Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor improves survival rate and reduces concentrations of bacteria, endotoxin, tumor necrosis factor, and endothelin-1 in fulminant intra-abdominal sepsis in rats.

OBJECTIVE To study the therapeutic effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on the mortality rate and host defense pattern in fulminant intra-abdominal sepsis. DESIGN Prospective, randomized, controlled trial. SETTING Research laboratory in a university hospital. SUBJECTS Adult male Wistar rats. INTERVENTIONS Fulminant polymicrobial intra-abdominal sepsis was induced by a 4-mm cecal perforation. Survival experiments were performed with two different doses of G-CSF (20 and 100 microg/kg/24 hrs), and therapy was started 7 days or 1 day before, or 4 hrs after sepsis induction (n = 24). To examine alterations in host response pattern, G-CSF (20 microg/kg/24 hrs) was given at sepsis induction, and rats were killed 4, 8, 12 and 24 hrs later (n = 8-16 per time period). Histologic examination of lung, liver, spleen, and kidney was performed, and blood concentrations of bacteria, endotoxin, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), endothelin-1, packed cell volume, and lactate were determined. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS G-CSF (20 microg/kg/24 hrs), given 4 hrs after sepsis induction, reduced the mortality rate from 96% to 42%. Increasing the dose (100 micrograms/kg/24 hrs), or giving G-CSF as prophylaxis (starting 7 days or 1 day before sepsis), gave no further protection. G-CSF attenuated the sepsis-induced enhancement of circulating bacteria, endotoxin, TNF, and endothelin-1, resulting in improved fluid balance and reduced lactate concentration. No histopathologic alterations were observed after G-CSF treatment. CONCLUSIONS G-CSF improves host defense and survival rate in experimentally induced fulminant intra-abdominal sepsis. Clearance of bacteria and endotoxin is improved, concentrations of TNF and endothelin-1 are suppressed, and microvascular flow is improved. G-CSF does not induce neutrophil-mediated tissue damage.
A Qualitative Study of How Families Decide to Adopt Household Smoking Restrictions

Household smoking bans reduce exposure to secondhand smoke in adult nonsmokers and children. To explore the process families go through in adopting voluntary household smoking restrictions, qualitative interviews were conducted with rural African American and White adults in 102 households. The study investigated how families decide to restrict smoking in the home, who has significant influence in the decision-making process, the kinds of disagreements families have about household smoking restrictions, and reasons some families never consider household smoking policies. These findings have implications for designing intervention strategies and messages to promote household smoking bans and help family members negotiate smoke-free homes.
Classifying Common Oral Clefts: A New Approach after Descriptive Registration

Objective Using the Dutch Oral Cleft Registration, which records the morphology and topography of common oral clefts, a new classification based on the (patho)embryology of the primary and secondary palates was tested. Design Prospective observational study. Setting The fifteen cleft palate teams in the Netherlands register patients to the national registry. Patients All unoperated patients with common oral clefts reported between 1997 and 2006 inclusive were included. Main Outcome Measures The classification is based on the pathoembryological events that ultimately result in various subphenotypes of common oral clefts. Patients within the three categories cleft lip/alveolus (CL/A), cleft lip/alveolus and palate (CL/AP), and cleft palate (CP) were divided into three subgroups: fusion defects, differentiation defects, and fusion and differentiation defects. A timetable was constructed to relate the type of clefting to the time of derailment during embryonic development. Results 3512 patients were included. Patients with CL/A showed 22% fusion defects, 75% differentiation defects, and 3% fusion and differentiation defects. CL/AP patients and CP patients mostly showed fusion defects (70% and 89%, respectively). We were able to relate almost all (over 90%) cleft subphenotypes to specific weeks in embryonic development. Conclusions This classification provides new cleft subgroups that may be used for clinical and fundamental research. The subphenotypes of these subgroups originate from different time frames during embryonic development and different cell biological mechanisms, thereby enabling more accurate data for, e.g., gene identification and/or environmental factors.
FULMINANT TYPE A VIRAL HEPATITIS IN A CHIMPANZEE

A case of a chimpanzee with fulminant hepatitis caused by spontaneous hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection was reported. The liver at autopsy revealed massive liver cell necrosis with mononuclear and polymorphonuclear cell infiltration. Aggregation of HAV‐like particles (22–25 nm in diameter) were found within the vesicles of hepatocytes under the electron microscope. Immunofluorescent examination of the liver showed positive staining for HAV antigen, C1q, C3, C4, immunoglobulin M (IgM), and immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the hepatocytes and/or Kupffer cells in a granular fashion. The anti‐HAV antibody (IgM type) and circulating immune complexes were detected in the postmortem serum. The present study suggests the possibility that the deposition of immune complexes of HAV and anti‐HAV antibody in the liver cell plays an important role in the pathogenesis of massive liver cell necrosis in fulminant type A viral hepatitis.
Cell death and hepatocarcinogenesis: Dysregulation of apoptosis signaling pathways

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a disease with a poor prognosis despite recent advances in the pathophysiology and treatment. Although the disease is biologically heterogeneous, dysregulation of cellular proliferation and apoptosis both occur frequently and contribute to the malignant phenotype. Chronic liver disease is associated with intrahepatic inflammation which promotes dysregulation of cellular signaling pathways; this triggers proliferation and thus lays the ground for expansion of premalignant cells. Cancer emerges when immunological control fails and transformed cells develop resistance against cell death signaling pathways. The same mechanisms underlie the poor responsiveness of HCC towards chemotherapy. Only recently advances in understanding the signaling pathways involved has led to the development of an effective pharmacological therapy for advanced disease. The current review will discuss apoptosis signaling pathways and focus on apoptosis resistance of HCC involving derangements in cell death receptors (e.g. tumor necrosis factor‐alpha [TNF], CD95/Apo‐1, TNF‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand [TRAIL]) and associated adapter molecules (e.g. FADD and FLIP) of apoptotic signaling pathways. In addition, the role of the transcription factor nuclear factor‐kappaB (NFκB) and members of the B cell leukemia‐2 (Bcl‐2) family that contribute to the regulation of apoptosis in hepatocytes are discussed. Eventually, the delineation of cell death signaling pathways could contribute to the implementation of new therapeutic strategies to treat HCC.
Comparison of methods of piezoelectric coefficient measurement

The paper compares the main methods used for measuring of the piezoelectric material constants. It outlines the principle of three measuring methods most commonly used today, i.e. the frequency method, the laser interferometry method and the quasi-static method. These methods have been practically applied to piezoelectric ceramic samples. The paper describes the production of the piezoelectric ceramic samples of defined sizes in accordance with the current regulations. An NCE51 production code soft ceramic was used in the experiments. A piezoelectric charge coefficient was measured. The final values of the piezoelectric charge coefficient obtained through all the methods were compared to the catalogue values of the piezoelectric ceramic. All three methods can be described as appropriate; compared with the frequency method, the laser interferometry and quasi-static methods are rather time-consuming and more demanding with respect to preparation of the measurement experiment. The frequency method provides results within a smaller value range.
A design of experiments approach to identify the influencing parameters that determine poly-D,L-lactic acid (PDLLA) electrospun scaffold morphologies

Electrospun fibrous materials have increasing applications in regenerative medicine due to the similarity of fibre constructs to the morphology of certain extracellular matrices. Although experimentally the electrospinning method is relatively simple, at the theoretical level the interactions between process parameters and their influence on the fibre morphology is not yet fully understood. Here, we hypothesised that a design of experiments (DoE) model could determine combinations of process parameters that result in significant effects on poly-D,L-lactic acid (PDLLA) fibre morphology. The process parameters used in this study were applied voltage, needle-to-collector distance, flow rate and polymer concentration. Data obtained for mean fibre diameter, standard deviation (SD) of the fibre diameter (measure of fibre morphology) and presence of ‘beading’ on the fibres (beads per μm2) were evaluated as a measure of PDLLA fibre morphology. Uniform fibres occurred at SDs of ≤500 nm, ‘beads-on-string’ morphologies were apparent between ±500 and 1300 nm and large beads were observed at ±1300–1800 nm respectively. Mean fibre diameter was significantly influenced by the applied voltage and interaction between flow rate and polymer concentration. Fibre morphology was mainly influenced by the polymer concentration, while bead distribution was significantly influenced by the polymer concentration as well as the flow rate. The resultant DoE model regression equations were tested and considered suitable for the prediction of parameters combinations needed for desired PDLLA fibre diameter and additionally provided information regarding the expected fibre morphology.
Atrophic skin patches with abnormal elastic fibers as a presenting sign of the MASS phenotype associated with mutation in the fibrillin 1 gene.

IMPORTANCE Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a dominantly inherited disorder of connective tissue caused by mutations in the fibrillin 1 gene (FBN1). The most common skin finding in MFS is striae distensae. Particular individuals referred for suspected MFS who do not completely fulfill the MFS diagnostic criteria are classified as having a MASS phenotype. The acronym represents the following manifestations: a prolapsed mitral valve, myopia, aortic root enlargement, and skeletal and skin manifestations. Mutations in FBN1 have been shown to be associated in some cases with the MASS phenotype. Skin manifestations may be an important clue to the diagnosis of these disorders. OBSERVATIONS We studied a patient referred for unusual atrophic skin patches on the buttocks. Results of histopathological examination and electron microscopy demonstrated markedly abnormal elastic fibers. Subsequent medical genetics evaluation led ultimately to the diagnosis of the MASS phenotype and the discovery of an underlying FBN1 mutation. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Although the clinical suspicion and diagnosis of MFS and related disorders are usually established by its main associated clinical features, including ophthalmologic, skeletal, and vascular involvement, clinicians should be aware of the associated skin manifestations, including unusual atrophic patches with abnormal elastic fibers that can sometimes be the first noted sign of the genetic disorder.
Assessment of TRAIN’s Coal and Petroleum Excise Taxes: Environmental Benefits and Impacts on Sectoral Employment and Household Welfare

The study assesses the impact of the first package of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (or TRAIN), which includes an increase in petroleum and coal excise taxes, passed by Congress in 2017. The study also reviews the context of the energy sector in the country given that petroleum and coal are the largest sources of energy in the country. Using a computable general equilibrium- microsimulation model, this paper focused on the impact of the increase in petroleum and coal excise taxes and the whole TRAIN 1 package (which includes a reduction in the personal income tax and the broadening of the value added tax). Results from the simulations indicate a slight adverse output effect for most industries under an increase in petroleum and coal taxes scenario. Under the whole TRAIN package, the output effects are slightly positive, especially for the several agriculture and service sectors, resulting in a higher level of carbon emissions. There is a slight rise in employment under the whole package, but poverty incidence increases slightly as excise taxes have an adverse effect in terms of higher commodities prices among the poor.
GPR missions on mars

Recently in order to investigate the distribution of water, liquid and solid, in the upper portions of the crust of Mars planet two different instruments are actives, the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) and SHAallow RADar (SHARAD). Both the instruments are a low frequency (1.8-5MHz for MARSIS and 20 MHz for SHARAD) Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) in altimeter configuration which uses the synthetic aperture technique. The manly differences between the two instruments are the spatial resolution (150 m vertical resolution, 5-10 Km along track resolution for MARSIS and 15 m vertical resolution, 300-500 m along track resolution for SHARAD) and the penetrating capability ( about 5 Km for MARSIS and 1 Km for SHARAD). After the instrument data acquisition from the Martian surface an appropriate processing shall be performed in azimuth (unfocused for MARSIS and focused for SHARAD) and range dimension to produce the scientific final data. In this work will be presented an efficient procedure to detect the possible subsurface presence using the available surface topography data. After the performance evaluation of this technique an example of application will be presented on real SHARAD data
Recent developments in pradimicin-benanomicin and triazole antibiotics.

Fungal infections are on the rise as the number of patients with compromised immune systems continues to increase. The need for safer and more effective antifungals has resulted in the search for novel drug classes and for modifications to existing classes, with the aim of enhancing their antifungal spectra and potency. In this review, two classes of antifungals are discussed: the pradimicin-benanomicin antibiotics and the newer triazole derivatives. These have activity against Candida spp. , Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus spp. , as well as variable activity against other less commonly encountered fungi including Pneumocystis carinii. Pradimicins-benanomicins are generally fungicidal, whereas the newer azoles appear to be selectively fungicidal to Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus spp. Pradimicin-benanomicin acts by binding to mannan and alters membrane integrity. One water-soluble pradimicin candidate, BMS-181184, has been selected for clinical development. The triazoles act by inhibiting cytochrome P450 sterol 14a-demethylase. Four triazoles either currently in clinical development (voriconazole and D0870) or being considered as clinical candidates (ER-30346 and Sch 56592) will be discussed. The antifungal spectra, pharmacokinetic and toxicologic data in animals, and efficacy results in experimental infection models will be reviewed for BMS-181184 and the four newer triazoles. Results from the early clinical trials for voriconazole and D0870 will also be discussed.
Acute deleterious effects of cocaine on cardiac conduction, hemodynamics, and ventricular fibrillation threshold: effects of interaction with a selective dopamine D1 antagonist SCH 39166.

Cocaine has demonstrated cardiotoxicity that has led to sudden death by unknown mechanisms. SCH 39166, a selective dopaminergic D1-receptor antagonist, suppresses the compulsive drug-intake actions of cocaine in primates. This study examined the cumulative toxic effects of cocaine after the long-term administration of SCH 39166. After pretreatment with oral placebo/SCH 39166 for 5 days, an i.v. infusion of 0.25 mg/kg/min of cocaine HCl was delivered to 14 anesthetized dogs, and cardiac conduction, arterial blood pressure, ventricular refractoriness, and arrhythmogenesis were examined. The cocaine infusion was stopped when QRS width increased by 20% from baseline (QRS20). In Coc + Placebo regimen, the QRS and His-Ventricular (HV) intervals showed a dose-dependent lengthening. Initially, the mean blood pressure (MBP) increased followed by a precipitate decrease at a mean dose of 2.03 +/- 0.5 mg/kg of cocaine. At QRS20, the ventricular effective refractory period (ERP) increased significantly, whereas the ventricular fibrillation threshold (VFT) showed a significant reduction from the baseline. In Coc + SCH, the QRS, HV intervals, and ERP increased similarly, but the decrease in MBP was attenuated, and the VFT was increased. A relatively small infusion of cocaine causes a hemodynamic compromise. The His-ventricular conduction delay and lengthened ERP suggest a predominant direct local anesthetic effect. Cocaine additionally decreased the VFT, suggesting an increased susceptibility to VF. SCH 39166 did not potentiate the cardiotoxic effects of cocaine. It displayed a protective trend by suppressing the arrhythmogenic effects and the hemodynamic compromise caused by cocaine.
Eco-efficiency Indicators: Do They Suffice for Analyzing Economic-environmental Trade-offs?

The paper questions the value of eco-efficiency, as a ratio-indicator, for economic-environmental trade-off analysis and explores additional diagnostics that can be obtained by using production-theoretical principles. It is shown how the profit function and various emission functions can simultaneously be derived from the same physical production function. The materials balance principle that applies for environmental outcomes is taken into account, in order to comply with thermodynamic laws. The consistency of environmental information with the physical production process and economic outcomes allows for clarifying the conditions for pursuing economicenvironmental win-wins and undergoing trade-offs. This paper illustrates that, for trade-off analysis in practice, one must be careful in choosing a functional form of the production function, as this functional form influences the resulting trade-offs pattern. Operational difficulties to distinguish between trade-offs and win-wins when multiple inputs come into play are demonstrated. The dataset and operational models that are used can be made available on request for verification and validation by Forum participants.
‘Keeping politicians at arm’s length’: how managers in a collaborative organization deal with the administration–politics interface

This study examines the relationship between politicians and managers in a Swedish city. The context is a collaborative organization responsible for drafting and implementing the vision and strategies for a city organization, and for future development of the downtown river area. The article examines the efforts of city managers to manage the relationship with city politicians. We illustrate how the managers strive to manage an appropriate ‘arm’s-length’ relationship with the politicians by navigating in and out of the ‘purple zone’ of the politics–management interface, and how the context of collaborative organizations seems to increase the amount of time public managers spend in this zone. Points for practitioners This article illustrates the relation between managers and politicians in a city organization. We use the concept of the ‘purple zone’ to show how managers’ and politicians’ work is blurred in a collaborative organization, and how this context seems to increase the amount of time public managers spend in this zone. This implies that managers often take on a responsibility for solving complex issues.
Four structurally distinct neuron‐specific olfactomedin‐related glycoproteins produced by differential promoter utilization and alternative mRNA splicing from a single gene

Four structurally related neuron‐specific 1B426b mRNAs, designated AMY, BMY, AMZ, and BMZ, have been isolated from rat brain cDNA libraries. The four mRNAs are related to one another by their shared M region and by two pairs of alternative 5′ (A, B) or 3′ (Y, Z) regions. All four possible combinations were detected. The four transcripts are derived by differential promoter utilization (to generate A or B 5′ ends) and alternative splicing (to generate Y or Z 3′ ends) of the primary transcripts of the single D2Sutle gene. All four mRNAs were detected in most brain regions, but were enriched within the cortex and hippocampus. In the pituitary only the two A‐type and in the adrenal glands only the two B‐type mRNAs were detected. In situ hybridization shows a highly heterogeneous distribution across brain regions, paralleling the Northern blot results and additionally identifying the reactive cells as neurons. The cDNAs encode related glycoproteins of 125, 153, 457, and 485 amino acids, which have been detected immunochemically. The AMZ and BMZ proteins show significant sequence similarity with olfactomedin, an extracellular matrix protein of bullfrog olfactory epithelium, suggesting the possibility of a matrix‐related function for these rat glycoproteins in neurons and neurosecretory cells. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
[The prevention of denhong injection on contrast-induced renal impairment after percutaneous coronary intervention].

OBJECTIVE To investigate the prevention of Danhong Injection (DHI) on contrast-induced renal impairment after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS Eighty patients receiving PCI were randomly assigned to the control group and the treatment group, 40 in each. All patients used loperamide injection as the contrast media, and received routine medicines such as enteric coated aspirin and Betaloc, as well as routine rehydration therapy. As for patients in the treatment group, 20 mL DHI was intravenously dripped by adding in 250 mL 0.9% sodium chloride injection from 2 -3 days before PCI to 3 days after PCI, once daily. The levels of serum creatinine (SCr), cystatin C (CysC), urine micro-albumin (mAlb), and beta2-microglobulin (beta2-MG) were measured before PCI, and 24, 48, 72 h after PCI. The occurrence of radio contrast-induced nephropathy (RCIN) of the two groups was observed. RESULTS The serum SCr and CysC levels of the two groups reached the peak 24 h after PCI (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). But they respectively restored to the pre-PCI levels at 48 and 72 h after PCI in the treatment group. In the control group the serum SCr level basically restored to the pre-PCI level at 72 h after PCI. The urinary mAlb and beta2-MG levels of the two groups reached the peak at 24 and 48 h after PCI (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and basically restored to the pre-PCI level at 72 h after PCI. But they did not restore in the control group (P < 0.05). Seven patients suffered from RCIN in the two groups, of them 5 (12.5%) in the control group and 2 (5.0%) in the treatment group, with no statistical difference (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS DHI could effectively prevent contrast-induced renal impairment and shorten the recovery time of renal impairment. It was worth further studies.