Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gold nanoparticles capped with benzalkonium chloride and poly (ethylene imine) for enhanced loading and skin permeability of 5-fluorouracil

Abstract Objective: To enhance 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) permeability through the skin by loading onto gold nanoparticles (GNPs) capped with two cationic ligands, benzalkonium chloride (BC) or poly (ethylene imine) (PEI). Whereas 5-FU has excellent efficacy against many cancers, its poor permeability through biological membranes and several adverse effects limit its clinical benefits. BC and PEI were selected to stabilize GNPs and to load 5-FU through ionic interactions. Methods: 5-FU/BC-GNPs and 5-FU/PEI-GNPs were prepared at different 5-FU/ligand molar ratios and different pH values and were evaluated using different techniques. GNPs stability was tested as a function of salt concentration and storage time. 5-FU release from BC- and PEI-GNPs was evaluated as a function of solution pH. Ex vivo permeability studies of different 5-FU preparations were carried out using mice skin. Results: 5-FU-loaded GNPs size and surface charge were dependent on the 5-FU/ligand molar ratios. 5-FU entrapment efficiency and loading capacity were dependent on the used ligand, 5-FU/ligand molar ratio and solution pH. Maximum drug entrapment efficiency of 59.0 ± 1.7% and 46.0 ± 1.1% were obtained for 5-FU/BC-GNPs and 5-FU/PEI-GNPs, respectively. 5-FU-loaded GNPs had good stability against salinity and after storage for 4 months at room temperature and at 4 °C. In vitro 5-FU release was pH- and ligand-dependent where slower release was observed at higher pH and for 5-FU/BC-GNPs. 5-FU permeability through mice skin was significantly higher for drug-loaded GNPs compared with drug-ligand complex or drug aqueous solution. Conclusion: Based on these results, BC- and PEI-GNPs might find applications as effective topical delivery systems of 5-FU.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a constant rate infusion of fentanyl (5 μg/kg/h) in awake cats.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the pharmacokinetics and thermal and mechanical antinociceptive effects of a fentanyl constant rate infusion (CRI) in conscious cats. ANIMALS 8 healthy adult cats. PROCEDURES At a ≥ 14-day interval, 7 cats received a loading dose (LD) of fentanyl (5 μg/kg, IV [administered at 0 hours]) followed by fentanyl infusion (5 μg/kg/h, IV) for 2 hours or similar administrations of equivalent volumes of 0.9% saline (NaCl) solution. One cat received only the fentanyl treatment. For both treatments, sedation and adverse events were evaluated and mechanical threshold (MT) and thermal threshold (TT) testing was performed prior to (baseline) and at predetermined times up to 26 hours after LD administration; plasma fentanyl concentrations were determined at similar times when the cats received fentanyl. RESULTS Fentanyl induced mild sedation during the infusion. The only adverse effect associated with fentanyl LD administration was profuse salivation (1 cat). Saline solution administration did not significantly change MT or TT over time. For the duration of the CRI, MT and TT differed significantly between treatments, except for TT 1 hour after LD administration. For the fentanyl treatment, MT and TT were significantly higher than baseline at 0.25 to 0.75 hours and at 0.25 to 1 hour, respectively. During the fentanyl CRI, mean ± SD plasma fentanyl concentration decreased from 4.41 ± 1.86 ng/mL to 2.99 ± 1.28 ng/mL and was correlated with antinociception; plasma concentrations < 1.33 ± 0.30 ng/mL were not associated with antinociception. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Fentanyl CRI (5 μg/kg/h) induced mechanical and thermal antinociception in cats.
MIMO-OFDM based Evolution Schemes for DPC-OF/TDMA

During these years we have been focusing on developing ultra high-data-rate wireless access systems. One of such kind of systems is called DPC-OF/TDMA (dynamic parameter controlled orthogonal frequency and time division multiple access) which targets at beyond 100 Mbps data rate. In order to support higher data rates, e.g., several hundreds of mega bps or even giga bps, it is necessary to evolve DPC-OF/TDMA on MIMO-OFDM (multiple-input multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) platform. In this paper, we propose two MIMO-OFDM evolution schemes for DPC-OF/TDMA: M1 scheme and M2 scheme. M1 scheme is based on the combination of V-BLAST (vertical Bell laboratories layered space-time architecture) and OFDM. It invests all transmit antennas on multiplexing while exploits no diversity in the transmitter. M2 scheme is based on multi-layer space-time block coded OFDM (multi-layer STBC OFDM). This scheme achieves compromise between multiplexing and diversity in the transmitter. We conduct exhaustive simulations and find that each evolution scheme has its own prevailing area. When the receive diversity order is limited, M2 scheme has better performance since it embeds transmit diversity; as the receive diversity order increases, the performance gap between the two schemes shrinks and finally M1 scheme prevails in performance. Therefore, the proper choice depends on the system configuration, i.e., the numbers of transmit and receive antennas
A New Methodology for the Optimal Charging Coordination of Electric Vehicles Considering Vehicle-to-Grid Technology

In this work, a new methodology based on a mixed integer linear programming formulation is proposed to solve the optimal charging coordination of electric vehicles (EVs) in unbalanced electrical distribution systems (EDS) considering vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. The steady-state operation of the EDS is represented using the real and imaginary parts of voltages and currents at nodes and circuits respectively. Distributed generation (DG) and the imbalance of the system circuits and loads are taken into account. The developed method defines an optimal charging schedule for the EVs. This charging schedule considers the EVs' arrival and departure times and their arrival state of charge, along with the energy contribution of EVs equipped with V2G technology. The presented formulation was tested in a 123-node distribution system. The charging schedule obtained was compared in terms of V2G and DG scenarios, demonstrating the efficiency of the proposed method.
« Relations entre l'exportation, le développement organisationnel et la situation financière des PME canadiennes »

L’exportation des PME est devenue un sujet de preoccupation de plus en plus important pour differents gouvernements qui y voient la possibilite de reduire leur deficit commercial tout en dynamisant le developpement economique regional. Malgre l’interet que cela presente, un pourcentage relativement faible de PME exportent une partie substantielle de leur production. Evidemment, ce ne sont pas toutes les PME qui ont le potentiel d’exporter. Mais parmi celles qui l’ont, on se demande pourquoi une proportion limitee acheminent vers d’autres pays leurs produits/services. Est-ce parce que leur marche national est suffisant, que les entrepreneurs sont reticents et apprehendent ces activites exterieures, ou est-ce que l’exportation a des consequences financieres difficiles a gerer pour les entrepreneurs ? C’est ce dernier element qui nous interesse dans cette etude, ou nous analysons les caracteristiques financieres et organisationnelles d’un groupe de PME exportatrices, que nous comparons a d’autres PME qui ont decide de concentrer leurs activites sur le marche interieur. Parmi les resultats obtenus, nous retenons que la taille des entreprises est liee a la probabilite d’exporter, a la diversite et a la destination des exportations. Les PME exportatrices sont plus rentables que les autres, mais elles sont egalement plus innovatrices et plus souvent engagees dans diverses collaborations d’affaires. L’innovation des PME est un facteur cle et le premier facteur explicatif de l’exportation et du succes de l’entreprise sur les marches etrangers.
Rotavirus & bacterial enteropathogens in acute diarrhoeas of young children in Bangalore.

Etude faite chez des enfants âges de 0 a 5 ans. Les rotavirus mis en evidence dans les feces par la technique ELISA, sont responsables de 16,3% des cas de diarrhees avec une frequence maximum chez les enfants de 7 a 12 mois. Les salmonelles ont une frequence maximum chez les enfants de 0 a 6 mois et les shigelles chez les enfants de 1 a 3 ans
Francisella tularensis Enters Macrophages via a Novel Process Involving Pseudopod Loops

ABSTRACT Intracellular bacterial pathogens employ a variety of strategies to invade their eukaryotic host cells. From an ultrastructural standpoint, the processes that bacteria employ to invade their host cells include conventional phagocytosis, coiling phagocytosis, and ruffling/triggered macropinocytosis. In this paper, we describe a novel process by which Francisella tularensis, the agent of tularemia, enters host macrophages. F. tularensis is a remarkably infectious facultative intracellular bacterial parasite—as few as 10 bacteria can cause life-threatening disease in humans. However, the ultrastructure of its uptake and the receptor mechanisms that mediate its uptake have not been reported previously. We have used fluorescence microscopy and electron microscopy to examine the adherence and uptake of a virulent recent clinical isolate of F. tularensis, subspecies tularensis, and the live vaccine strain (LVS), subspecies holarctica, by human macrophages. We show here that both strains of F. tularensis enter human macrophages by a novel process of engulfment within asymmetric, spacious pseudopod loops, a process that differs ultrastructurally from all previously described uptake mechanisms. We demonstrate also that adherence and uptake of F. tularensis by macrophages is strongly dependent upon complement receptors and upon serum with intact complement factor C3 and that uptake requires actin microfilaments. These findings have significant implications for understanding the intracellular biology and virulence of this extremely infectious pathogen.
Auditory filter bandwidths in binaural and monaural listening conditions.

The shape and the effective bandwidth of the auditory filter at 500 Hz was examined for binaural and monaural tone-in-noise detection experiments in four normal listeners. In the binaural condition, a broadband noise with an interaural phase difference of 0 below and an interaural phase difference of pi above a certain "edge frequency" was employed to mask a 500-Hz probe tone with an interaural phase pi (denoted as No pi S pi). The threshold of the probe tone as a function of the edge frequency in this configuration and in a configuration with an inverted interaural phase of the masker (denoted as N pi oS pi) was fitted by assuming different filter shapes and optimizing their respective parameters. In an analogous monaural experiment, the spectral power density of the masker was 15 dB lower below the "edge frequency" or 15 dB lower above this frequency, respectively. Several filter characteristics with two free parameters describe the data almost equally well. Their equivalent rectangular bandwidths (ERB) show considerably more variations between filter shapes than the 10-dB bandwidth and the 90% bandwidth values (i.e., the bandwidths encompassing 90% of the integrated area above and below the center frequency). This indicates that either of these two bandwidth parameters is more appropriate for comparing auditory filter bandwidths than the ERB. For the rounded exponential filter, the 90% bandwidth averages to 147 Hz in the binaural and to 125 Hz in the monaural condition. These values are up to 12% higher if off-frequency detection is accounted for. Our general finding of auditory filter bandwidths in the binaural conditions exceeding the monaural bandwidths by approximately 20% may be caused by two factors: First, off-frequency detection may be performed in monaural, but not in binaural detections tasks and second, the random interaural mismatch in binaural noise reduction processes fluctuates slowly and thus modulates and spectrally smears the output signal of the binaural noise reduction process.
Combining classifiers based on minimization of a Bayes error rate

In order to raise a class discrimination power by combining multiple classifiers, the upper bound of a Bayes error rate bounded by the conditional entropy of a class variable and decision variables should be minimized. Wang and Wong (1979) proposed a tree dependence approximation scheme of a high order probability distribution composed of those variables, based on minimizing the upper bound. In addition to that, this paper presents an extended approximation scheme dealing with higher order dependency. Multiple classifiers recognizing unconstrained handwritten numerals were combined by the proposed approximation scheme based on the minimization of the Bayes error rate, and the high recognition rates were obtained by them.
Association between Psoriasis and the Metabolic Syndrome

Background: Previous reports have shown an association between inflammatory diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis and the metabolic syndrome. Recent data demonstrate that psoriasis is an inflammatory disease, suggesting that psoriasis may be one of the components of the metabolic syndrome. Objective: To assess the association between psoriasis and the metabolic syndrome. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed utilizing the database of the Clalit Health Services. Case patients were defined as patients with a diagnosis of psoriasis vulgaris. Controls were randomly selected from the list of Clalit Health Services enrollees. The proportions of components of the metabolic syndrome (ischemic heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity and dyslipidemia) were compared between case and control patients by univariate analyses. χ2 tests were used to compare categorical parameters between the groups. Logistic and linear regression models served to measure the association between psoriasis and the metabolic syndrome. Results: The study included 16,851 patients with psoriasis and 48,681 controls. In the case group, there were 8,449 men (50.1%) and 8,402 women (49.9%), with a mean age of 42.7 years (SD = 20.3, range = 2–111). Diabetes mellitus was present in 13.8% of the patients with psoriasis as compared to 7.3% of the controls (p < 0.001). Hypertension occurred in 27.5% of the patients with psoriasis and in 14.4% of the controls (p < 0.001). Obesity was present in 8.4% of the patients with psoriasis as opposed to 3.6% of the controls (p < 0.001). Ischemic heart disease was observed in 14.2% of the patients with psoriasis as compared to 7.1% of the controls (p < 0.001). Multivariate models adjusting for age, gender and smoking status of the patients demonstrated that psoriasis was associated with the metabolic syndrome (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.1–1.4), ischemic heart disease (OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 1.0–1.2), diabetes mellitus (OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.0–1.3), hypertension (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.2–1.5) and obesity (OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.5–1.9). Limitations: The study is designed as a case-control study, thus an association alone was proven and not causality. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate a possible association between psoriasis and the metabolic syndrome. Appropriate treatment of the metabolic syndrome may be an important part of the management of patients with psoriasis.
Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema with pulmonary arterial hypertension : A Rare Case Report

Surya Kumari Vipparthi1, Sunil Kumar Raghumanda2, Sambasiva Rao Gorantla3, Muralidhara Reddy Kona4, Sushmitha Jakka5 1Assistant professor, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Government Hospital for chest and communicable diseases, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India,2Associate professor, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Government Hospital for chest and communicable diseases, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India,3Professor and Head, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Government Hospital for chest and communicable diseases, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India,4Post-graduate Student, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Government Hospital for chest and communicable diseases, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India,5Post-graduate Student, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Government Hospital for chest and communicable diseases, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
Auditory Perception of a Human Walker

When one hears footsteps in the hall, one is able to instantly recognise it as a person: this is an everyday example of auditory biological motion perception. Despite the familiarity of this experience, research into this phenomenon is in its infancy compared with visual biological motion perception. Here, two experiments explored sensitivity to, and recognition of, auditory stimuli of biological and nonbiological origin. We hypothesised that the cadence of a walker gives rise to a temporal pattern of impact sounds that facilitates the recognition of human motion from auditory stimuli alone. First a series of detection tasks compared sensitivity with three carefully matched impact sounds: footsteps, a ball bouncing, and drumbeats. Unexpectedly, participants were no more sensitive to footsteps than to impact sounds of nonbiological origin. In the second experiment participants made discriminations between pairs of the same stimuli, in a series of recognition tasks in which the temporal pattern of impact sounds was manipulated to be either that of a walker or the pattern more typical of the source event (a ball bouncing or a drumbeat). Under these conditions, there was evidence that both temporal and nontemporal cues were important in recognising theses stimuli. It is proposed that the interval between footsteps, which reflects a walker's cadence, is a cue for the recognition of the sounds of a human walking.
What Do Measures of Flux Tell Us About Vascular Wall Biology?

Optimal tissue function requires the movement of blood-borne and tissue-generated materials across vessel walls. This movement, quantified from measures of solute flux, is characterized by the transport coefficient for solute permeability of the barrier. Until recently, microvessel permeability under noninflammatory conditions was considered a constant whose value was determined by the static anatomical and physicochemical properties of the barrier (e.g., total and junctional surface areas available for exchange, junctional depth, barrier and solute charge, and ionic strength). As it became evident that the primary constituent of the microvascular barrier, the endothelium, was metabolically active, capable of modifying and secreting vasoactive components, evidence accumulated demonstrating that the microvascular barrier was also dynamic and that permeability could change in response to endothelialderived products as well as stimuli from both the blood and tissue (4,6–9,12,18,22–25). In the heart, permeation of solutes the size of peptides and proteins is required for functions as diverse as the delivery of free fatty acids carried by albumin (19) to the initiation and regulation of angiogenesis, processes involving the flux of growth factors (5). Treatment of coronary disease also requires permeation, especially therapies involving gene transfection. These molecules can be of considerable size and must move from the vascular compartment to their intended target, either in the vessel wall or out in the surrounding tissue.
The Skull and Some Related Structures of a Late Embryo of Lygosoma.

THE skull described in this paper is that of an embryo Lygosoma of unknown species belonging to the collection of Prof. J. P. Hill. The accompanying text-figures are of a wax plate model constructed from drawings of the transversely-sectioned head of the embryo, the actual length of which was about 4*8 mm. The model represents a magnification of approximately 100 in the transverse plane but only of about 75 in length, and this telescoping is of course reproduced in the drawings. The left half of the brain was included as a support. The model was made at the suggestion and under the direction ofMr D. M. S. Watson, who helped in the construction of it and has throughout given advice, criticism and assistance. It was intended to serve as a basis of comparison for fossil skulls, certain blood-vessels, nerves and muscles being included in order to demonstrate more clearly the relations ofthe hard parts: it may be analogised with the standard solution of the chemist.
[Effect of botulinum toxin type A injection on hypertrophic scar in rabbit ear model].

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of botulinum toxin type A (Botox A) injection on hypertrophic scar in rabbit ear model. METHODS The hypertrophic scar model was established in 16 Japanese rabbits' ears. These wounds were divided into two groups as group T (treated with Botox A, n = 48) and group S (not treated, n = 48). The wounds healing times and scar hypertrophy were observed with 8 specimen of normal skin at the rabbit ears as sham group B. HE stain was used to assess the hypertrophic index (HI). The expression of collagen I and III was tested by western-blot. The cell cycle of fibroblasts was studied by flow cytometry. RESULTS The HI was significantly lower in group T than in group S (P < 0.01). The expression of collagen I and III, as well as the ratio of I to III, was markedly stronger in group S than in group T (P < 0.01). Compared with group T, more fibroblasts were in G2-M in group S and fewer in G0-G1 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Local injection of Botox A can inhibit the formation of hypertrophic scar and the activity of fibroblasts in rabbit ear model. It can significantly decrease the expression of collagen I and III in hypertrophic scar, as well as the ratio of collagen I to III. It serves as the basis for the treatment of hypertrophic scar with Botox A.
Expanding role of perioperative transesophageal echocardiography in the general anesthesia practice and residency training in the USA

Purpose of review To review the perioperative use of noncardiac transesophageal echocardiography in anesthesiology and to explore the current mechanisms of teaching and certification. Recent findings Anesthesiologists frequently use echocardiography in many noncardiac situations with potential impact on outcomes. Certification has evolved to include those who use echocardiography in noncardiac situations. More advanced teaching tools have been developed for the learning of diagnostic and monitoring modality. Summary Transesophageal echocardiography can have many helpful uses in perioperative patient care. This study summarizes many noncardiac uses, certification, and echocardiography education for anesthesiologists.
Cellular ATP levels and nitrogenase switchoff upon oxygen stress in chemostat cultures of Azotobacter vinelandii

When Azotobacter vinelandii, growing diazotrophically in chemostat culture, was subjected to sudden increases in the ambient oxygen concentration (oxygen stress), nitrogenase activity was switched off and cellular ATP pools decreased at rates depending on the stress level. Following a fast decrease, the ATP pool approached a lower level. When the stress was released, these effects were reversed. The reversible decrease of the ATP pool upon oxygen stress could also be observed with cultures assimilating ammonium and, at the same time, fixing dinitrogen because of growth at a high C/N ratio but not with cultures growing only at the expense of ammonium. When strains OP and UW136 of A. vinelandii were subjected to long-term increases in ambient oxygen, the sizes of cellular ATP pools eventually started to increase to the level before stress and diazotrophic growth resumed. The cytochrome d-deficient mutant MK5 of A. vinelandii, however, impaired in aerotolerant diazotrophic growth, was unable to recover from stress on the basis of its ATP pool. The results suggest that adaptation to higher ambient oxygen depends on increased ATP synthesis requiring increased electron flow through the entire respiratory chain, which is possible only in combination with the more active, yet possibly uncoupled, branch terminated by cytochrome d. It is proposed that the decrease of the cellular ATP level under oxygen stress resulted from the increased energy and electron donor requirement of nitrogenase in reacting with oxygen.