Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant to epidural 0.75% ropivacaine in patients undergoing infraumbilical surgery: a clinical study

Background: Epidural block provides surgical anesthesia as well as post-operative analgesia in patients undergoing lower abdominal surgeries. Ropivacaine, is safe and effective for regional anesthetic techniques. Dexmedetomidine, alpha-2 agonist, as adjuvant to local anesthetic is reported to have synergistic effect for epidural anesthesia. The present study was designed with the aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant to epidural 0.75% ropivacaine in patients undergoing infraumbilical surgery. Method: Eighty adult consented patients 18-58 yr of age, of either sex, of ASA grade I/II undergoing infraumbilical surgeries were enrolled for the present study. Patients were randomised in two groups of 40 patients each: Group A received epidural ropivacaine only whereas Group B received epidural ropivacaine and dexmedetomidine. Patients of group A received 15 ml 0.75% ropivacaine + 1 ml Normal Saline and group B received 15 ml 0.75% ropivacaine + 0.6 µ kg -1
The Measurement of Food Insecurity among Children: Review of literature and concept note

Child food insecurity is associated with a range of negative developmental consequences, including behaviour problems. While research shows that the phenomenon is both common and consequential, there is a lack of consistency in what is being measured and how. This results in incomplete information affecting our ability to effectively address child food insecurity, its causes and consequences. We present a review of the literature, and advocate for a global system to measure and monitor individual children’s experiences of food insecurity. The conceptual and practical challenges for developing an effective, efficient, and feasible system for global monitoring of child food insecurity are discussed and alternatives are suggested.
Active control of ultrasonic hearing in frogs

Vertebrates can modulate the sound levels entering their inner ears in the face of intense external sound or during their own vocalizations. Middle ear muscle contractions restrain the motion of the middle ear ossicles, attenuating the transmission of low-frequency sound and thereby protecting the hair cells in the inner ear. Here we show that the Chinese concave-eared torrent frog, Odorrana tormota, can tune its ears dynamically by closing its normally open Eustachian tubes. Contrary to the belief that the middle ear in frogs permanently communicates with the mouth, O. tormota can close this connection by contraction of the submaxillary and petrohyoid muscles, drastically reducing the air volume behind the eardrums. Mathematical modeling and laser Doppler vibrometry revealed that the reduction of this air volume increases the middle ear impedance, resulting in an up to 20 dB gain in eardrum vibration at high frequencies (10–32 kHz) and 26 dB attenuation at low frequencies (3–10 kHz). Eustachian tube closure was observed in the field during calling and swallowing. Besides a potential role in protecting the inner ear from intense low-frequency sound and high buccal air pressure during calling, this previously unrecognized vertebrate mechanism may unmask the high-frequency calls of this species from the low-frequency stream noise which dominates the environment. This mechanism also protects the thin tympanic membranes from injury during swallowing of live arthropod prey.
Posterior hypothalamic hamartomas and gangliogliomas causing precocious puberty

PRECOCIOUS PUBERTY is known to occur with neoplasms of the ovary, testes, and adrenal gland or with certain lesions of the pineal and hypothalamic areas of the brain. Among this intracranial group, some congenital tumorous masses arising from the posterior hypothalamus produce the syndrome of precocity so consistently that one may speak here of a definite clinicopathologic entity. The lesions under consideration are the hamartoma ( that is, heterotopic hyperplastic malformation) and the closely related dysontogenetic ganglioglioma of the posterior hypothalamus. Two such proved cases are presented in this study and 14 verified cases from the literature are reviewed briefly. The first patient was followed from the age of two years until her death at the age of 15 w a r s and nine months; complete autopsy was hbtained. The second patient was first seen at the age of two and one-half years and is still living (now three years and nine months old) ; his lesion was verified by surgical biopsy.
Technology and the nature of the firm

The purpose of this paper is to show how a better understanding of the role played by technology in the decision–making process of a business changes our conception of the nature of the firm. According to the role played by technology in decision–making, the author distinguishes five grades of firm: Grade zero represents a world of optimal and stationary technology. Grade one describes a firm whose growth is endowed with an implicit technological progress through productivity gains. Grade two refers to the "Schumpeterian" firms which display an exceptional thrust for innovation. Grade three firms integrate technology and knowledge management in their strategies. Grade four stresses features of a specific category of firms, groups or networks which are focusing their activities in technology mixes.
Placental Expression of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors in Rat Pregnancy and the Effect of Increased Glucocorticoid Exposure1

Abstract Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors. Recent gene deletion studies indicate that PPARG and PPARD play critical roles in rodent development, including effects on placental vascularization. In this study we investigated the expression of the PPAR isoforms and their heterodimeric partner, RXRA, in the two functionally and morphologically distinct zones of the rat placenta during normal gestation and after glucocorticoid-induced fetal and placental growth restriction. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated markedly higher expression of Ppara, Pparg, and Rxra mRNA in labyrinth zone trophoblast as compared with basal zone near term. There was also a marked increase in Pparg (65%, P < 0.05) and Ppara (91%, P < 0.05) mRNA specifically in the labyrinth zone over the final third of pregnancy. In contrast, expression of Ppard mRNA fell (P < 0.001) in both placental zones over the same period. Maternal dexamethasone treatment (1 μg/ml in drinking water; Days 13–22, term = 23 days) reduced placental (44%) and fetal (31%) weights and resulted in a fall in Pparg (37%, P < 0.05) mRNA expression specifically in the labyrinth zone at Day 22. Placental expression of Ppara, Ppard, and Rxra was unaffected by dexamethasone treatment. These data suggest that PPARG:RXRA heterodimers play important roles in labyrinth zone growth late in pregnancy, possibly supporting vascular development. Moreover, glucocorticoid inhibition of placental growth appears to be mediated, in part, via a labyrinth-zone-specific suppression of PPARG.
Development of antiinfliximab antibodies and relationship to clinical response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE Treatment of patients with infliximab, a chimeric monoclonal IgG1 antibody against tumor necrosis factor, may result in the formation of infliximab-specific IgG antibodies. This study evaluated the clinical significance of these antibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS Antiinfliximab antibodies were measured using a newly developed radioimmunoassay in a cohort of 51 consecutive patients with RA treated with infliximab, with a followup of 1 year. In addition, serum infliximab levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results were analyzed in relation to the clinical response to treatment according to the European League Against Rheumatism criteria. RESULTS Antibodies against infliximab were detected in 22 patients (43%). Patients without detectable antiinfliximab antibodies (n = 29 [57%]) were significantly more often classified as responders (20 of 29 [69%]) compared with patients with detectable antiinfliximab antibodies (8 of 22 [36%]; P = 0.04). Three patients had an infusion-related allergic reaction, all of whom had detectable antiinfliximab antibodies. CONCLUSION In this study, nearly half of the RA patients treated with infliximab developed antiinfliximab antibodies within the first year of treatment. This seems to be clinically relevant, since development of antiinfliximab antibodies is associated with a reduced response to treatment.
Organic Farming: Policies and Prospects

Organic farming - a grassroots movement taken over by policy? organic farming in Europe at the dawn of the new millennium - farms, land area and regional distribution, markets, institutions, research and innovation, European policies for organic farming in the 1990s, the development of organic farming in selected countries, conclusion organic farming's contribution to policy objectives - environmental performance, food quality, farm income, rural development, surplus reduction and government expenditure, criticism of organic farming policy a changing policy environment - agenda 2000, EU enlargement, WTO negotiations, possible futures, organic farming and agricultural policy recommendations for future organic farming policy - an integrated approach, status quo analysis, objectives and strategic decisions, instruments and addressees, monitoring and control, conclusions references - addresses of organic farming organizations, international organizations, research organizations, producer associations.
Marinobacter excellens sp. nov., isolated from sediments of the Sea of Japan.

Five strains of halophilic, Gram-negative marine bacteria (KMM 3809(T), KMM 3814, KMM 3815, KMM 3817 and KMM 3818) were isolated from sediments collected from Chazhma Bay, Sea of Japan. Phylogenetic 16S rRNA gene sequence-based analysis placed these bacteria in a clade within the genus Marinobacter in the gamma-Proteobacteria. KMM 3809(T) showed highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 97.3 % to Marinobacter litoralis and 96.9 % to Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus and Marinobacter aquaeolei. DNA-DNA hybridization between the five isolates was at the conspecific level (94-96 %) and that among the closest phylogenetic neighbours ranged from 45.0 to 62.5 %. The new organisms were susceptible to polymyxin. Predominant fatty acids were C(16 : 0), C(16 : 1)omega9c, C(16 : 1)omega7c and C(18 : 1)omega9c. Phylogenetic evidence, along with phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, showed that the bacteria constituted a novel species of the genus Marinobacter. The name Marinobacter excellens sp. nov. is proposed for this species, with the type strain KMM 3809(T) (=CIP 107686(T)).
Simultaneous Detection and Removal of High Altitude Clouds from an Image

Interestingly, shape of the high-altitude clouds serves as a beacon for weather forecasting, so its detection is of vital importance. Besides these clouds often cause hindrance in an endeavor of satellites to inspect our world. Even thin clouds produce the undesired superposition of visual information, whose decomposition into the clear background and cloudy layer using a single satellite image is a highly ill-posed problem. In this work, we derive sophisticated image priors by thoroughly analyzing the properties of high-altitude clouds and geological images; and formulate a non-convex optimization scheme, which simultaneously detects and removes the clouds within a few seconds. Experimental results on real world RGB images demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the other competitive methods by retaining the comprehensive background details and producing the precise shape of the cloudy layer.
eIF4E phosphorylation promotes tumorigenesis and is associated with prostate cancer progression

Translational regulation plays a critical role in the control of cell growth and proliferation. A key player in translational control is eIF4E, the mRNA 5′ cap-binding protein. Aberrant expression of eIF4E promotes tumorigenesis and has been implicated in cancer development and progression. The activity of eIF4E is dysregulated in cancer. Regulation of eIF4E is partly achieved through phosphorylation. However, the physiological significance of eIF4E phosphorylation in mammals is not clear. Here, we show that knock-in mice expressing a nonphosphorylatable form of eIF4E are resistant to tumorigenesis in a prostate cancer model. By using a genome-wide analysis of translated mRNAs, we show that the phosphorylation of eIF4E is required for translational up-regulation of several proteins implicated in tumorigenesis. Accordingly, increased phospho-eIF4E levels correlate with disease progression in patients with prostate cancer. Our findings establish eIF4E phosphorylation as a critical event in tumorigenesis. These findings raise the possibility that chemical compounds that prevent the phosphorylation of eIF4E could act as anticancer drugs.
A Mobile-Care System Integrated with Bluetooth Blood Pressure and Pulse Monitor, and Cellular Phone

Blood pressure is one of the most important indicators of human health condition. A patient with hypertension in long term tends to have various kinds of vessel pathological changes such as coronary heart disease, apoplexy, and nephropathy. Consequently, the blood pressure measurement is important in daily health care for hypertension patients. Traditionally, the design and implementation of blood pressure monitor mostly focuses on the accuracy of pressure measurement and does not deal with the requirement of hypertension health care services with two-way communication via instant messages between the patient and the medical center. In this paper, a mobile-care system integrated with Bluetooth blood pressure and pulse monitor, and cellular phone is designed and implemented to transmit the physiological parameters of the patient in real time via wireless networks. The health care provider can monitor the blood pressure, body temperature, and heart rate of the patient and provide services by intelligent health care systems. The intelligent system constantly manages the health care data and periodically reports the status of the patient to the patient's family members. By the above care mechanism, the patients with hypertension can easily obtain long-term and constant monitoring of the physiological parameters and thus better health care services. A questionnaire survey has been conducted among medical personnel in Taipei municipal Wang-Fang hospital to collect their opinions of using our proposed and implemented blood pressure monitor with Bluetooth transmission function. An average of 95% of the medical personnel agree that long-term monitoring of the patients' physiological information such as blood pressure can be helpful to reduce medical cost, to provide useful reference data, and to provide long-distance health care. This thus shows strong support of the usefulness of our proposed device. Our proposed and implemented device has also been submitted to US FDA for medical device approval.
Modulation of Aminoacylation and Editing Properties of Leucyl-tRNA Synthetase by a Conserved Structural Module*

Background: A structural module following the KMSKS catalytic loop is conserved in most class I synthetases. Results: This module contributes to aminoacylation and editing of leucyl-tRNA synthetases (LeuRS). Conclusion: This module affects the activities of LeuRS in both a structure- and sequence-dependent manner. Significance: This work further extends the function of stem-contact fold in LeuRS. A conserved structural module following the KMSKS catalytic loop exhibits α-α-β-α topology in class Ia and Ib aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. However, the function of this domain has received little attention. Here, we describe the effect this module has on the aminoacylation and editing capacities of leucyl-tRNA synthetases (LeuRSs) by characterizing the key residues from various species. Mutation of highly conserved basic residues on the third α-helix of this domain impairs the affinity of LeuRS for the anticodon stem of tRNALeu, which decreases both aminoacylation and editing activities. Two glycine residues on this α-helix contribute to flexibility, leucine activation, and editing of LeuRS from Escherichia coli (EcLeuRS). Acidic residues on the β-strand enhance the editing activity of EcLeuRS and sense the size of the tRNALeu D-loop. Incorporation of these residues stimulates the tRNA-dependent editing activity of the chimeric minimalist enzyme Mycoplasma mobile LeuRS fused to the connective polypeptide 1 editing domain and leucine-specific domain from EcLeuRS. Together, these results reveal the stem contact-fold to be a functional as well as a structural linker between the catalytic site and the tRNA binding domain. Sequence comparison of the EcLeuRS stem contact-fold domain with editing-deficient enzymes suggests that key residues of this module have evolved an adaptive strategy to follow the editing functions of LeuRS.
Students ’ Epistemologies in Science and Engineering : Paths to Responsibility and Connection

Different “ways of knowing,” or epistemological modes, have been revealed in previous studies of undergraduate students. In this paper, possible effects of paradigmatic science and engineering pedagogy on undergraduate students exemplifying different epistemological modes are proposed. It is suggested that some prevalent assumptions in science and engineering education act preferentially against women students and work to suppress critical thinking among students of both genders. A new, longitudinal study is described that will reveal the epistemological modes inhabited by undergraduate students at a science and engineering university. Potential reciprocal effects among undergraduate development, the longitudinal study, and the technical disciplines themselves are suggested.
Leukemia/lymphoma‐related factor (LRF) exhibits stage‐ and context‐dependent transcriptional controls in the oligodendrocyte lineage and modulates remyelination

Leukemia/lymphoma‐related factor (LRF), a zinc‐finger transcription factor encoded by Zbtb7a, is a protooncogene that regulates differentiation in diverse cell lineages, and in the CNS, its function is relatively unexplored. This study is the first to examine the role of LRF in CNS pathology. We first examined LRF expression in a murine viral model of spinal cord demyelination with clinically relevant lesion characteristics. LRF was rarely expressed in oligodendrocyte progenitors (OP) yet, was detected in nuclei of the majority of oligodendrocytes in healthy adult CNS and during remyelination. Plp/CreERT:Zbtb7afl/fl mice were then used with cuprizone demyelination to determine the effect of LRF knockdown on oligodendrocyte repopulation and remyelination. Cuprizone was given for 6 weeks to demyelinate the corpus callosum. Tamoxifen was administered at 4, 5, or 6 weeks after the start of cuprizone. Tamoxifen‐induced knockdown of LRF impaired remyelination during 3 or 6‐week recovery periods after cuprizone. LRF knockdown earlier within the oligodendrocyte lineage using NG2CreERT:Zbtb7afl/fl mice reduced myelination after 6 weeks of cuprizone. LRF knockdown from either the Plp/CreERT line or the NG2CreERT line did not significantly change OP or oligodendrocyte populations. In vitro promoter assays demonstrated the potential for LRF to regulate transcription of myelin‐related genes and the notch target Hes5, which has been implicated in control of myelin formation and repair. In summary, in the oligodendrocyte lineage, LRF is expressed mainly in oligodendrocytes but is not required for oligodendrocyte repopulation of demyelinated lesions. Furthermore, LRF can modulate the extent of remyelination, potentially by contributing to interactions regulating transcription.
Protein Import: the Hitchhikers Guide into Chloroplasts

Abstract Plastids originated from an endosymbiotic event between an early eukaryotic host cell and an ancestor of today's cyanobacteria. During the events by which the engulfed endosymbiont was transformed into a permanent organelle, many genes were transferred from the plastidal genome to the nucleus of the host cell. Proteins encoded by these genes are synthesised in the cytosol and subsequently translocated into the plastid. Therefore they contain an N-terminal cleavable transit sequence that is necessary for translocation. The sequence is plastid-specific, thus preventing mistargeting into other organelles. Receptors embedded into the outer envelope of the plastid recognise the transit sequences, and precursor proteins are translocated into the chloroplast by a proteinaceous import machinery located in both the outer and inner envelopes. Inside the stroma the transit sequences are cleaved off and the proteins are further routed to their final locations within the plastid.
Standardization, Clinical Validation, and Typicality Norms of a New Test Assessing Semantic Verbal Fluency.

OBJECTIVE Semantic verbal fluency (SVF) tests are widely used in clinical neuropsychology. We propose the standardization and clinical validation of a new SVF test based on the production of names of birds and articles of furniture (Birds and Articles of Furniture test-BAF). METHODS A sample of 268 subjects aged 40 years or more underwent the test. The clinical validation was conducted on subjects affected by amnesic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI; N = 106), mild (N = 178), and moderate (N = 114) Alzheimer's disease (AD). RESULTS The BAF total score was influenced by both age and education, whereas the single scores obtained on BAF were also influenced by gender. The percentage of subjects with pathological score on BAF increased from aMCI (19%) to mild (45.5%) and moderate (71.1%) AD, and receiver operating characteristic curves analysis showed that the BAF may be highly reliable in distinguishing aMCI and AD patients from healthy subjects. We also provide typicality norms for birds and articles of furniture that could be useful in the assessment of qualitative features of words produced in semantic fluency tests. CONCLUSIONS The BAF test could be a valid and reliable tool in both clinical practice and research on subjects affected by cognitive impairment.
The Costs of Youth Exclusion in the Middle East

This paper explores the costs associated with youth exclusion in the Middle East by providing estimates of the economic costs to society related to youth unemployment, youth joblessness, school dropouts, adolescent pregnancy, and youth migration. The paper provides country-specific estimates of the costs of youth exclusion by using the human capital approach to valuing economic costs. In addition, the paper develops a new empirical methodology that benchmarks the costs of youth exclusion in Middle Eastern countries against a common hypothetical international "best-practice frontier" in which the overall costs of youth exclusion are comparable across countries. Results show that youth exclusion poses major economic costs to Middle Eastern societies, reaching in 2006 as high as US$53 billion in Egypt and about US$1.5 billion in Jordan. Moreover, Middle Eastern countries are among the group furthest away from the best practice frontier as it relates to reducing youth exclusion, and their performance has deteriorated in recent years. Middle Eastern countries could decrease youth exclusion by at least 60 percent if they were to use their available resources more efficiently.