Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Skin Delivery of Oestradiol from Deformable and Traditiona Liposomes: Mechanistic Studies

Deformable vesicles and traditional liposomes were compared as delivery systems for oestradiol to elucidate possible mechanisms of drug delivery through human skin. Accordingly, epidermal permeation of oestradiol from optimized deformable vesicles and traditional liposome formulations was studied under low dose non‐occluded conditions. Five mechanisms were investigated. A free drug mechanism compared low‐dose permeation through skin with drug release determined after separation of the free drug. Penetration enhancement was researched by studying skin pretreatment with empty vesicles. Improved drug uptake by skin was monitored by dipping stratum corneum into different formulations for 10 min and determining drug uptake. The possibility that intact vesicles permeate through the epidermis was tested by comparing permeation from 136‐nm vesicles with that from > 500‐nm vesicles, assuming that penetration depends on vesicle size. The possibility that different entrapment efficiencies in alternative formulations could be responsible for the difference in delivery was also evaluated.
Corneal epithelium and UV-protection of the eye.

PURPOSE To study UV-absorption and UV-induced fluorescence in the bovine corneal epithelium. METHODS Spectrophotometry and spectrofluorimetry. RESULTS The corneal epithelium absorbs UV-B radiation mainly owing to its content of protein, RNA, and ascorbate. Some of the absorbed energy is transformed to the less biotoxic UV-A radiation by fluorescence. RNA and ascorbate reduce tissue fluorescence. CONCLUSIONS The corneal epithelium acts as a UV-filter, protecting internal eye structures through three different mechanisms: (1) Absorption of UV-B roughly below 310 nm wavelength. (2) Fluorescence-mediated ray transformation to longer wavelengths. (3) Fluorescence reduction. The extremely high ascorbate concentration in the corneal epithelium has a key role in two of these processes.
Influence of open-heart surgery on respiratory work.

1.The work of breathing, measured from pressure volume loops, was determined preoperatively and postoperatively in 20 patients following open-heart surgery for acquired valvular disease. In all patients the work of breathing was twice normal before operation. 2.Thirteen surviving patients had physiologically insignificant increase in the work of breathing on the first or second day following the operation. This change does not explain the respiratory difficulties experienced by these patients. 3.In seven fatal cases, the respiratory work increased an average of five times the preoperative value (ten times normal). In such patients, the excessive work of breathing produces a significant demand upon the cardiac output, and controlled mechanical ventilation is indicated in the postoperative period.
Interleukin‐12 is required for interferon‐γ production and lethality in lipopolysaccharide‐induced shock in mice

Several cytokines, in particular tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ), have been shown to be responsible for pathological reactions which may lead to shock and death observed in infection with Gram‐negative bacteria and in response to endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides, LPS). Priming of mice with the avirulent Bacille Calmette Guérin (BCG) vaccine strain of Mycobacterium bovis increases the sensitivity of mice to the lethal effect of LPS and results in an efficient priming for cytokine production. In response to low doses (1 γg/mouse) of LPS, BCG‐primed mice produce interleukin‐12 (IL‐12) which controls IFN‐γ production, as demonstrated by the ability of neutralizing anti‐IL‐12 antibodies to suppress IFN‐γ production. However, the concentration of the biologically active IL‐12 p70 heterodimer is similar in the serum of both BCG‐primed or unprimed mice, reaching levels of 1–3 ng/ml at 3–6 h after LPS injection, whereas IFN‐γ production was observed only in BCG‐primed mice. The priming effect of BCG on IFN‐γ production appears to be mostly due to its ability to increase TNF‐α production, which acts as cofactor with LPS‐induced IL‐12 in inducing IFN‐γ production, as shown by the ability of injection of TNF‐α and LPS (1 γg/mouse), but not LPS alone, to induce IFN‐γ production. However, in addition to TNF‐α, other LPS‐induced cofactor(s) are required in cooperation with IL‐12 to induce optimal IFN‐γ production, because co‐injection of TNF‐α and IL‐12, sufficient to induce serum concentrations of both cytokines higher and more persistent than those obtained by injection of LPS, was not sufficient to induce IFN‐γ production in vivo. Neutralizing anti‐IL‐12 antibodies, in addition to inhibiting the in vivo LPS‐induced IFN‐γ production, also completely protect BCG‐primed mice injected with up to 10 μg of LPS from shock‐induced death. Thus, IL‐12 is required for IFN‐γ production and lethality in an endotoxic shock model in mice.
Perioperative Complications Associated With Posterolateral Spine Fusions: A Study of Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries

Study Design. A retrospective database review. Objective. The aim of this study was to compare the occurrence of complications in patients treated with one to two-level, three to seven-level, and more than eight level fusions. Summary of Background Data. Elderly patients constitute a rapidly growing demographic with an increasing need for spinal procedures. Complication rates for spinal surgery in elderly patients range from 37% to 80% with major complications occurring in 12% to 21% of patients. Methods. The PearlDiver database (2005–2012) was utilized to compare perioperative complication rates in patients aged 65 years and older undergoing posterolateral fusion of one to two (n = 90,527); three to seven (n = 23,827), and more than eight (n = 2758) thoracolumbar levels. Cohorts were matched by demographics and comorbidities. Ninety-day medical and surgical complication and mortality rates were determined. Results. In the full, unmatched cohort, the major complication rate was 15.9%, with matched cohorts of one to two, three to seven, and eight-level fusions associated with major complication rates of 12.5%, 20.5%, and 35.4%, respectively. Patients treated with 8+ level fusions had 3.8 and 2.1 times greater odds of developing a major complication than patients treated with 1 to 2 and 3 to 7-level fusions, respectively (P < 0.0001). Patients treated with more than eight-level fusions had 3.9 and 10.8 times increased odds of experiencing mortality than those treated with three to seven-level and one to two-level fusions, respectively. Conclusion. Elderly patients treated with spine fusions spanning more than eight levels experience significantly increased complication rates when compared with patients treated with fusions of shorter length. Level of Evidence: 3
Unobserved Heterogeneity Can Confound the Effect of Education on Mortality

Two opposing hypotheses were proposed to explain the life course pattern in the effect of education on mortality: “cumulative advantage,” where the education effect becomes stronger with age, and “age-as-leveler,” where the effect becomes weaker in old age. Most empirical studies bring evidence for the latter hypothesis, but the observed convergence of mortality patterns could be an artifact of selective mortality due to unobserved heterogeneity. A simulation shows that unobserved heterogeneity can bias the estimated effect of education downward so that the cohort-average effect of education decreases in old age regardless of the shape of the underlying subject-specific trajectory.
In vitro Activity of Combination Therapy with Cefepime, Piperacillin-Tazobactam, or Meropenem with Ciprofloxacin against Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains

The prevalence of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains has been increasing every year, and treatment with various antimicrobial combinations has been offered alternatively in the clinical practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effects of combinations of meropenem, cefepime, or piperacillin-tazobactam with ciprofloxacin against multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa strains by the time-kill method. The results show that both the combination of two beta lactams with ciprofloxacin and three beta lactams with ciprofloxacin against 4 of 5 multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa strains has no effect in vitro. The combination of one beta lactam (meropenem, cefepime, piperacillin-tazobactam) with ciprofloxacin has a synergistic effect against one strain of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa that is ciprofloxacin susceptible and resistant to meropenem, cefepime, and piperacillin-tazobactam. None of the combinations had an antagonistic effect against these multidrug-resistant strains.
Scheme for high power supply efficiency of WSN node

This paper analyzes the function and requirement of wireless sensor networks (WSN) node power supply, and discusses the characteristics of power regulator usually used at present. The impaction of node power supply on energy conservation is insisted. Scheme to improve power supply efficiency of node is presented on the precondition of guaranteeing performance, which includes maintaining the high efficiency of power regulator, making use of battery energy and power dynamic management etc. The design applying some of the scheme to power saving of the node in the same configuration as node MICA2 shows that the scheme is effective in improving power efficiency and performance of node.
The SCFSkp2 Ubiquitin Ligase Complex Interacts with the Human Replication Licensing Factor Cdt1 and Regulates Cdt1 Degradation*

DNA replication initiation is tightly controlled so that each origin only fires once per cell cycle. Cell cycle-dependent Cdt1 degradation plays an essential role in DNA replication control, as overexpression of Cdt1 leads to re-replication. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of Cdt1 degradation in mammalian cells. We showed that the F-box protein Skp2 specifically interacted with human Cdt1 in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. The SCFSkp2 complex ubiquitinated Cdt1 both in vivo and in vitro. Down-regulation of Skp2 or disruption of the interaction between Cdt1 and Skp2 resulted in a stabilization and accumulation of Cdt1. These results suggest that the SCFSkp2-mediated ubiquitination pathway may play an important role in the cell cycle-dependent Cdt1 degradation in mammalian cells.
NONSPECIFIC VAGINITIS: ROLE OF HAEMOPHILUS VAGINALIS AND TREATMENT WITH METRONIDAZOLE

To assess the cause of nonspecific vaginitis, we performed a prospective case-control study of vaginal flora and a randomized unblinded trial of different therapies. Haemophilus vaginalis was isolated from 17 to 18 women with signs of vaginitis but only one of 18 normal matched controls (P less than 0.002). The concentration of anaerobic bacteria in vaginal washings also was increased in patients. Clinical improvement and eradication of H. vaginalis occurred in one of seven patients given sulfonamide vaginal cream, two of 15 given oral doxycycline, nine of 27 given oral ampicillin, and 80 of 81 given oral metronidazole. On the seventh day of therapy signs of nonspecific vaginitis persisted in 31 of 31 with, and in two of 92 without, persistent H. vaginalis infection (P less than 0.001). These data suggest the causal role of H. vaginalis in nonspecific vaginitis, possibly in concert with vaginal anaerobes. The widespread use of sulfonamide creams is inappropriate. Metronidazole is effective, but its efficacy must be weighed against its possible toxicity.
Development and Validation of an HPLC Method for Karanjin in Pongamia pinnata linn. Leaves

A rapid, simple and specific reversed-phase HPLC method has been developed for analysis of karanjin in Pongamia pinnata Linn. leaves. HPLC analysis was performed on a C18 column using an 85:13.5:1.5 (v/v) mixtures of methanol, water and acetic acid as isocratic mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. UV detection was at 300 nm. The method was validated for accuracy, precision, linearity, specificity. Validation revealed the method is specific, accurate, precise, reliable and reproducible. Good linear correlation coefficients (r2>0.997) were obtained for calibration plots in the ranges tested. Limit of detection was 4.35 μg and limit of quantification was 16.56 μg. Intra and inter-day RSD of retention times and peak areas was less than 1.24% and recovery was between 95.05 and 101.05%. The established HPLC method is appropriate enabling efficient quantitative analysis of karanjin in Pongamia pinnata leaves.
Choroidal neovascularization following photodynamic therapy in a patient with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy.

PURPOSE To present the clinical features and treatment of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization complicating photodynamic treatment (PDT) performed for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). METHOD A 48-year-old healthy woman who had chronic visual deterioration in her right eye due to chronic CSC was treated with standard PDT protocol. RESULTS Three weeks after the initial PDT, she experienced recovery in her vision and neurosensory detachment subsided clinically. However, six weeks after the PDT she returned with decreased visual acuity and metamorphopsia in the right eye. Fluorescein angiogram and optic coherence tomography delineated a classic subfoveal subretinal neovascular membrane. PDT was reperformed two more times, three months apart and closure of neovascular membrane was obtained. CONCLUSION Choroidal neovascularization might have occurred during the natural course of disease process or as a consequence of PDT. PDT seems to be effective for treating the choroidal neovascularization complicating PDT performed for CSC.
Comparison between Folin-Ciocalteu and Prussian Blue Assays to Estimate The Total Phenolic Content of Juices and Teas Using 96-Well Microplates.

UNLABELLED Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric assay (FC) is the most widely used assay to estimate the total phenolic content in foods, beverages, herbs and other plant extracts, but many chemical compounds may act as interfering agents, producing inaccurate estimations of the real concentration of phenolic compounds in the matrix. Based on this limitation, the objective of this study was to compare, quantitatively, the Folin-Ciocalteu and Prussian Blue (PB) assays in estimating the total phenolic content in purple grape juices (n = 20; Vitis labrusca L.) and teas (n = 25) from different botanical origins using 96-well microplates. PB assay presented a low limit of detection (PB = 0.27 mg/L; FC = 0.25 mg/L) and quantification (PB = 0.92 mg/L; FC = 0.82 mg/L), showing its suitability in screening the total phenolic content in grape juices and teas. FC and PB assays presented a high association (P < 0.0001) for teas (r = 0.887) and grape juices (r = 0.923). The advantages of PB over FC assay are its simplicity, low time consumption (15 min reaction as compared to 60 min reaction for the FC assay), lower usage of reagents (solutions are prepared in a mM base), and higher selectivity. Additionally, PB assay was proven to be reproducible and repeatable and, therefore, may be used as an alternative to FC assay. PRACTICAL APPLICATION Prussian Blue assay (PB) has been used as an alternative to Folin-Ciocalteu assay (FC) to estimate the total content of phenolic compounds in herbs and some natural products. In our study we showed that the advantages of PB assay over FC are its simplicity, low time consumption (15 min reaction as compared to 60 min reaction for the FC assay), lower usage of reagents (solutions are prepared in a mM base) and higher selectivity as compared to FC assay. Additionally, PB assay was proven to be reproducible and repeatable and, therefore, may be used as an alternative to FC assay.
Measuring the Efficiency of Urban Taxi Service System

The taxi service systems in big cities are immensely complex due to the interaction and self-organization between taxi drivers and passengers. An inefficient taxi service system leads to more empty trips for drivers and longer waiting time for passengers, and introduces unnecessary congestion to road network. Although understanding the performance of urban taxi service system is important, the performance of the urban taxi service is rarely examined. In this experimental paper, we investigate the efficiency level of the taxi service system using real world large-scale taxi trip data. By assuming a hypothetical system-wide recommendation system, two approaches are proposed to find the theoretical optimal strategy that minimizes the cost of vacant trips, and results in minimum number of taxis required to satisfy all observed trips. The optimization problems are transformed into equivalent graph problems and solved using polynomial time algorithms. The taxi trip data in New York City is used to quantitatively examine the gap between the current system performance and the theoretically optimal system. The numerical results indicate that if a centralized system-wide recommendation scheme applied, it is possible to reduce 20% to 90% total vacant trip cost depending on different objectives, and 1/3 of all taxis that required to serve all observed trips. The huge performance gap obtained suggests an urgent need for the system reconsideration in taxi recommendation system design.
Microbial fouling community analysis of the cooling water system of a nuclear test reactor with emphasis on sulphate reducing bacteria

Culture and molecular-based techniques were used to characterize bacterial diversity in the cooling water system of a fast breeder test reactor (FBTR). Techniques were selected for special emphasis on sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Water samples from different locations of the FBTR cooling water system, in addition to biofilm scrapings from carbon steel coupons and a control SRB sample were characterized. Whole genome extraction of the water samples and SRB diversity by group specific primers were analysed using nested PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The results of the bacterial assay in the cooling water showed that the total culturable bacteria (TCB) ranged from 103 to 105 cfu ml−1; iron-reducing bacteria, 103 to 105 cfu ml−1; iron oxidizing bacteria, 102 to 103 cfu ml−1 and SRB, 2–29 cfu ml−1. However, the counts of the various bacterial types in the biofilm sample were 2–3 orders of magnitude higher. SRB diversity by the nested PCR-DGGE approach showed the presence of groups 1, 5 and 6 in the FBTR cooling water system; however, groups 2, 3 and 4 were not detected. The study demonstrated that the PCR protocol influenced the results of the diversity analysis. The paper further discusses the microbiota of the cooling water system and its relevance in biofouling.
CD4‐independent binding of HIV‐1 to the B lymphocyte receptor CR2 (CD21) in the presence of complement and antibody

Complement and antibody contribute to infection‐enhancement and possible expanded cellular tropism of HIV‐1 in vitro through a process requiring complement receptors. Until now, however, the ability of HIV‐1 to bind complement receptors has not been documented or characterized. We investigated whether antibody and complement permitted HIV‐1 to bind to the B lymphocyte receptor, CR2 (CD21), in an effort to learn more about infection‐enhancement, and also because CR2 can mediate B cell proliferation and antigen localization in lymphoid organs in other systems. HIV‐1 incubated with antibody and fresh human serum as a source of complement bound approximately 10‐fold greater to cells expressing CR2 than to HIV‐1‐permissive cells lacking this receptor. A similar effect was observed using cells which expressed CR2 but no CD4. This binding was minimal in heat‐inactivated and C3‐deficient sera, and was significantly reduced by the anti‐CR2 MoAb, OKB7, but not by the anti‐CD4 MoAb, OKT4a. Thus, complement and antibody acted in concert to facilitate the binding of HIV‐1 to CR2 independently of CD4. CD4‐independent binding of HIV‐1 to CR2 was not sufficient to produce infection in Raji‐3 cells. Titres of antibodies mediating CR2 binding correlated with antibody titres as measured by immunofluorescenee (P < 0.01) and infection‐enhancement (P < 0.05) but were discordant with titres of neutralizing antibodies, a result consistent with the utilization of CR2 for enhanced infection of cells. The ability of complement and antibody to facilitate the binding of HIV‐1 to CR2 in the absence of CD4 provides new insights into mechanisms of HIV‐1‐induced immunopathogenesis and infection‐enhancement.
The Female Condom: Attitudes and Experiences Among HIV-Positive Heterosexual Women and Men

ABSTRACT The female condom is a potentially effective method for the prevention of HIV, other sexually transmitted disease, and pregnancy. This study describes attitudes toward and experiences with the female condom of 89 HIV-positive individuals (n = 56 women; n = 33 men) reporting heterosexual behavior. Qualitative interviews were conducted to inform the design and implementation of a cognitive-behavioral risk-reduction and health-promotion intervention. Most respondents (n = 78) had seen or heard of the female condom. However, relatively few (n = 14 women; n = 5 men) had used it at least once. Reactions from both women and men across user groups, regardless of favorable or unfavorable attitude or experience with the female condom, centered around a similar set of factors: aesthetics, difficulties with the male condom, male partner reaction, beliefs about efficacy, and lack of training. These findings underscore the need for additional research and comprehensive education efforts aimed at both technical use and communication skills-building in order to realize the potential of the female condom as an alternative barrier method.
Guaranteeing the Metadata Update Atomicity in EXT4 File system

In this paper, we address the issue of guaranteeing the atomicity of metadata update in a write() system call in EXT4 filesystem. Recent versions of EXT4 delay inserting the updated inode to the running journal transaction until the associated dirty pages are actually written to the disk. This is to avoid excessive f sync() overhead. While this approach effectively reduces the tail latency of f sync (), we found that it can incorrectly recover the file and it can expose the interim state of the inode to the application when the filesystem crashes unexpectedly. To address this problem, we propose Delayed Inode Update, DIU. Instead of separating the update of an inode and its insertion to the running transaction, we propose delaying the update until the associated inode is inserted into journal transaction. Delayed Inode Update is crafted not to entail any performance overhead nor does it increase the f sync() latency. With Delayed Inode Update, the average and the worst case latency of an f sync() decrease by 15% and 43% in a designated workload, respectively.