Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Right ventricular cardiomyopathy in β-thalassaemia major

Aims To evaluate right ventricular function in patients with β-thalassaemia major and congestive heart failure. Background In patients with β-thalassaemia major a high incidence of cardiac involvement still exists despite improved prognosis with chelation therapy. Development of severe right heart failure is common and has been attributed to pulmonary hypertension secondary to lung haemochromatosis. However, the possibility of direct right ventricular myocardial involvement in the absence of significant pulmonary hypertension has not been adequately investigated. Methods Twenty-nine consecutively screened patients with β-thalassaemia major and congestive heart failure were investigated by Doppler echocardiography, right ventricular first-pass radionuclide examination and cardiac catheterization. Haemodynamic data were obtained both before and after volume loading. A control group of 39 patients with β-thalassaemia major, free from cardiac disease, and matched for age, gender, body surface area and heart rate was used for comparison. A subset of the control thalassaemic group (n=15) underwent both radionuclide and haemodynamic assessment. Results The majority of patients were on non-optimal chelation therapy. Only two of 29 patients were found to have cor pulmonale. One other patient suffered from constrictive pericarditis. A restrictive filling pattern in both ventricles and left ventricular systolic dysfunction were evident in the other 26 patients. Pulmonary artery pressure (systolic, 33±8 vs 27±5mmHg, P 10mmHg and ratio of mean right atrial-to-capillary wedge pressure >0·8 was evident in 15 of the 26 patients (58%), all with severe symptoms, representing three fourths of the patients in functional class III and IV. Simultaneous pressure recordings in six of these 15 patients showed equalization of ventricular end-diastolic pressures within 5mmHg. Conclusion The majority of patients with β-thalassaemia major and severe congestive heart failure demonstrated a unique haemodynamic pattern similar to that described in predominant right ventricular infarction, indicating severe right ventricular cardiomyopathy in addition to left ventricular dysfunction. The incidence of cor pulmonale as a cause of right heart failure seems to be much lower than previously hypothesized.
L’impact des normes IFRS sur les données comptables des groupes français cotés

Les normes IFRS n’ont eu qu’un impact limite sur les donnees comptables des groupes francais et sur les ratios d’analyse financiere calcules par la Banque de France. La pertinence du diagnostic financier suppose neanmoins que les analystes fassent evoluer leur demarche.
Convergence of a random particle method to solutions of the Kolmogorov equation _{}=ₓₓ+(1-)

On etudie une methode de particules aleatoires pour la resolution de l'equation de reaction-diffusion u t =νu xx +f(u) qui est l'analogue unidimensionnel de la methode du tourbillon aleatoire. On demontre la convergence pour f(u)=u(1−u). On presente les resultats d'experiences numeriques
858 The Journal of Pain Pain Assessment Practices in Hospitalized Children assessment of hospitalized children

*The Hospital for Sick Children and The University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. yChildren’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. zChildren’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. xThe Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. {CHU Ste-Justine, Montr eal, Qu ebec, Canada and Universit e de Montr eal, Montr eal, Qu ebec, Canada.
Biophysical characterization of recombinant proteins expressing the leucine zipper-like domain of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 transmembrane protein gp41

Envelope oligomerization is thought to serve several crucial functions during the life cycle of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). We recently reported that virus entry requires coiled-coil formation of the leucine zipper-like domain of the HIV-1 transmembrane envelope glycoprotein gp41 (C. Wild, T. Oas, C. McDanal, D. Bolognesi, and T. Matthews, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:10537-10541, 1992; C. Wild, J. W. Dubay, T. Greenwell, T. Baird, Jr., T. G. Oas, C. McDanal, E. Hunter, and T. Matthews, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:12676-12680, 1994). To determine the oligomeric state mediated by this region of the envelope, we have expressed the zipper motif as a fusion partner with the monomeric maltose-binding protein of Escherichia coli. The biophysical properties of this protein were characterized by velocity and equilibrium sedimentation, size exclusion chromatography, light scattering, and chemical cross-linking analyses. Results indicate that the leucine zipper sequence from HIV-1 is capable of multimerizing much larger and otherwise monomeric proteins into extremely stable tetramers. Recombinant proteins containing an alanine or a serine substitution at a critical isoleucine residue within the zipper region were also generated and similarly analyzed. The alanine- and serine-substituted proteins behaved as tetrameric and monomeric species, respectively, consistent with the influence of these same substitutions on the helical coiled-coil structure of synthetic peptide models. On the basis of these findings, we propose that the fusogenic gp4l structure involves tetramerization of the leucine zipper domain which is situated approximately 30 residues from the N-terminal fusion peptide sequence.
Is Gastroduodenal Biopsy Safe in Patients Receiving Aspirin and Clopidogrel?: A Prospective, Randomized Study Involving 630 Biopsies

Goals To assess prospectively the bleeding risk attributable to gastroduodenal biopsy in subjects taking antiplatelet medications. Background No prospective data exist regarding the bleeding risk attributable to endoscopic biopsy in patients taking antiplatelet agents. A majority of Western endoscopists withdraw antiplatelet agents before upper endoscopy, despite expert guidelines to the contrary. Study We performed a prospective, single-blind, randomized study in healthy volunteers participating in a larger study regarding the effect of antiplatelet agents on gastroduodenal mucosal healing. Multiple gastroduodenal biopsies were performed during 2 esophagogastroduodenoscopy in subjects dosed with aspirin enteric-coated 81 mg once daily or clopidogrel 75 mg once daily. Data for endoscopic bleeding, clinical bleeding, blood vessel size, and depth of biopsy in histology specimens were collected. Results Four hundred and five antral biopsies and 225 duodenal biopsies were performed during 90 esophagogastroduodenoscopy in 45 subjects receiving aspirin or clopidogrel. Median maximum blood vessel diameter per biopsy was 31.9 &mgr; (range: 9.2 to 133.8). About 50.8% of biopsy specimens breached the muscularis mucosa. In the clopidogrel group, no bleeding events were noted after 350 biopsies [upper confidence limit (UCL) for probability of bleeding=0.0085]. In the aspirin group, there were no clinical events (UCL=0.0106) and one minor endoscopic bleeding event (UCL=0.0169). Conclusions Consistent with expert guidelines, the absolute risk attributable to gastroduodenal biopsy in adults taking antiplatelet agents seems to be low. Half of routine biopsies enter submucosa. The largest blood vessels avulsed during biopsy correspond to midsized and large arterioles and venules.
Mobilité quotidienne et pauvreté. Méthodologie et résultats. Enquête sur la mobilité, le transport et les services urbains à Dakar

La croissance demographique et la predominance de l'habitat horizontal en Afrique de l'Ouest ont favorise une forte extension spatiale des villes africaines qui rend de plus en plus difficiles les conditions de deplacement des citadins, particulierement des pauvres. Ceux-ci se trouvent souvent refoules dans des zones eloignees du centre, peu ou mal desservies en services urbains de base, avec des infrastructures routieres generalement deficientes et des services de transport collectif limites en quantite et qualite. Pour ces citadins pauvres ne disposant pratiquement pas de vehicules de transport individuels et a la faible solvabilite financiere, le risque est alors que la pauvrete se convertisse presque automatiquement en exclusion des emplois et des services urbains.Les analyses que les auteurs ont entrepris sur les villes de Bamako, Niamey et Ouagadougou a partir d'enquetes menages realisees dans les annees 90 confirment globalement cette situation. Elles mettent en evidence des ecarts sensibles de mobilite entre pauvres et « non pauvres », mais surtout des differences dans les conditions de realisation de ces deplacements. La pratique quotidienne de la marche a pied est plus repandue chez les plus pauvres et leur mobilite est restreinte aux deplacements de proximite, avec cependant des pratiques de marche sur de longues distances. La majorite des actifs n'echappe pas a cette mobilite de proximite. Deux situations permettent cependant de compenser partiellement le manque de moyens economiques vis-a-vis des besoins de transport : le fait de resider dans des quartiers centraux, mieux equipes qu'en peripherie, et le fait de disposer d'un vehicule individuel, notamment d'un deux-roues motorise ou d'un velo. Par ailleurs, l'acces aux vehicules du menage est inegalitaire au sein de l'unite residentielle, la priorite etant donnee aux actifs, scolaires et etudiants.
THOUGHTS ON INFLUENCE OF PRESSURE AND THERMAL HISTORY ASSUMPTIONS ON PETROLEUM SYSTEM MODELLING

The use of petroleum system modelling (PSM) requires the integration of the geological sciences with petroleum engineering, physics and chemistry. In a recent study, Mahanfane et al. (2014) applied 1-D PSM to the study of maturation and petroleum generation in northern Mozambique. However, PSM cannot divorce itself from the fundamental laws of mechanics and thermodynamics when attempting to derive a thermal history to be used for the modelling of maturation and petroleum generation. As will be shown in this paper, the application of mechanics and thermodynamics to the derivation of the thermal history will require some radical changes to the methods used in PSM. Mechanics and thermodynamics require a reducing heat flow during subsidence, but require an increased heat flow during inversion. The reason for the failure to apply mechanics and thermodynamics during thermal history derivation in PSM arises from the failure to incorporate the effects of pressure into the kinetic models used for predicting maturation and petroleum generation. Pressure increases the activation energy of endothermic reactions, e.g., maturation and petroleum generation, in the kinetic model used to predict the reaction rate, and results in higher temperatures being required to produce the same transformation ratio as would be required for the current temperature-time kinetic models. Incorporating pressure should enable the same thermal history obtained from tectonic history-mechanicthermodynamic models to be used as those used to calibrate the thermal history using maturity parameters, e.g., vitrinite reflectance.
Clinical Operational Tolerance after Kidney Transplantation

Induction of allograft‐specific tolerance and the detection of a “tolerance” state in recipients under immunosuppression with long‐term stable graft function are major challenges in transplantation. Clinical “operational tolerance,” defined as stable and acceptable graft function without immunosuppression for years, is a rare event. There is no report on the clinical history of such patients. In this article, we report on the medical history of 10 kidney recipients who display an immunosuppressive drug‐free “operational tolerance” for 9.4 ± 5.2 years. Clinical factors that may favor such a tolerant state are underlined. Firstly, most of the patients interrupted immunosuppression over a long time period (until 4 years), which mimics the procedure of intentional immunosuppression weaning following liver transplantation. Secondly, donor age was younger (median 25 years) than the one of the general transplanted population, suggesting that graft quality is one of the conditions favoring “operational tolerance. ” Moreover, the “operationally tolerant” recipients may be ‘low responders’ to blood transfusions (PRA 6 ± 5.4%, six blood transfusions). We also show that “operational tolerance” occurs in the presence of anti‐donor class II antibodies, as assessed in two patients. Finally, two patients degraded their renal function 9 to 13 years after treatment withdrawal, however only one presented histological lesions of chronic rejection.
Urocortin's Inhibition of Tumor Growth and Angiogenesis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Corticotrophin-Releasing Factor Receptor 2

Urocortin (UCN) functions via corticotrophin-releasing factor receptors (CRFRs), CRFR1 & 2. CRFR2 is reported to be a tonic suppressor of vascularization, implying its role in tumor angiogenesis. Here, it was found that UCN inhibited the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and reduced tumor microvessel density in nude mice. Hepatoma cells didn't express CRFRs whereas vessels expressed CRFRs, mainly CRFR2. In vitro three-dimensional culture assay showed UCN inhibited angiogenesis, this effect was abolished by CRFR2 antagonist, anti-sauvagine-30, demonstrating involvement of CRFR2. Furthermore, UCN inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of endothelial cells and down-regulated VEGF expression in vivo via CRFR2.
Study of Effect of High-Flux Versus Low-Flux Dialysis Membranes on Parathyroid Hormone

Objective: Investigate the influence of permeability of low-flux versus high-flux dialysis membranes on intact PTH during hemodialysis. Background: Hyperparathyroidism is a common finding in patients with renal insufficiency and parathyroid hormone (PTH) is considered a uremic toxin responsible for many of the abnormalities of the uremic state and bone disease. Materials and Methods: Forty adult patients on regular hemodialysis were enrolled in a prospective study. Low-flux polysulfone membranes were used for at least 6 months and then the patients were switched to use high-flux polysulfone membranes for 1 month. Serum electrolytes and intact PTH before and after dialysis were compared before and after changes in dialysis membrane. Results: At the end of the 1-month use of high-flux filters, predialysis intact PTH level (415.96 ± 226.72 ng/dL) showed a significant decline (P < 0.05) compared to the predialysis intact PTH (312.28 ± 191.98 ng/dL) with low-flux membranes. Intact PTH level correlated negatively with serum calcium and positively with serum phosphorus levels only in the predialysis samples with the use of low-flux but not high-flux filters. Conclusion: High-flux dialysis membranes are more efficient in removal of intact PTH, one of the middle-sized uremic toxins, than low-flux membranes.
Selective Decrease in Paracellular Conductance of Tight Junctions: Role of the First Extracellular Domain of Claudin-5

ABSTRACT Claudin-5 is a protein component of many endothelial tight junctions, including those at the blood-brain barrier, a barrier that limits molecular exchanges between the central nervous system and the circulatory system. To test the contribution of claudin-5 to this barrier function of tight junctions, we expressed murine claudin-5 in Madin-Darby canine kidney II cells. The result was a fivefold increase in transepithelial resistance in claudin-5 transductants and a reduction in conductance of monovalent cations. However, the paracellular flux of neither neutral nor charged monosaccharides was significantly changed in claudin-5 transductants compared to controls. Therefore, expression of claudin-5 selectively decreased the permeability to ions. Additionally, site-directed mutations of particular amino acid residues in the first extracellular domain of claudin-5 altered the properties of the tight junctions formed in response to claudin-5 expression. In particular, the conserved cysteines were crucial: mutation of either cysteine abolishted the ability of claudin-5 to increase transepithelial resistance, and mutation of Cys64 strikingly increased the paracellular flux of monosaccharides. These new insights into the functions of claudin-5 at the molecular level in tight junctions may account for some aspects of the blood-brain barrier's selective permeability.
Band Alignment and Performance Improvement Mechanisms of Chlorine-Treated ZnO-Gate AlGaN/GaN Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor High-Electron Mobility Transistors

The intrinsic ZnO (i-ZnO) film deposited by a vapor cooling condensation system was used as the gate dielectric layer of the AlGaN/GaN MOS-HEMTs. The chlorine surface treatment was utilized to obtain a high-quality i-ZnO/AlGaN interface due to the reduced surface state density. The chlorine-treated MOS-HEMTs showed the better direct current and pulsed output performances than those of the untreated MOS-HEMTs. The resulting unit gain cutoff frequency and the maximum frequency of oscillation were 9.5 and 19.4 GHz, respectively. The Hooge's coefficient was 7.23 × 10-6, when the chlorine-treated ZnO-gate MOS-HEMTs operated at 100 Hz and the gate-source voltage of -4 V. Compared with the untreated MOS-HEMTs, the chlorine-treated MOS-HEMTs revealed better performances. The valence-band offset of i-ZnO/AlGaN was measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The valence-band offset of the i-ZnO film on the untreated and the chlorine-treated AlGaN was 1.53 and 2.05 eV, respectively. The conduction-band offset of the i-ZnO film on the untreated AlGaN and the chlorine-treated AlGaN was deduced to be 0.77 and 1.29 eV, respectively. The improved performances of the chlorine-treated MOS-HEMTs and the enhanced conduction-band offset of the i-ZnO/AlGaN interface were attributed to the decrease of Ga dangling bonds and the passivation of N vacancies on the AlGaN surface by using the chlorine surface treatment.
Próffræðilegt mat á DASS sjálfsmatskvarðanum. Þunglyndi, kvíði og streita

Markmið rannsokna var að skoða proffraeðilega eiginleika islensku utgafu Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS; Lovibond og Lovibond, 1995b). DASS er sjalfsmatskvarði fyrir þunglyndi, kviða og streitu, byggður a 42 fullyrðingum. I rannsokn 1 var DASS-kvarðinn lagður fyrir nema við Haskola Islands (n = 373) asamt oðrum sjalfsmatskvorðum til samanburðar. Niðurstoður leitandi þattagreiningar styðja þriggja þatta aðgreiningu Lovibond og Lovibond (1995b). Areiðanleiki undirkvarða er fullnaegjandi og mat a samleitni- og aðgreiningarrettmaeti kvarða styður þriggja þatta likan DASS-kvarðans. Skipting skora i fimm flokka eftir alvarleika var skoðuð og sýndi hun alika niðurstoður og upphafleg viðmið fra Lovibond og Lovibond (1995b). Rannsokn 2 byggði a gognum fra geðdeild LSH og samanstoð af tveimur urtokum sjuklinga (hopur 1: þatttakendur i hugraenni atferlismeðferð við lagu sjalfsmati n = 289, hopur 2: þatttakendur i hopmeðferð vegna afengis-og vimuefnavanda n = 113) og storu urtaki barnshafandi kvenna sem gengist hofðu undir skimun fyrir þunglyndi og kviða við reglulegt eftirlit a heilsugaeslustoðvum (hopur 3; n = 1810). Niðurstoður þattagreiningar a gognum sjuklinga sýndi skýra þriggja þatta byggingu listans en meiri samslattur var a milli þatta i niðurstoðum fyrir barnshafandi konur. Areiðanleiki þatta var fullnaegjandi i baðum urtokum. Greiningarhaefni var skoðuð með ROC-greiningu og sýndi goða matshaefni DASS-kvarðans. Greiningarviðmið voru skoðuð ut fra ROC-kurfum og toluverður munur kom fram a milli hopa. Sambaerilegar profanir voru gerðar a styttri utgafu kvarðans (DASS21) og voru niðurstoður aþekkar og fyrir lengri utgafuna. Almennt seð voru niðurstoður proffraeðilegra eiginleika islenskrar utgafu DASS-kvarðans i samraemi við niðurstoður erlendra rannsokna. Frekari þorf er a rannsoknum til skoðunar a greiningarviðmiðum DASS-kvarðans við skimun a geðroskunum.
Energy metabolisability and digestibility of amino acids by broilers fed on malted sorghum sprouts supplemented with polyethylene glycol, charcoal, phytase and xylanase

1. A precision feeding study was conducted to determine the metabolisable energy and amino acid digestibility in broilers fed on malted sorghum sprouts (MSP) supplemented with polyethylene glycol (PEG), charcoal (CH), phytase and xylanase. 2. A total of 64 male Ross broilers housed individually (8 replicates per treatment) were fed 30 g of the feedstuff as follows by gavage: MSP, MSP + 1 g PEG/kg, MSP + 10 g PEG/kg, MSP + 1 g CH/kg, MSP + 10 g CH/kg, MSP + 3600 IU of evolved E. coli phytase/kg (EC 3.1.3.26) and MSP + 1600 IU of bacterial xylanase/kg (EC 3.2.1.8). Another group of birds was used for the assessment of endogenous loss and they were provided with 50 ml glucose solution each by gavage. 3. True dry matter digestibility (TDMD), true nitrogen retention (TNR), total tract digestibility of apparent and true metabolisable energy (AME and TME) and amino acid (AAD and TAAD) were determined. 4. MSP contained 244·4, 24·0, 74·9 and 224·0 g/kg of crude protein, ether extract, ash and neutral detergent fibre, respectively. The total tannin content of the product was 140 g/kg and 99% of this was bound. 5. The various dietary treatments did not significantly affect the TDMD, TNR, AME and TME of MSP. The low values (0·471 g/g, −0·164 g/g, 6·15 MJ/kg and 9·31 MJ/kg, respectively) for the above measurements depicted the low feeding value of un-supplemented MSP for poultry. Also, PEG, CH and enzymes did not improve the AAD and TAAD of MSP for poultry. 6. It was concluded that the tannin content of MSP is high and it appeared to be bound with other nutrients thereby reducing their availability. This may explain its low AME and amino acid digestibility and the lack of effect of the various treatments for poultry.
The Revictimization of Child Sexual Abuse Survivors: An Examination of the Adjustment of College Women with Child Sexual Abuse, Adult Sexual Assault, and Adult Physical Abuse

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is associated with greater vulnerability to victimization in adulthood. Such experiences may have a cumulative effect. This study compared the adjustment of 633 women experiencing revictimization, multiple adult victimizations, single adult victimization, CSA only, or no victimization. Somatization, depression, anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity, hostility, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology were examined. Results support the cumulative effect of trauma but do not indicate differential effects for child to adult revictimization. Women with revictimization and multiple adult assaults reported more difficulties compared to women with only one form of adult abuse or no victimization. Women with CSA only reported similar symptoms as revictimized women and women with multiple adult assaults reported higher levels of distress than nonabused women and appeared somewhat more likely to experience anxiety and PTSD-related symptoms as compared to women with only adult abuse. Women with adult assault only and no abuse reported similar levels of distress.
Coagulation Profile in Severe Preeclampsia

One hundred women with severe preeclampsia or chronic hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia were seen during a 2-year period. We sought to determine whether a normal platelet count assures that no other clinically significant clotting abnormalities are present, and what level of thrombocytopenia predicts a risk of abnormalities in other coagulation indices. Fifty women had platelet counts below 150,000/µL, of whom 13 had a fibrinogen level below 300 mg/dL and two had a prolonged prothrombin time (PT) or partial thromboplastin time (PTT). The admission platelet count was an excellent predictor of subsequent thrombocytopenia (r=0.829, P < .001). No subject had an abnormal fibrinogen level or prolonged PT or PTT in the absence of thrombocytopenia. When monitoring intrapartum coagulation indices in preeclampsia, one can safely follow only the platelet count at admission and subsequently, reserving PT and PTT and fibrinogen levels for those cases complicated by counts less than 100,000/µL.