Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hepatic artery thrombosis after orthotopic liver transplantation.

OBJECTIVE Hepatic artery thrombosis after liver transplantation is uncommon, but represents an important cause of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to identify the possible risk factors for the development of hepatic artery thrombosis, and the impact of hepatic artery thrombosis on the patients and graft survival. METHODS Between January 1994 and June 1998, we reviewed retrospectively a series of 86 liver transplant procedures performed on 81 adult patients. Arterial anomalies of the donor graft, rejection episodes, cold ischemia time, ABO matching, the use of blood/fresh frozen plasma during and after surgery, and the use of heparin as prophylactic anticoagulation therapy were examined as a possible contributing risk factors for the development of hepatic artery thrombosis. RESULTS Hepatic artery thrombosis occurred in 7 procedures out of 86 (9%). Early cases of Hepatic artery thrombosis within 15 days after transplant occurred in 4 patients. Late thrombosis occurred in 3 patients. Analysis of potential risk factors for the development of hepatic artery thrombosis was carried out. Five out of 40 patients who did not received prophylactic heparin had hepatic artery thrombosis (12.5%), while only 2 out of 46 patients who received prophylactic heparin had hepatic artery thrombosis 4%. On the other hand, 6 out of the 7 patients developed hepatic artery thrombosis received more than 5 units of blood transfusion during the transplant procedure (11%) while only one patient developed hepatic artery thrombosis who received less than 5 units intra-operatively (3%). Management of hepatic artery thrombosis cases were carried out in the form of: thrombectomy (n = 1), thrombectomy followed by retransplantation (n = 2), and non-surgical or conservative treatment (n = 4). The overall survival rate was (43%) (3 out of 7). Out of four deaths, 3 were directly related to hepatic artery thrombosis while the cause of death iin the remaining patients was attributed to pulmonary sepsis. CONCLUSION Early hepatic artery thrombosis leads to death unless quick retransplantation follows. Conservative treatment for the late onset hepatic artery thrombosis on occasion has been useful. The use of postoperative prophylactic anticoagulation therapy might be of benefit in the prevention of hepatic artery thrombosis after liver transplantation. Increased transfusion requirement for red blood cells during transplant procedure was independently associated with increase incidence of hepatic artery thrombosis.
Electromyographic movement pattern recognition based on random forest algorithm

Movement pattern recognition is the basis for flexible control of lower-limb rehabilitation aids. To improve the effect of lower-limb movement pattern recognition, an electromyographic recognition method to identify movement patterns without movement information was proposed. Firstly, the initial moment of feature extraction was detected by the integral of absolute value of surface electromyography (EMG) recorded from gluteus medius muscle. Secondly, the features were extracted from the surface EMG recorded from five main muscles of lower limb. Finally, Random Forest algorithm was applied to recognize the five movement modes (level-ground walking, stair ascent, ramp ascent, stair descent, and ramp descent), while the importance of every feature was estimated by the recognition precision and Gini index. The features with greater contribution were picked out and applied to recognize. The simulation result indicates that this method had achieved an average accuracy of 99.2% in five movement modes recognition, which is conductive to the further study of lower-limb rehabilitation aids.
Effects of intracellular pH and [Mg2+] on excitation‐contraction coupling in skeletal muscle fibres of the rat.

1. The effects on normal excitation‐contraction (E‐C) coupling of two important intracellular ions, H+ and Mg2+, were examined in skinned fibres from the extensor digitorum longus muscle of rat. 2. A single depolarization (2‐3 s duration) in the presence of 1 mM Mg2+ (pH 7.1, 23 degrees C) released most of the available Ca2+ in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), but a similar depolarization in the presence of 10 mM Mg2+ was unable to release almost any Ca2+. Thus, raised [Mg2+] potently inhibits depolarization‐induced Ca2+ release in mammalian muscle. 3. Depolarization at pH 6.2 (1 mM Mg2+, 23 degrees C) induced a large force response, which was on average 78 +/‐ 2%, n = 6, of the depolarization‐induced response at pH 7.1; this reduction resulted from a corresponding reduction in maximum Ca(2+)‐activated force at pH 6.2. Similar results were obtained at 37 degrees C. Also, a single depolarization at pH 6.2 caused almost complete depletion of the releasable Ca2+ in the SR. Thus, low pH does not prevent depolarization‐induced Ca2+ release in mammalian muscle. 4. Lowering the free [Mg2+] from 1 mM to 15 microM caused massive release of Ca2+, and depletion of the SR, at both pH 7.1 and 6.2, indicating that over this pH range, H+ did not readily substitute for Mg2+ at its inhibitory site on the Ca2+ release channel. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Jack mackerel Trachurus japonicus juveniles use jellyfish for predator avoidance and as a prey collector

Juveniles of carangid fishes including jack mackerel Trachurus japonicus are known to associate with jellyfishes. The function of this association behavior was studied through rearing experiments and underwater visual observations. Association behavior of jack mackerel with moon jellyfish in experimental tanks was more frequent in the presence compared to the absence of predators (chub mackerel Scomber japonicus). In the experimental tanks, the presence of jellyfish, however, did not mitigate predation by these predators. Although jack mackerel did not feed on the jellyfish itself, they frequently fed on the captured prey (Artemia nauplii) whilst in the gut cavity of the jellyfish. Underwater observations of giant jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai off Kyoto and Fukui prefectures revealed that approximately 30% of these jellyfish were accompanied by jack mackerel juveniles with body sizes ranging 10–45 mm standard length (SL). Considering that jack mackerel juveniles found in subtidal rocky reefs ranged 40–120 mm SL, we considered that jack mackerel from 10 to 45 mm SL associate with jellyfish as a hiding place as well as a food collector, until they find a suitable reef habitat when they attain approximately 40 mm SL.
Structure and Function of Protein C

s, IX International Congress on Thrombosis and Haemostasis, no. 801. Thromb Haemost 50:255, 1983. 27. Fernlund P, J Stenflo: Amino acid sequence of the light chain of bovine protein C. J Biol Chem 257:12170-12179,
Increased thrombin generation in normal pregnancy.

The aim of this longitudinal study was to evaluate whether an increased thrombin generation takes place in normal pregnancy by determining fibronopeptide A plasma concentration in 24 women at three stages of gestation. The activity of the main blood clotting inhibitors, antithrombin III and protein C. , and platelet agregability were also investigated. Our study showed a significant rise of fibrinopeptide A plasma levels already manifest at the first trimester. Antithrombin III activity was found to slightly but significantly decrease during pregnancy, whereas protein C levels showed a moderate, significant increase. A slight platelet activation was observed in the second and third trimester. These findings indicate that during pregnancy a new equilibrium of blood clotting system arises, shifted to a hypercoagulable state which leads to the increased risk of thromboembolism observed in pregnancy.
Earthquake Supercycles Inferred from Sea-Level Changes Recorded in the Corals of West Sumatra

Records of relative sea-level change extracted from corals of the Mentawai islands, Sumatra, imply that this 700-kilometer-long section of the Sunda megathrust has generated broadly similar sequences of great earthquakes about every two centuries for at least the past 700 years. The moment magnitude 8.4 earthquake of September 2007 represents the first in a series of large partial failures of the Mentawai section that will probably be completed within the next several decades.
On replay detection in distributed systems

Various approaches to the problem of replay detection in distributed systems are briefly reviewed. An approach based on combining a variable-size time-window mechanism with a challenge mechanism is proposed. This approach has the following properties: (1) it does not depend on clock synchronization, (2) it allows the setting of a minimum server's memory-buffer size in a way that ensures acceptance of all legitimate client requests and (3) it is robust without requiring stable (nonvolatile) memory for the server buffer needed to save past client requests. <<ETX>>
Networked Non-fragile H∞ Control for Lipschitz Nonlinear System with Quantization and Packet Dropout in Both Feedback and Forward Channels

The networked non-fragile H ∞ control problem for Lipschitz nonlinear system with quantization and packet dropout in both feedback and forward channels is investigated in this paper. The sensor measurement and controller output are quantized by logarithmic quantizers before transmitted over the network. The packet transmissions in the communication channels from the sensor to the controller and from the controller to the actuator are modeled as Markov chains respectively. Based on the Lyapunov functional approach, the networked non-fragile H ∞ controller is designed to stabilize the Lipschitz nonlinear system and achieve the prescribed H ∞ performance. Finally a numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
The Benefits of SiC mosfets in a T-Type Inverter for Grid-Tie Applications

It is well known that multilevel converters can offer significant benefits in terms of harmonic performance and reduced switching losses compared to their two-level counterparts. However, for lower voltage applications the neutral-point-clamped inverter suffers from relatively large semiconductor conduction losses because the output current always flows through two switching devices. In contrast, the T-type multilevel inverter has less conduction losses because only a single outer loop switching device is required to connect the converter output to the upper and lower dc buses, albeit at the expense of increased switching losses since these outer switches must now block the full dc link voltage. Silicon carbide (SiC) mosfet devices potentially offer substantial advantage in this context with their lower switching losses, but the benefit of replacing all switching devices in a T-type inverter with SiC mosfets is not so clear-cut. This paper now explores this issue by presenting a detailed comparison of the use of Si and SiC devices for a three-level T-type inverter operating in grid-tie applications. The study uses datasheet values, switching loss measurements, and calibrated heat sink thermal measurements to precisely compare semiconductor losses for these two alternatives for a T-type inverter operating at or near unity power factor. The results show that replacing only the dc bus connection switches with SiC devices significantly reduces the semiconductor losses, allowing either the converter power level or the switching frequency to be significantly increased for the same device losses. Hence, the use of SiC mosfets for T-type inverters can be seen to be an attractive and potentially cost-effective alternative, since only two switching devices per phase leg need to be upgraded.
Time‐Resolved X‐Ray Diffraction Studies on the Mechanism of Active Ca2+ Transport by the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ ATPase

The long-term objective of our research on the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membrane has concerned the development and utilization of definitive structural techniques to elucidate the mechanism of active calcium transport by the Ca2+ ATPase. X-ray and neutron diffraction studies’ have previously provided the cylindrically averaged profile structure of the Ca? + ATPase enzyme within the fully functional isolated SR membrane to approximately 15 A resolution. This profile structure for the Ca? + ATPase is in general agreement with a putative three-dimensional structure? proposed on the basis of the enzyme’s primary sequence and also with the results of electron microscopic three-dimensional image reconstruction studies3 of two-dimensionally crystalline forms of the CaZ+ ATPase. We have found that a number of physicochemical parameters induce changes in the profile structure of the SR membrane, all of which affect to varying degrees the rate of formation and the lifetime of the first phosphorylated enzyme intermediate, El P. We have taken advantage of these effects to undertake timc-resolved x-ray diffraction studiesJ of the profile structure of the SR membrane, employing synchrotron radiation sources and the flash-photolysis of caged ATP to synchronously phosphorylate the ensemble of CaZ+ ATPase molecules in the sample. The results of that work5 indicate that “large-scale” (i.e., long-range) changes occur in the profile structure of the Ca2+ ATPase upon enzyme phosphorylation (Ca,EI to Ca,E, P). “ More recently, we used resonance x-ray diffractionh to determine the location of metal binding sites within the profile structure of the SR membrane, for the resting (El ) conformation of the ATPase. In this work, La3+ and Tb3+ were used as calcium analogs, and the experimental conditions were carefully controlled so that the lanthanides replace Ca2+ on the enzyme’s metal binding sites (with the exception of the nucleotide binding site). As a logical next step in our investigations, we now utilize time-resolved, resonance x-ray diffraction’ to determine the redistribution of the lanthanide ions among the previously identified metal binding sites upon enzyme phosphorylation (Tb,El to Tb,EI P) following the flash-photolysis of caged ATP. The results of the resonance x-ray diffraction work correlate with the changes in the profile structure of the SR membrane upon calcium binding (E, to Ca,EI),X initiated by the flash photolysis of caged calcium (DM nitrophen) in the absence of enzyme phosphorylation. These changes are localized exclusively to the neighbor-
Analytic modeling and three-dimensional imaging of downward-looking SAR using bistatic uniform linear array antennas

The bistatic configuration of linear array with one central antenna element for transmitting and the other antenna elements of linear array for receiving is introduced in downward-looking SAR for three-dimensional imaging in this paper. The geometrical model and the received signal model of downward-looking SAR using bistatic uniform linear array antennas are established. The analytic expression of three-dimensional imaging results is derived and the resolutions in three dimensions are given. This paper presents the image formation and analyzes the simulation results based on this 3D imaging concept.
Infections Caused by Staphylococcus aureus in a Veterans' Affairs Nursing Home Care Unit: A 5-Year Experience

Abstract Objectives: To describe the frequency and patterns of infection caused by methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) infections in a single nursing home population and to determine the effect of MRSA's entry into the facility on subsequent experience with both MSSA and MRSA infections. Design: Observational and descriptive. Surveillance data on nursing home-acquired infections were reviewed to identify all patients with MSSA and MRSA infections occurring during the 5-year period from 1987 to 1991. The medical records of these patients were reviewed retrospectively to collect additional information about the patients and their infections. Setting and Patients: A 120-bed Veterans' Affairs nursing home care unit (NHCU) whose residents predominantly were elderly men with severe underlying diseases and functional impairments, Results: During the 5-year study period, 40 MSSA and 28 MRSA infections were acquired by NHCU residents. Twelve to 19 S aureus infections occurred each year. S aureus accounted for 13% to 17% of all NHCU-acquired infections during the years of study, occurring with a frequency of 0.29 to 0.47 infections per 1,000 resident-care days. MRSA infections, first detected in 1988, accounted for an increasing percentage of S aureus infections in subsequent years, but this increase had little effect on the facility's overall infection rates, the composite S aureus infection rates, or the types of infections observed. MSSA and MRSA infections acquired in the NHCU were comparable. Both affected patients with severe underlying diseases and functional impairments. Pneumonia, urinary tract infections, skin and soft tissue infections, and conjunctivitis were the types of infections observed most frequently, accounting for 28%, 25%, 22%, and 15% of all S aureus infections, respectively. Four bacteremic infections occurred in the MSSA group, and five in the MRSA group (P=.47). Four of the MSSA and three of the MRSA infections resulted in death (P= 1.0). Nine of the MSSA and 12 of the MRSA infections resulted in the patient's transfer to the associated acute care hospital for additional care (P= .13). Conclusions: In the NHCU setting, MSSA and MRSA infections were similar in terms of the types of residents affected, the sites involved, and the frequency of adverse outcomes. The entry of MRSA into the facility appeared to have no effect on the subsequent experience with NHCU-acquired infections caused by S aureus.
Alpha-adrenergic stimulation of thermogenesis in a rat kangaroo (Marsupialia, Bettongia gaimardi).

The Tasmanian bettong (Bettongia gaimardi) is a small rat kangaroo without detectable brown adipose tissue (BAT). In view of our previous findings of norepinephrine-mediated increase in O2 consumption (Vo2) in the perfused hindlimb of this species, the present study examined the effect of alpha-adrenoceptors on the thermogenesis of conscious bettongs at rest by infusing adrenergic agents via an indwelling catheter in the tail vein. The resting Vo2 was 22.9 +/- 1.9 mmol.kg-1.h-1. Norepinephrine (10-80 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) stimulated Vo2 in a dose-dependent manner with the maximal increment of 46.7%. Naphazoline (an alpha 1,alpha 2-adrenergic agonist) and phenylephrine (an alpha 1-adrenergic agonist) also elicited increases in Vo2 with maximal values of 29.6 and 34.8%, respectively. In contrast, the alpha 2-adrenergic agonist clonidine had no significant effects. Both alpha- and beta-adrenergic blockers were used to antagonize the submaximal increase in Vo2 elicited by norepinephrine. As a dose of 10 micrograms.kg-1.min-1, the alpha-adrenergic blocker phentolamine abolished the effects of naphazoline and phenylephrine and reduced norepinephrine-induced Vo2 by 45.5%. The beta-adrenergic blocker propranolol inhibited the norepinephrine-induced Vo2 by 58.8% at 20 micrograms.kg-1.min-1. A combination of the two antagonists blocked 82.5% of the norepinephrine-induced Vo2. Pretreatment of the animal with indomethacin (1 mg/kg), a known inhibitor of prostaglandin cyclooxygenase, had no effect on phenylephrine-elicited Vo2. Taken together, these results indicate that alpha 1-adrenoceptors are directly involved in norepinephrine-induced thermogenesis in non-BAT tissue(s).
Influence of nonbiologic implants on laminectomy membrane formation in dogs.

The effects of various surgical implants, spinal cord hypothermia, and glucocorticoid administration on formation of the laminectomy membrane were evaluated in 32 preconditioned chondrodystrophoid dogs. Modified dorsal laminectomies and full-length durotomies, from T12 to L1, were performed on all dogs. Dogs were allotted to 2 groups. Group-1 dogs (n = 20) were further allocated to 4 subgroups (a, b, c, and d) consisting of 5 dogs each. Group-1a dogs received no implant, group-1b dogs had absorbable gelatin sponges implanted, group-1c dogs had absorbable gelatin films implanted, and group-1d dogs had absorbable gelatin sponges and absorbable gelatin films implanted. Daily neurologic examinations permitted correlation of neurologic dysfunction with secondary spinal cord compression in those dogs in which it developed. The influence of these implants on laminectomy membrane formation and dural healing was assessed by gross and microscopic evaluation of transverse sections of the vertebrae and spinal cord after euthanasia of one member of each subgroup at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 weeks after surgery. Group-2 dogs (n = 12) were further allotted to 3 subgroups (a, b, and c) consisting of 4 dogs each. One dog in each group-2 subgroup underwent the same surgical procedures described for the group-1 subgroups (ie, 4 procedures/group-2 subgroup). The additional effects of 3 conventional supportive techniques (selective regional spinal cord hypothermia, glucocorticoid administration, or spinal cord hypothermia and glucocorticoid administration) on laminectomy membrane formation and on immediate postoperative recovery were examined in groups 2a, 2b, and 2c, respectively. Neurologic examinations were performed daily until this time. All dogs in group 2 were euthanatized 1 week after surgery for gross and microscopic examination of transverse sections of the vertebrae and spinal cord. Qualitative histopathologic effects of the different implants and supportive techniques on formation of the laminectomy membrane were determined. Statistical analysis of the degrees of secondary spinal cord compression was performed in group-1 dogs by measuring and comparing ratios of the vertical to the horizontal diameters of the transverse spinal cord sections from locations within (T12 to L1) and out of (T11, T11-12, L1-2, and L2) the region of surgical intervention. The vertical/horizontal diameter ratios measured from transverse sections from T11 to L2 in size-matched, untreated control dogs formed the standards for a mean roundness index of the spinal cord in the various anatomic locations of the vertebral column. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Preparation and in-Situ Spectroscopic Characterization of Molecularly Dispersed Titanium Oxide on Silica

The molecularly dispersed TiO2/SiO2 supported oxides were prepared by the incipient wetness impregnation of 2-propanol solutions of titanium isopropoxide. Experimental monolayer dispersion of surface titanium oxide species on SiO2 was reached at ∼4 Ti atoms/nm2 with a two-step impregnation procedure. The surface structures of the molecularly dispersed TiO2/SiO2 under various environments were extensively investigated by in-situ spectroscopic techniques (e.g., Raman, UV−vis−NIR DRS, and XANES) as well as XPS. The combined characterization techniques revealed the consumption of surface Si−OH groups and the formation of Ti−O−Si bridging bonds. In the dehydrated state, the surface Ti atoms in the 1% TiO2/SiO2 sample (0.24 Ti atoms/nm2) are predominantly found to be isolated TiO4 units, whereas at maximum surface coverage (∼4 Ti atoms/nm2), two-dimensional polymerized TiO5 units are dominant on the silica surface. The in-situ spectroscopic studies demonstrated that the coordination and ligands of the surface T.