Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Opioids and cardioprotection: the impact of morphine and fentanyl on recovery of ventricular function after cardiopulmonary bypass.

OBJECTIVES Experimental studies have shown that opioids protect the myocardium from ischemic injury and that opioid cardioprotection is enhanced by the coadministration of volatile anesthetics. Previous data suggest that morphine produces a more potent cardioprotective effect than fentanyl. The present study investigated the effect of the choice of intraoperative opioid (morphine or fentanyl) on recovery of myocardial function after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. DESIGN Prospective, randomized study. SETTING University hospital. PARTICIPANTS Forty-six patients undergoing CABG surgery. INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomly assigned to receive either morphine (40 mg) or fentanyl (1,000 mug) before cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Global cardiac function was assessed intraoperatively using the myocardial performance index (MPI), which combines echocardiographic parameters of both systolic and diastolic function. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The MPI (median [range]) was increased after CPB in the fentanyl group, indicating a significant worsening of global left ventricular function (0.43 [0.28-0.54] baseline; 0.49 [0.32-0.64] 15 minutes post-CPB; 0.51 [0.36-0.63] end of operation; p < 0.05 post-CPB compared with baseline). The MPI improved in the morphine group after CPB (0.44 [0.32-0.64] baseline; 0.36 [0.24-0.45] 15 minutes post-CPB; 0.34 [0.20-0.46] end of operation; p < 0.05 post-CPB compared with baseline and the fentanyl group). CONCLUSIONS In patients undergoing CPB, global ventricular function is enhanced by the administration of morphine prior to the ischemic insult of cardioplegic arrest.
Vannella epipetala n. sp. Isolated from the Leaf Surface of Spondias mombin (Anacardiaceae) Growing in the Dry Forest of Costa Rica

ABSTRACT. As part of a Microbial Observatory of Caterpillars located in the Area de Conservacíon Guanacaste (ACG) in northwestern Costa Rica, we isolated a novel species of the genus Vannella associated with the food of the caterpillars of the saturniid moth Rothschildia lebeau, namely the leaves of the dry forest deciduous tree Spondias mombin (Anacardiaceae). The new species can be distinguished from other described species of the genus by the presence of a plasmalemma coated with a thickened, osmiophilic lamina containing glycostyles, and by its unusual habitat, the leaf surfaces or phylosphere of S. mombin. We further established the novelty of our isolate by sequencing its nuclear small‐subunit (SSU) rRNA gene and inferring its phylogenetic position among all other currently sequenced members of the genera Vannella and Platyamoeba. Our results reveal that our isolate shares most recent common ancestry with three strains of Platyamoeba placida, the type species of the genus Platyamoeba. Despite this placement, the isolate clearly possesses glycostyles that are the hallmark of the genus Vannella. In addition to the cultured isolate, we also present a closely related sequence from a SSU rRNA gene clone library constructed from a DNA extract of leaf‐wash of S. mombin with sterile water.
Experiences of a high-intensity functional exercise programme among older people dependent in activities of daily living

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experience of participating in a high-intensity functional exercise programme among older people dependent in activities of daily living (ADL) and living in residential care facilities. Interviews were conducted with nine older people, aged 73–91, and dependent in ADL who had participated in a high-intensity functional exercise programme. Qualitative content analysis was used in analysing the interviews. The findings show that the informants, despite extensive impairments, multiple diagnoses, and advanced age, displayed a belief in the positive effects of the programme, a strong desire to be active, and the will to strive to avoid further loss of capacity. They were struggling with failing bodies that constituted barriers to exercise. Support from the supervisors and belief in personal success facilitated performance of the exercises. The informants related physical and mental improvements that affected their daily life positively and that exercising in a group was stimulating and created a sense of togetherness. The effort was seen as worthwhile because participating in strenuous exercise could imply that they might overcome bodily limitations to achieve increased vitality and improved quality of life.
Recruiting medical students into psychiatry in lower income countries

Abstract There is a serious shortage of psychiatrists and poor recruitment of new psychiatry trainees worldwide. Low and middle income countries suffer disproportionately on many accounts. A negative attitude towards psychiatry is thought to contribute to poor recruitment of psychiatry trainees. Previous reviews have focused on the attitudes of medical students in high income countries, but factors relevant to attitude and recruitment may be different in lower income countries. Here we review studies of medical students’ attitudes towards psychiatry from low and lower-middle income countries, summarize key themes which negatively influence attitudes, and suggest strategies for overcoming them. Major themes include stigma, perceived status of psychiatry, lack of psychiatric trainers, local cultural beliefs, poor working conditions, and quality of patient care.
Benefits and Limitations of E-learning for Technical Drawing in Edo State Model Secondary Schools, Nigeria

This study examined the benefits and limiting factors of e-learning for technical drawing in Edo State Model Secondary schools by analyzing the perceptions of technical teachers and students using descriptive survey research design. The population of this study consisted of 2,500 students and 16 technical teachers. Purposive random sampling technique was used in the selection of 1000 students and all the 91 technical teachers were used as subjects of the study. A 30-item questionnaire with an internal consistency of 0.68 yielded by Cronbach alpha applied on results of 40 subjects outside the sample was used to collect data. Mean statistic was used to answer the research questions while t-test was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that technical drawing teachers and students were aware of the benefits derivable from the use of e-learning for technical drawing but identified poverty, insufficient ICT facilities, deficient pre-service preparation of teachers in e-learning technologies as limiting factors in the use of e-learning approach for teaching and learning of technical drawing. Recommendations include among others: the re-curriculation of technical teacher education programmes to imbibe heavy doses of e-learning technologies, special budgetary provisions for e-learning technologies in schools, as well as erection of technical drawing studios.
Tolerance and perceived threat toward Muslim immigrants in Germany and the Netherlands

This article studies how different types of tolerance and perceived threat affect opinions about the EU immigration policy in Germany and the Netherlands. We assess to what extent social and political tolerance for and sociotropic and personal threats from Muslim immigrants influence EU citizens’ beliefs that immigration is one of the most important issues facing the EU. By experimentally manipulating religion of immigrant, level of perceived threat, and type of tolerance, we examine how people’s attitudes on immigration policies change. Our findings shed light on how EU countries might deal with the rising tide of intolerance toward immigrants and Muslims, and how better policies of integration could be implemented in a multicultural Europe.
Kinetics of Germination of Wet-Heat-Treated Individual Spores of Bacillus Species, Monitored by Raman Spectroscopy and Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy

ABSTRACT Raman spectroscopy and differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy were used to monitor the kinetics of nutrient and nonnutrient germination of multiple individual untreated and wet-heat-treated spores of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus megaterium, as well as of several isogenic Bacillus subtilis strains. Major conclusions from this work were as follows. (i) More than 90% of these spores were nonculturable but retained their 1:1 chelate of Ca2+ and dipicolinic acid (CaDPA) when incubated in water at 80 to 95°C for 5 to 30 min. (ii) Wet-heat treatment significantly increased the time, T lag, at which spores began release of the great majority of their CaDPA during the germination of B. subtilis spores with different nutrient germinants and also increased the variability of T lag values. (iii) The time period, ΔT release, between T lag and the time, T release, at which a spore germinating with nutrients completed the release of the great majority of its CaDPA, was also increased in wet-heat-treated spores. (iv) Wet-heat-treated spores germinating with nutrients had higher values of I release, the intensity of a spore's DIC image at T release, than did untreated spores and had much longer time periods, ΔT lys, for the reduction in I release intensities to the basal value due to hydrolysis of the spore's peptidoglycan cortex, probably due at least in part to damage to the cortex-lytic enzyme CwlJ. (v) Increases in T lag and ΔT release were also observed when wet-heat-treated B. subtilis spores were germinated with the nonnutrient dodecylamine, while the change in I release was less significant. (vi) The effects of wet-heat treatment on nutrient germination of B. cereus and B. megaterium spores were generally similar to those on B. subtilis spores. These results indicate that (i) some proteins important in spore germination are damaged by wet-heat treatment, (ii) the cortex-lytic enzyme CwlJ is one germination protein damaged by wet heat, and (iii) the CaDPA release process itself seems likely to be the target of wet-heat damage which has the greatest effect on spore germination.
A socio-natural standpoint to understand coproduction of water, energy and waste services

This introductory article of the special issue on ‘Geographies of water, energy and waste service coproduction’ explores the implications of coproducing these services in terms of both accessibility and environmental sustainability. According to a socio-natural standpoint, provision extent and resources metabolized by the services are equally regarded employing a threefold conceptual framework integrating actor/flow and area fields. A rich variety of service coproduction geographies in terms of actors involved, resources mobilized and urban spaces covered emerges. More importantly, coproduction of water, energy and waste services proves to leverage on both service accessibility and environmental sustainability of the related resources.
"Agroinfection," an alternative route for viral infection of plants by using the Ti plasmid.

Most plant viruses are transmitted by insect vectors. We present an alternative method for the introduction of infectious viral DNA that uses the ability of Agrobacterium to transfer DNA from bacterial cells to plants. Cauliflower mosaic virus was chosen to develop this method because it is the best characterized plant DNA virus and can be introduced into plants via aphids, virus particles, viral DNA, or suitably treated cloned DNA. We show that systemic infection of turnips results from wounding and inoculation with strains of Agrobacterium tumefaciens in which more than one genome of cauliflower mosaic virus have been placed tandemly in the T-DNA of the tumor-inducing plasmid. Thus such constructions allow escape of the viral genome from the T-DNA once inside the plants. The combined use of the tumor-inducing plasmid and viral DNA opens the way to molecular biological approaches that are not possible with either system alone.
Erratum to: Genetic Screen for Genes Involved in Chk2 Signaling in Drosophila

Erratum to: Mol. Cells 2008; 26(4), 350–355 This paper was initially submitted to Journal ‘Molecules and Cells’ by Suk-Young Park & Young-Han Song. In the Materials and Methods section, “Large form” should be changed to “lok-PB isoform reported in FlyBase”. The revised full sentence is as follows:
Toward a Scalable Working Set Size Estimation Method and Its Application for Chip Multiprocessors

It is essential to accurately estimate the working set size (WSS) of an application for various optimizations such as to partition cache among virtual machines or reduce leakage power dissipated in an over-allocated cache by switching it off. However, the state-of-the-art heuristics such as average memory access latency (AMAL) or cache miss ratio (CMR) are poorly correlated to the WSS of an application due to 1) over-sized caches and 2) their dispersed nature. Past studies focus on estimating WSS of an application executing on a uniprocessor platform. Estimating the same for a chip multiprocessor (CMP) with a large dispersed cache is challenging due to the presence of concurrently executing threads/processes. Hence, we propose a scalable, highly accurate method to estimate WSS of an application. We call this method “tagged WSS (TWSS)” estimation method. We demonstrate the use of TWSS to switch-off the over-allocated cache ways in Static and Dynamic NonUniform Cache Architectures (SNUCA, DNUCA) on a tiled CMP. In our implementation of adaptable way SNUCA and DNUCA caches, decision of altering associativity is taken by each L2 controller. Hence,this approach scales better with the number of cores present on a CMP. It gives overall (geometric mean) 26% and 19% higher energy-delay product savings compared to AMAL and CMR heuristics on SNUCA, respectively.
Comparison of Endoscopic Ultrasonography and Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography in the Diagnosis of Pancreatobiliary Diseases: A Prospective Study

OBJECTIVES:To compare the diagnostic value of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) in: (a) patients with a dilated biliary tree unexplained by ultrasonography (US) (group 1), and (b) the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis in patients with nondilated biliary tree (group 2). METHODS:Patients were prospectively evaluated with EUS and MRCP. The gold standard used was surgery or EUS-FNA and ERCP, intraoperative cholangiography, or follow-up when EUS and/or MRCP disclosed or precluded malignancy, respectively. Likelihood ratios (LR) and pretest and post-test probabilities for the diagnosis of malignancy and choledocholithiasis were calculated.RESULTS:A total of 159 patients met one of the inclusion criteria but 24 of them were excluded for different reasons. Thus, 135 patients constitute the study population. The most frequent diagnosis was choledocholithiasis (49% in group 1 and 42% in group 2, P = 0.380) and malignancy was more frequent in group 1 (35% vs 7%, respectively, P < 0.001). When EUS and MRCP diagnosed malignancy, its prevalence in our series (35%) increased up to 98% and 96%, respectively, whereas it decreased to 0% and 2.6% when EUS and MRCP precluded this diagnosis. In patients in group 2, when EUS and MRCP made a positive diagnosis of choledocholithiasis, its prevalence (42%) increased up to 78% and 92%, respectively, whereas it decreased to 6% and 9% when any pathologic finding was ruled out.CONCLUSIONS:EUS and MRCP are extremely useful in diagnosing or excluding malignancy and choledocholithiasis in patients with dilated and nondilated biliary tree. Therefore, they are critical in the approach to the management of these patients.
Progestin Exposure Before Gonadotropin Stimulation Improves Embryo Development after In Vitro Fertilization in the Domestic Cat1

This study investigated the influence of progestin priming and ovarian quiescence on response to exogenous gonadotropin stimulation in the cat. Because a subpopulation of cats routinely ovulated spontaneously, there also was the opportunity to examine the ovary's reaction to the added impact of endogenously secreted progestagen. Queens were given 1) equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) plus human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) only (control; n = 9 cats), 2) GnRH antagonist (antide) injections followed by eCG and hCG (n = 9), and 3) a progestin implant (levonorgestrel) followed by eCG and hCG (n = 9). Laparoscopy was used to assess ovarian activity and aspirate follicular oocytes that were graded on the basis of morphology. In five cats per treatment, half of the high-quality oocytes were assessed for glucose, pyruvate, and lactate metabolism as well as nuclear maturation. Remaining oocytes were inseminated in vitro, cultured, and examined at 72 h after insemination for cleavage. In the remaining four cats per treatment, all oocytes were inseminated in vitro and assessed at 72, 120, and 168 h after insemination for embryo developmental stage. Cats pretreated with progestin had more follicles and produced more embryos per donor (including at the combined morula/blastocyst stage) than controls or females treated with GnRH antagonist (P < 0.05). There were no differences among groups (P > 0.05) in oocyte carbohydrate metabolism, nuclear maturation metrics, or fertilization success, although there was a tendency toward improvements in all three (P < 0.2) in progestin-treated females. Interestingly, cats that spontaneously ovulated within 60 days of treatment onset also produced more embryos per cat than induced-ovulation counterparts (P < 0.05). Results indicate that prior exposure to exogenous progestin (via implant) or endogenous progestagen (via spontaneous ovulation) improves ovarian responsiveness to gonadotropins in the cat through a mechanism that is independent of the induction of ovarian quiescence.
Real Wages and Hours in the Great Recession: Evidence from Firms and Their Entry-Level Jobs

Using employer-employee panel data, we provide novel facts on how real wages and working hours within jobs responded to the UK’s Great Recession. In contrast to previous studies, our data enables us to address the cyclical composition of jobs. We show that firms were able to respond to the Great Recession with substantial real wage cuts and by recruiting more part-time workers. A one percentage point increase in the unemployment rate led to an average decline in real hourly wages of 2.8 per cent for new hires and 2.6 per cent for job stayers. Hours of new hires in entry-level jobs were also substantially procyclical, while job-stayer hours were nearly constant. Our findings suggest that models assuming rigid labour costs of new hires are not helpful for understanding the behaviour of unemployment over the business cycle.
Three dimensional motion picture technologies

We introduce various 3D motion picture technologies, from the commercially available stereogram to a spatial image methods such as holography. We show a magneto optical spatial light modulator with sub-micron pixels driven by spin transfer switching (spin SLM) as a holography display device. It has a potential to solve the long-standing narrow viewing zone issue. We have developed the spin SLM with a transistor back plane which plays an important role for extending large scale. The fabricated spin SLM has 10 × 5 pixels with magnetic tunneling junctions with backplane transistors. We have successfully demonstrated its electrical operation with as low current density as 0.6 MA/cm2 which is one of the smallest current density with spin transfer switching, and confirmed its contrast change by magnetization switching in light modulation elements. In summary, we have shown that the Spin SLM with backplane transistor technology could be crucial technology to solve the critical issue for the electrical holography.
An Important Role of Pumilio 1 in Regulating the Development of the Mammalian Female Germline

ABSTRACT Pumilio/FBF (PUF) proteins are a highly conserved family of translational regulators. The Drosophila PUF protein, Pumilio, is crucial for germline establishment and fertility. In mammals, primordial folliculogenesis is a key process that establishes the initial cohort of female mammalian germ cells prior to birth, and this primordial follicle pool is a prerequisite for female reproductive competence. We sought to understand whether PUF proteins have a conserved role in mammals during primordial folliculogenesis and female reproductive competency. In mammals, two homologs of Pumilio exist: Pumilio 1 (Pum1) and Pum2. Here, we report that PUMILIO (PUM) 1 plays an important role in the establishment of the primordial follicle pool, meiosis, and female reproductive competency, whereas PUM2 does not have a detectable function in these processes. Furthermore, we show that PUM1 facilitates the transition of the late meiotic prophase I oocyte from pachytene to diplotene stage by regulating SYCP1 protein. Our study reveals an important role of translational regulation in mammalian female germ cell development.
EZH2, Ki‐67 and MCM7 are prognostic markers in prostatectomy treated patients

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prognostic value of Ki‐67, EZH2, MCM7 and EIF3S3 in prostatectomy treated patients. A retrospective population‐based material of 249 radical prostatectomy specimens on tissue microarrays was utilized. The median follow‐up of the patients was ∼5.5 years and the main end‐point was biochemical progression. The expression of Ki‐67, EZH2 and MCM7 was determined by immunohistochemistry and the gene copy number of EIF3S3 was analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). In the whole material, increased immunostainings of EZH2, MCM7 and Ki‐67 were significantly associated with a high Gleason score and a short progression‐free survival. In multivariate analysis, MCM7 and Ki‐67 showed independent prognostic value with relative risks (RR) of 2.65 (95%‐confidence interval of 1.22–5.70), and 1.85 (1.14–3.01), respectively. In subgroup analysis of patients, whose treatment was evaluated to be truly radical (n = 226), EZH2 (3.14, 1.38–7.16), MCM7 (2.70, 1.16–6.30) and PSA (1.5, 1.03–2.20) showed independent prognostic value. In subgroup analysis of cases with a Gleason score <7, low Ki‐67 staining was associated with favorable prognosis with RR of 0.09 (0.01–0.69). In conclusion, Ki‐67, EZH2 and MCM7 are potential prognostic biomarkers in prostatectomy treated patients. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Decoupled Newton Algorithms in the Harmonic Domain for the Harmonic Interaction of Line Commutated Converters With AC Systems

Under certain nonideal conditions, the harmonic interaction of line commutated converters with the ac network must be represented by suitable models with high level of detail. A complex and robust solution of this problem is achieved in previous works by means of an iterative procedure in the harmonic domain, where ac and dc harmonics and switching instants are updated simultaneously. This simultaneous method is a full Newton solution (FNS) and therefore it offers a very good convergence, but the integration of the converter model into the whole iterative process (WIP) is complicated due to the heterogeneous form of the Jacobian matrix. The main object of this paper is to present alternative procedures based on decoupled Newton solutions (DNS), where a sequential method of solving the iterative process is used. It leads to a much more modular approach for performing the WIP, since the integration of the converter in the WIP is significant simplified, even when the converter presents any dc side structure. Several critical cases and experiments have been tested in order to show the performance and the convergence properties of the DNS in comparison with FNS.