Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sedation with Midazolam and Ketamine for Invasive Procedures in Children with Malignancies and Hematological Disorders: A Prospective Study with Reference to the Sympathomimetic Properties of Ketamine

Different pharmacological agents have been used for sedation in children undergoing invasive procedures. The authors prospectively evaluated the efficacy, the occurrence of adverse side effects, and cardiovascular parameters in midazolam and ketamine sedation for invasive procedures in children with malignancies and hematological disorders. A total of 183 invasive procedures were performed on 63 children (mean age 9.2 - 5.2 years). Intravenous sedation consisted of 0.1 mg midazolam/kg and 1.0 mg ketamine/kg. Incremental dosages of ketamine (0.33 mg/kg) were given if necessary to maintain deep sedation. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation were recorded. All 183 invasive procedures were successfully completed with satisfactory sedation levels in 170 procedures (92.9%; 95% CI:88.2-96.2%). In 33 procedures (18%; 95% CI: 12.8-24.4%) sedation was associated with side effects, the most common being oxygen desaturation. One patient experienced a transient episode of laryngospasm. There was a significant increase in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate after ketamine medication (p < .01). Procedure and recovery time were correlated to ketamine dosage (p < .01). The combination of midazolam and ketamine is efficacious in achieving deep sedation for painful invasive procedures. Considering the possibility of potentially serious respiratory complications it should be performed only by physicians who are trained in advanced airway management and life support. As opposed to many other sedative drugs with cardio-depressant properties, ketamine causes a rise in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate.
Families as systems.

In this chapter, we discuss theoretical and conceptual models that use an organismic or systems metaphor for understanding families. We suggest that such theories are important for stimulating new research and organizing existing data, and that advances in these theories over the past few decades have expanded the potential for understanding child development, as well as adult adaptation and the development of close relationships. These paradigms follow from models that view development as resulting from the transactional regulatory processes of dynamic systems. Such models are helpful for considering multiple influences on development and adaptation and have implications for the design of effective interventions. We focus on the specifics of systems theories as applied to families, and the research generated by or consistent with these views. Our review is not exhaustive; rather, we intend to give a sense of the direction of this work and its importance for the understanding of development and adaptation.
Homologous recombination in Candida albicans: role of CaRad52p in DNA repair, integration of linear DNA fragments and telomere length

Chromosomal rearrangements are common in both clinical isolates and spontaneous mutants of Candida albicans. It appears that many of these rearrangements are caused by translocations around the major sequence repeat (MSR) that is present in all chromosomes except chromosome 3, suggesting that homologous recombination (HR) may play an important role in the survival of this organism. In order to gain information on these processes, we have cloned the homologue of RAD52, which in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the only gene required for all HR events. CaRAD52 complemented poorly a rad52 mutant of S. cerevisiae. Two null Carad52Δ/Carad52Δ mutants were constructed by sequential deletion of both alleles and two reconstituted strains were obtained by reintegration of the gene. Characterization of these mutants indicated that HR plays an essential role in the repair of DNA lesions caused by both UV light and the radiomimetic compound methyl‐methane‐sulphonate (MMS), whereas the non‐homologous end‐joining pathway (NHEJ) is used only in the absence of Rad52p or after extensive DNA damage. Repair by HR is more efficient in exponentially growing than in stationary cells, probably because a larger number of cells are in late S or G2 phases of the cell cycle (and therefore, can use a sister chromatid as a substrate for recombinational repair), whereas stationary phase cells are mainly in G0 or G1, and only can be repaired using the chromosomal homologue. In addition, CaRad52p is absolutely required for the integration of linear DNA with long flanking homologous sequences. Finally, the absence of CaRad52p results in the lengthening of telomeres, even in the presence of an active telomerase, an observation not described in any other organism. This raises the possibility that both telomerase and homologous recombination may function simultaneously at C. albicans telomeres.
Distribution of ABO Blood Group Antibody Titers in Pediatric Patients Awaiting Renal Transplantation: Implications for Organ Allocation Policy

Background Blood group–incompatible transplantation is one strategy used when a potential recipient does not have a compatible living donor. Current practice includes desensitization strategies to reduce antibody titers. However, when antibodies are low, in cardiac transplantation in neonates for example, no desensitization is required. This study is the first to examine the distribution of ABO blood group antibody titers in a population of pediatric patients on the deceased-donor renal transplantation waiting list. Methods All patients from two pediatric nephrology centers active on the national deceased-donor waiting list had antibody titers (total immunoglobulin load) measured. A simulation modeling the effect of allocating blood group–incompatible deceased-donor kidneys to those patients with titers of 16 or lower was developed. Results Twenty-four children were screened; eight (33.3%) had titers of either anti-A or anti-B antibodies of 8 or lower. A further three (12.5%) had either an anti-A or anti-B antibody titer of 16. Blood group A or B patients had lower antibody levels than blood group O patients. In blood group O patients, levels of anti-A antibodies were higher than anti-B antibodies (Wilcoxon signed rank test, P=0.028). The simulation model showed that a change in organ allocation policy would increase pediatric transplant activity by 2.2% and reduce the median waiting time for a transplant. Conclusion This allocation strategy may be of particular benefit to those pediatric patients who have been on the deceased-donor waiting list for a long time or those with a high calculated reaction frequency.
Kushneria konosiri sp. nov., isolated from the Korean salt-fermented seafood Daemi-jeot.

A halophilic bacterial strain, X49T, was isolated from the Korean traditional salt-fermented seafood Daemi-jeot. X49T was an obligately aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, motile, oval or rod-shaped (0.5-1.0×1.2-3.2 µm) bacterium. After 2 days of growth, colonies on Marine agar medium were orange and circular with entire margins. X49T growth was detected at 10-37 °C and pH 4.5-8.5 in the presence of 0-26 % (w/v) NaCl. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain X49T was most similar to that of the type strain of Kushneria marisflavi SW32T and shared a sequence similarity of 94.7-98.6 % with type strains of species of the genus Kushneria. The predominant fatty acids were C16 : 0, C18 : 1ω7c and C12 : 0 3OH. The major isoprenoid quinone was Q9 (93 %), and minor quinones were Q8 (4 %) and Q10 (3 %). The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine, two unidentified aminolipids, two unidentified phospholipids and two unidentified lipids. The genomic DNA G+C content was 59.1 mol%. The level of the ANI value between strain X49T and K. marisflavi SW32T, the most closely related species of the genus Kushneria, was 89.32 %. Based on the low ANI value, strain X49T and its reference strains represent genotypically distinct species. Based on this polyphasic taxonomic analysis, strain X49T represents a novel species of the genus Kushneria. The name Kushneria konosiri sp. nov. is proposed and the type strain is X49T (=KACC 14623T=JCM 16805T).
The pharmacokinetics of albumin conjugates of D-penicillamine in humans.

D-penicillamine (D-PEN) is incompletely recovered during short-term balance studies, despite rapid elimination of D-PEN and its low molecular weight metabolites. Urinary excretion of metabolites of D-PEN also persists long after cessation of chronic therapy. A study was performed to determine whether the formation and later breakdown of a stable disulfide between D-PEN and plasma albumin could explain these aspects of D-PEN pharmacokinetics. Five human volunteers received D-penicillamine, 250 mg orally, daily for 21 days. Plasma concentration-time profiles for D-PEN and D-PEN-albumin disulfide (D-PEN-albumin) were determined during the first day and pre-dose concentrations were measured on five further occasions. The pharmacokinetics of D-PEN on the first day were similar to those reported previously. No D-PEN was found in any of the pre-dose specimens. The concentration of D-PEN-albumin rose rapidly during the first day, with an estimated 8.6% of the bioavailable D-PEN being transformed to D-PEN-albumin. Pseudo-steady-state concentrations of D-PEN-albumin were achieved in three subjects at between 14 and 21 days. The mean trough concentration of D-PEN-albumin at 21 days (19.5 microM) exceeded the peak concentration of D-PEN (during the first day) by 5.7-fold. The terminal elimination half-life of D-PEN-albumin was 1.65 +/- 0.29 days, which compared with an elimination half-life of 59 +/- 8.4 min for D-PEN. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Excitability properties of human median axons measured at the motor point

Threshold tracking was used to measure excitability indices (strength–duration properties, threshold electrotonus, and the current‐threshold relationship) at the motor point of the abductor pollicis brevis, and the results were compared with those of the median nerve at the wrist. Using an accelerometer placed at the thumb tip, movement‐related potentials were recorded as target responses. When stimulating at the same site, excitability measurements were no different, and their variability no greater, when the target responses were movements rather than muscle action potentials. Motor point stimulation resulted in significantly shorter strength–duration time‐constant and higher rheobase than wrist stimulation. In addition, the technique of latent addition showed that a slow component was much smaller at the motor point than at the wrist. In threshold electrotonus, threshold changes in response to depolarizing and hyperpolarizing conditioning currents were significantly smaller at the motor point than at the wrist. The differences in strength–duration time‐constant and latent addition suggest that persistent Na+ current at the resting potential is smaller at the motor point. The differences in threshold electrotonus may depend in part on altered fiber geometry but suggest that inward and possibly outward rectification are increased distally. Motor point excitability testing may provide new insights into the pathophysiology of the nerve terminals in a variety of peripheral neuropathies and motor neuron disorders. Muscle Nerve 29: 227–233, 2004
Automated software testing for high-end touch screen automotive displays

The Current Methodologies of virtual and Automated Testing on touch screen displays are limited, since, minor screen changes and display software updates will cause the automated tests to fail and hence there will be a need to fix them. Addition of new items to a drop-down list, movement of buttons, reusability and conversion of Test scripts for similar devices will be a cumbersome job. The general approach of testing Display manually, is not feasible due to sluggishness, monotony and repetitiveness of work, which can cause manual errors in different volumes at different times, it will also reduce the option of Batch executions of tests 24*7. The automated approach for testing such Displays through XY coordinates pointing on screen, taking Screen captures and using optical character recognition for verification methods are non-reliable and affects the performance of testing. This makes automating a test difficult, causes a high amount of risk as well as high maintenance costs. This paper offers recent ideas and its implementation of software testing, on touch screen Displays, which are widely used in sophisticated passenger cars as well as in off-highway equipment like tractors, construction and Forestry etc. In this method of testing the Display's User interface, we use `Test Events' which are linked with different objects/Icons on displays. Every user action like selecting menu item from dropdown, pressing button, swiping, turning pages are considered as unique actions, and these actions are then bundled with unique Object Id data to create the events on the Display. These user events are simulated automatically and the response is monitored and logged for identifying and analyzing Software defects. The architecture is based on "Data Driven Model" where test data is separated from script in order to take care of any changes in quick and agile way. The Data such as unique references to objects and Pools on the screen are placed in SQL Database, this enables to access data from different locations by multiple users. Though, the approach can be widely applied to majority of Touch screen applications, we restrict the scope of this paper to automotive domain due to the Standards and protocol used during implementation.
Differences in Food Intake among Obese and Nonobese Women and Men with Type 2 Diabetes

Objective: Weight reduction is a key goal for the prevention of vascular complications in obese individuals with type 2 diabetes, but a nutritionally balanced intake is also important in this regard. We compared dietary intakes and vitamin supplement use between obese and nonobese women and men with type 2 diabetes to identify gaps in adherence to nutritional management guidelines. Methods: We analyzed data from a longitudinal study of adults with type 2 diabetes, wherein participants were assessed once per season over 1 year. Dietary data were collected using a validated semiquantitative, self-administered food-frequency questionnaire. Given the absence of seasonal variations in anthropometric variables and dietary intake, data from multiple visits were averaged for each individual. Associations of both intake of fruit and vegetables and nutrients related to cardiovascular disease risk were compared between obese (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2) and nonobese individuals through multivariable linear regression with adjustments for age, education, and energy intake. Results: Among the 200 participants (93 women and 107 men), 53% of women and 43% of men were obese. Compared with nonobese women, obese women consumed more saturated fat (mean difference, 1.2% of total energy intake; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3% to 2.2%) and sodium (mean difference, 0.3 g; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.5 g), and they had a lower intake of fiber (mean difference, −2.7 g; 95% CI, −4.4 to −0.9 g) and magnesium (mean difference, −33.6 mg; 95% CI, −55.2 to −12.0 g). No differences in dietary intake were observed between obese and nonobese men, but the intakes of men overall were similar to those of obese women. Compared with nonobese participants, fewer obese individuals used vitamin/mineral supplements (women: 37% vs 48%, men: 26% vs 38%). Conclusions: Obese women and both obese and nonobese men appeared to have poorer dietary quality compared with nonobese women. Our findings support the need to emphasize dietary composition in addition to weight control in diabetes.
Phylogenetic Analysis of L4-Mediated Autogenous Control of the S10 Ribosomal Protein Operon

ABSTRACT We investigated the regulation of the S10 ribosomal protein (r-protein) operon among members of the gamma subdivision of the proteobacteria, which includes Escherichia coli. InE. coli, this 11-gene operon is autogenously controlled by r-protein L4. This regulation requires specific determinants within the untranslated leader of the mRNA. Secondary structure analysis of the S10 leaders of five enterobacteria (Salmonella typhimurium,Citrobacter freundii, Yersinia enterocolitica,Serratia marcescens, and Morganella morganii) and two nonenteric members of the gamma subdivision (Haemophilus influenzae and Vibrio cholerae) shows that these foreign leaders share significant structural homology with the E. coli leader, particularly in the region which is critical for L4-mediated autogenous control in E. coli. Moreover, these heterologous leaders produce a regulatory response to L4 oversynthesis in E. coli. Our results suggest that an E. coli-like L4-mediated regulatory mechanism may operate in all of these species. However, the mechanism is not universally conserved among the gamma subdivision members, since at least one,Pseudomonas aeruginosa, does not contain the required S10 leader features, and its leader cannot provide the signals for regulation by L4 in E. coli. We speculate that L4-mediated autogenous control developed during the evolution of the gamma branch of proteobacteria.
Sorption and desorption of organophosphate pesticides, parathion and cadusafos, on tropical agricultural soils

Ecotoxicological impacts of organic pesticides on soil and aquatic ecosystems depend primarily on their behavior in soils. Actual pesticide knowledge is mostly restricted to soils from temperate climates, whereas knowledge of pesticide behavior in tropical soils is scarce. Here, the sorption behavior of two organophosphorous insecticides, parathion and cadusafos, was studied in three agricultural soil samples from central Mexico, Vertisols and Andosols. Using 14C-labeled substances, we assessed sorption and desorption properties in classical batch equilibrium and static soil incubation experiments. Our results show that cadusafos was less sorbed by the various soils (Kd values 7.6–12.7 L kg−1) compared with parathion (Kd values 38.6–74.9 L kg−1), despite similar log Kow values. Cadusafos exhibited a greater reversibility of sorption than parathion in both soil types. Time-dependent sorption was quantitatively significant, leading to a rapid decrease in the concentration of available insecticide. This finding is partly due to the formation of non-extractable, bound residues. The decrease in the available concentration of both insecticides was greater in the Andosol compared with the Vertisols. Soil organic matter clearly influenced the sorption behavior and availability of parathion. On the other hand, the sorption of cadusafos was more influenced by other soil properties such as clay content and cation exchange capacity. Calculation of residual insecticide levels in the soil solution suggests that both insecticides may have persistent toxic effects in the studied soils.
Isolation and Sequence Analysis of the GlnKamtB 1 amtB 2 Gene Cluster, Encoding a P II Homologue and Two Putative Ammonium Transporters, from Pseudomonas stutzeri A15

By PCR, using primers based on heterologous amtB genes, an amtB sequence of Pseudomonas stutzeri A15 was amplified. This DNA fragment was used as a probe in Southern hybridisation experiments and resulted in the isolation and sequence analysis of a 6017 u bp genomic fragment of P. stutzeri A15 containing glnKamtB 1 amtB 2. GlnK codes for a homologue of the nitrogen regulatory P II protein, amtB 1 and amtB 2 encode putative ammonium transporters. Whereas a glnKamtB gene cluster is common among bacteria, a tandem repeat of ammonium transporter genes has not been reported before. Apart from the presence of a second amtB gene, the gene organisation on this 6 u kbp fragment is very similar to a particular region in the genome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, relatively closely related to P. stutzeri. Furthermore, the amtB 1 gene shows the highest similarity with P. aeruginosa amtB, whereas the amtB 2 gene is more closely related to cyanobacterial amtB genes, which are reported to be monocistronically transcribed and not clustered with glnK homologues. Upstream of glnK, NtrC and RpoN recognition sites can be observed. In the intergenic region of glnKamtB 1 amtB 2 no terminators nor extra promoter sequences were observed, indicating that glnKamtB 1 amtB 2 is possibly transcribed as a nitrogen regulated operon.
Childhood and adolescent predictors of heavy drinking and alcohol use disorders in early adulthood: a longitudinal developmental analysis.

AIMS To identify childhood and adolescent factors differentiating heavy alcohol users in early adulthood from more moderate users or abstainers. DESIGN Low-income participants followed from birth to age 28 years. PARTICIPANTS A total of 178 adults (95 males) who were first-born children of low-income mothers recruited in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during their third trimester of pregnancy. MEASUREMENTS Maternal hostility (24/42 months), externalizing and internalizing behavior problems (9 years), peer acceptance and academic achievement (12 years), maternal alcohol use and participants' drinking behavior (16 years), quantity of alcohol use per occasion (19, 23 and 26 years), alcohol use disorders (28 years). FINDINGS For men: (i) higher amounts of alcohol consumption at age 16 increased the odds of being a heavy drinker compared to an abstainer (age 19) and a moderate drinker (ages 23 and 26); (ii) lower achievement scores at age 12 and having a mother who drank more when the participant was age 16 increased the odds of being a heavy drinker compared to moderate drinker (age 26). Higher levels of externalizing behavior problems at age 9 and drinking more when the participants were age 16 increased the odds that men would have a current alcohol use disorder at age 28. For women: (i) drinking more at age 16 increased the odds of being a heavy drinker compared to being either an abstainer or a moderate drinker (age 26); (ii) having higher levels of achievement at age 12 increased the odds of being a heavy drinker compared to an abstainer at age 23. Adolescent alcohol use mediated the relation between externalizing behavior at age 9 and alcohol use at age 26 for women. CONCLUSIONS Problem drinking may be the result of a long-term developmental process wherein childhood externalizing behavior problems sets a pathway leading to heavy drinking during and after adolescence.
Effects of nitrogen form on growth, CO2 assimilation, chlorophyll fluorescence, and photosynthetic electron allocation in cucumber and rice plants

Cucumber and rice plants with varying ammonium (NH4+) sensitivities were used to examine the effects of different nitrogen (N) sources on gas exchange, chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence quenching, and photosynthetic electron allocation. Compared to nitrate (NO3−)-grown plants, cucumber plants grown under NH4+-nutrition showed decreased plant growth, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular carbon dioxide (CO2) level, transpiration rate, maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, and O2-independent alternative electron flux, and increased O2-dependent alternative electron flux. However, the N source had little effect on gas exchange, Chl a fluorescence parameters, and photosynthetic electron allocation in rice plants, except that NH4+-grown plants had a higher O2-independent alternative electron flux than NO3−-grown plants. NO3− reduction activity was rarely detected in leaves of NH4+-grown cucumber plants, but was high in NH4+-grown rice plants. These results demonstrate that significant amounts of photosynthetic electron transport were coupled to NO3− assimilation, an effect more significant in NO3−-grown plants than in NH4+-grown plants. Meanwhile, NH4+-tolerant plants exhibited a higher demand for the reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) for NO3− reduction, regardless of the N form supplied, while NH4+-sensitive plants had a high water-water cycle activity when NH4+ was supplied as the sole N source.