Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanical properties of human coronary arteries

The lack of reliable mechanical data on coronary arteries and, more specifically, on their wall strength hampers the application of numerical models and simulations to vascular problems, and precludes physicians from knowing in advance the response of coronary arteries to the different interventions. Studies of the mechanical properties of coronary arteries have been carried out almost exclusively on animals. Only a few studies have tried to characterize the in vivo behavior of human coronaries through tests under physiological conditions. In this work, the mechanical properties of human coronary arteries have been characterized. Whole samples from human right (RC) and left anterior descending (LAD) coronary arteries aged between 23 and 83 years have been studied by means of in-vitro tensile testing up to failure.
Tolerance and Loss of Beneficial Effect During Migraine Prophylaxis: Clinical Considerations

A familiar situation in migraine treatment is the patient with an initial positive response to prophylactic drug therapy who later experiences relapse. The goals of this paper are to provide a theoretical framework to help doctors think about this problem, to evaluate factors and response patterns that may be associated with different causes of relapse, and to suggest clinical strategies that may aid in its management. Six key explanations for loss of benefit from prophylactic therapy are: (1) pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and behavioral drug tolerance; (2) non‐specific or placebo effects; (3) natural variability in disease activity; (4) disease progression; (5) inaccurate recall of treatment effects; and (6) drug delivery problems. Current options for patients who experience loss of benefit from prophylactic therapy include traditional techniques such as switching, re‐trying, rotating, or combining drugs. Selected behavioral and environmental treatment techniques might also be useful. We describe a practical, structured approach to evaluation and management of relapse with migraine prophylaxis.
The Leaders and the Challenge being a Hero through the Catastrophes: How the Media Question the Powerful Politicians to be a Savior to Handle the Crisis whilst Ignoring Others

The catastrophic storms, tempests, hurricanes, earthquakes that had battered many countries during 2017 attract many international media to focus on how the politician acted and handle up the aftermath. Many of them were very interested to scrutinize on how president Trumps reacted and cope with the victims through the crisis. At the same time, the terrible disaster occurred in other countries. In a contrary, the media report less than what happened in United States. From January until September 2017, the study has been conducted to frame the global reports of disasters in two well known media. However, the study revealed that it was not only in a powerful country that the media question about the leaders’ action. The study also found the same pattern that local leaders were also to be the next aim of person in charge as well. The connection of the symbol of hero and patriarchal order refers to many media paradigm to tell the story. The results lead to a representation of a satire-philosophic conclusion that it is beyond the heroic myths of powerful man who narrates dangerous risks and combat fatal disaster, catastrophe and crisis. Keywords—politicians heroic action, patriarchal order, media risk narratives, catastrophe, satire-philosophy, positioning and
Pain in Canadian NICUs: Have We Improved Over the Past 12 Years?

ObjectivesTo determine the incidence of and factors predicting management strategies used for procedural pain in Canadian neonatal intensive care units and to determine whether the incidence of procedures and their management has changed since our 1997 study. PatientsFive hundred eighty-two neonates who were hospitalized in any of the participating study centers were included. MethodsA prospective observational study was conducted in 14 Canadian neonatal intensive care units (level III A and III B). Infants were followed for 1 week regarding all invasive procedures. Data were collected prospectively by unit staff using a checklist and verified by research assistants. ResultsA total of 3508 tissue damaging (mean=5.8, SD=15) and 14,085 (mean=25.6, SD=15) nontissue damaging procedures were recorded. Half of procedures (46% tissue damaging and 57% nontissue damaging) had no analgesic interventions. Opiates were used for 14.5% of tissue-damaging procedures and sweet taste was used for 14.3% of the tissue-damaging procedures. Factors predicting use of pharmacologic management of tissue-damaging procedures were being less ill at birth, receiving high frequency ventilatory support, and being transferred to the study center. Parental presence predicted use of sweet taste or nonpharmacologic analgesia for tissue-damaging procedures. Study site practices varied widely with 1 unit providing analgesia for 90% of tissue-damaging procedures. InterpretationAlthough the number of tissue-damaging procedures has decreased from 1997 and the use of analgesics has increased, the management of these procedures falls far below the recommended guidelines of the Canadian Pediatric Society. That 1 unit reached a high level of analgesic use suggests that it is possible to achieve this goal. That parental presence had a positive influence on comfort strategies supports offering encouragement and support for parents to remain with their infant during procedures.
Five-Year Incidence and Progression of Hearing Impairment in an Older Population

Objectives: There are few epidemiological surveys that have examined age-related hearing loss in an older Australian population. This study reports the prevalence, 5-yr incidence, and progression of hearing impairment in a representative sample of older persons. Design: The Blue Mountains Hearing Study (BMHS) is a population-based survey of age-related hearing loss conducted among participants of the Blue Mountains Eye Study cohort. During the period 1997–1999, 2956 had audiometric testing done. Of these, 870 participants without hearing loss and 439 with hearing loss were re-examined from 2002 to 2004. Results: Some degree of hearing loss was present in 33.0% of this population at baseline. Prevalence of hearing loss increased with age, sex-adjusted (odds ratio [OR] 3.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.1–3.9), with men 70% more likely than women to have hearing loss. The 5-yr incidence of hearing impairment was 17.9%. For each decade of age older than 60 yrs, the risk of hearing loss increased threefold, OR 3.9 (CI 2.3–3.8). Gender was not associated with incident hearing loss OR. However, high occupational prestige was associated with decreased incidence of hearing loss OR 0.6 (CI 0.40–0.94). The 5-yr progression of hearing loss defined as a difference in pure-tone average that exceeded 10 dB was relatively high (15.7%). At the baseline hearing study and at the 5-yr follow-up hearing study, 57.4% and 59.7% of hearing impaired subjects, respectively, reported using a hearing aid for a maximum of 5 yrs. Conclusions: Hearing loss was a frequent sensory disability, with one in three persons having a hearing impairment, and of these, almost one in two showing a decline in hearing over a 5-yr period. This information can potentially contribute to the planning and resource investment in auditory rehabilitation services for older Australians.
Computerized Quantification of Joint Space Narrowing and Periarticular Demineralization in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Based on Digital X-Ray Radiogrammetry

Objectives:The aim of our work was to evaluate digital x-ray radiogrammetry (DXR) for the quantification of disease-related periarticular demineralization and computerized analysis of joint space distances (JSDA) for the measurement of joint space narrowing as a new diagnostic method for the early detection of joint-associated alterations and for monitoring disease progression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Materials and Methods:Digital radiographs in 313 patients with varying severity of RA were performed annually and assessed by 2 radiologists using modified Larsen and also the Sharp scores within an observation period of 3 years. The hand radiographs underwent measurements of bone mineral density (BMD) and metacarpal index (MCI) by DXR, as well as computerized JSDA at the metacarpal-phalangeal articulation (JSD-MCP) for a cross-sectional and longitudinal study design. Results:Both DXR-BMD (−29.6%; P < 0.01) and DXR-MCI (−31.0%; P < 0.01) revealed a notable reduction dependent on the severity of RA (from grade 1 to grade 5 of the modified Larsen score); the severity dependent decrease of mean JSD-MCP ranged from –31.9% (P < 0.01; Sharp erosion part) to −39.1% (P < 0.01) for the modified Larsen score. Over an observation period of 3 years, a significant decrease of DXR-BMD (−22.3%) and DXR-MCI (−23.3%) as well as JSD-MCP mean (−17.5%) was observed (P < 0.05), whereas an accentuated decline of DXR and JSDA parameters was verified for patients without disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or methotrexate therapy. Conclusion:Computerized analysis of hand radiographs by DXR and JSDA is a promising approach to assess the severity and to monitor the progression of RA because DXR and JSDA are timely able to measure periarticular demineralization and also narrowing of JSD-MCP dependent on the severity, the medical treatment and the course of RA.
Valuation Disputes in Corporate Bankruptcy

Prior scholarship points to valuation disputes and valuation error as key drivers of Chapter 11 outcomes. Avoiding valuation disputes and errors is also the underlying driver of most proposed reforms, from Baird’s auctions to Bebchuk’s options. In this paper, we undertake a detailed examination of bankruptcy court opinions involving valuation disputes. Our paper has two goals. The first is to understand how parties and their expert witnesses justify their opposing views to judges, and how judges decide between them. The second is to provide practical guidance to judges in resolving valuation disputes. We document surprisingly pervasive (and often self-serving) errors in expert testimony. This is particularly true when valuation experts apply the discounted cash flow (DCF) method. With respect to key elements of that method, such as the discount rate, we observe stark inconsistency between expert testimony and finance theory and evidence. We propose simple strategies based in finance theory that judges can employ (such as avoiding the use of company-specific risk premia in discount rates) to reduce the scope for valuation disagreements in Chapter 11. We also recommend that judges rely on the peer-reviewed finance and economics literature to assess the scientific reliability of discount rates.
Parkinson’s disease patients undershoot target size in handwriting and similar tasks

Objectives:Previous research suggested that people with Parkinson’s disease are able to increase handwriting stroke size up to 1.5 cm without an increase of stroke duration; whereas age matched individuals in normal health are able to modulate stroke size without changes in stroke duration for sizes up to 2 cm. This study was designed to test this finding by examining whether sizes larger than 1.5 cm show different relationships with stroke duration for patients with Parkinson’s disease as compared with age matched controls. Methods:The study included 13 subjects with Parkinson’s disease and 13 age matched controls. Participants were required to write a cursive “llllllll” pattern, or a cursive “lililili” pattern without the dots, at a comfortable speed and also as fast as possible, in five different sizes (1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, and 5.0 cm). The participants wrote with a ballpoint pen on a digitiser tablet. The target pattern was displayed at its required size on a screen, but disappeared as soon as the pen touched the surface of the digitiser tablet. Online visual monitoring of the hand was prevented by a cover over the digitiser. After each trial, the recorded movement of the tip of the pen was displayed with two lines to indicate whether the size requirement had been met. The writing conditions were presented in random order and consisted of 12 trials for each participant. Results:The results demonstrated that stroke size and duration produced by the participants with Parkinson’s disease were independently modulated up to 1.5 cm; sizes over 1.5 cm resulted in progressive undershooting by patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). It was also shown that these participants modulated acceleration measures inefficiently as compared with controls. Conclusions:The findings suggest that individuals with Parkinson’s disease writing at speed produce inadequate stroke sizes when these should equal or exceed 1.5 cm.
Synthesis and characterization of Poloxamer 188-grafted heparin copolymer

Background: Poloxamer 188 is a safe biocompatible polymer that can be used in protein drug delivery system. Aim: In this study, a new heparin–poloxamer 188 conjugate (HP) was synthesized and its physicochemical properties were investigated. HP structure was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR). Content of the conjugated heparin was analyzed using Toluidine Blue. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the copolymer was determined by a fluorescence probe technique. The effect of HP on the gelation of poloxamer 188 was characterized by the rheological properties of the HP–poloxamer hydrogels. Solubility and viscosity of HP were also evaluated compared with poloxamer 188. Results: From the results, the solubility of the conjugated heparin was increased compared with free heparin. The content of heparin in HP copolymer was 62.9%. The CMC of HP and poloxamer 188 were 0.483 and 0.743 mg/mL, respectively. The gelation temperature of 0.4 g/mL HP was 43.5°C, whereas that of the same concentration of poloxamer 188 was 37.3°C. With HP content in poloxamer 188 solution increasing, a V-shape change of gelation temperature was observed. Conclusion: Considering the importance of poloxamer 188 in functional material, HP may prove to be a facile temperature-sensitive material for protein drug-targeted therapy.
Acid-base and hormonal abnormalities in dogs with naturally occurring diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE To examine acid-base and hormonal abnormalities in dogs with diabetes mellitus. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. ANIMALS 48 dogs with diabetes mellitus and 17 healthy dogs. PROCEDURES Blood was collected and serum ketone, glucose, lactate, electrolytes, insulin, glucagon, cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, nonesterified fatty acid, and triglyceride concentrations were measured. Indicators of acid-base status were calculated and compared between groups. RESULTS Serum ketone and glucose concentrations were significantly higher in diabetic than in healthy dogs, but there was no difference in venous blood pH or base excess between groups. Anion gap and strong ion difference were significantly higher and strong ion gap and serum bicarbonate concentration were significantly lower in the diabetic dogs. There were significant linear relationships between measures of acid-base status and serum ketone concentration, but not between measures of acid-base status and serum lactate concentration. Serum insulin concentration did not differ significantly between groups, but diabetic dogs had a wider range of values. All diabetic dogs with a serum ketone concentration > 1,000 micromol/L had a serum insulin concentration < 5 microU/mL. There were strong relationships between serum ketone concentration and serum glucagon-insulin ratio, serum cortisol concentration, and plasma norepinephrine concentration. Serum beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration, expressed as a percentage of serum ketone concentration, decreased as serum ketone concentration increased. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that ketosis in diabetic dogs was related to the glucagon-insulin ratio with only low concentrations of insulin required to prevent ketosis. Acidosis in ketotic dogs was attributable largely to high serum ketone concentrations.
Severe idiopathic gastroparesis due to neuronal and interstitial cells of Cajal degeneration: pathological findings and management

Delayed gastric emptying can be due to muscular, neural, or humoral abnormalities. In the absence of an identified cause, gastroparesis is labelled as idiopathic. We present the case of a patient with severe idiopathic gastroparesis. Pharmacological approaches failed, as well as reduction in gastric emptying resistance with pyloric injection of botulinum toxin and pyloroplasty. Therefore, subtotal gastrectomy was performed. Histological and immunohistochemical study of the resected specimen showed hypoganglionosis, neuronal dysplasia, and a marked reduction in both myenteric and intramuscular interstitial cells of Cajal. To our knowledge, this is the first time these rare histological findings have been described in a patient with idiopathic gastroparesis.
Schoolhouse of Resistance: Critical Counterstories of Grassroots Organizers and Campus Change Agents in California Cultural Centers

Author(s): Ramirez, Marcela | Advisor(s): Comeaux, Eddie | Abstract: This case study centers the voices of cultural center professionals and uses historical and present day collective counterstories to unveil visible and invisible forms of resistance, tools and strategies for change, and the ways in which they foster interest convergence within their multiple spheres of influence to advocate for students of color and minoritized communities. Inspired by Critical Race Praxis for Educational Research this study also reveals institutional domains of dominance that perpetuate systemic racism, status-quo norms, status-quo stories, and race-neutral policies in higher education. The perpetual delegitimization of cultural centers, institutional disinvestment in professional development, systemic erasure of community histories of struggle and resistance, and institutional co-optation of diversity and equity labor, institutionally marginalizes the expertise and racial literacies of cultural center professionals in higher education, and pushes cultural centers to operate in silos. Despite these challenges, cultural center professionals often leverage relationships with student activists, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members to foster transformative changes in higher education.
Issues with Language Policy and Planning in Iranian Higher Education

In this study, we attempt to bring to light various organisational and implementational clashes relevant to the conceptualisation of language policies at national level, and the planning of local practices with regard to degree programmes, language journals and conferences in Iranian higher education. We also prove that in its current status, the ELT syllabus in Iran, both at national and local levels, is a mixture of English Language Teaching, Linguistics, and Applied Linguistics (a hotchpotch), which suffers from ‘regulatory barriers’. The paper asks for an in-depth language policy and planning (LPP) that would clarify the blurred boundaries between ELT, Applied Linguistics, and Linguistics in Iranian higher education. This paper recommends that there should be a change regarding language-in-education policy and planning in Iran; a change that would be able to address both theoretical and applied language problems at national and local levels. The attempt should begin with organising a clear and comprehensive language planning with regard to language programmes. This would mean carefully determining the scope and boundaries of the fields as ELT, Applied Linguistics, and Linguistics in the higher educational context. The subsequent challenge is to fix the problematic implementation of language programmes at the local level, considering language journals, conferences, and syllabuses. The findings presented in this work are useful for language policymakers to regulate language-in-education policy and planning in Iran.
Quantitative Analysis of Pc 4 Localization in Mouse Lymphoma (LY-R) Cells via Double-label Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy

Abstract Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a novel cancer therapy that uses light-activated drugs (photosensitizers) to destroy tumor tissue. Reactive oxygen species produced during PDT are thought to cause the destruction of tumor tissue. However, the precise mechanism of PDT is not completely understood. To provide insight into the in vitro mechanisms of PDT, we studied the subcellular localization of the photosensitizer HOSiPcOSi(CH3)2-(CH2)3N(CH3)2 (Pc 4) in mouse lymphoma (LY-R) cells using double-label confocal fluorescence microscopy. This technique allowed us to observe the relative distributions of Pc 4 and an organelle-specific dye within the same cell via two, spectrally distinct, fluorescence images. To quantify the localization of Pc 4 within different organelles, linear correlation coefficients from the fluorescence data of Pc 4 and the organelle-specific dyes were calculated. Using this measurement, the subcellular spatial distributions of Pc 4 could be successfully monitored over an 18 h period. At early times (0–1 h) after introduction of Pc 4 to LY-R cells, the dye was found in the mitochondria, lysosomes and Golgi apparatus, as well as other cytoplasmic membranes, but not in the plasma membrane or the nucleus. Over the next 2 h, there was some loss of Pc 4 from the lysosomes as shown by the correlation coefficients. After an additional incubation period of 2 h Pc 4 slowly increased its accumulation in the lysosomes. The highest correlation coefficient (0.65) was for Pc 4 and BODIPY-FL C5 ceramide, which targets the Golgi apparatus, and also binds to other cytoplasmic membranes. The correlation coefficient was also high (0.60) for Pc 4 and a mitochondria-targeting dye (Mitotracker Green FM). Both of these correlation coefficients were higher than that for Pc 4 with the lysosome-targeting dye (Lysotracker Green DND-26). The results suggest that Pc 4 binds preferentially and strongly to mitochondria and Golgi complexes.
The replacement of Lys620 by serine desensitizes Escherichia coli phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase to the effects of the feedback inhibitors L-aspartate and L-malate.

Chemical modification of Escherichia coli phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (P-pyruvate carboxylase) by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonate, a specific reagent for amino groups, causes desensitization to allosteric inhibitors, L-aspartate and L-malate, as well as inactivation. When L-malate is included in the modification mixture, P-pyruvate carboxylase was markedly protected from both desensitization and inactivation [Naide, A. , Izui, K. , Yoshinaga, T. & Katsuki, H. (1979) J. Biochem. (Tokyo) 85, 423-432]. To determine the lysine residue(s) involved in allosteric inhibition, the lysine residues that were protected from modification by L-malate were investigated by analyzing trinitrophenylated peptides liberated by digestion with glutamyl endopeptidase (V8-protease). The identified residues were Lys491, Lys620, Lys650, and Lys773. Each of these residues was individually replaced with an alanine or serine residue by site-directed mutagenesis to produce mutant enzymes. The mutant enzyme whose lysine residue was replaced with serine ([Ser620]P-pyruvate carboxylase) showed a marked desensitization to L-aspartate and L-malate, while retaining almost the same maximal catalytic activity as the wild-type P-pyruvate carboxylase. Essentially no changes in enzymatic properties were observed for the [Ala491]- and [Ala650]P-pyruvate carboxylases, while for the [Ala620]- and [Ala773]P-pyruvate carboxylases the polypeptides of the expected size were not significantly accumulated in the transformed E. coli cells, presumably due to intracellular degradation.