Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gastric intramucosal Pco2 and pH variability in ventilated critically ill patients

ObjectiveGastric intramucosal Pco2 (Pico2) and pH (pHi) are currently used as indices of the adequacy of splanchnic perfusion and as end points to guide therapeutic intervention. However, little is known about their spontaneous variability over time. The present study was designed to define the magnitude of spontaneous variability of Pico2 and pHi in sedated medical intensive care unit (ICU) patients using an automated recirculating air tonometer and to test whether high-level positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) or inverse inspiratory/expiratory (I:E) ratio ventilation resulted in a greater variability than low PEEP with conventional I:E ratio ventilation. DesignProspective study. SettingMedical ICU in a tertiary medical center. PatientsTwenty-three acute respiratory failure patients. InterventionsAfter being sedated, patients were randomized to undergo pressure control ventilation at the following three settings: A, high PEEP (15 cm H2O) with conventional I:E ratio (1:2), and B, low PEEP (5 cm H2O) with inverse I:E ratio (2:1) alternately, and then C, low PEEP (5 cm H2O) with conventional I:E ratio (1:2). Each ventilation setting period lasted 1 hr. Measurements and Main Results The Pico2 and pHi were measured at baseline (time 0), and at 15, 30, 45, and 60 mins thereafter. The corresponding coefficients of variation (CVs) of Pico2 for overall pooled group and settings A, B, and C were 4.0%, 4.4%, 3.4%, and 4.2%, respectively. The corresponding CVs of pHi for overall pooled group and settings A, B, and C were 0.36%, 0.37%, 0.33%, and 0.4%, respectively. Analysis of variance showed no significant difference in the CVs of Pico2 or pHi between the three settings. The 95% confidence interval is approximately ±8% variability for Pico2 and ±0.7% variability for pHi. ConclusionsIn critically ill medical ICU patients with stable hemodynamics, the spontaneous variability of Pico2 or pHi are not substantial. High PEEP (15 cm H2O) and inverse ratio ventilation (2:1), which does not change the cardiac output or hemodynamics, does not contribute to increased spontaneous variability in Pico2 or pHi.
The Interaction Between Intra-Cyclic Variation of the Velocity and Mean Swimming Velocity in Young Competitive Swimmers

Abstract The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between the intra-cyclic variation of the horizontal velocity (dv) and the velocity of the 4 competitive swimming techniques in young swimmers. 45 young swimmers performed a set of maximal 4×25 m (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly stroke) swims with in water start. A speed-meter cable was attached to the swimmer’s hip. The dv and the swimming velocity were analyzed. Within-subject tests presented significant variations in the dv based on the swimming technique. Post-hoc test revealed significant differences across all pair-wised swimming techniques (P<0.001), except for the comparison between freestyle and backstroke (P=0.98). The dv was higher in the breaststroke, followed by the butterfly, the backstroke and the freestyle. The quadratic models had the best goodness-of-fit and the lower error of estimation for the relationship between the dv and the swimming velocity in all swimming techniques (0.24≤R2≤0.51). As a conclusion, there is a non-linear relationship where the increase of swimming velocity leads to a decrease of dv in young competitive swimmers.
Credit Constraints and the Labour Supply of Immigrant Families in Canada

The hours of work decisions in immigrant and nonimmigrant families are compared using an intertemporal labor-supply model estimated over data from the 1981 and 1991 Census of Canada surveys. The family investment hypothesis is evaluated. The hypothesis states that the immigrant family is unable to borrow in the first years after migration and that the immigrant wife responds by working longer hours so as to support family consumption and her husband's labor market adjustment. The empirical evidence, in general, supports the hypothesis since credit constraints are found to significantly distort the labor-supply decisions of recently arrived immigrant families.
Retirement and the Evolution of Pension Structure

Defined benefit pension plans have become considerably less common since the early 1980s, while defined contribution plans have spread. Previous research showed that defined benefit plans, with sharp incentives encouraging retirement after a certain point, contributed to the striking decline in American retirement ages. In this paper we find that the absence of age-related incentives in defined contribution plans leads workers to retire almost two years later on average, compared to workers with defined benefit plans. Thus, the evolution of pension structure can help explain recent increases in the typical retirement age, after decades of decline.
Multi Objective Airfoil Design Using Single Parent Populations

A new approach for multi criteria design optimization is presented in the paper. The problem tackled with this approach is the 2-dimensional design of an aircraft wing. To carry the derandomized step size control operator for evolution strategies also to multi criteria applications, three different selection schemes are proposed. Two of them fail to obtain a certain quality of outcome, but the third one leads to promising results. This third selection scheme more emphasizes the diversity among individuals than the other selection schemes.
Evaluating Policy Regimes: New Research in Empirical MacRoeconomics

Economists have long debated the theoretical merits - for an individual nation and for a multi-nation world economy - of alternative approaches to the conduct of economic policy. Yet theory alone cannot resolve the important issues at stake. Only after the robustness of policy regimes has been examined with empirical evidence will policymakers and economists be able to reach more of a consensus. This book makes a move towards meeting the need for a combination of theoretical and empirical evaluation of alternative policy regimes. Many parts of the book use the analytical techniques of stochastic simulation, an evaluation procedure increasingly employed at the frontier of economic analysis. This book is another installment in a continuing worldwide research project, sponsored by Brookings since the mid-1980s, to improve empirical knowledge about the interdependence of national economics. Previous volumes include "Macroeconomic Policies in an Interdependent World", "External Deficits and the Dollar: the Pit and the Pendulum", and "Empirical Macroeconomics for Interdependent Economies".
The design and characterization of two proteins with 88% sequence identity but different structure and function

To identify a simplified code for conformational switching, we have redesigned two natural proteins to have 88% sequence identity but different tertiary structures: a 3-α helix fold and an α/β fold. We describe the design of these homologous heteromorphic proteins, their structural properties as determined by NMR, their conformational stabilities, and their affinities for their respective ligands: IgG and serum albumin. Each of these proteins is completely folded at 25°C, is monomeric, and retains the native binding activity. The complete binding epitope for both ligands is encoded within each of the proteins. The IgG-binding epitope is functional only in the α/β fold, and the albumin-binding epitope is functional only in the 3-α fold. These results demonstrate that two monomeric folds and two different functions can be encoded with only 12% of the amino acids in a protein (7 of 56). The fact that 49 aa in these proteins are compatible with both folds shows that the essential information determining a fold can be highly concentrated in a few amino acids and that a very limited subset of interactions in the protein can tip the balance from one monomer fold to another. This delicate balance helps explain why protein structure prediction is so challenging. Furthermore, because a few mutations can result in both new conformation and new function, the evolution of new folds driven by natural selection for alternative functions may be much more probable than previously recognized.
Lactobacillus plantarum 5BG Survives During Refrigerated Storage Bio-Preserving Packaged Spanish-Style Table Olives (cv. Bella di Cerignola)

This paper proposes bio-preservation as a tool to assure quality and safety of Spanish-style table olives cv. Bella di Cerignola. Lactobacillus plantarum 5BG was inoculated in ready to sell olives packaged in an industrial plant by using a half-volume brine (4% NaCl; 2% sucrose). The samples were stored at 4°C. The survival of the inoculated strain, the microbiological quality, the sensory scores and the survival of a strain of Listeria monocytogenes inoculated in brines were evaluated. The persistence of the Lb. plantarum bio-preserving culture was confirmed on olives (≥6.5 Log CFU/g) and in brine (≥7 Log CFU/ml). Bio-preserved olives (SET1) showed a better sensory profile than chemically acidified control olives (SET2) and the texture was the real discriminative parameter among samples. Bio-preserved olives recorded better scores during storage because of their ability to retain good hardness, crunchiness, and fibrousness without cracks. The inoculation of Lb. plantarum positively acted on the safety of olives, as the D-value of L. monocytogenes was reduced from 40 (SET2) to 5 days (SET1). In conclusion, Lb. plantarum 5BG and the physico-chemical conditions achieved in the settled procedure are suitable for the industrial packaging of Bella di Cerignola table olives, improving the process by halving brining volumes and avoiding chemical stabilizers, and significantly reducing the salt concentration. The final product is also safely preserved for almost 5 months as suggested by the reduction of the survival rate of L. monocytogenes.
Trypanosoma brucei TbIF1 inhibits the essential F1-ATPase in the infectious form of the parasite

The mitochondrial (mt) FoF1-ATP synthase of the digenetic parasite, Trypanosoma brucei, generates ATP during the insect procyclic form (PF), but becomes a perpetual consumer of ATP in the mammalian bloodstream form (BF), which lacks a canonical respiratory chain. This unconventional dependence on FoF1-ATPase is required to maintain the essential mt membrane potential (Δψm). Normally, ATP hydrolysis by this rotary molecular motor is restricted to when eukaryotic cells experience sporadic hypoxic conditions, during which this compulsory function quickly depletes the cellular ATP pool. To protect against this cellular treason, the highly conserved inhibitory factor 1 (IF1) binds the enzyme in a manner that solely inhibits the hydrolytic activity. Intriguingly, we were able to identify the IF1 homolog in T. brucei (TbIF1), but determined that its expression in the mitochondrion is tightly regulated throughout the life cycle as it is only detected in PF cells. TbIF1 appears to primarily function as an emergency brake in PF cells, where it prevented the restoration of the Δψm by FoF1-ATPase when respiration was chemically inhibited. In vitro, TbIF1 overexpression specifically inhibits the hydrolytic activity but not the synthetic capability of the FoF1-ATP synthase in PF mitochondria. Furthermore, low μM amounts of recombinant TbIF1 achieve the same inhibition of total mt ATPase activity as the FoF1-ATPase specific inhibitors, azide and oligomycin. Therefore, even minimal ectopic expression of TbIF1 in BF cells proved lethal as the indispensable Δψm collapsed due to inhibited FoF1-ATPase. In summary, we provide evidence that T. brucei harbors a natural and potent unidirectional inhibitor of the vital FoF1-ATPase activity that can be exploited for future structure-based drug design.
ANTI-PARASITIC ACTIVITY OF CERTAIN INDIGEOUS PLANTS

The antiparasitic activity of certain indigenous plant extracts was tested against the model bovine filarial parasite Setaria digitata. Among the plants tested, the extracts of Strebulus asper was found to be most effective. The chloroform and other phase of the organic solvents showed most activity indicating that the active compound may be a non polar substance having low molecular weight.
The role of sterol rings and side chain on the structure and phase behaviour of sphingomyelin bilayers

The role of the side chain of sterols and the sterol ring structure on the formation of ordered phases of the type observed in membrane rafts has been examined in aqueous dispersions of binary mixtures of sphingomyelin and androsterol. Comparisons have been made with binary systems of cholesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, and ergosterol with either sphingomyelin or dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine. Thermotropic phase behaviour and structure of the mixed aqueous dispersions were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, freeze-fracture electron microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. We show that: (i) Androsterol is less efficient in promoting the formation of liquid-ordered phase than other naturally occurring sterols which possess a side chain, (ii) cholesterol is the most efficient sterol of those investigated in forming liquid-ordered phase, (iii) the molecular stoichiometry of egg sphingomyelin and androsterol in the liquid-ordered phase is about 2:1, and (iv) sphingomyelin can form more stable liquid-ordered phase than glycerophospholipid in binary systems containing androsterol.
Likelihood-Based Inference for Multi-Color Optical Mapping

Multi-color optical mapping is a new technique being developed to obtain detailed physical maps (indicating relative positions of various recognition sites) of DNA molecules. We consider a study design in which the data consist of noisy observations of multiple copies of a DNA molecule marked with colors at recognition sites. The primary goal is to estimate a physical map. A secondary goal is to estimate error rates associated with the experiment, which are potentially useful for analysis and refinement of the biochemical steps in the mapping procedure. We propose statistical models for various sources of error and use maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to construct a physical map and estimate error rates. To overcome difficulties arising in the maximization process, a latent-variable Markov chain version of the model is proposed, and the EM algorithm is used for maximization. In addition, a simulated annealing procedure is applied to maximize the profile likelihood over the discrete space of sequences of colors. We apply the methods to simulated data on the bacteriophage lambda genome.
The Effect of Dexamethasone on Post-operative Opioid Requirement in Patients who Underwent Gynecology Surgery at the University Hospital inJamaica

Background: The necessity to improve post-operative analgesia and hence patients’ satisfaction has been the driving force of the quest for easy-to-administer, cost effective and safe analgesic agents. Dexamethasone is a powerful anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-emetic agent, that has been found to decrease opioid use, yet improve post-operative analgesia in a wide range of surgical patients. Objectives: To determine if a single dose of intravenous Dexamethasone (0.5 mg/kg, not exceeding 40 mg), administered preoperatively, decreased post-operative opioid requirements without adverse effects in a cohort of Jamaican patients. Study design: A randomized, single-centre, single-blinded study was conducted over a six (6) month period. Patients, 18-60 years, scheduled to undergo gynecological surgery under general anesthesia, were recruited for the study, and were enrolled in either Group A, the control or B, the study group. Anesthesia was standardized and included intravenous Morphine (0.1 mg/kg) and Diclofenac sodium 75 mg, for preemptive analgesia. Pain intensity, sedation level, post-operative opioid/narcotic usage and satisfaction with pain management were assessed at 3, 6, 9 and 12 hours post-operatively. Results: Total Pethidine consumption for the control group (A) was significantly higher (5200 mg) than the study Group (B), 3800 mg (p=0.008). Age of patients and length of surgery were not found to influence Pethidine requirements (p=0.338 and 0.131 respectively). Pain intensity was significantly lower in Group B at the 12-hour assessment, p=0.019, and earlier discharge home was also noted. No adverse effects of Dexamethasone were observed. Conclusion: A single intravenous dose of Dexamethasone had a positive effect on post-operative pain management and patient satisfaction in a cohort of Jamaican patients.
External Scale Economies in Turkish Manufacturing Industries

In this study, the relationship between external scale economies (agglomeration economies) and productivity is measured by using Turkish data. The productivity increase can be due to economies from locating closer to other firms in either the same industry (localisation economies) or different industries (urbanisation economies). Localisation economies are proxied by own industry size and urbanisation economies by city population. Productivity (output per worker) is regressed on industry size, city population, and other related variables. A measure of concentration of state enterprises is included in the regressions to control for the possible inefficiencies in public sector firms. The functional form of the estimating equations is derived from the translog production function. As a check, a constant elasticity of substitution (CES) form is also experimented with. Data are cross-section data and come from industrial and production surveys conducted by the State Institute of Statistics of Turkey in 1985. The study finds that agglomeration economies that are robust across different specifications of the agglomeration economy function and production function exist in food products, textiles, and wood products. Urbanisation economies are detected in food products and textiles. In wood products there are localisation economies.
Epigenetic drugs for cancer treatment and prevention: mechanisms of action

Abstract This review provides a brief overview of the basic principles of epigenetic gene regulation and then focuses on recent development of epigenetic drugs for cancer treatment and prevention with an emphasis on the molecular mechanisms of action. The approved epigenetic drugs are either inhibitors of DNA methyltransferases or histone deacetylases (HDACs). Future epigenetic drugs could include inhibitors for histone methyltransferases and histone demethylases and other epigenetic enzymes. Epigenetic drugs often function in two separate yet interrelated ways. First, as epigenetic drugs per se, they modulate the epigenomes of premalignant and malignant cells to reverse deregulated epigenetic mechanisms, leading to an effective therapeutic strategy (epigenetic therapy). Second, HDACs and other epigenetic enzymes also target non-histone proteins that have regulatory roles in cell proliferation, migration and cell death. Through these processes, these drugs induce cancer cell growth arrest, cell differentiation, inhibition of tumor angiogenesis, or cell death via apoptosis, necrosis, autophagy or mitotic catastrophe (chemotherapy). As they modulate genes which lead to enhanced chemosensitivity, immunogenicity or dampened innate antiviral response of cancer cells, epigenetic drugs often show better efficacy when combined with chemotherapy, immunotherapy or oncolytic virotherapy. In chemoprevention, dietary phytochemicals such as epigallocatechin-3-gallate and sulforaphane act as epigenetic agents and show efficacy by targeting both cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment. Further understanding of how epigenetic mechanisms function in carcinogenesis and cancer progression as well as in normal physiology will enable us to establish a new paradigm for intelligent drug design in the treatment and prevention of cancer.
El paso del control a la prevención: ¿importan los estándares medioambientales?

The aim of this paper is to show the influence of certified environmental management systems in the transition from control to pollution prevention. Taking as a reference point the environmental innovation, a number of environmental control and prevention oriented practices are analyzed providing empirical evidence of their implementation over the firms in the Spanish metal industry. Our results show a significant decrease in the implementation of preventive innovations among not certified firms which stresses the importance of the certification when carrying out this kind of environmental innovations.
A Retrospective Study on Poult Enteritis Syndrome in Minnesota

Abstract A retrospective study was conducted to determine the occurrence of poult enteritis syndrome (PES) in Minnesota from January 2002 to December 2007. PES is an infectious intestinal disease of young turkeys between 1 day and 7 wk of age and is characterized by diarrhea, depression, and lethargy with pale intestines and/or excessively fluid cecal contents. During the study period, samples from 1736 turkey flocks were submitted to the Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for disease investigation. Of these, 151 flocks (8.7%) were PES positive. Cases of PES were seen throughout the year with higher prevalence in fall. The PES was statistically associated with age with higher occurrence in poults less than 3 wk of age. Rotavirus, small round virus (SRV), Salmonella, nonhemolytic Escherichia coli, Enterococcus, and Eimeria oocysts were detected alone or in different combinations. Reovirus and adenovirus were found in one flock each. The most commonly identified pathogens were Salmonella (85 flocks) and rotavirus (73 flocks). Of PES-affected flocks, 39 (25.8%), 66 (43.7%), and 37 (24.5%) had one, two, and three or more pathogens, respectively. Rotavirus, SRV, and reovirus occurred mostly in poults of less than 6 wk of age while Salmonella, E. coli, and Eimeria were seen in poults of all age groups. Minimum age for rotavirus detection was in 2-day-old poults. Histopathologically, moderate to severe mixed intestinal villus or lamina propria inflammatory infiltrates, necrosis of distal villus tips in intestinal specimens, and mild to severe lymphocellular depletion in thymus, bursa, and spleen were seen. Antimicrobial sensitivity patterns of bacterial isolates from PES-affected flocks revealed maximum sensitivity to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and ceftiofur and a varying degree of resistance to other antimicrobials.
A mouse monoclonal antibody, S2n8, detects a 140 kDa protein on the surface of human endometrial stromal cells and decidual cells.

We developed a mouse monoclonal antibody, S2n8, by immunizing mice i.p. with human decidual cells collected in the first trimester of pregnancy. By indirect immunofluorescence staining of frozen sections, S2n8 was found to react with decidual cells and endometrial stromal cells throughout the menstrual cycle, but not with endometrial glandular cells or with the endometrial surface epithelium. Judging from the fluorescence intensity, the antigen expression on stromal cells was weak in the proliferative phase, and became stronger in the secretory phase. Decidual cells in the first trimester of pregnancy and decidual cells at term showed strong expression of this antigen. Indirect immunofluorescence staining of enzymatically dispersed decidual tissue revealed that the S2n8 antigen was expressed on the decidual cell surface. Flow cytometric analysis of 12 freshly prepared stromal cell-enriched cell suspensions showed that 74.8-94.2% (mean +/- SD 86.1 +/- 6.6%) of the cells carried the antigen. The expression of S2n8 antigen on cultured stromal cells was enhanced by the addition of oestradiol and/or progesterone. The antigenic molecule was purified by immunoaffinity chromatography from decidua collected in the first trimester of pregnancy, and the molecular weight was estimated to be approximately 140 kDa. These findings indicate that the S2n8 antigen is a useful cell surface marker for stromal cells/decidual cells and is associated with their differentiation.