Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
and Brian Manufacture of a Phosphorylated Cotton Chronic Wound Dressing Development of a Continuous Finishing Chemistry Process

A phosphorylated form of cotton gauze for treatment of chronic wounds was designed to improve the wound dressing’s capacity to remove harmful proteases from the wound and facilitate healing. Development of the fabric finishing chemistry of the wound dressing with a process suitable for textile mill production required adapting the stationary finishing chemistry of the cotton phosphorylation from a batch-type pad-dry-cure finishing treatment to a continuous pilot scale finishing process. Issues in optimizing the cotton finishing process took into consideration dressing sterilization, the effect of city water versus de-ionized water, retention of the fabric whiteness index and protease sequestration capacity of the dressing, which is the index of the dressing’s efficacy. Three types of sterilization approaches were assessed, including gamma ray, ethylene oxide and steam sterilization to determine the effect of sterilization on the phosphorylated cotton dressing and the subsequent efficacy of the sterilized dressing to remove proteases from the wound. Two phosphorylation reagents were compared for their ability to phosphorylate cotton in a urea-based formulation and yield an active, effective dressing, with a high whiteness index. Phosphorylation with a diammonium phosphate (DAP) : urea formulation generally gave a more effective dressing as an active protease sequestrant, and phosphorylation with sodium hexametaphosphate (SMP) : urea gave a higher whiteness index. Finishing formulations combining the *Author to whom correspondence should be addressed E-mail: Vince.Edwards@ars.usda. gov JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL TEXTILES, Vol. 39, No. 1—July 2009 27 1528-0837/09/01 0027–17 $10.00/0 DOI: 10.1177/1528083708092012 SAGE Publications 2009 Los Angeles, London, New Delhi and Singapore at LOUISIANA STATE UNIV on April 5, 2010 http://jit.sagepub. com Downloaded from two phosphorylating reagents, DAP and SMP : urea, were assessed to improve both whiteness and efficacy. However, sterilization of DAP treated cotton with ethylene oxide eradicated activity through apparent masking of the cellulose phosphate hydroxyls. Side reactions that may occur during ethylene oxide treatment were discussed as the possible origin of the phosphate hydroxyl masking. On the other hand, sterilization with gamma irradiation produced significant yellowing of the dressing. A SMP : urea (16 : 30) formulation was employed in the continuous process finishing treatment, and found to be most optimal for whiteness, efficacy and ease of sterilization, when adapted to industrial scale production of the cotton chronic wound dressing.
Long-term Outcome of Intravitreal Triamcinolone Acetonide injection for the Treatment of Uveitis Attacks in Behçet Disease

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) injection for posterior segment inflammation in Behçet disease (BD) patients. Methods: The authors reviewed the medical records of BD patients who underwent IVTA injection (4 mg/0.1 mL) for posterior uveitis attack unresponsive to systemic immunosuppression and were followed up for more than 24 months. Results: Forty-nine patients (49 eyes) were included. Mean best-corrected visual acuity improved from 0.89 logMAR units to 0.70, 0.64 at 12, 24 months, respectively. Complete inflammation control was achieved in 87.0% of patients, but 60.0% of them experienced relapse within 12 months. For phakic eyes, cumulative probabilities for cataract surgery were 13.8%, 48.9%, and 60.2% at 12, 24, and 36 months, respectively. Intraocular pressure elevation exceeding 21 mmHg was noted in 40.8%. Conclusions: In Behçet uveitis attack that is unresponsive or intolerant to systemic medications, IVTA injection is an effective therapeutic option, although ocular complications could limit its efficacy and repeatability.
Characterization of the T-Cell Receptor Vβ Repertoire in the Human Immune Response against Leishmania Parasites

ABSTRACT In order to explore a possible presence of hyperreactive T-cell clones in human cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), we have investigated, by flow cytometry, the expression of Vβ chains of T-cell receptors (TCRs) in the following types of cells: (i) peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from CL patients, which were then compared to those from normal volunteers; (ii) unstimulated and soluble Leishmania antigen-stimulated draining lymph node cells from CL patients; (iii) PBMCs from volunteers before versus after Leishmania immunization; and (iv) PBMCs from healthy volunteers that were primed in vitro with live Leishmania parasites. Our results show a modulation in the TCR Vβ repertoire during CL and after antigen stimulation of patients' cells. Vaccination, however, leads to a broad expansion of different Vβ TCRs. We also observed an association between TCR Vβ12 expression, T-cell activation, and gamma interferon production upon in vitro priming with Leishmania. Collectively, these results both indicate that infection with live parasites or exposure to parasite antigen can modulate the TCR Vβ repertoire and suggest that TCR Vβ12 may be implicated in the response to Leishmania.
Human DNA Polymerase κ Bypasses and Extends beyond Thymine Glycols during Translesion Synthesis in Vitro, Preferentially Incorporating Correct Nucleotides*

Human polymerase κ (polκ), the product of the human POLK (DINB1) gene, is a member of the Y superfamily of DNA polymerases that support replicative bypass of chemically modified DNA bases (Ohmori, H., Friedberg, E. C., Fuchs, R. P., Goodman, M. F., Hanaoka, F., Hinkle, D., Kunkel, T. A., Lawrence, C. W., Livneh, Z., Nohmi, T., Prakash, L., Prakash, S., Todo, T., Walker, G. C., Wang, Z., and Woodgate, R. (2001) Mol. Cell 8, 7–8; Gerlach, V. L. , Aravind, L. , Gotway, G. , Schultz, R. A. , Koonin, E. V. , and Friedberg, E. C. (1999) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 96, 11922–11927). Polκ is shown here to bypass 5,6-dihydro-5,6-dihydroxythymine (thymine glycol) generated in two different DNA substrate preparations. Polκ inserts the correct base adenine opposite thymine glycol in preference to the other three bases. Additionally, the enzyme correctly extends beyond the site of the thymine glycol lesion when presented with adenine opposite thymine glycol at the primer terminus. However, steady state kinetic analysis of nucleotides incorporated opposite thymine glycol demonstrates different misincorporation rates for guanine with each of the two DNA substrates. The two substrates differ only in the relative proportions of thymine glycol stereoisomers, suggesting that polκ distinguishes among stereoisomers and exhibits reduced discrimination between purines when incorporating a base opposite a 5R thymine glycol stereoisomer. When extending beyond the site of the lesion, the misincorporation rate of polκ for each of the three incorrect nucleotides (adenine, guanine, and thymine) is dramatically increased. Our findings suggest a role for polκ in both nonmutagenic and mutagenic bypass of oxidative damage.
Telomeres in Fishes

In fishes, as in other vertebrate species, the DNA component of the telomeres consists of the tandemly repeated TTAGGG motif. The length of the telomeric arrays in fishes ranges from 2 to 25 kb and shortens with age in some of the species. To date, chromosomal distribution of the telomeric DNA sequences has been examined in approximately 80 fish species of which about 42% show additional telomeric hybridization signals far from the chromosomal termini. Based on the chromosomal location, such internally located telomeric repeats may be classified into 4 categories: (1) telomeric DNA sequences located at the pericentromeric regions, (2) interstitial telomeric sites observed between centromeres and the bona fide telomeres, (3) telomeric DNA sequences that scatter along the nucleolus organizer regions, and (4) telomeric DNA repeats interspersed with the entire chromosomes. Most of the pericentromeric and interstitial telomeric sequences in fish are possible relicts of chromosome fusion events. The origin of the telomeric sequences co- localizing with the major rDNA sequences or scattered along the whole chromosomes is not clear. Internally located telomeric repeats are considered as ‘hot spots' for recombination and thus may potentially increase the rates of chromosome breaks and rearrangements leading to the various chromosomal polymorphisms in fishes. FISH with telomeric probe applied to metaphase spreads of androgenetic specimens that hatched from eggs exposed to ionizing radiation before insemination enabled the detection of small radiation-induced fragments of maternal chromosomes. Remnants of the irradiated chromosomes were found to be ring chromosomes with the interstitial telomeric signals, telomerless rings, fragments with fused sister chromatids, and linear fragments with telomeres detected at both of their ends. The increasing availability of techniques enabling the study of fish telomeres and telomerase and the easy access to numerous fish species strongly confirm that these animals are promising models in research concerning the role of telomeres and telomerase in vertebrate aging, repair of ionizing radiation-induced DNA double strand breaks, and chromosomal rearrangements.
Cost-effectiveness of interventions based on physical exercise in the treatment of various diseases: A systematic literature review

Objectives: The aim of this study was to review studies reporting cost-effectiveness of exercise-based interventions in treatment of various diseases. Methods: Systematic literature search using several databases. Abstracts initially screened independently by two authors, full-text articles again evaluated by two authors, who decided whether an article should be included. Included were scientifically valid articles describing controlled studies that included an exercise-based intervention in the treatment of an established medical condition, and also reported on the cost-effectiveness of the intervention, or its effect on the utilization of health services. Quality was assessed with an established approach. Results: A total of 914 articles were identified, of them 151 were obtained for closer review. Sixty-five articles describing sixty-one studies were included. Most (82 percent) were randomized trials. Twenty-eight studies dealt with musculoskeletal disorders, fifteen with cardiology, four with rheumatic diseases, four with pulmonary diseases, three with urinary incontinence, and two with vascular disorders. There was one study each in the fields of oncology, chronic fatigue, endocrinology, psychiatry, and neurology. Exercise interventions in musculoskeletal disorders were deemed to be cost-effective in 54 percent, in cardiology in 60 percent, and in rheumatic diseases in 75 percent of the cases. There was some evidence that exercise might be cost-effective in intermittent claudication, breast cancer patients, diabetes, and schizophrenia. Conclusions: The number of studies assessing cost-effectiveness of exercise interventions in various diseases is still limited. The results show large variation but suggest that some exercise interventions can be cost-effective. Most convincing evidence was found for rehabilitation of cardiac and back pain patients; however, even in these cases, the evidence was partly contradictory.
Guaranteeing Performance for Real-Time Communication in Wide-Area

The increasing importance of distributed multimedia applications and the emergence of user interfaces based on digital audio and digital video will soon require that computer communications networks offer real-time services. This paper argues that the feasibility of providing performance guarantees in a wide-area network should be investigated, and describes a possible approach. We present a model of the network to be studied, and discuss its generality, as well as the presumable limits to its validity in the future. We also give a careful formulation of the problem, including a precise definition of the guarantees to be provided and a provably correct scheme for the establishment of real- time connections with deterministic, statistical, and best-effort delay bounds.
Surgical Learning Aid: Reducing Uncertainty for the Novice during Simulated Minimally Invasive Surgery

Can a procedural learning aid assist novice surgeons in reducing uncertainty and workload during critical points of minimally invasive surgery in an OR environment? Twenty Tufts University students performed a multi-step cutting task on a laparoscopic skills training simulator, with and without a multi-media procedural learning aid. A simple between subjects design was used. The results showed that those subjects who used a learning aid while completing the procedural cutting task were significantly faster (p = 0.02). However, subjects' perceived workload with and without the learning aid were not significantly different. These results have implications for the teaching of residents and communication between experts and novices in the OR.
Kinetics and thermodynamics of nick sealing by T4 DNA ligase.

T4 DNA ligase is an Mg2+-dependent and ATP-dependent enzyme that seals DNA nicks in three steps: it covalently binds AMP, transadenylates the nick phosphate, and catalyses formation of the phosphodiester bond releasing AMP. In this kinetic study, we further detail the reaction mechanism, showing that the overall ligation reaction is a superimposition of two parallel processes: a 'processive' ligation, in which the enzyme transadenylates and seals the nick without dissociating from dsDNA, and a 'nonprocessive' ligation, in which the enzyme takes part in the abortive adenylation cycle (covalent binding of AMP, transadenylation of the nick, and dissociation). At low concentrations of ATP (<10 microM) and when the DNA nick is sealed with mismatching base pairs (e.g. five adjacent), this superimposition resolves into two kinetic phases, a burst ligation (approximately 0.2 min(-1)) and a subsequent slow ligation (approximately 2x10(-3) min(-1)). The relative rate and extent of each phase depend on the concentrations of ATP and Mg2+. The activation energies of self-adenylation (16.2 kcal.mol(-1)), transadenylation of the nick (0.9 kcal.mol(-1)), and nick-sealing (16.3-18.8 kcal.mol(-1)) were determined for several DNA substrates. The low activation energy of transadenylation implies that the transfer of AMP to the terminal DNA phosphate is a spontaneous reaction, and that the T4 DNA ligase-AMP complex is a high-energy intermediate. To summarize current findings in the DNA ligation field, we delineate a kinetic mechanism of T4 DNA ligase catalysis.
Torulopsis glabrata--an opportunistic pathogen in man.

Abstract A prospective study of the pathogenicity of Torulopsis glabrata was prompted by an increasing recognition of the organism in clinical specimens. The yeast was isolated 130 times from 37 patients in a general hospital over a 16-month period. T. glabrata was assigned a pathogenic role in 11 patients. Ten of the 11 patients had major underlying illnesses, and had been treated with antibiotics, steroids and other immunosuppressive drugs. Four patients had T. glabrata fungemia, all of whom died after febrile illnesses accompanied by hypotension. Histologic evidence of tissue invasion by T. glabrata was demonstrated at autopsy in six patients from whom the organism had been isolated ante mortem. A review of 15 previously reported cases and the data in this study indicate that T. glabrata is an opportunistic pathogen in the compromised host.
An investigation of the relationship between hemodynamics and thrombus deposition within patient-specific models of abdominal aortic aneurysm

The relationship between hemodynamics and thrombus deposition in abdominal aortic aneurysm is investigated for three patients (A, B and C), each with mature fusiform aneurysms. Our methodology utilises initial and follow-up computerised tomography scans for each patient to identify regions of mural thrombus growth and to provide patient-specific models for hemodynamic analysis using computational fluid dynamics. The intervals between scans for patients A, B and C were 17, 15 and 3 months, respectively. The simulations were performed using physiologically realistic boundary conditions. The hemodynamic features of the flow considered include the velocity field, the shear strain rate field, the time averaged wall shear stress and the oscillatory shear index. The parameter that showed best correlation with the location of thrombus growth was the oscillatory shear index. In particular, in the case of patient C where the interval between scans was the shortest, thrombus growth was observed at regions of low oscillatory shear index (OSI < 0.1).
The value and limitation of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in preventing recurrence of resected hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM To evaluate the value and limitation of postoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in preventing recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS In the first group, 987 postoperative patients with HCC, who did not have any evidence of recurrence in the first preventative TACE but were found to have recurrence at different times during the follow-up survey, were analyzed. In the second group, 643 postoperative patients with HCC had no TACE for compared study. To study the relationship between the recurrence time and the number of TACE treatments was analyzed. RESULTS The 6-, 12-, and 18-mo recurrence rates in the first and second groups were 22.2% (210 cases) vs 61.6% (396 cases), 78.0% (770 cases) vs 74.7% (480 cases) and 88.6% (874 cases) vs 80.1% (515 cases). There were significant differences between the recurrence rates of the two groups at 6 mo (P<0.0001). CONCLUSION The principal role of TACE after HCC operation is to suppress, detect early and treat micro-metastasis. It has a good effect of preventing recurrence of HCC in 6 mo, but such an effect is less satisfactory in a longer period. When it is uncertain whether HCC is single-central or multi-central and if there is cancer residue or metastasis after operation, TACE is valuable to prevent recurrence.
Effect of a ban on carrying firearms on homicide rates in 2 Colombian cities.

CONTEXT Homicide is a leading cause of death in Colombia, with much of the fatal interpersonal violence concentrated in the country's largest cities. Firearms are involved in as much as 80% of homicides in Colombia. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of an intermittent police-enforced ban on carrying firearms on the incidence of homicide in urban Colombia. DESIGN Interrupted time-series study with multiple replications. SETTING Cali, Colombia, during 1993 and 1994 and Bogotá, Colombia, from 1995 through August 1997. PARTICIPANTS The populations of Cali and Bogotá. INTERVENTION Carrying of firearms was banned on weekends after paydays, on holidays, and on election days. Enforcement included establishment of police checkpoints and searching of individuals during traffic stops and other routine law enforcement activity. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Homicide rates during intervention days were compared with rates during similar days without the intervention; estimates were based on comparisons within the same month, day of week, and time of day. RESULTS There were 4078 homicides in Cali during 1993 and 1994 (114.6 per 100,000 person-years). In Bogotá, 9106 homicides occurred from 1995 through August 1997 (61 per 100,000 person-years). The incidence of homicide was lower during periods when the firearm-carrying ban was in effect compared with other periods (multivariate-adjusted rate ratio, 0.86 [95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76-0.97] for Cali, and 0.87 [95% CI, 0.77-0.98] for Bogotá). CONCLUSION An intermittent citywide ban on the carrying of firearms in 2 Colombian cities was associated with a reduction in homicide rates for both cities.
A Sazonalidade da procura Turística na Ilha de Porto Santo

O turismo em ilhas tem vindo a assumir uma importância crescente no quadro do desenvolvimento turístico europeu. Nestas regiões as características de mono- produção alicerçadas num turismo vincadamente sazonal são corolário de uma gradual fragilização económica e social. Na ilha de Porto Santo, a crescente importância relativa da actividade turística e os respectivos efeitos da sazonalidade justificam a necessidade de estudos que dimensionem esse fenómeno e identifiquem as suas consequências, objectivos que norteiam o presente artigo. Conclui- se que o padrão sazonal na ilha de Porto Santo é originário no mercado doméstico, que concentra mais de 70% da procura turística. Neste contexto a diversificação de mercados e a aposta numa oferta complementar ao produto Sol e Praia é determinante para a inversão do actual padrão de procura, garantindo um desenvolvimento sustentável da ilha.
Detection of intrinsic cluster alignments to 100 Mpc/h in the SDSS

We measure the large-scale intrinsic alignments of galaxy clusters in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) using subsets of two cluster catalogues: 6625 clusters with 0.1<z<0.3 from the maxBCG cluster catalogue (Koester et al. 2007, 7500 sq. deg.), and 8081 clusters with 0.08<z<0.44 from the Adaptive Matched Filter catalogue (Dong et al. 2008, 6500 sq. deg.). We search for two types of cluster alignments using pairs of clusters: the alignment between the projected major axes of the clusters (`correlation' alignment), and the alignment between one cluster major axis and the line connecting it to the other cluster in the pair (`pointing' alignment). In each case, we use the cluster member galaxy distribution as a tracer of the cluster shape. All measurements are carried out with each catalogue separately, to check for dependence on cluster selection procedure. We find a strong detection of the pointing alignment on scales up to 100 Mpc/h, at the 6 or 10-sigma level depending on the cluster selection algorithm used. The correlation alignment is only marginally detected up to ~20 Mpc/h, at the 2 or 2.5-sigma level. These results support our current theoretical understanding of galaxy cluster intrinsic alignments in the LCDM paradigm, although further work will be needed to understand the impact of cluster selection effects and observational measurement errors on the amplitude of the detection.
“Browning” of adipose tissue – regulation and therapeutic perspectives

Abstract Obesity is considered a worldwide health concern. Most of obesity therapies are aimed at decreasing energy intake. However, recent data suggest that increasing cellular energy expenditure could be a useful approach to reduce adiposity. Adaptive thermogenesis, a biological process within the brown fat by which energy is dissipated in mitochondria, is a great tool to increase energy expenditure. Several studies have confirmed the presence of brown adipose tissue in adult humans, whose activity may make it a target for the treatment of obesity. Differentiation of brown adipocytes could be a potent tool to promote weight loss by increasing energy expenditure. Here we review the mechanisms potentially associated with expansion and activation of brown adipose tissue, and modulation of adaptive thermogenesis. Controlling one or more of these pathways could induce a positive regulation of brown adipogenesis. A better understanding of these molecular pathways could potentially result in novel anti-obesity therapies.