Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A linear steady-state treatment of enzymatic chains. Critique of the crossover theorem and a general procedure to identify interaction sites with an effector.

A theoretical analysis of linear enzymatic chains is presented. By linear approximation simple analytical solutions can be obtained for the metabolite concentrations and the flux through the chain for steady-state conditions. The equations are greatly simplified if the common kinetic constants are expressed as functions of two parameters, i.e. the thermodynamic equilibrium constant and the “characteristic time”. Three cardinal terms are proposed for the quantitative description of enzyme systems. The first two are the control strength and the control matrix; these indicate the dependence of the flux and the metabolite concentrations, respectively, on the kinetic properties of a given enzyme. The third is the effector strength, which defines the dependence of the velocity of an enzyme on the concentration of an effector; it expresses the importance of an effector. By linear approximation simple analytical expressions were derived for the control strength, the control matrix and the mass-action ratios. The effector strength was calculated for two cases: for a competitive inhibitor and for allosteric effectors according to the Monod (1965) model. The influence of an effector on the concentrations of the metabolites was considered.
GABA acting on GABAB receptors located in a medullary pain facilitatory area enhances nociceptive behaviors evoked by intraplantar formalin injection

Abstract The dorsal reticular nucleus (DRt) plays a key role in facilitation of nociceptive transmission at the spinal cord. In this study, we evaluated the mechanisms involved in GABA-mediated control of the DRt focusing on the role of local GABAB receptors. First, we used in vivo microdialysis to study the release of GABA in the DRt during the course of the formalin test. An increase of GABA levels in comparison with baseline values was detected in the second phase of the test. Because we previously showed that GABAB receptors are expressed by opioidergic DRt neurons, which respond to nociceptive stimuli and inhibit spinally projecting DRt neurons involved in descending pronociception, we then interfered with local GABAB receptors using gene transfer and pharmacological approaches. Lentiviral-mediated knockdown of GABAB1a expression decreased nociceptive responses during the second phase of the test. Local administration of the GABAB receptor antagonist CGP 35348 also decreased nociceptive responses in the second phase of the test, whereas the opposite was detected after injection of the GABAB agonist baclofen. Finally, we determined the GABAergic afferents of the DRt, namely those arising from its main brain afferents, which are located at the telencephalon and diencephalon. For that purpose, we combined retrograde tract-tracing from the DRt with immunodetection of glutamate decarboxylase, the GABA-synthesizing enzyme. The higher numbers of retrogradely labelled glutamate decarboxylase–immunoreactive neurons were located at insular, somatosensory, and motor cortices. Collectively, the results suggest that GABA acting on GABAB receptors may enhance pain facilitation from the DRt during inflammatory pain.
Relaparotomies in Abdominal Trauma, Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION: The term "Relaparotomy" (RL) refers to operations performed within 60 days in association with the initial surgery. RL is categorized as early or late; radical or palliative; urgent or elective; and, planned or unplanned depending on the performed period, its purpose, urgency, and whether or not it is scheduled, respectively (1) . Urgent abdominal re-explorations (UARs) following complicated abdominal surgeries are generally known as "final-choice operations" with high mortality and morbidity rates (2) .
Seven-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging: new vision of microvascular abnormalities in multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND Although the role of vascular pathology in multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions was suggested long ago, the derivation of these lesions from the vasculature has been difficult to assess in vivo. Ultrahigh-field (eg, 7-T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a tool for assessing vascular involvement in MS lesions owing to markedly increased image resolution and susceptibility contrast of venous blood. OBJECTIVE To describe the perivenous association of MS lesions on high-resolution and high-contrast 7-T susceptibility-sensitive MRI. DESIGN Case study. SETTING University hospital. PATIENTS Two women with clinically definite relapsing-remitting MS. RESULTS We demonstrated markedly enhanced detection of unique microvascular involvement associated with most of the visualized MS lesions with abnormal signals on and around the venous wall on 7-T compared with 3-T MRI. CONCLUSIONS These findings, which have never been shown on conventional fields of MRI, not only allow for direct evidence of vascular pathogenesis in MS in vivo but also have important implications for monitoring lesion activity and therapeutic response.
Genetic Studies and Development of Prediction Equations in Jersey×Sahiwal and Holstein-Friesian×Sahiwal Half Breds

First lactation records (174) of Jersey×Sahiwal and Holstein Friesian×Sahiwal half breds under 9 sires maintained at Chandra Shekher Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India from 1975-1983, were used to estimate the genetic parameters and to predict herd life milk yield and average milk yield per day of herd life from first lactation traits. The traits included were: age at first calving, first service period, first lactation period, first calving interval, first lactation milk yield, milk yield per day of first calving interval, herd life milk yield, herd life and average milk yield per day of herd life. Most of the production and reproduction traits were found to have positive and significant correlations between them on genetic as well as phenotypic scales. Total twelve regression equations were fitted. The prediction equation of herd life milk yield in both the genetic groups showed linear relationship with AFC, FSP, FLP, FLMY and MY/DCI and was apparent and significant. Similarly, polynomials for milk yield per day of herd life for J×S and HF×S half breds also showed linear trend, which was found highly significant. The highest and lowest R 2 values were found for FCI and AFC, respectively. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2005. Vol 18, No. 2 : 179-184)
Methylated RASSF1a Is the First Specific DNA Marker for Minimal Residual Disease Testing in Neuroblastoma

Purpose: PCR-based detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) in neuroblastoma (NB) is presently based on NB-specific transcripts. However, the expression of these targets varies between patients and upon treatment, and only PHOX2B is truly specific. RASSF1a is methylated (RASSF1aM) in NB, and we investigated whether it can serve as a specific and stable DNA MRD marker. Patients and Methods: The RASSF1aM-specific quantitative real-time PCR was tested on control bone marrow (BM; n = 50), on 71 NB tumors, and on 159 clinical BM samples at diagnosis and at follow-up of 77 patients. Results were compared with a panel of RNA markers and correlated with prognosis. Results: RASSF1aM was present in all stage 4 and 4s tumors (n = 50) and in 86% stages 1 to 3 tumors (n = 21). The level of methylation in stage 4 NB was correlated with overall survival (P = 0.02). RASSF1aM–PCR was highly specific (only 1 amplification in 50 control samples tested in triplicate) and had a similar sensitivity as the RNA-based PCRs, as shown on clinical samples. Moreover, RASSF1aM enabled accurate quantification without need for the original tumor. Conclusions: RASSF1aM is a novel, highly specific DNA marker for MRD detection in NB, equal to PHOX2B in specificity and sensitivity, and better suitable for MRD quantification. We propose to include RASSF1aM in further prospective MRD studies in NB alongside RNA MRD markers. In addition, this assay might also be applicable for detection of circulating tumor cells in patients with other cancers withRASSF1aM such as breast or lung cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 18(3); 808–14. ©2011 AACR.
Accuracy of measurements of hemoglobin and potassium in blood samples from peripheral catheters.

OBJECTIVE To compare measurements of hemoglobin and potassium in blood samples obtained from peripheral venous catheters with measurements in samples obtained via venipuncture. SUBJECTS 53 adult volunteer patients admitted to a medical ward. METHODS For each patient, a 10-mL blood sample was obtained from a 20-gauge or larger peripheral venous catheter after a 3-mL volume of fluid was discarded. Immediately afterward, additional samples were obtained by venipuncture, and all samples were sent to the laboratory for measurement of hemoglobin and potassium levels. Separate venipuncture samples were obtained from both extremities in another 10 subjects to assess intratechnique variation. Results were analyzed by using limits-of-agreement analysis. RESULTS Blood samples were successfully obtained from a peripheral catheter in 32 (60%) of the 53 patients. The success rate was 78% with 18-gauge catheters and 42% with 20-gauge catheters (P = .021). The 95% agreement interval in the set of differences between values for samples obtained via catheter and samples obtained via venipuncture was +/- 0.37 mmol/L for potassium and +/- 7.6 g/L for hemoglobin. The 95% agreement interval for the venipuncture control group was +/- 0.21 mmol/L for potassium and +/- 7.3 g/L for hemoglobin. The preset acceptable interval for potassium measurements was +/- 0.3 mmol/L, and that for hemoglobin measurements was +/- 10 g/L. CONCLUSIONS Obtaining blood samples from peripheral catheters is an acceptable alternative to venipuncture for hemoglobin measurements but not for potassium measurements. Larger gauge catheters are better than small-gauge catheters for obtaining blood samples.
Pretreatment epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790M mutation predicts shorter EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor response duration in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE Patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-activating mutations have excellent response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), but T790M mutation accounts for most TKI drug resistance. This study used highly sensitive methods to detect T790M before and after TKI therapy and investigated the association of T790M and its mutation frequencies with clinical outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS Direct sequencing, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) were used to assess T790M in the following two cohorts of patients with NSCLC: TKI-naive patients (n = 107) and TKI-treated patients (n = 85). Results were correlated with TKI treatment response and survival. RESULTS MALDI-TOF MS was highly sensitive in detecting and quantifying the frequency of EGFR-activating mutations and T790M (detection limits, 0.4% to 2.2%). MALDI-TOF MS identified more T790M than direct sequencing in TKI-naive patients with NSCLC (27 of 107 patients, 25.2% v three of 107 patients, 2.8%, respectively; P < .001) and in TKI-treated patients (before TKI: 23 of 73 patients, 31.5% v two of 73 patients, 2.7%, respectively; P < .001; and after TKI: 10 of 12 patients, 83.3% v four of 12 patients, 33.3%, respectively; P = .0143). The EGFR mutations and their frequencies were confirmed by NGS. T790M was an independent predictor of decreased progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with NSCLC who received TKI treatment (P < .05, multivariate Cox regression). CONCLUSION T790M may not be a rare event before or after TKI therapy in patients with NSCLC with EGFR-activating mutations. The pretreatment T790M mutation was associated with shorter PFS with EGFR TKI therapy in patients with NSCLC.
Bilateral parasagittal parietooccipital polymicrogyria and epilepsy

References 1. Mizuguchi M, Kato M, Yamanouchi H, cct al. Loss of tuberin from cerebral tissues with tuberous sclerosis and astrocytoma. Ann Neurol 1996;40:941-944 2. Kerfoot C, Wienecke R, Menchine M, et al. Localization of tuberous sclerosis 2 mFWA and its protein product tuberin in normal human brain and in cerebral lesions of patients with tuberous sclerosis. Brain Pathol 1996;6:367-377 3. Menchine M, Etnelin JK, Mischel PS, et al. Tissue and cell-type specific expression of the tuberous sclerosis gene, TSC2, in human tissues. Mod Pathol 1996;9:1071-1050 4. Mizuguchi M, Kato M, Yamanouchi, et al. Tuberin immunohistochemistry in brains, kidneys and hearts with or without tuberous sclerosis. Acta Neuropathol (in press)
Early Intervention for Adolescent Substance Abuse: Pretreatment to Posttreatment Outcomes of a Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Multidimensional Family Therapy and Peer Group Treatment

Abstract This randomized clinical trial evaluated a family-based therapy (Multidimensional Family Therapy, MDFT; Liddle 2002a) and a peer group therapy with 80 urban, low-income. and ethnically diverse young adolescents (11 to 15 years) referred for substance abuse and behavioral problems. Both treatments were outpatient, relatively brief, manual-guided, equal in intervention dose, and delivered by community drug treatment therapists. Adolescents and their parents were assessed at intake to treatment, randomly assigned to either MDFT or group therapy, and reassessed at six weeks after intake and at discharge. Results indicated that the family-based treatment (MDFT. an intervention that targets teen and parent functioning within and across multiple systems on a variety of risk and protective factors) was significantly more effective than peer group therapy in reducing risk and promoting protective processes in the individual, family, peer, and school domains. as well as in reducing substance use over the course of treatment. These results. which add to the body of previous findings about the clinical and cost effectiveness of MDFT, suppon the clinical effectiveness and dissemination potential of this family-based, multisystem and developmentally-oriented intervention.
A comparative study of tea‐tree oil versus benzoylperoxide in the treatment of acne

Tea‐tree oil (an essential oil of the Australian native tree Melaleuca alter‐ nifolia) has long been regarded as a useful topical antiseptic agent in Australia and has been shown to have a variety of antimicrobial activities; however, only anecdotal evidence exists for its efficacy in the treatment of various skin conditions. We have performed a single‐blind, randomised clinical trial on 124 patients to evaluate the efficacy and skin tolerance of 5% tea‐tree oil gel in the treatment of mild to moderate acne when compared with 5% benzoyl peroxide lotion. The results of this study showed that both 5% tea‐tree oil and 5% benzoyl peroxide had a significant effect in ameliorating the patients' acne by reducing the number of inflamed and non‐inflamed lesions (open and closed comedones), although the onset of action in the case of tea‐tree oil was slower. Encouragingly, fewer side effects were experienced by patients treated with tea‐tree oil.
Changing green leaf volatile biosynthesis in plants: An approach for improving plant resistance against both herbivores and pathogens

Green leaf volatiles (GLVs) are commonly emitted by green plants, and their production is drastically enhanced when they are under biotic stress. To clarify the ecological function of naturally emitted GLVs, we studied the response of Arabidopsis, whose GLV biosynthesis had been modified, when subjected to herbivory or a pathogenic infection. There was a significant increase in GLV production after herbivory by cabbage white butterfly larvae and pathogen (gray mold) infection in hydroperoxide lyase (HPL) sense Arabidopsis compared with WT controls. The HPL sense modification resulted in the plant being more attractive to the parasitic wasp Cotesia glomerata, leading to higher mortality of the herbivores. The HPL sense modification also resulted in greater inhibition of growth of the fungus. By contrast, HPL antisense Arabidopsis produced fewer GLVs, attracted fewer parasitoids, and was more susceptible to the pathogens than the WT control. These data show that (i) one of the ecological functions of GLV biosynthesis related to resistance against both herbivores and pathogens, and (ii) the genetic modification of GLV biosynthesis could be a unique approach for improving plant resistance against such biotic stresses.
Financial Press and Stock Markets in Times of Crisis

This paper investigates the relationship between negative news in financial newspapers and stock markets in times of global crisis, such as the 2008/2009 period. We analysed one year of front page banner headlines of three financial newspapers, such as the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and Il Sole24ore and created an index of bad news at a daily base. We examined the influence of bad news both on market volatility and dynamic correlation of American, Britain and Italian stock markets to look at the impact of bad news on global investment strategies. Our results show that press and markets co-influenced each other in generating market volatility. The three newspapers showed significant differences in their stance on the crisis, with Financial Times more pessimistic. Our results also show that Wall Street Journal bad news had higher predictability value for the correlation between US and the foreign markets. This confirms the international influence of Wall Street Journal.
Effects of speed-control measures on the safety of unsignalized midblock street crossings in China

ABSTRACT Objective: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different speed-control measures on the safety of unsignalized midblock street crossings. Methods: In China, it is quite difficult to obtain traffic crash and conflict data for pedestrians using such crossings, mainly due to the lack of traffic data management and organizational issues. In light of this, the proposed method did not rely on such data, but considered vehicle speed, which is a leading contributing factor of pedestrian safety at mid blocks. To evaluate the speed reduction effects at different locations, the research team utilized the following methods in this study: (1) testing speed differences—on the basis of the collected data, statistical analysis is conducted to test the speed differences between upstream and crosswalk, upstream and downstream, and downstream and crosswalk; and (2) mean distribution deviation—this value is calculated by taking the difference in cumulative speed distributions for the two different samples just mentioned. In order to better understand the variation of speed reduction effects at different distances from speed-control facilities, data were collected from six types of speed-control measures with a visual range of 60 m. Results: The results showed that speed humps, transverse rumble strips, and speed bumps were effective in reducing vehicle speeds. Among them speed humps performed the best, with reductions of 21.1% and 20.0% from upstream location (25.01 km/h) and downstream location (24.66 km/h) to pedestrian crosswalk (19.73 km/h), respectively. By contrast, the speed reduction effects were minimal for stop and yield signs, flashing yellow lights, and crossings without treatment. Conclusions: Consequently, in order to reduce vehicle speeds and improve pedestrian safety at mid blocks, several speed-control measures such as speed humps, speed bumps, and transverse rumble strips are recommended to be deployed in the vicinity of pedestrian crosswalks.
Improved forecasting of thermospheric densities using multi-model ensembles

Abstract. This paper presents the first known application of multi-model ensembles to the forecasting of the thermosphere. A multi-model ensemble (MME) is a method for combining different, independent models. The main advantage of using an MME is to reduce the effect of model errors and bias, since it is expected that the model errors will, at least partly, cancel. The MME, with its reduced uncertainties, can then be used as the initial conditions in a physics-based thermosphere model for forecasting. This should increase the forecast skill since a reduction in the errors of the initial conditions of a model generally increases model skill. In this paper the Thermosphere–Ionosphere Electrodynamic General Circulation Model (TIE-GCM), the US Naval Research Laboratory Mass Spectrometer and Incoherent Scatter radar Exosphere 2000 (NRLMSISE-00), and Global Ionosphere–Thermosphere Model (GITM) have been used to construct the MME. As well as comparisons between the MMEs and the “standard” runs of the model, the MME densities have been propagated forward in time using the TIE-GCM. It is shown that thermospheric forecasts of up to 6 h, using the MME, have a reduction in the root mean square error of greater than 60 %. The paper also highlights differences in model performance between times of solar minimum and maximum.
Peritoneal involvement in stage II colon cancer.

A pathologist (K.S.) reviewed histologic slides for peritoneal involvement by tumor cells for 118 patients with stage II colon cancer. Patients were followed up for a median of 6 years. Tumor cells were found free in the peritoneal space in 16 cases (13.6%). The presence of cancer cells free in the peritoneal space was associated with lymphovascular invasion (P = .001) and neural invasion (P < .001). The overall 5-year survival was 80% in the patient population, but was 39% and 86% for those with and without tumor cells free in the peritoneal space, respectively (P < .0001). Multivariate analysis confirmed that free tumor cells within the peritoneal space (P < .0001) and lymphovascular invasion (P = .007) were related independently to outcome. Peritoneal involvement with tumor cells free in the peritoneal space in stage II colon cancer is a powerful indicator of outcome; patients have a survival similar to that for patients with stage III disease.
Writing with the non-dominant hand: Cross-handedness trainability in adult individuals

Adult volunteers (8 males and 13 females) aged 20–56 years, both right- and left-handed, were asked to train their non-preferred hand to write two standard sentences by practising daily over a 28-day period. At the end of this period their non-preferred-hand writing was of good quality and participants felt quite comfortable performing this task. The quality of non-preferred-hand writing achieved was unrelated to age. We postulate that handedness, in terms of actual performance, may be less pronounced than is suggested by studies of hand preference.