Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Overlap of Encephalopathies and Epileptic Seizures

Summary: Encephalopathies and epileptic seizures are usually distinct, but important, components of neurologic illnesses. Each may cause altered mental status and behavior, but by different mechanisms. Encephalopathies involve widespread, usually inhibitory, brain dysfunction. Epileptic seizures usually consist of paroxysmal rhythmic excitatory brain activity that produces abnormal function. Some syndromes include both. Sometimes, an encephalopathy may cause seizures, and many patients are encephalopathic postictally. Nonconvulsive seizures and nonconvulsive status epilepticus may be difficult to distinguish from encephalopathies. The EEG is crucial in the distinction, but epileptiform features may appear in either. The greatest area of overlap and difficulty in diagnosis is probably that following clinical seizures, when a patient may have a postictal encephalopathy or may still be seizing.
Contrast-Enhanced Time-Resolved MRA for Follow-Up of Intracranial Aneurysms Treated with the Pipeline Embolization Device

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Endovascular reconstruction and flow diversion by using the Pipeline Embolization Device is an effective treatment for complex cerebral aneurysms. Accurate noninvasive alternatives to DSA for follow-up after Pipeline Embolization Device treatment are desirable. This study evaluated the accuracy of contrast-enhanced time-resolved MRA for this purpose, hypothesizing that contrast-enhanced time-resolved MRA will be comparable with DSA and superior to 3D-TOF MRA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During a 24-month period, 37 Pipeline Embolization Device–treated intracranial aneurysms in 26 patients underwent initial follow-up by using 3D-TOF MRA, contrast-enhanced time-resolved MRA, and DSA. MRA was performed on a 1.5T unit by using 3D-TOF and time-resolved imaging of contrast kinetics. All patients underwent DSA a median of 0 days (range, 0–68) after MRA. Studies were evaluated for aneurysm occlusion, quality of visualization of the reconstructed artery, and measurable luminal diameter of the Pipeline Embolization Device, with DSA used as the reference standard. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of contrast-enhanced time-resolved MRA relative to DSA for posttreatment aneurysm occlusion were 96%, 85%, 92%, and 92%. Contrast-enhanced time-resolved MRA demonstrated superior quality of visualization (P = .0001) and a higher measurable luminal diameter (P = .0001) of the reconstructed artery compared with 3D-TOF MRA but no significant difference compared with DSA. Contrast-enhanced time-resolved MRA underestimated the luminal diameter of the reconstructed artery by 0.965 ± 0.497 mm (27% ± 13%) relative to DSA. CONCLUSIONS: Contrast-enhanced time-resolved MRA is a reliable noninvasive method for monitoring intracranial aneurysms following flow diversion and vessel reconstruction by using the Pipeline Embolization Device.
Scaleable manufacture of HIV-1 entry inhibitor griffithsin and validation of its safety and efficacy as a topical microbicide component

To prevent sexually transmitted HIV, the most desirable active ingredients of microbicides are antiretrovirals (ARVs) that directly target viral entry and avert infection at mucosal surfaces. However, most promising ARV entry inhibitors are biologicals, which are costly to manufacture and deliver to resource-poor areas where effective microbicides are urgently needed. Here, we report a manufacturing breakthrough for griffithsin (GRFT), one of the most potent HIV entry inhibitors. This red algal protein was produced in multigram quantities after extraction from Nicotiana benthamiana plants transduced with a tobacco mosaic virus vector expressing GRFT. Plant-produced GRFT (GRFT-P) was shown as active against HIV at picomolar concentrations, directly virucidal via binding to HIV envelope glycoproteins, and capable of blocking cell-to-cell HIV transmission. GRFT-P has broad-spectrum activity against HIV clades A, B, and C, with utility as a microbicide component for HIV prevention in established epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, China, and the industrialized West. Cognizant of the imperative that microbicides not induce epithelial damage or inflammatory responses, we also show that GRFT-P is nonirritating and noninflammatory in human cervical explants and in vivo in the rabbit vaginal irritation model. Moreover, GRFT-P is potently active in preventing infection of cervical explants by HIV-1 and has no mitogenic activity on cultured human lymphocytes.
Influx of Enterococci and Associated Antibiotic Resistance and Virulence Genes from Ready-To-Eat Food to the Human Digestive Tract

ABSTRACT The influx of enterococcal antibiotic resistance (AR) and virulence genes from ready-to-eat food (RTEF) to the human digestive tract was assessed. Three RTEFs (chicken salad, chicken burger, and carrot cake) were sampled from five fast-food restaurants five times in summer (SU) and winter (WI). The prevalence of enterococci was significantly higher in SU (92.0% of salad samples and 64.0% of burger samples) than in WI (64.0% of salad samples and 24.0% of burger samples). The overall concentrations of enterococci during the two seasons were similar (∼103 CFU/g); the most prevalent were Enterococcus casseliflavus (41.5% of isolates) and Enterococcus hirae (41.5%) in WI and Enterococcus faecium (36.8%), E. casseliflavus (27.6%), and Enterococcus faecalis (22.4%) in SU. Resistance in WI was detected primarily to tetracycline (50.8%), ciprofloxacin (13.8%), and erythromycin (4.6%). SU isolates were resistant mainly to tetracycline (22.8%), erythromycin (22.1%), and kanamycin (13.0%). The most common tet gene was tet(M) (35.4% of WI isolates and 11.9% of SU isolates). The prevalence of virulence genes (gelE, asa1, cylA, and esp) and marker genes for clinical isolates (EF_0573, EF_0592, EF_0605, EF_1420, EF_2144, and pathogenicity island EF_0050) was low (≤12.3%). Genotyping of E. faecalis and E. faecium using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that the food contamination likely originated from various sources and that it was not clonal. Our conservative estimate (single AR gene copy per cell) for the influx of tet genes alone to the human digestive tract is 3.8 × 105 per meal (chicken salad). This AR gene influx is frequent because RTEFs are commonly consumed and that may play a role in the acquisition of AR determinants in the human digestive tract.
Tethering, recycling and activation of the epithelial sodium–proton exchanger, NHE3

SUMMARY NHE3 is a sodium–proton exchanger expressed predominantly in the apical membrane of renal and intestinal epithelia, where it plays a key role in salt and fluid absorption and pH homeostasis. It performs these functions through the exchange of luminal sodium for cytosolic protons. Acute regulation of NHE3 function is mediated by altering the total number of exchangers in the plasma membrane as well as their individual activity. Traffic between endomembrane and plasmalemmal pools of NHE3 dictates the density of exchangers available at the cell surface. The activity of the plasmalemmal pool, however, is not fixed and can be altered by the association with modifier proteins, by post-translational alterations (such as cAMP-mediated phosphorylation) and possibly also via interaction with specific plasmalemmal phospholipids. Interestingly, association with cytoskeletal components affects both levels of regulation, tethering NHE3 molecules at the surface and altering their intrinsic activity. This paper reviews the role of proteins and lipids in the modulation of NHE3 function.
Comparison of the protein and fatty acid fraction of Balkan donkey and human milk

The aim of this study was to compare the protein and fatty acid fractions of Balkan donkey and human milk in the early lactation stage (40 and 90 day). This study revealed that donkey milk contains αs1-casein (1.38-1.89 g/L) and higher concentration of β-casein (0.1-0.55 g/L) in comparison to human milk. The concentration of α-lactalbumin increased during the lactation phases from 40 to 90 days in both types of milk. Donkey milk contained β-lactoglobulin in low concentrations which decreased to 90th day of lactation. Donkey milk was particularly rich in two whey proteins, lactoferrin and lysozyme, which were found to have molecular weight of approximately 76 kDa and 14.9-15.4 kDa, respectively. The content of lysozyme in donkey milk ranged from 2.39 to 2.97 g/L, while human milk contained 30-50 times lower concentrations of lysozyme in comparison to donkey milk. Thus, donkey milk contained also a higher concentration of lactoferrin (0.012-0.25 g/L) than it was found in the human milk. Lysozyme and lactoferrin content in donkey milk increased during the period from 40th to 90th day of lactation. The percentage of total SFA, MUFA and PUFA was similar in donkey and human milk. The content of essential fatty acids increased during 40-90 days of lactation and was approximately 2.5 times higher in comparison to human milk.
Environmental risk related to specific processes during scrap computer recycling and disposal

The purpose of this work was to achieve a better understanding of the generation of toxic chemicals related to specific processes in scrap computer recycling and disposal, such as thermal recycling of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and the landfilling or dumping of cathode ray tubes (CRTs). Tube furnace pyrolysis was carried out to simulate different thermal treatment conditions for the identification of the by-products and potential environmental risk from thermal recycling of PCBs. The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) and a column test were used to study the leaching characteristics of lead from waste CRT glass, which is one of the most important environmental concerns arising from the disposal of e-waste. The results indicate that more attention should be paid to the benzene series when recycling PCBs under thermal conditions, especially for workers without any personal protection equipment. The impact of immersion on the leaching of lead from CRT leaded glass was more effective than the impact of washing only by acid rain. Thus when waste leaded glass has to be stored for some reason, the storage facility should be dry.
Hacia una caracterización de los precios del café salvadoreño

espanolNo hay resumenes disponiblesRealidad: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades No. 24, 1991: 763-783 EnglishNo abstract availableRealidad: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades No. 24, 1991: 763-783
Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Benzylamino-Methanone Based Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein Inhibitors

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is a glycoprotein involved in transporting lipoprotein particles and neutral lipids between high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoproteins (LDL) and therefore its a proper target for treating dyslipidemia and related disorders. Guided by our previosuly-reported pharmacophore and QSAR models for CETP inhibition, we synthesized and bioassayed a series of benzylamino-methanones. The most potent illustrated 30% CETP inhibition at 10 μM.
The Role of Proinflammatory Pathways in the Pathogenesis of Colitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC). The risk factors of CRC in IBD patients include long disease duration, extensive colitis, severe histological inflammation, and coexistence with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Several molecular pathways that contribute to sporadic CRC are also involved in the pathogenesis of colitis-associated CRC. It is well established that long-standing chronic inflammation is a key predisposing factor of CRC in IBD. Proinflammatory pathways, including nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), IL-6/STAT3, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)/PGE2, and IL-23/Th17, promote tumorigenesis by inducing the production of inflammatory mediators, upregulating the expression of antiapoptotic genes, and stimulating cell proliferation as well as angiogenesis. Better understanding of the underlying mechanisms may provide some promising targets for prevention and therapy. This review aims to elucidate the role of these signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of colitis-associated CRC using evidence-based approaches.
Characterization of the oral fungal microbiota in smokers and non-smokers.

This study aimed to assess the effect of smoking on the biodiversity of the oral fungal microbiota of healthy young subjects, using an improved culture method that assesses both total and pathogenic viable fungi. Forty individuals (20 smokers and 20 non-smokers) were selected. All individuals presented fungal growth (100% for molds and 92.5% for yeasts), a prevalence higher than previously reported. The most commonly occurring molds were Penicillium sp. , Aspergillus sp. , and Cladosporium sp. Smokers presented significantly higher levels of yeasts and pathogenic molds than did non-smokers. No differences in fungal prevalence and diversity were observed in smokers and non-smokers following a 30-wk observation period. In conclusion, tobacco smoking may alter the oral mycobiota and facilitate colonization of the oral cavity with yeasts and pathogenic molds. The effect of chronic fungal colonization on the oral health of tobacco smokers cannot be neglected.
An Approach for Detection and Classification of Fruit Disease

Agriculture is the mother of all cultures. Due to increasing demand in the agricultural industry, the need to effectively grow a plant and increase its yield is very important. Diseases in fruit cause devastating problem in economic losses and production in agricultural industry worldwide. So to protect the product, it is important to monitor the plant during its growth period, as well as, at the time of harvest. In this paper, a solution for the detection and classification of Strawberry fruit diseases is proposed and experimentally validated. For Fruit Disease Detection, the image processing based proposed approach is composed with the following main steps; in first step, Image acquisition is done, After that in second step Preprocessing is done including Noise Remove using masking and Image Enhancement using Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT). In third step Feature Extraction is done, in which, Color Feature Extraction using Color Space Conversion and Texture Feature Extraction using Canny Edge Detection and Dilation. As same as, For Fruit Leaf Disease Detection, the image processing based proposed approach is composed with the following main steps; in first step, Image acquisition is done, in this images are collected from Internet. After that in second step Preprocessing is carried out. In which, Image Enhancement is done using Equalize Histogram and Color Space Conversion. In third step Feature Extraction is done using Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) for Texture Feature Extraction. After that, classification is done using Support Vector Machine (SVM) Classifier.
Aspects of second order feedback AM synthesis

The technique of Feedback Amplitude Modulation (FBAM) is introduced in its second-order form. The basic aspects of the novel algforithm are discussed and its interpretation as a special case of a recursive time-varyring linear filter is explored. Extensions to the basic method are introduced, first with reference to existing variants of the first-order case, which have been previously studied. Second-order specific variations, such as pole-angle modulated resonator and frequency modulation, are discussed in some detail. The spectra produced with the proposed second-order methods are generally richer than those obtained using first-order methods, which is very desirable. Applications of the second-order FBAM complement the paper.
A biomechanical comparison of various methods of stabilization of subtrochanteric fractures of the femur

Subtrochanteric femoral fractures with and without bony contact were simulated in cadaver specimens, fixed with one of seven different types of intramedullary or plate implants, and tested biomechanically. The implants used were Enders pins, Zickel nail, compression hip screw, AO angled blade plate, and intramedullary locked nail systems of the Klemm‐Schellman, Brooker‐Wills, and Grosse‐Kempf types. Femur‐implant constructs using intramedullary devices were a maximum of 5% as stiff in torsion as intact cadaveric femora tested in the same manner, while plate‐fixed fractures were nearly 50% as stiff. In bending, all devices except the Enders pins were ∼80% as stiff as intact femora. Loss of bony contact at the fracture site had little effect on stiffness except in the case of the keyless compression hip screw, where the screw rotated freely in the barrel. In combined bending and compression to failure, a test to simulate forces due to body weight, the intramedullary locked rods were found to support between 300 and 400% of body weight while the plate systems failed at loads between 100 and 200% of body weight.
A new design of power supplies for pocket computer systems

A new design of power supply based on the idea of switched capacitors, as applied to pocket computer systems, is presented. This new type of power supply is inductorless and, consequently, suitable for hybridization and even monolithic integration. The new design is also based on distinguishing characteristics of pocket digital computer systems, in which a switched-capacitor converter can work well, since minimal regulation is required. The new device may enable the pocket computer system to be powered by only one battery, resulting in a simple topology. Two switched-capacitor converters, +12 V/-12 V, +5 V and +5 V/+12 V, -12 V, are shown, respectively, as an example for demonstrating the basic principle and its performance. PSPICE simulation and laboratory models show good results for this new type of power supply.
The effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on rhabdomyolysis-induced myoglobinuric acute renal failure in rats

Abstract Myoglobinuric acute renal failure (MARF) may develop after severe muscle injury. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a stress-response protein, has been implicated as a protective agent against MARF. We hypothesized that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may alleviate MARF by inducing renal HO-1 expression. Wistar-Albino rats were randomly assigned into three groups: Control (n = 4), MARF (n = 8), MARF + HBO (n = 8). MARF was induced by intramuscular glycerol (50%, 8 mL/kg) injection. Saline (8 mL/kg) was injected into the hind limb of the animals in the control group. Animals in the MARF + HBO group received two sessions of HBO therapy (90 min at 2.5 atm) 2 and 18 h after glycerol injection. Serum and tissue samples were taken at 24 h. Serum urea and creatinine levels increased in the MARF and MARF + HBO groups confirming the development of MARF. But, serum urea and creatinine levels were similar in MARF and MARF + HBO groups. Oxidative stress parameters were similar among all groups. Histological renal injury score was similar in MARF and MARF + HBO groups. HO-1 level, determined by immunohistochemistry, was significantly higher in MARF and MARF + HBO groups, compared to the control group. Although HO-1 level in MARF + HBO group was higher than MARF group, it was not statistically significant. We found that HBOT did not reduce renal injury in experimental MARF model. HBOT is used to reduce the muscle damage after crush injury, which may be accompanied by MARF. Therefore, more studies are needed to understand the effects of HBO treatment on renal functions after MARF.
SOX18 directly interacts with MEF2C in endothelial cells.

Recently, we demonstrated that mutations in the Sry-related HMG box gene Sox18 underlie vascular and hair follicle defects in the mouse allelic mutants ragged (Ra) and RaJ. Ra mice display numerous anomalies in the homozygote including, oedema, peritoneal secretions, and are almost completely naked. Sox18 and the MADS box transcription factor, Mef2C, are expressed in developing endothelial cells. Null mutants in Sox18 and Mef2c display overlapping phenotypic abnormalities, hence, we investigated the relationship between these two DNA binding proteins. We report here the direct interaction between MEF2C and SOX18 proteins, and establish that these proteins are coexpressed in vivo in endothelial cell nuclei. MEF2C expression potentiates SOX18-mediated transcription in vivo and regulates the function of the SOX18 activation domain. Interestingly, MEF2C fails to interact or co-activate transcription with the Ra or RaJ mutant SOX18 proteins. These results suggest that MEF2C and SOX18 may be important partners directing the transcriptional regulation of vascular development.
Worldwide variation in the performance of children and adolescents: An analysis of 109 studies of the 20-m shuttle run test in 37 countries

Abstract This study is a meta-analysis of 109 reports of the performance of children and adolescents on the 20-m shuttle run test (20-mSRT). The studies were performed in 37 countries and included data on 418,026 children, tested between 1981 and 2003. Results were expressed as running speed (km · h−1) at the final completed stage of the 20-mSRT. Raw data were combined with pseudodata using Monte Carlo simulation. The 20-mSRT performances were expressed as z-scores relative to all children of the same age and sex from all countries. An overall “performance index” was derived for each country as the average of the age- and sex-specific z-scores for all children from that country. Factorial analysis of variance was used to compare scores among countries and regions, and between boys and girls of the same age. There was wide and significant (P < 0.0001) global variability in the performance of children. The best performing children were from the Northern European countries Estonia, Iceland, Lithuania, and Finland (0.6 – 0.9 standard deviations above the global average). The worst performing children were from Singapore, Brazil, USA, Italy, Portugal, and Greece (0.4 – 0.9 standard deviations below the global average). There is evidence that performance was negatively related to being overweight, as well as to a country's average temperature.
Prevalence of gastritis in a rural population. Bioptic study of subjects selected at random.

The state of the gastric body mucosa was examined bioptically in randomly selected 16-65-year-old subjects of a Finnish rural community, Pornainen. The series were representative of the whole population as regards sex, age, and occupational distribution.Gastritis was found in 53 per cent of the series, with no difference between the sexes, being superficial in 25 per cent and atrophic in 28 per cent. The prevalence rate of gastritis increased significantly with age, 1.40±0.10 (SD) yearly per cent of the total group of corresponding age. This increase was mainly due to the increase of atrophic gastritis, whereas the prevalence of superficial gastritis remained nearly constant. The results suggest a poor healing tendency of gastritis in general and of atrophic gastritis in particular. The yearly increase in the prevalence rate of atrophic gastritis at all ages examined, was computed to 1.25±0.19 (SD) per cent of the total group of corresponding age.The age-specific prevalence rates of gastritis have not an .
PSPACE-complete problems for subgroups of free groups and inverse nite automata 1

We investigate the complexity of algorithmic problems on nitely generated subgroups of free groups. Margolis and Meakin showed how a nite monoid Synt(H) can be canonically and e ectively associated with such a subgroup H . We show that H is pure (that is, closed under radical) if and only if Synt(H) is aperiodic. We also show that testing for this property of H is PSPACE-complete. In the process, we show that certain problems about nite automata which are PSPACE-complete in general remain PSPACE-complete when restricted to injective and inverse automata (with single accept state), whereas they are known to be in NC for permutation automata (with single accept state). c © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.