Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms of ventilator-induced lung injury.

OBJECTIVES To describe the physiologic mechanisms of ventilator-induced lung injury and to define the major ventilator and host-dependent risk factors that contribute to such injury. DATA SOURCE Basic science and clinical studies related to ventilator-induced barotrauma and lung pathophysiology. STUDY SELECTION Emphasis on controlled, experimental studies and clinical studies related to specific mechanisms. DATA EXTRACTION Preference given to studies with quantitative end-points to assess damage and causal relationships. DATA SYNTHESIS Related studies are integrated to obtain basic mechanisms of damage where possible. CONCLUSIONS Ventilation with high tidal volumes can increase vascular filtration pressures; produce stress fractures of capillary endothelium, epithelium, and basement membrane; and cause lung rupture. Mechanical damage leads to leakage of fluid, protein, and blood into tissue and air spaces or leakage of air into tissue spaces. This process is followed by an inflammatory response and possibly a reduced defense against infection. Predisposing factors for lung injury are high peak inspiratory volumes and pressures, a high mean airway pressure, structural immaturity of lung and chest wall, surfactant insufficiency or inactivation, and preexisting lung disease. Damage can be minimized by preventing overdistention of functional lung units during therapeutic ventilation.
Bone edema scored on magnetic resonance imaging scans of the dominant carpus at presentation predicts radiographic joint damage of the hands and feet six years later in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is capable of revealing synovitis and tendinitis in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as well as bone edema and erosion. These features are visible before radiographic joint damage occurs. We sought to examine whether MRI of one body region (the wrist) can be used to predict whole-body radiography scores reflecting joint damage at 6 years. METHODS We conducted a 6-year prospective study of a cohort of patients who fulfilled the criteria for RA at presentation, using clinical parameters, radiographs, and MRI scans of the dominant wrist. Of the 42 patients enrolled at baseline, full MRI, radiographic, and clinical data were available for 31 at 6-year followup. MRI scans were scored by 2 radiologists, using a validated scoring system. Radiographs of the hands and feet were graded using the modified Sharp scoring method. MRI and radiography scores obtained at baseline and 6 years were compared, and baseline MRI scores were examined for their ability to predict radiographic outcome at 6 years. RESULTS At 6 years, the total Sharp score correlated significantly with the total MRI score and the MRI erosion score (r = 0.81, P < 0.0001 and r = 0.79, P < 0.0001, respectively). The 6-year Sharp score also correlated with the baseline total MRI and MRI erosion scores (r = 0.56, P < 0.0001 and r = 0.33, P = 0.03, respectively). MRI synovitis and bone edema scores remained constant for the group as a whole over 6 years, but bone erosion scores progressed (P = 0.0001), consistent with radiographic deterioration. Erosions on 6-year MRI scans were frequently preceded by MRI bone edema at baseline (odds ratio 6.5, 95% confidence interval 2.78-18.1). Regression models indicated that the baseline MRI bone edema score was predictive of the 6-year total Sharp score (P = 0.01), as was the C-reactive protein (CRP) level (P = 0.0002). Neither shared epitope status nor swollen or tender joint counts predicted radiographic outcome in this cohort. A model incorporating baseline MRI scores for erosion, bone edema, synovitis, and tendinitis plus the CRP level and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate explained 59% of the variance in the 6-year total Sharp score (R(2) = 0.59, adjusted R(2) = 0.44). CONCLUSION MRI scans performed at the first presentation of RA can be used to help predict future radiographic damage, allowing disease-modifying therapy to be targeted to patients with aggressive disease.
Adverse Health Experiences, Environmental Attitudes, and Pesticide Usage Behavior of Farm Operators

Water pollution from agricultural pesticides continues to be a public concern. Given that the use of such pesticides on the farm is largely governed by voluntary behavior, it is important to understand what drives farmer behavior. Health belief models in public health and social psychology argue that persons who have adverse health experiences are likely to undertake preventive behavior. An analogous hypothesis set was tested here: farmers who believe they have had adverse health experiences from pesticides are likely to have heightened concerns about pesticides and are more likely to take greater precautions in dealing with pesticides. This work is based on an original survey of a population of 2700 corn and soybean growers in Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania using the U.S. Department of Agriculture data base. It was designed as a mail survey with telephone follow-up, and resulted in a 60 percent response rate. Farm operators report experiencing adverse health problems they believe are associated with pesticides that is equivalent to an incidence rate that is higher than the reported incidence of occupational pesticide poisonings, but similar to the reported incidence of all pesticide poisonings. Farmers who report experiencing such problems have more heightened concerns about water pollution from fertilizers and pesticides, and illness and injury from mixing, loading, and applying pesticides than farmers who have not experienced such problems. Farmers who report experiencing such problems also are more likely to report using alternative pest management practices than farmers who do not report having such problems. This implies that farmers who have had such experiences do care about the effects of application and do engage in alternative means of pest management, which at least involve the reduction in pesticide use.
Similar ovulation rates, but different follicular development with highly purified menotrophin compared with recombinant FSH in WHO Group II anovulatory infertility: a randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND The contribution of the LH activity in menotrophin preparations for ovulation induction has been investigated in small trials conducted versus FSH preparations. The objective of this study was to demonstrate non-inferiority of highly purified urinary menotrophin (HP-HMG) versus recombinant FSH (rFSH) with respect to the primary outcome measure, ovulation rate. METHODS This was a randomized, open-label, assessor-blind, multinational study. Women with anovulatory infertility WHO Group II and resistant to clomiphene citrate were randomized (computer-generated list) to stimulation with HP-HMG (n=91) or rFSH (n=93) using a low-dose step-up protocol. RESULTS The ovulation rate was 85.7% with HP-HMG and 85.5% with rFSH (per-protocol population), and non-inferiority was demonstrated. Significantly fewer intermediate-sized follicles were observed in the HP-HMG group (P<0.05). The singleton live birth rate was comparable between the two groups. The frequency of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and/or cancellation due to excessive response was 2.2% with HP-HMG and 9.8% with rFSH (P=0.058). CONCLUSIONS Stimulation with HP-HMG is associated with ovulation rates at least as good as a rFSH in anovulatory WHO Group II women. LH activity modifies follicular development so that fewer intermediate-sized follicles develop. This could have a positive impact on the safety of ovulation induction protocols.
Production of Fumonisin B(inf1) and Moniliformin by Gibberella fujikuroi from Rice from Various Geographic Areas

Gibberella fujikuroi strains isolated from rice in the United States, Asia, and other geographic areas were tested for sexual fertility with members of mating population D and for production of fumonisin B(inf1) and moniliformin in culture. Of the 59 field strains tested, 32 (54%) were able to cross with tester strains of mating population D, but only a few ascospores were produced in most of these crosses. Thirty-four strains produced more than 10 (mu)g of fumonisin B(inf1) per g, but only three strains produced more than 1000 (mu)g/g. Twenty-five strains produced more than 100 (mu)g of moniliformin per g, and 15 produced more than 1,000 (mu)g/g. Seven field strains produced both fumonisin B(inf1) and moniliformin, but none of these strains produced a high level of fumonisin B(inf1) (>1,000 (mu)g/g). However, a genetic cross between a strain that produced fumonisin B(inf1) but no moniliformin and a strain that produced moniliformin but no fumonisin B(inf1) yielded progeny that produced high levels of both toxins. Strains of G. fujikuroi isolated from rice infected with bakanae disease are similar to strains of mating population D isolated from maize in their ability to produce both fumonisins and moniliformin. This finding suggests a potential for contamination of rice with both fumonisins and moniliformin.
(124)I positron emission tomography versus (131)I planar imaging in the identification of residual thyroid tissue and/or metastasis in patients who have well-differentiated thyroid cancer.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE (124)I emits a positron and can be imaged with a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner. The objective of this study was to compare the ability of diagnostic (124)I PET images versus (131)I planar whole-body imaging in detecting residual thyroid tissue and/or metastatic well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC). METHODS Patients were recruited prospectively for this study who (i) had WDTC, (ii) were suspected of having metastatic WDTC, and (iii) were referred for (131)I whole-body dosimetry. The prescribed activity was 1-2 mCi (37-74 MBq) and 1.7 mCi (62.9 MBq) for (131)I and (124)I, respectively. For each image, one blinded reader (D.V.N.) categorized every focus of (131)I and (124)I radioiodine uptake as 1 = definite physiological uptake/artifact, 2 = most likely physiological uptake/artifact, 3 = indeterminate, 4 = residual thyroid tissue/metastases in the neck/bed, 5 = most likely metastases, or 6 = definite metastases. Foci categorized as 4, 5, or 6 were considered positive. When available, foci categorized as 4, 5, or 6 were correlated with other diagnostic studies. RESULTS Of the 25 patients, 8 patients (32%) had more positive foci on (124)I images than on (131)I, of which 3 patients to date have had metastases confirmed in one or more of the additional positive (124)I foci. (124)I demonstrated the same number of foci as on (131)I in 16 patients (14 with no positive foci, and 2 with two positive and five positive foci each). One patient had one additional positive focus on (131)I not seen on (124)I, which has not yet been confirmed as a metastasis. A total of 97 positive foci were identified on either (124)I or (131)I. (124)I identified 49 positive foci not seen with (131)I, and (131)I identified one positive focus not seen with (124)I. CONCLUSION Relative to (131)I planar whole-body imaging, (124)I PET identified as many as 50% more foci of radioiodine uptake suggestive of additional residual thyroid tissue and/or metastases in as many as 32% more patients who had WDTC.
Reactive Oxygen Species, Mitochondria, and Endothelial Cell Death during In Vitro Simulated Dives.

PURPOSE Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) is considered a consequence of hyperoxia and a major contributor to diving-derived vascular endothelial damage and decompression sickness. The aims of this work were: 1) to directly observe endothelial ROS production during simulated air dives as well as its relation with both mitochondrial activity and cell survival; and 2) to determine which ambient factor during air diving (hydrostatic pressure or oxygen and/or nitrogen partial pressure) is responsible for the observed modifications. METHODS In vitro diving simulation was performed with bovine arterial endothelial cells under real-time observation. The effects of air diving, hydrostatic, oxygen and nitrogen pressures, and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) treatment on mitochondrial ROS generation, mitochondrial membrane potential and cellular survival during simulation were investigated. RESULTS Vascular endothelial cells performing air diving simulation suffered excessive mitochondrial ROS, mitochondrial depolarization, and cell death. These effects were prevented by NAC: after NAC treatment, the cells presented no difference in damage from nondiving cells. Oxygen diving showed a higher effect on ROS generation but lower impacts on mitochondrial depolarization and cell death than hydrostatic or nitrogen diving. Nitrogen diving had no effect on the inductions of ROS, mito-depolarization, or cell death. CONCLUSION This study is the first direct observation of mitochondrial ROS production, mitochondrial membrane potential and cell survival during diving. Simulated air SCUBA diving induces excessive ROS production, which leads to mitochondrial depolarization and endothelial cell death. Oxygen partial pressure plays a crucial role in the production of ROS. Deleterious effects of hyperoxia-induced ROS are potentiated by hydrostatic pressure. These findings hold new implications for the pathogenesis of diving-derived endothelial dysfunction.
Influenza virus-specific RNA and protein syntheses in cells infected with temperature-sensitive mutants defective in the genome segment encoding nonstructural proteins

Virus-specific protein and RNA syntheses have been analyzed in chicken embryo fibroblast cells infected with two group IV temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants of influenza A (fowl plague) virus in which the ts lesion maps in RNA segment 8 (J. W. Almond, D. McGeoch, and R. D. Barry, Virology 92:416-427, 1979), known to code to code for two nonstructural proteins, NS1 and NS2. Both mutants induced the synthesis of similar amounts of all the early virus-specific proteins (P1, P2, P3, NP, and NS1) at temperatures that were either permissive (34 degrees C) or nonpermissive (40.5 degrees C) for replication. However, the synthesis of M protein, which normally accumulates late in infection, was greatly reduced in ts mutant-infected cells at 40.5 degrees C compared to 34 degrees C. The NS2 protein was not detected at either temperature in cells infected with one mutant (mN3), and was detected only at the permissive temperature in cells infected with mutant ts47. There was no overall reduction in polyadenylated (A+) complementary RNA, which functions as mRNA, in cells infected with these mutants at 40.5 degrees C compared to 34 degrees C, nor was there any evidence of selective accumulation of this type of RNA within the nucleus at the nonpermissive temperature. No significant differences in ts mutant virion RNA transcriptase activity were detected by assays in vitro at 31 and 40.5 degrees C compared to wild-type virus. Virus-specific non-polyadenylated (A-) complementary RNA, which is believed to act as the template for new virion RNA production, accumulated normally in cells at both 34 and 40.5 degrees C, but at 40.5 degrees C accumulation of new virion RNA was reduced by greater than 90% when compared to accumulation at 34 degrees C.
LBP for gait recognition: A symbolic approach based on GEI plus RBL of GEI

Gait is one of the biometric techniques used to identify an individual from a distance by his/her walking style. Gait can be recognized by studying the static and dynamic part variations of individual body contour during walk. In this paper, uniform Local Binary Pattern (LBP) is applied to Gait energy image and to the region bounded by legs (RBL) of Gait Energy Image. Extracted LBP values from GEI and RBL in GEI is represented in terms of interval valued type symbolic features. The proposed representation technique is capable of capturing variations in gait due to change in cloth, carrying a bag and different instances of normal walking conditions more effectively. Experiments are conducted on the standard and considerably large database (CASIA database B) to study the efficacy of the proposed gait recognition system. The proposed system being robust to handle variations shows significant improvement in recognition rate when compared to the contemporary works on gait recognition.
China’s Exchange Rate Policy Making: International Pressures Meet Domestic Politics

Abstract With China’s economic rise and in particular its massive international trade surplus with the rest of the world, the exchange rate of its currency has come under increasing scrutiny in the new millennium. Based on a critical review of existing International Political Economy (IPE) theoretical approaches on exchange rate politics – the Innenpolitik approaches and the international-domestic interaction approach – this paper argues that two-level game theory is a suitable tool for explaining the development of China’s exchange rate policy. By specifically examining the external factors and domestic sources of China’s exchange rate policy, this paper develops a complete analytical framework in which China’s central decision makers are understood to strive to reconcile international pressures and domestic bargainers when making decisions on exchange rate policy. After offering a theoretical review, revision and synthesis, the paper provides an empirical study of China’s 2005 exchange rate reform to specifically show how international factors played an agenda-setting role in China’s exchange rate policy making and how China’s domestic politics determined the pathway of the exchange rate reform in July 2005.
Tracking Deformable Surfaces That Undergo Topological Changes Using an RGB-D Camera

We present a method for 3D tracking of deformable surfaces with dynamic topology, for instance a paper that undergoes cutting or tearing. Existing template-based methods assume a template of fixed topology. Thus, they fail in tracking deformable objects that undergo topological changes. In our work, we employ a dynamic template (3D mesh) whose topology evolves based on the topological changes of the observed geometry. Our tracking framework deforms the defined template based on three types of constraints: (a) the surface of the template has to be registered to the 3D shape of the tracked surface, (b) the template deformation should respect feature (SIFT) correspondences between selected pairs of frames, and (c) the lengths of the template edges should be preserved. The latter constraint is relaxed when an edge is found to lie on a "geometric gap", that is, when a significant depth discontinuity is detected along this edge. The topology of the template is updated on the fly by removing overstretched edges that lie on a geometric gap. The proposed method has been evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively in both synthetic and real sequences of monocular RGB-D views of surfaces that undergo various types of topological changes. The obtained results show that our approach tracks effectively objects with evolving topology and outperforms state of the art methods in tracking accuracy.
Inheritance of Cry1F resistance in laboratory-selected European corn borer and its survival on transgenic corn expressing the Cry1F toxin

Abstract A major assumption of the high-dose/refuge strategy proposed for insect resistance management strategies for transgenic crop plants that express toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis is that resistance traits that evolve in pest species will be recessive. The inheritance of Cry1F resistance and larval survival on commercially available Cry1F corn hybrids were determined in a laboratory-selected strain of European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), displaying more than 3000-fold resistance to Cry1F. Concentration-response bioassays of reciprocal parental crosses indicated that the resistance is autosomal and recessive. Bioassays of the backcross of the F1 generation with the selected strain were consistent with the hypothesis that a single locus, or a set of tightly linked loci, is responsible for the resistance. Greenhouse experiments with Cry1F-expressing corn hybrids indicated that some resistant larvae survived the high dose of toxin delivered by Cry1F-expressing plants although F1 progeny of susceptible by resistant crosses had fitness close to zero. These results provide the first direct evidence that the high dose/refuge strategy currently in place to manage resistance in Cry1F-expressing corn is appropriate.
Receptive‐field properties of V1 and V2 neurons in mice and macaque monkeys

We report the results of extracellular single‐unit recording experiments where we quantitatively analyzed the receptive‐field (RF) properties of neurons in V1 and an adjacent extrastriate visual area (V2L) of anesthetized mice with emphasis on the RF center‐surround organization. We compared the results with the RF center‐surround organization of V1 and V2 neurons in macaque monkeys. If species differences in spatial scale are taken into consideration, mouse V1 and V2L neurons had remarkably fine stimulus selectivity, and the majority of response properties in V2L were not different from those in V1. The RF center‐surround organization of mouse V1 neurons was qualitatively similar to that for macaque monkeys (i.e., the RF center is surrounded by extended suppressive regions). However, unlike in monkey V2, a significant proportion of cortical neurons, largely complex cells in V2L, did not exhibit quantifiable RF surround suppression. Simple cells had smaller RF centers than complex cells, and the prevalence and strength of surround suppression were greater in simple cells than in complex cells. These findings, particularly on the RF center‐surround organization of visual cortical neurons, give new insights into the principles governing cortical circuits in the mouse visual cortex and should provide further impetus for the use of mice in studies on the genetic and molecular basis of RF development and synaptic plasticity. J. Comp. Neurol. 518:2051–2070, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Reduction in Virus‐Neutralizing Activity of a Bovine Colostrum Immunoglobulin Concentrate by Gastric Acid and Digestive Enzymes

Bovine milk immunoglobulin concentrates have been proposed for inducing passive immunity against various enteric pathogens. In vitro digestion studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of gastrointestinal secretions on the virus-neutralizing activity of a concentrate prepared from the colostrum of cows that were immunized with rotavirus. The proteolytic activity of human gastric and duodenal fluid specimens was used to design a two-stage in vitro digestion model with commercial enzymes for estimating the individual impact of pepsin, gastric acid, and select pancreatic enzymes on antirotavirus activity in bovine milk immunoglobulin concentrates. The rotavirus-neutralizing titer of concentrate was decreased by incubation with pepsin at pH 2, a pool of pancreatic enzymes at pH 7.5, or sequential digestion with pepsin (pH 2) and pancreatic enzymes (from initial titer of 55,210 to 2,030, 19,500, and 320, respectively). Reduction in rotavirus-neutralizing titer after gastric-phase digestion was primarily due to acidic conditions and not to proteolytic cleavage by pepsin. Although both trypsin and carboxypeptidase caused significant proteolysis of concentrate during duodenal-phase digestion, only trypsin caused a significant reduction in rotavirus-neutralizing titer. The extent of digestion was the same for concentrate suspended in water or skim milk. The results demonstrate that the biological activity of bovine milk antibodies is reduced by exposure to acid and trypsin in vitro and suggest that neutralization of both gastric acid and pancreatic trypsin may enhance the effectiveness and economic feasibility of passive oral immunoprophylaxis with bovine milk immunoglobulins.