Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Blunt Trauma: Identification of Independent Risk Factors

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in trauma patients. Although many injuries and conditions are believed to be associated with ARDS independent risk factors in trauma patients and their relative importance in development of the syndrome are undefined. The aim of this project is to identify independent risk factors for the development of ARDS in blunt trauma patients and to examine the contributions of each factor to ARDS development. Patients with ARDS were identified from the registry of a Level I trauma center over a 4.5-year period. Records were reviewed for demographics, injury characteristics, transfusion requirements, and hospital course. Variables examined included age >65 years, Injury Severity Score (ISS) >25, hypotension on admission (systolic blood pressure <90), significant metabolic acidosis (base deficit <-5.0), severe brain injury as shown by a Glasgow Coma Scale score (GCS) <8 on admission, 24-hour transfusion requirement >10 units packed red blood cells, pulmonary contusion (PC), femur fracture, and major infection (pneumonia, empyema, or intraabdominal abscess). Both univariate and stepwise logistic regression were used to identify independent risk factors, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was used to determine the relative contribution of each risk factor. A total of 4397 patients having sustained blunt trauma were admitted to the intensive care unit and survived >24 hours between October 1995 and May 2000. Of these patients 200 (4.5%) developed ARDS. All studied variables were significantly associated with ARDS in univariate analyses. Stepwise logistic regression, however, demonstrated age >65 years, ISS >25, hypotension on admission, 24-hour transfusion requirement >10 units, and pulmonary contusion as independent risk factors, whereas admission metabolic acidosis, femur fracture, infection, and severe brain injury were not. Using a model based on the logistic regression equation derived yields better than 80 per cent discrimination in ARDS patients. The risk factors providing the greatest contribution to ARDS development were ISS >25 (ROC area 0.72) and PC (ROC area 0.68) followed by large transfusion requirement (ROC area 0.56), admission hypotension (ROC area 0.57), and age >65 (ROC area 0.54). Independent risk factors for ARDS in blunt trauma include ISS >25, PC, age >65 years, hypotension on admission, and 24-hour transfusion requirement >10 units but not admission metabolic acidosis, femur fracture, infection, or severe brain injury. Assessment of these variables allows accurate estimate of risk in the majority of cases, and the most potent contributors to the predictive value of the model are ISS >25 and PC. Improvement in understanding of which patients are actually at risk may allow for advances in treatment as well as prevention in the future.
Validation of left ventricular function from gated single photon computed emission tomography by using a scintillator-photodiode camera: a dynamic myocardial phantom study

A scintillator-photodiode camera is able to acquire single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images by using a rotating chair system. We validated the left ventricular (LV) parameters of this camera system utilizing a dynamic myocardial phantom. Gated myocardial SPECT of a dynamic myocardial phantom (Hokkaido University type; end diastolic volume (EDV), 143 ml; end systolic volume (ESV), 107 ml; ejection fraction (EF), 25%) was performed with this scintillation camera. LV parameters were calculated using pre-installed software (Mirage Myocardial Perfusion SPECT) (study 1) and the other software (QGS; Cedars-Sinai) (study 2). For comparison, SPECT from a traditional Anger camera were processed by the QGS software (study 3). The estimated volumes were similar among the three studies (EDV, 110±8 ml in study 1, 112±2 ml in study 2 and 111±1 ml in study 3; ESV, 86±8 ml in study 1, 93±4 ml in study 2 and 91±2 ml in study 3). The estimated EFs were 23±3%, 17±2%, and 18±1%, respectively. The calculated volume within each study was underestimated by approximately the same degree. However, each estimated EF value for each study was close to the actual value. The estimated LV function using the scintillator-photodiode camera system may be considered as a suitable alternative to the traditional Anger camera system.
Which neuroreceptors mediate the subjective effects of MDMA in humans? A summary of mechanistic studies

In preclinical studies, 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘Ecstasy’) has been shown to release serotonin (5‐HT), dopamine and norepinephrine. However, the role of these neurotransmitters and their corresponding receptor sites in mediating the subjective effects of MDMA has not yet been studied in humans. Therefore, we investigated the effects of three different neuroreceptor pretreatments on the subjective, cardiovascular and adverse effects of MDMA (1.5 mg/kg orally) in 44 healthy human volunteers. Pretreatments were: the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram (40 mg intravenously) in 16 subjects, the 5‐HT2 antagonist ketanserin (50 mg orally) in 14 subjects, and the D2 antagonist haloperidol (1.4 mg intravenously) in 14 subjects. Each of these studies used a double‐blind placebo‐controlled within‐subject design and all subjects were examined under placebo, pretreatment, MDMA and pretreatment plus MDMA conditions. Citalopram markedly reduced most of the subjective effects of MDMA, including positive mood, increased extraversion and self‐confidence. Cardiovascular and adverse effects of MDMA were also attenuated by citalopram. Haloperidol selectively reduced MDMA‐induced positive mood but had no effect on other subjective effects of MDMA or the cardiovascular or adverse responses to MDMA. Ketanserin selectively reduced MDMA‐induced perceptual changes and emotional excitation. These results indicate that the overall psychological effects of MDMA largely depend on carrier‐mediated 5‐HT release, while the more stimulant‐like euphoric mood effects of MDMA appear to relate, at least in part, to dopamine D2 receptor stimulation. The mild hallucinogen‐like perceptual effects of MDMA appear to be due to serotonergic 5‐HT2 receptor stimulation. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Generating Best Features for Web Page Classification

As the Internet provides millions of web pages for each and every search term, getting interesting and required results quickly from the Web becomes very difficult. Automatic classification of web pages into relevant categories is the current research topic which helps the search engine to get relevant results. As the web pages contain many irrelevant, infrequent and stop words that reduce the performance of the classifier, extracting or selecting representative features from the web page is an essential pre-processing step. The goal of this paper is to find minimum number of highly qualitative features by integrating feature selection techniques. We conducted experiments with various numbers of features selected by different feature selection algorithms on a well defined initial set of features and show that cfssubset evaluator combined with term frequency method gives minimal qualitative features enough to attain considerable classification accuracy
Optimization of heterologous production of the polyketide 6‐MSA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Polyketides are a group of natural products that have gained much interest due to their use as antibiotics, cholesterol lowering agents, immunosuppressors, and as other drugs. Many organisms that naturally produce polyketides are difficult to cultivate and only produce these metabolites in small amounts. It is therefore of general interest to transfer polyketide synthase (PKS) genes from their natural sources into heterologous hosts that can over‐produce the corresponding polyketides. In this study we demonstrate the heterologous expression of 6‐methylsalicylic acid synthase (6‐MSAS), naturally produced by Penicillium patulum, in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In order to activate the PKS a 4′‐phosphopantetheinyl transferase (PPTase) is required. We therefore co‐expressed PPTases encoded by either sfp from Bacillus subtilis or by npgA from Aspergillus nidulans. The different strains were grown in batch cultures. Growth and product concentration were measured and kinetic parameters were calculated. It was shown that both PPTases could be efficiently used for activation of PKS's in yeast as good yields of 6‐MSA were obtained with both enzymes. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2007;97: 893–900. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Experimental Study of VCSEL-Based Optical Frequency Comb Generators

In this letter, we explore the performance of an optical frequency comb generator (OFCG) sources based on vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser diodes. The direct gain switching (GS) technique, the indirect electro-optical (EO) technique, and a combination of both have been experimentally evaluated. We have observed that this later combination gives birth to an enhanced OFCG that offers a tunable improved comb in terms of frequency span, flatness, and coherence with respect to the sole EO approach, as it partly inherits the high-efficiency qualities of the GS-OFCG while offering a wider span.
Bi-spiraling homoclinic Curves around a T-Point in Chua's equation

In this work, the existence of curves of homoclinic connections that bi-spiral around a T-point between two saddle-focus equilibria is detected in Chua's equation. That is, the homoclinic curve emerges spiraling from a T-point in a parameter bifurcation plane and ends, by a different spiral, at the same T-point. This new phenomenon is related to the existence of more than one intersection between the two-dimensional manifolds of the involved equilibria at the T-point.
Model order reduction methods for multivariate parameterized dynamical systems obtained by the finite integration theory

In electrodynamic field computations the continuous Maxwell equations are typically discretized in the space variables, i. e the continuous space is mapped onto a finite set of discrete elements leading to a system of differential equations constituting the Maxwell grid equations. These dynamical systems can be very large. Due to limited computational, accuracy and storage capabilities, simplified models, obtained by means of model order reduction (MOR) methods, which capture the main features of the original model are then successfully used instead of the original models. Most commonly MOR via projection is used. Variation of model parameters like geometrical or material parameters give rise to multivariate dynamical systems. It is aimed that also the simplified models keep this parameter dependence. In this work, MOR methods are presented for multivariate systems based on the finite integration technique (FIT). The methods are applied to numerical examples with both geometrical and material variations.
Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Induces Pancreatic β-Cell Proliferation Via Transactivation of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor

We previously provided evidence that glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) induces pancreatic β-cell growth nonadditively with glucose in a phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase- and protein kinase C ζ-dependent manner. However, the exact mechanism by which the GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R), a member of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily, activates the PI 3-kinase signaling pathway to promote β-cell growth remains unknown. We hypothesized that the GLP-1R could activate PI 3-kinase and promote β-cell proliferation through transactivation of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR), an event possibly linked to GPCRs via activation of c-Src and the production of putative endogenous EGF-like ligands. Both the c-Src inhibitor PP1 and the EGFR-specific inhibitor AG1478 blocked GLP-1-induced [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation in INS(832/13) cells as well as in isolated rat islets, while only AG1478 inhibited the proliferative action of betacellulin (BTC), an EGFR agonist. Both compounds also suppressed GLP-1-induced PI 3-kinase activation. A time-dependent increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of the EGFR in response to GLP-1 was observed in INS(832/13) cells. This transactivation of the EGFR was sensitive to both the pharmacological agents PP1 and AG1478. The action of GLP-1 and BTC on INS cell proliferation was found to be not additive. Overexpression of a dominant-negative EGFR in INS cells with a retroviral expression vector curtailed GLP-1-induced β-cell proliferation. GLP-1 treatment of INS cells caused a decrease in cell surface-associated BTC, as shown by FACS analysis. Also, the metalloproteinase inhibitor GM6001 and an anti-BTC neutralizing antibody suppressed the GLP-1 proliferative effect. Finally, coculturing the prostatic cancer cell line LNCaP that lacks GLP-1 responsiveness with INS cells increased LNCaP cell proliferation in the presence of GLP-1, thus revealing that INS cells secrete a growth factor in response to GLP-1. GM6001 and an anti-BTC neutralizing antibody suppressed increased LNCaP cell proliferation in the presence of GLP-1 in the coculture experiments. The results are consistent with a model in which GLP-1 increases PI 3-kinase activity and enhances β-cell proliferation via transactivation of the EGFR that would require the proteolytic processing of membrane-anchored BTC or other EGF-like ligands.
The Effect of Dietary Avoparcin on the Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Enteric and Pharyngeal Bacteria Isolated from Broiler Chickens

A quantitative study was made of the resistance and cross‐resistance to antimicrobial agents of enterococci and pharyngeal staphylococci from 9‐days‐old chicks given 10 or 100 ppm. avoparcin in the diet for 55 days. Examination of multi‐replicate samples indicated wide fluctuations in both total bacterial count and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance during the period of the experiment. There was no cross‐resistance in either the enterococci or the pharyngeal staphylococci between avoparcin and any of the other drugs tested. Evidence was also obtained of instability of induced avoparcin resistance in faecal streptococci.
In vitro evaluation of complex carbohydrate denture adhesive formulations.

OBJECTIVE Acemannan, a complex mannose carbohydrate derived from the aloe vera plant, has an inherent stickiness/viscosity. Prototype Acemannan denture adhesive formulations were evaluated for pH changes, cytotoxicity to human gingival fibroblasts and adhesive strength in both dry and wet conditions. METHOD AND MATERIALS The denture adhesive formulations consisted of five combinations of Acemannan with varying concentrations of preservatives and two other formulations without preservatives. The pH of each formulation was measured over 24 hours. Assessment of cytotoxicity was accomplished using the in vitro, tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay on cultures of human gingival fibroblasts after exposure to the adhesive formulations for up to 24 hours. The adhesive strength was evaluated with a universal testing machine under initial dry conditions and after immersion in a constant-temperature water bath for up to 20 minutes. RESULTS Formulations 1 and 2 achieved and maintained pH values above 6.0 (the critical pH for hydroxyapatite dissolution) approximately 6 hours into the study. None of the prototypes demonstrated an initial pH above the critical pH. Formulations 1, 2, 3, and 5 exhibited significant cytotoxicity to human gingival fibroblasts over 24 hours. Formulations 4, 20:1, and 150:1 demonstrated minimal cytotoxicity. Formulation 1 exhibited the poorest adhesive strength, while the most viscous formulation (prototype 150:1) was by far the best performer. Generally, adhesive bond strengths for all prototypes were quite high and relatively stable over time in a wet environment. CONCLUSION To achieve the ideal adhesive in terms of strength, pH, and cytotoxicity, Acemannan formulation 150:1 should be adjusted to contain the preservative concentration of formulation 4 and have an initial pH value of 6.0 or higher.
Adenylyl Cyclases: mRNA and Characteristics of Enzyme Activity in Three Areas of Brain

Abstract: RNase protection assays were used in a comparative analysis of the quantities of mRNA for five “calcium‐sensitive” (types I, III, V, VI, and VIII) adenylyl cyclases and one “calcium‐insensitive” (type II) adenylyl cyclase in mouse cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and nucleus accumbens. The mRNA levels for type V adenylyl cyclase were dominant in the nucleus accumbens. Type V adenylyl cyclase mRNA was also found in the cerebral cortex and at low levels in the cerebellum. Type I adenylyl cyclase mRNA was the major form in the cerebellum with 15–50‐fold higher levels compared with other adenylyl cyclase mRNAs. Type I adenylyl cyclase mRNA was also the most prominent adenylyl cyclase mRNA in the cerebral cortex, although the mRNA levels of other adenylyl cyclase forms were more comparable to those of the type I enzyme in this brain area. The mRNA levels for adenylyl cyclase types II, III, VI, and VIII were intermediate to low depending on the brain area. Cell membranes from the nucleus accumbens demonstrated adenylyl cyclase activity that was synergistically activated by concomitant addition of GTP and forskolin to assay mixtures, reflecting a characteristic of type V adenylyl cyclase protein. Calcium/calmodulin stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity in membranes from all three brain areas. However, synergistic activation of adenylyl cyclase activity by GTP and calcium/calmodulin was noted only with cortical membranes, and this characteristic may reflect the presence of type VIII adenylyl cyclase mRNA in the cortex. Although mRNA for type VIII adenylyl cyclase was almost equivalent in the cortex and cerebellum, the lack of a synergistic effect of GTP plus calcium/calmodulin on the cerebellar enzyme activity may be a result of the significant dominance of type I adenylyl cyclase mRNA (and protein) in the cerebellum. In general, the mRNA levels for the various adenylyl cyclases were predictive of the regulatory characteristics of adenylyl cyclase activity in membranes of the brain areas studied.
How one becomes many: Blastoderm cellularization in Drosophila melanogaster

Embryonic development in Drosophila melanogaster begins with a rapid series of mitotic nuclear divisions, unaccompanied by cytokinesis, to produce a multi‐nucleated single cell embryo, the syncytial blastoderm. The syncytium then undergoes a process of cell formation, in which the individual nuclei become enclosed in individual cells. This process of cellularization involves integrating mechanisms of cell polarity, cell–cell adhesion and a specialized form of cytokinesis. The detailed molecular mechanism, however, is highly complex and, despite extensive analysis, remains poorly understood. Nevertheless, new insights are emerging from recent studies on aspects of membrane polarization and insertion, which show that membrane components from intracellular organelles are involved. In addition, actin and actin‐associated proteins have been heavily implicated while new evidence shows that microtubule cytoskeletal elements are mechanistically involved in all aspects of cellularization. This review will draw on both the traditional models and the new data to provide a current perspective on the nature of cellular blastoderm formation in Drosophila melanogaster. BioEssays 24:1012–1022, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Periodicals, Inc.
Symmetry and Geometry of the Face on Mars Revealed: A New Analysis Based on the April 2001 Image

On April 8, 2001 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) was able for the first time to obtain a fully illuminated high resolution image of the Face on Mars. Like previous MGS images the Face appears at first glance to be a highly eroded natural formation. However analysis of this new image shows the object to possess a very high degree of symmetry in two directions. Using repeatable geometrical constructions based on clearly resolved features the Face appears to fit a consistently expressed geometrical model based on rectangles having a long to short side ratio of 4/3, i.e., by rectangles diagonally bisected by 3-4-5 right triangles. Analysis of the new image reveals that the right (east) side of the Face is covered with sand. The depth of the sand appears to be sufficient to have covered over some of the detail on the east side and may account for its apparent lack of facial symmetry.
Scientific or Social Priorities for Brain Science? – Making a Difference

How we ought to prioritise research spending is a difficult problem. On the one hand, we may wish to target research resources on the problems of most pressing social need, but this may be to pose questions which science is not in a position to answer. On the other hand, we may wish to target research resources on the problems which are for scientific reasons most interesting or most tractable, accepting that this might not be to target the most pressing social needs. Current thinking is that research priorities can be set most fairly not by specifying principles of justice in research spending, but rather by making the decision-making process more open, transparent and perhaps democratic. This can involve patient or citizen involvement in research programme design or research funding decision-making.
Part 6: Pediatric Basic Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support

Reprint: The American Heart Association requests that this document be cited as follows: de Caen AR, Maconochie IK, Aickin R, Atkins DL, Biarent D, Guerguerian AM, Kleinman ME, Kloeck DA, Meaney PA, Nadkarni VM, Ng KC, Nuthall G, Reis AG, Shimizu N, Tibballs J, Veliz Pintos R; on behalf of the Pediatric Basic Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support Chapter Collaborators. Part 6: pediatric basic life support and pediatric advanced life support: 2015 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations. Circulation . 2015;132(suppl 1):S177–S203. Reprinted with permission of the American Heart Association, Inc., European Resuscitation Council, and International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. This article has been published in Circulation and Resuscitation . ( Circulation. 2015;132[suppl 1]:S177–S203. DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000275.) The Pediatric Task Force reviewed all questions submitted by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) member councils in 2010, reviewed all council training materials and resuscitation guidelines and algorithms, and conferred on recent areas of interest and controversy. We identified a few areas where there were key differences in council-specific guidelines based on historical recommendations, such as the A-B-C (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) versus C-A-B (Circulation, Airway, Breathing) sequence of provision of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), initial back blows versus abdominal thrusts for foreign-body airway obstruction, an upper limit for recommended chest compression rate, and initial defibrillation dose for shockable rhythms (2 versus 4 J/kg). We produced a working list of prioritized questions and topics, which was adjusted with the advent of new research evidence. This led to a prioritized palate of 21 PICO (population, intervention, comparator, outcome) questions for ILCOR task force focus. The 2015 process was supported by information specialists who performed in-depth systematic searches, liaising with pediatric content experts so that the most appropriate terms and outcomes and the most relevant publications were identified. …