Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rapamycin (AY-22,989), a new antifungal antibiotic. III. In vitro and in vivo evaluation.

The activity of rapamycin, a new anti-Candida antibiotic, was not affected by pH values between 6 and 8; at pH 4, however, activity was abolished. The MIC of rapamycin did not vary drastically with the size of inoculum: a ten-fold dilution of the inoculum reduced the MIC only two-fold. Serum binding was extensive. Serum levels obtained in mice were higher on subcutaneous injection than with oral administration. Dogs absorbed rapamycin after oral administration. Rapamycin cured systemic candidosis in mice: PD50 s.c. was 9.5 mg/kg: PD50 p.o. was 11 mg/kg. In the same experimental infections amphotericin B and nystatin exhibited PD50 values of less than 0.25 mg and greater than 4,000 units/kg respectively. Rapamycin and amphotericin B, administered at 1, 4 and 24 hours after infection, gave approximately the same percent survival after 30 days of observation. When the above treatment was extended by an additional daily treatment for 6 days, rapamycin by the subcutaneous route yielded a higher percentage of survival than either rapamycin or amphotericin B, administered orally, after a 30-day observation period. Vaginal candidosis in female rats was treated efficiently (91% cure) by rapamycin administered orally. No increase of resistance of C. albicans was observed during treatment.
GABA and Schizophrenia: A Review of Basic Science and Clinical Studies

Background: A converging body of evidence implicates the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter system in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Methods: The authors review neuroscience literature and clinical studies investigating the role of the GABA system in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. First, a background on the GABA system is provided, including GABA pharmacology and neuroanatomy of GABAergic neurons. Results from basic science schizophrenia animal models and human studies are reviewed. The role of GABA in cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia is then presented, followed by a discussion of GABAergic compounds used in monotherapy or adjunctively in clinical schizophrenia studies. Results: In basic studies, reductions in GABAergic neuronal density and abnormalities in receptors and reuptake sites have been identified in several cortical and subcortical GABA systems. A model has been developed suggesting GABA’s role (including GABA-dopamine interactions) in schizophrenia. In several clinical studies, the use of adjunctive GABA agonists was associated with greater improvement in core schizophrenia symptoms. Conclusions: Alterations in the GABA neurotransmitter system are found in clinical and basic neuroscience schizophrenia studies as well as animal models and may be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The interaction of GABA with other well-characterized neurotransmitter abnormalities remains to be understood. Future studies should elucidate the potential therapeutic role for GABA ligands in schizophrenia treatment.
Characterization of a hepatic proliferation inhibitor (HPI): Effect of HPI on the growth of normal liver cells—comparison with transforming growth factor beta

Improvements in the purification of a hepatic proliferation inhibitor (HPI) from adult rat liver have yielded a product that has an inhibitory activity 1,000‐fold greater than previously reported. The growth inhibitory activity, which could be eluted from SDS‐PAGE at 17–19 kilodaltons (kD), was compared to that of transforming growth factor beta (TGF‐β). The ID50 of the HPI preparation in Fischer rat liver epithelial cells was 50 pg/ml (2.5 pM) compared to a value of 260 pg/ml (10.4 pM) obtained for pure human TGF‐β. Both inhibitors also modulated the stimulation of DNA synthesis in primary hepatocytes by either epidermal growth factor or a growth stimulatory activity prepared from serum of hepatectomized rats. The ID50S of HPI and TGF‐β in these cells were 250 pg/ml and 40 pg/ml, respectively. In contrast to TGF‐β the growth inhibitory activity of HPI was unaltered in the presence of an antibody raised against TGF‐β. The possible mechanism of action of HPI is discussed.
Rethinking What Works With Offenders

Rethinking What Works With Offenders Rethinking What Works with Offenders has the following objectives: to understand probation work from the perspectives of those who deliver it and those to whom it is delivered to study probation intervention as a whole (in particular the probation order) rather than specific aspects to locate probation work in the wider social contexts of those on probation to analyse how probation works, and to reconceptualise probation outcomes in terms of degrees of success rather than as 'successful' or .
[Results of an outpatient major surgery program in ophthalmology].

PURPOSE To evaluate the outcomes in our hospital of an ambulatory major surgery program in patients with a variety of different ocular pathologies. METHOD This retrospective study includes 13,878 patients who underwent programmed surgery by the Department of Ophthalmology between September 1998 and December 2004. Different ophthalmological surgical procedures were performed as outpatient surgery in 11,187 patients, with cataract surgery (phacoemulsification) being the most frequent operation performed (8,155 cases). We have analysed several indicators (substitution, suspension, admission and readmission rates), as well as surgical yield and systemic and ocular complications which appeared within 72 hours after surgery. The variables were measured as relative frequencies. The evolution of complications during the study period was analysed by the Chi-square trend test. RESULTS 13,878 patients had ophthalmic surgery during the study period; 11,187 had outpatient surgery with a global substitution ratio of 80.6%. The median surgical yield was 74.36%. The admission rate after surgery was 4.46% (499 patients), with 92.18% (460) of these requiring immediate admission. Twenty-one patients suffered from severe complications (cardiovascular, neurological, metabolic, infectious), representing a proportional risk of 1:532. Forty-five patients had less severe complications (arterial hypertension, nausea, vomiting, vasovagal syncope) that required admission to hospital. Ophthalmologic complications occurred in 79 cases (0.56%). CONCLUSIONS Ambulatory major surgery (AMS) is an excellent organization model of multidisciplinary surgical assistance that makes it possible to treat well selected patients in an effective, safe and efficient manner. There is a low incidence of postoperative complications of variable severity despite following the optimum requisites, although fortunately mortality is practically absent.
Efficacy and Safety of High Loading Dose of Colistin in Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii: A Prospective Cohort Study

Objectives: We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of a high loading dose of colistin and no loading dose of colistin to treat multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii infections. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of patients with MDR A baumannii infections at a university-affiliated hospital from December 2014 to January 2016. In the high loading dose group, the patients received a high loading dose of 300 mg colistin base activity (CBA) followed by a maintenance dose of 150 mg CBA twice daily, and patients in the no loading dose group received only the maintenance dose. The primary outcome was clinical response. The secondary outcomes were 28-day mortality and microbiological response. Results: A total of 255 cases were identified. The high loading dose of colistin strategy provided no significant difference in good clinical response when compared to the no loading dose group (65.5% vs 70.4%; P = .442), without a significant difference in the development of renal dysfunction (52.3% vs 49.4%; P = .664). However, microbiological eradication was significantly higher among patients who received the high loading dose of colistin when compared to those who received the no loading dose (87.9% vs 70.4%; P = .0006). Conclusions: The high loading dose of colistin strategy was effective and safe for treating patients with MDR A baumannii.
Effect of gynostemma pentaphyllum mak on carcinomatous conversions of golden hamster cheek pouches induced by dimethylbenzanthracene: a histological study.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of gynostemma pentaphyllum mak (GP) on carcinomatous conversions of leukoplasia of the golden hamster cheek pouch induced by dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA). METHODS 284 golden hamsters, ranging from 4 to 8 weeks of age, 80 to 100 grams in weight were randomly divided into three groups: control, model and experimental groups. Control group (8 hamsters) were sacrificed at week 0 and week 12 for control. Model group (123 hamsters) were pasted in bilateral cheek pouches with 0.5% DMBA, 3 times a week for establishment of experimental leukoplasia, and sacrificed at week 2 to week 9 (12-22 hamsters were sacrificed a week). Experimental group (153 hamsters) were divided into three subgroups. Subgroup A underwent simultaneous DMBA pasting and oral taking of GP, and were sacrificed at week 6 and week 9. Subgroup B underwent oral taking of GP for 12 weeks after completion of DMBA pasting. Subgroup C underwent DMBA pasting after completion of oral taking of GP for 12 weeks. RESULTS The earliest epithelial dysplasia and carcinoma in situ occurred at week 3 and week 6 after DMBA pasting. There were significant differences between subgroup B and model group for 3 weeks' administration of DMBA (P < 0.05), and between subgroup C and model group (P < 0.01), while there was no difference between subgroup B and model group for 6 week's administration of DMBA (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS GP could inhibit and reverse the carcinomatous conversions of leukoplasia of golden hamster cheek pouches, indicating its positive anticarcinogenic effect.
The disrupted connection between cerebral hemispheres in schizophrenia patients: a diffusion tensor imaging study.

AIM In schizophrenia, the disruption of the communication between two brain hemispheres has not been shown clearly in the anatomical aspect despite other studies with different modalities suggested so. In this study, the structural integrity and the variables affecting the structural integrity of the corpus callosum, which is the main connection between two hemispheres, was investigated via diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). METHODS The participants were evaluated by SCID-I and symptoms of the patients were assessed with PANSS. DT images of 25 schizophrenia patients and 17 healthy volunteers were acquired via 1.5 T MR. Fractioned Anisotropy (FA) values of two groups, measured on the DT images, were compared. RESULTS It was found that fractioned anisotropy (FA) values were lower in the genu of the patients than the healthy controls; however, there was no difference between the FA values of the patients and the controls in the splenium. Moreover, a significant negative correlation between the splenium FA values and the antipsychotic medication doses; and a trend level negative correlation of splenium FA and PANSS scores were found. CONCLUSION Corpus callosum is the most important structure that connects two frontal lobes. The hypothesis that posits the fundamental role of the disconnection of frontal lobes in schizophrenia is supported by the findings of this study.
Clearance of carbon nanotubes in the human respiratory tract-a theoretical approach.

INTRODUCTION Theoretical knowledge of carbon nanotube clearance in the human respiratory tract represents an essential contribution to the risk assessment of artificial airborne nanomaterials. Thus, single phases of nanotube clearance were simulated with the help of a theoretical model. METHODS In this study, clearance of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) was simulated by using a validated mathematical approach that includes all clearance mechanisms known hitherto. Fast mucociliary clearance is approximated by a steady-state steady-flow mucus model, whereas slow clearance mechanisms are modeled by definition of related clearance half-times. RESULTS Clearance may be subdivided into three phases, including fast bronchial clearance (mucociliary escalator), slow bronchial clearance (particle uptake by airway macrophages, transcytosis), and alveolar clearance (phagocytosis by alveolar macrophages, endocytosis by alveolar epithelium). According to the clearance model used in this study, mucociliary clearance is completed within the first 24 h after exposure, whereas slow bronchial clearance is characterized by a half-time of 5 d. Alveolar clearance is marked by half-times >100 d. As a result of their different deposition patterns, SWCNT and MWCNT show some discrepancies with regard to their clearance insofar as long SWCNT reside significantly longer in the lungs than MWCNT. This circumstance is among other expressed by higher 24-h, 10-d, and 100-d retentions computed for SWCNT compared to MWCNT. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Due to their partly high residence times in distal lung regions, carbon nanotubes may bear the potential to act as triggers of inflammatory reactions or fibrotic modifications of the lung structure. Further they may also induce malignant transformations of lung cells, resulting in the development of lung tumours.
Democratic Participation through Crocheted Memes

In a UK city, various crocheted protest banners have appeared, containing political statements concerning planned developments in their locations. Photos of these banners are shared across social media, raising awareness and potentially playing a role in local campaigns. This study explored peoples' perceptions of these banners as photos within social media interactions, focusing on how associated emotions or values influenced their views of the campaigns. The aim was to increase understanding of the impact of images within social media, both on engagement with offline situations and on propensity to forward (e.g., retweet). People who had posted or shared pictures of the banners were interviewed. The study is framed by considering the banners---in both yarn format and digital photos---as memes. This situates the study within contemporary research into public participation online, especially the ways in which information, disinformation, and emotions travel across social media, and the influence of this on democracy. This article uses diverse definitions of memes to draw out insights from the interview data, about participants' engagement with the banners and with the corresponding local issues, campaigns, and ultimately democracy. Interviewees were engaged by both the medium of the offline banners and the text embroidered onto them. In terms of the medium, the process of crochet was most important---indicating the time invested and encompassing memories. Interviewees were most engaged by banners concerning places they passed every day, though they did not agree with all the banners' messages.
Arginine vasopressin reduces cerebral oxygenation and cerebral blood volume during intact circulation in swine ‐ a near infrared spectroscopy study

Background and objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of arginine vasopressin (AVP), a drug currently under investigation for use during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, on cerebral oxygenation and cerebral blood volume (CBV) in pigs with intact systemic circulation using near infrared spectroscopy. Methods: Nine healthy pigs were anaesthetized and subjected to invasive haemodynamic monitoring as well as to non‐invasive determination (with near infrared spectroscopy) of changes in the Tissue Oxygenation Index (TOI is the ratio of oxygenated to total tissue haemoglobin), Tissue Haemoglobin Index (THI, representing CBV) and cytochrome oxidase (&Dgr;CytOx, representing the balance of intracellular oxygen supply). Results: At both 3 and 5 min after AVP administration, TOI, THI and &Dgr;CytOx were significantly (P < 0.001) reduced compared to baseline, while cerebral perfusion pressure increased significantly (P < 0.001). The effects of AVP on TOI and THI lasted longer than on &Dgr;CytOx. There were no significant changes with respect to the intracranial pressure throughout the study period. Conclusions: No improvement of cerebral oxygenation was detected after AVP administration in swine with an intact systemic circulation. In contrast to recently published investigations, AVP provoked a sustained drop in indices of cerebral oxygenation and CBV.
The Societal Impacts of Private School Choice around the World

With the 2016 presidential campaign and the appointment of Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary of the United States, private school choice – in the form of vouchers, tuition taxcredits, and education savings accounts – has become increasingly policy relevant. While an introduction of competitive pressures into the schooling sector may improve educational quality levels, the effects on societal outcomes such as national test scores, student effort, and criminality may be less clear. After all, traditional public schools were created to ensure that children from diverse backgrounds became proper citizens. These three dissertation chapters empirically examine a largely underexplored area: the societal impacts of private school choice around the world. The chapters explore the effects of private school choice on international student test scores, student effort, and student criminality using quasi-experimental methodology. The results suggest that private schooling improves student test scores and reduces the proclivity of students to commit crimes as adults. The analyses also suggest that private schooling increases student effort on international tests and decreases student effort on long surveys after international exams. I discuss each of these findings as they relate to the academic literature and current education policy debates.
Cerebellar injury in preterm infants: incidence and findings on US and MR images.

PURPOSE To investigate the incidence and characteristics of cerebellar injury in a cohort of very preterm infants by using the mastoid fontanelle (MF) and posterior fontanelle (PF) approach in addition to routine cranial ultrasonography (US) through the anterior fontanelle (AF), with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging as the reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS The institutional review board approved this prospective study and informed consent was obtained. A cohort of 77 preterm infants (< 32 weeks) was examined with serial cranial US throughout the neonatal period by using the AF, PF, and MF views. MR imaging was performed around term-equivalent age in 59 of 77 infants. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of routine cranial US and cranial US with additional views were calculated. RESULTS At cranial US performed through the MF, seven (9%) of 77 infants were identified to have posterior fossa hemorrhage. In only two of seven infants, the lesions were seen on routine AF views. The PF approach did not increase the detection rate of posterior fossa hemorrhage. MR images confirmed cranial US findings in all cases. MR images showed punctate hemorrhage in the cerebellum in six infants with normal cranial US findings. Among the 59 infants examined with both cranial US and MR imaging, cerebellar injury was diagnosed in 11 (19%). CONCLUSION Cerebellar injury is a frequent finding in very preterm infants. Cranial US through the MF can demonstrate injury missed by using the routine AF approach. Punctate hemorrhagic lesions may remain undetected even when the MF approach is used; the prognostic implications of these smaller lesions need further attention.
Differentiation of Bartonella Species by a Microimmunofluorescence Assay, Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis, and Western Immunoblotting

ABSTRACT Bartonella species can be differentiated by microimmunofluorescence assay, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and immunoblotting with murine polyclonal antisera to Bartonella henselae, B. quintana, B. elizabethae, and B. bacilliformis. A pairwise comparison on the basis of SDS-PAGE protein profiles demonstrated similarity values for proteins of different Bartonella species ranging from 28.6 to 86.4%. Antigenic relationships revealed by immunoblotting with murine antisera were equivalent to those of proteins observed by SDS-PAGE. A dendrogram obtained on the basis of protein bands of SDS-polyacrylamide gels showed that Bartonella species could be divided into three groups. B. bacilliformis was distinct from all otherBartonella species; B. grahamii, B. taylorii, B. doshiae, and B. vinsoniiformed a cluster, as did B. henselae, B. quintana, B. elizabethae, and B. clarridgeiae. These relationships were consistent with those revealed by parsimony trees derived from 16S rRNA and gltAgene sequencing. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that 120-, 104-, 85-, 71-, 54-, 47-, 40-, 33-, 30-, and 19-kDa proteins were present in all species, with the 54-kDa protein being the most dominant. Proteins with a molecular mass of less than 54 kDa allow the differentiation of species and are a possible target for future species-specific antibodies and antigens.
Spino (trigemino) parabrachiohypothalamic pathway: electrophysiological evidence for an involvement in pain processes.

1. Parabrachiohypothalamic (PB-H) neurons (n = 71) were recorded with extracellular micropipettes in the parabrachial (PB) area and were antidromically driven from the ventromedial nucleus (VMH) or the retrochiasmatic area (RCh) of the hypothalamus, in the anesthetized rat. The spontaneous activity of these neurons was very low, (10th percentile < median frequency < 90th percentile were 0.01 < 0.2 < 7 Hz). The axons of these neurons exhibited a very slow conduction velocity in the range of 0.2-1.4 m/s, i.e., corresponding to thin unmyelinated fibers. 2. Most PB-H neurons (89%) were located in the mesencephalic division of the PB area (mPB) mainly in the superior lateral (mPBsl) and external lateral (mPBel) subnuclei. 3. These units were separated in three groups: 1) a group of nociceptive-specific (NS) neurons (49%) activated by mechanical and/or thermal (heat) cutaneous stimuli only in noxious range; 2) a group of inhibited neurons (7%), not activated by any of the mechanical or thermal cutaneous stimuli but inhibited, by at least one of these stimuli, which had to be in noxious range; and 3) a group of nonresponsive neurons (44%). 4. The NS neurons responded exclusively to mechanical (pinch or squeeze) and/or thermal (waterbath or waterjet > 44 degrees C) noxious stimuli with a rapid onset, a marked and sustained activation, and generally no afterdischarge. The magnitude of the responses was between 2 and 30 Hz with a mean value of 14.8 +/- 1.4 Hz (mean +/- SE, n = 49). These neurons exhibited a clear capacity to encode thermal stimuli in the noxious range: 1) the stimulus-response function was always positive and monotonic; 2) the slope of the mean curve increased up to a maximum (between 46 and 50 degrees C) then beyond the slope decreased; and 3) the mean threshold was 44.3 +/- 2.2 degrees C. 5. The excitatory receptive fields of the NS neurons were often large including all (22% of the population) or several (67% of the population) parts of the body. In the few remaining cases (11%) they were restricted to one part of the body. In addition, in several cases, noxious stimuli applied outside the excitatory receptive field were found to strongly inhibit the discharge of NS neurons. 6. Most NS neurons responded to intense transcutaneous electrical stimulation with two peaks of activation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)