Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prosthesis-patient mismatch

Abstract Prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) is present when the effective orifice area of the inserted prosthetic valve is too small in relation to body size. Its main hemodynamic consequence is to generate higher than expected gradients through normally functioning prosthetic valves. The purpose of this review is to present an update on the present state of knowledge with regards to diagnosis, prognosis and prevention of PPM. PPM is a frequent occurrence (20%–70% of aortic valve replacements) that has been shown to be associated with worse hemodynamics, less regression of left ventricular hypertrophy, more cardiac events, and lower survival. Moreover, as opposed to most other risk factors, PPM can largely be prevented by using a prospective strategy at the time of operation.
Enhance learning on software project management through a role-play game in a virtual world†

This article presents a role-play game for software project management (SPM) in a three-dimensional online multiuser virtual world. The Opensimulator platform is used for the creation of an immersive virtual environment that facilitates students' collaboration and realistic interaction, in order to manage unexpected events occurring during the development of a software project. Through the simulation of a real-life company, the game aims to enhance experiential learning of human-related issues, such as project team members’ communication and collaboration, which are not easy to be taught through ordinary teaching methods. Roles are assigned to the participating students, who have to overcome problems initiated by non-player-units (software controlled units) while collaborating with other students and the instructor. The instructor, holding a key role in the game, is able to observe the players, intervene and dynamically alter specific game scenario parameters adapting to player encounter difficulties. The environment is combining the experience of a typical game (based on an event-driven SPM scenario and interaction with non-player-units), with the experience of a virtual world (interacting with other players) and has been positively evaluated by the participants regarding the overall game experience and the learning effect.
Double Jeopardy: Adolescent Offenders with Mental Disorders

Over the past two decades, two converging social trends have jeopardized the welfare of some of the nationʼs most troubled—and vulnerable—youths. Beginning in the 1980s, a rising tide of teenage violence led virtually every state to pass laws mandating severe penalties for violent young offenders and reducing the discretion of juvenile court judges to screen out those with mental disorders. At the same time, state after state saw the collapse of public mental health services for children and the closing of residential facilities for disturbed youths.
Effects of Alcohol on the Pharmacokinetics of Blonanserin and N-Deethylated Blonanserin in Healthy Chinese Subjects

Purpose/Background Blonanserin is a novel antipsychotic drug approved for the treatment of schizophrenia in East Asia. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of alcohol on the pharmacokinetic properties of blonanserin and its metabolite N-deethyl blonanserin in healthy Chinese male subjects under fasting conditions. Methods/Procedures The study was designed as a randomized, open-label, crossover clinical investigation in 10 male volunteers, each of whom received 2 treatments under fasted conditions: treatment A, blonanserin (8 mg) with water, and treatment B, blonanserin (8 mg) with alcohol (1 mL/kg). Findings/Results The average values of areas under the curve (AUCs) and mean peak plasma concentrations (Cmax) were noticeably increased by alcohol consumption. In treatment A, average values of AUC0–24h, AUC0–∞, and Cmax were 3178 ng/h/L, 3879 ng/h/L, and 492 ng/L for blonanserin, and 1932 ng/h/L, 4208 ng/h/L, and 137 ng/L for N-deethylated blonanserin, respectively. In treatment B, AUC0–∞ and Cmax were both increased 2.4-fold for blonanserin and 1.4-fold and 1.7-fold, respectively, for N-deethylated blonanserin (P < 0.05). Compared with treatment A, clearance (Clz/F) of blonanserin and N-deethylated blonanserin decreased significantly (2.4-fold and 1.7-fold, respectively) in treatment B (P < 0.05). Alcohol delayed the absorption and reduced the clearance of blonanserin, leading to a 1.8-fold increase in the time to reach Cmax (Tmax) and half life time (t1/2) (P < 0.05). Implications/Conclusions Alcohol increased the bioavailability of blonanserin and N-deethyl blonanserin in healthy subjects and the marked effect of alcohol on blonanserin bioavailability should be taken into consideration in deciding dosing schedules in clinical therapy.
Effect of aluminum oxide addition on the flexural strength and thermal diffusivity of heat-polymerized acrylic resin.

PURPOSE This work was undertaken to investigate the effect of adding from 5% to 20% by weight aluminum oxide powder on the flexural strength and thermal diffusivity of heat-polymerized acrylic resin. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seventy-five specimens of heat-polymerized acrylic resin were fabricated. The specimens were divided into five groups (n = 15) coded A to E. Group A was the control group (i.e., unmodified acrylic resin specimens). The specimens of the remaining four groups were reinforced with aluminum oxide (Al2O3) powder to achieve loadings of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by weight. Specimens were stored in distilled water at 37 degrees C for 1 week before flexural strength testing to failure (5 mm/min crosshead speed) in a universal testing machine. Results were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance and post hoc Tukey paired group comparison tests (p < 0.05). Weibull analysis was used to calculate the Weibull modulus, characteristic strength, and the required stress for 1% and 5% probabilities of failure. Cylindrical test specimens (5 specimens/group) containing an embedded thermocouple were used to determine thermal diffusivity over a physiologic temperature range (0 to 70 degrees C). RESULTS The mean flexural strength values of the heat-polymerized acrylic resin were (in MPa) 99.45, 119.92, 121.19, 130.08, and 127.60 for groups A, B, C, D, and E, respectively. The flexural strength increased significantly after incorporation of 10% Al2O3. The mean thermal diffusivity values of the heat-polymerized acrylic resin (in m(2)/sec) were 6.8, 7.2, 8.0, 8.5, and 9.3 for groups A, B, C, D, and E, respectively. Thermal diffusivities of the composites were found to be significantly higher than the unmodified acrylic resin. Thermal diffusivity was found to increase in proportion to the weight percentage of alumina filler, which suggested that the proper distribution of alumina powders through the insulating polymer matrix might form a pathway for heat conduction. CONCLUSION Al2O3 fillers have potential as added components in denture bases to provide increased flexural strength and thermal diffusivity. Increasing the flexural strength and heat transfer characteristics of the acrylic resin base material could lead to more patient satisfaction.
Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Iloperidone: Results From 3 Clinical Trials for the Treatment of Schizophrenia

This research compared the long-term efficacy and safety of iloperidone with those of haloperidol in individuals with schizophrenia. Data were pooled from 3 prospective multicenter studies, each with 6-week stabilization followed by 46-week double-blind maintenance phases. Patients were randomized to iloperidone 4 to 16 mg/d or haloperidol 5 to 20 mg/d. Patients included in this analysis completed the initial 6-week phase with at least 20% reduction in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score at weeks 4 and 6, had 7-item Clinical Global Impressions of Change (CGI-C) scores less than 4, received 1 or more doses of long-term phase medication, and had 1 or more efficacy/safety assessments during the long-term phase. The primary efficacy variable was time to relapse, defined as a 25% or more increase in PANSS total score, including at least a 10-point change; discontinuation because of lack of efficacy; aggravated psychosis with hospitalization; or 2-point increase in the 7-item CGI-C after week 6. Of 1644 patients randomized and 1326 completing the 6-week phase, 473 (iloperidone, n = 359; haloperidol, n = 114) were included in the long-term efficacy analysis, and 489 (iloperidone, n = 371; haloperidol, n = 118) in the safety analysis. Iloperidone was equivalent to haloperidol in time to relapse. The most common adverse events were insomnia (18.1%), anxiety (10.8%), and schizophrenia aggravated (8.9%) with iloperidone, and insomnia (16.9%), akathisia (14.4%), tremor (12.7%), and muscle rigidity (12.7%) with haloperidol. The Extrapyramidal Symptoms Rating Scale scores improved with iloperidone and worsened with haloperidol. Metabolic changes were minimal for both groups. Mean changes in Fridericia's QT interval correction were 10.3 msec (iloperidone) and 9.4 msec (haloperidol) at end point. Iloperidone demonstrated long-term efficacy equivalent to haloperidol and a favorable long-term safety profile, potentially making this agent a suitable option as maintenance therapy for schizophrenia.
Documentation of Intimate Partner Violence in Women Veterans’ Medical Records: An In-Depth Analysis

National guidelines for identifying and addressing intimate partner violence (IPV) in the health care setting recommend that health care practitioners screen for IPV experiences and document disclosure and response in patients’ medical records. Women veterans are a growing population with particular risk of lifetime IPV victimization, yet we know little about how IPV presents and is addressed within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The purpose of this study was to examine documentation of women veterans’ disclosed experiences of IPV victimization in electronic medical records to identify how IPV presents in the VHA and to compare IPV screening, assessment, and response at a VHA medical center to nationally recognized best practices. We reviewed medical records for a five-year period (2005 to 2009) of 533 women veteran patients receiving care at an urban Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center and analyzed documentation of IPV disclosure and clinician response for patients with any documentation of IPV (N = 126). Women veterans presented with both acute and chronic IPV victimization experiences, as well as long-term effects of past IPV. Documentation of screening and response revealed opportunities for improvement to meet best practices.
The Importance of Child-Care Characteristics to Choice of Care

This article examines the influence of importance ratings of intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics of child care on parents' choice of care, using data from the National Longitudinal Survey-72. We find that parents who value developmental characteristics of care chose center care and that parents for whom hours, location, and cost of care are important chose care at home.
The Family Development Credential Program: A Synthesis of Outcome Research on an Empowerment-Based Human Service Training Program

Movement toward strengths-based, empowerment-oriented practice requires changes in perspective for both practitioners and agencies. A training program addressing those challenges is the Family Development Credential (FDC), implemented in 19 states across the United States since its creation by Cornell University for New York State in 1996. FDC is an inter-agency, locally based professional development program by which human service workers can become more empowered themselves while simultaneously learning knowledge, skills, and values associated with key tenets of empowerment practice. This article provides (a) a description of the programmatic model, (b) analysis of 11 known FDC evaluation studies, (c) synthesis of research findings in 4 outcome areas, and (d) elucidation of a future research agenda for the program including promising theoretical lenses.
PCR-SSCP Variation of GH and STAT5A Genes and Their Association with Estimated Breeding Values of Growth Traits in Baluchi Sheep

Growth hormone (GH) selected for its important role in economically relevant traits and signal transducers and activators of transcription 5A (STAT5A) is also known as a main mediator of growth hormone action on target genes. A total number of 190 lambs of Iranian purebred Baluchi sheep were genotyped at exon 5 of GH and exons 7 and 8 of STAT5A genes by using PCR-SSCP analysis. GH gene revealed three (G1, G2, and G3) conformational patterns; however, STAT5A loci were not polymorphic. Breeding values of growth traits including birth weight, weaning weight, 6 months weight, 9 months weight, and yearling weight were estimated by using the Best Linear Unbiased Prediction based on an animal model with a relationship matrix. Studied growth traits were examined for association analysis. Our findings suggest that animals with G2 genotype have highest breeding value for six month weight, while these animals have lowest breeding value for pre-weaning traits. Higher performance of G2 animals in adult ages may be related to the growth hormone role in puberty ages. The other traits showed no relationship to the genotypes examined.
Motor ability and self-selection of an analgesic drug by fast-growing chickens

SUMMARY Breeding programs designed for broiler production have resulted in a chicken that, when fully fed, grows rapidly and has a body conformation that enhances yield at market weight. Compared with chickens bred for high egg production, the motor ability of broilers has been compromised and is of increasing concern in broiler breeding and production. Broilers with intermediate gait scores of 2, 3, and 4 were provided choices among diets containing different doses of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (carprofen). Broilers with no identifiable gait abnormality (score of 1) or unable to walk (score of 5) were excluded from the study. The hypothesis that broilers with higher gait scores, if experiencing pain, would prefer diets with higher doses of carprofen was rejected because no differences were observed in feed consumption among treatment groups. Although males and females responded similarly, there was an interaction of sex with left-right preference for feeder location.
The Impact of ABCG2 on Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cell Proliferation

The ATP-binding cassette transporter, ABCG2, has been identified as a gene of significance in the regulation of bovine lactation by a number of gene mapping studies yet its role in lactational physiology remains unclear. We have used the potent ABCG2 specific inhibitor, Ko143, to investigate role of ABCG2 in primary bovine mammary epithelial cell (BMEC) proliferation and differentiation. After incubation with Ko143, the proliferation rate of BMECs was reduced at 48 and 72 hours by up to 80% (P < 0.001), and the effect was dose-dependent (approximately 40% with 10 nM Ko143 and 80% with 20 nM Ko143). Morphological changes in BMEC mammosphere formation were not observed when co-incubated with Ko143. Our results suggested that ABCG2 plays a role in mammary epithelial cell proliferation and that functional polymorphisms in this gene may influence the cellular compartment of the mammary gland and potentially milk production.
Isolation of a Gene Encoding a Cellulolytic Enzyme from Swamp Buffalo Rumen Metagenomes and Its Cloning and Expression in Escherichia Coli

Ruminants are capable of hydrolyzing lignocellulosic residues to absorbable sugars by virtue of the microbial communities residing in their rumen. However, large sections of such microbial communities are not yet culturable using conventional laboratory techniques. Therefore in the present study, the metagenomic DNA of swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) rumen contents was explored using culture-independent techniques. The consensus regions of glycosyl hydrolase 5 (GH5) family of cellulases were used as primers for PCR amplification. A full-length metagenomic cellulase gene, Umcel5B29, with a complete open reading frame (ORF) of 1611 bp was identified. The similarity search analysis revealed that Umcel5B29 is closely related to the cellulases (73% to 98% similarity) of ruminal unculturable microorganisms, indicating its phylogenetic origin. Further analysis indicated that Umcel5B29 does not contain a carbohydrate binding module (CBM). Subsequently, Umcel5B29 was overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant enzyme worked optimally at pH 5.5 and 45°C, a condition similar to the buffalo's rumen. However, the enzyme retained more than 70% of its maximal activity after incubation at pH 4–7 and more than 50% maximal activity after incubation at 30–60°C for 30 min. These characteristics render Umcel5B29 as a potential candidate for the bio-stoning process of denim.
Efficacy and Safety of Asenapine in a Placebo- and Haloperidol-Controlled Trial in Patients With Acute Exacerbation of Schizophrenia

Asenapine is approved by the Food and Drugs Administration in adults for acute treatment of schizophrenia or of manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder with or without psychotic features. In a double-blind 6-week trial, 458 patients with acute schizophrenia were randomly assigned to fixed-dose treatment with asenapine at 5 mg twice daily (BID), asenapine at 10 mg BID, placebo, or haloperidol at 4 mg BID (to verify assay sensitivity). With last observations carried forward (LOCF), mean Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total score reductions from baseline to endpoint were significantly greater with asenapine at 5 mg BID (−16.2) and haloperidol (−15.4) than placebo (−10.7; both P < 0.05); using mixed model for repeated measures (MMRM), changes at day 42 were significantly greater with asenapine at 5 and 10 mg BID (−21.3 and −19.4, respectively) and haloperidol (−20.0) than placebo (−14.6; all P < 0.05). On the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale positive subscale, all treatments were superior to placebo with LOCF and MMRM; asenapine at 5 mg BID was superior to placebo on the negative subscale with MMRM and on the general psychopathology subscale with LOCF and MMRM. Treatment-related adverse events (AEs) occurred in 44% and 52%, 57%, and 41% of the asenapine at 5 and 10 mg BID, haloperidol, and placebo groups, respectively. Extrapyramidal symptoms reported as AEs occurred in 15% and 18%, 34%, and 10% of the asenapine at 5 and 10 mg BID, haloperidol, and placebo groups, respectively. Across all groups, no more than 5% of patients had clinically significant weight change. Post hoc analyses indicated that efficacy was similar with asenapine and haloperidol; greater contrasts were seen in AEs, especially extrapyramidal symptoms.
Basic Multicolor Flow Cytometry

Multicolor flow cytometry is a rapidly evolving technology that uses multiple fluorescent markers to identify and characterize cellular subpopulations of interest, allowing rapid analysis on tens of thousands of cells per second, with the possibility of isolating pure, viable populations by cell sorting for further experimentation. This unit covers the tools needed by the beginning immunologist to plan and run multicolor experiments, with information on fluorochromes and their characteristics, spectral spillover, compensation and spread, instrument and reagent variables, and the basic elements of multicolor panel design. Protocols to quantify and maximize sensitivity by titration of reagents and optimization of instrument settings, as well as basic surface and intracellular cell staining, are included. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Human Natural Killer Receptors, Co‐Receptors, and Their Ligands

In the last 20 years, the study of human natural killer (NK) cells has moved from the first molecular characterizations of very few receptor molecules to the identification of a plethora of receptors displaying surprisingly divergent functions. We have contributed to the description of inhibitory receptors and their signaling pathways, important in fine regulation in many cell types, but unknown until their discovery in the NK cells. Inhibitory function is central to regulating NK‐mediated cytolysis, with different molecular structures evolving during speciation to assure its persistence. More recently, it has become possible to characterize the NK triggering receptors mediating natural cytotoxicity, unveiling the existence of a network of cellular interactions between effectors of both natural and adaptive immunity. This unit reviews the contemporary history of molecular studies of receptors and ligands involved in NK cell function, characterizing the ligands of the triggering receptor and the mechanisms for finely regulating their expression in pathogen‐infected or tumor cells. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Liver Lobe and Strain Difference in Gene Expression After Hydrodynamics-Based Gene Delivery in Mice

Hydrodynamics-based gene delivery (HGD) is a widely recognized technique for delivering exogenous DNA with high efficiency to murine hepatocytes. In this study, we investigated stimulation of exogenous DNA uptake and expression using a commercially available reagent for HGD. We also examined which mouse strain and mouse liver lobe would achieve the best gene delivery performance. Mice were injected with a solution containing reporter plasmid DNA or DNA and a gene delivery reagent. One day after the HGD procedure, liver samples were isolated and subjected to biochemical and histochemical analyses. The reporter plasmid DNA showed the strongest signal when the DNA was dissolved in TransIT-EE Hydrodynamic Delivery Solution (Takara Bio Inc., Shiga, Japan). Evaluation of transgene expression in each hepatic lobe in ICR, C57BL/6N, Balb/cA, and B6C3F1 mice showed that ICR mice exhibited the best gene transfer and that the right median lobe had the highest level of transgene expression. These findings suggest the importance of choice in mouse strains and liver lobes when performing gene-based manipulations of the liver.
Evaluating clinical significance through equivalence testing: Extending the normative comparisons approach

Abstract The field of psychology, as with many other disciplines, has been increasingly interested in being able to measure the effectiveness of behavioral interventions. This trend has led to a number of different approaches for measuring clinical significance, each addressing a slightly different aspect of the clinical outcome. Recently, clinical psychologists (and clients) have supported the contention that one of the most important therapeutic questions is whether clients are functioning equivalently to normal controls following an intervention. To address this question, Kendall, Marrs-Garcia, Nath, and Sheldrick (1999) presented an approach to measuring clinical significance that utilizes tests of equivalence. The present study clarifies the nature of the hypotheses being conducted in measuring clinical significance with tests of equivalence and extends the approach by incorporating recent advances in equivalence testing. A revised approach for evaluating clinical significance via equivalence testing is proposed, and an empirical example demonstrating this approach is provided.