Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alcohol withdrawal-induced hippocampal neurotoxicity in vitro and seizures in vivo are both reduced by memantine.

BACKGROUND The ethanol withdrawal (EWD) syndrome is typically treated using benzodiazepines such as diazepam. However there is concern that benzodiazepines may not prevent neurotoxicity associated with EWD. Antagonists of glutamate/N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptors (NMDARs) such as MK801 have been shown to be effective against both EWD-induced neurotoxicity in vitro and seizures in vivo. However, most of these agents have adverse side effects. An exception is the moderate affinity NMDAR channel blocker memantine, used in Alzheimer's dementia. The present studies examined the ability of memantine to protect against EWD-related toxicity in vitro and seizures in vivo. METHODS Organotypic hippocampal slice cultures from neonatal rat pups were treated starting at 15 days in vitro with 100 mM ethanol for 10 days followed by a 24-hour EWD period. During the 24-hour EWD period cultures were treated with memantine (15 or 30 microM). MK801 (10 microM) was utilized as a positive control. For the in vivo studies, the ability of memantine (2, 5, 10, and 15 mg/kg) to reduce convulsions was analyzed in Swiss-Webster mice using the handling induced convulsion test paradigm. RESULTS In vitro studies demonstrated that memantine is effective at blocking EWD-induced neurotoxicity. In vivo experiments showed that memantine also significantly reduced convulsions induced by EWD in mice. CONCLUSIONS Memantine may be of therapeutic value during alcohol detoxification by virtue of its having neuroprotective effects in addition to anti-seizure activity. The potential role of memantine in treatment of alcoholism is deserving of further study.
Potential applications of the moon based synthetic aperture radar for earth observation

With several advantages superior to low earth orbit SAR, such as high space resolution together with large range swath and short revisit interval, the moon based SAR (MB-SAR) could be a potential data source for global changes monitoring and environment change research. Due to the high stability and ease of maintenance, the novel system is competent for offering a long and continuous time series of remote sensing imagery. In this paper, we discuss the system performance briefly at the beginning, and next focus on its possible applications.
Soil microbial succession following surface mining is governed primarily by deterministic factors

Soil microbial succession following surface mining is governed primarily by deterministic factors Jennifer L. Kane Understanding the successional dynamics governing soil microbial community assembly is a promising way to advance development of remediation strategies for lands disturbed by anthropogenic activities. The environmental and ecological influences shaping these communities following soil disturbance remain only partially understood. One example of a physical anthropogenic disturbance is extraction of minerals such as coal by surface mining. Surface mining removes natural soils and these soils may be replaced immediately on adjacent reclaimed areas or they may be stored in piles for later use. During reclamation, the soil is replaced on the landscape and the site is revegetated with grasses and trees. Throughout this process, the soil’s physical and chemical properties are drastically changed and soil microbial communities are spatially displaced, causing changes in water relations and nutrient cycling, as well as microbial abundance and community composition. These changes have a large effect in eliciting selective pressure on microbial taxa (i.e., deterministic processes). Dispersal and ecological drift are also important in shaping communities following disturbance (i.e., stochastic processes). We investigated the influence of stochastic and deterministic factors in shaping the soil microbiome following reclamation using formerly surface mined and reclaimed areas ranging from 2 to 32 years since reclamation occurred. A suite of soil chemical and physical parameters were measured to quantify the influence of deterministic processes and time was considered a proxy for stochastic processes. Sequencing of bacterial and fungal rRNA gene amplicons coupled with a linear modeling approach revealed that the soil microbiome following mine reclamation is shaped by both deterministic and stochastic influences, but that deterministic factors influence microbial succession more than stochastic factors by a ~4-fold difference. Further, while microbial biomass and diversity did not consistently increase with time following reclamation, the abundance of ecologically important bacterial taxa (e.g., Alphaand Deltaproteobacteria) showed varying but significant responses, potentially due to the concomitant increases in soil nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous. Our results suggest that management of deterministic soil characteristics over a sufficient time period could result in an accelerated recovery of the soil microbiome to pre-disturbance levels and composition, and therefore increased productivity of post-mining land uses.
Perioperative Single Dose Ketorolac to Prevent Postoperative Pain: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

BACKGROUND: Preventive analgesia using non-opioid analgesic strategies is recognized as a pathway to improve postoperative pain control while minimizing opioid-related side effects. Ketorolac is a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug frequently used to treat postoperative pain. However, the optimal dose and route of administration for systemic single dose ketorolac to prevent postoperative pain is not well defined. We performed a quantitative systematic review to evaluate the efficacy of a single dose of perioperative ketorolac on postoperative analgesia. METHODS: We followed the PRISMA statement guidelines. A wide search was performed to identify randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of a single dose of systemic ketorolac on postoperative pain and opioid consumption. Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model. Effects of ketorolac dose were evaluated by pooling studies into 30- and 60-mg dosage groups. Asymmetry of funnel plots was examined using Egger regression. The presence of heterogeneity was assessed by subgroup analysis according to the route of systemic administration (IV versus IM) and the time of drug administration (preincision versus postincision). RESULTS: Thirteen randomized clinical trials with 782 subjects were included. The weighted mean difference (95% confidence interval [CI]) of combined effects showed a difference for ketorolac over placebo for early pain at rest of −0.64 (−1.11 to −0.18) but not at late pain at rest, −0.29 (−0.88 to 0.29) summary point (0–10 scale). Opioid consumption was decreased by the 60-mg dose, with a mean (95% CI) IV morphine equivalent consumption of −1.64 mg (−2.90 to −0.37 mg). The opioid-sparing effects of ketorolac compared with placebo were greater when the drug was administered IM compared with when the drug was administered IV, with a mean difference (95% CI) IV morphine equivalent consumption of −2.13 mg (−4.1 to −0.21 mg). Postoperative nausea and vomiting were reduced by the 60-mg dose, with an odds ratio (95% CI) of 0.49 (0.29–0.81). CONCLUSIONS: Single dose systemic ketorolac is an effective adjunct in multimodal regimens to reduce postoperative pain. Improved postoperative analgesia achieved with ketorolac was also accompanied by a reduction in postoperative nausea and vomiting. The 60-mg dose offers significant benefits but there is a lack of current evidence that the 30-mg dose offers significant benefits on postoperative pain outcomes.
Impact of lower salinity waters on bacterial heterotrophic production and community structure in the offshore NW Mediterranean Sea.

We investigated the impact of water masses originating from freshwater input on bacterial heterotrophic metabolism and community structure at an offshore site in the oligotrophic NW Mediterranean Sea in 2007 and 2008. By combining 16S rRNA gene clone libraries and MICRO-CARD-FISH we determined the dominant operational taxonomic units (OTU) and their contribution to bulk abundance and activity in the presence of buoyant water masses characterized by lower salinity (LSW, < 37.9) and compared these with the winter and spring phytoplankton blooms. We demonstrate that organic matter associated with LSW markedly stimulated bacterial heterotrophic production as determined by [(3) H]-leucine incorporation. The OTUs SAR11-IA, SAR11-IIB, SAR86-I and SAR86-III were dominant in all clone libraries, while the Roseobacter clade and the Bacteroidetes OTU NorSea72 were more specific to the spring phytoplankton bloom. The relative contribution of these OTUs to leucine incorporation varied between 23% and 69% for SAR11, 2% and 17% for Roseobacter and was up to 4% for NorSea72. Together, they accounted for roughly 50% of bulk abundance and leucine incorporation during the four situations investigated. Our results suggest that a few cosmopolitan OTUs respond to different DOM sources in the NW Mediterranean Sea.
China’s consumer-goods manufacturing clusters, with reference to Wenzhou footwear cluster

Summary This paper provides a pilot study of the development of consumer-goods manufacturing cluster in China and is divided into five sections. The first section introduces the contribution of ‘made-in-China’ to the global economy. In the second the context of the theory of agglomeration and cluster are briefly reviewed. Subsequently the paper draws a general picture of the development of China’s consumer-goods manufacturing clusters and illustrates these in two representative provinces – Zhejiang and Guangdong – in the third section. The fourth section analyses the case of Wenzhou footwear industrial cluster in detail. Finally the paper discusses some problems facing Chinese consumer-goods manufacturing clusters and calls attention to their need for innovation and upgrade.
Structural changes and social inequalities in health in Finland, 1986- 1994

Background: This paper seeks to examine changes in health inequalities in Finland from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. To improve our understanding of the contribution of employment status changes to class and educational differences in health within the context of changing labour market conditions, we examined the differences in ill health among social classes, educational groups, and employment status groups. Methods: The data was derived from nation-wide Finnish Surveys on Living Conditions from 1986 and 1994. Analyses included the age range 25- 64 years. Health was measured using limiting long-standing illness and perceived health as below good. Results are presented as age-standardized prevalence percentages and odds ratios from logistic regression analyses. Results: The pattern and size of relative social inequalities in ill health have remained generally stable during the eight-year study period in Finland. Differences between social classes have changed only slightly. Differences between educational groups have declined somewhat among men, but have remained stable among women. Compared with the employed, health among the unemployed, housewives, and pensioners has improved for both men and women. Analysing social class differences within both the employed and the non-employed showed only negligible changes. Conclusions: Changes in social inequalities in health as indicated by class and educational differentials among Finnish men and women have mostly been negligible. The observed changes are likely to have been affected by the 1990s' labour market crisis in Finland. The rapidly increasing mass unemployment is unlikely to have been very individually selective in the short run. However, in the longer run, to the extent that unemployment remains high, this trend can be expected to change as re-entry to paid employment is likely to be more individually selective.
Binding partners L1 cell adhesion molecule and the ezrin‐radixin‐moesin (ERM) proteins are involved in development and the regenerative response to injury of hippocampal and cortical neurons

Regeneration of the adult central nervous system may require recapitulation of developmental events and therefore involve the re‐expression of developmentally significant proteins. We have investigated whether the L1 cell adhesion molecule, and its binding partner, the ezrin‐radixin‐moesin (ERM) proteins are involved in the neuronal regenerative response to injury. Hippocampal and cortical neurons were cultured in vitro on either an L1 substrate or poly‐L‐lysine, and ERM and other neuronal proteins were localized immunocytochemically both developmentally and following neurite transection of neurons maintained in long‐term culture. Activated ERM was localized to growth cones up to 7 days in vitro but relatively mature cultures (21 days in vitro) were devoid of active ERM proteins. However, ERM proteins were localized to the growth cones of sprouting neuronal processes that formed several hours after neurite transection. In addition, the L1 substrate, relative to poly‐L‐lysine, resulted in significantly longer regenerative neurites, as well as larger growth cones with more filopodia. Furthermore, neurons derived from the cortex formed significantly longer post‐injury neurite sprouts at 6 h post‐injury than hippocampal derived neurons grown on both substrates. We have demonstrated that L1 and the ERM proteins are involved in the neuronal response to injury, and that neurons derived from the hippocampus and cortex may have different post‐injury regenerative neurite sprouting abilities.
Head injury in Germany: A population-based prospective study on epidemiology, causes, treatment and outcome of all degrees of head-injury severity in two distinct areas

Introduction: Little is known about the ratio of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) to moderate and severe TBI, about the time that elapses until primary care is given, about the number of patients requiring immediate surgery and about the early outcome and the costs. Method: In a prospective study two regions taken as model examples were investigated: the City of Hanover with its surrounding catchment area and Münster with its regions. Results: From 1 March 2000 until 28 February 2001 all patients were recruited who were admitted to a hospital emergency department due to a TBI; 6783 patients (58.4% male, 41.6% female; 29.7% children < 16 years) were included; 5220 (73%) received in-hospital treatment; and 258 were given early rehabilitation. The incidence of TBI is 332 per 100 000 head of population. The GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale) or other forms of neurological examinations were performed in only 56% of all cases. According to the GCS status, 90.2% are classified as mild, 3.9% as moderate and 5.2% as severe. Intubation is given only to 76.1% of patients with severe TBI. Lethality was 1%. The predominant cause of TBI is falls, with 52.5% of all cases, while 26.3% were due to road accidents. The time elapsing between the accident event and initial examination at the hospital is less than 1 hour in 63% of all cases. X-rays were taken in 82% of all cases of TBI, with 19.3% of the patients receiving a CT scan; 58.7% of all TBI patients have additional injuries of the facial skull, 8.8% of the vertebral column, 7.2% of the thorax, 2.6% of the abdomen, 3.4% of the pelvis and 19.6% of one or more extremities. One year after the accident, 50% of all patients still required treatment even after mild TBI. Conclusion: It is necessary to follow the TBI guidelines, e.g. regarding intubation and neurological examination. The indication for cranial x-rays and CT should be reconsidered.
Intravenous Dipyridamole Enhances the Effects of Inhaled Nitric Oxide and Prevents Rebound Pulmonary Hypertension in Piglets

Inhaled nitric oxide (NO) is increasingly used in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension, despite its potential toxicity and the risk of life-threatening rebound pulmonary hypertension upon its discontinuation. We investigated whether i.v. dipyridamole, a cGMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor, increased the effects of inhaled NO and prevented rebound pulmonary hypertension. In 14 anesthetized and mechanically ventilated piglets, pulmonary hypertension was induced with U-46619, a thromboxane A2 analogue. Response to NO and rebound pulmonary hypertension were evaluated without and with i.v. dipyridamole. Low-dose dipyridamole (10 μg/kg/min) increased cardiac output and augmented the effects of inhaled NO on pulmonary vascular resistance, with marginal additive effect on mean pulmonary artery pressure. Pulmonary vascular resistance decreased from 904 to 511 (20 parts per million NO) (p < 0.0005) and 358 dyne s cm−5 (20 parts per million NO + dipyridamole) (p < 0.001 versus NO alone), and mean pulmonary artery pressure decreased from 29.0 to 20.5 (p < 0.0001) and 19.3 mm Hg (NS versus NO), respectively. Mean arterial pressure decreased from 85 to 74 mm Hg (dipyridamole + NO) (p < 0.01). High-dose dipyridamole (100 μg/kg/min) with inhaled NO reduced pulmonary vascular resistance to 334 dyne s cm−5 but also decreased mean arterial pressure to 57 mm Hg. Eight piglets developed rebound pulmonary hypertension. Two died of acute right ventricular failure and, in five, rebound pulmonary hypertension was prevented by low-dose dipyridamole. In conclusion, low-dose i.v. dipyridamole augments the effects of inhaled NO on right ventricular afterload with moderate changes in systemic hemodynamics, and can prevent rebound pulmonary hypertension.
Acute Limb Ischemia Caused by Femoral Arterial Line Induces Remote Liver Injury in a Rabbit Model of Liver Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Femoral arterial lines are used for continuous monitoring of arterial blood pressure in experimental studies. However, placement of a catheter in the femoral artery could produce acute limb ischemia with associated systemic effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of femoral arterial line insertion on liver function, in a rabbit liver lobar ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) model. Four groups of animals (n = 6 each) were studied: groups 1 and 2 (sham) underwent laparotomy but no liver ischemia. In groups 3 and 4 (I/R), liver lobar ischemia was induced for 60 minutes followed by 7 hours of reperfusion. In groups 1 and 3, the arterial line was placed in the femoral artery whereas in groups 2 and 4 in the ear artery. Liver function was assessed by serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity, bile flow, plasma lactate levels, and histology. Results are expressed as mean ± SEM. Alanine aminotransferase activity and lactate levels were significantly higher in the I/R femoral line group compared with the I/R ear line group at 7 hours postreperfusion. Bile production was significantly lower (75 ± 9.6 vs 112 ± 10 μL/min per 100 g liver weight). Histopathology showed more extensive hepatocellular necrosis and neutrophil accumulation in the I/R femoral line group compared with I/R ear line group. The sham femoral group showed liver injury, which was more marked than the ear line group (all P < .05). In conclusion, femoral artery cannulation induces remote liver injury. The use of femoral arterial lines should be avoided in experimental studies concerning liver function.
From Bad to Worse? Individuals in Financial Distress

In this paper, we examine the behavior of individual consumers in financial distress. We provide a novel description of consumer delinquency and investigate whether or not consumers recover from delinquency. We use a large data set from a German credit bureau containing the credit history of more than 500,000 anonymous individuals in Germany who became delinquent for the first time in 2007. We observe changes in their arrears on a quarterly basis over the 2007 to June 2010 period. Our results show that younger consumers are more likely to fall behind on payments to telecommunication firms and older consumers on payments to financial institutions. The median arrears of the first delinquency event is €599 and there is substantial cross-sectional variation with respect to creditor (and debt) type. Repayment performance differs by level of initial arrears and number of delinquency events as well as by age, creditor type, and socioeconomic environment. We construct a repayment performance measure that combines repayment speed with actual repayments. We show that medium-age bank debtors have the highest repayment performance, although they have at the same time the highest bankruptcy risk. An understanding of individual behavior during financial distress is important for the design and implementation of policy tools to support these individuals and to prevent distress.
Partial scan design based on circuit state information and functional analysis

Partial scan design is divided into two stages: 1) critical cycle breaking and 2) partial scan flip-flop selection with respect to conflict resolution. A multiple phase partial scan design method is introduced by combining circuit state information and conflict analysis. Critical cycles are broken using a combination of valid circuit state information and conflict analysis. It is quite cost-effective to obtain circuit state information via logic simulation, therefore, circuit state information is iteratively updated after a given number of partial scan flip-flops have been selected. The valid-state-based testability measure may become ineffective to select scan flip-flops when cycles remaining in the circuit are not so influential to testability. The method turns to the conflict resolution process using an intensive conflict-analysis-based testability measure conflict. Sufficient experimental results are presented.
Organisational trust: the keystone to patient safety

Trust is an essential part of health care—not only between clinicians and patients but also between staff and management. Research shows us that trust has a beneficial impact on many aspects of working life, including job satisfaction and organisational effectiveness, and both these factors have been shown to affect the quality of patient care. In addition, trust will now be the keystone for any system developed for services to learn from untoward incidents, such as the Reporting and Learning System of the National Patient Safety Agency in the UK. This type of trust is complex and is explored in terms of what staff need from management and the potential conflicts that might be involved in developing trust in a healthcare organisation. This paper looks at the societal and emotional context of health care today and at research from other organisations which shows the factors that must be in place to establish trust. It reviews the attributes of leaders who are seen as trustworthy, and looks at how all this can be used to increase the reporting of and learning from error.