Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Sibrafiban, an Orally Administered IIb/IIIa Antagonist, in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Sibrafiban is a double prodrug that is converted to the inactive single prodrug and to the active IIb/IIIa antagonist following oral administration. Pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of oral sibrafiban and its metabolites were evaluated in patients postacute coronary syndrome receiving once‐ or twice‐daily sibrafiban for up to 28 days at several dose levels. Mean peak concentrations of sibrafiban were < 5 ng/mL. Peak single prodrug concentrations occurred 1.7 1.0 (mean SD) hours after sibrafiban dosing. Total apparent plasma clearance of the single prodrug was 40 15 L/h, and the elimination half‐life was 2.3 0.8 hours. Mean values of the steady‐state pharmacokinetics for total concentrations of the active drug over all doses were: time to peak plasma concentration, 5.0 1.7 hours; apparent clearance, 13.9 3.9 L/h; and half‐life, 11.0 2.8 hours. Once‐daily dosing resulted in high peak‐trough excursions in active drug concentrations: trough concentrations were 21% 6% of peak. Twice‐daily dosing resulted in an AUC for the active drug on Day 28 that was 168% 36% of that on Day 1, and steady‐state trough concentrations were 54% 10% of peak with sustained inhibition of platelet aggregation. Dose‐adjusted steady‐state active drug concentrations increased with increasing age and with decreasing renal function and body weight.
Enhancing Power Conversion Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Using TiO2-MWCNT Composite Photoanodes

The aim of this work is to improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) using composite films consisting of titanium oxide (TiO2) nanoparticles and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). A transmission electron microscope (TEM) was used to confirm the dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in TiO2. Composite photoanode-based solar cells were characterized by UV-Visible absorption spectroscopy, photocurrent-voltage (I-V) characteristics, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It was found that the PCE (ηc) of DSSCs strongly depends on the concentration of CNTs in the nanocomposite films. The solar cell assembled with photoanode containing 0.06% MWCNTs shows the highest efficiency of 5.25%, which is 46% greater than unmodified photoanode. The density functional theory (DFT) quantum modeling technique was used to compute the band gap of TiO2 and CNT-TiO2 clusters.
An in vitro model of chronic wound biofilms to test wound dressings and assess antimicrobial susceptibilities.

OBJECTIVES The targeted disruption of biofilms in chronic wounds is an important treatment strategy and the subject of intense research. In the present study, an in vitro model of chronic wound biofilms was developed to assess the efficacy of antimicrobial treatments for use in the wound environment. METHODS Using chronic wound isolates, assays of bacterial coaggregation established that aerobic and anaerobic wound bacteria were able to coaggregate and form biofilms. A constant depth film fermenter (CDFF) was used to develop wound biofilms in vitro, which were analysed using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The susceptibility of bacteria within these biofilms was examined in response to the most frequently prescribed 'chronic wound' antibiotics and a series of iodine- and silver-containing commercial antimicrobial products and lactoferrin. RESULTS Defined biofilms were rapidly established within 1-2 days. Antibiotic treatment demonstrated that mixed Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus biofilms were not affected by ciprofloxacin (5 mg/L) or flucloxacillin (15 mg/L), even at concentrations equivalent to twice the observed peak serum levels. The results contrasted with the ability of povidone-iodine (1%) to disrupt the wound biofilm; an effect that was particularly pronounced in the dressing testing where iodine-based dressings completely disrupted established 7 day biofilms. In contrast, only two of six silver-containing dressings exhibited any effect on 3 day biofilms, with no effect on 7 day biofilms. CONCLUSIONS This wound model emphasizes the potential role of the biofilm phenotype in the observed resistance to antibiotic therapies that may occur in chronic wounds in vivo.
Design and implementation of the HiperLan/2 protocol

In recent years, wireless communication systems have experienced an enormous development, leading to the emergence of various wireless networks standards. These standards are characterized by different properties, such as their coverage, data rates, mobility and QoS support. Among them the HiperLan/2 standard is distinguished of its performance, supporting the provision of high-speed integrated services. Its centralized Medium Access Control protocol though is the most critical and complex functional entity, enabling the management of the air-interface in real time and the efficient allocation of the bandwidth resources to the users. In this paper we will present the architecture and implementation of the HiperLan/2 MAC protocol, placing special emphasis on its timing requirements that define the hardware/software partitioning scheme of the developed system. The proposed architecture relieves the network upper layers of processing time critical events, enforcing the emergence of HiperLan/2 commercial products.
Modeling dynamic and network heterogeneities in the spread of sexually transmitted diseases

A wide range of communicable human diseases can be considered as spreading through a network of possible transmission routes. The implied network structure is vital in determining disease dynamics, especially when the average number of connections per individual is small as is the case for many sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Here we develop an intuitive mathematical framework to deal with the heterogeneities implicit within contact networks and those that arise because of the infection process. These models are compared with full stochastic simulations and show excellent agreement across a wide range of parameters. We show how such models can be used to estimate parameters of epidemiological importance, and how they can be extended to examine the effectiveness of various control strategies, in particular screening programs and contact tracing.
Long-term cytotoxic effects of contemporary root canal sealers

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of root canal sealers on the cytotoxicity of 3T3 fibroblasts during a period of 5 weeks. Material and Methods: Fibroblasts (3T3, 1x105 cells per well) were incubated with elutes of fresh specimens from eight root canal sealers (AH Plus, Epiphany, Endomethasone N, EndoReZ, MTA Fillapex, Pulp Canal Sealer EWT, RoekoSeal and Sealapex) and with elutes of the same specimens for 5 succeeding weeks after immersing in simulated body fluid. The cytotoxicity of all root canal sealers was determined using the MTT assay. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey's test. Results: RoekoSeal was the only sealer that did not show any cytotoxic effects (p<0.05). All the other tested sealers exhibited severe toxicity initially (week 0). MTA Fillapex remained moderately cytotoxic after the end of experimental period. Toxicity of the other tested sealers decreased gradually over time. The evaluated root canal sealers presented varying degrees of cytotoxicity, mainly in fresh mode. Conclusions: RoekoSeal had no cytotoxic effect both freshly mixed and in the other tested time points. MTA Fillapex was associated with significantly less cell viability when compared to the other tested root canal sealers.
Experience Management: The Fraunhofer IESE Experience Factory

Experience Management (EM) is an area that is increasingly gaining importance. Its roots lie in Experimental Software Engineering ("Experience Factory"), in Artificial Intelligence ("Case-Based Reasoning"), and in Knowledge Management. EM is comprised of the dimensions methodology, technical realization, organization, and management. It includes technologies, methods, and tools for identifying, collecting, documenting, packaging, storing, generalizing, reusing, adapting, and evaluating experience knowledge, as well as for development, improvement, and execution of all knowledge-related processes. The main difference between experience knowledge and general knowledge is the fact that normally, a (more or less) continuous "stream of knowledge" must be processed. Within this paper, we present some basic methods of EM, using the Fraunhofer IESE Experience Factory as an example, which, after a one-year trial run, has been in regular operation since the beginning of this year.
A Quantitative Metric to Identify Critical Elements within Seafood Supply Networks

A theoretical basis is required for comparing key features and critical elements in wild fisheries and aquaculture supply chains under a changing climate. Here we develop a new quantitative metric that is analogous to indices used to analyse food-webs and identify key species. The Supply Chain Index (SCI) identifies critical elements as those elements with large throughput rates, as well as greater connectivity. The sum of the scores for a supply chain provides a single metric that roughly captures both the resilience and connectedness of a supply chain. Standardised scores can facilitate cross-comparisons both under current conditions as well as under a changing climate. Identification of key elements along the supply chain may assist in informing adaptation strategies to reduce anticipated future risks posed by climate change. The SCI also provides information on the relative stability of different supply chains based on whether there is a fairly even spread in the individual scores of the top few key elements, compared with a more critical dependence on a few key individual supply chain elements. We use as a case study the Australian southern rock lobster Jasus edwardsii fishery, which is challenged by a number of climate change drivers such as impacts on recruitment and growth due to changes in large-scale and local oceanographic features. The SCI identifies airports, processors and Chinese consumers as the key elements in the lobster supply chain that merit attention to enhance stability and potentially enable growth. We also apply the index to an additional four real-world Australian commercial fishery and two aquaculture industry supply chains to highlight the utility of a systematic method for describing supply chains. Overall, our simple methodological approach to empirically-based supply chain research provides an objective method for comparing the resilience of supply chains and highlighting components that may be critical.
Big Data Authentication and Authorization using SRP Protocol

The advances in the digital world has rendered the collection of colossal amounts of data called Big Data. This voluminous data if analyzed in an expedient way can help us gain valuable insights. On the other hand, securing Big Data has become an important aspect as it can lead to disastrous results if intercepted by intruders. Through this paper, we describe the management of authentication and access control by providing an overview of the existing protocols. Further, we propose a modified protocol which amalgamates the authentication and authorization processes there by speeding up the entire procedure. General Terms Big Data, Security
Venturing into the no‐man's land of the retina in Parkinson's disease

The development of optical coherence tomography (OCT) has led to increasing interest in the retina in Parkinson's disease (PD). The retina is a multilayered tissue: looking into the eye from the outside, these layers comprise the nerve fiber layer (NFL); the ganglion cell layer (GCL); the inner plexiform layer (IPL), which contains the interconnecting plexus, including tyrosine hydroxylase‐positive (dopaminergic) fibers of amacrine cells; the inner nuclear layer; and several outer retinal layers. Commercial spectral‐domain OCT has a specific program for detecting peripapillary NFL defects and a different macular program for diabetic retinopathy. Specific programs for PD are not commercially available. Taking all studies together, it seems that macular programs have a higher diagnostic yield than NFL programs, but the numbers of studies and examined patients are relatively small. It is not certain that all retinal thinning in PD is due to dopaminergic neuronal loss. When applying OCT, the where (region of interest) and the what of the focus of automated programs must be considered. With these caveats, one could take advantage of the power of OCT for looking in‐depth into the terra incognita of individual retinal layers at the fovea and perhaps at other appropriate retinal locations. © 2013 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Perioperative Steroids Administration in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials*

Objective: To evaluate the effects of prophylactic perioperative corticosteroid administration, compared with placebo, on postoperative mortality and clinical outcomes (renal dysfunction, duration of mechanical ventilation, and ICU length of stay) in pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Data Sources: MEDLINE and Cochrane Library were screened through August 2013 for randomized controlled trials in which perioperative steroid treatment was adopted. Study Selection: Included were randomized controlled trials conducted on pediatric population that reported clinical outcomes about mortality and morbidity. Data Extraction: Eighty citations (PubMed, 48 citations; Cochrane, 32 citations) were identified, of which 14 articles were analyzed in depth and six articles fulfilled eligibility criteria and reported mortality data (232 patients), two studies reported ICU length of stay and mechanical ventilation duration (60 patients), and two studies reported renal dysfunction (49 patients). Data Synthesis: A nonsignificant trend of reduced mortality was observed in steroid-treated patients (11 [4.7%] vs 4 [1.7%] patients; odds ratio, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.14–1.15; p = 0.089). Steroids had no effects on mechanical ventilation time (117.4 ± 95.9 hr vs 137.3 ± 102.4 hr; p = 0.43) and ICU length of stay (9.6 ± 4.6 d vs 9.9 ± 5.9 d; p = 0.8). Perioperative steroid administration reduced the prevalence of renal dysfunction (13 [54.2%] vs 2 [8%] patients; odds ratio, 0.07; 95% CI, 0.01–0.38; p = 0.002). Conclusion: Despite a demonstrated attenuation of cardiopulmonary bypass–induced inflammatory response by steroid administration, a systematic review of randomized controlled trials performed so far reveals that steroid administration has potential clinical advantages (lower mortality and significant reduction of renal function deterioration). A larger prospective randomized study is needed to verify clearly the effects of steroid prophylaxis in pediatric patients.
The Effect of Ultrafine Process on the Dissolution, Antibacterial Activity, and Cytotoxicity of Coptidis rhizoma

Background: The dosage of herb ultrafine particle (UFP) depended on the increased level of its dissolution, toxicity, and efficacy. Objective: The dissolution, antibacterial activity, and cytotoxicity of Coptidis rhizoma (CR) UFP were compared with those of traditional decoction (TD). Materials and Methods: The dissolution of berberine (BBR) of CR TD and UFP was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The antibacterial activity of CR extract was assayed by plate-hole diffusion and broth dilution method; the inhibitory effect of rat serums against bacteria growth was evaluated after orally given CR UFP or TD extract. The cytotoxicity of CR extract was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-Yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Results: The dissolution amount of BBR from CR UFP increased 6-8-folds in comparison to TD at 2 min, the accumulative amount of BBR in both UFP and TD group increased in a time-dependent manner. The minimal inhibitory concentrations and minimal bactericidal concentrations of CR UFP extract decreased to 1/2~1/4 of those of TD extract. The inhibitory effect of rat serums against bacteria growth decreased time-dependently, and no statistical difference was observed between two groups at each time point. The 50% cytotoxic concentrations of UFP extract increased 1.66~1.97 fold than those of TD. Conclusions: The antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity of CR UFP increased in a dissolution-effect manner in vitro, the increased level of cytotoxicity was lower than that of antibacterial activity, and the inhibitory effect of rat serums containing drugs of UFP group did not improve.
Angiotensin II and Its Role in Tubular Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition Associated with Chronic Kidney Disease

Activation of the intra-renal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and the subsequent generation of angiotensin II (Ang II) are important mediators of haemodynamic changes in both health and disease. However, the effects of locally produced Ang II are not limited to haemodynamic actions. Ang II is also an important stimulus for tubular hypertrophy with the induction of growth factors, including transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and connective tissue growth factor. In this article, we explore the direct pro-fibrotic effects of Ang II and its role in inducing tubular epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT, also known as type 2 EMT), a known mediator of renal fibrogenesis. There is accumulating evidence that Ang II is able to induce EMT by both TGF-dependent and TGF-independent actions, both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, blockade of the RAS has synergistic renoprotective effects across a number of causally different forms of renal disease. There is hope that targeted combinations to offset angiotensin-converting enzyme escape in the setting of RAS blockade will eventually achieve the long-term efficacy that has been expected for so long.
Pontine respiratory activity involved in inspiratory/expiratory phase transition

Control of the timing of the inspiratory/expiratory (IE) phase transition is a hallmark of respiratory pattern formation. In principle, sensory feedback from pulmonary stretch receptors (Breuer–Hering reflex, BHR) is seen as the major controller for the IE phase transition, while pontine-based control of IE phase transition by both the pontine Kölliker–Fuse nucleus (KF) and parabrachial complex is seen as a secondary or backup mechanism. However, previous studies have shown that the BHR can habituate in vivo. Thus, habituation reduces sensory feedback, so the role of the pons, and specifically the KF, for IE phase transition may increase dramatically. Pontine-mediated control of the IE phase transition is not completely understood. In the present review, we discuss existing models for ponto-medullary interaction that may be involved in the control of inspiratory duration and IE transition. We also present intracellular recordings of pontine respiratory units derived from an in situ intra-arterially perfused brainstem preparation of rats. With the absence of lung inflation, this preparation generates a normal respiratory pattern and many of the recorded pontine units demonstrated phasic respiratory-related activity. The analysis of changes in membrane potentials of pontine respiratory neurons has allowed us to propose a number of pontine-medullary interactions not considered before. The involvement of these putative interactions in pontine-mediated control of IE phase transitions is discussed.
Science in brief: the likely role of the central nervous system in bilateral tendinopathy and tendon healing.

Tendinopathy frequently has a bilateral presentation. In a gross post mortem study, Webbon reported that 67% of horses with superficial digital flexor tendon lesions showed evidence of changes to this tendon bilaterally [1]. Likewise, 41% of human patients with Achilles tendinopathy developed symptoms in the contralateral tendon during an 8-year follow-up [2]. Tendon overuse has been implicated in the development of this disease, by experimental models [3] and in clinical reports [4,5]. It is therefore reasonable to suggest that when tendinopathy develops in one limb, a shared load history and perhaps a compensatory increase in loading contribute to the development of the disease within the contralateral tendon also. However, bilaterality is a common feature of other chronic inflammatory diseases in both orthopaedic and nonorthopaedic tissues [6,7], so the aetiology of bilateral tendinopathy may be more complex than the influence of loading alone. Evidence from nontendinous experimental models implicates a mechanism involving central nervous system (CNS) signalling in bilateral disease patterns [6]. And now, there is preliminary evidence linking such a pathway to the development [8] and resolution [9] of tendinopathy also.
Lower Bounds on the Complexity of Approximating Continuous Functions by Sigmoidal Neural Networks

We calculate lower bounds on the size of sigmoidal neural networks that approximate continuous functions. In particular, we show that for the approximation of polynomials the network size has to grow as Ω((logk)1/4) where k is the degree of the polynomials. This bound is valid for any input dimension, i.e. independently of the number of variables. The result is obtained by introducing a new method employing upper bounds on the Vapnik-Chervonenkis dimension for proving lower bounds on the size of networks that approximate continuous functions.
Optimization of Stent Deployment by Intravascular Ultrasound

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is a useful diagnostic method that provides valuable information in addition to angiography regarding the coronary vessel lumen, dimensions, plaque burden, and characteristics. The major use of IVUS in coronary intervention is to guide interventional strategies and assess optimal stent deployment. Since the introduction of the drug-eluting stent (DES), concerns about restenosis have decreased. However, high-risk lesion subsets are being routinely treated with DESs, and the incidence of suboptimal results after stent deployment, such as stent underexpansion, incomplete stent apposition, edge dissection, geographic miss, and the risk of stent thrombosis, have correspondingly increased. Thus, optimization of stent deployment under IVUS guidance may be clinically important. In this review, we focus on the potential role of IVUS in stent optimization during percutaneous coronary intervention and its clinical benefits.