Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Voltage‐clamp analysis of a self‐inhibitory synaptic potential in the buccal ganglia of Aplysia.

1. In cholinergic neurones BL4, BL5, BR4, and BR5 of Aplysia buccal ganglia, each action potential is followed, in the same cell, by a curare‐ and high‐Mg‐sensitive hyperpolarizing after‐potential which is enhanced by Ca. 2. In voltage‐clamped neurons, substracting currents recorded in curare from currents recorded in sea water reveals that this potential is due to curare‐sensitive currents which rise to a peak, then decay exponentially with an apparently voltage‐independent time constant of 43 msec. Currents are produced by a voltage‐independent, Ca‐enhanced, conductance change with a 0‐26 mumho peak and a ‐64 mV reversal potential. The curare‐sensitive conductance is also sensitive to high Mg. 3. Both after‐potential and curare‐ or Mg‐sensitive current follow each action potential without failures, even in threshold‐raising 80 mM‐Ca‐144‐mM‐Mg solutions. 4. Both after‐potential and current decrease with repetitive firing or short inter‐spike interval, possibly due to receptor desensitization. 5. The Mg‐ and curare‐sensitive conductance is also blocked by 1 mM‐ACh. 6. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that the hyperpolarization following action potentials in each of these four neurones is produced by a self‐inhibitory synaptic mechanism.
Contributions of the Avian Influenza Virus HA, NA, and M2 Surface Proteins to the Induction of Neutralizing Antibodies and Protective Immunity

ABSTRACT Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) subtype H5N1 causes severe disease and mortality in poultry. Increased transmission of H5N1 HPAIV from birds to humans is a serious threat to public health. We evaluated the individual contributions of each of the three HPAIV surface proteins, namely, the hemagglutinin (HA), the neuraminidase (NA), and the M2 proteins, to the induction of HPAIV-neutralizing serum antibodies and protective immunity in chickens. Using reverse genetics, three recombinant Newcastle disease viruses (rNDVs) were engineered, each expressing the HA, NA, or M2 protein of H5N1 HPAIV. Chickens were immunized with NDVs expressing a single antigen (HA, NA, and M2), two antigens (HA+NA, HA+M2, and NA+M2), or three antigens (HA+NA+M2). Immunization with HA or NA induced high titers of HPAIV-neutralizing serum antibodies, with the response to HA being greater, thus identifying HA and NA as independent neutralization antigens. M2 did not induce a detectable neutralizing serum antibody response, and inclusion of M2 with HA or NA reduced the magnitude of the response. Immunization with HA alone or in combination with NA induced complete protection against HPAIV challenge. Immunization with NA alone or in combination with M2 did not prevent death following challenge, but extended the time period before death. Immunization with M2 alone had no effect on morbidity or mortality. Thus, there was no indication that M2 is immunogenic or protective. Furthermore, inclusion of NA in addition to HA in a vaccine preparation for chickens may not enhance the high level of protection provided by HA.
Is a 2-week steroid trial after initial negative investigation for malignancy useful in differentiating autoimmune pancreatitis from pancreatic cancer? A prospective outcome study

Background: Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a peculiar type of chronic pancreatitis that responds dramatically to steroid therapy. To date, there are no worldwide consensus criteria for AIP. Different criteria with institutional preference (HISORt, revised Kim and the revised Japanese criteria) are being used to diagnose AIP, and there is controversy regarding the inclusion of steroid responsiveness in the diagnostic criteria. In contrast to the HISORt and revised Kim criteria, the revised Japanese criteria do not include steroid responsiveness as a diagnostic component. Aims: This study was performed to evaluate whether “a 2-week steroid trial and subsequent assessment of its response” is a useful diagnostic tool for the differentiation of AIP from pancreatic cancer. A further aim was to discover the surgical and clinical outcome for a patient who followed the treatment algorithm based on the steroid responsiveness. Patients and methods: From January 2004 to June 2007, in the setting of clinically suspected AIP, 22 consecutive patients with atypical imaging for AIP, while not meeting the classic imaging criteria for pancreatic cancer, were challenged to undergo 2 weeks of steroid therapy (0.5 mg/kg of oral prednisolone per day). After the 2-week steroid trial, steroid responsiveness was assessed based on a marked improvement of narrowing of the main pancreatic duct and a reduction of the pancreatic mass. The steroid trial was continued in the case of positive steroid responsiveness, whereas surgical exploration was conducted in the case of negative steroid responsiveness. The final diagnosis was made by surgical exploration or long-term clinical and radiological follow-up. Results: All patients (n = 15) who responded to steroids were diagnosed as having AIP, whereas all patients (n = 7) who did not show a response to steroids were confirmed as having pancreatic cancer. Complete resection was possible in all (6/6; 100%), except one individual who refused surgery. Conclusion: In the clinical setting of suspected AIP with the continued need for differentiation from pancreatic cancer due to atypical imaging for AIP, “a 2-week steroid trial and subsequent assessment of its response” may be helpful in confirming the diagnosis of AIP without negative consequences for resectable pancreatic cancer. However, a steroid trial should be performed carefully only by specialists in pancreatology.
International sepsis trial (INTERSEPT): role and impact of a clinical evaluation committee.

OBJECTIVE Several large clinical trials have recently evaluated a variety of potential therapeutic interventions for sepsis and have yielded negative results based on analyses of intention-to-treat cohorts. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the importance of a Clinical Evaluation Committee. DESIGN Prospective, double-blind evaluation of a prospective, controlled, double-blind, randomized, multinational trial. SETTING Forty medical centers. PATIENTS Five hundred fifty-three infused patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. METHODS As part of an international trial (INTERSEPT) of antitumor necrosis factor therapy, a Scientific Extramural Review Committee prospectively defined and excluded patients with confounding events that objectively interfered with the potential of any intervention for sepsis to exercise its therapeutic effect. These confounding events included inappropriate antimicrobial therapy, inadequate medical-surgical management, underlying disorders, and forgoing life-sustaining therapies before management had failed. Patients who met all inclusion and exclusion criteria and who had no confounding events were defined as the Scientific Extramural Review Committee group. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Five hundred fifty-three patients were enrolled in INTERSEPT. Seventy-seven patients did not meet inclusion and exclusion criteria. Sixty patients had confounding events, including inappropriate antimicrobial therapy (n = 28), inadequate medical-surgical management (n = 16), underlying disorders (n = 17), and forgoing life-sustaining therapies (n = 7). Four hundred sixteen patients were in the Scientific Extramural Review Committee group and their mortality rates were different from the mortality rates of the intent-to-treat cohort. In the intent-to-treat analysis among shock patients, low-dose anti-tumor necrosis factor reduced 28-day mortality by 14.5% (p = .34), whereas in the Scientific Extramural Review Committee group, the study drug reduced mortality by 26.5% (p = .16). More patients in the high dose anti-tumor necrosis factor treatment arm (31/176) were in the invalid Scientific Extramural Review Committee group than in the other two arms (16/157 and 13/143, respectively, p < .05). CONCLUSIONS In large trials of sepsis, in addition to analyzing the intent-to-treat cohort, patients in compliance with the protocol and with no confounding events should also be analyzed. These results should assist in determining whether treatment groups are comparable and provide a greater likelihood of demonstrating the potential efficacy of a new therapy for sepsis. A Clinical Evaluation Committee is important to properly assess a clinical sepsis trial.
The Current Problems of Sustainable Production and Consumption

Sustainable development is linked to balancing consumption with sustainable production. When considering its interrelations and cause -and- effect relationship, sustainable consumption and production should be expected. In practice, it is impossible and paradoxically, the existing discrepancy between mutual non- matching of production and consumption is deepened by the same factors that enhance sustainability individually within production and consumption spheres. Moreover , this discrepancy is deepened by such positively perceived factors as the process an d product innovation being a motive power for launching new products on the market and increasing competitiveness. This is noticeable when considering an increasing quantity in product supply and developing new ranges of hitherto unknown products as well as accompanying global increase in consumption of raw materials, energy and waste. Production brings a strong stimulation of consumer needs and demands but it also puts pres sure on consumers through marketing activity, advertising and promoting consumption lifestyle patterns. In this paper, the actions targeted at developing sustainable production and consumption in two areas are described. The factors of mutual unsustainability between production and consumption within the cycle: environment - resources – production – distribution – consumption – waste - environment.
Gender differences in health-related quality of life in multiple sclerosis

Women have about twice the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with men, a ratio that seems to be increasing. Most studies show that female patients seem to have a more favourable outcome of the disease. We studied the gender-specific impact of MS on health-related quality of life. We surveyed the population prevalence of MS patients in Ferrara, Italy. Data were extracted from the MS registry of the study area. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the MSQOL54 questionnaire. We analysed 370 patients (105 men and 265 women). They had worse scores than the general population in all health-related quality of life dimensions, ranging from 2.5 standard deviations (SD) lower for physical functioning to less than 0.5 standard deviations for mental health. Health-related quality of life scores were inversely correlated with disability scores. The impact of disability on health-related quality of life was higher for men than women regarding physical functioning (p < 0.01), vitality (p < 0.001), social functioning (p < 0.001), emotional wellbeing (p < 0.05) and mental health (p < 0.01). For scales reflecting mental health, a marked reduction with increasing disability was seen for men, while a linear reduction in the range of Expanded Disability Status Scale score 0—5 was reported for women, followed by no clear decrease for higher scores. We conclude that MS affects health-related quality of life in all of its dimensions. The impact of disability seems to be stronger among men, in particular for scales related to mental well-being. This could indicate that interventions should to be gender specific in order to better meet patients’ needs.
Inverse association between docosahexaenoic acid and mortality in patients on hemodialysis during over 10 years

We have previously conducted a cohort study to investigate n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in red blood cells (RBCs) and risk of all‐cause mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients over 5 years and found that n‐3 PUFAs, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), might be an independent predictor of all‐cause mortality. In the present study, we extended the study for another 5 years to determine whether DHA levels in RBCs still predict the mortality of HD patients during a 10‐year study period. The study cohort consisted of 176 patients (64.1 ± 12.0 [mean ± standard deviation] years of age, 96 men and 80 women) under HD treatment. The fatty acid composition of patients' RBCs was analyzed by gas chromatography. During the study period of 10 years, 97 deaths occurred. After adjustment for 10 confounding factors, the hazard ratio of all‐cause mortality of the HD patients in the highest DHA tertile (>8.1%) was 0.52 (95% confidence interval 0.30–0.91) compared with those in the lowest DHA tertile (<7.2%). However, other n‐3 PUFAs such as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosapentaenoic acid (n‐3) did not reveal any significant correlations. The level of DHA in RBCs could be an independent predictor of all‐cause mortality in HD patients even during a long period of follow‐up.
Anergic T Cells Inhibit the Antigen-Presenting Function of Dendritic Cells1

The phenomena of infectious tolerance and linked-suppression are well established, but the mechanisms involved are incompletely defined. Anergic T cells can inhibit responsive T cells in vitro and prolong skin allograft survival in vivo. In this study the mechanisms underlying these events were explored. Allospecific mouse T cell clones rendered unresponsive in vitro inhibited proliferation by responsive T cells specific for the same alloantigens. The inhibition required the presence of APC, in that the response to coimmobilized anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 Abs was not inhibited. Coculture of anergic T cells with bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DC) led to profound inhibition of the ability of the DC to stimulate T cells with the same or a different specificity. After coculture with anergic T cells expression of MHC class II, CD80 and CD86 by DC were down-regulated. These effects did not appear to be due to a soluble factor in that inhibition was not seen in Transwell experiments, and was not reversed by addition of neutralizing anti-IL-4, anti-IL-10, and anti-TGF-β Abs. Taken together, these data suggest that anergic T cells function as suppressor cells by inhibiting Ag presentation by DC via a cell contact-dependent mechanism.
Fast imaging method for security systems using ultrawideband radar

We propose a fast method of ultrawideband (UWB) radar imaging that can be applied to a moving target, having in mind such application as concealed weapon detection. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed method using simulations and measurements with static and moving targets. We also compare the computational complexity of the proposed method with that of a conventional method to clarify the feasibility of applying the proposed method to the intended real-time systems.
The agrarian political economy of left-wing governments in Latin America: Agribusiness, peasants, and the limits of neo-developmentalism

This paper concludes this special issue. It draws on the findings of the individual contributions and provides a comparison of the agrarian policies of left-wing governments in Latin America. We identify common trends and offer an explanation of why these governments did not change the agricultural model in the direction of food sovereignty, but continued to heavily support agribusiness while redirecting some resources to peasant and family producers. They improved the living conditions of the rural poor, mostly through populist anti-poverty and social protection programmes financed by the commodity boom. They expanded programmes to integrate small farmers into commodity chains and improved the working conditions of rural wage labourers, but did not carry out a redistributive agrarian reform. They instead continued to support agribusiness with numerous policies and measures. We argue that these governments did not curb the power of the dominant rural classes because these are highly intertwined with capital, making them part of a coalesced bourgeoisie that occupies key positions in the state. Leftist governments did not have a real agenda of social transformation or a strategy to tackle the rentier nature of the state. Contradictorily, their policies furthered peasant differentiation thereby weakening the previous alliance of rural subaltern classes.
Urinary endotoxin excretion and urinary tract infection following kidney transplantation

Abstract. Following kidney transplantation, urine endotoxin levels were measured among 44 patients and compared to bacterial cultures. Urine samples were collected either via transurethral catheters or – after removal of the catheter on postoperative day 4 – by midstream void. In a control group of ten healthy volunteers, urine endotoxin levels were measured daily for 10 days. Urinary endotoxin concentration was measured by means of a chromogenically modified Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) test. The levels among patients with positive bacteriological findings (n = 21) were always elevated ( > 0.7 EU/ml). Furthermore, there was a marked, statistically significant difference in endotoxin values between samples with bacterial growth and samples with fungal or without any growth (P < 0.001). All 21 of the 44 patients with urinary tract infection (UTI) were endotoxin-positive. Seven more patients who received antibiotics had elevated urinary endotoxin levels, but no bacterial growth in the urine culture. No bacterial infection or significant urinary endotoxin was found in the control group. In summary, the detection of urinary endotoxin in samples obtained by either suprapubic/transurethral catheters or midstream void is an early, sensitive, and specific means of diagnosis that can be carried out even during antibiotic treatment.
Improving maritime inventory routing: application to a Brazilian petroleum case

ABSTRACT The crude oil offloading and supply problem (COSP) is a type of operation maritime inventory routing (MIR) problem encountered by petroleum companies. In COSP, the company not only is responsible for the ship scheduling to carry the crude oil from production sites to discharge ports but also must maintain inventory levels at both ports (production and consumption) between safety operational bounds to avoid disruptions in its crude oil production and/or refining processes. We show how to improve significantly the decision-making process in a Brazilian petroleum company using a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model to represent COSP. Comparison tests with a current ship-scheduling method adopted in the company indicated that the use of the MILP model increased the transportation efficiency and reduced costs by 20% on average. In addition to the quantitative gains, the use of a MILP model to solve COSP has succeeded when encountering real-life events, such as variation in production or consumption rates, berth unavailability, and changes in the storage capacities at ports.
A comparison of the incidence of minor nonmetrical cranial variants in Australian aborigines with those of Melanesia and Polynesia.

The incidence of 30 minor non-metrical cranial variants in Australian Aborigines discussed in a previous publication is compared with incidence in crania from Melanesia and Polynesia. With the qualification that the sample sizes from Melanesia and Polynesia are rather small, the data indicate that the differences between Australia and Melanesia and Polynesia exceed those between the three areas into which Australia was divided. The area of Australia made up of the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia has more association with Melanesia than Polynesia as expected, while the more southern regions of Australia have more association with Polynesia than Melanesia perhaps by migrations from Asia. Because the southern Australian Aborigines are now largely extinct, it seems difficult to prove this.
Vibrio cholerae non‐O1 infection in cirrhotics: case report and literature review

Abstract: Vibrio species are ubiquitous in the marine environment and can cause severe infections in cirrhotic patients. Patients with liver disease should be warned about the potential dangers of consuming raw or undercooked seafood, and avoiding exposure of wounds to seawater. We report a case of severe sepsis from Vibrio cholerae non‐O1 in a patient with cirrhosis awaiting orthotopic liver transplant. This case is aimed to advise clinicians about the importance of V. cholerae subtypes, and non‐cholera Vibrio species infections in cirrhotic patients, highlighting the need to educate these patients to stay away from undercooked seafood.
Calcium carbonate cycling in future oceans and its influence on future climates

In the last few years, evidence has accumulated that calcifying organisms are likely to be affected by ocean acidification. Therefore, the production of calcium carbonate will probably decline, although conversely global warming, increasing stratification and sea level rise may also stimulate increases in global calcification. As acidification reaches the deep ocean, it will cause pronounced shallowing of the lysocline depths for calcite and aragonite, leading most probably to an almost complete cessation of deep-sea calcium carbonate burial for some centuries. Here, I briefly review the consequences of these and other changes on future ocean calcium carbonate cycling, and the consequences of this for future climate. Associated climate impacts are not likely to be significant over the next few centuries, but will become increasingly important thereafter. After the carbonate compensation response to acidification has run its course, extra CO2 is expected to be left behind in the atmosphere, protecting against future ice ages.
Speech language pathology findings in a Treacher Collins syndrome patient.

BACKGROUND Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS) is a rare disorder with different levels of severity due to congenital head and face abnormalities which affect language, orofacial musculature, voice and breadth, suction, chewing and swallowing functions. AIMS This paper objectifies to report a Treacher Collins syndrome patient, describing phonoaudiological changes that can be found in individuals suffering from this syndrome. METHODS & PROCEDURES The study was carried out with a male child at a teaching Speech Language Pathology clinic in Southern Brazil. The patient underwent audiological assessment, as well as orofacial motricity, swallowing, voice and speech assessments. OUTCOMES & RESULTS By means of the assessments, it was possible to perceive that the patient presents moderate hearing loss, inadequacy of phonoarticulatory organs, base of the tongue going backwards and epiglottis collapse over the larynx. In spite of evidencing significant difficulty in producing speech sounds, due to musculoskeletal changes, he effectively interacts in communicative situations, besides understanding sentences and narrated stories. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS The screened case report evidences that an interdisciplinary follow-up is indispensable for this patient suffering from Treacher Collins syndrome, which implies not only speech language therapeutic follow-up, but also in ear, nose and throat and orthodontics areas.