Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ESTIMANDO AS PERDAS DE RENDIMENTO DEVIDO À DOENÇA RENAL CRÔNICA NO BRASIL

This article has as objective of estimate the losses of individual incomes due to the chronic renal disease, starting from data of Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicilios (PNAD, 1998). They are dear the income losses through the methods OLS and quantile regression. The results of the regression for the method of the ordinary square minima indicated the reduction of 11% in the income. The results that indicated the poorest have larger income reduction. KEY WORD: CHRONIC RENAL DISEASE, QUANTILE REGRETION, WAGE EQUATION.
In vivo assessments of mucus dynamics in the rat lung using a Gd‐Cy5.5‐bilabeled contrast agent for magnetic resonance and optical imaging

Dysfunctions in mucociliary clearance are associated with the accelerated loss of lung function in several respiratory diseases. Approaches enabling the in vivo visualization of mucus dynamics in rodents at high resolution and sensitivity would be beneficial for experimental lung research. We describe the synthesis and characterization of two bilabeled amino dextran–based probes binding specifically to mucin. Labeling of secreted mucus and of mucin in goblet cells in the lungs of lipopolysaccharide‐challenged rats has been demonstrated in vivo with near‐infrared fluorescence and MRI and confirmed by histology. The effects of uridine triphosphate were then studied in lipopolysaccharide‐challenged rats by simultaneously administering the imaging probe and the compound. The data suggest that uridine triphosphate increased the mucociliary clearance, but at the same time induced a release of mucin from goblet cells, thus not contributing to the overall reduction of mucus in the lung. The approach outlined here enables one to derive information on mucus clearance, as well as secretion. Such a global view on mucus dynamics may prove invaluable when testing new pharmacological agents aimed at improving mucociliary clearance. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Enhancement of experimental pulmonary metastasis and inhibition of subcutaneously transplanted tumor growth following cryosurgery.

We have previously reported that inhibition of anti-tumor immune responses and a corresponding enhancement of metastatic tumor growth occurred in rats following cryosurgery of 3-methylcholanthrene-induced WKA rat fibrosarcoma (KMT-17). In this study, to evaluate the enhancement of metastasis arising from the inhibition of anti-tumor immune responses following cryosurgery, we examined how cryosurgery affected experimental pulmonary metastasis and the growth of subcutaneously transplanted tumor. To reveal the effect of cryosurgery on pulmonary metastasis, rats received a subcutaneous inoculation of KMT-17 tumor in the right flank (1 x 10(6)) and i.v. injection (1 x 10(5)) on the same day or 4 days later. The right flank tumors were treated with cryosurgery 5 days after subcutaneous transplantation. The pulmonary metastasis of the rats, which were injected i.v. one day before treatment, was enhanced by cryosurgery as compared with surgical excision, though the pulmonary metastasis of rats, which were injected i.v. 5 days before treatment, was un-affected by cryosurgery. These observations suggest that cryosurgery may enhance the pulmonary metastasis in its early steps but has no effects in its later stages. To reveal the effect of cryosurgery on the growth of distant tumors, rats received subcutaneous inoculations of KMT-17 tumor in the right (1 x 10(6)) and left (1 x 10(4) approximately 10(5)) flanks. Tumors in the right flank were treated with cryosurgery 5 days after inoculation and the growth of untreated left flank tumors was observed. In this double grafted tumor system, however, cryosurgery significantly inhibited the growth of the untreated left flank tumors. Spleen cells obtained from rats which had undergone cryosurgery 4 or 10 days previously (cryo-spleen cells) were used for in vivo neutralizing Winn assay. Antitumor activity of cryo-spleen cells was decreased as compared with that of rats after surgical excision in both spleen cells from 4 and 10 days after treatment. These findings suggest that effector cells in the spleen may not participate in subcutaneous tumor regression and that the evaluation of antitumor effect using the double grafted tumor system needs caution.
Pasch configurations in Mollard Steiner triple systems

For a Steiner triple system S and its point i by V<inf>i</inf>(S) we denote the number of Pasch configurations having two triples containing i. For S with point set P(S) by ν(S) we denote the multiset {v<inf>i</inf>(S) : i ∊ P (S)}. The Mollard construction for Steiner triple systems is considered in the paper. It is shown that for the Mollard STS M<inf>S, S'</inf> the values for elements of ν(M<inf>S, S'</inf>) are known given the sets ν(S) and v(S'). There are 80 different multisets v(S), where S runs through 80 different isomorphism classes of STSs of order 15, whereas there are just 27 different values for the total number of Pasches for such STSs. The formulas for ν (M<inf>S, S'</inf>) are used to show that there are exactly 3240 isomorphism classes of Mollard Steiner triple systems M<inf>S, S'</inf> of order 255 that are separated by v(M<inf>S, S'</inf>).
Subcarrier allocation based compensation for carrier frequency offset and I/Q imbalances in OFDM systems

We propose a novel subcarrier allocation (SCA) based approach for compensating carrier frequency offset (CFO) and I/Q imbalances in direct-conversion OFDM receivers. From the matrix representation of OFDM signals with CFO and I/Q imbalances, maximum likelihood CFO estimation and the associated SCA are given. Then, an SCA-based algorithm is proposed for the I/Q imbalances compensation. Moreover, the proposed approach is extended to a blind compensation scheme for OFDM signals with asymmetric SCA.
Intensive insulin therapy and mortality among critically ill patients: a meta-analysis including NICE-SUGAR study data

Background: Hyperglycemia is associated with increased mortality in critically ill patients. Randomized trials of intensive insulin therapy have reported inconsistent effects on mortality and increased rates of severe hypoglycemia. We conducted a meta-analysis to update the totality of evidence regarding the influence of intensive insulin therapy compared with conventional insulin therapy on mortality and severe hypoglycemia in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: We conducted searches of electronic databases, abstracts from scientific conferences and bibliographies of relevant articles. We included published randomized controlled trials conducted in the ICU that directly compared intensive insulin therapy with conventional glucose management and that documented mortality. We included in our meta-analysis the data from the recent NICE-SUGAR (Normoglycemia in Intensive Care Evaluation — Survival Using Glucose Algorithm Regulation) study. Results: We included 26 trials involving a total of 13 567 patients in our meta-analysis. Among the 26 trials that reported mortality, the pooled relative risk (RR) of death with intensive insulin therapy compared with conventional therapy was 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.83–1.04). Among the 14 trials that reported hypoglycemia, the pooled RR with intensive insulin therapy was 6.0 (95% CI 4.5–8.0). The ICU setting was a contributing factor, with patients in surgical ICUs appearing to benefit from intensive insulin therapy (RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.44–0.91); patients in the other ICU settings did not (medical ICU: RR 1.0, 95% CI 0.78–1.28; mixed ICU: RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.86–1.12). The different targets of intensive insulin therapy (glucose level ≤ 6.1 mmol/L v. ≤ 8.3 mmol/L) did not influence either mortality or risk of hypoglycemia. Interpretation: Intensive insulin therapy significantly increased the risk of hypoglycemia and conferred no overall mortality benefit among critically ill patients. However, this therapy may be beneficial to patients admitted to a surgical ICU.
Objective Effects of Knowledge on Visual Perception

To what extent is what we perceive influenced by what we know? Although a large literature purports to show effects of knowledge, expectations, and other cognitive states on various aspects of perception, strong counterarguments have been advanced that these demonstrations are confounded by nonperceptual factors. For example, although letters are easier to recognize in meaningful words than meaningless letter strings, skepticism remains that such effects of knowledge on visual recognition mean that knowledge literally helps people see. In Experiment 1, a perceptual matching task is used to show that meaningful words look sharper than meaningless letter strings. In Experiments 2 through 4, it is shown that people are more accurate in detecting subtle changes in blur when they occur in meaningful words compared with meaningless letter strings. In Experiment 5, it is shown that this improvement in performance cannot be explained solely by differences in visual familiarity, but is predicted by semantic factors such as word imageability. These results provide a strong empirical rejoinder to claims that perception is encapsulated from knowledge.
Aeolanthus biformifolius De Wild.: A Hyperaccumulator of Copper from Za�re

Aeolanthus biformifolius (Labiatae) from Shaba Province, Za�re, has been shown to be a hyperaccumulator of copper. The copper content of the total plant during the rest period after the rainy season was 1.3 percent (dry weight basis) and is easily the highest copper concentration ever found in living material. This species should be classified as a "copper flower" because of its exclusive occurrence over mineralized ground.
Comparison of the effects of fixed and removable functional appliances on the skeletal and dentoalveolar structures

Abstract Objective: To compare and analyse the effects of activator and Forsus FRD EZ appliances in the treatment of skeletal Class II division I malocclusion. Methods: Lateral cephalograms and hand-wrist radiographs were collected from 24 Class II division I growing patients (14 females, 10 males). The patients were randomly divided into two equal groups and either treated with an activator appliance (Mean age 12.67 ± 1.24 years) or with a Forsus FRD EZ appliance (Mean age 12.31 ± 1.09 years). Pretreatment and post-treatment cephalometric radiographs were obtained, traced, superimposed and data analysed using paired t-tests and the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results: The results demonstrated that the Forsus FRD EZ effectively corrected the Class II malocclusion, but the changes were mainly dentoalveolar. The Forsus FRD EZ appliance induced a clockwise rotation of the occlusal plane without significant alteration in the vertical facial dimension. Skeletally, maxillary growth was restricted and pogonion moved forward which improved the profile. Conclusion: The Forsus FRD EZ appliance may be an effective dentoalveolar treatment method to manage a skeletal imbalance and improve the profile in growing patients.
Functional organization of DNA elements regulating SM30α, a spicule matrix gene of sea urchin embryos

The SM30α gene encodes a protein in the embryonic endoskeleton of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, and is specifically expressed in the skeletogenic primary mesenchyme cell lineage. To clarify the mechanism for the differentiation of this cell lineage, which proceeds rather autonomously in the embryo, regulation of the SM30α gene was investigated previously and it was shown that the distal DNA region upstream of this gene from − 1.6 to − 1.0 kb contained numerous negative regulatory elements that suppressed the ectopic expression of the gene in the gut. Here we study the influence of the proximal region from − 303 to + 104 bp. Analysis of the expression of reporter constructs indicated that a strong positive enhancer element existed in the region from − 142 to − 105 bp. This element worked both in forward and reverse orientations and additively when placed tandemly upstream to the reporter gene. In addition, other weaker positive and negative regulatory sites were also detected throughout the proximal region. Electrophoretic gel mobility shift analyses showed that multiple nuclear proteins were bound to the putative strong enhancer region. One of the proteins binding to this region was present in early blastulae, a time when the SM30 gene was still silent, but it was not in prism embryos actively expressing the gene. The binding region for this blastula‐specific protein was narrowed down to the region from − 132 to − 122 bp, which included the consensus binding site for the mammalian proto‐oncogene product, Ets. Two possible SpGCF1 binding sites were identified in the vicinity of the enhancer region. This information was used to make a comparison of the general regulatory architecture of genes that contribute to the formation of the skeletal spicule.
Prehistoric Demography in the Southwest: Migration, Coalescence, and Hohokam Population Decline

One of the most prominent but least understood demographic phenomena in the precontact Southwest is the disappearance of the Hohokam from the valleys of southern Arizona. Despite extensive research, no widely accepted explanation has been offered. We argue that the failure to identify a satisfactory cause is due to excessive focus on catastrophic phenomena and terminal occupations, and a lack of attention to gradual demographic processes. Based on a combination of macro-regional population studies and local research in the lower San Pedro River valley, we present an explanation for gradual population decline precipitated by social and economic coalescence beginning in the late A.D. 1200s. In the southern Southwest an influx of immigrants from the north led to a shift from a dispersed, extensive settlement/subsistence strategy to increased conflict, aggregation, and economic intensification. This shift resulted in diminished health and transformation from population growth to decline. Over approximately 150 years gradual population decline resulted in small remnant groups unable to maintain viable communities. Small, terminal populations were ultimately unable to continue identifiable Hohokam cultural traditions and consequently disappeared from the archaeological record of southern Arizona, either through migration or a shift in lifestyle that rendered them archaeologically invisible.
TURKEY BLACK SEA ROMANIA N

The implementation of advanced methods and technology in the field of marine ecosystems studies is important to assess the impact of pollutants on marine ecosystems and biodiversity and biota interactions, including reliable study of radionuclide and heavy metal content in soils, sediments and algae. Creation of data bases for long term environmental management of pollution; evaluation of ecological impact of human activities and management of sustainable environment – coastal zone and continental shelf, including assessment and forecasting techniques, is needed to understand the impacts of various activities on ecosystems, to contribute to protect the ecosystems from pollution and to develop long-term models for management of the coastal zone.
The role of Src in solid and hematologic malignancies

c‐Src was the first protooncogene described and was among the first molecules in which tyrosine kinase activity was documented. c‐Src has been defined as a common modular structure that participates in much of the crosstalk between the cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinases and tyrosine kinase receptors. Understanding the structure and function of this important class of protein kinases and elucidating the molecular signaling events mediated by c‐Src are important not only for identifying the critical pathways but also for designing new strategies to block or inhibit the action of these kinases. Despite the large amount of information available on c‐Src, its precise functions in cancer remain to be elucidated. Recently, there has been renewed interest in c‐Src as a molecular target for cancer therapy, and multiple c‐Src inhibitors are entering clinical trials. In this review, the authors describe the function and expression of c‐Src in human malignancies and the novel c‐Src inhibitors and their potential applications for cancer treatment. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
FARMING THE FOREST EDGE: VULNERABLE PLACES AND PEOPLE AROUND KIBALE NATIONAL PARK, UGANDA

Subsistence farmers near Kibale National Park, Uganda, fear and resent many wildlife species. In this article I compare records of crop damage by wildlife and livestock with local complaints about the worst animals and the most vulnerable crops. I discuss the concordance and discrepancies in complaints versus actual damage in light of physical parameters of risk and of social factors that shape perceptions and vulnerabilities. Crop losses were greatest at the edge of the forest, where immigrants are disproportionately represented. State proprietorship of wildlife amplifies local vulnerability and constrains traditional coping strategies, such as hunting.
Long‐term preclinical magnetic resonance imaging alterations in sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease

An asymptomatic 74‐year‐old woman, on follow‐up for a carotid body tumor, showed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) focal restricted diffusion confined to the left temporal and occipital cortices. Thirteen months later, diffusion‐weighted images revealed a bilateral cortical ribbon sign involving all lobes. After 1 month, the patient developed gait instability and cognitive decline rapidly evolving to severe dementia and death within 3 months. Prion protein gene sequence, molecular, and neuropathological studies confirmed the diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (sCJD) MM1 subtype. Here we show the kinetics of MRI changes and prion spreading in preclinical sCJD MM1. Ann Neurol 2016;80:629–632
Multiresolution Methods for Nonmanifold Models

The concept of fairing applied to triangular meshes with irregular connectivity has become more and more important. Previous contributions proposed a variety of fairing operators for manifolds and applied them to the design of multi-resolution representations and editing tools for meshes. In this paper, we generalize these powerful techniques to handle non-manifold models. We propose a method to construct fairing operators for non-manifolds which is based on standard operators for the manifold setting. Furthermore, we describe novel approaches to guarantee volume preservation. We introduce various multi-resolution techniques that allow us to represent, smooth and edit non-manifold models efficiently. Finally, we discuss a semi-automatic feature preservation strategy to retain important model information during the fairing process.
Mechanosensitive tyrosine phosphorylation of paxillin and focal adhesion kinase in tracheal smooth muscle

Tang, Dachun, Dolly Mehta, and Susan J. Gunst. Mechanosensitive tyrosine phosphorylation of paxillin and focal adhesion kinase in tracheal smooth muscle. Am. J. Physiol. 276 (Cell Physiol. 45): C250–C258, 1999. —We investigated the role of the integrin-associated proteins focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and paxillin as mediators of mechanosensitive signal transduction in tracheal smooth muscle. In muscle strips contracted isometrically with ACh, we observed higher levels of tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK and paxillin at the optimal muscle length (Lo) than at shorter muscle lengths of 0.5 or 0.75 Lo. Paxillin phosphorylation was also length sensitive in muscles activated by K1 depolarization and adjusted rapidly to changes in muscle length imposed after contractile activation by either ACh or K1 depolarization. Ca21 depletion did not affect the length sensitivity of paxillin and FAK phosphorylation in muscles activated with ACh, indicating that the mechanotransduction process can be mediated by a Ca21-independent pathway. Since Ca21depleted muscles do not generate significant active tension, this suggests that the mechanotransduction mechanism is sensitive to muscle length rather than tension. We conclude that FAK and paxillin participate in an integrin-mediated mechanotransduction process in tracheal smooth muscle. We propose that this pathway may initiate alterations in smooth muscle cell structure and contractility via the remodeling of actin filaments and/or via the mechanosensitive regulation of signaling molecules involved in contractile protein activation.
Formation of low molecular weight RNA species in HeLa cells

It has been previously shown that newly synthesized nuclear low molecular weight RNA species C and D are first detected in the cytoplasm for a few minutes before they are finally found in the nucleus. The following are some of the observations made in the present study, regarding the formation of C and D RNA: (1) The 5′ end cap ribose methylation of the C RNA precursor is complete in its cytoplasmic stage; the internal ribose methylation of the precursor seems to be completed about the time of its apparent transition from cytoplasm to nucleus. (2) The few nucleotides lost from the D RNA precursor during maturation seem to be excised sometime near its apparent cytoplasmic → nuclear transition. Newly synthesized C RNA also appears to lose some of its non‐conserved nucleotides about the time of that transition, while the other extra nucleotides are lost later, in the nucleus. (3) The maturation of C and D RNA is inhibited early during suppression of protein synthesis by cycloheximide, while their synthesis is not. (4) The cytoplasmic precursors of C and D RNA are not associated with ribonucleoprotein particles as large as those reported for mature C and D RNA, although they do not appear to be free in the cytoplasm. (5) When the cellular UTP pool is depleted by exposure of the cells to amino sugars, and the synthesis of C, D, and other RNA species decreases, the level of[3H]uridine labeling of C and D RNA increases, while that of 4 S and 5 S RNA does not. These data are compatible with the existence of more than one nuclear UTP pool.
Microendoscopic Lumbar Discectomy: Technical Note

OBJECTIVE The microendoscopic discectomy (MED) technique was initially developed in 1997 to treat herniated lumbar disc disease. Since then, thousands of cases have been successfully performed at more than 500 institutions. This article discusses the technical aspects of this procedure and presents a consecutive case series. METHODS A total of 150 consecutive patients underwent MED. MED is performed by a muscle-splitting approach using a series of tubular dilators with consecutively increasing diameters. A tubular retractor is then inserted over the final dilator, and a specially designed endoscope is placed inside the tubular retractor. The microdiscectomy is performed endoscopically while the surgeon views the procedure on a video monitor. RESULTS Clinical outcomes were determined using a modified MacNab criteria, which revealed that 77% of patients had excellent, 17% had good, 3% had fair, and 3% had poor outcomes. The average hospital stay was 7.7 hours. The average return to work period was 17 days. Complications primarily included dural tears, which occurred in 8 patients (5%) and were seen early on in the patient series. Complication rates diminished as the surgeon’s experience with this technique increased. CONCLUSION MED for lumbar herniated disc disease can be performed safely and effectively, resulting in a shortened hospital stay and faster return to work; however, there is a learning curve to this procedure.