Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physical Therapy Management and Patient Outcomes Following ICU–Acquired Weakness: A Case Series

Background and Purpose: Individuals with critical illness experience dysfunction of many body systems including the neuromuscular system. Neuromuscular impairments result in a syndrome referred to as intensive care unit (ICU)–acquired weakness, which may lead to difficulty with activities and participation. The purposes of this case series were to (1) describe safety and feasibility of physical intervention in individuals with ICU-acquired weakness mechanically ventilated for at least 7 days and (2) characterize physical therapist management and patient outcomes. Case Description: Nineteen patients with ICU-acquired weakness who required mechanical ventilation for at least 7 days were enrolled over a 1-year period. Intervention: Physical therapy (PT) was provided 5 d/wk for 30 minutes per session. Outcomes: Outcome measures included manual muscle tests and item scores from the Functional Independence Measure. Participants completed 170 PT sessions. Only 20 sessions (12%) were stopped before 30 minutes. Seventeen participants survived to discharge; no PT-related adverse events occurred. At discharge, participants who went home showed a trend toward greater independence and strength than those who were discharged to another level of care. Median total hospital days was 28 for those discharged to home and 22 for those discharged to other level of care. Discussion: This case series demonstrates safety and feasibility of PT intervention for patients with ICU-acquired weakness requiring mechanical ventilation for at least 7 days. The examination and intervention procedures are described and could be implemented with other similar individuals in the hospital setting. Future studies should investigate frequency and duration of physical intervention, both during hospitalization and postdischarge, and how these factors influence outcomes.
Final Results of an Analysis of the Sheep and Goat Bones from Ain Ghazal, Jordan

Abstract This report presents the final results of an analysis of Neolithic sheep and goat bones from Ain Ghazal, Jordan. It proposes that domestic goats were present at Ain Ghazal from the time of the settlement's establishment at c. 9250 BP, that Persian wild goats were hunted in the vicinity of Ain Ghazal until c. 8500 BP, that domestic sheep were introduced to Ain Ghazal in small numbers some time before c. 8500 BP and that their numbers subsequently increased rapidly. During all periods the Ain Ghazal caprines seem to have been managed with an emphasis on subsistence-orientated meat production and maintenance of herd security. No evidence for the exploitation of secondary products was found. It is concluded that the appearance of domestic sheep at Ain Ghazal may have been linked more to a general decline in the importance of hunting than to the emergence of specialised pastoral economies.
Effects of Land Use Changes on Ecosystem Services Value Provided By Coastal Wetlands: Recent and Future Landscape Scenarios

Wetlands are very sensitive to land use changes which alter supply and quality of their ecosystem services. This study analyzes the effect of land cover changes on the spatial and temporal patterns of the value of ecosystem services provided by coastal wetlands in northwest Mexico. These ecosystems have a high degree of naturalness, but are at risk because of land use changes promoted to reactivate regional development. Remote sensing and Markov chains modeling were used to estimate change trends, together with a value transfer approach for the ecosystem service valuation. The results indicated that the total flow of ecosystem service value tended to increase (18 million dollars (2007 USD)), presumably biased by the highest worldwide value assigned to saltmarsh/unconsolidated bottom, which increased in area by 8% during the study period. The most notable transition probability was observed between natural wetlands, highlighting littoral and saltmarsh as the classes with the highest probability of change over time. The southern part of the study area is the most susceptible to change, where unconsolidated bottom and forested mangrove (saltmarsh) are prevalent. Therefore, we can argue that the conservation of these coastal environments should be a priority in future land use management.
Slotted SIW leaky-wave antenna with improved backward scanning bandwidth and consistent gain

A dumbbell-shaped slotted leaky-wave antenna based on composite right/left-handed metamaterial structure is proposed to improve the backward scanning bandwidth and achieve consistent gain. The antenna consists of substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) unit cells array, which is configured by a dumbbell-shaped slot, cut on the upper layer of the SIW, and an embedded patch underneath the dumbbell-shaped slot. The antenna improves the backward scanning bandwidth compared with the planar-slotted SIW leaky-wave antenna. A measured beam scanning range of −66° to 78° with consistent gain of > 10 dBi is achieved across a frequency range from 7.5 GHz to 13.0 GHz.
Extracellular matrix binding properties of recombinant fibronectin type II-like modules of human 72-kDa gelatinase/type IV collagenase. High affinity binding to native type I collagen but not native type IV collagen

72-kDa gelatinase/type IV collagenase is an important matrix metalloproteinase in the degradation of basement membranes and denatured collagens (gelatin). These proteolytic processes are required for pathologic tissue destruction and physiologic tissue remodeling. To investigate the molecular determinants of substrate specificity of this enzyme, a 21-kDa domain of 72-kDa gelatinase, consisting of three tandem fibronectin type II-like modules, was expressed in Escherichia coli. Similar to full-length 72-kDa gelatinase and the type II modules in fibronectin, the recombinant (r) fibronectin-like domain of this proteinase bound denatured type I collagen with an apparent Kd in the micromolar range. This domain, designated the collagen-binding domain (rCBD123), possesses at least two collagen-binding sites that can each be simultaneously occupied. rCBD123 also avidly bound elastin and denatured types IV and V collagens, but neither native types IV and V collagens nor fibronectin, all of which are substrates of the enzyme. Although 72-kDa gelatinase is involved in basement membrane degradation, rCBD123 also did not bind reconstituted basement membrane, laminin, or SPARC. Native type I collagen, which is not degraded by 72- kDa gelatinase, competed with gelatin for a shared binding site on rCBD123. rCBD123 also displaced full-length 72-kDa gelatinase bound to native type I collagen, further demonstrating that the collagen binding properties of the recombinant domain closely mimicked those of the full- length enzyme. Since rCBD123 showed reduced binding to pepsin-cleaved type I collagen, either or both of the collagen telopeptide ends contain recognition sites for the 72-kDa gelatinase fibronectin-like domain. This was confirmed by the avid binding of rCBD123 to the alpha 1(I) collagen cyanogen bromide fragment CB2 from the NH2-terminal telopeptide. rCBD123 also bound alpha 1(I)-CB7, which encompasses the fibronectin-binding site, and to alpha 1(I)-CB8, a fragment not bound by fibronectin. Thus, type I collagen contains multiple binding sites for rCBD123 which are partially masked by the triple helical conformation of native collagen and fully exposed upon unfolding of the triple helix. The potential of the fibronectin-like collagen binding domain of 72-kDa gelatinase to bind extracellular matrix proteins may facilitate enzyme localization in connective tissue matrices.
Real-time dynamics of peptide ligand–dependent receptor complex formation in planta

In plants, the flagellin and CLAVATA3 signaling pathways act through induced and preassembled receptor complexes, respectively. Monitoring receptor dynamics Plants use structurally related receptor complexes to respond to pathogens and growth signals, for example, using the flagellin (flg) and CLAVATA (CLV) receptors, respectively. Somssich et al. used multiparameter fluorescence imaging spectroscopy (MFIS) to assess the distribution of the receptor proteins and complexes at the membrane and the effect of their respective ligands. MFIS revealed that, before the presence of the bacterial peptide flg22, the receptors were kept apart and that the addition of flg22 triggered first receptor dimerization and then oligomerization of the dimeric complexes. In contrast, the receptors for the meristem-regulating peptide CLV3 existed as complexes before the presence of the ligand, and CLV3 induced their aggregation into membrane subdomains. This study demonstrates the usefulness of MFIS for analyzing receptor dynamics in living plant cells and reveals distinct characteristics of pathogen-sensing and growth-regulating pathways mediated by related receptor complexes. The CLAVATA (CLV) and flagellin (flg) signaling pathways act through peptide ligands and closely related plasma membrane–localized receptor-like kinases (RLKs). The plant peptide CLV3 regulates stem cell homeostasis, whereas the bacterial flg22 peptide elicits defense responses. We applied multiparameter fluorescence imaging spectroscopy (MFIS) to characterize the dynamics of RLK complexes in the presence of ligand in living plant cells expressing receptor proteins fused to fluorescent proteins. We found that the CLV and flg pathways represent two different principles of signal transduction: flg22 first triggered RLK heterodimerization and later assembly into larger complexes through homomerization. In contrast, CLV receptor complexes were preformed, and ligand binding stimulated their clustering. This different behavior likely reflects the nature of these signaling pathways. Pathogen-triggered flg signaling impedes plant growth and development; therefore, receptor complexes are formed only in the presence of ligand. In contrast, CLV3-dependent stem cell homeostasis continuously requires active signaling, and preformation of receptor complexes may facilitate this task.
Usefulness of plasmid profiles for differentiation of Shigella isolates in Bangladesh

We studied the plasmid profiles of 136 Shigella isolates in Bangladesh to determine whether plasmid profiles could be used for differentiation of strains for epidemiological studies. Many different plasmid patterns were observed within each species, indicating that many genetically different strains of Shigella are responsible for illness in Bangladesh.
Efficient resource use in simplified complete denture fabrication.

PURPOSE Conventional dentures will remain the only treatment available to most edentulous people for the foreseeable future. In this study, we compared the efficiency of two methods of making complete conventional dentures-the traditional academic standard (T) and a simplified technique (S) used in private practice. We have previously shown that they produce similar levels of patient satisfaction and denture quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data were gathered during a randomized controlled clinical trial of 122 subjects from initial examination until 6-month follow-up. For this report, the direct costs of providing one set of conventional complete dentures by T or S techniques were estimated. All materials used were recorded and their cost was calculated in Canadian dollars (CAN$). The costs of fabrication in an outside laboratory were added. Clinician's labor time was recorded for every procedure. Between-group comparisons for each clinical procedure were carried out with independent t-tests. The number of patients in each group who needed postdelivery treatment was compared with Chi-square tests. The effect of group assignment and of treatment difficulty on outcomes was analyzed with multiple regression analysis. RESULTS The mean total cost of the T method was significantly greater than S (CAN$166.3; p < 0.001), and clinicians spent 90 minutes longer (p < 0.001) on clinical care. The difficulty of the case had no significant influence on outcomes. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that the S method is the more cost-efficient method and that there are no negative consequences that detract from the cost savings.
Population biology of invasive species.

■ Abstract Contributions from the field of population biology hold promise for understanding and managing invasiveness; invasive species also offer excellent opportunities to study basic processes in population biology. Life history studies and demographic models may be valuable for examining the introduction of invasive species and identifying life history stages where management will be most effective. Evolutionary processes may be key features in determining whether invasive species establish and spread. Studies of genetic diversity and evolutionary changes should be useful for
Treatment Effects in Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity

A total of 221 patients (155 males, 66 females; stage I, n ¾ 55; stage II, n ¾ 58; stage III, n ¾ 57; stage IV, n ¾ 51) with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity were studied. Tumor localization was as follows: cancer of the tongue, n ¾ 161; cancer of the oral floor, n =28; cancer of the hard palate, n ¾ 12; cancer of the buccal mucosa, n ¾ 11; and cancer of the gingiva, n ¾ 9. In order to compare the effect of different treatments, three major treatment groups were defined, namely a surgery group, a radiotherapy group and a combination treatment group. Five-year cumulative survival rates showed significant differences between stage classifications (stage I=91%, stage II=73%, stage III=63%, stage IV=47%; p <0.01) but not between tumor sites. The 5-year cumulative survival rate was highest for oral floor cancer (80%). In the early-cancer group, the 5-year cumulative survival rate for the surgery group (92%) was significantly higher ( p <0.05) than those for both the radiation (69%) and combination (71%) groups. In the advanced-cancer group, the 5-year cumulative survival rate for the surgery group (74%) was significantly higher ( p <0.05) than those for both the radiation (37%) and combination (51%) groups. No significant difference in regional control rates was observed between the treatment groups. Five-year regional control rates were 86% for cervical untreated patients with T1N0 tumors and 60% for cervical untreated patients with T2N0 tumors. Fourteen N0 cases were treated with neck dissection. Cervical metastasis was found pathologically in 2/14 (14%) of these cases. The 5-year survival rate for patients with cervical recurrences after primary tumor resection was 70% ( n ¾ 15). In contrast, the 5-year survival rate for patients with both primary tumor resection and neck dissection was 74% ( n ¾ 14) but no significant difference was observed between these 2 groups.rate .
A condition for the stability of switched nonlinear systems

In this paper, we present a sufficient condition for the global asymptotic stability of a switched nonlinear system composed of a finite family of subsystems. We show that the global asymptotic stability of each subsystem and the pairwise commutation of the vector fields that define the subsystems (i.e., the Lie bracket of any pair of them is zero) are sufficient for the global asymptotic stability of the switched system. We also show that these conditions are sufficient for the existence of a common Lyapunov function.
Bile salt shift from albumin to high‐density lipoprotein in cholestasis

The distribution of [3H]taurocholate between albumin and the lipoproteins of serum of patients with various diseases in which lipoprotein metabolism and/or bile salt concentrations were altered and of healthy control subjects was investigated by means of the density gradient centrifugation method. 1 In control sera, bile salts distribute mainly between albumin and high‐density lipoprotein. An amount of 19.7 ± 3.6% (mean ± S.D., n = 6) of the total serum bile salts was found in the high‐density lipoprotein fraction of the density gradient. 2 In sera of nonicteric patients, the distribution pattern of [3H]taurocholate in the fractions of the density gradient showed no essential differences to normal serum. The relative amounts of tauro‐cholate in the albumin‐containing fractions and the high‐density lipoprotein fractions were dependent on the concentrations of albumin and high‐density lipoprotein. 3 In sera of deeply jaundiced patients, the distribution pattern of [3H]taurocholate showed two distinct peaks in the high‐density lipoprotein density range, one of which codistributed with high‐density lipoprotein2 and the other with a high‐density fraction of high‐density lipoprotein3 in the density range of 1.19 to 1.23 gm per ml. The distribution of [3H]taurocholate between albumin and high‐density lipoprotein was markedly shifted toward high‐density lipoprotein. No [3H]taurocholate association with lipoprotein X was observed. 4 Bilirubin was found to cause a shift of taurocholate from albumin to high‐density lipoprotein in vitro. It is proposed that bilirubin is responsible, at least in part, for the observed shift in icteric sera. Other organic anions tested (phenylalanine, methionine, tyrosine, proline, oleic acid and taurocholate up to concentrations of 500 μM) did not influence the distribution of [3H]taurocholate between the serum components in vitro.
for cell migration and for inflammatory leukocyte recruitment into the alveolar space

Inflammation is a key process in various diseases, characterized by leukocyte recruitment to the inflammatory site. The present study investigates the role of a disintegrin and a metalloproteinase 10 (ADAM10) and ADAM17 for leukocyte migration in vitro and in a murine model of acute pulmonary inflammation. Inhibition experiments or RNA knockdown indicated that monocytic THP-1 cells and primary human neutrophils require ADAM10 but not ADAM17 for efficient chemokine-induced cell migration. Signaling and adhesion events that are linked to cell migration such as p38 and Rho GTPase-family activation, F-actin polymerization, adhesion to fibronectin, and upregulation of α 5 -integrin were also dependent on ADAM10 but not ADAM17. This was confirmed with leukocytes isolated from mice lacking either ADAM10 or ADAM17 in all hematopoietic cells (Vav -Adam10 -/- or Vav-Adam17 -/- mice). In LPS-induced acute pulmonary inflammation alveolar recruitment of neutrophils and monocytes was transiently increased in Vav- Adam17 -/- but steadily reduced in Vav- Adam10 -/- mice. This deficit in alveolar leukocyte recruitment was also observed in LysM- Adam10 -/- mice lacking ADAM10 in myeloid cells and correlated with protection against edema formation. Thus, with regard to leukocyte migration, leukocyte-expressed ADAM10 but not ADAM17 displays proinflammatory activities and may therefore serve as a target to limit inflammatory cell recruitment. chemokine-induced signaling, adhesion, cytoskeletal rearrangement, and integrin-upregulation. Mice with selective protease deficiency in hematopoietic or myeloid cells were analyzed in a model of LPS-induced acute pulmonary inflammation. The results indicate that ADAM10 but not ADAM17 on hematopoietic cells promotes alveolar recruitment of tissue infiltrating leukocytes and development of pulmonary edema. of ERK1/2 and p38 via ADAM10. We here show that monocytic cell migration, adhesion to fibronectin, and upregulation of 5 -integrin depend on both signals, and at least p38 activation requires the presence of ADAM10. It is known that ADAM10 and ADAM17 can induce shedding of EGFR ligands resulting in autocrine and paracrine EGFR transactivation 20 followed by ERK1/2 and p38 phosphorylation. This EGFR pathway enhances migration of endothelial and endometriotic cells. 31;32 Importantly, we found that
Plasma levels of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in Chinese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS NAFLD with pathological features resembles alcohol-induced liver injury but its pathogenesis remained unclear. IL-6 and IL-8 belonged to pro-inflammatory cytokines and previous studies in alcoholic liver disease showed plasma levels of IL-6 and IL-8 correlated with disease severity. There has been no report regarding plasma levels of IL-6 and Il-8 in Chinese patients with NAFLD. METHODOLOGY A total of 94 NAFLD patients and 50 age and sex-matched control subjects were enrolled to compare the clinical characteristics and plasma levels of IL-6/IL-8. IL-6 and IL-8 were determined by commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (R&D systems, USA). RESULTS As compared with control group, NAFLD patients had significantly higher BMI (p<0.001), fasting sugar (p=0.002), cholesterol (p=0.017), and triglyceride (p<0.001) level. NAFLD patients with abnormal ALT had the highest plasma levels of IL-6 but it did not reach the statistical differences as compared with other groups. Plasma IL-8 measurement showed NAFLD patients with abnormal serum ALT had the highest level (42.87+/-16.58 pg/mL), followed by NAFLD with normal ALT (13.53+/-2.32 pg/mL) and control groups (9.19+/-1.75 pg/mL, p=0.028 as compared with NAFLD with abnormal ALT). CONCLUSIONS Through the chemotactic and proinflammatory effects, IL-8 may play a role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD in Chinese patients.
Discriminant Analysis of 18 F-Fluoro-Thymidine Kinetic Parameters to Predict Survival in Patients with Recurrent High-Grade Glioma

Purpose—The primary objective of this study was to investigate if changes in 18F-FLT kinetic parameters, taken at an early stage after start of therapy, could predict overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with recurrent malignant glioma undergoing treatment with bevacizumab and irinotecan. Experimental Design—High-grade recurrent brain tumors were investigated in 18 patients (8M, 10F), 26-76 yr. Each had 3 dynamic PET studies: at baseline, and after 2 weeks, and 6 weeks from the start of treatment. 2.0 MBq/kg of 18F-FLT was injected intravenously and dynamic PET images acquired for 1 hr. Factor analysis generated factor images from which blood and tumor uptake curves were derived. A 3-compartment, 2-tissue model was applied to estimate the tumor 18F-FLT kinetic rate constants using a metabolite and partial volume corrected input function. Different combinations of predictor variables were exhaustively searched in a discriminant function to accurately classify patients into their known OS and PFS groups. A leaveone-out cross-validation technique was used to assess the generalizability of the model predictions. Results—In this study population, changes in single parameters such as standardized uptake value or influx rate constant did not accurately classify patients into their respective OS groups (<1yr and ≥1yr) [hit-ratios ≤ 78%]. However, changes in a set of 18F-FLT kinetic parameters could perfectly separate these two groups of patients [hit-ratio=100%] and were also able to correctly classify patients into their respective PFS groups (<100 days and ≥100 days) [hitratio=88%]. Conclusions—Discriminant analysis using changes in 18F-FLT kinetic parameters early during treatment appears to be a powerful method for evaluating the efficacy of therapeutic regimens.