic behaviour has a significant negative impact on the trust.
Ruído na escola: queixas de saúde e o incômodo em professores do ensino público

Objetivo: Identificar as queixas de saude e o incomodo relacionado ao ruido em professores com e sem disturbio de voz de duas escolas. Metodo: A amostra foi composta por 53 professores (27 da Escola 1 e 26 da Escola 2) com e sem disturbios vocais. Foram aplicados dois questionarios que abordaram questoes referentes a aspectos de saude geral e queixas relacionadas a exposicao a ruido. As analises estatisticas (Teste de Mann-Whitney e Correlacao de Spearman) compararam os resultados intra-escola e inter escolas. Resultados: A prevalencia de disturbio de voz foi de 44,4% na Escola 1 e de 50% na Escola 2. As queixas mais frequentes nos professores com e sem disturbios vocais de ambas as escolas foram o cansaco, dor de cabeca e stress. Nao houve diferencas estatisticamente significantes entre as frequencias das queixas e presenca de disturbio de voz. Todos os professores de ambas as escolas relataram que o ambiente de trabalho era ruidoso. A condicao “sempre” ruidoso foi relatada por 83,3% dos professores da Escola 1 e 66,7% da Escola 2. Na Escola 1, as principais fontes apontadas foram o ruido provocado pelos alunos e o proveniente da propria sala. Na Escola 2, a principal reclamacao foi referente ao ruido externo a escola. Na Escola 1 houve efetiva relacao entre ter disturbios de voz e apresentar mais queixas referentes ao ruido externo no ambiente de trabalho. Conclusao: As queixas de saude foram estatisticamente diferentes nas duas escolas. As reclamacoes referentes ao incomodo relacionado ao ruido apareceram na maioria da amostra de ambas as escolas, independentemente da presenca de disturbios de voz.
EFFECT OF PRE-PARTUM DIETARY CATION-ANION DIFFERENCE ON THE PERFORMANCE OF TRANSITION SAHIWAL CATTLE

Dietary cation anion difference (DCAD) is an important aspect of dairy nutrition, especially in the transition period. Sahiwal cattle is the highest milk producing breed among Zebu cattle. We planned first study on transition Sahiwal cattle to determine the effects of feeding varying levels of negative DCAD. For this purpose, twenty pregnant cows (at the 250th day of gestation) were selected and randomly divided into 5 groups comprising four animals each. Five isocaloric (2100 Kcal) and iso-nitrogenous (12%) diets were formulated and each diet was allotted to each group. The animals who received positive DCAD diet (+134.32 mEq/Kg DM) served as control. Diets were supplemented with NutriCAB® to attain 0, -15, -30 and -45 mEq/kg DM DCAD levels. Experimental diets were fed at ad-libitum upto parturition and data regarding feed intake were recorded daily. Post-partum incidence of milk fever, dystocia, retention of placenta (RP), mastitis as well as milk production, milk fat percentage and serum Ca levels were recorded. Urine and blood pH were determined weekly during the last month of pregnancy. Results showed that prepartum feed intake and blood pH were not affected (P>0.05), while urine pH was significantly reduced (P<0.05) by lowering DCAD levels. Post parturient blood calcium level linearly increased (P<0.05) with decreasing DCAD. Pre-partum negative DCAD feeding had no significant effect (P>0.05) on post-parturient milk production and fat percentage. However, subclinical milk fever, RP and clinical mastitis decreased with decreasing DCAD feeding. It was concluded that negative DCAD feeding raised serum calcium level and reduced the incidence of post-parturient problems in Sahiwal cattle.