Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sevoflurane--compared with propofol-based anesthesia reduces the need for inotropic support in patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: evidence of cardioprotection by volatile anesthetics in noncardiac surgery.

To the Editor: We read with interest the study by Lindholm et al.1 comparing cardioprotection by sevofluraneand propofol-based anesthesia in patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic surgery. The authors chose cardiac troponin T (cTnT) release determined at one single postoperative time point as the primary endpoint of cardioprotection. No difference between the groups was found, and the authors concluded that “potential cardioprotective effects of volatile anesthetics found in cardiac surgery are less obvious in major vascular surgery. ”1 We do not agree with this interpretation of the study results. Neither do we think that this study, as designed a priori and ultimately conducted, properly addresses the stated hypothesis. First, the cardioprotective effects of sevoflurane are not “less obvious in major vascular surgery,” but indeed very similar to what was reported for volatile anesthetics in previous studies with patients undergoing cardiac surgery in the on-pump2,3 or off-pump mode.4,5 In fact, Lindholm et al.1 report a significantly reduced need for inotropic support in the sevoflurane 2. Rigg JR, Jamrozik K, Myles PS, Silbert BS, Peyton PJ, Parsons RW, Collins KS; MASTER Anaethesia Trial Study Group: Epidural anaesthesia and analgesia and outcome of major surgery: A randomised trial. Lancet 2002; 359:1276–82
Atrophy of the rotator cuff muscles and site of cuff tears

We determined the relationship between the site of rotator cuff tears and atrophy of the cuff muscles. 28 shoulders (28 patients) had rotator cuff tears: 19 isolated tears of the supraspinatus tendon (isolatedtear group) and 9 combined tears of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons (combined-tear group). The cross-sectional area of the subscapularis, supraspinatus, the infraspinatus and teres minor muscles in the coronal oblique MR images were measured before and after surgery. Although we found no difference in tear size, the cross-sectional areas of the muscles were smaller in the combined-tear group than in the isolated-tear group. We conclude that atrophy of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles also depends on the site of the tear.
Contrôle prédictif et codage du but des actions oro-faciales (Predictice control and coding of orofacial actions) [in French]

Co Co Co Contrôle ntrôle ntrôle ntrôle prédictif prédictif prédictif prédictif et codage et codage et codage et codage du but du but du but du but des actions oro des actions oro des actions oro des actions orofaciales faciales faciales faciales RESUME
Spatial organization and isotubulin composition of microtubules in epidermal tendon cells of Artemia franciscana

Epidermally derived tendon cells attach the exoskeleton (cuticle) of the Branchiopod crustacean, Artemia franciscana, to underlying muscle in the hindgut, while the structurally similar transalar tendon (epithelial) cells, which also arise from the epidermis and are polarized, connect dorsal and ventral exopodite surfaces. To establish these latter attachments the transalar tendon cells interact with cuticles on opposite sides of the exopodite by way of their apical surfaces and with one another via basal regions, or the cuticle attachments may be mediated through linkages with phagocytic storage cells found in the hemolymph. In some cases, phyllopod tendon cells attach directly to muscle cells. Tendon cells in the hindgut of Artemia possess microtubule bundles, as do the transalar cells, and they extend from the basal myotendinal junction to the apical domain located near the cuticle. The bundled microtubules intermingle with thin filaments reminiscent of microfilaments, but intermediate filament‐like structures are absent. Microtubule bundles converging at apical cell surfaces contact structures termed apical invaginations, composed of cytoplasmic membrane infoldings associated with electron‐dense material. Intracuticular rods protrude from apical invaginations, either into the cuticle during intermolt or the molting fluid in premolt. Confocal microscopy of immunofluorescently stained samples revealed tyrosinated, detyrosinated, and acetylated tubulins, the first time posttranslationally modified isoforms of this protein have been demonstrated in crustacean tendon cells. Microfilaments, as shown by staining with phalloidin, coincided spatially with microtubule bundles. Artemia tendon cells clearly represent an interesting system for study of cytoskeleton organization within the context of cytoplasmic polarity and the results in this article indicate functional cooperation of microtubules and microfilaments. These cytoskeletal elements, either acting independently or in concert, may transmit tension from muscle to cuticle in the hindgut and resist compression when connecting exopodite cuticular surfaces. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Structure-Preserving Approach to Power System Normal Form Analysis

Large, sparse power system models arise naturally as dynamic models of a wide range of power system applications. In this paper, a structure-preserving approach to the approximate analysis of power system models described by differential-algebraic equations is explored. Using singular perturbation theory, a fast dynamics is added to the algebraic constraints to express the DAE model of the power system in an explicit state space form that can be used for nonlinear analysis of large-scale systems. The theory of normal forms is then employed to construct an analytic approximation to system behavior which retains the physical significance of network variables. By using this new technique, the contribution of the network states to the inter-area oscillations is determined and insight into complex nonlinear behavior is provided. The proposed methodology is demonstrated on a realistic 16- machine, 68-bus dynamic equivalent of the New England test system. Preliminary results show that this approach compares favorably with numerical simulations using full system models, and has the potential to be applied to realistic power system representations.
Performances on the NBME I, II, and III by medical students in the problem‐based learning and conventional tracks at the University of New Mexico

BACKGROUND. Problem-based learning curricula are growing in popularity, and questions have been raised about the appropriateness of standardized examinations, such as the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Parts I, II, and III examinations, for assessing students in these new curricula. METHOD. Data on students' performances on the NBME I were analyzed for 508 graduates of the conventional track and 167 graduates of the problem-based Primary Care Curriculum (PCC) track at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine from the classes of 1983–1992; on NBME II, for 447 and 144 graduates, respectively (classes of 1983–1991); and on NBME III, for 313 and 100 graduates, respectively (classes of 1983–1989). The analyses also included data on the students' total Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores, undergraduate science grade-point averages (SGPAs), and admission subgroups within tracks. The statistical methods included analysis of covariance, Student's t-test, and the Fisher exact test. RESULTS. The students who had requested the PCC track but had been randomized into the conventional track had the highest mean scores on all the study variables (for 34 students, 521 on the NBME I, and for 19 students, 551 on the NMBE III). The high-risk students who had requested but had not been accepted into the PCC track seemed to benefit from the highly structured conventional track with regard to their NMBE I performances (467 for 18 students). The PCC students–both those who had been randomized into the PCC and those who had been selected into the PCC–had significantly lower mean scores on the NBME I (455 for 85 students and 463 for 82 students compared with 505 for the 439 students who chose the conventional track), but significantly higher mean scores on the NBME III (521 for 38 students and 522 for 62 students compared with 483 for the seven high-risk students and 487 for the 276 students who chose the conventional track). For both tracks, strong relationships were found among the scores on the three NBME examinations. For the PCC students, significantly weaker relationships were found between mean SGPAs and mean scores on the NBME I, II, and III. For both tracks, MCAT scores, especially in the lowest and highest ranges, were most predictive of performances on the NBME I and II. CONCLUSION. In the short run, the more teacher-centered and structured conventional curriculum better prepared the students for the NBME I, while in the long run, the more student-centered problem-based curriculum better prepared the students for the NBME III.
Multiple roles of midline dorsal thalamic nuclei in induction and spread of limbic seizures

Purpose: Studies have suggested that the medial dorsal nucleus of the thalamus plays a role in the behavioral expression of limbic seizures, but it is unclear whether this region is a key component for the primary seizure circuitry or a path for seizure spread from one region to another. This study was undertaken to determine the potential role of this region in limbic seizure activity.
A 33.6-to-33.8Gb/s Burst-Mode CDR in 90nm CMOS

A 33.6-to-33.8 Gb/s burst-mode CDR circuit is realized in 90nm CMOS technology. The LC gated VCO, the phase selector the input matching circuit, and the wideband data buffer are discussed. With 2n-1 PRBS input, the measured rms jitter for the recovered data is 1.15ps at 33.72Gb/s. This CDR can tolerate 31 consecutive identical bits with a locking time of 0.2ns (<7b interval). It consumes 73mW from a 1.2V supply excluding the buffers.
Collective Contexts in Conversation: Grounding by Proxy

Anecdotal evidence suggests that participants in conversation can sometimes act as a coalition. This implies a level of conversational organization in which groups of individuals form a coherent unit. This paper investigates the implications of this phenomenon for psycholinguistic and semantic models of shared context in dialog. We present a corpus study of multiparty dialog which shows that, in certain circumstances, people with different levels of overt involvement in a conversation, that is, one responding and one not, can nonetheless access the same shared context. We argue that contemporary models of shared context need to be adapted to capture this situation. To address this, we propose "grounding by proxy," in which one person can respond on behalf of another, as a simple mechanism by which shared context can accumulate for a coalition as a whole. We explore this hypothesis experimentally by investigating how people in a task-oriented coalition respond when their shared context appears to be weakened. The results provide evidence that, by default, coalition members act on each other's behalf, and when this fails they work to compensate. We conclude that this points to the need for a new concept of collective grounding acts and a corresponding concept of collective contexts in psycholinguistic and semantic models of dialog.
Self-perceptions in relation to self-reported depressive symptoms in boys and girls.

BACKGROUND Low self-esteem is associated with depressive symptoms in children. However, the association between domains of self-esteem (e.g., self perceptions) and depressive symptoms may vary by gender. AIMS This study evaluated self-perceptions in relation to self-reported depressive symptoms in boys and girls. METHODS School children in grades 3 to 6 (n = 140; 54% boys; 46% girls) completed the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and The Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC) as part of a school-based intervention targeting anxious and depressive symptoms. The CDI was re-administered about 1 month later. Pearson correlations between the subscales of the SPPC and the average CDI T-scores were determined. Significant correlations were entered in stepwise regressions to predict depressive symptoms for the whole sample and then separately for boys and girls. RESULTS Self-perceived scholastic competence, physical appearance, and behavioral conduct accounted for 19.8% of the variance in self-reported depressive symptoms overall. Behavioral conduct was a more salient predictor in boys (adjusted R(2) =0.146) whereas scholastic competence and physical appearance were more salient in girls (adjusted R(2) =0.203). CONCLUSION Although replication is needed, boys and girls appear to have different self-perceptions in relation to depressive symptoms. Understanding these differences may help to inform clinical interventions.
Pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with COPD during and after an exacerbation-related hospitalisation: back to the future?

The European Respiratory Society (ERS) and American Thoracic Society (ATS) guideline on management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations was published in the March 2017 issue of the European Respiratory Journal [1]. Based on evidence syntheses, including meta-analyses, relevant evidence up to September 2015 was summarised and clinical recommendations for treatment of COPD exacerbations were formulated. These guidelines were endorsed by the ERS Executive Committee and approved by the ATS Board of Directors in December 2016. Healthcare professionals should educate COPD patients and recommend rehabilitation in the peri-exacerbation period http://ow.ly/gaiC30eQlVE
The Complexity of Generating Minimum Test Sets for PLA's and Monotone Combinational Circuits

The authors show that the problem of obtaining a minimum complete test set is NP-complete for monotone PLAs even when each product term of the PLA contains at most two literals. Using the ideas developed in the proof of this result, they resolve an open question due to B. Krishnamurthy and S.B. Akers (1984). The authors also show that given a complete test set T, the problem of obtaining a minimum test set contained in T is NP-complete even for two-level monotone circuits. >
Updating the Skin Sensitization in Vitro Data Assessment Paradigm in 2009 – a chemistry and QSAR perspective

This communication is stimulated by a recent Toxicology Update by Basketter and Kimber (2009), updating an earlier paradigm (Jowsey et al., 2006) for non-animal-based hazard identifi cation of skin sensitizers. Basketter and Kimber discuss what they describe as key elements in the immunobiological sequence of steps involved in skin sensitization and propose a holistic approach of integrating information from several in vitro assays representing these key elements of the immunobiological mechanism of skin sensitization. They argue that scaled responses from a bioavailability assay relating to ability to penetrate across the stratum corneum to the viable epidermis (0, 1 or 2), a reactivity (covalent binding to protein) assay (0, 1, 2 or 3), an irritancy assay (1 or 2) and an immunogenicity assay (0 or 1) should be determined and multiplied together to give a sensitization potency index (SPI). The SPI could, it is proposed, be used to classify compounds as non sensitizers (SPI = 0) or sensitizers (SPI > 0) and to subdivide sensitizers into potency categories. The Basketter and Kimber paradigm is expressed as an equation:
Application of Sentinel 2 MSI Images to Retrieve Suspended Particulate Matter Concentrations in Poyang Lake

Suspended particulate matter (SPM) is one of the dominant water constituents in inland and coastal waters, and SPM concnetration (CSPM) is a key parameter describing water quality. This study, using in-situ spectral and CSPM measurements as well as Sentinel 2 Multispectral Imager (MSI) images, aimed to develop CSPM retrieval models and further to estimate the CSPM values of Poyang Lake, China. Sixty-eight in-situ hyperspectral measurements and relative spectral response function were applied to simulate Sentinel 2 MIS spectra. Thirty-four samples were used to calibrate and the left samples were used to validate CSPM retrieval models, respectively. The developed models were then applied to two Sentinel 2 MSI images captured in wet and dry seasons, and the derived CSPM values were compared with those derived from MODIS B1 (λ = 645 nm). Results showed that the Sentinel 2 MSI B4–B8b models achieved acceptable to high fitting accuracies, which explained 81–93% of the variation of CSPM. The validation results also showed the reliability of these six models, and the estimated CSPM explained 77–93% of the variation of measured CSPM with the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) ranging from 36.87% to 21.54%. Among those, a model based on B7 (λ = 783 nm) appeared to be the most accurate one. The Sentinel 2 MSI-derived CSPM values were generally consistent in spatial distribution and magnitude with those derived from MODIS. The CSPM derived from Sentinel 2 MSI B7 showed the highest consistency with MODIS on 15 August 2016, while the Sentinel 2 MSI B4 (λ = 665 nm) produced the highest consistency with MODIS on 2 April 2017. Overall, this study demonstrated the applicability of Sentinel 2 MSI for CSPM retrieval in Poyang Lake, and the Sentinel 2 MSI B4 and B7 are recommended for low and high loadings of SPM, respectively.
Comparación entre distintos tiempos de lectura en el test de endósmosis

El objetivo del presente trabajo ha sido evaluar diferentes tiempos de lectura postincubacion en el Test de Endosmosis (HOST) para establecer la posible existencia de diferencias significativas entre los resultados obtenidos. Se trabajo con semen fresco de cuatro verracos adultos en rutina de extraccion. Las muestras fueron tratadas con y sin diluyentes comerciales elegidos aleatoriamente. Con los resultados obtenidos se realizo un analisis estadistico que no mostro diferencias significativas (P<0,05) entre los distintos tiempos de lectura
XOR-decomposition principle and its use to build a glitch-free maximum-speed arbitrary binary waveform generator and deglitcher

Arbitrary binary waveforms are needed for chip testing and for operating complexly-controlled devices. Such signals are required to be glitch-free and might have to be as fast as the fastest clock available, thus with transitions coinciding with both positive and negative clock edges, which prevents the use of conventional (by means of D-type flip-flops) deglitching of the generated signals. This paper introduces the XOR-decomposition principle, which allows any binary waveform to be decomposed into two other waveforms, each with half the frequency of the original (decomposed) signal, hence with transitions at only one of the clock edges, which then makes the use of conventional deglitching possible. This principle is used to build an inexpensive, glitch-free, maximum-speed, arbitrary binary waveform generator. It is also extended subsequently to build an inexpensive deglitcher for any max-speed binary waveform. Both solutions are standard (application-independent), with proper time predictability, suited for both VLSI- and FPGA-based implementations. Experimental results from FPGA implementations using VHDL are also reported.
Small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors: clinical development of anticancer agents

Numerous small molecule synthetic tyrosine kinase inhibitors are in clinical development for the treatment of human cancers. These fall into three broad categories: inhibitors of the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase family (e.g., Iressa™ and Tarceva™), inhibitors of the split kinase domain receptor tyrosine kinase subgroup (e.g., PTK787/ZK 222584 and SU11248) and inhibitors of tyrosine kinases from multiple subgroups (e.g., Gleevec™). In addition, agents targeting other tyrosine kinases implicated in cancer, such as Met, Tie-2 and Src, are in preclinical development. As experience is gained in the clinic, it has become clear that unleashing the full therapeutic potential of tyrosine kinase inhibitors will require patient preselection, better assays to guide dose selection, knowledge of mechanism-based side effects and ways to predict and overcome drug resistance.
Effects of Prostaglandins on Human Hematopoietic Osteoclast Precursors.

The effect of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on osteoclast (OC) differentiation is unclear, either stimulator or inhibitor, depending on the in vitro system used. This probably reflects indirect mechanisms through intermediate cells. We have investigated the direct effect of PGE2 on human OC differentiation from cord blood monocytes (CBMs) in the absence of stromal cells. Macrophages and multinucleated cells (MNCs) resembling OCs form in cultures of CBMs stimulated by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. In the present study, CBMs were cultured for 3 weeks, as previously described, in the presence or absence of PGE2. The number of MNCs was significantly reduced in the presence of PGE2 as was the proliferation of cultured CBMs, assessed on day 7. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate macrophage markers (CD11b and CD14) and OC marker (beta3-chain). PGE2 significantly increased the numbers of CD11b-positive and CD14-positive cells, whereas the number of beta3-chain-positive cells was significantly decreased. beta3-Chain, c-fos, and human calcitonin receptor (h-CTR) messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions were evaluated by reverse transcription-PCR with RNA extracted from cultured CBMs. In the presence of PGE2, expression of beta3-chain and c-fos mRNA was reduced from the first week of culture. h-CTR mRNA expression was also reduced, and only the h-CTR1 isoform was detected in the presence of PGE2. In addition, when PGE2 was added only during the last week of culture, when no CBM proliferation occurred, the number of CD11b- and beta3-positive cells was unchanged compared to that in the control culture, as were the proportion of MNCs, the fusion index, and the expression of c-fos mRNA. In conclusion, our results suggest that PGE2 has an inhibitory effect on human OC differentiation from CBMs, possibly by reducing precursor proliferation in these cultures. We also hypothesize that PGE2 may reduce OC differentiation by increasing the proportion of precursor cells that differentiate into macrophages. In addition, this may be the result of inhibition of the c-fos expression in CBMs.