Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of isoniazid or phenobarbital pretreatment on the metabolism of dihalomethanes to carbon monoxide.

An oral dose of 6.2 mmoles of diachloromethane (DCM), bromochloromethane (BCM) or dibromomethane (DBM) per kg body mass yielded a maximum carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level of about 9% (at 6 hr), 11% (at 8 hr) and 22% (at 12 hr), respectively. Pretreatment of rats with isoniazid, 4 x 0.36 mmol/kg i.p., produced significant enhancements of the COHb formation; the values were 18.0 +/- 0.8% COHb after DCM, 24.1 +/- 0.8% COHb after BCM, and 39.0 +/- 1.3% COHb after DBM. Prior administration of phenobarbital, 4 x 0.31 mmol/kg i.p., caused no appreciable alterations in the COHb levels after DCM and slight but significant increases after BCM as well as after DBM. The data indicate that the oxidative metabolism of dihalomethanes to carbon monoxide is mainly catalyzed by cytochrome P-450 IIE1 and that the DCM-evoked COHb formation seems to be a method of testing whether a chemical is an inducer of this form of cytochrome P-450 in vivo.
Comparison of natamycin and voriconazole for the treatment of fungal keratitis.

OBJECTIVE To conduct a therapeutic exploratory clinical trial comparing clinical outcomes of treatment with topical natamycin vs topical voriconazole for fungal keratitis. METHODS The multicenter, double-masked, clinical trial included 120 patients with fungal keratitis at Aravind Eye Hospital in India who were randomized to receive either topical natamycin or topical voriconazole and either had repeated scraping of the epithelium or not. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) at 3 months. Other outcomes included scar size, perforations, and a subanalysis of BSCVA at 3 months in patients with an enrollment visual acuity of 20/40 to 20/400. RESULTS Compared with those who received natamycin, voriconazole-treated patients had an approximately 1-line improvement in BSCVA at 3 months after adjusting for scraping in a multivariate regression model but the difference was not statistically significant (P = .29). Scar size at 3 months was slightly greater with voriconazole after adjusting for scraping (P = .48). Corneal perforations in the voriconazole group (10 of 60 patients) were not significantly different than in the natamycin-treated group (9 of 60 patients) (P >.99). Scraping was associated with worse BSCVA at 3 months after adjusting for drug (P = .06). Patients with baseline BSCVA of 20/40 to 20/400 showed a trend toward a 2-line improvement in visual acuity with voriconazole (P = .07). CONCLUSIONS Overall, there were no significant differences in visual acuity, scar size, and perforations between voriconazole- and natamycin-treated patients. There was a trend toward scraping being associated with worse outcomes. Application to Clinical Practice The benefit seen with voriconazole in the subgroup of patients with baseline visual acuity of 20/40 to 20/400 needs to be validated in a confirmatory clinical trial. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00557362.
Radiofrequency ablation without the use of fluoroscopy – in what kind of patients is it feasible?

Introduction The aim of the study was to describe the experience in performing ablation without fluoroscopy. Material and methods From 575 ablation procedures with CARTO performed in the period 2003–2008, 108 (42 M; age 40 ±16 years) were done without fluoroscopy. One patient had ablation using the Localisa system. There was one man with thrombocytopenia and two pregnant women. Results Right ventricular (RV) outflow tract arrhythmias and other RV arrhythmias were noted in 38 patients (35%) and 17 patients (15%), respectively. There were 5 (4.6%) left ventricular (LV) outflow tract arrhythmias and 19 (17.5%) other LV tachycardias; right accessory pathways in 17 patients (20%), in the middle cardiac vein in 1, Mahaim fibres in 1, and 3 cases of permanent junctional reciprocating tachycardias. One patient with CRT had AV node ablation (Localisa). In 3 patients there were also other arrhythmias treated: slow AV nodal pathway, typical flutter isthmus and right atrial tachycardia. In 2004, 1/96 CARTO procedures was done without fluoroscopy, in 2006 2/97, in 2007 19 (2 in LV) of 93, in 2008 87 (22 in LV) of 204. The percentage of ablations without fluoroscopy in every hundred CARTO procedures was: 1%, 1%, 8%, 23%, 46%, 28% (mean 18%). There were no procedure-related complications. Conclusions It is feasible to perform ablations within both right and left sides of the heart without fluoroscopy. The number and type of non-fluoroscopic procedures depends on the operator's experience. Pregnant patients, with malignant history or with hematologic diseases should be ablated without fluoroscopy in centres that specialise in these kinds of procedures.
Soluble carbonic anhydrase IX is not an independent prognostic factor in human renal cell carcinoma.

UNLABELLED The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic information of soluble carbonic anhydrase (CA) IX expression in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS Serum CA IX was analysed in 361 patients. Tumour type, TNM stage, nuclear grade, and RCC-specific survival were assessed. Serum and immunohistochemical expression were compared. RESULTS Median serum CA IX expression was 141 (range 2-4, 181) pg/ml. Levels were significantly higher in 287 patients with clear cell, compared to 40 papillary (p<0.001) and 22 oncocytoma (p=0.002), but not to 12 chromophobe RCC (p=0.35). Serum CA IX in clear cell RCC was positively correlated to TNM stage (p=0.002). There was a positive trend between serum and immunohistochemical CA IX expression. In a multivariate analysis of clear cell RCC, TNM stage and nuclear grade were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION Serum CA IX was higher in clear cell RCC compared to other RCC types. In clear cell RCC, serum CA IX correlated to TNM stage, but not survival.
Microbial ecology of anaerobic reactors for treatment of alcohol industry wastewaters: a review

Alcohol industries, classified as brewery, winery and distillery, generate huge amounts of acidic, recalcitrant and colored wastewaters with high organic content. Treatment of alcohol production effluents is critical by environmental points of view. Anaerobic treatment is one of the most commonly applied technologies for alcohol industry effluents with a high treatment efficiency and bioenergy recovery. Microbial community structure of bioreactors is the key parameter for efficient removal of organic matter. Microbial diversity of anaerobic reactors treating alcoholic beverage effluents is mainly comprised of hydrolytic Firmicutes, acidogenic syntrophic proteobacteria, methanogenic Methanosaeta spp. and Methanobacteriales group. Combined use of molecular tools provided a deeper insight to microbial ecology of bioreactors.
Cytokines in experimental otitis media with effusion

Studies in the authors' laboratory have recently demonstrated the presence of potent inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNFα) in human middle ear effusions. The clinical significance of this finding has not been fully elucidated because of the limitations of human studies. We hypothesized that the chinchilla model of otitis media may be an appropriate system with which to study the role of cytokines in otitis media with effusion. To begin to investigate this possibility, 30 chinchillas underwent surgical blockage of the eustachian tube (ET) to promote effusion development. After 2 weeks, examination by otoscopy demonstrated 27 ears to have developed an effusion. Next, all middle ear clefts, in random manner, were either injected with heat‐killed Streptococcus pneumoniae 1 × 106 in 0.1 mL normal saline, injected with 0.1 mL normal saline alone, or received no injection at all. Middle ear effusions were obtained and analyzed for IL‐1β and TNFα by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This study demonstrated a significant correlation between IL‐1β and the presence of an effusion (P<.001). Additionally, increased TNFα levels correlated with bacterial component presence (P<.001), i.e., mean TNFα level was 108, 10.8, and 0 pg/mL in bacteria, normal saline, and noninjected ears, respectively. These findings would suggest that cytokine expression may relate to specific pathological conditions and that the chinchilla model for otitis media with effusion (OME) could be used to further explore the role of cytokines in OME.
Somatic mutation screening: identification of individuals harboring K-ras mutations with the use of plasma DNA.

BACKGROUND Many cancers are attributed to somatic mutation of DNA. We investigated whether it is feasible to detect cancer-associated somatic mutations in patients with neoplasms by using plasma DNA. METHODS Plasma samples were prospectively collected from 240 patients undergoing colonoscopy. Colorectal biopsies were performed as clinically indicated in 135 patients, and risk factor information was available from 232 patients. DNA was extracted from plasma and colorectal tissue and was amplified by use of a polymerase chain reaction method that enriches for mutations in codon 12 of the K-ras oncogene. Molecular, histologic, and clinical data were compared by use of two-sided Fisher's exact test. RESULTS Mutations in the K-ras gene detected in the plasma of 64 (28%) of 232 patients were statistically significantly associated with colorectal cancer risk factors (P =.0002). Of those patients having tissue available for comparison (n = 135), mutations in the K-ras gene were found in the tissues of 35 patients, and 29 (83%) of these 35 showed mutations in plasma samples. In contrast, the plasma assay was negative in 93 of the 100 patients whose tissue K-ras was wild-type. Among patients without biopsies (n = 105), 28 had mutated K-ras in their plasma DNA, despite the absence of remarkable colonoscopy findings; 24 of these 28 patients had risk factors for colorectal cancer. Overall, 25 (39%) of 64 patients showing mutations in plasma DNA had colorectal neoplasms with K-ras mutations compared with five (3%) of 176 patients without K-ras mutations in plasma DNA. CONCLUSION Plasma DNA assays for the detection of mutations in K-ras codon 12 may provide a feasible method to screen populations for somatic mutations frequently found in neoplasms. The clinical utility of using this test in screening populations requires further study.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STEAM-WATER AND AIR-WATER RELATIVE PERMEABILITIES IN FRACTURES

The goal of this research has been to compare steamand air-water transport through fractured media and gain better understanding of the behaviors of relative permeability in fractures. Airwater (or nitrogen-water) relative permeabilities are often used for geothermal reservoir simulations while steam-water relative permeabilities in fractures are rarely measured owing to difficulties and complexities of steam-water experiments. A novel and accurate methodology was developed to capture the unstable nature of the steam-water flow in a smooth-walled fracture. Repeatable results were obtained and show that steam-water relative permeabilities are different from nitrogen-water relative permeabilities. The average steam-water relative permeabilities show less phase interference. Also, comparing with previous research into airwater relative permeabilities in fractures, both average steamand nitrogen-water relative permeabilities were seen to behave closer to the X-curve.
Chronic open-angle glaucoma. Review for primary care physicians.

INTRODUCTION Chronic open-angle glaucoma (COAG) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, including in Canada. It presents a challenge in diagnosis, as disease often progresses without symptoms; an estimated 50% of cases are undetected. SOURCES OF INFORMATION MEDLINE searches, reference lists of articles, and expert knowledge from one of the authors (K.F.D.), a glaucoma specialist, were used. MAIN MESSAGE A casefinding approach using early referral to optometrists and ophthalmologists for early detection of COAG is helpful for patients with risk factors such as age above 50, a positive family history, black race, and myopia. Moderate evidence for referral also exists for the following risk factors: hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, and sleep apnea. Treatment with intraocular pressure-lowering medication can arrest or slow the course of the disease, permitting patients to retain good visual function. Family physicians should be aware that some intraocular pressure-lowering medications, particularly topical beta-blockers, can pose iatrogenic harm to patients and result in or exacerbate such conditions as asthma, cardiovascular disturbances, depression, and sexual dysfunction. CONCLUSION Appropriate referral patterns and an understanding of common as well as serious side effects of glaucoma medications are important in optimizing management of patients at risk of developing, or who have, COAG.
Activation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor During Pregnancy in the Mouse Alters Mammary Development Through Direct Effects on Stromal and Epithelial Tissues1

Activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), an environment-sensing transcription factor, causes profound impairment of mammary gland differentiation during pregnancy. Defects include decreased ductal branching, poorly formed alveolar structures, suppressed expression of milk proteins, and failure to nutritionally support offspring. AHR is activated by numerous environmental toxins, such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), and plays an as yet poorly understood role in development and reproduction. To better understand how AHR activation affects pregnancy-associated mammary gland differentiation, we used a combination of ex vivo differentiation, mammary epithelial transplantation, and AHR-deficient mice to determine whether AHR modulates mammary development through a direct effect on mammary epithelial cells (MECs) or by altering paracrine or systemic factors that drive pregnancy-associated differentiation. Studies using mutant mice that express an AHR protein lacking the DNA-binding domain show that defects in pregnancy-associated differentiation require AHR:DNA interactions. We then used fluorescence-based cell sorting to compare changes in gene expression in MECs and whole mammary tissue to gain insight into affected signaling pathways. Our data indicate that activation of the AHR during pregnancy directly affects mammary tissue development via both a direct effect on MECs and through changes in cells of the fat pad, and point to gene targets in MECs and stromal tissues as putative AHR targets.
Pseudomonas putida KT2442 cultivated on glucose accumulates poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) consisting of saturated and unsaturated monomers

The biosynthesis of poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) (PHAs) by Pseudomonas putida KT2442 during growth on carbohydrates was studied. PHAs isolated from P. putida cultivated on glucose, fructose, and glycerol were found to have a very similar monomer composition. In addition to the major constituent 3-hydroxydecanoate, six other monomers were found to be present: 3-hydroxyhexanoate, 3-hydroxyoctanoate, 3-hydroxydodecanoate, 3-hydroxydodecenoate, 3-hydroxytetradecanoate, and 3-hydroxytetradecenoate. The identity of all seven 3-hydroxy fatty acids was established by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, one-dimensional 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance, and two-dimensional double-quantum filtered correlation spectroscopy 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance. The chemical structures of the monomer units are identical to the structure of the acyl moiety of the 3-hydroxyacyl-acyl carrier protein intermediates of de novo fatty acid biosynthesis. Furthermore, the degree of unsaturation of PHA and membrane lipids is similarly influenced by shifts in the cultivation temperature. These results strongly indicate that, during growth on nonrelated substrates, PHA monomers are derived from intermediates of de novo fatty acid biosynthesis. Analysis of a P. putida pha mutant and complementation of this mutant with the cloned pha locus revealed that the PHA polymerase genes necessary for PHA synthesis from octanoate are also responsible for PHA formation from glucose.
Rates and predictors of radiographic sacroiliitis progression over 2 years in patients with axial spondyloarthritis

Objective To assess the progression of radiographic sacroiliitis in a cohort of patients with early axial spondyloarthritis over a period of 2 years and to explore predictors of progression. Methods 210 patients with axial spondyloarthritis from the German Spondyloarthritis Inception Cohort have been selected for this analysis based on availability of radiographs at baseline and after 2 years of follow-up. Radiographs were centrally digitised and the sacroiliac joints were scored independently according to the grading system of the modified New York criteria for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) by two trained readers. The readers scored both time points simultaneously but were blinded for the time point and for all clinical data. Results 115 patients (54.8%) fulfilled the modified New York criteria for AS in their radiographic part in the opinion of both readers at baseline, while 95 patients (45.2%) were classified as non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. More patients with non-radiographic spondyloarthritis (10.5%) compared with AS (4.4%) showed an estimated ‘true’ progression by at least one grade according to both readers, although the difference between the two groups was statistically non-significant. The rate of progression from non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis to AS was 11.6% over 2 years. An elevated level of C-reactive protein (CRP) at baseline was a strong positive predictor of radiographic sacroiliitis progression in non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis and AS (OR 3.65 and 5.08, respectively, p<0.05). Conclusion Progression of radiographic sacroiliitis by at least one grade after 2 years occurs only in a small percentage of patients with early axial spondyloarthritis. An elevated level of CRP was found to be a strong positive predictor of sacroiliitis progression.
Implementing cooperative agent-based protection and outage management system for power distribution network control

In this paper, a wide research results upon the potentials of implementing Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) technology on Tehran-Iran power distribution network to gain high degrees of independency, is proposed. This work is in the area of agent-based and/or knowledge–based applications, distributed optimizations, distributed computing and expert systems. The proposed MAS is implemented using Java Agent DEvelopment Framework (JADE), which is fully accomplished in Java and compliant with Foundation of Intelligent Physical Agents (FIPA), also graph-theory-based expert systems implemented, which executed using PROgramming in LOGic (PROLOG), can be integrated with Java Integrated Development Environment (IDE). In order to power restoration decisions, Binary Knapsack Problem (KP) optimization algorithm is implemented with PROLOG. It is shown that, MAS technology's impact on outage management, upon medium-voltage (MV) power distribution lines, makes it be autonomously performing and effective cooperative. Since cooperation becomes more and more popular in software industry, the proposed MAS technology also offers modular, extensible, adaptable and versatile approach.
Prisoners of Hope: Welfare to Work in Los Angeles

This report examines why more welfare parents did not become economically self-sufficient after participating in the LA County Welfare to Work Program, GAIN (Greater Avenue for Independence). It provided information about what happened to these parents when they entered the labor market after GAIN. This study investigated welfare case records for 1.1 million parents as well as the state's payroll tax records for these parents. Key outcome: most welfare parents remain in poverty even after many years in the labor force. Key opportunity: parents with higher levels of education and English fluency and parents who participated in education and training programs have the highest earnings and the best prospects for becoming self-sufficient. Reasons for low earnings: many parents have low levels of education and/or limited English ability. These obstacles in combination with limited work histories preclude many from becoming economically self-sufficient. In addition, many parents have disabilities and dysfunctions that preclude self-sufficiency. The entry of many low-skilled welfare parents into the labor market contributes to the growth of low-wage industries that do not offer sustainable employment.
Macromolecular Content of Inclusions Produced by a Canine Adenovirus

Early inclusions induced by a canine adenovirus in a canine cell line, appearing before the formation of infectious virus particles, were purified by differential centrifugation in sucrose followed by CsCl density gradient centrifugation. Chemical analysis of these inclusions revealed that they contained deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid, and protein. On the basis of density gradient centrifugation, the DNA extracted from the inclusions was found to be viral DNA. Electron microscope autoradiography showed that these inclusions were the sites of DNA synthesis. In addition, association of DNA polymerase activity with the inclusions was detected by incorporation of radioactivity from 3H-thymidine triphosphate into a DNA product. The in vitro product of the enzyme had a density equal to that of viral DNA rather than host DNA. The level of DNA polymerase activity in exponentially growing infected and uninfected whole cells was similar, but in cells in stationary phase the enzyme activity of infected cells was twice that in noninfected cells. Furthermore, nuclei isolated from infected cells showed a fourfold increase in DNA polymerase activity over the noninfected cells.
BRCA1 gene mutation and loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 17q21 in primary prostate cancer

The tumor suppressor gene BRCA1 on chromosome 17q21 has been characterized and shown to be mutated in patients with familial breast and ovarian cancer. Several studies examined the relatives of women with breast cancer and noted an association with ovarian and prostate cancer. This study investigated 24 human prostate cancer specimens for BRCA1 gene mutations and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on chromosome 17q21 assessed by the polymerase chain reaction. LOH was identified using 7 highly polymorphic tandem repeat markers on chromosome 17q21, in addition to an analysis of the whole coding region of the BRCA1 gene. Four of the 24 prostate cancer specimens showed LOH at one or more loci, all of which were histologically poorly differentiated (4 of 11) and stage D (4 of 15). One of the 24 cases showed a germ‐line mutation of the BRCA1 gene, and a sister of this patient died of ovarian cancer. It appears that the BRCA1 gene is not frequently involved in the development of primary prostate cancer. Int. J. Cancer (Pred. Oncol.) 84:19–23, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
As Metas de Inflação: Sugestões para um Regime Permanente*

In 1999 the inflation targeting regime was introduced in Brazil in an environment plenty of uncertainties and relatively high inflation rates. As a consequence, the set of rules that to this day govern the Brazilian regime still lack a strong institutional support. This paper makes some proposals for a permanent inflation targeting regime. In doing so, we discuss how can a greater institutional commitment be achieved with the inflation targeting setup. We also discuss issues on what the permanent inflation target level should be and also how much deviation from the target should be tolerated. Based on these issues, we suggest a set of rules to be adopted in Brazil.
Pleural infection caused by Legionella anisa

The first case of infection caused by Legionella anisa with isolation of the organism is reported here. The presence of L. anisa in the water supply of the hospital and the isolation of this species in the pleural fluid of a patient suffering from nosocomial pleurisy confirm the potential pathogenicity of this Legionella species.