Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MARS: optimistic therapy method in fulminant hepatic failure secondary to cytotoxic mushroom poisoning--a case report.

BACKGROUND Poisoning by cytotoxic mushrooms (Amanita phalloides and related species) is associated with severe morbidity and a high mortality rate (lethality > 20% in adults and > 50% in children). The main causes of this intoxication are the amatoxines, which inhibit DNA-dependent RNA Polymerase II or B. This interaction leads to a tight complex, and the inhibition is of a non-competitive type (1); in addition to those tight binding inhibitors of adenosine kinase, papain, cathepsin L, cathepsin B, cysteine proteinase and bromelain (2), inhibit the synthesis of messenger RNA in the hepatocytes, decrease the formation of coagulation factors and of immunoglobulins and effect a vasoconstriction. They also have an influence on the transcription and lesions that are seen in cells with rapid protein synthesis, particularly in liver and renal cells, with the cellular changes causing the fragmentation and segregation of all nuclear components, even at low toxin concentrations (3). Phallotoxin, which is the other toxin isolated from death cap, binds with a high affinity to microfilamentous structures - in particular, to F-actin, which stimulates the polymerization of G-actin, stabilizes the F-actin filaments, irreversibly polymerizes actin filaments and causes cholestasis (4). Liver is recognized as the target organ for Amanita phalloides toxins; it is presented by fatty degeneration, acute toxic dystrophy and centrilobular necroses (5). Therapeutic options employed to treat mushroom intoxication, such as hemodiaperfusion on activated charcoal, high dosages of penicillin G, oral charcoal, etc., very often failed to act properly and liver transplantation (when a graft is available) appeared to be the only solution. The most polarized debate concerns the value of extracorporeal elimination. Plasmapheresis and peritoneal dialysis proved much less useful for this purpose; neither haemodialysis (HD) nor haemoperfusion (HP) contributed to the clearance of amatoxin (6, 7). Recently, Stange et al. (8). introduced a new detoxication method (referred to as MARS) for protein-bound substances in patients with liver failure and grade III and IV hepatic encephalopathy. MARS was performed with an albumin-containing dialysate, which is recycled in a closed loop that contains a charcoal cartridge, an anion exchanger resin adsorber and a conventional haemodialyser. With dialysis using an albumin-containing dialysate, protein-bound substances, which are usually not sufficiently dialysable, can be eliminated. The treatments increase the rate of toxin elimination to the extent that the toxic exposure of highly susceptible cells, such as hepatocytes, is minimized. This leads to the surprise recovery of the poisoning patient, despite her severe condition, even as late as up to a week after mushroom ingestion.
Functional characterization of the adenosine receptor mediating inhibition of intestinal secretion

1 Previous studies have shown that the mixed A1/A2 adenosine agonist 5′‐N‐ethylcarboxamido‐adenosine (NECA) inhibits intestinal fluid secretion which is thought to contribute to its antidiarrhoeal effect in the rat. The aim of this study was to characterize the adenosine receptor mediating this antisecretory effect via functional studies using a range of selective agonists and antagonists and by applying the pharmacological criteria of relative agonist and antagonist potencies. 2 Adenosine agonists and antagonists were administered i.v. to anaesthetized rats. Intestinal secretion was then stimulated by i.a. infusion of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP, 0.8 μg min−1) and the net fluid transport across the wall of the jejunum was measured by a recirculation technique. 3 The rank order of agonist potency to reduce the response to VIP was: NECA > N6‐cyclopentyladenosine (CPA) > R‐N6‐(2‐phenylisopropyladenosine) (R‐PIA) > S‐PIA > chloroadenosine (2‐CADO) > 2‐phenylaminoadenosine (CV‐1808). This order best complies with the rank order of agonist potency that represents activation of the recently described A2B receptor: NECA > 2‐CADO R‐PIA = CHA > S‐PIA > = CV‐1808 > = CGS‐21680. The most potent agonists (NECA, CPA and R‐PIA) had ED50 values in the low microgram range. 4 The anitsecretory action of NECA (submaximal dose of 40μg kg−1) was antagonized equally (approximately 50%) by the selective adenosine antagonists 8‐cyclopentyl‐1,3‐dipropylxanthine (DPCPX, 0.1 mg kg−1) and 8‐phenyltheophylline (8‐PT, 0.1 mg kg−1). This equipotent activity indicates the presence of an A2 and not an A1 receptor. 5 It is suggested that adenosine A2B receptor agonists could be evaluated for potential use as antidiarrhoeal drugs.
Physiological Responses to Hypoglycemia: Counterregulation and cognitive function

G lucose is normally the exclusive fuel for cerebral metabolism, and blood glucose must be maintained above a critical level to preserve adequate brain function. Under normal circumstances, an exquisite homeostasis exists between glucose needs and glucose synthesis or mobilization from body stores. A cerebral glucose sensor, possibly located in the hypothalamus, has been postulated as the mechanism for recognition of declining blood glucose levels. Such low blood glucose (hypoglycemia) is common in people with IDDM. Properly functioning neurohumoral responses to hypoglycemia initiate physiological counterregulatory measures and alert the individual to the need for carbohydrate ingestion. These responses normally become operative at blood glucose levels exceeding those that cause significant cerebral dysfunction. Unfortunately, many diabetic patients, particularly those under tight metabolic control, have impaired physiological responses to hypoglycemia. Disregard of the signs of incipient hypoglycemia will exacerbate the condition and may lead to further blunting of normal physiological counterregulatory mechanisms. If the condition is not rectified promptly, concentration and intellectual performance will be impaired to the extent that the individual is no longer able to treat the condition alone. Although most of the effects of hypoglycemia abate when normal blood glucose levels are restored, some evidence points to the possibility of permanent sequelae when hypoglycemia is recurrent or chronic. Acutely, even moderate hypoglycemia can cause noticeable EEG changes. Thus, the ability to recognize the onset of hypoglycemia and institute appropriate countermeasures is of crucial importance to the diabetic patient.
Glycemic control and prevention of perioperative infection

Purpose of reviewHyperglycemia is common during perioperative management of surgical and critically ill patients. There is extensive ongoing study of detrimental effects associated with hyperglycemia, with several remaining unanswered questions. This review discusses recent literature on tight glucose control with insulin therapy and its effects in prevention and management of infection. Recent findingsHyperglycemia affects multiple pathways of the immune system, resulting in decreased phagocytic and chemotactic functions in neutrophils and monocytes, as well as increased rates of apoptosis of the former and decreased ability of the latter to present antigen. Intensive insulin therapy has been shown to counteract many of these deleterious effects. Clinically, the benefits of tight glucose control have been evaluated in different patient populations with conclusions that remain varied. Hypoglycemia as a complication of tight glucose control continues to be an issue and has led to discontinuation of two large-scale studies. The clinical relevance of hypoglycemic events remains unclear. SummaryHyperglycemia impairs the cellular immune system, stimulates inflammatory cytokines, and affects the microcirculation, thus increasing risk for infection and preventing normal wound healing. Additional investigation is needed to define appropriate patient populations and to develop effective treatment strategies for preventing perioperative morbidity.
Standard Versus Simplified Consent Materials for Biobank Participation: Differences in Patient Knowledge and Trial Accrual

Replacing standard consent materials with simplified materials is a promising intervention to improve patient comprehension, but there is little evidence on its real-world implementation. We employed a sequential two-arm design to compare the effect of standard versus simplified consent materials on potential donors’ understanding of biobank processes and their accrual to an active biobanking program. Participants were female patients of a California breast health clinic. Subjects from the simplified arm answered more items correctly (p = .064), reported “don’t know” for fewer items (p = .077), and consented to donate to the biobank at higher rates (p = .025) than those from the standard arm. Replacing an extant consent form with a simplified version is feasible and may benefit patient comprehension and study accrual.
Androgen receptor alterations in prostatic carcinoma

Intracellular action of androgens is mediated by the androgen receptor (AR), which is a key element of the androgen signal transduction cascade and a target of endocrine therapy for prostatic carcinoma. Therefore, the qualitative and quantitative alterations of AR expression in prostatic carcinomas and their possible implications for tumor progression and treatment are of great interest. Findings in prostatic tumor cell lines of rat and human origin suggest a reduction of AR protein expression accompanied by an increase in tumor malignancy. However, immunohistochemical studies and binding assays demonstrated presence of ARs in all histological types of prostatic tumors, in therapy‐responsive as well as in therapy‐unresponsive ones. AR content of prostatic tumor specimens did not correlate with outcome of endocrine therapy of advanced prostatic carcinoma in these studies. Solely the degree of heterogeneity of AR expression may be useful as an indicator of responsiveness to therapy. AR mutations have been detected in the LNCaP cell line and in three primary prostatic tumor specimens. Three of them are point mutations in the hormone‐binding domain of the AR, the fourth mutation is a CAG‐microsatellite depression in the N‐terminus. Evidence coming from studies on AR in prostatic cancer highlights the possibility that AR structural alterations may have significance in tumor progression. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
On potential links between inequity aversion and the structure of interactions for the evolution of cooperation

Despite the fact that most models of cooperation assume equal outcomes between individuals, in real life it is likely rare that this is the case. Does it make a difference for our understanding of the evolution of cooperation? Following a taxonomy of cooperation concepts that focuses on costs and benefits, we explore this question by considering the degree to which inequity aversion may provide one mechanism to stabilize cooperation. We suggest a key role for inequity aversion in some contexts in both biological markets and direct reciprocity, and highlight the potentially unique role of positive inequity aversion for human reputation games. Nevertheless, a key challenge is to determine how different animal species perceive the payoff structure of their interactions, how they see their interaction with their partners, and the degree to which simpler mechanisms, like contrast effects or the associative learning seen in optimal foraging, may produce similar outcomes.
Influence of Total Ionizing Dose on Sub-100 nm Gate-All-Around MOSFETs

The influence of the total ionizing dose (TID) on sub-100 nm gate-all-around (GAA) MOSFETs is investigated through experiments and numerical simulations. Particularly, the TID effect is explored for various gate lengths and radiation doses. The radiation-induced charges and traps under the gate spacer result in changes of the device characteristics and is a dominant factor to cause the device degradation. This phenomenon is experimentally examined by the junction modification of GAA MOSFETs and supported by three-dimensional numerical simulations.
Is Serum Hypovitaminosis D Associated with Chronic Widespread Pain Including Fibromyalgia? A Meta-analysis of Observational Studies.

BACKGROUND Chronic widespread pain (CWP) is a global musculoskeletal disorder leading to disability and a reduced quality of life. Low levels of serum vitamin D has long been proposed to be associated with CWP, but previous research remains inconclusive. OBJECTIVES To determine whether hypovitaminosis D was independently associated with CWP. STUDY DESIGN Meta-analysis of observational study. METHODS Electronic databases were searched for studies published up to November 2014 comparing the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D and serum vitamin D levels between participants with and without CWP. The crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of hypovitaminosis D with CWP were calculated. Subgroup analysis according to gender, threshold of hypovitaminosis, and definition of patients was performed, as well as meta-regression to test the linear relationship between crude ORs and the latitude of study locations. RESULTS Twelve studies were included, comprising 1,854 patients with CWP. The patient group showed a significantly higher risk of hypovitaminosis D than the control group (crude OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.20-2.23). The association was slightly attenuated after adjusting confounders, with a pooled adjusted OR of 1.41 (95% CI, 1.00-2.00). There was an increase in ORs of hypovitaminosis D using a lower diagnostic value of serum vitamin D (8 and 10 ng/mL). The subgroup analysis according to gender and definition of CWP did not reveal significant between-group differences. The meta-regression showed no linear relationship between latitude and the crude ORs. CONCLUSIONS There was a positive crude association between hypovitaminosis D and CWP, and the association was likely to remain after adjusting confounding factors. Use of a cut-off value of hypovitaminosis D (8-10 ng/mL) could better define the population with and without CWP. Further prospective follow-up studies are warranted to clarify the causal relationship between hypovitaminosis D and CWP.
DEV096982 2376..2390

Inpluripotent stemcells, the interplaybetweensignalingcues,epigenetic regulators and transcription factors orchestrates developmental potency. Flexibility in gene expression control is imparted by molecular changes to the nucleosomes, the building block of chromatin. Here, we review the current understanding of the role of chromatin as a plastic and integrative platform to direct gene expression changes in pluripotent stem cells, giving rise to distinct pluripotent states. We will further explore the concept of epigenetic asymmetry, focusing primarily on histone stoichiometry and their associatedmodifications, that is apparent at both the nucleosomeand chromosome-wide levels, and discuss the emerging importance of these asymmetric chromatin configurations in diversifying epigenetic states and their implications for cell fate control.
Optical properties of chalcogenide glass microstructured optical fiber: An analytical field model

We study analytically the light guiding properties of the chalcogenide glass based solid core or index-guiding microstructured optical fiber with the hexagonal and the square lattice of circular voids or air-holes in the cladding. The effective index of the fundamental mode, the group velocity dispersion and the effective mode area with different configurations of MOF has been calculated. Comparisons with the numerical simulation results have been included.
Growth and Stomatal Responses of Bread Wheat Genotypes in Tolerance to Salt stress

Plant growth is affected by the osmotic stress as well as toxicity of salt in leaves. In order to study of salt stress effects on stomatal conductance and growth rate and relationship between them as wells osmotic and Na-specific effects on these traits, four bread wheat genotypes differing in salt tolerance were selected. Salinity was applied when the leaf 4 was fully expanded. Sodium (Na) concentrations in flag leaf blade at 3 salinity levels (0, 100 and 200 mM NaCl) were measured. Salt-tolerant genotypes showed higher stomatal conductance and growth rate compared to salt-sensitive ones. After 10 and 20 days exposure to salt, stomatal conductance and relative growth rate were reduced, but the reduction was greater in sensitive genotypes. Growth rate was reduced severely in the first period (1-10 days) of salt commencements and it was due to osmotic effect of salt not Na toxicity. In the second period (11-20 days) after salt treatment growth reduced only when salt accumulated to toxic concentrations in the leaves. A positive relationship between stomatal conductance and relative growth rate showed that stomatal conductance can be a reliable indicator of growth rate, and finally can be considered as a sensitive indicator of the osmotic stress. It seems 20 days after salinity, the major effect of salt, especially at low to moderate salinity levels on growth properties was due to the osmotic effect of salt, not to Na-specific effects within the plant. Keywords—Osmotic stress, Relative growth rate, Stomatal conductance, Wheat.
The effective number of a population with overlapping generations: a correction and further discussion.

The concept of effective population number, introduced by Wright [1 ], compresses a great deal of the relevant information about the genetic structure of a population into a single number and has been widely used to measure random drift in natural populations. Various ways in which the effective number can be defined for populations with discrete generations have been discussed [1-9]. The problem is much more troublesome when generations overlap, as in the human population, and until recently only a few tentative steps have been taken toward a general solution [5, 10, 11]. In particular, we are now convinced that the formula that we put forth in 1963 [5, p. 286] is wrong or, at best, irrelevant to the more important problems in human evolution. Unfortunately, it has been referred to and used by others, most recently by MacCluer and Schull [12]. We should like to retract it before it does further mischief. Our formula, for a population with a stable age structure and constant size, gave the effective number as NC = NEIT, where N is the census number, E is the mean length of life, and T is the mean age of reproduction. This is an appropriate number in answering a question such as proposed in the following. Suppose a human population is censused at two periods separated by 30 years. What size population with discrete generations and binomial distribution of progeny would have the same amount of gene frequency drift as the change in gene frequency in the censused population? Many individuals will be included in both censuses, and their gene frequency does not change; so the average change will be less and therefore equivalent to that which would occur in a larger population with complete turnover. However, one is usually more interested in the long-range effects of random drift, and the duration of life in postreproductive ages is irrelevant. A much more useful formula is that given by Nei and Imaizumi [ 11]. They define the effective number for a stable population as
REVIEW: Assisted reproduction in the azoospermic couple

Ten years ago, the use of donor sperm was the only option offering a realistic chance of parenting for the azoospermic or severely oligoasthenoteratozoospermic male. The first pregnancy achieved using assisted reproductive techniques in an azoospermic man was reported in 1985 following epididymal sperm aspiration in a man who had previously undergone a vasectomy. Despite this early success, in vitro fertilisation (IVF) techniques proved to be of limited use in the severely oligospermic male with a significantly reduced chance of fertilisation once the sperm count fell below <5 10/mL. However, over the last decade, the development of micromanipulation techniques and the use of surgically retrieved sperm have revolutionised the management of male factor fertility. Initial techniques, such as partial zona dissection and subzonal sperm injection (SUZI), improved outcome compared with IVF, but fertilisation rates (FR) never exceeded 20–25% and pregnancy outcome remained poor. It was not until the introduction of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) by the work of Van Steirteghem and colleagues in Brussels that the management of male factor fertility moved significantly forward. The first pregnancies and live births after ICSI were reported in 1992 in four women who had not benefited from IVF or SUZI, and the results of a controlled comparison of SUZI and ICSI procedures on sibling oocytes showed a substantially higher normal FR with ICSI, 4% and 72%, respectively. The same authors demonstrated high fertilisation (FR) and implantation rates (IR) with ICSI in a series of 150 consecutive treatment cycles in couples previously not accepted for IVF or who had failed fertilisation with IVF. A comparative study of conventional IVF versus ICSI for patients requiring microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA) gave overall FRs and pregnancy rates of 45% and 47%, respectively, for ICSI and 6.9% and 4.5%, respectively, for IVF. The ability of ICSI to achieve high fertilisation and pregnancy rates, regardless of semen parameters confirmed the role of ICSI in the management of azoospermic patients. In this article, we review the epidemiology, aetiology and management of azoospermia. Our overall aim is to summarise the increasing amount of published data, often contradictory, on the outcome of assisted reproduction to enable clinicians, both in a general gynaecology clinic and assisted reproduction setting, to counsel couples correctly on management options and chances of success. Epidemiology and aetiology
Use of electronic resources by the faculty members in diverse public universities in Bangladesh

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the pattern of electronic information resources use and satisfaction with university‐paid resources by the faculty members in eight public universities in Bangladesh.Design/methodology/approach – An online questionnaire was used to assess the contemporary use of, and satisfaction with, university subscribed electronic resources by the faculty members. The major constraints faced by them in accessing online resources were also identified. To analyze the influence of demographic characteristics on overall satisfaction with e‐resources, Mann‐Whitney and Kruskal‐Wallis tests were carried out. The constraints faced by the faculty members were tested in relation to their opinions on overall satisfaction using chi‐square tests.Findings – The results showed that faculty members are not generally satisfied with the current level of university subscribed e‐resources. They identified limited number of titles, limited access to back issues, difficulty in finding info.