Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of age and Blood Pressure on Surrogate Markers of Atherosclerosis in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND Increased arterial stiffness may be an important path- way linking diabetes mellitus to increased cardiovascular risk. AIM The study was conducted to assess the surrogate markers of arterial stiffness in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and compare with age-matched hypertensive and healthy controls. Also the effect of age and blood pressure on these markers was evaluated. SETTINGS AND DESIGN This cross-sectional study was carried out at a tertiary care hospital in West India. METHODS After a detailed medical history and anthropometric evaluation, all the participants were subjected to measurements of Arterial Stiffness Index (ASI), Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV), and Augmentation Index (AIx) using a non-invasive oscillometric method. The four study groups consisted of patients with T2DM (>5 years) along with hypertension, newly diagnosed patients with T2DM (<2years) without hypertension, hypertensive controls, and healthy controls. RESULTS PWV, ASI, AIx were elevated in patients with T2DM compared to healthy controls (p<0.05). Patients with T2DM above 60 years had higher carotid-femoral PWV, ASI and AIx than those below 60 years (p<0.05). ASI and AIx were significantly increased in patients with T2DM with hypertension having systolic BP > 140 mmHg compared to those with systolic BP < 140 mmHg. A very strong correlation between PWV and AIx in patients with T2DM and hypertensive controls was observed. CONCLUSION This study reveals that markers of arterial stiffness (PWV, ASI, AIx) were increased significantly in patients with T2DM compared to healthy controls. Age and systolic blood pressure had significant influence on these markers. Thus, oscillometric markers have potential utility in identifying subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with T2DM.
Effect of hemocarboperfusion on organ blood flow and survival in porcine endotoxic shock.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of hemocarboperfusion on hemodynamics, organ blood flow, and survival in endotoxin shock. DESIGN Prospective, placebo-controlled, animal trial. SETTING Research laboratory in a major university teaching hospital. SUBJECTS Pentobarbital-anesthetized pigs. INTERVENTIONS Twenty-eight pentobarbital-anesthetized pigs (18.5 to 22.3 kg) received 100 micrograms/kg of Escherichia coli endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide 0127) over 30 mins. Group 1 animals (n = 14) were controls and had blood diverted through an extracorporeal circuit without activated charcoal for 60 mins after lipopolysaccharide infusion. Group 2 animals (n = 14) underwent nonpulsatile hemocarboperfusion (activated charcoal SCN-1K). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Mean arterial pressure, cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance, mean pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, oxygen delivery, and regional blood flow (radiolabeled microsphere technique) were determined at baseline and every 30 mins for 150 mins. Results are presented as mean +/- SD. Parameters in the two groups were compared by two-way analysis of variance. A p < . 05 was considered significant. The survival rate was ten (71%) of 14 animals in group 1 compared with 14 (100%) of 14 animals in group 2 (p < .05, Fisher's exact test). The mean cardiac output at the end of hemocarboperfusion was 1.6 +/- 0.6 L/min in group 1 compared with 3.0 +/- 0.9 L/min in group 2, and remained lower in group 1 animals throughout the experiment. Pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance were lower in the hemocarboperfusion-treated animals during and after hemocarboperfusion. Systemic vascular resistance increased by 70% after lipopolysaccharide infusion and returned to baseline values in the hemocarboperfusion group but remained increased in controls. Oxygen delivery was lower in group 1 at 90 and 150 mins (287 +/- 34 vs. 478 +/- 48 mL/min and 251 +/- 24 vs. 356 +/- 21 mL/min, respectively). Blood flow rates to the brain (38.5 +/- 7.5 vs. 27.1 +/- 5.4 mL/min/100 g), large intestine (26.6 +/- 1.1 vs. 17.7 +/- 2.5 mL/ min/100 g), and adrenal cortex (200 +/- 45 vs. 139 +/- 41 mL/min/100 g) were higher in the hemocarboperfusion group at the completion of carboperfusion but not at later time points. CONCLUSION These data suggest that hemocarboperfusion may be of value in the treatment of septic shock.
How I Treat How I treat recurrent deep-vein thrombosis

A 59-year-old man presented for pain and swelling of the left calf. He had been doingwell until 3 days earlier when symptoms all of a sudden began. He did not have surgery, an injury to the leg, or amedical illness requiring prolonged bed rest during the previousmonths.He did report, however, that he had had similar symptoms;3 years ago in the same leg after a skiing accident. According to a prior medical record, he had been diagnosed with isolated deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the posterior tibial veins and was treated with a “blood thinner” for several months. Physical examination revealed tenderness and warmth of the calf, and an increase in calf diameter of 3 cm compared with the other leg. Deep palpation of the calf muscles was painful. Recurrent DVT was suspected. What are the next diagnostic steps?
Fabrication and characterization of 11-kV normally off 4H-SiC trenched-and-implanted vertical junction FET

This letter reports the first demonstration of 101 kV trenched-and-implanted normally off 4H-SiC vertical junction field-effect transistor (TI-VJFET) with a 120 /spl mu/m /spl sim/4.9/spl times/10/sup 14/ cm/sup -3/-doped drift layer. Blocking voltages (V/sub B/) of 10 kV to 11 kV have been measured. The best specific on-resistance (R/sub SP/_/sub ON/) normalized to source active area has been determined to be 130 m/spl Omega//spl middot/cm/sup 2/. Three-dimensional computer modeling including current spreading effect shows that the TI-VJFET would have a specific resistance of 168 m/spl Omega//spl middot/cm/sup 2/ if it is scaled up substantially in size.
Introduction. Computational aerodynamics

The wide range of uses of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for aircraft design is discussed along with its role in dealing with the environmental impact of flight. Enabling technologies, such as grid generation and turbulence models, are also considered along with flow/turbulence control. The large eddy simulation, Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes and hybrid turbulence modelling approaches are contrasted. The CFD prediction of numerous jet configurations occurring in aerospace are discussed along with aeroelasticity for aeroengine and external aerodynamics, design optimization, unsteady flow modelling and aeroengine internal and external flows. It is concluded that there is a lack of detailed measurements (for both canonical and complex geometry flows) to provide validation and even, in some cases, basic understanding of flow physics. Not surprisingly, turbulence modelling is still the weak link along with, as ever, a pressing need for improved (in terms of robustness, speed and accuracy) solver technology, grid generation and geometry handling. Hence, CFD, as a truly predictive and creative design tool, seems a long way off. Meanwhile, extreme practitioner expertise is still required and the triad of computation, measurement and analytic solution must be judiciously used.
Variations in bacitracin susceptibility observed in Staphylococcus and Micrococcus species

Bacitracin susceptibility was evaluated as a laboratory method to differentiate staphylococci from micrococci. A total of 317 staphylococcal isolates and 108 micrococcal isolates were each tested for susceptibility to bacitracin by a disk-diffusion method using disks of three different potencies (0.04, 2.0, and 10.0 U) and a broth dilution method to obtain MICs. When a growth inhibition zone diameter breakpoint of greater than 10 mm was used to establish susceptibility with a 0.04-U disk, all micrococci were bacitracin susceptible and 94.6% of the staphylococci were resistant. Testing with disks of higher potency did not improve the specificity of the disk-diffusion method.
Acquired Dyslexia and Dysgraphia across Scripts

Many studies have investigated the cognitive processes used to read and to spell in English. Much of our kowledge about these processes comes from reports of patients with acquired dyslexia and dysgraphia, first identified in the behavioral neurology clinic. As in all clinical studies, the detail in these reports includes description of preserved and impaired abilities of the patient, usually with reference to a cognitive neuropsychological model of reading and spelling [6,12,13,26, 28,29]. The beauty of these reports is the insight provided to the clinician and to theorist about the topography of cognitive processing, allowing science to ‘carve nature at its joints’. One criticism of this research is the emphasis on European languages. However, a review of acquired dyslexia and dysgraphia in languages other than English reveals an interesting fact. Many cases are reported in Behavioral Neurology – a revelation that reflects the global reach and sophistication of this readership. It is therefore a great privilege to present this Special Issue on the topic of Reading and Writing Disorders Across Scripts. The question posed to the authors (and readers) of the papers in this Special Issue is whether the processes identified for reading and spelling in cognitive neuropsychological models developed for English, extend to other languages. This is not a trivial question that is limited to the armchair. Language processing in bilingual speakers is moving towards the front of cognitive neuropsychological enquiry simply because bilingual speakers are the majority of speakers in many language environments. Thus, it is of interest to know about dyslexia and dysgraphia in Chinese, Korean and Urdu for theoretical reasons but also because it is necessary to know if the cognitive processes used to read and to spell in one language have any effects on reading and spelling in another language [see 8, 9, 16 for interesting answers]. If the cognitive mechanisms used to read and to spell in one language impact on reading and spelling in another language then several clinical implications follow, specifically for the treatment of acquired dyslexia and dysgraphia in bilingual speakers [23,26, 40]. The contributors to this Special Issue report on patterns of acquired dyslexia and dysgraphia in Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Slovak and Spanish. One unique feature is reports of multilingual speakers with reading and spelling disorders in different languages (Druks et al.; Friedmann and Haddad; Kambanaros et al.; Senaha and Parente). These cases not only highlight the striking similarities in the patterns of dyslexia and dysgraphia across languages, they converge on the view that cognitive processes used to read and to spell are independent of linguistic differences. Such reports have implications for theoretical models of bilingual language processing because they suggest language ‘non-selective’ access to the reading system. For example, the Bilingual Interac-
Trends in Critical Care Beds and Use Among Population Groups and Medicare and Medicaid Beneficiaries in the United States: 2000–2010

Objectives:To analyze patterns of critical care medicine beds, use, and costs in acute care hospitals in the United States and relate critical care medicine beds and use to population shifts, age groups, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries from 2000 to 2010. Design:Retrospective study of data from the federal Healthcare Cost Report Information System, American Hospital Association, and U.S. Census Bureau. Subjects:None. Interventions:None. Setting:Acute care U.S. hospitals with critical care medicine beds. Measurements and Main Results:From 2000 to 2010, U.S. hospitals with critical care medicine beds decreased by 17% (3,586–2,977), whereas the U.S. population increased by 9.6% (282.2–309.3M). Although hospital beds decreased by 2.2% (655,785–641,395), critical care medicine beds increased by 17.8% (88,235–103,900), a 20.4% increase in the critical care medicine-to-hospital bed ratio (13.5–16.2%). There was a greater percentage increase in premature/neonatal (29%; 14,391–18,567) than in adult (15.9%; 71,978–83,417) or pediatric (2.7%; 1,866–1,916) critical care medicine beds. Hospital occupancy rates increased by 10.4% (58.6-64.6%), whereas critical care medicine occupancy rates were stable (range, 65–68%). Critical care medicine beds per 100,000 total population increased by 7.4% (31.3–33.6). The proportional use of critical care medicine services by Medicare beneficiaries decreased by 17.3% (37.9–31.4%), whereas that by Medicaid rose by 18.3% (14.5–17.2%). Between 2000 and 2010, annual critical care medicine costs nearly doubled (92.2%; $56–108 billion). In the same period, the proportion of critical care medicine cost to the gross domestic product increased by 32.1% (0.54–0.72%). Conclusions:Critical care medicine beds, use, and costs in the United States continue to rise. The increasing use of critical care medicine by the premature/neonatal and Medicaid populations should be considered by healthcare policy makers, state agencies, and hospitals as they wrestle with critical care bed growth and the associated costs.
Hyperthermia inhibits platelet hemostatic functions and selectively regulates the release of alpha‐granule proteins

Summary. Background: Hyperthermia is one of the main disturbances of homeostasis occurring during sepsis or hypermetabolic states such as cancer. Platelets are important mediators of the inflammation that accompanies these processes, but very little is known about the changes in platelet function that occur at different temperatures. Objectives: To explore the effect of higher temperatures on platelet physiology. Methods: Platelet responses including adhesion, spreading (fluorescence microscopy), αIIbβ3 activation (flow cytometry), aggregation (turbidimetry), ATP release (luminescence), thromboxane A2 generation, alpha‐granule protein secretion (ELISA) and protein phosphorylation from different signaling pathways (immunoblotting) were studied. Results: Preincubation of platelets at temperatures higher than 37 °C (38.5–42 °C) inhibited thrombin‐induced hemostasis, including platelet adhesion, aggregation, ATP release and thromboxane A2 generation. The expression of P‐selectin and CD63, as well as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) release, was completely inhibited by hyperthermia, whereas von Willebrand factor (VWF) and endostatin levels remained substantially increased at high temperatures. This suggested that release of proteins from platelet granules is modulated not only by classical platelet agonists but also by microenvironmental factors. The observed gradation of response involved not only antiangiogenesis regulators, but also other cargo proteins. Some signaling pathways were more stable than others. While ERK1/2 and AKT phosphorylation were resistant to changes in temperature, Src, Syk, p38 phosphorylation and IkappaB degradation were decreased in a temperature‐dependent fashion. Conclusions: Higher temperatures, such as those observed with fever or tissue invasion, inhibit the hemostatic functions of platelets and selectively regulate the release of alpha‐granule proteins.
CKD-mineral and bone disorder: core curriculum 2011.

Chronic Kidney Disease–Mineral and Bone Disorder (CKD-MBD) is a term that encompasses a constellation of abnormalities seen in progressive kidney disease that include altered levels of calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and vitamin D; disturbances in bone modeling and remodeling, with the associated development of fractures or impaired linear bone growth (in children); and extraskeletal calcification in soft tissues and arteries. The kidney is responsible for maintenance of serum calcium and phosphorus within the normal range in people without kidney disease. In CKD stages 2 and 3, compensatory mechanisms in the form of elevated PTH, elevated fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23), and decreased calcitriol result in normal to near-normal blood calcium and phosphorus levels. These compensatory mechanisms become overwhelmed in later stages of CKD, eventually failing and resulting in the group of abnormalities encompassed by CKD-MBD (Box 1). Box 1 Definition of CKD-MBD A systemic disorder of mineral and bone metabolism due to CKD manifested by either one or a combination of the following: abnormalities of calcium, phosphorus, PTH, or vitamin D metabolism abnormalities in bone turnover, mineralization, volume, linear growth, or strength vascular or other soft tissue calcification View it in a separate window Abbreviations: CKD, chronic kidney disease; CKD-MBD, chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder; PTH, parathyroid hormone.
Intermittent On/Off Prostaglandin E2 and Risedronate Are Equally Anabolic as Daily PGE2 Alone Treatment in Cortical Bone of Ovariectomized Rats

In this study, we evaluated the rat cortical bone changes after a two‐cycle, 60‐day each (ON/OFF/ON/OFF) treatment with either prostaglandin E2 (OVX/c‐PGE2) alone or in combination with risedronate (OVX/c‐PGE2+Ris), in comparison with daily treatment with PGE2 for 240 days (OVX/PGE2−240d) in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. At the end of the study, we found that: (1) the overall effectiveness of the treatment on bone mass in the tibial shaft indicates the following ranking: OVX/PGE2−240d = OVX/c‐PGE2+Ris > OVX/c‐PGE2 > OVX/c‐Ris ≥ OVX = aging; (2) the same bone mass and architecture were produced in the OVX/PGE2−240d and the OVX/c‐PGE2+Ris groups, but the histomorphometric profiles differed in that the former exhibited a higher bone turnover and index of resorption; (3) OVX/c‐PGE2+Ris treatment prevented endocortical bone loss and minimized trabecular bone loss during the OFF periods; and (4) the OVX/c‐PGE2 alone treatment resulted in the accumulation of less total bone than OVX/PGE2−240d and OVX/c‐PGE2+Ris because it could not maintain most of the new subendocortical and marrow trabecular bone generated earlier. In summary, both continuous daily PGE2 and two cycles ON/OFF combined PGE2 and Ris treatments result in more bone mass than two cycles ON/OFF PGE2 alone and Ris alone in estrogen‐deficient rats. This study showed that the anabolic effects of PGE2 can be induced and maintained either by continuous administration or by cyclical PGE2+Ris.
Lens based 24 GHz SiGe IQ radarsensor for a multitude of applications

Due to the rapid development of highly integrated and reliable SiGe MMICS new applications of small radar sensors for motion detection and object recognition can be developed and commercialized. In this paper a highly integrated, 24 GHz IQ radar sensing unit is presented. The sensor is feasible for simple DOA and range estimation, as well as for direction of movement recognition. Spatial beamforming is performed based on patch antennas in combination with a dielectric lens.
Review and Reappraisal of Smart Clothing

Smart clothing is a “smart system” capable of sensing and communicating with environmental and the wearer's conditions and stimuli. A comprehensive review is presented on the research and developments related to smart clothing including technology developments, human aspects in smart clothing, and the applications. Recent smart clothing technology can be summarized as a tendency toward textile-based technology for each component: interface, communication, data management, energy management, and integrated circuits. Human aspects in smart clothing, even though some areas were not fully covered, were dealt with in terms of usability, functionality, durability, safety, comfort, and fashion. General applications of smart clothing developed so far include bio-monitoring clothing, MP3 player-adopted clothing, and photonic clothing.
Detection in Bio-inspired Visual Systems using Networks of Oscillators

Animals routinely rely on their eyes to localize fixed and moving targets especially with the goal of either avoiding or capturing them. Detection of position of targets in space is an important problem in such a localization process for the motor control circuit to actuate a successful movement. The purpose of this paper is to sketch a binocular visual system that includes image capturing, retinal projection, sparse representation and data fusion, multi-neural encoding in the cortex down to detection of depth of objects from activity waves using nonlinear dynamics of an oscillatory network. The general strategies from visual circuitry, some of which may not be employed by the animal, could perhaps be employed in building machines with multiple sensors
Sustained release enteric coated tablets of pantoprazole: Formulation, in vitro and in vivo evaluation

In this study, an attempt was made to deliver pantoprazole in a sustained manner using delayed release tablets. The tablets were prepared by the wet granulation method using HPMC, cassava starch and polyvinyl pyrrolidine as polymers, Avicel PH 102 (MCC) as filler and potato starch as binder. The prepared tablets were evaluated for hardness, mass variation, friability and drug content uniformity, and the results were found to comply with official standards. The prepared tablets were coated using an enteric coating polymer such as cellulose acetate phthalate, Eudragit L100 and drug coat L100 by the dip coating method. The in vitro release was studied using pH 1.2 acidic buffer and pH 6.8 phosphate buffer and the study revealed that the prepared tablets were able to sustain drug release into the intestine. The anti-ulcer activity was evaluated by a water immersion stress induced ulcer model. The enteric coated pantoprazole tablets significantly reduced ulcer formation.
Glycomic mapping of pseudomucinous human ovarian cyst glycoproteins: Identification of Lewis and sialyl Lewis glycotopes

Expression of sialyl Lewis x (sLex) and sialyl Lewis a (sLea) on cell‐surface glycoproteins endows cells with the ability to adhere to E‐, P‐, and L‐selectins present on endothelia, platelets, or leukocytes. Special arrangements of these glycotopes in cancers are thought to play a key role in metastasis. Previous studies have mostly described membrane‐bound sLex and sLea activities. In this report, the major O‐glycans of the secreted human ovarian cyst sialoglycoproteins from a Le(a+) nonsecretor individual (human ovarian cyst sample 350) were characterized by MS/MS analyses and immuno‐/lectin‐chemical assays. The results showed that HOC 350 carries a large number of epitopes for sLex, sLea, and Lea reactive antibodies. Advanced MS/MS sequencing coupled with mild periodate oxidation and exoglycosidase digestions further revealed that the O‐glycans from HOC 350 are mostly of core 1 and 2 structures, extended and branched on the 3‐arm with both type I and type II chains, complete with variable degrees of terminal sialylation and/or fucosylation to yield the sLex or sLea epitopes. Thus, the underlying core and peripheral backbone structures are similar to that of a previously proposed composite structural model for nonsialylated human ovarian cysts O‐glycans, but with some notable distinguishing structural features in addition to sialylation.