Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the BioLogic-DT sorbent-suspension dialyser in patients with fulminant hepatic failure

The BioLogic-DT sorbent suspension dialyser was developed to remove toxic substances from the blood of patients with liver failure. In the present study a randomised controlled trial was carried out in 10 patients with fulminant hepatic failure who had developed grade 4 encephalopathy to evaluate the safety and biocompatibility of the dialyser in such severely ill patients. A total of 18 treatments were performed in 5 patients. Haemodynamic stability was maintained throughout. There was a significant loss of platelets (163 ± 34 to 101 ± 13 x 109/l) and decrease in plasma fibrinogen (0.53 ± 0.09 to 0.31 ± 0.08 g/l) with a rise in blood activated clotting time (190 ± 17 to 223 ± 22 sec) — not seen in the controls —, which was a result of the dialysis being carried out without the use of heparin as anticoagulant. Removal of metabolites by treatment was limited, with no significant effect on blood ammonia level and further developments of the system will be needed for this very sick group of patients.
Noise shaping with global delayed feedback 2 . The models 2 . 1 . Renewal and nonrenewal models

The interplay between intrinsic and network dynamics has been the focus of many investigations. Here we use a combination of theoretical and numerical approaches to study the effects of delayed global feedback on the information transmission properties of neural networks. Specifically, we compare networks of neurons that display intrinsic interspike interval correlations (nonrenewal) to networks that do not (renewal). We find that excitatory and inhibitory delays can tune information transmission by single neurons but not by the entire network. Most surprisingly, addition of a delay can change the dependence of the information on the coupling strength for renewal neurons and not for nonrenewal neurons. Our results show that intrinsic ISI correlations can have nontrivial interactions with network-induced phenomena.
A neutrophil elastase inhibitor, sivelestat, improves leukocyte deformability in patients with acute lung injury.

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the neutrophil elastase (NE) inhibitor, sivelestat, improves leukocyte deformability and pulmonary function in patients with acute lung injury (ALI). PATIENTS AND METHODS Twenty-four patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) were divided into two groups: those with ALI (ALI group, n = 14), and those without ALI (non-ALI group, n = 10). Within 72 hours after the diagnosis, we measured the total leukocyte count (TLC), C-reactive protein (CRP) level, NE concentration, APACHE II score, Goris multiple organ failure (MOF) index, respiratory index (RI), lung injury score (LIS), and oxygenation index (P/F ratio). Leukocyte deformability was examined with a microchannel array etched on a single-crystal silicon tip that simulates the microvasculature. The number of obstructed microchannels (NOM) because of stiffened neutrophils and transit time (TT), defined as the time needed for 100 microL of whole blood to pass through the microchannels, were determined. We then administered sivelestat (4.8 mg/kg/d) to nine ALI patients (sivelestat group) for 5 days and compared with seven ALI patients treated previously without sivelestat (conventional group). The factors described above were measured before and 5 days after treatment. RESULTS There were no significant differences in age, TLC, CRP, APACHE II score, and MOF index between ALI and non-ALI group. RI and LIS were higher and the P/F ratio was significantly lower in the ALI group than in the non-ALI group. NE concentration, NOM, and TT were significantly higher in the ALI group than in the non-ALI group (p < 0.05). After 5 days of treatment with sivelestat, the APACHE II score, MOF index, RI, LIS, NE concentration, TT, and NOM were lower and the P/F ratio was significantly higher than baseline values and those in the conventional group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION NE concentration and neutrophil rigidity are significantly increased in SIRS patients with ALI. Sivelestat appears to reduce NE concentration and neutrophil stiffness and improve pulmonary oxygenation in patients with ALI.
Sex hormone replacement therapy reverses altered venous contractility in rats after pharmacological ovariectomy

Objective Female sex hormones have several important effects on the venous system. We earlier found that hormone replacement has a significant effect on venous distensibility, but effects of menopause and hormone replacement on venous contractility have never been studied. Therefore, and because the changes we found earlier in distensibility were most likely caused by alterations of contractility, we examined the changes in contractility of saphenous vein caused by depletion and replacement of sex hormones in female rats. Design Twenty Sprague-Dawley rats were pharmacologically ovariectomized by triptorelin. Ten of these rats received combined sex hormone replacement (HRT) with estradiol propionate and medroxyprogesterone acetate. The rest were given vehicle. Ten animals without ovariectomy served as controls. After 3 months of treatment, segments of the saphenous vein were dissected. Pressure-diameter curves were recorded in relaxed, contracted, and control states. Results Venous diameter, adjusted for body weight, was significantly decreased after pharmacological ovariectomy. HRT increased the diameter. The presence of sex hormones augmented norepinephrine contraction measured at physiological pressures (control: 19.2 ± 2.3%; pharmacological ovariectomy: 15.2 ± 1.4%, p < 0.05 and 17.8 ± 2.2% following HRT). Myogenic (spontaneous) tone of the saphenous vein did not change after ovariectomy, but it was lowered by hormone replacement (control: 8 ± 1.1%; ovariectomy: 6.9 ± 2.5%; ovariectomy + HRT: 2.7 ± 1.1%, p < 0.05). Conclusions Sex hormone depletion induces significant alterations in contractility of the saphenous vein, which could perturb venous capacitance function and distensibility. This effect has a potential role in the development of hypertension and venous varicosity, and these changes could possibly be prevented by HRT.
Clinical and Dosimetric Risk Factors of Acute Esophagitis in Patients Treated With 3-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy for Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Purpose:To analyze the clinical and dosimetric risk factors of acute esophagitis (AE) in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT). Methods and Materials:One hundred two NSCLC patients treated with 3D-CRT were retrospectively analyzed. Forty of these 102 patients analyzed were treated with concurrent chemotherapy (CCT). The median biologic effective dose of radiotherapy was 72.0 Gy. AE was scored according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group criteria. The clinical and dosimetric factors associated with grade 2 or worse AE were analyzed using univariate and multivariate binary logistic analysis. Results:There were no grade 4 or 5 AE observed in the 102 patients analyzed. Thirty-four of 102 patients (33.3%) developed grade 2 or 3 AE. Univariate analysis showed that clinical factors, such as lymph nodes stage (N 0/1 vs. N 2/3), pretreatment weight loss ≥5%, CCT, and the use of late-course hyperfractionated radiotherapy were significantly associated with grade 2 and 3 AE. Dose volume parameters of esophagus including mean esophageal dose, maximal esophageal dose, rV15, rV20, rV25, rV30, rV35, rV40, rV45, rV50, rV55, rV60 were also associated with AE. On multivariate forward step-wise logistic analysis, CCT, lymph nodes stage, and rV55 emerged as the statistically most significant factors of AE with OR parameters of 8.911, 4.832, and 1.083, respectively. Conclusion:CCT, lymphatic status, and rV55 were strong predictors of grade 2 or worse AE in NSCLC treated with 3D-CRT.
Functional identification of nucleotides conferring substrate specificity to retroviral integrase reactions

The long terminal repeats (LTRs) that flank the retroviral DNA genome play a distinct role in the integration process by acting as specific substrates for the integrase (IN). The role of LTR sequences in providing substrate recognition and specificity to integration reactions was investigated for INs from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV), human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), and human T-cell leukemia virus type 2 (HTLV-2). Overall, these INs required specific LTR sequences for optimal catalysis of 3'-processing reactions, as opposed to strand transfer and disintegration reactions. It is of particular note that in strand transfer reactions the sites of integration were similar among the four INs. In the 3'-processing reaction, sequence specificity for each IN was traced to the three nucleotides proximal to the conserved CA. Reactions catalyzed by M-MuLV IN were additionally influenced by upstream regions. The nucleotide requirements for optimal catalysis differed for each IN. HIV-1 IN showed a broad range of substrate specificities, while HTLV-1 IN and HTLV-2 IN had more defined sequence requirements. M-MuLV IN exhibited greater activity with the heterologous LTR substrates than with its own wild-type substrate. This finding was further substantiated by the high levels of activity catalyzed by the IN on modified M-MuLV LTRs. This work suggests that unlike the other INs examined, M-MuLV IN has evolved with an IN-LTR interaction that is suboptimal.
Altered Proximal T‐Cell Receptor Signalling Events in Mouse CD4+ T Cells in the Presence of Anti‐CD4 Monoclonal Antibodies: Evidence for Reduced Phosphorylation of Zap‐70 and LAT

Anti‐CD4 monoclonal antibodies are potential therapeutic agents for the prevention of autoimmune disease and treatment of rejection after organ transplantation and are capable of both restoring tolerance to self‐antigens and inducing tolerance to antigens introduced under the cover of the antibody therapy in vivo. Tolerance to donor alloantigens can be induced in vivo by administering donor alloantigen in combination with either depleting (YTA 3.1) or nondepleting (YTS 177) anti‐CD4, 28 days before heart transplantation in the mouse. The effect of anti‐CD4 on proximal T‐cell receptor (TCR) signalling pathways and proliferation was investigated in vitro and in vivo in the presence and absence of YTA 3.1 or YTS 177. Anti‐CD4 was found to perturb proximal signalling events upon TCR/CD3 ligation, resulting in reduced tyrosine phosphorylation of Zap‐70 and LAT (linker for activation of T cells) and reduced association of tyrosine‐phosphorylated LAT with lck. This ultimately resulted in severely reduced proliferation of the responding CD4+ T cells. The signalling profile of the anti‐CD4‐treated cells resembled that of anergic T cells. This could be a result of a common mechanism involving perturbation in the formation of the central supramolecular activation cluster of the immunological synapse by impaired recruitment of CD4 and CD28, thereby resulting in severely reduced lck activation.
On the application of the “enlargement law” to cable lines

Considerations on the application of the ";enlargement law"; have been performed following dielectric strength tests on short samples of both cable models and real cables. In particular it has been considered the application of such law when the aim is the comparison of the dielectric strength relevant to typical installation length of real cables manufactured with different insulation compounds.
Computed Tomography and Cross‐Sectional Anatomy of the Metatarsus and Digits of the One‐humped Camel (
Camelus dromedarius) and Buffalo (
Bos bubalis)

The purpose of the present study was to provide a detailed computed tomography (CT) and cross‐sectional anatomic reference of the normal metatarsus and digits for the camel and buffalo, as well as to compare between metatarsus and digits in these animals to outstand a basis for diagnosis of their diseases. Advantages, including depiction of detailed cross‐sectional anatomy, improved contrast resolution and computer reformatting, make it a potentially valuable diagnostic technique. The hind limbs of 12 healthy adult camel and buffalo were used. Clinically relevant anatomic structures were identified and labelled at each level in the corresponding images (CT and anatomic slices). CT images were used to identify the bony and soft tissue structures of the metatarsus and digits. The knowledge of normal anatomy of the camel and buffalo metatarsus and digits would serve as initial reference to the evaluation of CT images in these species.
Effect of nitrogen on Passiflora suberosa L. (Passifloraceae) and consequences for larval performance and oviposition in Heliconius erato phyllis (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).

The present study examines the influence of nitrogen on growth rates, morphological and nutritional characteristics of Passiflora suberosa L. , and the corresponding consequences for Heliconius erato phyllis (Fabricius) growth and oviposition. The treatments consisted of different nitrogen doses (0, 150 and 300 mg L(-1)) applied to the soil. Newly emerged larvae were individually reared in the laboratory (25+/-1 degree C) on branches of P. suberosa obtained from plants grown under the three nitrogen levels, and field collected females were submitted to oviposition choice tests. P. suberosa growth rates, leaf area and internode length increased significantly when grown with nitrogen enriched soil. P. suberosa presented significantly greater leaf toughness when grown without nitrogen addition. Leaves of this species also presented lower water content and toughness. Nitrogen addition increased the concentration of nitrogen and potassium on plant leaf tissues. The greater nitrogen concentration on plants did not affect H. erato phyllis larval survival, but led to a reduction in larval development time and increased adult size. Females significantly preferred to lay eggs in plants cultivated in nitrogen enriched soil. This choice was positively correlated with larval performance, which could be a possible explanation for the maintenance of that behaviour, as well as the choice of larger branches as reported in previous studies.
Multinational Ownership, Intellectual Property Rights and Knowledge Di¤usion from Foreign Direct Investment

In this paper we extend the vertical linkages model by Markusen and Venables (1999) to include (a) diering degrees of multinational (MNE) ownership in their foreign a¢ liates and (b) knowledge diusion, in addi- tion to demand and supply linkages. We investigate the intra- and inter- industry eects of changes in MNE ownership on local …rms'productivity via demand linkages, price eects and knowledge diusion. Moreover, we also consider the mediating in‡uence of national intellectual property rights protection (IPP). Given the ambiguous predictions of our model, we also investigate these issues empirically in a panel of 1222 large …rms spread out over 20 countries and 18 manufacuring industries during the period 2000-2005: We …nd that in countries with low IPP, the occurence of intra-industry productivity eects is conditional on the cost structure of local …rms. Moreover, inter-industry productivity eects are largely absent. Conversely, in countries with high IPP, both intra-industry and inter-industry productivity eects are high. Also, the relationship beween productivity eects and MNE ownership varies both within and between industries, as well as between conditional and unconditional productivity eects. We interpret this empirical evidence as a con…rmation of our the- oretical conjecture that intra-industry knowledge diusion is dominated by unintended spillovers, whereas inter-industry knowledge diusion is dominated by intended knowledge transfers.
An ATF4‐Signal‐Modulating Machine Other Than GADD34 Acts in ATF4‐to‐CHOP Signaling to Block CHOP Expression in ER‐Stress‐Related Autophagy

Cells respond to ER‐stress via ER‐stress sensors, leading to the UPR and subsequent apoptosis; however, occasionally, they activate autophagy without subsequent apoptosis in response to ER‐stress. We previously showed that the induction of apoptosis by ER‐stress was related to the presence or absence of CHOP expression; nevertheless, how ATF4 expression is elicited without downstream CHOP expression is unknown. We studied the role of GADD34 on the induction of autophagy and/or apoptosis by NaF‐ or tunicamycin‐induced ER‐stress in HepG2 cells transfected with GADD34 siRNA. Although NaF and tunicamycin both induced PERK activation followed by eIF2α phosphorylation and ATF4 expression, CHOP expression was only induced by tunicamycin. Concomitant with the signaling change, autophagy was activated both by NaF and tunicamycin, and apoptosis was induced only by tunicamycin. After 4 h, GADD34 mRNA expression was also increased by NaF and tunicamycin. Suppression of GADD34 by GADD34 siRNA increased ATF4 expression in both NaF‐ and tunicamycin‐treated cells. The GADD34 siRNA increased CHOP expression, which corresponded to increased ATF4 in tunicamycin‐treated cells; however, the increased ATF4 did not induce CHOP expression in NaF‐treated cells. In concert with signal changes, siRNA treatment additively increased the autophagic activity of both NaF‐ and tunicamycin‐treated cells; however, apoptosis was produced and accelerated only for tunicamycin‐treated cells. These findings indicate that GADD34 expression induced by ER‐stress delays CHOP expression and retards apoptotic cell death, and that an ATF4‐signal‐modulating machine other than GADD34 acts on ATF4‐to‐CHOP signaling to block ATF4‐induced CHOP expression in ER‐stress related autophagy. J. Cell. Biochem. 116: 1300–1309, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effectiveness of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Among Trauma-Affected Children in Lusaka, Zambia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

IMPORTANCE Orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) are at high risk for experiencing trauma and related psychosocial problems. Despite this, no randomized clinical trials have studied evidence-based treatments for OVC in low-resource settings. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of lay counselor-provided trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) to address trauma and stress-related symptoms among OVC in Lusaka, Zambia. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This randomized clinical trial compared TF-CBT and treatment as usual (TAU) (varying by site) for children recruited from August 1, 2012, through July 31, 2013, and treated until December 31, 2013, for trauma-related symptoms from 5 community sites within Lusaka, Zambia. Children were aged 5 through 18 years and had experienced at least one traumatic event and reported significant trauma-related symptoms. Analysis was with intent to treat. INTERVENTIONS The intervention group received 10 to 16 sessions of TF-CBT (n = 131). The TAU group (n = 126) received usual community services offered to OVC. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was mean item change in trauma and stress-related symptoms using a locally validated version of the UCLA Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (range, 0-4) and functional impairment using a locally developed measure (range, 0-4). Outcomes were measured at baseline and within 1 month after treatment completion or after a waiting period of approximately 4.5 months after baseline for TAU. RESULTS At follow-up, the mean item change in trauma symptom score was -1.54 (95% CI, -1.81 to -1.27), a reduction of 81.9%, for the TF-CBT group and -0.37 (95% CI, -0.57 to -0.17), a reduction of 21.1%, for the TAU group. The mean item change for functioning was -0.76 (95% CI, -0.98 to -0.54), a reduction of 89.4%, and -0.54 (95% CI, -0.80 to -0.29), a reduction of 68.3%, for the TF-CBT and TAU groups, respectively. The difference in change between groups was statistically significant for both outcomes (P < .001). The effect size (Cohen d) was 2.39 for trauma symptoms and 0.34 for functioning. Lay counselors participated in supervision and assessed whether the intervention was provided with fidelity in all 5 community settings. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The TF-CBT adapted for Zambia substantially decreased trauma and stress-related symptoms and produced a smaller improvement in functional impairment among OVC having experienced high levels of trauma. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01624298.
A New Rat Model of Thrombotic Focal Cerebral Ischemia

We developed a fibrin-rich thrombotic focal cerebral ischemic model with reproducible and predictable infarct volume in rats. In male Wistar rats (n = 77), a thrombus was induced at the origin of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) by injection of thrombin via an intraluminal catheter placed in the intracranial segment of the internal carotid artery (ICA). Thrombus induction and consequent ischemic cell damage were examined by histopathological analysis and neurological deficit scoring, and by measuring changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) using laser–Doppler flowmetery (LDF), perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI), and by diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). Histopathology revealed that a fibrin-rich thrombus localized to the origin of the right MCA. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the right parietal cortex was reduced by 34–58% of preinjection levels after injection of thrombin in rats administered 30 U of thrombin (n = 10). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a reduction in CBF and a hyperintensity DWI encompassing the territory supplied by the right MCA. The infarct volume in rats administered 80 U of thrombin was 31.29 ± 12.9% of the contralateral hemisphere at 24 h (n = 13), and 34.7 ± 16.4% of the contralateral hemisphere at 168 h (n = 6). Rats administered 30 U of thrombin exhibited a hemispheric infarct volume of 34.0 ± 14.5% (n = 9) at 24 h and 29.7 ± 13.9% (n = 8) at 168 h. In addition, thrombotic rats (n = 3) treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) (10 mg/kg) 2 h after thrombosis showed that CBF rapidly returned towards preischemic values as measured by PWI. This model of thrombotic ischemia is relevant to thromboembolic stroke in humans and may be useful in documenting the safety and efficacy of thrombolytic intervention as well as for investigating therapies complementary to antithrombotic therapy.