Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Analgesic Efficacy of Patient-Controlled Bupivacaine Wound Instillation After Total Abdominal Hysterectomy with Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy

To assess the effect of local anesthetic wound instillation on visceral and somatic pain, we studied 36 patients undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. A standard general anesthetic was administered. On completion of the operation, a multiorifice 20-gauge epidural catheter was placed above the superficial abdominal fascia such that the tip was at the midpoint of the surgical wound. After surgery, either bupivacaine 0.25% (Bupivacaine group) or sterile water (Control group) was administered via a patient-controlled analgesia device programmed to deliver 9.0 mL with a 60-min lockout interval. During the first 6 h after surgery, rescue IV morphine (2 mg) was administered every 10 min until a visual analog scale score of <30 mm was achieved. Thereafter, on patient request, rescue meperidine 1 mg/kg IM was administered. When compared with the Control group, significantly (P < 0.001) less rescue analgesia was administered to patients in the Bupivacaine group. Rescue morphine administered during the first 6 h after surgery was 6 ± 4 mg versus 12 ± 6 mg (P < 0.001) for the Bupivacaine and Control groups, respectively. Rescue meperidine administered was 29 ± 37 mg versus 95 ± 36 mg (P < 0.001) for the Bupivacaine and Control groups, respectively. Nausea and antiemetic drug administration was significantly (P = 0.003) less in the Bupivacaine group. Pain scores were similar between the groups. Patient satisfaction was significantly (P = 0.04) more in the Bupivacaine group. We conclude that bupivacaine wound instillation decreases opioid requirements and nausea in the first 24 h after total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy.
Effects of plaque, psychological stress and gender on crevicular Il-1beta and Il-1ra secretion.

OBJECTIVES The study aimed to analyse (a) whether the effects of psychological stress and of experimental gingivitis on interleukin-1beta (Il-1beta) described before are compensated by concomitant increases in Il-1 receptor antagonist (Il-1ra), and (b) whether there do exist any gender differences in the Il-1 responses to experimental gingivitis and to psychological stress. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirteen medical students participating in a major academic exam (seven males, six females) and 14 medical students without academic stress (eight males, six females) refrained from oral hygiene in two antagonistic quadrants for 28 days (plaque) while they maintained oral hygiene in the remaining quadrants (hygiene). Weekly crevicular fluid samples of plaque and hygiene sites were assayed for Il-1beta and Il-1ra. RESULTS Neither stress nor experimental gingivitis exerted significant effects on Il-1ra. In controls, we observed significant gender and gender x time effects on Il-1beta; comparing stress groups, gender x time and stress x gender x time interactions became significant. Women show a reduced Il-1beta response to plaque at rest and an increased response under stress. Similar results were found with respect to bleeding on probing. CONCLUSIONS Gender must be controlled in studies on periodontal responses to pathogens. Stress plays a role in these responses.
The terminal a sequence of the herpes simplex virus genome contains the promoter of a gene located in the repeat sequences of the L component

The herpes simplex virus DNA genome consists of two covalently linked components, L and S. The unique sequences of the L component are flanked by 9-kilobase-pair inverted repeat sequences ab and b'a', whereas those of the S component are flanked by 6.5-kilobase-pair inverted repeat sequences c'a' and ca. We report that the 500-base-pair a sequence contains the promoter-regulatory domain and the transcription initiation site of a diploid gene, the coding sequences of which are located in the b sequences of the inverted repeats of the L component. The chimeric gene constructed by fusion of the a sequence to the coding sequences of the thymidine kinase gene and recombined into the viral genome was regulated as a gamma 1 gene. The size of the protein predicted from its sequence is 358 amino acids; it was designated as infected cell protein (ICP) 34.5. Thus, the inverted repeats flanking the unique sequences of the L component contain two genes specifying ICP0 and ICP34.5, respectively. Moreover, in addition to the cis-acting sites for the inversion of L and S components relative to each other, for cleavage of unit length DNA molecules from head-to-tail concatemers, and for packaging of the DNA into capsids, the a sequence also contains the promoter-regulatory domain and transcription initiation sites of a gene.
Prescribed Performance Control of Uncertain Euler–Lagrange Systems Subject to Full-State Constraints

This paper studies the zero-error tracking control problem of Euler-Lagrange systems subject to full-state constraints and nonparametric uncertainties. By blending an error transformation with barrier Lyapunov function, a neural adaptive tracking control scheme is developed, resulting in a solution with several salient features: 1) the control action is continuous and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathscr C^{1}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> smooth; 2) the full-state tracking error converges to a prescribed compact set around origin within a given finite time at a controllable rate of convergence that can be uniformly prespecified; 3) with Nussbaum gain in the loop, the tracking error further shrinks to zero as <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$t\to \infty $ </tex-math></inline-formula>; and 4) the neural network (NN) unit can be safely included in the loop during the entire system operational envelope without the danger of violating the compact set precondition imposed on the NN training inputs. Furthermore, by using the Lyapunov analysis, it is proven that all the signals of the closed-loop systems are semiglobally uniformly ultimately bounded. The effectiveness and benefits of the proposed control method are validated via computer simulation.
The 74-Kilodalton Immunodominant Antigen of the Pathogenic Oomycete Pythium insidiosum Is a Putative Exo-1,3-ß-Glucanase

ABSTRACT The oomycetous, fungus-like, aquatic organism Pythium insidiosum is the causative agent of pythiosis, a life-threatening infectious disease of humans and animals living in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Common sites of infection are the arteries, eyes, cutaneous/subcutaneous tissues, and gastrointestinal tract. Diagnosis of pythiosis is time-consuming and difficult. Radical excision of the infected organs is the main treatment for pythiosis because conventional antifungal drugs are ineffective. An immunotherapeutic vaccine prepared from P. insidiosum crude extract showed limited efficacy in the treatment of pythiosis patients. Many pythiosis patients suffer lifelong disabilities or die from an advanced infection. Recently, we identified a 74-kDa major immunodominant antigen of P. insidiosum which could be a target for development of a more effective serodiagnostic test and vaccines. Mass spectrometric analysis identified two peptides of the 74-kDa antigen (s74-1 and s74-2) which perfectly matched a putative exo-1,3-ß-glucanase (EXO1) of Phytophthora infestans. Using degenerate primers derived from these peptides, a 1.1-kb product was produced by PCR, and its sequence was found to be homologous to that of the P. infestans exo-1,3-ß-glucanase gene, EXO1. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays targeting the s74-1 and s74-2 synthetic peptides demonstrated that the 74-kDa antigen was highly immunoreactive with pythiosis sera but not with control sera. Phylogenetic analysis using part of the 74-kDa protein-coding sequence divided 22 Thai isolates of P. insidiosum into two clades. Further characterization of the putative P. insidiosum glucanase could lead to new diagnostic tests and to antimicrobial agents and vaccines for the prevention and management of the serious and life-threatening disease of pythiosis.
The role of protein ubiquitination in neurodegenerative disease.

Ubiquitin immunocytochemistry with an antiserum which reacts with ubiquitin-protein conjugates demonstrates the presence of ubiquitinated proteins in filamentous inclusions found in neurones in the major human neurodegenerative diseases, i.e. Alzheimer's disease, diffuse Lewy body disease, motor neurone disease. Ubiquitin immunohistochemistry has revolutionized the neuropathological diagnosis of dementia showing that diffuse Lewy body disease is not, as previously supposed, a rare cause of dementia. The filamentous inclusions in neurones in the human neurodegenerative diseases can be divided into at least two types based on recent immunocytochemical studies. We have shown that a ubiquitin-carboxyl terminal hydrolase is present in Lewy bodies but not in neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease. This observation is significant since it indicates that molecular pathological mechanisms in neurones in diffuse Lewy body disease are fundamentally different to Alzheimer's disease. Ubiquitin-protein conjugates are also found in vacuoles in areas of granulovacuolar degeneration in hippocampal neurones in Alzheimer's disease and in granulovacuoles in neurones of scrapie infected mouse brain. These locations suggest that ubiquitinated protein are present in the lysosome-related system of neurones. We have recently shown that ubiquitin-protein conjugates are indeed enriched some 12-fold in the lysosomes of normal fibroblasts and lymphocytes.
Global levels of histone modifications predict prostate cancer recurrence

Epigenetic alterations such as DNA methylation and histone modifications play important roles in carcinogenesis. It was reported that global histone modification patterns are predictors of cancer recurrence in various tumor entities. Our study was performed to evaluate histone lysine (HxKy) and histone acetyl (HxAc) modifications in prostate tissue.
Periodontal disease and stroke: a meta‐analysis of cohort studies

This review aimed to determine the association between periodontal disease and stroke incidence by a meta‐analysis of cohort studies. Cohort studies that evaluated the incidence of stroke (fatal or non‐fatal, ischaemic or haemorrhagic) and baseline periodontal status and calculated relative risk values were included. The quality of the included studies was assessed using an evaluation grid. The analyses were conducted separately for three outcomes: periodontitis, gingivitis and loss of teeth. Adjusted values of relative risk or of hazard ratio were used to assess risk values in each study. Random effects meta‐analyses were conducted when data could be pooled. From the 743 references retrieved, only nine cohort studies were suitable for inclusion in this review. Quality scores of the studies varied greatly. Three prospective studies, which used reliable indicators of periodontal disease, obtained the highest scores. Conversely, three studies that used a subjective evaluation of stroke incidence or diagnosed stroke without imaging obtained the lowest score. The results of the meta‐analyses varied depending on the outcome considered and the type of stroke. The risk of stroke was significantly increased by the presence of periodontitis [relative risk 1.63 (1.25, 2.00)]. Tooth loss was also a risk factor for stroke [relative risk 1.39 (1.13, 1.65)]. The risk of stroke did not vary significantly with the presence of gingivitis. This review shows that periodontitis and tooth loss are associated with the occurrence of stroke.
Hydrogen peroxide scavenger, catalase, alleviates ion transport dysfunction in murine colitis

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) contribute to epithelial damage and ion transport dysfunction (key events in inflammatory diarrhoea) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this study was to identify if H2O2 mediates suppression of colonic ion transport function in the murine dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) colitis model by using the H2O2 degrading enzyme, catalase. Colitis was induced by administering DSS (4%) in drinking water for 5 days followed by 3 days on normal H2O. Mice were administered either pegylated catalase or saline at day −1, 0 and +1 of DSS treatment. Ion transport responses to the Ca2+‐dependent agonist, carbachol (CCh), or the cAMP‐dependent agonist, forskolin, were measured across distal colonic mucosa mounted in Ussing chambers. Parameters of DSS‐induced inflammation (loss in body weight, decreased colon length, altered stool consistency), were only partially alleviated by catalase while histology was only minimally improved. However, catalase significantly reversed the DSS‐induced reduction in baseline ion transport as well as colonic Isc responses to CCh. However, ion transport responses to forskolin were not significantly restored. Catalase also reduced activation of ERK MAP kinase in the setting of colitis, and increased expression of the Na+‐K+‐2Cl− cotransporter, NKCC1, consistent with restoration of ion transport function. Ex vivo treatment of inflamed colonic mucosae with catalase also partially restored ion transport function. Therefore, catalase partially prevents, and rescues, the loss of ion transport properties in DSS colitis even in the setting of unresolved tissue inflammation. These findings indicate a prominent role for ROS in ion transport dysfunction in colitis and may suggest novel strategies for the treatment of inflammatory diarrhoea.
Quantitative analysis of receptor allosterism and its implication for drug discovery

Introduction: G protein-coupled receptors represent the largest class of druggable targets and are known to be modulated by both orthosteric agonists and positive/negative allosteric modulators (PAMs/NAMs). Proper experimental design and data analysis for the dose matrix between an agonist and PAM or NAM are critical to elucidate the key parameters for understanding molecular mechanism and structure–activity relationship (SAR) in drug discovery. Areas covered: The authors provide an overview and best practice recommendations on the quantitative analysis of receptor allosterism. The authors propose a simple classification system for receptor modulators on the basis of their efficacy and affinity modifiers. The authors also outline the optimal assay designs for both fixed dose screening and dose matrix study of receptor modulators. Expert opinion: The authors recommend the global curve fitting approach to reliably yield system- and modulator-specific parameters for SAR ranking. Furthermore, the authors suggest that the uncertainty in maximal system response has insignificant impact on SAR ranking. The authors anticipate that systems pharmacology models integrating both binding kinetics and functional allosterism will be needed to address the inherent limitations of current allosterism models.
Innovation Policy in a Networked World

Social relationships channel information, influence, and access to scarce resources. As a consequence, social networks—the patterns of these relationships across the members of a community—influence who comes up with important innovations, whether and how rapidly those innovations get adopted, and who has the ability to commercialize them. They therefore also affect the overall rate at which innovation occurs in the economy. This paper provides an introduction to and review of the research on social networks most relevant to innovation, with a particular focus on the earliest stages of the innovation process. It then discusses the likely consequences of a variety of policy interventions that could either reduce the importance of social relationships to innovation or alter the patterns of relationships in ways that might promote innovation.
3An authenticated key transport protocol using symmetric encryption

Key transport protocols are useful to convey the secrete key or session key from one party to another party. These protocols play an important role in key distribution systems if they do not require any priori key sharing. Shamir's No-key protocol is the best example of it; but it does not provide an authentication. In this paper we propose an authenticated key transport protocol based on Shamir's No-key protocol, which provides an authentication as well as key conformation. Proposed protocol can be used to distribute the shares in secrete sharing schemes or to distribute secrete keys to the user.
The emotional ramifications of unmet need in dementia caregiving

Using a unique measure of unmet need that taps into several dimensions of informal long-term care, the present study included data from 694 informal caregivers of persons suffering from dementia at different times in the caregiving career (e.g., at home, following institutionalization, following the death of the care recipient). Multivariate regression models found that unmet need for either confidante or formal support had key implications for caregivers’ emotional distress in each of the care situations. The findings suggest that conceptual models should incorporate unmet need as a viable predictor of caregiving outcomes and that assessment of unmet need may provide guidance in the development of more refined psychosocial and community-based intervention protocols.
Farming and education : an interview project advocating for farm-based education

Farming and Education: An Interview Project Advocating for Farm-Based Education by Rebekah Mindel Early Childhood General Education Submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the Master of Science in Early Childhood Education Bank Street College of Education February 2014 This thesis is meant to inspire educators to value farm-based education in which farming and education come together in experiential, inquiry-based learning. This work defines and outlines farm-based education and its benefit to students and addresses the need for farm-based education. The benefits of farm-based education are revealed in interviews with three farmers and farm educators from two different farm and educational organizations in New York, research into other farm-based educational sites, and the personal experiences of the author. The author views farm-based education primarily from the theoretical perspectives of Erik Erikson, John Dewey, and Richard Louv; however, I have incorporated other advocates and practitioners as well.
Inhibition of Nuclear Translocation of Transcription Factor NF-κB by a Synthetic Peptide Containing a Cell Membrane-permeable Motif and Nuclear Localization Sequence (*)

To control agonist-induced nuclear translocation of transcription factor κB (NF-κB) in intact cells, cell-permeable synthetic peptides were devised. Their import into intact cells was dependent on a hydrophobic region selected from the signal peptide sequences and was verified by their inaccessibility to extracellular proteases and by confocal laser scanning microscopy. When a cell-permeable peptide carried a functional cargo representing the nuclear localization sequence of NF-κB p50, it inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner nuclear translocation of NF-κB in cultured endothelial and monocytic cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide or tumor necrosis factor-α. Synthetic peptide analogues with deleted hydrophobic cell membrane-permeable motif or with a mutated nuclear localization sequence were inactive. Cell membrane-permeable peptides were not cytotoxic within the concentration range used in these experiments. These results suggest that cell-permeable synthetic peptides carrying a functional cargo can be applied to control signal transduction-dependent subcellular traffic of transcription factors mediating the cellular responses to different agonists. Moreover, this approach can be used to study other intracellular processes involving proteins with functionally distinct domains.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gag-pol frameshifting is dependent on downstream mRNA secondary structure: demonstration by expression in vivo

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag-Pol fusion polyprotein is produced via ribosomal frameshifting. Previous studies in vitro and in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have argued against a significant role for RNA secondary structure 3' of the shift site, in contrast with other systems, in which such structure has been shown to be required. Here we show, by expressing the HIV-1 gag-pol domain in cultured vertebrate cells, that a stem-loop structure 3' of the HIV-1 shift site is indeed important for wild-type levels of frameshifting in vivo.
Direct adaptive fuzzy PI sliding mode control for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems

A stable direct adaptive fuzzy PI sliding mode controller for a class of nonlinear uncertain systems is investigated. The proposed method is robust in the presence of uncertainties and bounded external disturbances. Considering other existing approaches of handling external disturbances, the proposed approach does not need a bound to be known; only requiring that it exists. Moreover, the PI control structure is used for attenuating chattering problem. The approach is applied to a nonlinear system as well as a chaotic nonlinear system via significant disturbances. Analysis of simulations reveals the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Intrinsically Radioactive [64Cu]CuInS/ZnS Quantum Dots for PET and Optical Imaging: Improved Radiochemical Stability and Controllable Cerenkov Luminescence

Functionalized quantum dots (QDs) have been widely explored for multimodality bioimaging and proven to be versatile agents. Attaching positron-emitting radioisotopes onto QDs not only endows their positron emission tomography (PET) functionality, but also results in self-illuminating QDs, with no need for an external light source, by Cerenkov resonance energy transfer (CRET). Traditional chelation methods have been used to incorporate the radionuclide, but these methods are compromised by the potential for loss of radionuclide due to cleavage of the linker between particle and chelator, decomplexation of the metal, and possible altered pharmacokinetics of nanomaterials. Herein, we described a straightforward synthesis of intrinsically radioactive [64Cu]CuInS/ZnS QDs by directly incorporating 64Cu into CuInS/ZnS nanostructure with 64CuCl2 as synthesis precursor. The [64Cu]CuInS/ZnS QDs demonstrated excellent radiochemical stability with less than 3% free 64Cu detected even after exposure to serum containing EDTA (5 mM) for 24 h. PEGylation can be achieved in situ during synthesis, and the PEGylated radioactive QDs showed high tumor uptake (10.8% ID/g) in a U87MG mouse xenograft model. CRET efficiency was studied as a function of concentration and 64Cu radioactivity concentration. These [64Cu]CuInS/ZnS QDs were successfully applied as an efficient PET/self-illuminating luminescence in vivo imaging agents.
Manifestation of speech and language disorders in children with hearing impairment compared with children with specific language disorders

Abstract Children with hearing impairment (HI) often suffer from speech and language disorders. We wondered if the manifestation of these disorders resembled the ones in children with specific language impairment (SLI). Using matched pairs, we compared the manifestation of a speech and language disorder in 5- and 6-year-old children with HI and SLI. We looked at receptive language skills using the Reynell scales, the lexicon, syntax and morphology, output phonology, and phonological short-term memory. Receptive language skills were more impaired in HI children. No significant differences were recorded for all other domains. We conclude that language deficits that are at least partially caused by the hearing impairment affect receptive language skills to a greater extent than expressive language skills.