Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Endoscopic variceal ligation plus propranolol vs. transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent shunt: a long-term randomized trial.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS After a first variceal bleeding episode in patients with cirrhosis of the liver, treatment with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent shunt (TIPS) and endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) plus propranolol were compared, with regard to prevention of variceal rebleeding, complications, and mortality. PATIENTS AND METHODS 85 patients were randomly allocated to receive TIPS (n = 43) or EVL (n = 42). The groups were comparable regarding age, sex, etiology of liver cirrhosis, and liver function. RESULTS The mean observation times were 4.1 years in the TIPS group and 3.6 years in the EVL group. Although the probability of rebleeding was higher in the EVL group (29.9%) than in the TIPS group (19.4%), the difference was not statistically significant. Three of five patients of the EVL group successfully underwent TIPS placement after treatment failure. The probability of TIPS dysfunction requiring shunt revision was 89 %. Hepatic encephalopathy was observed more often in the TIPS group (40.5%) than in the EVL group (20.5%; P < 0.05). The probability of survival was similar in both groups (TIPS group 75.9%, EVL group 82.2%; n.s.). CONCLUSIONS In view of its good efficacy and the lower cost of treatment, endoscopic ligation plus propranolol may be recommended as initial procedure for prevention of recurrent variceal hemorrhage, whereas TIPS seems to be the preferable procedure in patients with recurrent bleeding after adequate endoscopic and pharmacological treatment.
One Year of Glaucoma Research in Review—2013 to 2014

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to provide the practicing clinical ophthalmologist with an update on relevant glaucoma literature published from 2013 to 2014. DesignThis study is a literature review. MethodsThe authors conducted a 1-year (October 1, 2013, to September 30, 2014) English-language glaucoma literature search on PubMed of articles containing “glaucoma” or “glaucomatous” with title/abstract as a filter. Medical subject headings filtered searching was not performed because of the newness of the reviewed material. ResultsLiterature search yielded 2314 articles, after which we excluded reviews and letters to the editor. We highlighted articles featuring new or updated approaches to the pathophysiology, diagnosis, or treatment of glaucoma and gave preference to human research. ConclusionsThis review features literature that is of interest to ophthalmologists in practice and also highlights studies that may provide insight on future developments applicable to clinical ophthalmology.
Pancreas Divisum: On Life Support, But Not Quite Dead

Pancreas divisum, the failure of fusion of the dorsal and ventral pancreatic ductal systems in utero, is the most common congenital abnormality of the pancreas. The clinical significance of pancreas divisum is often considered when it is found in patients with idiopathic acute or recurrent pancreatitis. With increasing use of magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in the past twenty years, the detection of pancreas divisum is increasingly common in patients undergoing cross-sectional imaging. Therapeutic interventions for patients with recurrent acute pancreatitis and pancreas divisum aim to relieve the relative obstructive pancreatopathy caused by a stenotic minor papilla. Developments in the study of the genetics of pancreatitis have fueled the debate as to whether pancreas divisum in itself causes pancreatitis. Some have argued that pancreas divisum is a bystander and that its role as an etiology of recurrent acute pancreatitis should be abandoned. Others have suggested that further study is needed in the understanding of the association of pancreas divisum with genetic mutations, such as cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator. Historically, the study of pancreas divisum has been limited to uncontrolled and observational studies with the level of evidence reviewed. This paper will review the anatomy, diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, and developments in the genetics of pancreas divisum to revive the discussion on this much-debated topic.
Evaluating the impact of data sample-rate on appliance disaggregation

This study evaluates how the disaggregation of appliances from a central location is impacted by the sample-rate used to measure a household's energy use. The sample-rate parameter is the deciding factor for choosing hardware requirements necessary for designing an appliance-level information system that can scale to general households. However, the impact of sample-rate on appliance disaggregation accuracy has so far not been evaluated.
Sport competition as a dynamical self-organizing system

The existence of structure in sport competition is implicated in the widespread practice of using the information gathered from a past contest to prepare for a future contest. Based on this reasoning, we previously analysed squash match-play for evidence of signature traits from among the stochastic relations between the various types of shot. The mixed findings from these analyses led us to re-analyse squash match-play as a dynamical system. Here, we extend this line of investigation with some suggestions as to how various sports might be described further within this theoretical framework. We offer some examples of dynamical interactions in dyadic (i.e. one vs one) and team (e.g. many vs many) sports, as well as some predictions from a dynamical systems analysis for these types of sports contests. This paper should serve to initiate further research into the complex interactions that occur in sport competition.
Novel inhibitors of urokinase‐type plasminogen activator and matrix metalloproteinase expression in metastatic cancer cell lines

The plasminogen‐activating (PA) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) enzyme systems are implicated in proteolytic turnover of the extracellular matrix (ECM) associated with biologic processes including wound healing, inflammation and angiogenesis. Aberrant expression of components of the PA and MMP enzyme systems occurs in the pathogenesis of metastatic cancer. Oxamflatin (Ox), a novel hydroxamic acid derivative, inhibits u‐PA mRNA expression and proteolytic activity while simultaneously upregulating the expression of the natural inhibitor of u‐PA, plasminogen activator inhibitor type 2 (PAI‐2) in metastatic cancer cells. We have characterized the effects of Ox and a novel derivative, Metacept‐1 (MCT‐1), on PA and MMP‐mediated proteolysis and invasion in several metastatic tumor lines. Both compounds are able to inhibit u‐PA‐, MMP‐2‐ and MMP‐9‐mediated gene expression at low micromolar concentrations as well as u‐PA‐ and MMP‐mediated proteolysis as assessed by zymography, with MCT‐1 being the more effective of the 2 agents in some assays. Cellular invasion assays correlate with gene expression and zymography experiments identifying both Ox and MCT‐1 as able to inhibit invasion of metastatic cancer cell lines through matrigel at nanomolar concentrations, with MCT‐1 more effective than Ox in 2 of the 3 cancer cell lines assessed. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
On the use of conformai mapping in the analysis of electric machines

Conformal mapping is a widespread mathematical technique to approach the electromagnetic study of electric machines. In its practical application, however, it is relatively easy to incur in errors which make results unreliable. In this paper, some fundamental but possibly deceitful facts in conformal mapping application are described, focusing in particular on: energy conservation in magnetostatic and time-harmonic problems; current source assignment in the transformed domain; transformation of the flux density components through conformal mapping. The addressed topics are first investigated from a theoretical point of view; then some application examples, based on Finite Element Analysis are provided for illustration and validation purposes.
Embedded Systems Energy Consumption Analysis Through Co-modelling and Simulation

—This paper presents a new methodology to study power and energy consumption in mechatronic systems early in the development process. This new approach makes use of two modeling languages to represent and simulate embedded control software and electromechanical subsystems in the discrete event and continuous time domain respectively within a single co-model. This co-model enables an accurate representation of power and energy consumption and facilitates the analysis and development of both software and electro-mechanical subsystems in parallel. This makes the engineers aware of energy-wise implications of different design alternatives and enables early trade-off analysis from the beginning of the analysis and design activities.
Molecular organization of mating type loci in heterothallic, homothallic, and asexual Gibberella/Fusarium species.

Mating type (MAT) genes were cloned from three members of the Gibberella/Fusarium complex that differ in reproductive mode: heterothallic G. fujikuroi, homothallic G. zeae, and asexual F. oxysporum. The G. fujikuroi MAT locus organization is typical of other heterothallic pyrenomycetes characterized to date; i.e., there are three genes at MAT1-1 and one at MAT1-2. G. zeae has homologues of all four genes encoded by the two G. fujikuroi MAT idiomorphs, tightly linked on the same chromosome, interspersed with sequences unique to G. zeae. Field isolates of F. oxysporum, although asexual, have either the MAT1-1 or the MAT1-2 genes found in sexual species and these genes are highly similar to those of heterothallic G. fujikuroi. RT-PCR analysis proved that the F. oxysporum MAT genes are expressed and that all putative introns found in each of the four MAT genes in G. fujikuroi and F. oxysporum are removed. Apparent failure of F. oxysporum to reproduce sexually could not be attributed to mutations in the MAT genes themselves.
[Reticulated platelet count used for differentiation of the type of thrombocytopenia in pregnant women].

BACKGROUND Analysis of reticulated platelets (RP), the youngest form of platelets in peripheral blood, is useful for assessment of thrombopoietic response in thrombocytopenic conditions due to intense immunological platelet destruction. AIM The aim of the study was to assess the value of RP measurement for differentiation between pregnancy-related thrombocytopenia (PT), immunological thrombocytopenia (IM) and hereditary thrombocytopenia (HT) in pregnant women with platelet count below 100 G/L. MATERIAL The study included 49 pregnant thrombocytopenia women (21 with PT, 22 with IM, 6 with HR) as well as 22 healthy pregnant women (Control). METHODS The percentage of RP in peripheral blood was measured using double staining with: PE-labeled anti CD41 (Dako) and thiazole orange (Beckton Dickinson). The measurements were performed several times during pregnancy (II and III trimester) and delivery. Anti-platelet antibodies were tested by immunofluorescence and immunoensimatic assays. HPA1a antigen was determined by PCR/SSP. RESULTS The average platelet count in all groups of thrombocytopenia women was significantly lower than in control group. The mean RP percentage in the control group (5.31%) was within the range of the haematological normal value (0.5-6%), and for thrombocytopenia women it was: 9.19% for PT women, 14.75% for IM women and 14.94% for HT women and was significantly higher than that in the control group. In the group of IM pregnant women the RP percentage was significantly higher in the II trimester than in the PT women. Anti-platelet antibody and HPA1a antigen testing excluded alloimmunological/fetus/neonatal thrombocytopenia in the study material. CONCLUSION RP analysis has been proved useful for preliminary differentiation of PT and IT in the II trimester of pregnancy. Higher RP percentage informs the physician of the likelihood of immunological thrombocytopenia in the pregnant woman as well as of the delivery of a thrombocytopenia child.
Prevention of severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in IVF patients by steroidal ovarian suppression — A prospective randomized study

Ovrian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is the major complication associated with artificial reproductive technologies. The aim of this study was to assess the potential of exogenous steroids to prevent OHSS without adversely affecting pregnancy rate. A prospective and randomized study including 945 consecutive cycles in 603 women (mean age 28.6 years) was carried out to evaluate the efficiency of high-dose progesterone and oestradiol administration during the luteal phase to prevent OHSS. After ovulation induction, patients were allocated by a series of computer-generated random numbers to receive either 5000 iu human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) 4 and 8 days after embryo transfer (group 1, n = 534) or 500 mg hydroxy-progesterone caproate and 10 mg oestradiol valerate on days 2, 6, 10 and 14 after embryo transfer (group 2, n = 411), by i.m. injection. Total pregnancy rate was 24% (97 of 411) and 23% (121 of 534), and median serum progesterone concentrations on day 15 after embryo transfer were 5.8 ng ml-1 (range 0.1–298) and 0.1 ng ml-1 (range 0.1–372) in groups 1 and 2, respectively (P = 0.001). One hundred and sixty-three (30.5%) women in group 1 and 22 (5.4%) women in group 2 developed signs of OHSS (P < 0.0001). These results indicate that steroidal ovarian suppression during the luteal phase is a promising tool to reduce the incidence and severity of OHSS in a high-risk population without compromising the pregnancy rate.
Vesicular Glutamate Transporter 1 Orchestrates Recruitment of Other Synaptic Vesicle Cargo Proteins during Synaptic Vesicle Recycling*

Background: At least six synaptic vesicle (SV) membrane proteins must be endocytosed and sorted during SV recycling. Results: Loss of vGlut1 slows endocytosis kinetics of many other SV proteins, whereas impairing vGlut1 slows other cargos. Conclusion: vGlut1 plays a central role in coordinating SV cargo endocytosis. Significance: SV recycling is essential for synaptic transmission and relies on collective behavior of many cargo proteins. A long standing question in synaptic physiology is how neurotransmitter-filled vesicles are rebuilt after exocytosis. Among the first steps in this process is the endocytic retrieval of the transmembrane proteins that are enriched in synaptic vesicles (SVs). At least six types of transmembrane proteins must be recovered, but the rules for how this multiple cargo selection is accomplished are poorly understood. Among these SV cargos is the vesicular glutamate transporter (vGlut). We show here that vGlut1 has a strong influence on the kinetics of retrieval of half of the known SV cargos and that specifically impairing the endocytosis of vGlut1 in turn slows down other SV cargos, demonstrating that cargo retrieval is a collective cargo-driven process. Finally, we demonstrate that different cargos can be retrieved in the same synapse with different kinetics, suggesting that additional post-endocytic sorting steps likely occur in the nerve terminal.
Nutritional characterization of Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) leaves

calcium (3.65%), phoshorus (0.3%), magnesium (0.5%), potassium (1.5%), sodium (0.164%), sulphur (0.63%), zinc (13.03 mg/kg), copper (8.25%), manganese (86.8 mg/kg), iron (490 mg/kg) and selenium (363 mg/kg). 17 fatty acids were observed with α-Linolenic acid (44.57%) having the highest value followed by heneicosanoic (14.41%), g-linolenic (0.20%) palmiteic (0.17%) and capric acid (0.07%). Vitamin E had the highest concentration of 77 mg/100 g than beta-carotene, which had 18.5 mg/100 g in the dried leaves. The fiber content was neutral detergent fibre (NDF) (11.4%), acid detergent fibre (ADF) (8.49%), acid detergent lignin (ADL) (1.8%) and (acid detergent cellulose (ADC) (4.01%). The condensed tannins had a value of 3.2%, while total polyphenols were 2.02%. The values of amino acids, fatty acids, minerals and vitamin profiles reflect a desirable nutritional balance.
Understanding the cytological diploidization mechanism of polyploid wild wheats

The allohexaploid Aegilops species (2n = 6x = 42), Ae. neglecta 6x (UUX<sup>t</sup>X<sup>t</sup>NN), Ae. juvenalis (D<sup>c</sup>D<sup>c</sup>X<sup>c</sup>X<sup>c</sup>UU), and Ae. vavilovii (D<sup>c</sup>D<sup>c</sup>X<sup>c</sup>X<sup>c</sup>S<sup>s</sup>S<sup>s</sup>) regularly form bivalents at metaphase I. However, in Ae. crassa 6x (D<sup>c</sup>D<sup>c</sup>X<sup>c</sup>X<sup>c</sup>DD) 0.27 quadrivalents per cell were observed probably as a consequence of the partial homology displayed by the D and D<sup>c</sup> genomes. Likewise, the synthetic amphiploid Ae. ventricosa-Secale cereale (DDNNRR) is fertile and displays a diploid-like behavior at metaphase I, despite its recent origin. The pattern of synapsis at late zygotene and pachytene in the natural and artificial allohexaploids was analyzed by whole-mount surface-spreading of synaptonemal complexes under an electron microscope. It revealed that chromosomes were mostly associated as bivalents in all cases, the mean of multivalents per nucleus ranging from 0.17 (Ae. neglecta 6x) to 1.03 (Ae. crassa 6x) in the natural species and 1.05 in the Ae. ventricosa-S. cereale amphiploid. It can be concluded that the mechanism controlling bivalent formation in these species and also in the synthetic amphiploid acts mainly at zygotene by restricting synapsis to homologous chromosomes, but also acts at pachytene by preventing chiasma formation in the homoeologous associations. These observations are discussed in relation to the origin and evolution of the mechanism of diploidization in the allopolyploid species of the Poaceae family.
Use of aerosolized aminoglycosides in the treatment of Gram-negative ventilator-associated pneumonia.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in the surgical intensive care unit (ICU) is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Affected patients are at higher risk for infection with multi-drug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, often necessitating therapeutic regimens of two parenteral antibiotics. Aerosolized antibiotics achieve high alveolar concentrations and have been reported anecdotally to have value in the treatment of VAP. This study examined the role of aerosolized aminoglycosides in the treatment of VAP in surgical ICU patients. METHODS We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of 22 patients who received aerosolized aminoglycosides in conjunction with parenteral antibiotics for VAP in the surgical ICU. Sixteen patients received inhaled tobramycin, and six received inhaled amikacin. Demographic information and data on the length of stay (LOS), mortality rate, days of antibiotic therapy, days of mechanical ventilation, and recurrence of VAP were collected. Results of bronchoscopic and sputum cultures were reviewed to identify bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial susceptibilities. RESULTS The average duration of mechanical ventilation was 31 +/- 12 days, the mean ICU LOS was 41 +/- 13 days, and the mean hospital LOS was 71 +/- 25 days. There were three deaths. The average duration of mechanical ventilation after initiation of aerosolized antibiotics was 4.3 days. Seven patients (40%) developed recurrent pneumonia with the same pathogen, but only one had a change in antibiotic susceptibility pattern. There were no renal or pulmonary complications of aminoglycoside treatment. CONCLUSIONS Ventilator-associated pneumonia in critically ill patients is associated with substantial morbidity, longer ICU stays, and prolonged mechanical ventilation. Along with systemic therapy, aerosolized aminoglycosides are valuable adjuncts in select patients with minimal risk of antibiotic resistance.
A Fast-Transient Low-Dropout Regulator With Load-Tracking Impedance Adjustment and Loop-Gain Boosting Technique

A low-voltage fast-transient low dropout (LDO) regulator compensated by an off-chip, low-equivalent-series-resistance (ESR), nanorange output capacitor is reported in this brief. The proposed load-tracking impedance adjustment and the loop-gain boosting technique make the proposed LDO regulator have fast response and small voltage spikes. The circuit is implemented by a commercial 0.35- μm CMOS technology. The chip area is 0.032 mm2. The supply voltage ranges from 1.5 to 3 V. The regulated voltage is 1.2 V to provide 0-100 mA. The quiescent current in the no-load condition is 26 μA. A 100-nF low-ESR capacitor is sufficient to stabilize the proposed LDO regulator. The measured voltage spike is 44.9 mV only, and the response time is less than 0.2 μs.
Tissue-Specific Progenitor and Stem Cells Subcutaneous Transplantation of Neural Precursor Cells in Experimental AutoimmuneEncephalomyelitis Reduces Chemotactic Signals in the Central Nervous System

Neural precursor cell (NPC) transplantationhas beenproposedas a therapy formultiple sclerosis (MS) and other degenerative disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). NPCs are suggested to exert immune modulation when they are transplanted in the animal model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Herein, we explore whether the effect of NPC transplantation on the clinical course and the pathological features of EAE is combined with the modulation of chemokines levels expressed in the inflamed CNS. NPCs were isolated from brains of neonatal C57/Bl6 mice and were subcutaneously administered in femalemicewithmyelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)induced EAE. Clinical signs of the disease and transcript analysis of the CNS in the acute phase were performed. In addition, the presence of inflammatory components in the spinal cord was evaluated and ex vivo proliferation of lymphocyteswasmeasured. NPC recipients exhibited ameliorated clinical outcome and less pronounced pathological features in their spinal cord. Downregulation of chemokinemRNA levels throughout the CNSwas correlatedwith diminishedMac-3-, CD3-, and CD4-positive cells and reducedexpression levels of antigen-presentingmolecules in the spinal cord.Moreover,NPC transplantation resulted in lymphocyte-related, although not splenocyte-related, peripheral immunosuppression. We conclude that NPCs ameliorated EAE potentially by modulating the levels of chemokines expressed in the inflamed CNS, thus resulting in the impaired recruitment of immune cells. These findings further contribute to the better understanding of NPCs’ immunomodulatory properties in neuroinflammatory disorders, and may lead to faster translation into potential clinical use. STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2015;4:1450–1462
A new kinematic formulation of the RCM constraint for redundant torque-controlled robots

In this paper, we provide a new generalized kinematic formulation of the Remote Center of Motion (RCM) constraint for serial robotic arms to be useful for implementation in torque-controlled robots. A minimally invasive surgery assisted by a serial robot could be used for inserting a surgical tool through a desired insertion position, i.e. trocar position. The restricted movement caused by the trocar, i.e. the RCM constraint, must be guaranteed by the robotic system in order to avoid injury to the patient. The generalized formulation, presented in this paper, associates the task-space with the RCM constraint coordinates, which are described by the minimum distance between the surgical tool and the trocar position. In order to simultaneously achieve the surgical tool-tip trajectory and the RCM constraint, two control methods are proposed and compared, one using a projection in the null-space, the other by combining both tasks using a task-space augmentation method. Moreover, when additional lower priority tasks have to be implemented in the null-space of the two higher priority tasks, the kinematic formulation simplifies the calculation of the null-space projectors. Furthermore, unlike the previous studies, the formulation represented can be applied not only in a kinematic control but also in a dynamic control approach. Simulations were conducted to validate effectiveness of the proposed formulation, using a planar 4-DOF system as well as the dynamic model of a Kuka LBR 7 iiwa R800 robot arm.