Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Airway pressure release ventilation: a neonatal case series and review of current practice.

BACKGROUND The use of airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) in very low birth weight infants is limited. OBJECTIVE To report the authors' institutional experience and to review the current literature regarding the use of APRV in pediatric populations. METHODS Neonates <1500 g ventilated using APRV from 2005 to 2006 at McMaster Children's Hospital (Hamilton, Ontario) were retrospectively reviewed. Publications describing APRV in children from 1987 to 2011 were reviewed. RESULTS Five infants, 24 to 28 weeks' gestational age, were ventilated using APRV. Indications for APRV were refractory hypoxemia (n=3), ventilatory dyssynchrony (n=1) and minimizing sedatives (n=1). All infants appeared to tolerate APRV well with no recorded adverse events. Current pediatric evidence regarding APRV is primarily observational. Published experience reveals that APRV settings in pediatrics often approximate those used in adults, thus deviating from the original guidelines recommended in children. Clinical outcomes, such as oxygenation, ventilation and sedation requirements, are inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS APRV is primarily used as a rescue ventilation mode in children. Neonatal evidence is limited; however, the present study indicates that APRV is feasible in very low birth weight infants. There are unique considerations when applying this mode in small infants. Further research is necessary to confirm whether APRV is a safe and effective ventilation strategy in this population.
Alternative splicing modulates the frequency‐dependent response of CaMKII to Ca2+ oscillations

Ca2+ oscillations are required in various signal trans duction pathways, and contain information both in their amplitude and frequency. Remarkably, the Ca2+/calmodulin(CaM)‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) can decode such frequencies. A Ca2+/CaM‐stimulated autophosphorylation leads to Ca2+/CaM‐independent (autonomous) activity of the kinase that outlasts the initial stimulation. This autonomous activity increases exponentially with the frequency of Ca2+ oscillations. Here we show that three β‐CaMKII splice variants (βM, β and βe′) have very similar specific activity and maximal autonomy. However, their autonomy generated by Ca2+ oscillations differs significantly. A mechanistic basis was found in alterations of the CaM activation constant and of the initial rate of autophosphorylation. Structurally, the splice variants differ only in a variable ‘linker’ region between the kinase and association domains. Therefore, we propose that differences in relative positioning of kinase domains within multimeric holoenzymes are responsible for the observed effects. Notably, the β‐CaMKII splice variants are differ entially expressed, even among individual hippocampal neurons. Taken together, our results suggest that alternative splicing provides cells with a mechanism to modulate their sensitivity to Ca2+ oscillations.
Pseudomonas populi sp. nov., an endophytic bacterium isolated from Populus euphratica.

A Gram-stain negative, aerobic, non-motile, short-rod-shaped bacterium, designated KBL-4-9T, was isolated from the storage liquid in the stems of Populus euphratica trees in Xinjiang, PR China. Strain KBL-4-9T grew at 4-45 °C (optimum 37 °C), 1-3 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum 1 %, w/v) and pH 5.5-9.5 (optimum pH 7.5). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain KBL-4-9T belonged to the genus Pseudomonas and showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 97.36 % to Pseudomonas pelagia CL-AP6T, followed by Pseudomonas xinjiangensis S3-3T (97.16 %), Pseudomonas sabulinigri J64T (97.15 %) and Pseudomonas xiamenensis C10-2T (96.47 %). Analysis of strain KBL-4-9T based on the three housekeeping genes, rpoB, rpoD and gyrB, further confirmed the phylogenetic assignment of the isolates. The DNA G+C content was 61.6 mol% (sd = 2.19). DNA-DNA hybridization with P. pelagia CL-AP6T, P. xinjiangensis S3-3T and P. sabulinigri J64T revealed 49.3 % (sd = 3.04), 41.2 % and 52.5 % (sd = 4.45) relatedness, respectively. The major cellular fatty acids of strain KBL-4-9T were C16 : 0, C12 : 0, summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c) and C17 : 0 cyclo. The major isoprenoid quinone was Q-9. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic properties, strain KBL-4-9T is considered to represents a novel species of the genus Pseudomonas, for which the name Pseudomonas populi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is KBL-4-9T ( = JCM 19138T = CCTCC AB 2013069T = NRRL B-59988T).
Increasing Confidence in Mass Discharge Estimates Using Geostatistical Methods

Mass discharge is one metric rapidly gaining acceptance for assessing the performance of in situ groundwater remediation systems. Multilevel sampling transects provide the data necessary to make such estimates, often using the Thiessen Polygon method. This method, however, does not provide a direct estimate of uncertainty. We introduce a geostatistical mass discharge estimation approach that involves a rigorous analysis of data spatial variability and selection of an appropriate variogram model. High‐resolution interpolation was applied to create a map of measurements across a transect, and the magnitude and uncertainty of mass discharge were quantified by conditional simulation. An important benefit of the approach is quantified uncertainty of the mass discharge estimate. We tested the approach on data from two sites monitored using multilevel transects. We also used the approach to explore the effect of lower spatial monitoring resolution on the accuracy and uncertainty of mass discharge estimates. This process revealed two important findings: (1) appropriate monitoring resolution is that which yielded an estimate comparable with the full dataset value, and (2) high‐resolution sampling yields a more representative spatial data structure descriptor, which can then be used via conditional simulation to make subsequent mass discharge estimates from lower resolution sampling of the same transect. The implication of the latter is that a high‐resolution multilevel transect needs to be sampled only once to obtain the necessary spatial data descriptor for a contaminant plume exhibiting minor temporal variability, and thereafter less spatially intensely to reduce costs.
Axin, a Negative Regulator of the Wnt Signaling Pathway, Directly Interacts with Adenomatous Polyposis Coli and Regulates the Stabilization of β-Catenin*

The regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) domain of Axin, a negative regulator of the Wnt signaling pathway, made a complex with full-length adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) in COS, 293, and L cells but not with truncated APC in SW480 or DLD-1 cells. The RGS domain directly interacted with the region containing the 20-amino acid repeats but not with that containing the 15-amino acid repeats of APC, although both regions are known to bind to β-catenin. In the region containing seven 20-amino acid repeats, the region containing the latter five repeats bound to the RGS domain of Axin. Axin and β-catenin simultaneously interacted with APC. Furthermore, Axin stimulated the degradation of β-catenin in COS cells. Taken together with our recent observations that Axin directly interacts with glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and β-catenin and that it promotes GSK-3β-dependent phosphorylation of β-catenin, these results suggest that Axin, APC, GSK-3β, and β-catenin make a tetrameric complex, resulting in the regulation of the stabilization of β-catenin.
Preparation and Evaluation of Gastro Retentive Floating Tablets of Atorvastatin Calcium

This investigation describes the preparation and in vitro evaluation of gastro retentive floating tablets of atorvastatin calcium. Two hydrophilic cellulose derivatives, Methocel K4M and Methocel K15M CR were used in floating tablets as gel forming agents to control drug release. Sodium bicarbonate and citric acid were incorporated as gas generating agents. The tablets prepared by direct compression technique were evaluated by various quality parameters including weight variation, hardness and buoyancy studies. In vitro drug release was determined for eight hours using USP XXII paddle-type dissolution apparatus in 0.1N HCl solution containing 1% sodium lauryl sulphate. The release mechanisms were explored and explained with zero order, first order, Higuchi and Korsmeyer equations. The release rates, extent and mechanisms, were found to be governed by polymer loading. It was also found that the polymer content significantly affected the mean dissolution time, percentage of drug release, release rate constant and diffusion exponent. Based on the dissolution data and floating time, formulation F-3 containing Methocel K4M and F-9 containing Methocel K15M CR may be considered as the best formulation. So an effective floating tablet of atorvastatin calcium can be prepared by using both the grades of HPMC. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/dujps.v10i2. 11784 Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 10 (2): 79-85, 2011 (December)
Concussion history and postconcussion neurocognitive performance and symptoms in collegiate athletes.

CONTEXT Athletes are at an inherent risk for sustaining concussions. Research examining the long-term consequences of sport-related concussion has been inconsistent in demonstrating lingering neurocognitive decrements that may be associated with a previous history of concussion. OBJECTIVE To determine the relationship between concussion history and postconcussion neurocognitive performance and symptoms in collegiate athletes. DESIGN Repeated-measures design. SETTING Multi-center analysis of collegiate athletes. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Fifty-seven concussed collegiate athletes (36 without concussion history, 21 with a history of 2 or more concussions). INTERVENTION(S) All subjects were administered an Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) neurocognitive test battery, which measures verbal memory, visual memory, reaction time, and visual processing speed and 22 concussion symptoms. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Subjects who sustained a concussion were administered 2 follow-up tests at days 1 and 5 postinjury. Independent variables were history of concussion (no history of concussion, 2 or more concussions) and time (baseline, day 1 postconcussion, or day 5 postconcussion). RESULTS A within-subjects effect (time) on ImPACT performance (P < .001), a between-subjects multivariate effect of group (P < .001), and a group-by-time interaction (P = .034) were noted. Athletes with a concussion history performed significantly worse on verbal memory (P = .01) and reaction time (P = .023) at day 5 postconcussion compared with athletes who did not report a previous concussion. No significant group differences were seen at day 5 postinjury on visual memory (P = .167), processing speed (P = .179), or total concussion symptoms (P = .87). CONCLUSIONS Concussed collegiate athletes with a history of 2 or more concussions took longer to recover verbal memory and reaction time than athletes without a history of concussion.
Effect of Melatonin Suppression on Scoliosis Development in Chickens by Either Constant Light or Surgical Pinealectomy

Study Design. This study was designed to compare the effect of suppression of melatonin secretion by bright light in chickens with that of surgical pinealectomy. Objective. To determine whether suppression of melatonin secretion without surgery in chickens can result in scoliosis development. Summary of Background Data. Pinealectomy in chickens consistently produces scoliosis with anatomic characteristics similar to those of human idiopathic scoliosis. Conversely, cutting of the pineal stalk without removal of the pineal gland will also result in scoliosis. This study addresses the question of whether constant bright light can induce scoliosis formation, because it is well known that 24-hour bright lighting conditions can suppress the secretion of melatonin to an equivalent level as pinealectomy. Materials and Method. Seventy-seven newborn Nihon chickens were separated into three groups. A control group (n = 21) with no surgery performed; a pinealectomy group (n = 15) that served as surgical controls; and a constant light group (n = 41). The first two groups were kept together in a strict 12-hour light–dark cycle, whereas the third group was separately kept with constant lighting conditions (>100 lux). All the chickens were radiographed at two weekly intervals, and blood was taken during the middle of the light and dark cycles for serum melatonin assay using ELISA. Results. Fifty-four percent of the pinealectomized chickens had scoliosis develop by 6 weeks. None of the constant-light chickens or controls had scoliosis develop for up to 11 weeks. Measurements of serum melatonin levels of the constant light group confirm that secretion is suppressed. Conclusion. This study suggests that for scoliosis to develop in chickens, the surgical operation itself is important and challenges the role of melatonin as an isolated etiological factor in the development of scoliosis.
Structure and genetic variability of envelope glycoproteins of two antigenic variants of caprine arthritis-encephalitis lentivirus

To define the structure of the caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) env gene and characterize genetic changes which occur during antigenic variation, we sequenced the env genes of CAEV-63 and CAEV-Co, two antigenic variants of CAEV defined by serum neutralization. The deduced primary translation product of the CAEV env gene consists of a 60- to 80-amino-acid signal peptide followed by an amino-terminal surface protein (SU) and a carboxy-terminal transmembrane protein (TM) separated by an Arg-Lys-Lys-Arg cleavage site. The signal peptide cleavage site was verified by amino-terminal amino acid sequencing of native CAEV-63 SU. In addition, immunoprecipitation of [35S]methionine-labeled CAEV-63 proteins by sera from goats immunized with recombinant vaccinia virus expressing the CAEV-63 env gene confirmed that antibodies induced by env-encoded recombinant proteins react specifically with native virion SU and TM. The env genes of CAEV-63 and CAEV-Co encode 28 conserved cysteines and 25 conserved potential N-linked glycosylation sites. Nucleotide sequence variability results in 62 amino acid changes and one deletion within the SU and 34 amino acid changes within the TM.
Properties of Ets-1 Binding to Chromatin and Its Effect on Platelet Factor 4 Gene Expression

ABSTRACT Ets-1 is important for transcriptional regulation in several hematopoietic lineages, including megakaryocytes. Some transcription factors bind to naked DNA and chromatin with different affinities, while others do not. In the present study we used the megakaryocyte-specific promoters platelet factor 4 (PF4), and glycoprotein IIb (GPIIb) as model systems to explore the properties of Ets-1 binding to chromatin. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays indicated that Ets-1 binds to proximal regions in the PF4 and GPIIb promoters in vivo. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that Ets-1 binding to chromatin on lineage-specific promoters does not require lineage-specific factors. Moreover, this binding shows the same order of affinity as the binding to naked DNA and does not require ATP-dependent or Sarkosyl-sensitive factors. The effect of Ets-1 binding on promoter activity was examined using the PF4 promoter as a model. We identified a novel Ets-1 site (at −50), and a novel Sarkosyl-sensitive DNase I-hypersensitive site generated by Ets-1 binding to chromatin, which significantly affect PF4 promoter activity. Taken together, our results suggest a model by which Ets-1 binds to chromatin without the need for lineage-specific accessory factors, and Ets-1 binding induces changes in chromatin and affects transactivation, which are essential for PF4 promoter activation.
Energy and throughput efficiency in wireless multihop networks

In wireless multihop networks, route selection plays an important role in network performance in terms of throughput capacity, as well as, energy efficiency. In general, the route selection strategy should distribute the traffic throughout the network, in order to avoid congestion. This strategy also has the side-effect of distributing the energy consumption among all nodes, so that the energy starvation of highly used nodes is avoided. However, the optimal route selection strategy is not always the same with respect to throughput and energy efficiency. In this paper we evaluate several route selection strategies in terms of average message transmission durations and network connectivity lifetime. The simulation results show which strategy is more beneficial for each objective, and how a combination of strategies may lead to balanced results.
Training strategies for self-regulating motivation and volition: effect on Learning

The objective of this work is to determine the relative and combined effect on self-regulation and learning of teaching students two kinds of self-regulation strategies, the first centered on motivation, and the second on negative emotions that obstruct volitional processes. Two guides with instructions and commentaries that the teacher should give to students before, during and after learning tasks were developed. The learning tasks were also of two kinds, academic –writing composition- and non- academic –learning to solve problems of the Tangram, a Chinese puzzle-. A total of 178 High School students, 16 to 19 years old (Mean: 16.7) participated in the study. Results of ANOVAs showed that the efficacy of each kind of training varies depending on the dependent variable, though –in general- emotional self-regulation training was superior. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are commented.
ON THE CURVATURE EFFECT OF A RELATIVISTIC SPHERICAL SHELL

We consider a relativistic spherical shell and calculate its spectral flux as received by a distant observer. Using two different methods, we derive a simple analytical expression of the observed spectral flux and show that the well-known relation &agr; ˆ = 2 + β ˆ ? > (between temporal index &agr; ˆ ? > and spectral index β ˆ ? > ) of the high-latitude emission is naturally achieved in our derivation but holds only when the shell moves with a constant Lorentz factor Γ. Presenting numerical models in which the shell is undergoing acceleration or deceleration, we show that the simple &agr; ˆ = 2 + β ˆ ? > relation does indeed deviate as long as Γ is not constant. For the models under acceleration, we find that the light curves produced purely by the high-latitude emission initially exhibit much steeper decay than in the constant Γ case and gradually resume the &agr; ˆ = 2 + β ˆ ? > relation in about one and a half orders of magnitude in observer time. For the models under deceleration, the trend is opposite. The light curves made purely by the high-latitude emission initially exhibit a shallower decay than in the constant Γ case and gradually resume the relation &agr; ˆ = 2 + β ˆ ? > in a similar order of magnitude in observer time. We also show that how fast the Lorentz factor Γ of the shell increases or decreases is the main ingredient determining the initial steepness or shallowness of the light curves.
An fMRI Study of Response Inhibition in Youths with a Family History of Alcoholism

Abstract: Disinhibition among alcoholics may precede or result from alcohol use disorders (AUDs). It remains unclear how disinhibition might contribute to AUD risk among youths with a family history of alcoholism (FHP). We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore inhibition‐related neural risk factors for AUD. Participants were 12‐ to 14‐year‐old nondrinkers, including 12 FHP youths and 14 youths with no family history of alcoholism (FHN). Youths performed a go/no‐go task during fMRI acquisition. At a conservative threshold, FHN youths showed less inhibitory response than FHP youths in the left middle frontal gyrus, despite similar task performance between groups. Using a more liberal threshold, FHP youths also demonstrated less response in additional frontal regions. These preliminary findings suggest that FHP youths show less inhibitory frontal response than FHN youths. Altered neural activation among FHP youths may underlie subsequent disinhibition and could be related to the AUD risk.
Effects of insulin‐like growth factor‐1 on cellular and molecular characteristics of bovine blastocysts produced in vitro

Addition of insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) to culture medium increases the proportion of bovine embryos that develop to the blastocyst stage and increases embryo survival following transfer to heat‐stressed, lactating dairy cows. The objective of the present study was to determine molecular and cellular correlates of these actions of IGF‐1. Embryos were produced in vitro and cultured for 7 days with or without 100 ng/ml IGF‐1. On d 7 after insemination, grade 1 expanded blastocysts were harvested and used to determine total cell number, percent apoptosis, cell allocation to the inner cell mass and trophectoderm, and the relative abundance of several developmentally important gene transcripts. There was no significant effect of IGF‐1 treatment on blastocyst cell number, the proportion of blastomeres that were apoptotic, or the number of cells in the inner cell mass and trophectoderm. However, differences in the relative abundance of several mRNA transcripts were observed between control and IGF‐1 treated embryos. Addition of IGF‐1 increased (P < 0.02) amounts of mRNA for IGF binding protein‐3 and desmocollin II and tended (P < 0.08) to increase amounts of mRNA for Na/K ATPase and Bax. Moreover, IGF‐1 treatment decreased (P < 0.05) steady‐state amounts of transcripts for heat shock protein 70 and tended (P < 0.08) to reduce amounts of IGF‐1 receptor mRNA. In conclusion, increased survival of embryos treated with IGF‐1 does not appear due to effects on cell number, percent apoptosis, or cell allocation. Addition of IGF‐1 to culture can, however, alter expression of several transcripts which may be important for embryo development and survival following transfer. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 75: 895–903, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Epidermal growth factor ligand/receptor loop and downstream signaling activation pattern in completely resected nonsmall cell lung cancer

In recent years, molecular insights shed light on the role of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and new therapeutic agents, such as the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, were tested successfully, with responsiveness to those agents more likely in those patients with specific EGFR gene alterations. The objective of the current study was to investigate the protein profiles of EGFR, c‐erb‐B2, transforming growth factor α (TGF‐α) (one of the EGFR ligands commonly expressed in NSCLC), and some downstream molecules, potentially to detect a subset of tumors with an activated autocrine loop that is responsible for higher intracellular signaling.