Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anti-tryptase treatment using nafamostat mesilate has a therapeutic effect on experimental colitis

Objective. Mast cell tryptase has been proposed to be involved in the pathogenesis of human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Recently, it was reported that a low dose of nafamostat mesilate (NM), a serine protease inhibitor that is widely used to treat disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and acute pancreatitis, can selectively inhibit human tryptase activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of NM on experimental colitis in rats. Material andmethods. Colitis was induced in male Wistar rats using an enema of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) dissolved in 50% ethanol. NM or 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), foundation therapy for mild-to-moderate IBD, was administered via the anus once a day on each of the 6 days after administration of TNBS. Colonic inflammation was assessed 1 week after TNBS administration. Results. Intracolonic administration of TNBS resulted in the infiltration of numerous tryptase-positive cells in the colonic mucosa. The colonic mucosal injury induced by TNBS was significantly decreased by treatment with NM or 5-ASA. The increases in thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBA-RS), myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractants-1 (CINC-1) in the colonic mucosa were inhibited in the NM group and the 5-ASA group, without significant differences between them. Conclusions. These results indicate that a low dose of NM can inhibit the colonic mucosal inflammation induced by TNBS in rats, which suggests that anti-tryptase therapy using low doses of NM has excellent potential to become a new therapeutic strategy for IBD.
Drug-resistant tuberculosis and pregnancy: treatment outcomes of 38 cases in Lima, Peru.

BACKGROUND Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) disproportionately affects young adults, including women of childbearing age; however, treatment of MDR-TB during pregnancy is still controversial. This study looks at the treatment and pregnancy outcomes in a cohort of women who were treated for MDR-TB during pregnancy during a period of 10 years. METHODS A retrospective case study was performed using a standardized data collection form and data from 3 ranked sources of patient records. All 38 participants were treated during pregnancy with individualized regimens that included second-line TB medications. We examined the frequency of favorable and adverse outcomes with regard to disease and pregnancy. RESULTS After completion of MDR-TB treatment, 61% of the women were cured, 13% had died, 13% had defaulted, 5% remained in treatment, and 5% had experienced treatment failure. Four of the women experienced clinical deterioration of TB during pregnancy. Five of the pregnancies terminated in spontaneous abortions, and 1 child was stillborn. Among the living newborns, 3 were born with low birth weight, 1 was born prematurely, and 1 had fetal distress. CONCLUSIONS The rates of success in treating MDR-TB in our cohort are comparable to those of other MDR-TB treatment programs in Peru. The birth outcomes of our cohort are similar to those among the general Peru population. Therefore, we advocate that a woman should be given the option to continue treatment of MDR-TB rather than terminating pregnancy or discontinuing MDR-TB treatment.
Silicon in broiler drinking water promotes bone development in broiler chickens

Abstract Skeletal abnormalities, bone deformities and fractures cause significant losses in broiler production during both rearing and processing. Silicon is an essential mineral for bone and connective tissue synthesis and for calcium absorption during the early stages of bone formation. Performance was not affected by the addition of silicon. However, broilers receiving silicon showed a significant increase of phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese and ash in the tibia. In conclusion, broiler performance was not impaired by adding the tested silicon product to the drinking water. In addition, bone development improved, as demonstrated by higher mineral and ash content. Further studies are required to determine the optimal concentration of silicon, including heat stress simulations, to better understand the effects of silicon on bone development.
Mapping regional land cover with MODIS data for biological conservation : Examples from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem , USA and Pará State , Brazil

The paper investigated the application of MODIS data for mapping regional land cover at moderate resolutions (250 and 500 m), for regional conservation purposes. Land cover maps were generated for two major conservation areas (Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem—GYE, USA and the Pará State, Brazil) using MODIS data and decision tree classifications. The MODIS land cover products were evaluated using existing Landsat TM land cover maps as reference data. The Landsat TM land cover maps were processed to their fractional composition at the MODIS resolution (250 and 500 m). In GYE, the MODIS land cover was very successful at mapping extensive cover types (e.g. coniferous forest and grasslands) and far less successful at mapping smaller habitats (e.g. wetlands, deciduous tree cover) that typically occur in patches that are smaller than the MODIS pixels, but are reported to be very important to biodiversity conservation. The MODIS classification for Pará State was successful at producing a regional forest/non-forest product which is useful for monitoring the extreme human impacts such as deforestation. The ability of MODIS data to map secondary forest remains to be tested, since regrowth typically harbors reduced levels of biodiversity. The two case studies showed the value of using multi-date 250 m data with only two spectral bands, as well as single day 500 m data with seven spectral bands, thus illustrating the versatile use of MODIS data in two contrasting environments. MODIS data provide new options for regional land cover mapping that are less labor-intensive than Landsat and have higher resolution than previous 1 km AVHRR or the current 1 km global land cover product. The usefulness of the MODIS data in addressing biodiversity conservation questions will ultimately depend upon the patch sizes of important habitats and the land cover transformations that threaten them. D 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Prospective evaluation of the effects of antiretroviral therapy on body composition in HIV-1-infected men starting therapy

Objective: Little prospective data are published on the natural history of HIV-associated lipodystrophy (HIVLD) in individuals beginning their first antiretroviral regimen. To investigate this a study was designed to explore changes in body composition occurring with antiretroviral therapy. Study design: A non-randomized, prospective, exploratory study of 40, HIV-infected men, naive to treatment, beginning antiretroviral therapy. Regular assessments of body composition, and metabolic and immunological parameters were performed. Results: Mean follow-up was 96 (SD 45) weeks of therapy. There were increases in limb fat, central abdominal fat and lean mass over the initial 24 weeks of therapy followed by a selective, progressive loss of limb fat from week 24. There was a median 13.6% [interquartile range (IQR), 0.9–26.3] loss of limb fat per year from week 24 onwards. Treatment with stavudine, higher baseline HIV RNA, higher baseline ‘T’ score and lower week 24 lean mass were associated with higher rate of limb fat loss from week 24. In multivariate analysis, treatment with stavudine was the strongest independent factor associated with rate of limb fat loss (P = 0.05). Hypercholesterolaemia developed early in treatment, whereas hypertriglyceridaemia, hyperinsulinaemia and decreased bone mineral density developed later. The largest changes in CD4 cell counts and HIV viral load, seen early into treatment, were associated with gain rather than loss of fat. Conclusions: This is the first prospective study demonstrating that treatment with antiretrovirals results in progressive, selective loss of limb fat. Loss of limb fat occurred after the period of most intense immune restoration, making an immune aetiology unlikely.
Emergency use of the Airtraq laryngoscope in traumatic asphyxia: case report

This case report describes the emergency use of a novel, single-use, anatomically shaped laryngoscope that has recently become commercially available in the UK (Airtraq, Prodol Meditec, Spain). It was used to successfully intubate a severely injured 41-year-old patient who had sustained traumatic asphyxia after attempting suicide by hanging. He was bleeding into his upper airway, necessitating regular suctioning. The patient underwent an emergency rapid sequence intubation at the scene of injury, with in-line immobilisation and cricoid pressure while lying on the ground in bright sunlight. A Cormack and Lehane grade 1 view of the oedematous vocal cords was readily obtained, and successful endotracheal intubation was rapidly achieved at the first attempt. The endotracheal tube was clearly seen to pass through the vocal cords and enter the trachea. The Airtraq required minimal manipulation to obtain a close-up, panoramic, high-grade view of the larynx. Further evaluation of this device is warranted to define its role in the emergency department and in prehospital care.
Cerebellar Purkinje cell loss in aging Hu‐Bcl‐2 transgenic mice

The number of cerebellar Purkinje cells is increased by over 40% in young transgenic mice that overexpress a human Bcl‐2 transgene (Hu‐Bcl‐2). To determine whether the Bcl‐2‐mediated rescue of Purkinje cells persists through life, the numbers of Purkinje cells were estimated in 6‐, 12‐, 18‐, and 24‐month‐old Hu‐Bcl‐2 transgenic mice and age‐matched controls. In addition, the expression of four markers for Purkinje cell differentiation, calbindin (CaBP), the 67‐kDa isoform of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67), γ‐aminobutyric acid transaminase (GABA‐T), and the NMDA‐R1 receptor subtype (NMDA‐NR1) was analyzed in 6‐month‐old Hu‐Bcl‐2 transgenics and controls to determine whether overexpression of Bcl‐2 and rescue from naturally occurring cell death affects the normal differentiation of Purkinje cells. The estimates of Purkinje cell numbers showed that the number of Purkinje cells in the Hu‐Bcl‐2 transgenics declines after 6 months to approach wild‐type values by 18 months. Although the exogenous human BCL‐2 is still expressed in Purkinje cells at 24 months, the expression levels of human BCL‐2 appear to decline significantly after 6 months, suggesting that survival of the supernumary Purkinje cells depends on the sustained overexpression of Bcl‐2. All the Purkinje cells in the Hu‐Bcl‐2 transgenic mice appeared to express normal levels of the differentiation markers analyzed so there was no evidence for a class of Purkinje cells that do not differentiate normally when rescued from naturally occurring cell death. J. Comp. Neurol. 475:481–492, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The dynamics of profits and wages: technology, offshoring and demand*

ABSTRACT This article explores the impact of innovation, offshoring and demand on profits and wage dynamics. Empirical analysis is performed on a panel of 37 industries (1995–2010) across five European countries. Our identification strategy relies on instrumental variables and recently proposed heteroskedasticity-based instruments. Additionally, we perform sensitivity analysis to account for omitted variables bias. The main results of our study can be summed up in three points. First, it highlights the contrasting effects of R&D and offshoring as wage determinants. Second, it shows that external demand is a key variable driving profits growth. Third, the categorisation of workers according to skill level shows that high-skilled workers are favoured by both innovation and offshoring, offshoring exerts downward pressure primarily on low-skilled wages and profits are positively correlated with high-skill wages, negatively correlated with medium-skill wages and not correlated with low-skill wages.
The effects of Corynebacterium parvum and surgery on the Lewis lung carcinoma and its metastases

The effects of' Corynebacterium parvum on the mouse primary Lewis lung carcinoma and its metastases were studied. C. parvum was given at the same time as subcutaneous inoculation of tumour or in combination with surgical excision of the primary after 10 days' growth.
Antecedents of Gray Divorce: A Life Course Perspective

Objectives Increasingly, older adults are experiencing divorce, yet little is known about the risk factors associated with divorce after age 50 (termed "gray divorce"). Guided by a life course perspective, our study examined whether key later life turning points are related to gray divorce. Method We used data from the 1998-2012 Health and Retirement Study to conduct a prospective, couple-level discrete-time event history analysis of the antecedents of gray divorce. Our models incorporated key turning points (empty nest, retirement, and poor health) as well as demographic characteristics and economic resources. Results Contrary to our expectations, the onset of an empty nest, the wife's or husband's retirement, and the wife's or husband's chronic conditions were unrelated to the likelihood of gray divorce. Rather, factors traditionally associated with divorce among younger adults were also salient for older adults. Marital duration, marital quality, home ownership, and wealth were negatively related to the risk of gray divorce. Discussion Gray divorce is especially likely to occur among couples who are socially and economically disadvantaged, raising new questions about the consequences of gray divorce for individual health and well-being.
Treatment-Induced Changes in Tumor Oxygenation Predict Photodynamic Therapy Outcome

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) requires oxygen to cause tumor damage, yet therapy itself can deplete or enhance tumor oxygenation. In the present work we measured the PDT-induced change in tumor oxygenation and explored its utility for predicting long-term response to treatment. The tissue hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SO2) of murine tumors was noninvasively measured by broadband diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. In initial validation studies, the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve for mouse blood was accurately recreated based on measurements during deoxygenation of a tissue phantom of mouse erythrocytes. In vivo studies exhibited excellent correlation between carbogen-induced changes in SO2 and pO2 of radiation-induced fibrosarcoma tumors measured by reflectance spectroscopy and the Eppendorf pO2 histograph, respectively. In PDT studies radiation-induced fibrosarcoma tumor SO2 was measured immediately before and after Photofrin-PDT (135 J/cm2, 38 mW/cm2). Animals were subsequently followed for tumor growth to a volume of 400 mm3 (time-to-400 mm3) or the presence of tumor cure (no tumor growth at 90 days after treatment). In animals that recurred, the PDT-induced change in tumor SO2, i.e., relative-SO2 (SO2 after PDT/SO2 before PDT) was positively correlated with treatment durability (time-to-400 mm3). The predictive value of relative-SO2 was confirmed in a second group of animals with enhanced pre-PDT oxygenation due to carbogen breathing. Furthermore, when all of the animals were considered (those that recurred and those that were cured) a highly significant association was found between increasing relative-SO2 and increasing probability of survival, i.e., absence of recurrence. As independent variables, the SO2 after PDT, the pre-PDT tumor volume, and light penetration depth all failed to predict response. As an independent variable, the SO2 before PDT demonstrated a weak negative association with treatment durability; this association was driven by a correlation between decreasing pre-PDT SO2 and increasing relative-SO2. These data suggest that monitoring of PDT-induced changes in tumor oxygenation may be a valuable prognostic indicator.
Effect of catecholamines on ion transport in dog tracheal epithelium.

The action of adrenergic agonists on ion fluxes across the epithelium of the canine trachea was determined. Isolated sheets of tracheal mucosal membranes were mounted in Ussing-type chambers, bathed with Krebs-Henseleit solution at 37 degrees C, pH 7.4, and gassed with 5% CO2 Iin oxygen. Various adrenergic agents, when added to the bathing medium elevated short-circuit current (SCC) (isoproterenol greater than epinephrine greater than norepinephrine greater than phenylephrine). Propranolol (10(-6) M) decreased SCC response to epinephrine. Epinephrine (1mM) increased both unidirectional 36Cl fluxes; net 36Cl secretion toward the lumen increased from 2.01 +/- 0.52 to 3.20 +/- 0.46 mueg/cm2.h (P less than 0.05); 22Na flux did not change. In epinephrine-stimulated tissues, propranolol (1mM) abolished net 36Cl secretion. The SCC response to epinephrine was blunted in the absence of Na from the submucosal reservoir; this blunting suggests that Cl entry across the basal membrane is coupled with Na. Both the relative sensitivities of SCC to various adrenergic agonists and the effect of propranolol suggest that Cl-secretory process is highly sensitive to beta-adrenergic receptor stimulation. Epinephrine increased cell membrane permeability to Cl and probably stimulated a specific Cl pump.
CHANGES IN WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE AND BODY MASS INDEX IN THE US CARDIA COHORT: FIXED-EFFECTS ASSOCIATIONS WITH SELF-REPORTED EXPERIENCES OF RACIAL/ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION

Summary Prior studies examining the association between self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination and obesity have had mixed results and primarily been cross-sectional. This study tests the hypothesis that an increase in self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination predicts gains in waist circumference and body mass index in Black and White women and men over eight years. In race/ethnicity- and gender-stratified models, this study examined whether change in self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination predicts changes in waist circumference and body mass index over time using a fixed-effects regression approach in SAS statistical software, providing control for both measured and unmeasured time-invariant covariates. Between 1992–93 and 2000–01, self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination decreased among 843 Black women (75% to 73%), 601 Black men (80% to 77%), 893 White women (30% to 23%) and 856 White men (28% to 23%). In fixed-effects regression models, controlling for all time-invariant covariates, social desirability bias, and changes in education and parity (women only) over time, an increase in self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination over time was significantly associated with an increase in waist circumference (β=1.09, 95% CI: 0.00–2.19, p=0.05) and an increase in body mass index (β=0.67, 95% CI: 0.19–1.16, p=0.007) among Black women. No associations were observed among Black men and White women and men. These findings suggest that an increase in self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination may be associated with increases in waist circumference and body mass index among Black women over time.
Behavioral sensitization after repeated formaldehyde exposure in rats

Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is a phenomenon whereby individuals report increased sensitivity to chemicals in the environment, and attribute their sensitivities to prior exposure to the same or often structurally unrelated chemicals. A leading hypothesis suggests that MCS is akin to behavioral sensitization observed in rodents after repeated exposure to drugs of abuse or environmental stressors. Sensitization occurring within limbic circuitry of the central nervous system (CNS) may explain the multisymptom complaints in individuals with MCS. The present studies represent the continuing development of an animal model for MCS, the basis of which is the CNS sensitization hypothesis. Three behaviors were assessed in rats repeatedly exposed to formaldehyde (Form) inhalation. In the first series of experiments, rats were given high-dose Form exposure (11 parts per million [ppm]; 1 h/day × 7 days) or low-dose Form exposure (1 ppm; either 1 h/day × 7 days or 1 h/day × 5 days/week × 4 weeks). Within a few days after discontinuing daily Form, cocaine-induced locomotor activity was elevated after high-dose Form or 20 days of low-dose Form inhalation. Approximately 1 month later, cocaine-induced locomotor activity remained significantly elevated in the 20-day Form-exposed rats. The second experiment assessed whether prior exposure to Form (20 days, as above) would alter the ability to condition to an odor (orange oil) paired with footshock. The results suggested a tendency to increase the conditioned fear response to the odor but not the context of the footshock box, and a decreased tendency to extinguish the conditioned fear response to odor. The third experiment examined whether CNS sensitization to daily cocaine or stress would alter subsequent avoidance responding to odor (Form). Daily cocaine significantly elevated approach responses to Form, while daily stress pretreatment produced a trend in the opposite direction, producing greater avoidance of Form. Preliminary studies indicated that repeated daily Form inhalation (20 days, as above) produced a greater avoidance to subsequent Form presentation, suggesting that daily Form inhalation may serve as a stressor. The results support the hypothesis that repeated chemical exposure in rats may produce CNS plasticity manifest as greater sensitivity to dopaminergic drugs, enhanced fear conditioning to odor paired with an aversive event, and greater avoidance of odors. Some of these behavioral changes observed in rats may provide a link with symptoms in a subset of individuals with MCS.
Awareness During Anesthesia in Children: A Prospective Cohort Study

During routine adult anesthesia, the risk of awareness is 0.1%–0.2%. No recent studies have reported the incidence in children. Altered pharmacology and differing anesthesia techniques suggest that the incidence may differ in children. In this prospective cohort study, we determined the incidence of awareness during anesthesia in children. Eight-hundred-sixty-four children aged 5–12 yr who had undergone general anesthesia at The Royal Children’s Hospital were interviewed on 3 occasions to determine the incidence of awareness. The awareness assessment was nested within a larger study of behavior change after anesthesia. Reports of suspected awareness were sent to four independent adjudicators. If they all agreed, a case was classified as true awareness. Twenty-eight reports were generated. There were 7 cases of true awareness, for an incidence of 0.8% (95% confidence interval, 0.3%–1.7%). Only one aware child received neuromuscular blockers, compared with 12% in the nonaware group. No aware child reported distress, and no substantial difference was detected in behavior disturbance between aware (20%) and nonaware (16%) children. The data provide some evidence that, like adults, children are also at risk of intraoperative awareness. Although the cause remains unclear, anesthesiologists should be alerted to the possibility of awareness in children.