Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of sympathomimetic drugs on protein synthesis in rat heart.

Addition of epinephrine in vitro to incubating slices of rat heart left ventricle did not influence the rate of protein synthesis as determined by the rate of incorporation of L-[3H]leucine into the slice proteins. Injections of suspensions of epinephrine, norepinephrine, isoproterenol or phenylephrine in oil subcutaneously into rats, however, caused an increase in the rate of protein synthesis in ventricle slices from these animals. Isoproterenol had the greatest and phenylephrine the smallest effect. A single injection of 1 mg/kg of epinephrine or norepinephrine resulted in increased protein synthesis in five hours. The magnitude of increase was a function of the dose and the number of injections. The data suggest that chronic exposure of the heart to high levels of endogenous catecholamines may result in increased cardiac protein synthesis and ultimately in cardiac hypertrophy. The effect of these agents on protein synthesis may occur indirectly in response to catecholamine-induced cellular damage or as a consequence of increased cardiac contractility, rate or output promoted by them in vivo due to interaction with cardiac beta receptors. Propranolol inhibited the stimulating effects of isoproterenol and epinephrine on protein synthesis considerably. However, the mechanism may be more complex since alpha adrenergic blocking agents also reduced the effect of norepinephrine. Depletion of tissue catecholamines in rats by reserpine plus adrenal demedullation or adrenalectomy did not reduce rates of protein synthesis. Hence normal tissue levels of catecholamines may not be required for maintenance of normal rates of cardiac protein synthesis.
The Dynamic Spatial Reconstructor: An X-Ray Video-Fluoroscopic CT Scanner for Dynamic Volume Imaging of Moving Organs

The trend in development of X-ray computed tomography systems over the past decade has been toward faster and faster scanners, with comcomitant improvement in image quality. The preliminary results from the DSR scanner suggest the advent of two new, powerful dimensions in X-ray computed tomography¿high temporal resolution and synchronous volume scanning. That is, true stop-action, full three-dimensional imaging at a high repetition rate is possible with CT scanners. Such capabilities promise to make possible new basic investigative and clinical studies of the structural-to-functional relationships of moving organ systems like the heart and lungs, and of the circulation in any organ of the body. Current state-of-the-art CT technology holds promise of exciting new clinical and research capabilities, such as quantitative analysis of regional blood flow and perfusion, simultaneous measurement of physiologic function and anatomic structure, and differential diagnosis of disease based on determination of tissue composition in any organ or region of the body, with a sensitivity and specificity not possible before.
Myth of empowerment in chronic illness.

AIMS This article presents several findings of a study, conducted between 1996 and 1998, to investigate self-care decision making in diabetes. RATIONALE The underlying assumption of many practitioners is that an invitation to people with chronic illness to participate as equal partners is sufficient to guarantee their empowerment. DESIGN Using grounded theory, the research examined self-care decision making using a convenience sample of 22 Canadian adults with longstanding type 1 diabetes nominated as expert self-care managers. Participants audiotaped their decision making as it occurred for 3 weeks over the course of one calendar year. These audio-recordings were followed by an interview to clarify participants' decision making and factors that affected their decisions. FINDINGS Participants identified several covert and subtle ways that practitioners contradict their stated goal of empowerment in their interactions with diabetics. Participants revealed that despite their intention to foster participatory decision making, practitioners frequently discount the experiential knowledge of diabetes over time and do not provide the resources necessary to make informed decisions. CONCLUSION The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings for practice.
Decoding the rules of recruitment of excitatory interneurons in the adult zebrafish locomotor network

Significance Spinal neural networks generate locomotion. An adjustment of the locomotion speed entails a precise order of recruitment of excitatory interneurons (e.g., V2a interneurons) within these networks. We show, using the adult zebrafish spinal cord, that the recruitment order of V2a interneurons is not topographic and does not conform to input resistance. The incremental recruitment of these interneurons is determined by scaling the excitatory drive with input resistance. We also show that locomotor networks are composed of multiple microcircuits recruited in a continuum. Thus, we provide insights into the recruitment mechanisms of spinal microcircuits that ensure optimal execution of locomotor movements. Neural networks in the spinal cord transform signals from the brain into coordinated locomotor movements. An optimal adjustment of the speed of locomotion entails a precise order of recruitment of interneurons underlying excitation within these networks. However, the mechanisms encoding the recruitment threshold of excitatory interneurons have remained unclear. Here we show, using a juvenile/adult zebrafish preparation, that excitatory V2a interneurons are incrementally recruited with increased swimming frequency. The order of recruitment is not imprinted by the topography or the input resistance of the V2a interneurons. Rather, it is determined by scaling the effect of excitatory synaptic currents by the input resistance. We also show that the locomotor networks are composed of multiple microcircuits encompassing subsets of V2a interneurons and motoneurons that are recruited in a continuum with increased swimming speeds. Thus, our results provide insights into the organization and mechanisms determining the recruitment of spinal microcircuits to ensure optimal execution of locomotor movements.
Comparative study of microPET/spl reg/ FOCUS and ECAT HRRT PET systems for small rodents imaging

This work presents a comparison between The ECAT HRRT PET scanner and the microPET/spl reg/ FOCUS 220 system performances for small rodent imaging applications. We show that the resolution is below 2 mm within a diameter of 6 cm with the FOCUS system and it is below 3 mm within a diameter of 12 cm when using the ECAT HRRT. Moreover, the NEC rate peak is 1.7 Mcps at 2.6 mCi for the HRRT and 0.8 Mcps at 4.6 mCi for the FOCUS. Finally, the FOCUS system is clearly more adapted for brain rat imaging and tumor detection for mice imaging. On the other hand, the ECAT HRRT scanner is better suited for rat imaging in the field of pharmaco-kinetic studies.
Results of microendoscopic discectomy performed in the 26 cases with a minimum 3 years follow-up.

BACKGROUND Microendoscopic discectomy (MED) is less invasive than conventional open discectomy, but the long-term benefits of this technique are still debated. Controversy also remains regarding the surgical indications, patient selection, effectiveness, learning curve and complications. METHODS From Dec 2001 to Dec 2003, 26 patients with lumbar herniated disc disease received MED. The surgical indications included the following: (1) unilateral, single level lumbar disc herniation; (2) signs and symptoms compatible with the involved nerve root; (3) failure of conservative treatment. These cases were the initial MEDs performed by one of our senior authors (TS FU). Clinical symptoms and outcomes were assessed using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Back Scores. RESULTS Treatment in two cases was changed to open discectomy because of irreparable dural tears during surgery. For the remaining 24 cases, the average intraoperative blood loss was 55.8 mL. The average operation length was 136.8 minutes and the average post-surgical hospital stay was 2.4 days. At 12 weeks after the operation, 22 achieved excellent or good results. The satisfactory rate was 91.7%. On final follow-up, 21 patients had excellent or good results. The satisfactory rate was 87.5%. Complications included two irreparable dural tears, two superficial wound infections and one pseudomenigocele. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate that MED is an effective procedure for lumbar disc herniation. The result is satisfactory under adequate surgical indications and patient selection. Despite the low complication rate, dural tears still remain a concern during the learning stage.
A complete descriptor of line-segment-pair for symbol recognition

Graphics recognition aims to recover the geometric information and semantic information in documents. The recognized primitives, which are grouped to stand for particular meanings, could be called symbols. Research in symbol description plays an important role in graphics recognition. In this paper, we proposed a complete descriptor for geometric relationships of line-segment-pair, which is a key part of specifying symbols' geometric features. An algorithm is presented for recognizing all the same symbols in vectorial drawings. Experimental results show that our descriptor is more complete than existing ones. As a result, our method of symbol recognition takes higher accuracy.
Surrogate expectations in severe brain injury

Abstract Objective: To understand what influences surrogate decision-makers’ expectation that a patient with a disorder of consciousness (DOC; those in a coma, the vegetative state or the minimally conscious state) will recover. Subjects: Forty-one surrogates representing 37 DOC patients completed a survey about their experiences in having a family member with a DOC. Methods: A quantitative questionnaire assessed surrogate and patient’s demographic, medical and psychosocial features that may explain surrogate’s expectation of patient recovery. Results: Surrogates who were more relationally enmeshed with the patient thought the patient could communicate better and thought technology would improve treatment of patients with brain injury had greater expectations of recovery. Source of injury and patient’s current diagnosis did not explain expectations. Conclusion: Relational factors between the patient and the surrogate may explain the surrogate’s expectation that the patient will recover more than factors that matter to clinicians such as the source of injury or the patient’s diagnosis.
BIOTECHNOLOGICALLY RELEVANT ENZYMES AND PROTEINS Crystal structure and iterative saturation mutagenesis of Ch KRED 20 for expanded catalytic scope

ChKRED20 is an efficient and robust anti-Prelog ketoreductase that can catalyze the reduction of ketones to chiral alcohols as pharmaceutical intermediates with great industrial potential. To overcome its limitation on the bioreduction of ortho-substituted acetophenone derivatives, the X-ray crystal structure of the apo-enzyme of ChKRED20 was determined at a resolution of 1.85 Å and applied to the molecular modeling and reshaping of the catalytic cavity via three rounds of iterative saturation mutagenesis together with alanine scanning and recombination. The mutant Mut3B was achieved with expanded catalytic scope that covered all the nine substrates tested as compared with two substrates for the wild type. It exhibited 13–20-fold elevated kcat/Km values relative to the wild type or to the first gain-of-activity mutant, while retaining excellent stereoselectivity toward seven of the substrates (98–> 99% ee). Another mutant 29G10 displayed complementary selectivity for eight of the ortho-substituted acetophenone derivatives, with six of them delivering excellent stereoselectivity (90–99% ee). Its kcat/Km value toward 1-(2-fluorophenyl)ethanone was 5.6-fold of the wild type. The application of Mut3B in elevated substrate concentrations of 50–100 g/l was demonstrated in 50ml reactions, achieving 75–> 99% conversion and > 99% ee.
The Edinburgh Cohort of HIV-Positive Drug Users: Pattern of Cognitive Impairment in Relation to Progression of Disease

To examine the neuropsychiatric effects of infection with HIV, 220 drug users (27 HIV negative, 193 HIV positive) completed tests evaluating premorbid intelligence, memory, non-verbal performance, information processing speed, and mood. When these measures were compared cross-sectionally by the severity of HIV illness, symptomatic patients (in CDC stage IV) were impaired on Trails B, two-choice decision time, delayed recall of the Wechsler Logical Memory Test and most components of the Auditory Verbal Learning Test. These findings imply reduced capacity for concentration, speed of thought and memory. When 101 patients were retested a mean of 16 months after their initial assessment, performance on Trails A and B, Block Design and delayed recall of the Wechsler Logical Memory Test deteriorated more for patients at, or progressing within, CDC stage IV, than performance of patients at stage III. The results broadly correspond to the cross-sectional findings. However, there was a decline in all tests of memory function for the sample independent of clinical staging. This may be evidence of brain involvement before the appearance of other symptoms. Self-rated measures of mood did not change cross-sectionally, progressively, or interactively with time and stage of HIV illness, and cannot account for the changes in cognitive function observed. Change in drug use, similarly, does not account for the cognitive findings. Four (5%) of the retested subjects developed AIDS dementia complex, but most of the performance and memory impairments seen were subclinical despite the destructive neuropathology presumed to underlie intellectual decline in patients with HIV infection. An exploratory analysis of treatment with zidovudine in 65 patients with stage IV disease showed no demonstrable benefit for cognitive function.
Comparison of Presenilin 1 and Presenilin 2 γ-Secretase Activities Using a Yeast Reconstitution System*

γ-Secretase is composed of at least four proteins, presenilin (PS), nicastrin (NCT), Aph1, and Pen2. PS is the catalytic subunit of the γ-secretase complex, having aspartic protease activity. PS has two homologs, namely, PS1 and PS2. To compare the activity of these complexes containing different PSs, we reconstituted them in yeast, which lacks γ-secretase homologs. Yeast cells were transformed with PS1 or PS2, NCT, Pen2, Aph1, and artificial substrate C55-Gal4p. After substrate cleavage, Gal4p translocates to the nucleus and activates transcription of the reporter genes ADE2, HIS3, and lacZ. γ-Secretase activity was measured based on yeast growth on selective media and β-galactosidase activity. PS1 γ-secretase was ∼24-fold more active than PS2 γ-secretase in the β-galactosidase assay. Using yeast microsomes containing γ-secretase and C55, we compared the concentration of Aβ generated by PS1 or PS2 γ-secretase. PS1 γ-secretase produced ∼24-fold more Aβ than PS2 γ-secretase. We found the optimal pH of Aβ production by PS2 to be 7.0, as for PS1, and that the PS2 complex included immature NCT, unlike the PS1 complex, which included mature NCT. In this study, we compared the activity of PS1 or PS2 per one γ-secretase complex. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments using yeast microsomes showed that PS1 concentrations in the γ-secretase complex were ∼28 times higher than that of PS2. Our data suggest that the PS1 complex is only marginally less active than the PS2 complex in Aβ production.
Energy expenditure and body composition in children with Crohn’s disease: effect of enteral nutrition and treatment with prednisolone

Background—Malnutrition and growth retardation are common complications of Crohn’s disease in children. The contribution of resting energy expenditure (REE) to malnutrition is unclear. Aims—To characterise the REE and body composition in children with Crohn’s disease and compare them with normal controls and patients with anorexia nervosa; to compare the effects of prednisolone and enteral nutrition on energy expenditure and body composition. Subjects—Twenty four children with Crohn’s disease, 19 malnourished females with anorexia nervosa, and 22 healthy control subjects were studied. Methods—In children with Crohn’s disease measurements were done when the disease was acute and repeated at one and three months after treatment with either prednisolone or enteral nutrition. Resting energy expenditure was measured by indirect calorimetry and body composition by anthropometry, bioelectrical impedance analysis, total body potassium, H2 18O, and bromide space studies. Results—Body weight and ideal body weight were significantly lower in patients with Crohn’s disease than in healthy controls. Lean tissue was depleted and there was an increase in extracellular water. Per unit of lean body mass, there was no difference between REE in patients with Crohn’s disease and controls, whereas patients with anorexia nervosa had significantly reduced REE. With enteral nutrition all body compartments and REE increased significantly (p<0.001). In a subgroup of age-matched men there was a significant increase in height after three months of enteral nutrition compared with prednisolone (p<0.01). Those treated with steroids did not show a significant change in height but did show an increase in all body compartments. However, intracellular water as well as lean body mass accretion were significantly higher in the enteral nutrition group than in the prednisolone group. Conclusions—Despite being malnourished, children with Crohn’s disease fail to adapt their REE per unit of lean body mass. This might be a factor contributing to their malnutrition. Lean tissue accretion is higher in patients treated with enteral nutrition than in those treated with prednisolone.
The localization of cytochrome oxidase in the LGN and striate cortex of postnatal kittens

The distribution of cytochrome oxidase (C.O.) was examined in the lateral geniculate nucleus of the kitten during the first postnatal month and compared with the adult pattern. During the first week, most of the C.O. was localized within the perikarya of geniculate neurons. Perigeniculate neurons had darkly reactive dendrites as well as perikaya. A population of relatively large, darkly reactive neurons became distinguishable around the end of the first week, as the level of reactivity diminished to moderate‐to‐light within most medium and small neurons. On the basis of their relative size and pattern of distribution, most of the darkly reactive neurons are likely to represent ones that will later have class 1 morphology and develop Y receptive field properties. These cells normally undergo rapid growth earlier, and their growth is more adversely affected by early short‐term monocular suture than other classes of less reactive geniculate neurons. Thus, in the LGN of developing kitten, C.O. histochemistry may be used as a functional marker for future class 1 Y‐cells. The reactivity of the neuropil gradually increases as synapses with dendrites mature. At the electron‐microscopic level the increased reactivity of the neuropil is due mainly to an increase in the number of reactive mitochondria localized within the growing dendrites.
Action Programming In Rewriting Logic

Action programming for autonomous agents is a valuable technique when it comes to construction and evaluation of behavioural alternatives due to changing and highly dynam ic environments. This paper discusses the application of rewriting logic to formalize high-level action progr amming in domains with nondeterministic actions, concurrency and relational knowledge. It is show n that rewriting logic semantics and associative-commutative rewriting can be effectively applied to expres s non-determinism and concurrency as well as to solve the frame problem in the context of action programming in dynamic domains. A relational term-structure for the state-action space is defined that allows to represent state properties and the actions affecting them as a single term. Using this unified representa tion, he interplay between an agent’s behaviour and the domain can be modelled by repeatedly choo sing new actions according to the agent’s action program and reducing the resulting state-action term to a for m that cannot be further rewritten in order to determine the effect of the actions on the domain. This approac h is formalized in rewriting logic by defining syntax and semantics for state-action space construction and rewriting with regards to a given action program, thus allowing for the deduction of sequential action alternatives for agents in nondeterministic and concurrent domains, and the specification of action eff ects and domain dynamics in the form of rewrite laws is discussed. The presented rewrite theory for action programming can be directly tran slated into an executable interpreter by implementing it in the language M AUDE. Thus, several of MAUDE’s properties are exposed to the resulting action programming language and the interpreter, e.g. explicit s orting, sub-sorting and operator polymorphism allowing for structured domain specification and order-so rted unification, its object-layer and meta-programming facilities as well as support for domain specific s yntactic representation of fluents and actions due to MAUDE’s user-definable syntax.
The use of executive share-based compensation in Poland: investigating institutional and agency-based determinants in an emerging market

Abstract In this paper we investigate the under-researched topic of the use of executive share-based compensation in Poland, and we analyse empirically whether theoretical explanations developed and applied mainly in the context of developed countries also hold in this specific context. Building on agency and institutional theories we study the determinants of using executive share-based pay in 362 companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. As a result, we highlight the role of the state in Polish firms and the need to consider specifically principal–principal conflicts typical of emerging economies in post-state-socialist organisational research. Our findings not only reflect particularities of the institutional environment in the country studied but also highlight the limits of the traditional principal–agent lens applied in emerging economies.
Analysis of Causality between Monetary Policy and Economic Growth in Pre- and Post- Deregulated Nigeria Economy. (1970-2009)

The research study takes a look at analysis of Causality between Monetary Policy and Economic Growth in Pre- and Post- deregulated Nigeria Economy (1970-2009). Granger causality analysis was used in order to test the hypotheses about the presence of causality between Money supply and Economic Growth. The study, using annual data covering the period between 1970-1985, 1986-2009 and 1970- 2009, showed causality relationship from economic growth (GDP) to money supply (MS) in the pre-deregulation era, which implies that there is causality relationship from economic growth to money supply (MS). In the post-deregulation era there is no casual relationship between economic growth (GDP) and money supply (MS). However, in the whole period 1970-2009 economic growth (GDP) is the cause of money supply (MS) in the pre-deregulation era, which implies that there is causality relationship from economic growth to money supply (MS). In other words, there is a one-way relationship between Money supply (MS) and economic growth (GDP).
Comparison of BD Bactec Plus Blood Culture Media to VersaTREK Redox Blood Culture Media for Detection of Bacterial Pathogens in Simulated Adult Blood Cultures Containing Therapeutic Concentrations of Antibiotics

ABSTRACT Antibiotic neutralization in blood culture media from two automated systems was evaluated by measuring the recovery of organisms and times to detection in simulated cultures. Overall, BD Bactec Plus media (Bactec FX system) outperformed TREK 80 ml Redox media (VersaTREK system), although results suggest a relative rather than an absolute increased rate of recovery for the Bactec media.