Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Complications and success rates of stellate ganglion blockade; blind technique vs. fluoroscopic guidance

Objective: Stellate Ganglion Blockade (SGB) is a cervical sympathetic blockade technique that has been long applied for a variety of purposes in Anesthesiology and Pain Clinics. In this study, our goal is to reveal the kind of SGB complications, their frequency and success rates of SGBs based on the application methods (blind technique vs. fluoroscopy guidance). Material and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in the pain management center of a university hospital using patients’ chart. Patients’ charts compilation began in January 2004 and ended in June 2014. Then, the patient charts collected for the study were divided into two groups: the ones applied with blind techniques (Group-B) and the ones applied under fluoroscopy (Group-F). Thus, 223 patients in Group-B and 197 patients in Group-F, in total, data of 420 patients were collected. Results: Complications were seen in fourteen patients in Group-B, while twelve of them were blood aspirations due to the vertebral artery puncture. This puncture was observed in eight patients of Group- F. No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups when compared in terms of complications (P=0.311). However, two patients in blind technique group were developed pneumothorax. Block failures of 6.28% in Group-B and 1.52% in Group-F were determined when compared in terms of failure rates. This difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P=0.016). Conclusion: Complication rates are low and success rates are considerably high, if SGB is applied by experienced hands, even if with blind method.
Improving Software Test Strategy with a Method to Specify Test Cases (MSTC)

An interesting difference between tests and other disciplines of the software development process is that they constitute a task that essentially identifies and evidences the weaknesses of the software product. Four relevant elements are considered when defining tests namely, reliability, cost, time and quality. Time and cost shall increase to the extent reliable tests and quality software are desired, but what does it take to make actors understand that tests should be seen as a security network? If quality is not there before starting the tests, it will not be there upon their completion. Accordingly, how can we lay out a trace between tests and functional and non-functional requirements of the software system? This Article is aimed at proposing a method that allows for specifying test cases based on use cases, by incorporating elements to verify and validate traceability among requirements management, analysis & design, and tests. This initiative originated as a response to the request of a software developing company of the Venezuelan public sector.
Role of BDNF/TrkB pathway in the visual system: therapeutic implications for glaucoma

ABSTRACT Introduction: Neuroprotective therapeutics are needed to treat glaucoma, an optic neuropathy that results in death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Areas covered: The BDNF/TrkB pathway is important for RGC survival. Temporal and spatial alterations in the BDNF/TrkB pathway occur in development and in response to acute optic nerve injury and to glaucoma. In animal models, BDNF supplementation is successful at slowing RGC death after acute optic nerve injury and in glaucoma, however, the BDNF/TrkB signaling is not the only pathway supporting long term RGC survival. Expert commentary: Much remains to be discovered about the interaction between retrograde, anterograde, and retinal BDNF/TrkB signaling pathways in both neurons and glia. An ideal therapeutic agent for glaucoma likely has several modes of action that target multiple mechanisms of neurodegeneration including the BDNF/TrkB pathway.
Saving Our Backs: Safe Patient Handling and Mobility for Home Care

Predicted work-related injuries for nurses and home healthcare workers are on the rise given the many risk factors in the home environment and the escalating demands for home healthcare workers in the United States. Fortunately, safe patient handling and mobility programs can dramatically decrease injuries. Despite strides being made to promote safe patient handling and mobility programs in acute care, more can be done to establish such initiatives in the home care setting.
A Review of the Relationship between Obesity and Periodontal Diseases

Obesity and periodontal diseases (PD) are very prevalent among U.S. adults during recent years [1-4]. Since both can lead to severe chronic health conditions and impair people’s life quality by exerting similar influences [5-10], a clear understanding of the association between obesity and periodontal diseases is warranted to reduce health and medical costs in the U.S. [5] The objective of this review is to explore the influence of obesity/overweight on development and treatment outcome of PD, and to explore possible mechanisms of interaction between obesity and PD.
Feature selection in categorizing activities by eye movements using electrooculograph signals

Eyes are the windows to the brain and the eye movements are a rich source of information in information processing. The aim of this paper is to select the features with CBFS Feature selection algorithm using eye movements by ElectroOculoGraph (EOG) signals during reading and writing task. The objective is to impart the fundamental functionality to get an extensive understanding of how EOG signals can be applied in human computer interaction(HCI) and what can be inferred from those signals using feature selection and data mining classification techniques. This paper first identifies the importance of eye movements and EOG signals then analyze EOG signals by CBFS (clearness based feature selection), mRMR (minimum redundancy maximum relevance) feature Selection methods and the third section demonstrates the performance of data mining classification in EOG signals.
Short-term treatment with metformin decreases serum leptin concentration without affecting body weight and body fat content in normal-weight healthy men.

A weight-reducing effect of metformin has been demonstrated in obese subjects with and without diabetes. The mechanisms of this action are unclear, which may be partly due to the fact that in obese and diabetic patients the substance's effects result from a complex interaction with the distinct endocrine and metabolic disturbances in these patients. To dissociate primary from secondary action of metformin, we examined effects of the substance in normal-weight healthy subjects. Fifteen normal-weight men were treated with metformin (850 mg twice daily) or placebo for a 15-day period in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. Anthropometric, psychologic, cardiovascular, endocrine, and metabolic parameters were assessed before and at the end of the treatment period. Metformin did not affect body weight (P =.838) and body fat mass (P =.916). Yet, serum leptin concentration was distinctly reduced after metformin (P <.001). Also, metformin reduced the concentration of plasma glucose (P =.011), serum insulin (P=.044), and serum insulin-like growth factor -1 (IGF-1) (P=.013), while it increased serum glucagon concentration (P <.001). There were no effects of metformin on feelings of hunger, blood pressure, heart rate, resting energy expenditure, the respiratory quotient, free fatty acids, beta-hydroxybutyrate, glycerol, triglycerides, cholesterol, and uric acid (all P >.1). Data indicate that metformin decreases the serum leptin concentration even without affecting body weight and body composition in normal-weight men.
The newly found functions of MTOC in immunological response

The MTOCs are present in all eukaryotic cells. In animal somatic cells, the MTOC function is played by a centrosome, which contains centrioles and PCM. The traditional view is that the MTOC is responsible for the organization of microtubular structures (the intracellular network, cilia, and flagella) in interphase cells, and the formation of the mitotic and meiotic spindle apparatus which is required for the partitioning of chromosomes in dividing cells. Recent evidence suggests that MTOC also plays a key role in the engagement of molecular motors, directional transport of granules, and polarization of subcellular structures and molecules. All of these functions are crucial for targeted cytotoxicity and the regulation of immune cells. In this review, we focus on the ultrastructural and molecular aspects of MTOCs in various aspects of immune cell functions, with specific emphasis on the formation of the IS and targeted cell killing.
Shock and awe: Distinct effects of taboo words on lexical decision and free recall

Taboo stimuli are highly arousing, but it has been suggested that they also have inherent taboo-specific properties such as tabooness, offensiveness, or shock value. Prior studies have shown that taboo words have slower response times in lexical decision and higher recall probabilities in free recall; however, taboo words often differ from other words on more than just arousal and taboo properties. Here, we replicated both of these findings and conducted detailed item analyses to determine which word properties drive these behavioural effects. We found that lexical-decision performance was best explained by measures of lexical accessibility (e.g., word frequency) and tabooness, rather than arousal, valence, or offensiveness. However, free-recall performance was primarily driven by emotional word properties, and tabooness was the most important emotional word property for model fit. Our results suggest that the processing of taboo words is influenced by distinct sets of factors and by an intrinsic taboo-specific property.
Research and Application of CFLP-PMI

采购经理指数(PMI)已成为世界经济运行活动的重要评价指标和世界经济变化的晴雨表,建立中国采购经理指数(CFLP-PMI)对于完善中国经济乃至世界经济监测体系具有积极的推动作用. 基于对采购经理进行调查的PMI数据从理论上讲能够反映市场的变动情况,分析CFLP-PMI各个细分指数、与宏观经济统计数据进行对比、与行业统计数据进行对比,均显示一定的相互关联或者一致性,因此,CFLP-PMI可以作为决策参考,在制定国家经济政策方面、企业经营方面、金融投资活动方面体现很好的应用价值.
Brain Glutamate Transporter Proteins Form Homomultimers*

Removal of excitatory amino acids from the extracellular fluid is essential for synaptic transmission and for avoiding excitotoxicity. The removal is accomplished by glutamate transporters located in the plasma membranes of both neurons and astroglia. The uptake system consists of several different transporter proteins that are carefully regulated, indicating more refined functions than simple transmitter inactivation. Here we show by chemical cross-linking, followed by electrophoresis and immunoblotting, that three rat brain glutamate transporter proteins (GLAST, GLT and EAAC) form homomultimers. The multimers exist not only in intact brain membranes but also after solubilization and after reconstitution in liposomes. Increasing the cross-linker concentration increased the immunoreactivity of the bands corresponding to trimers at the expense of the dimer and monomer bands. However, the immunoreactivities of the dimer bands did not disappear, indicating a mixture of dimers and trimers. GLT and GLAST do not complex with each other, but as demonstrated by double labeling post-embedding electron microscopic immunocytochemistry, they co-exist side by side in the same astrocytic cell membranes. The oligomers are held together noncovalently in vivo. In vitro, oxidation induces formation of covalent bonds (presumably -S-S-) between the subunits of the oligomers leading to the appearance of oligomer bands on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Immunoprecipitation experiments suggest that GLT is the quantitatively dominant glutamate transporter in the brain. Radiation inactivation analysis gives a molecular target size of the functional complex corresponding to oligomeric structure. We postulate that the glutamate transporters operate as homomultimeric complexes.
Progress toward improving the quality of cardiac arrest medical team responses at an academic teaching hospital.

BACKGROUND Internal medicine (IM) residents who undergo simulation-based advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) training are significantly more likely to manage actual events according to American Heart Association (AHA) standards than nontrained residents. How long ACLS skills are retained is unknown. METHODS We conducted a retrospective case-control study of ACLS responses from January to June 2008 and reviewed medical records to assess adherence to AHA standards. Cases and controls are team responses to ACLS events divided into those directed by postgraduate year 2 (PGY-2) IM resident leaders versus those managed by PGY-3 IM resident leaders. Residents in 2008 completed an educational program featuring deliberate practice in ACLS using a human patient simulator during their second year. Medical records of ACLS events were reviewed to assess adherence to AHA guidelines. We evaluated the effects of simulation training on quality of ACLS care during the 2008 period and in comparison with historical 2004 data. RESULTS In 2008, 1 year after simulation training, PGY-3 residents showed the same adherence to AHA standards (88% [SD, 17%]) as that of PGY-2 residents who were newly simulator trained (86% [SD, 18%]) (P = .77). Previously, in 2004, PGY-2 simulator-trained residents showed significantly higher adherence to AHA standards (68% [SD, 20%]) than nonsimulator-trained PGY-3 residents (44% [SD, 20%]) (P < .001). All resident groups in 2008 outperformed their 2004 peers. CONCLUSIONS Improved quality of ACLS care was maintained by 2008 PGY-3 simulator-trained residents 1 year after training, likely due to skill retention rather than increased clinical experience, as a prior cohort of PGY-3 residents did not perform as well as PGY-2 residents in actual ACLS care. Our results confirm prior work regarding the impact of simulation-based education to improve the quality of actual patient care.
A New Hybrid Mode Spread Spectrum Multiple Access System

Expressions are derived for the average probability of error and average delay of a new Spread Spectrum (SS) packet communication system. Each user independently, and based on his own buffer content, will both share the available hopping frequencies and time slots with other users, or move to the fixed assignment mode (i.e. share the frequencies but only transmit in his assigned time slot). Each user will own a distinct SS code, and the information modulation is Frequency Shift Keying (FSK). The analysis takes into account both demodulation errors and the average packet delay will be studied.
Phorbol ester‐induced podosomes in normal human bronchial epithelial cells

Spreading and migration of the basal cells neighboring a wound is essential for airway epithelial repair. To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms that govern these cellular processes, we asked whether normal human airway epithelial cells can form podosomes, a cellular structure discovered from cancer and mesenchymal cells that controls migration and invasion. Herein, we report that phorbol‐12, 13‐dibutyrate (PDBu), a protein kinase C activator, induced reorganization of cytoskeletal structure in primary normal human bronchial epithelial cells, and in normal human airway epithelial BEAS2B cells. Z‐stack scanning confocal microscopy showed that PDBu‐induced podosome‐like structures contain actin‐rich columns that arise from the ventral surface of the cell, and also revealed the presence of circular ruffles/waves at the dorsal cell surface. The molecular components of these cytoskeletal structures were determined with immunofluorescent staining. Using in situ zymography, we demonstrated that PDBu‐induced podosomes were capable of degrading fibronectin‐gelatin‐sucrose matrix. PDBu also increased epithelial cell invasion across Transwell chamber. Podosomes and circular dorsal ruffles may be important for epithelial cell migration and invasion, thus contributing to respiratory epithelial repair and regeneration. J. Cell. Physiol. 218: 366–375, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Detection of recombination in variable number tandem repeat sequences

Tandem repeats are repeated sequences whose copies are adjacent along the chromosomes. They account for large portion of eukaryotic genomes and are found in all types of living organisms. Among tandem repeats, those with repeat unit of middle size are called minisatellites. These loci depart from classical loci beca use of the propensity to vary in size due to the addition or the removal of one or more repeat units. Due to this polymorphism, they prove useful in genetic mapping, in population genetics, and forensic medicine. Moreover, some specific tandem repeat loci are involved in di seases, like the insulin minisatellite, which is implicate d in type I diabetes and obesity. Those loci also undergo complex recombination events. Presently, some programs to compare tandem repeats alleles exist and yield good results when recombination is absent, but none correctly handles recombinant alleles. Our goal is to develop an adequate tool for the detection of recombinant among a set of minisatellite sequences. By combining a multiple alignment tool and a method based on phylogenetic profiling, we design a first solution, called MS PhylPro, for this task. The method has been implemented, tested on real data sets from the insulin minisatellite, and proven to dete ct recombinant alleles.
Functional interaction of vega2 and goosecoid homeobox genes in zebrafish

Summary: The gastrula organizer forms in the dorsal region of the zebrafish embryo, where the bozozok/dharma homeobox gene downregulates expression of the vega1 transcriptional repressor. Here, we describe a novel Vega family homeobox gene, vega2. Expression of vega2 is initiated at the ventral blastoderm margin during blastula stages, and by gastrulation becomes complementary to but partially overlapping with the dorsal expression domain of the homeobox gene goosecoid (gsc). This dorsal exclusion of vega2 expression is not observed in bozozok mutants in which organizer formation is impaired. Both vega2 and vega1 can physically interact with Gsc. Zebrafish embryos injected with vega2 mRNA failed to express gsc and developed a headless phenotype. Conversely, a putative dominant negative form of vega2, VP16‐vega2, elicited the expansion of gsc expression and a dorsalized phenotype. We suggest that vega2, in cooperation with vega1, functions as a negative regulator of organizer genes including gsc, and participates in the refinement of the gastrula organizer domain. genesis 28:58–67, 2000. Published 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Phenytoin-Folic Acid Interaction

Objective: To review information regarding the dual and interdependent drug-nutrient interaction between phenytoin and folic acid and other literature involving phenytoin and folic acid. Data Sources: Information was retrieved from a MEDLINE search of English-language literature conducted from 1983 (time of the last review) to March 1995. Search terms included folic acid, phenytoin, and folic acid deficiency. Additional references were obtained from Current Contents and from the bibliographies of the retrieved references. Study Selection: All human studies examining the effects of phenytoin on serum folate concentrations and folic acid supplementation on serum phenytoin concentrations were selected. These included studies of patients with epilepsy and healthy volunteers as well as case reports. Case reports were included because of the extensive length of time needed to study this drug interaction. Data Extraction: Data extracted included gender, dosing, serum folate concentrations if available, pharmacokinetics, and adverse events. Data Synthesis: Serum folate decreases when phenytoin therapy is initiated alone with no folate supplementation. Folic acid supplementation in folate-deficient patients with epilepsy changes the pharmacokinetics of phenytoin, usually leading to lower serum phenytoin concentrations and possible seizure breakthrough. Folate is hypothesized to be a cofactor in phenytoin metabolism and may be responsible for the “pseudo-steady-state,” which is a concentration where phenytoin appears to be at steady-state, but in reality, is not. Phenytoin and folic acid therapy initiated concomitantly prevents decreased folate and phenytoin obtains steady-state concentrations sooner. Conclusions: Folic acid supplementation should be initiated each time phenytoin therapy commences because of the hypothesized cofactor mechanism, decreased adverse effects associated with folate deficiency, and better seizure control with no perturbation of phenytoin pharmacokinetics.
A subspace approach to the identification of MIMO piecewise linear systems

The problem of estimating parameters of a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) piecewise linear system (PWL) is considered. It is assumed that noise is present in both input and output measurements. A subspace approach based on the singular value decomposition (SVD) is proposed, which transforms the problem of associating noisy measurements to submodels to one of identifying a certain permutation structure in the observation subspace. Main advantages of the proposed approach include lowered computation complexity in handling arbitrarily shaped of domain partitions and its ability to cope with measurement noise at the system input.
Prophylactic cranial irradiation for patients with small-cell lung cancer in complete remission.

BACKGROUND Prophylactic cranial irradiation in patients with small-cell lung cancer decreases the overall rate of brain metastases without an effect on overall survival. It has been suggested that this treatment may increase neuropsychological syndromes and brain abnormalities indicated by computed tomography scans. However, other retrospective data suggested a beneficial effect on overall survival for patients in complete remission. PURPOSE Our purpose was to evaluate the effects of prophylactic cranial irradiation on brain metastasis, overall survival, and late-occurring toxic effects in patients with small-cell lung cancer in complete remission. METHODS We conducted a prospective study of 300 patients who had small-cell lung cancer that was in complete remission. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either prophylactic cranial irradiation delivering 24 Gy in eight fractions during 12 days (treatment group) or no prophylactic cranial irradiation (control group). A neuropsychological examination and a computed tomography scan of the brain were performed at the time of random assignment and repeatedly assessed at 6, 18, 30, and 48 months. Patterns of failure were analyzed according to total event rates and also according to an isolated first site of relapse, using a competing-risk approach. RESULTS Two hundred ninety-four patients who did not have brain metastases at the time of random assignment were analyzed. The 2-year cumulative rate of brain metastasis as an isolated first site of relapse was 45% in the control group and 19% in the treatment group (P < 10(-6)). The total 2-year rate of brain metastasis was 67% and 40%, respectively (relative risk = 0.35; P < 10(-13)). The 2-year overall survival rate was 21.5% in the control group and 29% in the treatment group (relative risk = 0.83; P = .14). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of neuropsychological function or abnormalities indicated by computed tomography brain scans. CONCLUSIONS Prophylactic cranial irradiation given to patients with small-cell lung cancer in complete remission decreases the risk of brain metastasis threefold without a significant increase in complications. A possible beneficial effect on overall survival should be tested with a higher statistical power. IMPLICATIONS The results of the trial favor, at present, the indication of prophylactic cranial irradiation for patients who are in complete remission. A longer follow-up and confirmatory trials are needed to fully assess late-occurring toxic effects. The possible effect on overall survival needs to be evaluated with a larger number of patients in complete remission, and a meta-analysis of similar trials is recommended.