Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Potential safety issues with blood flow restriction training

The focal point of previous literature was establishing the efficacy of blood flow restriction training with respect to muscular strength, muscular hypertrophy, and muscular endurance. After mounting evidence supporting the efficacy of low‐intensity blood flow restriction training, research has shifted to the overall safety of this training modality. The aim of this review was to summarize the research on the overall safety of blood flow restriction training, focusing on the cardiovascular system (central and peripheral), muscle damage, oxidative stress, and nerve conduction velocity responses compared with those observed with regular exercise. Although still sparse, the blood flow restriction training research thus far is promising with respect to safety outcomes. Individuals respond similarly to blood flow restriction training and to regular exercise; however, longer term studies are required to better understand the chronic effects of low‐intensity blood flow restriction training and possible safety issues.
Inducible pH homeostasis and the acid tolerance response of Salmonella typhimurium

The acid tolerance response (ATR) is an adaptive system triggered at external pH (pHo) values of 5.5 to 6.0 that will protect cells from more severe acid stress (J. Foster and H. Hall, J. Bacteriol. 172:771-778, 1990). Correlations between the internal pH (pHi) of adapted versus unadapted cells at pHo of 3.3 indicate that the ATR system produces an inducible pH-homeostatic function. This function serves to maintain the pHi above 5 to 5.5. Below this range, cells rapidly lose viability. Development of this pH homeostasis mechanism was sensitive to protein synthesis inhibitors and operated only to augment the pHi at pHo values below 4. In contrast, classical constitutive pH homeostasis was insensitive to protein synthesis inhibitors and was efficient only at pHo values above 4. Physiological studies indicated an important role for the Mg(2+)-dependent proton-translocating ATPase in affording ATR-associated survival during exposure to severe acid challenges. Along with being acid intolerant, cells deficient in this ATPase did not exhibit inducible pH homeostasis. We speculate that adaptive acid tolerance is important to Salmonella species in surviving acid encounters in both the environment and the infected host.
Center Variation and the Effect of Center and Provider Characteristics on Clinical Outcomes in Kidney Transplantation: A Systematic Review of the Evidence

Background: Kidney transplantation is the best treatment option for patients with end-stage renal disease. While patient-level factors affecting survival are established, the presence of variation in the management of transplant recipients remains unknown. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine center variation in kidney transplantation and identify center and provider characteristics that may be associated with clinical outcomes. Design: This is a systematic review. Data sources: Ovid Medline, Embase, and Cochrane library from inception to June 2016 were used. Study eligibility: Any study examining the association between center or provider characteristics and graft or patient survival, quality of life, or functional status were included. Results: We identified 6327 records and 24 studies met eligibility. Most studies used data registries. Characteristics evaluated include center volume (n = 17), provider volume (n = 2), provider experience (n = 1), center type (n = 2), and location of follow-up (n = 1). Outcomes assessed included graft survival (n = 24) and patient survival (n = 9). Significant center variation was described in 12 of 15 and 5 of 7 studies for graft and patient survival. There was a significant and positive association between center volume and graft and patient survival in 8 and 2 studies, respectively. Provider experience and volume were significantly associated with less allograft loss and provider volume with lower risk of death. There was no association between graft survival and location of follow-up or center type. Limitations: There was substantial heterogeneity in the variables assessed and methodology used to analyze associations. Conclusion: This systematic review found center variation in kidney transplantation. Future studies in the current era are necessary to better evaluate this important topic.
Heterozygous disruption of SERCA2a is not associated with impairment of cardiac performance in humans: implications for SERCA2a as a therapeutic target in heart failure

Objective: To verify whether a deficiency in the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum pump SERCA2a causes cardiac dysfunction in humans. Design: Cardiac performance was measured in a serendipitous human model of primary SERCA2a deficiency, Darier’s disease, an autosomal dominant skin disorder caused by mutations inactivating one copy of the ATP2A2 gene, which encodes SERCA2a. Methods: Systolic and diastolic function and contractility were assessed by echocardiography at rest and during exercise in patients with Darier’s disease with known mutations. Fourteen patients with Darier’s disease were compared with 14 normal controls and six patients with dilated cardiomyopathy with stable heart failure. Results: Resting systolic and diastolic function was normal in patients with Darier’s disease and in controls. The increase in systolic function during exercise was not different between patients with Darier’s disease and normal controls; neither was there a difference in contractility. As expected, patients with dilated cardiomyopathy had impaired diastolic and systolic function with depressed contractility at rest and during exercise. Conclusion: Contrary to expectations, heterozygous disruption of SERCA2a is not associated with the impairment of cardiac performance in humans. Attempts to increase SERCA2a levels in heart failure, although showing promise in rodent studies, may not be addressing a critical causal pathway in humans.
Impact of smoking cessation on the risk of subarachnoid haemorrhage: a nationwide multicentre case control study

Background and purpose Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is the most devastating cerebrovascular disease. Cigarette smoking is one of the established risk factors for SAH, but the risk of SAH has not been properly elucidated in relation to smoking cessation. Methods We performed a nationwide multicentre case control study involving 33 hospitals in Korea. A total of 426 SAH cases and 426 age and sex matched controls were enrolled. We obtained detailed information on lifestyle, medical history and, in particular, smoking habits from participants using structured questionnaires. Results 148 SAH patients (37.4%) were current smokers compared with 103 (24.2%) controls, giving an adjusted OR of 2.84 (95% CI, 1.63 to 4.97) after controlling for possible confounders. Based on cumulative dose of smoking (pack years), the risk of SAH was found to increase in a dose–responsive fashion. Smoking cessation (≥5 years) caused a reduction in SAH to 59% (p<0.05). However, participants with a history of heavy smoking (≥20 cigarettes per day) had a 2.3 times increased risk of SAH compared with participants who had never smoked (p<0.05). Conclusions We have demonstrated that cigarette smoking increases the risk of SAH, but smoking cessation decreases the risk in a time dependent manner, although this beneficial effect may be diminished in previous heavy smokers. To forestall tragic SAH events, our results call for more global and vigorous efforts for people to stop smoking.
[Does bullous pemphigoid with negative direct immunofluorescence exist? Apropos of 3 cases].

Subepidermal autoimmune bullous dermatoses are defined by clinical, histological and immunological criteria, notably the presence of anti-basement membrane antibodies detectable in vivo by direct immunofluorescence. We report three cases where anti-basement membrane antibodies were not detectable in vivo by direct immunofluorescence but were detected in high titres by indirect immunofluorescence. This situation is extremely rare in the literature. The first case concerns a 69-year old woman seen for bullous and pruriginous lesions of the lower limbs of 2 months' duration. Histological examination found dermoepidermal bullae with, in their lumen, a serous fluid spotted with numerous polymorphonuclears. A search for anti-basement membrane antibodies was positive in significant titres (1,280; 320; 480) at indirect immunofluorescence on rabbit lip whereas five successive direct immunofluorescence test in perilesional skin and on the thigh medial surface remained negative. The second case is that of a 91-year old woman suffering from generalized pruritus associated with erythematous lesions predominant on the extension surfaces of the forearms and thighs, without any bullous lesion. Pathological examination only showed a superficial dermal lymphocytic infiltrate. Four direct immunofluorescence tests were negative, whereas a search for anti-basement membrane antibodies on rat oesophagus was positive at 1/1,280. The third case resembles the second one. It concerns a 72-year old woman who consulted for generalized pruritus of several months' duration which interfered with sleep and was incompletely relieved by emollients. There was no specific skin lesion. Pathological examination revealed nothing more than a discrete perivascular mononucleate infiltrate. Direct immunofluorescence tests performed on two occasions on the skin of the abdomen and of the medial thigh surface were negative. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Apoptosis and cell proliferation in the metaplasia-dysplasia-carcinoma-sequence of Barrett's esophagus.

BACKGROUND/AIMS The regulation of apoptosis as a distinctive form of cell death and proliferation in the process of carcinogenesis in Barrett's esophagus is poorly understood. To investigate regulation of apoptosis, proliferation and the participation of the tumor suppressor gene p53, we examined these parameters in Barrett's metaplasia, dysplasia, and adenocarcinoma. METHODOLOGY Apoptotic cells were identified and quantified in tissue specimens of 45 patients with different stages of Barrett's esophagus and normal fundus epithelium, respectively, using the in situ end-labeling and electron microscopy method in combination with morphological criteria. The tumor suppressor gene p53 was examined by direct sequencing of exon 4-8 as well as immunohistochemically. The proliferative activity was assessed by Ki67 immunostaining. RESULTS Apoptotic cell death, identified by the in situ end-labeling and ultrastructural technique was significantly increased in Barrett's epithelium with intestinal metaplasia than in specimens with normal fundic epithelium and Barrett's carcinomas (P < 0.01). The proliferative activity, defined as Ki67 labeling index, was highest in adenocarcinomas (P < 0.01). P53 mutations were found in 8/9 adenocarcinomas and 2/5 specimens with dysplasia. Apoptosis was lower in p53 positive specimens of the metaplasia-dysplasia-carcinoma-sequence than in p53 negative specimens of Barrett's esophagus (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The higher levels of both apoptosis and proliferation indicate an increased cell turnover in Barrett's epithelium. Apoptosis seems to maintain tissue homeostasis, which is regulated by p53, and gradually lost in the metaplasia-dysplasia-carcinoma-sequence of Barrett's esophagus.
Circadian Rhythm Disruption in the Critically Ill: An Opportunity for Improving Outcomes*

Objectives:Circadian rhythms are severely disrupted among the critically ill. These circadian arrhythmias impair mentation, immunity, autonomic function, endocrine activity, hormonal signaling, and ultimately healing. In this review, we present a modern model of circadian disruption among the critically ill, discuss causes of these circadian arrhythmias, review observational and intervention studies of the effects of circadian-rhythm–restoring factors on medical outcomes, and identify needed key trials of circadian interventions in the critically ill. Data Sources:MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, Google Scholar through December 2014. Study Selection:Articles relevant to circadian rhythms, melatonin, and light in the critically ill were selected. Data Extraction and Data Synthesis:Articles were synthesized for this review of circadian arrhythmia and the use of circadian-rhythm–restoring interventions among the critically ill. Conclusions:Circadian disruption often demonstrates serial degradation: initially, the amplitude attenuates along with delayed circadian phase. With increasing acuity of illness, circadian rhythmicity may be lost entirely. Causes of chronodisruption may be environmental or internal to the patient. In particular, inadequate daytime illumination and nocturnal light pollution disrupt healthy circadian periodicity. Internal causes of circadian arrhythmia include critical illness itself and subjective experience of distress and pain. Observational studies of windowed rooms and real-time ambient lighting have found that physiologic light-dark patterns may support recovery from critical illness. Studies of early morning bright light or evening melatonin agonists have found improved rates of delirium, enhanced sleep, and lower arrhythmia prevalence. The current evidence base emphasizes that lighting and melatoninergic interventions deserve to be tested in full-scale trials.
Large Artery Atherosclerosis: Carotid Stenosis, Vertebral Artery Disease, and Intracranial Atherosclerosis

Purpose of Review: Large artery atherosclerosis is an important cause of ischemic stroke. Recent randomized clinical trials have helped clarify the treatment options for conditions such as carotid stenosis and intracranial atherosclerosis. This review outlines the primary findings of these trials and provides current recommendations for treatment. Recent Findings: Carotid revascularization is preferred in patients with severe symptomatic carotid stenosis. Carotid endarterectomy achieves lower rates of stroke or death than carotid artery stenting. The risk of stroke or death with stenting is higher among older patients and women. Intensive medical therapy achieves low stroke and death rates in asymptomatic stenosis. Medical therapy and treatment of atherosclerotic risk factors are the mainstay of therapy for intracranial atherosclerosis, and medical therapy is recommended for patients with vertebral artery origin atherosclerosis. Summary: Contemporary medical therapy is paramount in large artery atherosclerosis. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and the periprocedural risks of stroke and death should be carefully weighed while choosing a revascularization procedure for carotid stenosis.
Multiple-Layer Power Allocation for Two-User Gaussian Interference Channel

Interference has been a key challenge to wireless networks. As a fundamental transmission unit, the Gaussian interference channel (GIC) provides much insight on understanding the optimal transmission policy and the transmission limit over wireless networks. This paper investigates the multiple-layer power allocation of GIC that maximizes the system sum-rate. First, we derive the optimal signal-layer power allocation and the corresponding sum-rate in closed form for all cases of weak interference GIC based on the rate splitting scheme. Theoretical result indicates that: 1) In low power and asymmetric power regimes, the rate splitting scheme degrades to the pure public or private message transmission at transmitters and simple successive decoding process is efficient enough at receivers and 2) the signal-layer sum-rate is not concave for weak interference GIC and a frequency division scheme brings strict positive sum-rate gain for some power constraints. Second, we specify the relationship between the optimal bandwidth-power allocation of the frequency division scheme and the concave envelope of signal-layer sum-rate in the subband-layer. Finally, considering general GIC with time-varying flat fading, we present an optimal channel-state-layer power allocation associated with rate splitting and frequency division. Numerical results demonstrate that the comprehensive power allocation over the signal-layer, the frequency subbands, and the channel states can largely increase the sum-rate of weak interference GIC in most scenarios.
Venous thromboembolism and bleeding in a community setting

Summary Bleeding is the most frequent complication of antithrombotic therapy for venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, little attention has been paid to the impact of bleeding after VTE in the community setting. The purpose of this investigation was to describe the incidence rate of bleeding after VTE, to characterize patients most at risk for bleeding, and to assess the impact of bleeding on rates of recurrent VTE and all-cause mortality. The medical records of residents of the Worcester (MA, USA) metropolitan area diagnosed with ICD-9 codes consistent with potential VTE during 1999, 2001, and 2003 were individually validated and reviewed by trained data abstracters. Clinical characteristics, acute treatment, and outcomes (including VTE recurrence rates, bleeding rates, and mortality) over follow-up (up to 3 years maximum) were evaluated. Bleeding occurred in 228 (12%) of 1,897 patients with VTE during our follow-up. Of these, 115 (58.8%) had evidence of early bleeding occurring within 30 days of VTE diagnosis. Patient characteristics associated with bleeding included impaired renal function and recent trauma. Other than a history of prior VTE, the occurrence of bleeding was the strongest predictor of recurrent VTE (hazard ratio [HR] 2.18; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.54–3.09) and was also a predictor of total mortality (HR 1.97; 95%CI 1.57–2.47). The occur-rence of bleeding following VTE is associated with an increased risk of recurrent VTE and mortality. Future study of antithrombotic strategies for VTE should be informed by this finding. Advances that result in decreased bleeding rates may paradoxically decrease the risk of VTE recurrence.
Towards the Automatic Learning of Ontologies

This paper proposes a methodology for the automatic learning of ontologies from a text corpus. The concepts (topics) from documents into the corpus are identified by using the Latent Dirichlet Allocation model. Based on theset of identified topics, for each concept it is constructed its taxonomy by using the terms with greater probability which contribute to define it. WordNet is usedin the construction of these partial topic taxonomies by obtaining the similarity and relatedness between the terms that constitute each topic. The resulting taxonomies are joined to structure the final ontology. The methodology is evaluated with the Lonely Planet corpus.
Dependence of nucleic acid degradation on in situ free-radical production by adriamycin.

Adriamycin (Adr) is one of the most powerful antitumor drugs. Its therapeutic effect may be due to its cyclic reduction-oxidation and, thus, generation of oxygen radicals. Using the spin-trap 5,5'-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) and EPR we have demonstrated that in an enzymatic system consisting of NADPH, NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, and Fe(EDTA)2 Adr stimulates formation of . OH radicals in the presence of DNA or RNA with equal efficiency. Incubation of nucleic acids in the Adr-dependent reaction generating . OH radicals resulted in extensive degradation of double- and single-stranded DNA, but did not effect RNA. In contrast, both DNA and RNA were effectively destroyed in a footprinting system, ascorbate-Fe(EDTA)2-H2O2, which generates . OH radicals in massive quantities. Fluorescence assays indicated that Adr forms stable complexes with ds- and ss-DNA but reacts only slightly with RNA. We conclude that the formation of Adr-nucleic acid complex is necessary for . OH radical-mediated cleavage of the latter, and thus, Adr may be regarded as a chemical nuclease acting in situ.
Jointly optimal time segmentation, component selection and quantization for sinusoidal coding of audio and speech

We propose a rate-distortion optimal algorithm for sinusoidal modeling of audio and speech. The algorithm determines, for a pre-specified target bit-rate, the optimal (variable-length) time segmentation, the optimal distribution of sinusoidal components over the segments and the optimal (scalar) quantizers for quantizing the sinusoid parameters. The optimization is done by jointly optimizing the segment lengths, number of sinusoids and quantizers using high-resolution quantization theory and dynamic programming techniques, which makes it possible to solve the algorithm in polynomial time. A particular advantage of the proposed method is that, given a target bit-rate, it solves the problem of finding the optimal balance between total number of sinusoids and number of bits per sinusoid.
Attenuation of Cardiovascular Responses to Direct Laryngoscopy and Intubation-A Comparative Study Between iv Bolus Fentanyl, Lignocaine and Placebo(NS).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation is invariably associated with a reflex sympathetic pressor response resulting in elevated heart rate and blood pressures. This may prove detrimental in high risk patients. Objective of this study is to compare the effects of lignocaine and fentanyl in attenuation of this pressor response to laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation. METHODS Seventy five ASA I and II status normotensive patients scheduled for elective surgical procedures were selected randomly and divided into three groups of 25 each. All patients received premedication with pentazocine 0.05mg/kg i.v. , atropine 0.01mg/ kg intramuscularly and midazolam 0.01mg/kg i.v. half an hour prior to induction. Induction of anesthesia was standardized for all patients who received, thiopentone 5 mg/kg i.v. and and were relaxed with succinylcholine 2mg/kg i.v. The first group received fentanyl 4micrograms/kg i.v bolus, the second group received lignocaine 1.5mg i.v bolus and then third group received placebo (normal saline), 5 minutes before laryngoscopy and intubation. HR, systolic, diastolic blood pressure were recorded noninvasively one day priorly B, Before induction 0 postinduction, 1,2,3,4 and 5 minutes from the onset of laryngoscopy. RESULTS After intubation incidence of tachycardia (HR>100/min) was significantly greater in placebo and lignocaine group than in fentanyl group (p<0.05). Rise in SBP and DBP were also statistically significant in placebo and lignocaine group than in fentanyl group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION Attenuation of pressor response is seen both with lignocaine and fentanyl. Of the two drugs fentanyl 4mgicrogram i.v. bolus provides a consistent, reliable and effective attenuation as compared to lignocaine 1.5mg/kg iv. bolus.
Requirement of heat-labile cytoplasmic protein factors for posttranslational translocation of OmpA protein precursors into Escherichia coli membrane vesicles

The involvement of possible cytoplasmic factors in ATP-dependent postttranslational translocation of proteins into Escherichia coli membrane vesicles was examined. The precursor of OmpA protein was partially purified by DEAE-cellulose chromatography, and its translocation was found to require material from the soluble cytoplasmic fraction. The fractionated active cytoplasmic translocation factor (CTF) was protease sensitive, micrococcal nuclease insensitive, N-ethylmaleimide resistant, and heat labile. The heat sensitivity of the CTF allowed its specific and preferential inactivation in the crude-precursor synthesis mixture, which provided a simple and rapid assay procedure for the factor during purification. Two active fractions were detected upon further fractionation: the major one was about 8S in sucrose gradient centrifugation and 120 kilodaltons by Sephadex filtration, whereas the other was about 4S and 60 kilodaltons in sucrose gradient centrifugation and by Sephadex filtration, respectively. The active fractions could also be fractionated by DEAE-Sepharose chromatography. These CTFs are apparently different from the previously reported 12S export factor (M. Muller and G. Blobel, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81:7737-7741, 1984).