Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Active core rewarming in neurologic, hypothermic patients: Effects on oxygen‐related variables

ObjectivesTo determine in hypothermic patients if a) the decrease in oxygen consumption (&OV0312;o2) is exclusively dependent on the decrease in metabolic rate, or b) as a consequence of the greater hemoglobin affinity for oxygen, hypothermic tissues have impaired oxygen extraction. DesignClinical, prospective study; sequential measurements of oxygen-related variables during active core rewarming. SettingIntensive care unit of a university hospital. PatientsTwelve patients (44 ± 16 yrs of age) admitted to the intensive care unit with a core temperature of <34°C due to severe neurologic damage. InterventionsRewarming (with heated enemas, gastric infusions, and heated blankets) to increase body temperature at a rate of ∼1°C/hr. Measurements of oxygen-related variables were performed at a baseline of 31.0 ± 1.1 °C, and repeated at each 1°C increase to reach a core temperature of ∼35°C. Measurements and Main ResultsOxygenrelated variables of rewarmed patients were allocated into two groups, above or below the observed mean core temperature of 33.1°C recorded for all measurements (n = 45). Comparison of the low core temperature group (31.1 ± 1.4°C; n = 20) with the high core temperature group (34.7 ± 0.9°C; n = 25) showed that the group with the lower core temperatures had a significant increase in &OV0312;o2 index (67 ± 22 vs. 103 ± 38 mL/min/m2 [p <.001]), oxygen delivery index (183 ± 73 vs. 290 ± 123 mL/min/m2 [p < .001]), and the Po2 value at which hemoglobin was half-saturated with oxygen ([P50] 23 ± 5.7 vs. 27.7 ± 5.7 torr [3.0 ± 0.7 vs. 3.6 ± 0.7 kPa] [p < .02]). An increase in metabolic acidosis could be observed in the lower temperature group: arterial pH 7.47 ± 0.15 vs. 7.34 ± 0.13 (p < .01); base deficit −3.7 ± 6.7 vs. −8.2 ± 4.9 mEq/L (p < .02). The oxygen extraction ratio remained unchanged: 0.39 ± 0.10 vs. 0.38 ± 0.10 (NS). ConclusionsThese data show that &OV0312;o2 was reduced to half of normal values during hypothermia. Active core rewarming produced an average 4.5% increase in &OV0312;o2 per 1°C that was characterized by the wide variation observed in this metabolic response between different patients and for individual cases. Despite the rightward shift of P50 observed during rewarming (mainly due to the Bohr effect), no change was reflected on the oxygen extraction ratio. (Crit Care Med 1993; 21:1164–1168)
Characterization of a New β(1–3)-Glucan Branching Activity of Aspergillus fumigatus

A new HPLC method was developed to separate linear from β(1–6)-branched β(1–3)-glucooligosaccharides. This methodology has permitted the isolation of the first fungal β(1–6)/β(1–3)-glucan branching transglycosidase using a cell wall autolysate of Aspergillus fumigatus (Af). The encoding gene, AfBGT2 is an ortholog of AfBGT1, another transglycosidase of A. fumigatus previously analyzed (Mouyna, I., Hartland, R. P., Fontaine, T., Diaquin, M., Simenel, C., Delepierre, M., Henrissat, B., and Latgé, J. P. (1998) Microbiology 144, 3171–3180). Both enzymes release laminaribiose from the reducing end of a β(1–3)-linked oligosaccharide and transfer the remaining chain to another molecule of the original substrate. The AfBgt1p transfer occurs at C-6 of the non-reducing end group of the acceptor, creating a kinked β(1–3;1–6) linear molecule. The AfBgt2p transfer takes place at the C-6 of an internal group of the acceptor, resulting in a β(1–3)-linked product with a β(1–6)-linked side branch. The single Afbgt2 mutant and the double Afbgt1/Afbgt2 mutant in A. fumigatus did not display any cell wall phenotype showing that these activities were not responsible for the construction of the branched β(1–3)-glucans of the cell wall.
Alginate–pectin microcapsules as a potential for folic acid delivery in foods

Most naturally occurring folate derivatives in foods are highly sensitive to temperature, oxygen, light and their stability is affected by processing conditions. Folic acid incorporated microcapsules using alginate and combinations of alginate and pectin polymers were prepared to improve stability. Folic acid stability was evaluated with reference to encapsulation efficiency, gelling and hardening of capsules, capsular retention during drying and storage. Use of alginate in combination with pectin produced more robust capsules and contributed to greater encapsulation efficiency. The capsules lost their spherical shape as a consequence of increased pectin. The high alginate capsules, A100:P0 (100% alginate: 0% pectin) and A80:P20 (80% alginate: 20% pectin) were of regular spherical shape, while those with more pectin, A70:P30 (70% alginate: 30% pectin) and A60:P40 (60% alginate: 40% pectin) formed irregular spheres. The loading efficiency, expressed as a percentage of the actual loading to theoretical loading, varied from 55–89% with the composition of the mixed polymers. After 11 weeks of storage at 4°C, folic acid retention in freeze-dried capsules was 100% (A70:P30 and A60:P40), 80% (A80:P20) and 30% (A100:P0). The blended alginate and pectin polymer matrix increased folic acid encapsulation efficiency and reduced the leakage from the capsules compared to those made with alginate alone and showed higher folic acid retention after freeze drying and storage.
Possible role of the innate immunity in temporal lobe epilepsy

Purpose: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a multifactorial disease often involving the hippocampus. So far the etiology of the disease has remained elusive. In some pharmacoresistant TLE patients the hippocampus is surgically resected as treatment. To investigate the involvement of the immune system in human TLE, we performed large‐scale gene expression profiling on this human hippocampal tissue.
Comparative study on attitudes and psychological problems of mothers towards their children with developmental disability.

OBJECTIVE Parents' positive attitudes and psychological wellbeing play an important role in the development of the children with developmental disability. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of psychological problems among mothers of children with autism disorder, intellectual disability, and Down syndrome. The second aim was to assess the differences in mothers' attitudes and psychological problems among their children with intellectual disability, autism disorder, and Down syndrome. The third aim was to identify whether negative attitude was a predictor of psychological problems in these mothers. METHODS In this study, 112 mothers of children having mild and moderate levels of autism disorder, Down syndrome, and intellectual disability were assessed using the Parental Attitude Scale and General Health Questionnaire-28. RESULTS Overall, mothers of children with intellectual disability were found to have the most negative attitude towards their child. Mothers of children with autism disorder exhibited higher scores on somatic symptoms, anxiety, and social dysfunction when compared with their counterparts with Down syndrome and intellectual disability. Negative attitude was a significant predictor of psychological problems. CONCLUSION Parental attitudes and psychological problems would vary among mothers of children with different types of developmental disability.
The Effect of Deliberate Hypercapnia and Hypocapnia on Intraoperative Blood Loss and Quality of Surgical Field During Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

BACKGROUND:Anesthetic management during functional endoscopic sinus surgery is aimed at minimizing bleeding and establishing a near-perfect surgical field. We investigated whether deliberate intraoperative hypercapnia and hypocapnia may affect blood loss and quality of surgical field through a proposed modulating effect of different carbon dioxide (CO2) tension levels on nasal vasculature. METHODS:One hundred and eighty patients were randomly assigned to normocapnia (end-tidal CO2 [ETco2] 37 ± 2 mm Hg), hypercapnia (ETco2 60 ± 2 mm Hg), and hypocapnia (ETco2 27 ± 2 mm Hg) groups. Anesthetic management was with propofol and remifentanil infusions, nitrous oxide, and moderate controlled hypotension. Blood loss and operating conditions were assessed by the surgeon who was blinded to group assignment. Differences among the study groups, the effect of the study group and time on ETco2 levels and hemodynamic variables, and the association of blood loss with surgical covariates were analyzed. RESULTS:There were no differences in blood loss and quality of surgical field among the study groups. Patients in the hypocapnia group demonstrated the highest, and in the hypercapnia group, the lowest, requirements for remifentanil, labetalol, and administration of the antihypertensive medications in general. The computed tomography-graded severity of sinonasal disease and duration of surgery were the only independent predictors of intraoperative blood loss. CONCLUSIONS:CO2 management during functional endoscopic sinus surgery does not influence operating conditions or blood loss.
Assessing the Benefit of Accepting a Single Lung Offer Now Compared With Waiting for a Subsequent Double Lung Offer

Background. Comparisons of survival after single lung transplant (SLT) and bilateral lung transplant (BLT) are useful in making policy decisions, but a more relevant comparison for an individual patient is between accepting a single lung when offered and remaining on the waiting list with the potential to subsequently receive a suitable pair of lungs. Methods. U.K. data from a cohort of 1211 adult, first lung transplant candidates diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), listed July 1995 to July 2006 and followed up till December 2007, were analyzed. A sequentially stratified proportional hazards model was used to assess mortality after SLT relative to continued waiting for BLT. Results. For patients with PF, SLT was associated with a significant reduction in hazard relative to waiting for BLT (hazard ratio 0.81, 95% confidence interval 0.68–0.97, P=0.021), particularly for older patients with body mass index less than 20 and forced expired volume in 1 sec is less than 1 L. In contrast, our results gave no support for accepting SLT rather than waiting for BLT for patients with COPD (hazard ratio 1.08, 95% confidence interval 0.92–1.29, P=0.35). Conclusion. The high pretransplant risk of death for patients with PF, particularly older patients with low body mass index and poor lung function, suggests that they would benefit from taking an SLT if offered. However, there is no benefit of accepting SLT rather than waiting for BLT for patients with COPD; this reflects the low relative hazard in the absence of transplant for these patients.
Transmission of Helicobacter spp. A challenge to the dogma of faecal-oral spread

SUMMARY Faecal oral spread is claimed by many to be the mode of transmission of the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori. This idea is based not on experimental data but because the epidemiology of H. pylori infection resembles that of other pathogens known to be spread by the faecal-oral route. This is in spite of the observation that no-one has been successful in culturing H. pylori from human stool. In this study, a series of transmission experiments are reported on animals infected with the gastric spirilla, Helicobacter felis and ‘Gastrospirillum hominis’. Germfree mice and rats infected with H. felis did not transmit their infection to uninoculated mice despite prolonged contact in the same cage nor could the bacterium be isolated from their intestinal contents. This was confirmed in specific pathogen free mice where infected dams did not pass the helicobacter to their progeny. Similarly, mice infected with a human isolate of ‘Gastrospirillum hominis’ did not transmit the infection while in close contact with uninoculated mice. In contrast, in a limited series of experiments, both H. pylori and H. felis were transmitted from infected gnotobiotic Beagle puppies to uninfected animals in the same enclosure. In addition, the gastric mucus from a cat with indigenous ‘Gastrospirillum’-like organisms was infectious for mice, whereas faecal content from the same animal was not. It is suggested that the difference between the murine and canine experiments is that the dogs are more likely to have oral-oral contact than rodents. Unlike dogs, mice and rats do not vomit and are coprophagous. It is concluded that the case for faecal-oral spread of Helicobacter species is ‘not proven’ and that the inter-oral route is more likely.
Design Consideration of Polarization Converter Based on Silica Photonic Crystal Fiber

In this paper, the performance of a novel design of passive polarization rotator (PR) based on silica photonic crystal fiber is studied and analyzed using the full vectorial finite difference method along with the full vectorial finite difference beam propagation method. The proposed design has a rectangular core region with a slanted sidewall. The influence of the different structure geometrical parameters and operating wavelengths on the PR performance is investigated. At a wavelength of 1.55 μm, nearly 100% polarization conversion ratio is obtained, with a device length of 2839 μm. In addition, it is expected that over the 1.5 to 1.6-μm wavelength range, polarization conversion would be more than 99%.
Source, Nature and Objectives of Shari'ah

Certes, la shari'a, de par son caractere immuable, n'est plus adaptee aux conditions de vie actuelles. Quant a l'importation de legislations occidentales, elle a eu des effets desastreux. Seule demeure donc la solution d'un " aggiornamento " de la shari'a
How Will Species Respond to Climate Change? Examining the Effects of Temperature and Population Density on an Herbivorous Insect

ABSTRACT An important challenge facing ecologists is to understand how climate change may affect species performance and species interactions. However, predicting how changes in abiotic variables associated with climate change may affect species performance also depends on the biotic context, which can mediate species responses to climatic change. We conducted a 3-yr field experiment to determine how the herbivorous grasshopper Camnula pellucida (Scudder) responds to manipulations of temperature and population density. Grasshopper survival and fecundity decreased with density, indicating the importance of intraspecific competition. Female fecundity tended to increase with temperature, whereas grasshopper survival exhibited a unimodal response to temperature, with highest survival at intermediate temperatures. Grasshopper performance responses to temperature also depended on density. Peak survival in the low-density treatment occurred in warmer conditions than for the high-density treatment, indicating that the intensity of intraspecific competition varies with temperature. Our data show that changes to the temperature regimen can alter grasshopper performance and determine the intensity of intraspecific competition. However, the effects of temperature on grasshopper performance varied with density. Our data indicate the importance of the biotic context in mediating species responses to climatic factors associated with global change.
Relationship between Financial Advisory Designations and FINRA Misconduct

FINRA registered representatives – commission securities salespeople – have come to be known as financial “advisors,” but are not required to generally put customers’ interests ahead of their own compensation and other interests, as are agents of fiduciary Registered Investment Advisors. This distinction is typically not recognized by consumers, and many registered representatives’ employers’ marketing claims encourage this misconception. The respective codes for CFP®, ChFC® and CFA® designees require higher ethical duties to clients than do FINRA rules, including subordinating their interests to clients’. Many such registrants hold these designations. FINRA requires the public disclosure of registrants’ criminal, regulatory, complaint, and other dubious history. This study examines the comparative disclosure magnitude and frequency of undesignated vs. designated registrants in Florida, and finds with high statistical significance that such adverse disclosure materially decreases for those that hold any one of these designees; it incidentally finds that misconduct increases with maleness, dual investment advisor/registered representative status, and life insurance sales licensure. This appears to be the first such study of adverse disclosure associations with financial designations, so adding to the emerging misconduct and advisors’ ethics literature. As the financial advisory profession evolves and regulators seek to enhance practice quality and duties to investors, these findings offer important policy and consumer choice insight.
Epigenetic landscape of pluripotent stem cells.

SIGNIFICANCE Derived from the inner cell mass of the preimplantation embryo, embryonic stem cells are prototype pluripotent stem (PS) cells that have the ability of self-renewal and differentiation into almost all cell types. Exploration of the mechanisms governing this pluripotency is important for understanding reprogramming mechanisms and stem cell behavior of PS cells and can lead to enhancing reprogramming efficiency and other applications. RECENT ADVANCES Induced pluripotent stem cells are recently discovered PS cells that can be derived from somatic cells by overexpression of pluripotency-related transcription factors. Recent studies have shown that transcription factors and their epigenetic regulation play important roles in the generating, maintaining, and differentiating these PS cells. Recent advances in sequencing technologies allow detailed analysis of target epigenomes and microRNAs (miRs), and have revealed unique epigenetic marks and miRs for PS cells. CRITICAL ISSUES Epigenetic modifications of genes include histone modifications, DNA methylation, and chromatin remodeling. Working closely with epigenetic modifiers, miRs play an important role in inducing and maintaining pluripotency. FUTURE DIRECTIONS The dynamic changes in epigenetic marks during reprogramming and their role in cell fate changes are being uncovered. This review focuses on these new advances in the epigenetics of PS cells.
Keratinocyte-melanocyte graft technique followed by PUVA therapy for stable vitiligo.

BACKGROUND Various surgical procedures for correcting stable vitiligo exist but these have their own limitations. Autologous, non-cultured, non-trypsinized, melanocyte plus keratinocyte grafting is a new and simple method of vitiligo surgery. OBJECTIVE The study aimed to evaluate efficacy of a new grafting technique in vitiligo patches. METHODS Eighteen vitiligo patches underwent this procedure. The upper layer of epidermis was removed by superficial dermabrasion using a dermabrader micromotor until the epidermis appeared wet and shiny. Then, antibiotic ointment was applied and dermabrasion was continued up to the whitish area of the upper dermis. The paste-like material (ointment with entangled epidermal particles) was collected and spread over the dermabraded recipient site. RESULTS Pigmentation usually started at 4-6 weeks. Complete uniform pigmentation took 16-20 weeks. CONCLUSION For smaller vitiligo patches this method gives cosmetically acceptable results. It is easy to perform and does not require specific laboratory setup.
Comparison of the load at fracture of Turkom-Cera to Procera AllCeram and In-Ceram all-ceramic restorations.

PURPOSE This study investigated the occlusal fracture resistance of Turkom-Cerafused alumina compared to Procera AllCeram and In-Ceram all-ceramic restorations. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixmaster dies were duplicated from the prepared maxillary first premolar tooth using nonprecious metal alloy (Wiron 99). Ten copings of 0.6 mm thickness were fabricated from each type of ceramic, for a total of thirty copings. Two master dies were used for each group, and each of them was used to lute five copings. All groups were cemented with resin luting cement Panavia F according to manufacturer's instructions and received a static load of 5 kg during cementation. After 24 hours of distilled water storage at 37 degrees C, the copings were vertically compressed using a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min. RESULTS The results of the present study showed the following mean loads at fracture: Turkom-Cera (2184 +/- 164 N), In-Ceram (2042 +/- 200 N), and Procera AllCeram (1954 +/- 211 N). ANOVA and Scheffe's post hoc test showed that the mean load at fracture of Turkom-Cera was significantly different from Procera AllCeram (p < 0.05). Scheffe's post hoc test showed no significant difference between the mean load at fracture of Turkom-Cera and In-Ceram or between the mean load at fracture of In-Ceram and Procera AllCeram. CONCLUSION Because Turkom-Cera demonstrated equal to or higher loads at fracture than currently accepted all-ceramic materials, it would seem to be acceptable for fabrication of anterior and posterior ceramic crowns.
Mycoplasma synoviae vaccine modifies virus shedding and immune responses of avian influenza (H9N2) infection in commercial layers

ABSTRACT Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) is an important pathogen of domestic poultry and is prevalent in commercial layers. Avian influenza (AI; H9N2) infections are emerging respiratory problems causing huge economic losses to the poultry industry, especially in the presence of other co‐infecting pathogens. The possible role of MS vaccination and response to AI (H9N2) virus in commercial layers was evaluated during this study. Experimental commercial layers were divided into different groups which were identified as follows: non‐vaccinated non‐challenged (NVNC), non‐vaccinated challenged (NVC), vaccinated non‐challenged (VNC), and vaccinated challenged (VC). The titer of AI antibodies was measured pre‐ and post‐challenge to confirm experimental infection. Infected layers showed clinical signs of differing severity, with the most prominent disease signs and mortality (25%) appearing in layers of the VC group. Moreover, the layers in VC group showed a significant decrease in weight and enhanced gross lesions. All infected layers showed positive results for virus shedding; however, the pattern of virus shedding was different, with layers of VC group showing more pronounced virus excretion than the layers in the NVC group. In addition, layers of VC group showed significantly reduced antibody responses and interferon gene expression when compared with the layers of NVC group. The present study revealed that MS vaccine could facilitate replication of avian influenza viruses and thus avian influenza virus infections can be worse after MS vaccination, especially in AIV‐endemic areas.