Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Critérios para avaliação clínica fonoaudiológica do paciente traqueostomizado no leito hospitalar e internamento domiciliar

Purpose : to know the criteria used by speech therapists in the clinical evaluation of the patient in hospital bed with tracheostomy and / or home detention, the city of Salvador, Bahia. Methods : this is a cross-sectional, descriptive, quantitative approach, whose population consisted of 28 speech therapists, who contributed a response form containing 19 questions on the subject criteria for clinical evaluation of patients with tracheostomies Speech in Inpatient and Home Care Hospital Bed. Results : in this study, in relation to the criteria selected primarily for clinical practice the results were: 26 (92.9%) clinical stability, 24 (85.7%) level of consciousness, 24 (85.7%) state Alert, 14 (50%) ability to protect airway, 9 (32.1%), nutritional status, 9 (32.1%) cough and 6 (21.4%) chance of receiving oral. Conclusion : at the end of the study it was concluded that the criteria for evaluating speech in tracheostomized patient in bed in the city of Salvador, Bahia, most is according to the criteria described in the literature. However, few studies exist that establish criteria for decannulation, therefore, it emphasizes the need for validation protocols for a better performance of the process of decannulation in these patients.
Assessment of real‐time PCR for quantification of Legionella spp. in spa water

Aims: Legionella bacteria ubiquitously colonize natural freshwater and are responsible for legionellosis in humans. Several cases of legionellosis have been associated in particular with the use of whirlpool spas. The objective of this study was to verify whether real‐time PCR is applicable for the quantification of Legionella spp. in spa water.
PREDATOR MOBBING AND INTERSPECIES COOPERATION : AN INTERACTION BETWEEN GIBBONS , LANGURS AND A CLOUDED LEOPARD

Anti-predatory interspecific communication is observed between cohabiting species, as well as between prey and predator to communicate detection of ‘stealthy hunters’. Predator mobbing is an extension of this communication, with prey species approaching and investigating or harassing a predator. Sunda Clouded Leopard Neofelis diardi is a predicted predator of both Bornean White-bearded Gibbon Hylobates albibarbis and Maroon Langur Presbytis rubicunda in Sabangau Forest, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. This study reports an event in which gibbons and langurs cooperated in mobbing a clouded leopard. During the event, observers noted that the known c. sixmonth-old gibbon infant was not with the family group. We explain and contextualise this event in terms of primate cooperation and predator mobbing, both of which are rarely observed phenomena. Further knowledge of these interspecific relationships may help us in creating conservation strategies.
Antiretroviral therapy: strategies beyond single-agent reverse transcriptase inhibition

rCD4 and congeners. CD4, a cell surface glycoprotein which is involved in the recognition of class II major histocompatibility molecules by helper T cells, has been identified as the primary receptor for the attachment of HIV to human cells through high-affinity binding with the HIV envelope glycoprotein gpl20 (26, 74). Truncated, soluble molecules which contain the extracellular, N-terminal domain of CD4 have been produced by using recombinant DNA technology; these recombinant soluble CD4 (rCD4) molecules maintain their ability to avidly bind HIV gpl20 (128). rCD4 has been developed both as a direct antiviral agent and as a targeting molecule, as it can be complexed with toxic substances to guide them specifically to HIVinfected cells which are expressing gpl20 on their surfaces. As a direct antiviral agent, it was thought that exposing HIV to an excess of rCD4 might block the virus' ability to bind to cell surface CD4. Additionally, there is evidence that when rCD4 binds to gpl20, the gpl20 may be stripped away from the virion (105). Theoretically this could interfere with binding to CD4 cells or be directly damaging to the virion. rCD4 has been shown to block acute HIV infection (30, 39, 59, 128, 136) of lymphoid cells as well as monocyte/macrophages (49), and a study with rhesus monkeys demonstrated an effect against simian immunodeficiency virus in vivo (145). In two phase I human trials of rCD4 administered by intramuscular or intravenous injection to a total of 67 patients in escalating doses as high as 30 mg/day, rCD4 was well tolerated (67, 124) with a serum half-life of the major phase of elimination of approximately 1 h (67). However, a modest, if any, antiviral effect was seen only at the highest dose in one of the trials, despite peak levels in serum in the range previously shown to have in vitro efficacy (30, 39, 59, 128, 136). In an attempt to increase the serum half-life of rCD4, it has been linked to the heavy chain of immunoglobulin G to create a hybrid molecule termed an immunoadhesin. This
Proper Orthogonal Decomposition Technique for Transonic Unsteady Aerodynamic Flows

A new method for constructing reduced-order models (ROM) of unsteady small-disturbance flows is presented. The reduced-order models are constructed using basis vectors determined from the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) of an ensemble of small-disturbance frequency-domain solutions. Each of the individual frequency-domain solutions is computed using an efficient time-linearized flow solver. We show that reduced-order models can be constructed using just a handful of POD basis vectors, producing low-order but highly accurate models of the unsteady flow over a wide range of frequencies. We apply the POD/ROM technique to compute the unsteady aerodynamic and aeroelastic behavior of an isolated transonic airfoil and to a two-dimensional cascade of airfoils
SYSTEMATICS OF MYOTIS OCCULTUS(CHIROPTERA: VESPERTILIONIDAE) INFERRED FROM SEQUENCES OF TWO MITOCHONDRIAL GENES

Abstract The systematic relationship between Myotis lucifugus carissima and Myotis occultus has been the subject of multiple studies. Although several studies, including a recent allozyme study, concluded that M. occultus is a subspecies of M. lucifugus, this view has not been universally accepted. We reexamined the relationships of these 2 taxa by sequencing the mitochondrial cytochrome-b (cyt-b) and cytochrome oxidase II (COII) genes of specimens from the allozyme study. The results suggest that M. occultus represents an evolutionarily distinct monophyletic lineage and provide support to arguments that M. occultus is a distinct species.
Plasmid RK2 ParB Protein: Purification and Nuclease Properties

ABSTRACT The parCBA operon of the 3.2-kb stabilization region of plasmid RK2 encodes three cotranslated proteins. ParA mediates site-specific recombination to resolve plasmid multimers, ParB has been shown to be a nuclease, and the function of ParC is unknown. In this study ParB was overexpressed by cotranslation with ParC inEscherichia coli by using a plasmid construct that contained the parC and parB genes under the control of the T7 promoter. Purification was achieved by treatment of extracts with Polymin P, followed by ammonium sulfate precipitation and heparin and ion-exchange chromatography. Sizing-column analysis indicated that ParB exists as a monomer in solution. Analysis of the enzymatic properties of purified ParB indicated that the protein preferentially cleaves single-stranded DNA. ParB also nicks supercoiled plasmid DNA preferably at sites with potential single-stranded character, like AT-rich regions and sequences that can form cruciform structures. ParB also exhibits 5′→3′ exonuclease activity. This ParB activity on a 5′-end-labeled, double-stranded DNA substrate produces a 3′,5′-phosphorylated dinucleotide which is further cleaved to a 3′,5′-phosphorylated mononucleotide. The role of the ParB endonuclease and exonuclease activities in plasmid RK2 stabilization remains to be determined.
Molecular biology and the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases.

Molecular biology has made a tremendous impact on the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases. This review will provide several recent examples. Emphasis will be placed on how molecular biology has influenced the diagnosis of viral hepatitis, autoimmune and metabolic liver diseases. The use of recombinant DNA technology for drug development and the possibility of gene therapy as a treatment modality will then be discussed.
Preoperative Treatment Combining Capecitabine with Radiation Therapy in Rectal Cancer: A GERCOR Phase II Study

Objective(s): To assess efficacy and tolerability of preoperative capecitabine chemoradiation in rectal cancer. Methods: Patients received radiotherapy 45 Gy in 25 fractions over 5 weeks and capecitabine 825 mg/m2 twice daily throughout radiotherapy. Surgery was performed 5–7 weeks after radiotherapy. The primary endpoint was pathological complete response, secondary endpoints were downstaging and tolerability. Results: Fifty-one patients were enrolled in a phase II study, median age 62 years (range 35–78). Sixty-three percent of tumours involved the lower third of the rectum, 45% were fixed. The median delivered radiotherapy dose was 44.8 Gy (range 39.6–45.0 Gy) over 33–49 days. The treatment-related grade 3 adverse events were diarrhoea (12%), skin reactions (8%) and asthenia (8%), with no grade 4 toxicity. Fifty patients underwent surgery (29 conservative) and 1 patient refused. The pathological complete response rate was 20% and a further 10% of patients had minimal residual disease. Additional tumour downstaging was seen in 28% of patients and the sphincter preservation rate was 58%. Conclusions: Preoperative capecitabine chemoradiation is well tolerated and its efficacy supports further exploration, both as a single agent and as part of new therapeutic strategies.
Processes and patterns of interaction as units of selection: An introduction to ITSNTS thinking

Many practicing biologists accept that nothing in their discipline makes sense except in the light of evolution, and that natural selection is evolution’s principal sense-maker. But what natural selection actually is (a force or a statistical outcome, for example) and the levels of the biological hierarchy (genes, organisms, species, or even ecosystems) at which it operates directly are still actively disputed among philosophers and theoretical biologists. Most formulations of evolution by natural selection emphasize the differential reproduction of entities at one or the other of these levels. Some also recognize differential persistence, but in either case the focus is on lineages of material things: even species can be thought of as spatiotemporally restricted, if dispersed, physical beings. Few consider—as “units of selection” in their own right—the processes implemented by genes, cells, species, or communities. “It’s the song not the singer” (ITSNTS) theory does that, also claiming that evolution by natural selection of processes is more easily understood and explained as differential persistence than as differential reproduction. ITSNTS was formulated as a response to the observation that the collective functions of microbial communities (the songs) are more stably conserved and ecologically relevant than are the taxa that implement them (the singers). It aims to serve as a useful corrective to claims that “holobionts” (microbes and their animal or plant hosts) are aggregate “units of selection,” claims that often conflate meanings of that latter term. But ITSNS also seems broadly applicable, for example, to the evolution of global biogeochemical cycles and the definition of ecosystem function.
The Role of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Type 1 in Orthodontic Tooth Movement

Orthodontic tooth movement is dependent on osteoclast activity. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α plays an important role, directly or via chemokine release, in osteoclast recruitment and activation. This study aimed to investigate whether the TNF receptor type 1 (p55) influences these events and, consequently, orthodontic tooth movement. An orthodontic appliance was placed in wild-type mice (WT) and p55-deficient mice (p55−/−). Levels of TNF-α and 2 chemokines (MCP-1/CCL2, RANTES/CCL5) were evaluated in periodontal tissues. A significant increase in CCL2 and TNF-α was observed in both groups after 12 hrs of mechanical loading. However, CCL5 levels remained unchanged in p55−/− mice at this time-point. The number of TRAP-positive osteoclasts in p55−/− mice was significantly lower than that in WT mice. Also, there was a significantly smaller rate of tooth movement in p55−/− mice. Analysis of our data suggests that the TNFR-1 plays a significant role in orthodontic tooth movement that might be associated with changes in CCL5 levels.
P‐cadherin expression in breast carcinoma indicates poor survival

The cadherin family of cell‐cell adhesion molecules and their associated proteins, the catenins, are essential to embryonic development and the maintenance of adult tissues. During development, the homotypic interaction of a particular cadherin with an identical cadherin expressed on a neighboring cell results in the sorting of cells to form distinctive tissues. Cadherins are believed to be tumor suppressors, and their altered expression and function have been associated with tumor development.
Stigma, Sexually Transmitted Infections and Attendance at the GUM Clinic

A gap in the literature regarding understanding of people's health care seeking behaviours in relation to sexually transmitted infections is identified. Employing both deductive and inductive methods, 10 patients (five female, five male) were interviewed to explore the psychosocial, motivational and attitudinal factors associated with attendance at a Genito-Urinary Medicine (GUM) clinic in a close-knit community in the north of England. Seven stigma-related themes were identified as salient issues surrounding perceptions of sexual health screening and included: (1)prejudice surrounding STIs; (2)fear of exposure; (3)isolation; (4)reluctance to attend; (5)contamination; (6)relationship issues; and (7)perceived invulnerability. Within these themes distinct gender differences were identified. Implications for the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) are discussed against the factors identified.
Lung Transplantation After Lung Volume Reduction Surgery

Background Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) as a bridge to lung transplantation was first advocated in 1995 and published studies have supported the concept but with limited data. The risk-benefit tradeoffs of the combined procedure have not been thoroughly examined, although substantial information regarding LVRS has emerged. Methods Of 177 patients who underwent lung transplantation for end-stage emphysema between 2002 and 2009 at our center, 25 had prior LVRS (22 bilateral and 3 unilateral). Lung transplantation was performed 22.9±15.9 months after LVRS. We compared in-hospital morbidity, functional capacity, and long-term outcomes of patients who underwent LVRS before lung transplantation with a matched cohort of patients without prior LVRS to assess the influence of LVRS on posttransplantation morbidity and mortality. Results The incidence of postoperative bleeding requiring reexploration and the incidence of renal dysfunction requiring dialysis were higher in patients with LVRS before lung transplantation. Posttransplantation peak forced expiratory volume in 1 s was worse in patients with LVRS before lung transplantation (56.7% vs. 78.8%; P<0.05). Five-year survival was not significantly different (59.7% in patients with LVRS before lung transplantation vs. 66.2% in patients with lung transplantation alone). In multivariate analysis, age more than 65 years, prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass time, and severe pulmonary hypertension were significant predictors for mortality (P<0.05). Conclusions Although LVRS remains a viable option as a bridge to lung transplantation in appropriately selected patients, LVRS before lung transplantation can impart substantial morbidity and compromised functional capacity after lung transplantation. LVRS should not be easily considered as a bridge to transplantation for all lung transplant candidates.
Randomized trial of modafinil for treating subjective daytime sleepiness in patients with Parkinson's disease

We assessed the safety and efficacy of modafinil for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). This was a single‐site, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled crossover study of 21 PD patients having an Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score ≥10. They received either placebo or modafinil 200 mg/day for 3 weeks, followed by a washout week, then the alternate treatment for 3 weeks. The ESS data demonstrated a carryover effect, so the changes from baseline ESS scores were compared between the two treatments for period 1 only. The ESS scores for the placebo group went from 16.0 ± 4.2 (mean ± SD) to 17.0 ± 5.1 and for the modafinil group went from 17.8 ± 4.2 to 14.4 ± 5.7 (P = 0.039). There was no significant carryover effect for any other measure. The patient Clinical Global Impression of Change (+3 to −3) improved by 0.75 on modafinil compared with 0.15 for placebo (P = 0.07). A total of 7 of 20 (35%) of the patients reported some improvement on modafinil but not placebo. There was no significant improvement or worsening of the UPDRS subscores I–III, Timed Tap test, or time on. Vital signs, electrocardiograms, and lab tests were unchanged. Modafinil was very well tolerated. Our data demonstrate that, in a small sample size, administration of 200 mg/day of modafinil was associated with few side effects and was modestly effective for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with PD.
A mortality score for acute respiratory distress syndrome: predicting the future without a crystal ball.

In a recent paper published in Critical Care Medicine , Villar et al . (1) proposed a scoring system that could be easily calculated at the bedside to predict mortality in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) 24 hours after diagnosis. As in-hospital mortality ranges from 34.9% to 46.1% across the spectrum of mild to severe ARDS, respectively, the potential for improvement in management of patients with this syndrome remains high (2). Based on 62 recorded variables, age, oxygenation (PaO 2 /FiO 2 ), and the plateau airway pressure score (APPS) were chosen to establish a 9-point stratification 24 hours after ARDS diagnosis, followed by categorization into low, intermediate, and high risk of death with predictive validity. The APPS classified ARDS into three severity subgroups ( 7 points), and significantly higher mortality was observed in those patients with an APPS greater than 7 (>80%) compared to those with an APPS of less than 5 (<14%).
The Mayak Worker Dosimetry System (MWDS-2013): A Bayesian Analysis to Quantify Pulmonary Binding of Plutonium in Lungs Using Historic Beagle Dog Data

The revised human respiratory tract model, published in Part 1 of the International Commission on Radiological Protection's (ICRP) report on Occupational Intakes of Radionuclides (OIR), includes a bound fraction, fb, to represent radionuclides that have become chemically bound in the lungs following dissolution of particulates in lung fluid. Bound radionuclides are not subject to particle transport clearance but can be absorbed to blood at a rate, sb The occurrence of long-term binding of plutonium can greatly increase lung doses, particularly if it occurs in the bronchial and bronchiolar regions. However, there has been little evidence that currently supports the existence of a long-term bound state for plutonium. The present work describes the analysis of measurements of lung data obtained from a life span study of Beagle dogs that were exposed by inhalation to different concentrations of plutonium-239 (239Pu) nitrate aerosol at Pacific Northwest Laboratories, USA. The data have been analysed to assess whether a bound state was required to explain the data. A Bayesian approach was adopted for the analysis that accounts for uncertainties in model parameter values, including uncertainties in the rates of particle transport clearance. Furthermore, it performs the analysis using two different modelling hypotheses: a model based on the current ICRP human respiratory tract model and its treatment of alveolar particle transport clearance; and a model of particle transport clearance that is based on the updated model developed by ICRP to calculate dose coefficients for the OIR. The current model better represents clearance in dogs at early times (up to 1 year following intake) and the latter better represents retention at greater times (>5 years following intake). The results indicate that a long-term bound fraction of between 0.16 and 1.1%, with a mean value of between 0.24 and 0.8% (depending on the model) is required to explain the data.
Anti‐tumor effect of inelammatory neutrophils: Characteristics of in vivo generation and in vitro tumor cell lysis

Inflammatory neutrophils elicited by intraperitoneal injection of Corynebacterium parvum, thioglycollate or proteose peptone were capable of lysing different murine and human tumor targets in a shortterm chromium‐release assay. A single‐cell cytotoxicity assay, which evaluated effector‐target cell interactions at the single‐cell level, confirmed a PMN‐mediated tumor‐lytic effect. Optimal lysis was achieved by PMNs obtained 6 hr after injection of C parvurn and 16 hr after injection of thioglycollate. In vitro, loss of tumor cell membrane integrity occurred extremely rapidly following conjugation with inflammatory PMNs (beginning within 15 min of the binding step). By 45 min, the lytic event was completed. Addition of catalase or superoxide dismutase to the cytotoxicity assays prevented tumor lysis in a concentration‐dependent fashion, indicating that hydrogen peroxide and superoxide, products of the PMN respiratory burst, are mediators of the lytic reaction.
Thin-section MRI with a phased-array coil for preoperative evaluation of pelvic anatomy and tumor extent in patients with rectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE The aim of our study was to assess the accuracy of thin-section MRI performed with a phased-array coil as a technique for the preoperative evaluation of pelvic anatomy and tumor extent in patients with rectal cancer. CONCLUSION Thin-section MRI with a phased-array coil is accurate and reliable for preoperative evaluation of pelvic anatomy and depth of transmural tumor invasion. Thus, it may be helpful in the selection of the appropriate treatment for patients with rectal cancer.
Chloride regulation at low salinities by Nereis diversicolor (Annelida, Polychaeta). II. Water fluxes and apparent permeability to water.

1. By studies of D 2 O exchange the apparent permeability of Nereis diversicolor to water has been shown to vary in response to changes of salinity. 2. The hourly water-exchange fraction drops from over 12 in SW nearly to 6 in fresh water. 3. Calculation of the net flux of water indicates potential urine volumes of 0.3 % of body weight/h in SW, a maximum of 2.8 % in 10 % SW, and a reduction to 2.1 % in fresh water. 4. It is calculated that, if such urine volumes are produced, the urine is probably hypotonic in chloride to the coelomic fluid at salinities of 25 % SW and lower.