Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Calcium-induced Folding and Stabilization of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Alkaline Protease*

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa alkaline protease is a virulence factor from the repeats in toxin (RTX) family. Results: Calcium binding in the RTX domain induces folding and results in activation of the protease. Conclusion: Disorder-to-order transitions in the RTX domain regulate protease structure, stability, and activity. Significance: Understanding how calcium binding regulates the RTX family provides a basis for understanding its impact on bacterial virulence. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that contributes to the mortality of immunocompromised individuals and patients with cystic fibrosis. Pseudomonas infection presents clinical challenges due to its ability to form biofilms and modulate host-pathogen interactions through the secretion of virulence factors. The calcium-regulated alkaline protease (AP), a member of the repeats in toxin (RTX) family of proteins, is implicated in multiple modes of infection. A series of full-length and truncation mutants were purified for structural and functional studies to evaluate the role of Ca2+ in AP folding and activation. We find that Ca2+ binding induces RTX folding, which serves to chaperone the folding of the protease domain. Subsequent association of the RTX domain with an N-terminal α-helix stabilizes AP. These results provide a basis for the Ca2+-mediated regulation of AP and suggest mechanisms by which Ca2+ regulates the RTX family of virulence factors.
Sensitivity and specificity of an abbreviated 13C-mixed triglyceride breath test for measurement of pancreatic exocrine function

Background A modified 13C-mixed triglyceride breath test (13C -MTGT) detects moderate pancreatic exocrine insufficiency noninvasively and reliably, but it requires prolonged breath sampling (6 hours (hr)). Objective We aimed to investigate whether 13C -MTGT can be abbreviated, to optimize clinical usability. Methods We analyzed the 13C-MTGT of 200 consecutive patients, retrospectively. Cumulative 1–5 hr 13C-exhalation values were compared with the standard parameter (6-hr cumulative 13C-exhalation). We determined the sensitivity and specificity of shortened breath sampling periods, by comparison with the normal values from 10 healthy volunteers, whom also underwent a secretin test to quantitate pancreatic secretion. Moreover, we evaluated the influence of gastric emptying (GE), using a 13C-octanoic acid breath test in a subset (N = 117). Results The 1–5 hr cumulative 13C-exhalation tests correlated highly and significantly with the standard parameter (p < 0.0001). Sensitivity for detection of impaired lipolysis was high (≥77%), but the specificity was low (≥38%) for the early measurements. Both parameters were high after 4 hrs (88% and 94%, respectively) and 5 hrs (98% and 91%, respectively). Multivariate linear correlation analysis confirmed that GE strongly influenced early postprandial 13C-exhalation during the 13C-MTGT. Conclusion Shortening of the 13C -MTGT from 6 to 4 hrs of duration was associated with similar diagnostic accuracy, yet increased clinical usability. The influence of GE on early postprandial results of the 13C-MTGT precluded further abbreviation of the test.
Hemispheric Brain Injury and Behavioral Deficits Induced by Severe Neonatal Hypoxia-Ischemia in Rats Are Not Attenuated by Intravenous Administration of Human Umbilical Cord Blood Cells

Neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in infants. Human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) is a potential source of cellular therapy in perinatology. We investigated the effects of HUCB cells on spatial memory, motor performance, and brain morphologic changes in neonate rats submitted to HI. Seven-day-old rats underwent right carotid artery occlusion followed by exposure to 8% O2 inhalation for 2 h. Twenty-four hours after HI, rats received either saline solution or HUCB cells i.v. After 3 wk, rats were assessed using a Morris Water Maze and four motor tests. Subsequently, rats were killed for histologic, immunohistochemical, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses. HI rats showed significant spatial memory deficits and a volumetric decrease in the hemisphere ipsilateral to arterial occlusion. These deficits and decreases were not significantly attenuated by the injection of HUCB cells. Moreover, immunofluorescence and PCR analysis revealed few HUCB cells located in rat brain. Intravenous administration of HUCB cells requires optimization to achieve improved therapeutic outcomes in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic injury.
High-mobility low band-to-band-tunneling strained-Germanium double-gate heterostructure FETs: Simulations

Large band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) leakage currents can ultimately limit the scalability of high-mobility (small-bandgap) materials. This paper presents a novel heterostructure double-gate FET (DGFET) that can significantly reduce BTBT leakage currents while retaining its high mobility, making it suitable for scaling into the sub-20-nm regime. In particular, through one-dimensional Poisson-Schrodinger, full-band Monte Carlo, and detailed BTBT simulations, the tradeoffs between carrier transport, electrostatics, and BTBT leakage in high-mobility sub-20-nm Si-strained SiGe-Si (high germanium concentration) heterostructure PMOS DGFETs are thoroughly analyzed. The results show a dramatic (>100/spl times/) reduction in BTBT and an excellent electrostatic control of the channel while maintaining very high drive currents and switching frequencies in these nanoscale transistors.
Segmental bioelectrical impedance analysis to assess perioperative fluid changes

Objectives Perioperative fluid accumulation determination is a challenge for the clinician. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a noninvasive method based on the electrical properties of tissues, which can assess body fluid compartments. The study aimed at assessing their changes in three types of surgery (thoracic, abdominal, and intracranial) requiring various regimens of fluid administration. Design Prospective descriptive trial. Patients A total of 26 patients scheduled for elective surgery were separated into three groups according to site of surgery: thoracic (n = 8), abdominal aortic (n = 8), and brain surgery (n = 10). Setting University teaching hospital. Intervention None. Measurements Whole body, segmental (arm, trunk, and legs) BIA at multiple frequency (0.5, 50, 100 kHz) was used to assess perioperative fluid accumulation after surgery. The fluid balances were calculated from the charts. Results The patients were aged 62 ± 4 yrs. Fluid balances were 4.8 ± 1.0 L, 4.1 ± 0.5 L, and 1.9 ± 0.3 L, respectively, in the three groups. In trunk surgery patients, fluid accumulation was detected as a drop in impedance in the operated area at all frequencies. In the operated area, there was an expansion of both intra- and extracellular compartments. A reduction in high frequencies’ impedance in the legs was only detected after aortic surgery. Fluid accumulation and trunk impedance changes were strongly correlated. Neurosurgery only induced minor body fluid changes. Conclusions Segmental BIA is able to detect and localize perioperative fluid accumulation. It may become a bedside tool to quantify and to localize fluid accumulation.
A stochastic heuristic based approach to test vector reordering for dynamic test power reduction

With the growth of IC technology, power minimization has become a serious concern for the test engineers. Power consumption in test mode is comparatively higher than in functional mode. This high power consumption during testing may generate too much heat which in turn can spoil the circuit under test. Considering the spectrum of low power testing approaches, reduction in dynamic power is viewed here as a sub-problem and resolved through test vector reordering. In this paper, an Enhanced Ant Colony Optimization (EACO) heuristic is applied to sort out an optimal order of test vectors so that switching activity during testing gets lessened. The simulation on ISCAS 85 bench mark test data set has shown promising power reduction when compared with simple ant colony optimization (ACO) and other relevant heuristic approaches.
Development and testing of a new measure of health status for clinical trials in rhinoconjunctivitis

The objective of this study was to develop and test a health‐related quality of life questionnaire for clinical trials in rhinoconjunctivitis. The Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) was developed by asking patients to identify areas of their lives affected by rhinoconjunctivitis. The resultant RQLQ was tested for reproducibility, responsiveness and validity in a randomized, double‐blind trial of regular versus ‘as required’ aqueous beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) nasal spray in ragweed pollen‐induced rhinoconjunctivitis. Eighty‐five patients from previous rhinoconjunctivitis studies participated in the developmental survey. Sixty ragweed‐sensitive patients, from previous trials and media notices, were enrolled in the clinical trial. Aqueous BDP (800 μg) nasal spray was administered regularly or ‘as required’ throughout the ragweed pollen season. The survey revealed that, in addition to local symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis, patients experienced impairment of quality of life through systemic symptoms, sleep disturbance, practical problems, activity limitations and emotional problems. The RQLQ includes 28 questions related to these dimensions. Repeated administration of the RQLQ demonstrated good reproducibility. During the clinical trial, the RQLQ proved responsive in its ability to distinguish between regular and ‘as required’ medication use. Validity was shown by moderate to strong relations between changes in symptom diary scores and changes in RQLQ scores. In conclusion the RQLQ is likely to prove useful as a measure of health‐related quality of life in clinical trials in both rhinoconjunctivitis and rhinitis.
Infrared Image Combined with CNN Based Fault Diagnosis for Rotating Machinery

Infrared (IR) imaging for rotating machinery monitoring and fault diagnosis has gained noticeable attention in recent years since it enables non-contact, on-intrusive and singlesensor based temperature measurements. However, the IR image for fault identification requires the process of artificial feature extraction, which is influenced by personal experience. And the sensitivity of the infrared image signal to various faults in the mechanical equipment is still unclear. Therefore, a rotor platform fault diagnosis method based on infrared image and convolution neural network (CNN) classification algorithm is proposed in this paper, which can automatically select the image feature and identify the fault mode. Firstly, the theoretical basis for the fault diagnosis of rotating equipment using IR image is analyzed. Then, the network structure and parameters were optimized for the IR data. Finally, the proposed method is used to diagnose the rotor platform and compared with the traditional way of feature extraction combined with the SVM, which proved that the proposed method has a higher accuracy. The application of our research was on the detection of conditions such as rotor imbalance, shaft misalignment, bearing looseness, rubbing, and coupling of rubbing and misalignment.
Expansion of pharmacists' responsibilities in an emergency department.

PURPOSE The role of pharmacists in the emergency department (ED) of an acute care hospital is described. SUMMARY The ED staff at Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast care for approximately 80,000 patients per year, with approximately 215 patient visits per day. In July 2007, clinical pharmacy services were implemented in the ED, and four dedicated ED pharmacists were hired with the primary responsibilities of medication reconciliation for admitted patients and prospective review of physician orders. As these pharmacists became more involved with clinical interventions and physician consultations, two pharmacy technicians were placed in the ED to manage medication reconciliation under the supervision of a pharmacist. This allowed the ED pharmacists to assume additional clinical responsibilities, including management of patients' antimicrobial regimens, answering of medication-related telephone calls from discharged patients and the outpatient pharmacy, multidisciplinary team involvement, formal rounding, and participation in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. CONCLUSION ED pharmacists at one institution expanded their clinical role by taking on more direct patient care responsibilities. Pharmacists' interventions were well received by ED physicians, with an acceptance rate of 98%.
Analysis of the Dynamic Relations between BET and RASDAQ-C

This paper explores the dynamic relations between two indices of Romanian stock markets: BET and RASDAQ-C. The results of our analysis indicate a cointegration relation between the two variables. A Vector Autoregression model revealed weak interactions between the two indices. We find evidence of an unidirectional causality from BET to RASDAQ-C.
The Influence of 17β-oestradiol on Corticotrophin-releasing Hormone Induced Suppression of Luteinising Hormone Pulses and the Role of CRH in Hypoglycaemic Stress-induced Suppression of Pulsatile LH Secretion in the Female Rat

Corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) released during stress has been implicated in the disruption of the reproductive neuroendocrine axis, and 17β-oestradiol (E2) has been shown to enhance stress-induced suppression of pulsatile gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and luteinising hormone (LH) release. The aims of the present study were to examine the role of CRH in hypoglycaemic stress-induced suppression of LH pulses, and to investigate the influence of E2 on the inhibitory effect of CRH on pulsatile LH secretion in the female rat. Suppression of LH pulses by insulin-induced hypoglycaemic (IIH) stress was completely prevented by intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of a CRH antagonist. Central administration of CRH (5 μg) resulted in an interruption of LH pulses in E2 treated animals, but had little or no effect in the absence of this gonadal steroid. These results provide evidence of a pivotal role for CRH in mediating the suppressive effect of IIH stress on pulsatile LH secretion in the female rat, and highlight a sensitising role for E2 in CRH-induced suppression of LH pulses.
Contact dermatitis from propylene glycol in ECG electrode gel

3. Windholz M, Budavari S, Blumetti R F, Otterbein E S. The Merck Index, lOth edition. Rahway NJ: Merck & Co, 1983: 9180-9181. 4. Fischer T, Maibach H. Amount of nickel applied with a standard patch test. Contact Dermatitis 1984: 11: 285-287. 5. Peters K-P, Frosch P J, Uter W, Schnuch A, Arnold R, Bahmer F, Brasch J, Diepgen T L, Elsner F, Fuchs Th, Henseler T, Muller S, Przybilla B, Schulze-Dirks A, Stary A, Zimmermann J. Type IV-Allergien auf Friseurberufsstoffe. Ergebnisse einer multizentrischen Studie in acht Kliniken der Deutschen Kontaktallergiegruppe und des "Informationsverbundes Dermatologischer Kliniken" m Deutschland. Derm Beruf Umwelt 1994: 42: 50-57.
Evaluation of parallel and series connection of silicon carbide Schottky barrier diode (SiC-SBD)

Silicon carbide Schottky barrier diodes (SiC-SBD) have recently come onto the market, and have attracted a great deal of public attention. Generally, high current and high voltage power devices are achieved by making the device area large and the breakdown voltage high. However, if these parameters are limited (for example, yield rate, cost, etc), high current and high voltage power modules are realized by connecting power devices in parallel and in series. The problems of parallel connection are current sharing and resonance among parallel devices, and the problem of the series connection is voltage sharing. As described in this paper, even when the characteristics of eight chips connected in parallel vary, if the impedances of the parallel circuit are equal and small, and the thermal resistances from junction to ambient are equal, neither current sharing nor resonance became fatal problems. Even when the characteristics of two modules connected in series varies, by installing balance resistors and balance capacitors, voltage sharing can be equalized. Furthermore, replacing reverse parallel diode of IGBT from PN junction diode (Si-PND) to SiC-SBD greatly decreases the inverter loss. This tendency is remarkable at high carrier frequencies and high rated voltages.
On certain normalizable natural deduction formulations of some propositional intermediate logics

/ Introduction As was mentioned in [1], the sequence-conclusion approach to natural deduction enables us easily to get natural deduction formulations of some intermediate and modal logics from the corresponding sequent calculi. In this paper, using the method described in [1], pp. 360-366, and the mapping/, defined in the same paper, pp. 371-375, from the class of proofs in a (cut-free) sequent calculus into the class of derivations of the corresponding sequenceconclusion natural deduction system, we will present several normalizable formulations of some intermediate logics. Our starting point will be some of the known cut-free Gentzen-type formulations of certain intermediate logics.
WITHDRAWN: Prostaglandins versus oxytocin for prelabour rupture of membranes at term.

BACKGROUND The conventional method of induction of labour is with intravenous oxytocin. More recently, induction with prostaglandins, followed by an infusion of oxytocin if necessary, has been used. OBJECTIVES The objective of this review was to assess the effects of induction of labour with prostaglandins versus oxytocin for prelabour rupture of membranes at term. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised and quasi-randomised trials of early stimulation of uterine contractions with prostaglandins (with or without oxytocin) versus with oxytocin alone (not combined with prostaglandins) in women with spontaneous rupture of membranes at term (37 weeks or more gestation). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two reviewers assessed trial quality and extracted data. MAIN RESULTS Eight trials were included. Based on three trials, prostaglandins compared to oxytocin were associated with increased chorioamnionitis (odds ratio of 1.51, 95% confidence interval 1.07 to 2.12) and neonatal infections (odds ratio 1.63, 95% confidence interval 1.00 to 2.66). Based on four trials, prostaglandins were associated with a decrease in epidural analgesia (odds ratio of 0.86, 95% confidence interval 0.73 to 1.00) and internal fetal heart rate monitoring (based on one trial). Caesarean section, endometritis and perinatal mortality were not significantly different between the groups. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Women with prelabour rupture of membranes at term having their labour induced with prostaglandins appear to have a lower risk of epidural analgesia and fetal heart rate monitoring. However there appears to be an increased risk of chorioamnionitis and neonatal infections after prostaglandin induction compared to oxytocin. [This abstract has been prepared centrally. ].
An empirical study of the dynamics of implied volatility indices: international evidence

This study compares the empirical performance of different continuous time models for the dynamics of nine implied volatility indices for both stocks and commodities. The models include linear, quadratic, and non-linear drift specifications with affine, constant elasticity of variance (CEV), and stochastic elasticity of variance (SEV) diffusions. Overall, we find that a non-linear drift specification is important when imposing an affine structure on the diffusion, whereas a simple linear drift is adequate with a CEV and SEV specification, of which the SEV is dominant. For all but two of the indices we investigate, the best specification is an SEV diffusion with linear drift. For gold and the US dollar/euro exchange rate, there is little difference between a CEV and SEV diffusion with linear drift.
Effect of fish oil on arrhythmias and mortality: systematic review

Objective To synthesise the literature on the effects of fish oil—docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)—on mortality and arrhythmias and to explore dose response and formulation effects. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, IPA, Web of Science, Scopus, Pascal, Allied and Complementary Medicine, Academic OneFile, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Evidence-Based Complementary Medicine, and LILACS. Studies reviewed Randomised controlled trials of fish oil as dietary supplements in humans. Data extraction The primary outcomes of interest were the arrhythmic end points of appropriate implantable cardiac defibrillator intervention and sudden cardiac death. The secondary outcomes were all cause mortality and death from cardiac causes. Subgroup analyses included the effect of formulations of EPA and DHA on death from cardiac causes and effects of fish oil in patients with coronary artery disease or myocardial infarction. Data synthesis 12 studies totalling 32 779 patients met the inclusion criteria. A neutral effect was reported in three studies (n=1148) for appropriate implantable cardiac defibrillator intervention (odds ratio 0.90, 95% confidence interval 0.55 to 1.46) and in six studies (n=31 111) for sudden cardiac death (0.81, 0.52 to 1.25). 11 studies (n=32 439 and n=32 519) provided data on the effects of fish oil on all cause mortality (0.92, 0.82 to 1.03) and a reduction in deaths from cardiac causes (0.80, 0.69 to 0.92). The dose-response relation for DHA and EPA on reduction in deaths from cardiac causes was not significant. Conclusions Fish oil supplementation was associated with a significant reduction in deaths from cardiac causes but had no effect on arrhythmias or all cause mortality. Evidence to recommend an optimal formulation of EPA or DHA to reduce these outcomes is insufficient. Fish oils are a heterogeneous product, and the optimal formulations for DHA and EPA remain unclear.
Expression of AC133 and CD117 on candidate normal stem cell populations in childhood B‐cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

To identify residual candidate normal progenitor/stem cell populations in childhood B‐cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), expression of AC133 and CD117 was analysed on the leukaemic cell clone and on immature B‐lineage‐negative CD34+CD19− bone marrow cells. 10/25 patients (40%) had no detectable expression of AC133 within the leukaemic cell clone. 24/26 patients (92%) lacked expression of CD117 on the leukaemic blast cell population. In contrast, a distinct AC133‐positive cell population was found in 8/8 children with AC133‐negative ALL and a CD117‐positive cell population could be identified in 12/12 children with CD117‐negative ALL, within the CD34+CD19− progenitor/stem cell compartment. These observations provide further evidence that in B‐cell precursor ALL, unlike in acute myelogenous leukaemia, it may be possible to distinguish residual normal progenitor/stem cells from the leukaemic cell clone.