Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transient glucose and amino acid deprivation induces delayed preconditioning in cultured rat cortical neurons

Several studies have demonstrated that glucose deprivation, combined either with anoxia or with the inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation, leads to the development of ischemic tolerance in neurons. The aim of our experiments was to investigate whether similar effects could be achieved by transient energy deprivation without either anoxia or the inhibition of the electron transfer chain. Preconditioning was carried out by incubating primary rat cortical neuronal cultures for 3, 6 or 9 h in a glucose‐ and amino acid‐free balanced salt solution supplemented with B27 in normoxic conditions. After 24 h, neuronal cultures were exposed to oxygen–glucose deprivation, glutamate or hydrogen peroxide. Cell viability was measured 24 h after the lethal insults. Potential mechanisms that can influence free radical production were also examined. Energy deprivation protected neuronal cells against lethal stimuli (e.g. cell survival after oxygen–glucose deprivation was 33.1 ± 0.52% in the untreated group and 80.1 ± 1.27% in the 9‐h energy deprivation group), reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, decreased free radical formation, attenuated the intracellular free calcium surge upon glutamate receptor stimulation, and resulted in an elevated level of GSH. Our findings show that transient energy deprivation induces delayed preconditioning and prevents oxidative injuries and neuronal cell death.
Guidelines for Diagnostic Tests and Diagnostic Accuracy in Surgical Research

ABSTRACT Objective: This is a guideline review of the application of diagnostic tests and diagnostic accuracy in surgical research. Summary Background Data: There is an increasing use of diagnostic tests in surgery, and an understanding of the accuracy for each test is important for surgeons. Methods: This methodological review outlines the basic concepts of diagnostic test accuracy, including sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio, likelihood ratios, and predictive values. Sources of bias in diagnostic accuracy studies are explained in simplified terms. The graphical methods used to present diagnostic accuracy are demonstrated. Study quality issues are outlined using published guidelines. Finally, the principles of diagnostic meta-analysis, including more advanced approaches such as bivariate and hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic methods are explained. Conclusion: In the era of evidence-based surgery, the ability to understand and interpret the fundamental principles of diagnostic accuracy literature is vital to improve patient care and reduce the confusion in clinical practice over the most appropriate diagnostic test.
Cut-Off Wavenumbers of Polygonal Cross Section Waveguides

The choice of basis functions is a key-point in Galerkin's method. Taking into account the edge behaviour of the fields can greatly improve the effectiveness of the method, especially when dealing with conducting structures. Another issue is related to the impedance matrix computation, which can be cumbersome when resorting to the spectral domain. The aim of this letter is the analysis of arbitrary polygonal cross section waveguides with a technique addressing both the aforementioned issues. The reported numerical results show that high accuracy can be obtained quickly and with few basis functions.
Pattern of visceral injuries following blunt abdominal trauma in motor vehicular accidents.

OBJECTIVE To determine the frequency of various visceral injuries following, high-speed motor vehicle crashes with special reference to frequency of liver injuries, severity and complications. DESIGN A descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Surgical Unit III, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore, from August 1999 to February 2002. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study included 100 consecutive patients of blunt abdominal trauma. Patients of either gender and age above 12 and below 70 were included in this study. Purposive non-probability sampling was done. Injuries were identified, graded and managed accordingly. The data was then entered into SPSS and descriptive statistical tests were applied. RESULTS Liver was the most common organ injured (35%), followed by spleen (32 %) and small gut (30 %). In 23 patients, liver was the only organ injured. Most of the liver injuries fell under grade I (42.8%) followed by grade II (28.35%) and grade III (22.85%) and were treated by suture hepatorrhaphy alone in 71.42% cases. The operated cases were mostly complicated by wound infection (33.76%). Overall mortality remained high (12%) and was related to a combination of delays in arriving at a diagnosis due to non-availability of CT scan and routine use of peritoneal lavage. CONCLUSION Liver is the most commonly affected organ in high speed motor vehicle crashes that is reliably treated by suture hepatorrhaphy. The rate of postoperative infection and morbidity is high.
Regulation of Intracellular Ca2+ in Response to Muscarinic and Glutamate Receptor Agonists During the Differentiation of NTERA2 Human Embryonal Carcinoma Cells into Neurons

Single cell microfluorimetry was used to study intracellular calcium ion signals ([Ca2+]i) evoked by acetylcholine (ACh), glutamate receptor agonists and by KCI‐induced membrane depolarization, during neuronal differentiation of the human embryonal carcinoma (EC) cell line, NTERA2. In undifferentiated NTERA2 EC cells, [Ca2+]i) was elevated in response to ACh, but not to the glutamate receptor agonists NMDA, kainate or AMPA. The ACh‐induced rise in [Ca2+]i) was dependent upon both Ca2+ influx and Ca2+ mobilization from cytoplasmic calcium stores. Three other human EC cell lines responded similarly to ACh but not to glutamate or KCI‐induced depolarization. In neurons derived from NTERA2 cells by retinoic acid induction, [Ca2+]i) signals were evoked by ACh, NMDA, kainate and by an elevation of the extracellular KCI concentration. As in undifferentiated EC cells, the ACh‐mediated increases in [Ca2+li were governed by both Ca2+ influx and Ca2+ mobilization. In contrast, the effects of NMDA, kainate and KCI did not involve intracellular Ca2+ mobilization. The appearance of glutamate and KCI responsiveness was not detected in non‐neuronal differentiated derivatives of NTERA2 cells. Using a number of pharmacologically defined muscarinic receptor antagonists we found that NTERA2 EC cells express M1, M3, M4 and possibly M5 receptor subtypes linked to changes in [Ca2+]i), whilst only M3 and M5 are present in NTERA2‐derived neurons. The results were supported by PCR analysis of the muscarinic mRNA species expressed in the cells. The data demonstrate that differentiation of NTERA2 EC cells into neurons involves the induction of functional glutamate receptors coupled to rises in [Ca2+]i), and changes in the expression of muscarinic ACh receptor subtypes.
Oral health status of school children in Mbarara, Uganda.

BACKGROUND Despite the need for oral health morbidity surveys to aid in reviewing of the oral health services, dental data of Ugandan children is scanty. OBJECTIVES To describe the magnitude and distribution of selected oral health conditions among primary school children in Mbarara, Uganda. METHODS A stratified two-stage cluster sample of 437 children aged 5-6, 8-9 and 11-12 was enrolled. The selected conditions included: dental caries, plaque, calculus, gingivitis, fluorosis and malocclusion (maxillary overjet). These conditions were diagnosed and scored in accordance with World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria. RESULTS The mean decayed, missing, filled permanent teeth (DMFT) was 1.5(±0.8 SD). Females had higher DMFT (1.6±0.8SD) than males (1.3±0.8SD). Decayed, filled milk teeth (dt) was 2.7(±1.8SD) but more in males 3.1(±2.1SD) than in females 2.4(±1.6SD). Children in private schools were likely to have more caries in both permanent teeth (DMFT: 1.6±0.9SD) and milk teeth (dt: 3.0±1.9SD). Day-scholars were likely to have more caries in permanent teeth (DFMT: 1.50.8SD). Those in boarding were likely to have more caries in milk teeth (dt: 3±2.2SD). Milk teeth caries decreased with age (p<0.0001). Eight (1.8%) had very mild to moderate fluorosis. Nine (2%) lost permanent canines due to practice of "nylon teeth mutilation. " Majority 325(75%) had dental plaque, which increased with age (p<0.0001). Males significantly had plaque. Children in private schools were associated with less plaque (OR: 0.6, 95%CI: 0.4-0.9), as were those in boarding schools. Some 113(25.9%) had calculus that increased with age (p<0.0001). Calculus was more prevalent in males, government schools, and among day-scholars. Females were less likely to have maxillary overjet (OR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3-0.8). Day-scholars were 2 times more likely to have maxillary overjet (OR: 1.9, 95%CI: 1.1-3.5). None had severe gingivitis. CONCLUSION The oral hygiene of school children was poor with high plaque prevalence demonstrating a lack of established oral hygiene practices. A comprehensive community-focused oral health care intervention that includes oral health education in homes and the strengthening of school health programme is needed to improve the oral health status of children in Mbarara.
Mouse intracellular immunoglobulin M. Structure and identification of a free thiol group.

Monomeric intracellular mouse immunoglobulin M (hereafter designated IgMs) was purified in milligram quantities from the plasma cells of mouse plasmacytoma MOPC 104E after lysis either in the presence or in the absence of iodoacetate. Peptide ;mapping' analysis of the IgMs after partial reduction and carboxy[(14)C]methylation to label the interchain disulphide bridges showed that the heavy-light bridge and the interheavy bridge present in the Cmu2 region were already formed at lysis. The cysteine residues in the C-terminal region of the heavy chains, which in pentameric IgM form an intersubunit bridge, had free thiol groups at lysis that were reversibly oxidized during isolation in the absence of iodoacetate, probably forming an intrasubunit inter-heavy-chain disulphide bridge. Isoelectric-focusing studies complemented the above findings, showing that all the intracellular IgMs carried free thiol groups that could be carboxymethylated at lysis, and that in non-alkylated preparations these had reversibly oxidized. On the basis of sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-slab-gel electrophoresis intracellular mu-chains had a consistently lower apparent molecular weight than did secreted mu-chains, and the estimated difference could be accounted for by the known difference in carbohydrate content. We present evidence that in a position homologous to that of a complex oligosaccharide in the Cmu2 region of secreted human mu-chains there is a simple oligosaccharide in intracellular mouse mu-chains that becomes complex on secretion. On the basis of the above findings, we present a model for the mouse intracellular IgM subunit and suggest a mechanism for its assembly into secreted IgM pentamers.
Endocan is a predictor of increased cardiovascular risk in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

ABSTRACT Purpose: Endocan is a proteoglycan secreted mainly from endothelial cells. It has been implicated that there is a link between endocan and endothelial dysfunction. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a reproductive and metabolic disease associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. The aims of this study were to ascertain whether circulating endocan levels are altered in women with PCOS, and whether there is an association between endocan and carotid intima media thickness (cIMT). Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study included 80 women with PCOS and 80 age- and BMI-matched controls without PCOS. Circulating endocan levels were measured using ELISA. Metabolic, hormonal parameters and cIMT were determined. 2-h oral glucose tolerance test (2-h OGTT) was performed on all women. Results: Circulating endocan levels were significantly elevated in women with PCOS compared with controls (5.99 ± 2.37 vs. 3.66 ± 1.79 ng/ml, P < 0.001). Endocan levels positively correlated with BMI, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), free androgen index (FAI), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and cIMT in both PCOS and control groups. Endocan levels did not correlate with fasting blood glucose, 2-h OGTT, A1C and lipid parameters. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that endocan is an independent predictor for cIMT (β = 0.128, 95% CI = 0.118–0.138, P = 0.011). Conclusions: Circulating endocan levels are significantly higher in women with PCOS and endocan is independently associated with cIMT. Elevated endocan levels can be a predictor of increased cardiovascular risk in PCOS subjects.
Interaction of (−)‐epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate with human serum albumin: Fluorescence, fourier transform infrared, circular dichroism, and docking studies

(−)‐Epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG), the major constituent of green tea has been reported to prevent many diseases by virtue of its antioxidant properties. The binding of EGCG with human serum albumin (HSA) has been investigated for the first time by using fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and protein‐ligand docking. We observed a quenching of fluorescence of HSA in the presence of EGCG. The binding parameters were determined by a Scatchard plot and the results were found to be consistent with those obtained from a modified Stern‐Volmer equation. From the thermodynamic parameters calculated according to the van't Hoff equation, the enthalpy change ΔH° and entropy change ΔS° were found to be −22.59 and 16.23 J/mol K, respectively. These values suggest that apart from an initial hydrophobic association, the complex is held together by van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonding. Data obtained by fluorescence spectroscopy, CD, and FTIR experiments along with the docking studies suggest that EGCG binds to residues located in subdomains IIa and IIIa of HSA. Specific interactions are observed with residues Trp 214, Arg 218, Gln 221, Asn 295 and Asp 451. We have also looked at changes in the accessible surface area of the interacting residues on binding EGCG for a better understanding of the interaction. Proteins 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Investigating coronal saturation and supersaturation in fast-rotating M-dwarf stars

At fast rotation rates, the coronal activity of G- and K-type stars has been observed to ‘saturate’ and then decline again at even faster rotation rates – a phenomenon dubbed ‘supersaturation’. In this paper, we investigate coronal activity in fast-rotating M-dwarfs using deep XMM–Newton observations of 97 low-mass stars of known rotation period in the young open cluster NGC 2547 and combine these with published X-ray surveys of low-mass field and cluster stars of known rotation period. Like G- and K-dwarfs, we find that M-dwarfs exhibit increasing coronal activity with decreasing Rossby number NR, the ratio of period to convective turnover time, and that activity saturates at LX/Lbol � 10 −3 for log NR < −0.8. However, supersaturation is not convincingly displayed by M-dwarfs, despite the presence of many objects in our sample with log NR < −1.8, where supersaturation is observed to occur in higher mass stars. Instead, it appears that a short rotation period is the primary predictor of supersaturation; P ≤ 0.3 d for K-dwarfs and perhaps P ≤ 0.2 d for M-dwarfs. These observations favour the ‘centrifugal stripping’ model for supersaturation, where coronal structures are forced open or become radiatively unstable as the Keplerian corotation radius moves inside the X-ray-emitting coronal volume.
An optimal reactive power dispatch (ORPD) for voltage security using particle swarm optimization (PSO) in graph theory

The stochastic nature of the wind and the highly non linear transform from wind speed to electrical energy makes it more difficult to determine how to dispatch the power in order to guarantee both operational cost reduction and power system security. From a network constraint perspective for the economic dispatch problem one of the factors to be accounted for is voltage security, which impacts both active and/or reactive power dispatch. In this paper, an Optimal Reactive Power Dispatch based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) using Graph Theory has been proposed to overcome the above-mentioned problem. Graph Theory has been used since it becomes very useful in cases of fault detection and isolation or to shed unbalanced nodes in case of excessive or insufficient supply. Simulation studies on the modified IEEE-14 Bus System have been conducted to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Journal Rankings by Health Management Faculty Members: Are There Differences by Rank, Leadership Status, or Area of Expertise?

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Health administration (HA) faculty members publish in a variety of journals, including journals focused on management, economics, policy, and information technology. HA faculty members are evaluated on the basis of the quality and quantity of their journal publications. However, it is unclear how perceptions of these journals vary by subdiscipline, department leadership role, or faculty rank. It is also not clear how perceptions of journals may have changed over the past decade since the last evaluation of journal rankings in the field was published. The purpose of the current study is to examine how respondents rank journals in the field of HA, as well as the variation in perception by academic rank, department leadership status, and area of expertise. Data were drawn from a survey of HA faculty members at U.S. universities, which was completed in 2012. Different journal ranking patterns were noted for faculty members of different subdisciplines. The health management‐oriented journals (Health Care Management Review and Journal of Healthcare Management) were ranked higher than in previous research, suggesting that journal ranking perceptions may have changed over the intervening decade. Few differences in perceptions were noted by academic rank, but we found that department chairs were more likely than others to select Health Affairs in their top three most prestigious journals (&bgr; = 0.768, p < .01). Perceived journal prestige varied between a department chair and untenured faculty in different disciplines, and this perceived difference could have implications for promotion and tenure decisions.
Optimizing pKA computation in proteins with pH adapted conformations

pKA in proteins are determined by electrostatic energy computations using a small number of optimized protein conformations derived from crystal structures. In these protein conformations hydrogen positions and geometries of salt bridges on the protein surface were determined self‐consistently with the protonation pattern at three pHs (low, ambient, and high). Considering salt bridges at protein surfaces is most relevant, since they open at low and high pH. In the absence of these conformational changes, computed pK Acomp of acidic (basic) groups in salt bridges underestimate (overestimate) experimental pK Aexp , dramatically. The pK Acomp for 15 different proteins with 185 known pK Aexp yield an RMSD of 1.12, comparable with two other methods. One of these methods is fully empirical with many adjustable parameters. The other is also based on electrostatic energy computations using many non‐optimized side chain conformers but employs larger dielectric constants at short distances of charge pairs that diminish their electrostatic interactions. These empirical corrections that account implicitly for additional conformational flexibility were needed to describe the energetics of salt bridges appropriately. This is not needed in the present approach. The RMSD of the present approach improves if one considers only strongly shifted pK Aexp in contrast to the other methods under these conditions. Our method allows interpreting pK Acomp in terms of pH dependent hydrogen bonding pattern and salt bridge geometries. A web service is provided to perform pKA computations. Proteins 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cell Type-Specific Circuit Mapping Reveals the Presynaptic Connectivity of Developing Cortical Circuits

The mammalian cerebral cortex is a dense network composed of local, subcortical, and intercortical synaptic connections. As a result, mapping cell type-specific neuronal connectivity in the cerebral cortex in vivo has long been a challenge for neurobiologists. In particular, the development of excitatory and inhibitory interneuron presynaptic input has been hard to capture. We set out to analyze the development of this connectivity in the first postnatal month using a murine model. First, we surveyed the connectivity of one of the earliest populations of neurons in the brain, the Cajal-Retzius (CR) cells in the neocortex, which are known to be critical for cortical layer formation and are hypothesized to be important in the establishment of early cortical networks. We found that CR cells receive inputs from deeper-layer excitatory neurons and inhibitory interneurons in the first postnatal week. We also found that both excitatory pyramidal neurons and inhibitory interneurons received broad inputs in the first postnatal week, including inputs from CR cells. Expanding our analysis into the more mature brain, we assessed the inputs onto inhibitory interneurons and excitatory projection neurons, labeling neuronal progenitors with Cre drivers to study discrete populations of neurons in older cortex, and found that excitatory cortical and subcortical inputs are refined by the fourth week of development, whereas local inhibitory inputs increase during this postnatal period. Cell type-specific circuit mapping is specific, reliable, and effective, and can be used on molecularly defined subtypes to determine connectivity in the cortex. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Mapping cortical connectivity in the developing mammalian brain has been an intractable problem, in part because it has not been possible to analyze connectivity with cell subtype precision. Our study systematically targets the presynaptic connections of discrete neuronal subtypes in both the mature and developing cerebral cortex. We analyzed the connections that Cajal-Retzius cells make and receive, and found that these cells receive inputs from deeper-layer excitatory neurons and inhibitory interneurons in the first postnatal week. We assessed the inputs onto inhibitory interneurons and excitatory projection neurons, the major two types of neurons in the cortex, and found that excitatory inputs are refined by the fourth week of development, whereas local inhibitory inputs increase during this postnatal period.
Effects of Manual Lymph Drainage on Cardiac Autonomic Tone in Healthy Subjects

This study was designed to investigate the effects of manual lymph drainage on the cardiac autonomic tone. Thirty-two healthy male subjects were randomly assigned to manual lymph drainage (MLD) (experimental) and rest (control) groups. Electrocardiogram (ECG) parameters were recorded with bipolar electrocardiography using standard limb lead positions. The pressure-pain threshold (PPT) was quantitatively measured using an algometer. Heart rate variability differed significantly between the experimental and control groups (p < 0.05), but the PPT in the upper trapezius muscle did not (p > 0.05). These findings indicate that the application of MLD was effective in reducing the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.