Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Apixaban, a direct factor Xa inhibitor, inhibits tissue-factor induced human platelet aggregation in vitro: Comparison with direct inhibitors of factor VIIa, XIa and thrombin

Summary Apixaban is an oral, direct and highly selective factor Xa (FXa) inhibitor in late-stage clinical development. This study evaluated the in vitro effect of apixaban on human platelet aggregation induced by thrombin derived via the extrinsic pathway. Direct inhibitors of FXa (rivaroxaban), FVIIa (BMS-593214), thrombin (dabigatran, argatroban) and FXIa (BMS-262084) were included for comparison. Citrated human plateletsrich plasma (PRP) was treated with 50 μg/ml corn trypsin inhibitor (to block the contact factor pathway) and 3 mM H-Gly-Pro-Arg- Pro-OH-AcOH (to prevent fibrin polymerisation). Human tissue factor (TF) (Innovin®; dilution 1:1,000 to 1:1,500) plus 7.5 mM CaCl2 was added to PRP pre-incubated with vehicle or increasing concentrations of inhibitors. The TF-induced platelet aggregation was measured by optical aggregometry. TF produced 85 ± 3% aggregation of human platelets in the vehicle-treated group (n=10). Apixaban and other factor inhibitors, except the FXIa inhibitor, inhibited TF-induced platelet aggregation with IC50 (nM) values as follows: 4 ± 1 (apixaban), 8 ± 2 (rivaroxaban), 13 ± 1 (BMS-593214), 46 ± 1 (dabigatran) and 79 ± 1 (argatroban). BMS-262084 (IC50 = 2.8 nM vs. human FXIa) had no effect on TF-induced platelet aggregation at 10 μM. These inhibitors at 10 μM had no effect on platelet aggregation induced by ADP and collagen, as expected from their mechanism of action. This study demonstrates that inhibition of thrombin generation by blocking upstream proteases (FVIIa and FXa) in the blood coagulation cascade is as effective as direct thrombin inhibition in preventing TF-induced platelet aggregation. Under these experimental conditions, a FXIa inhibitor did not prevent TF-induced platelet aggregation.
Pharmacotherapy for recently evacuated military casualties.

In late 1990 during the massive Operation Desert Shield/Storm (ODS) deployment of United Nations troops, the VA/DoD Joint Contingency Plan was activated. Worst case scenarios projected tens of thousands of medical evacuees from the Persian Gulf and predicted that U.S. Military Communication Zone and CONUS bed capacity would quickly be saturated. As a result, a massive educational program was rapidly implemented to prepare 80 VA hospitals to receive ODS personnel within 1-3 weeks of their evacuation from battalion aid stations or other front-echelon medical facilities. This article was written as part of this educational effort. Noting that there were no published articles on pharmacotherapy for recently evacuated military casualties, the authors wrote the present manuscript for inclusion in the ODS Clinical Packet prepared by the VA's National Center for PTSD and circulated to VA mental health professionals. Since the published literature still lacks an article on this subject and since we believe that our comments on pharmacotherapy apply to survivors of most acute traumatic events, we present our observations and recommendations with the hope that they may be useful to military, VA, and civilian practitioners.
Real-time Control of Angioplasty Balloon Inflation Based on Feedback from Intravascular Optical Coherence Tomography: Experimental Validation on an Excised Heart and a Beating Heart Model

We report on real-time control of balloon inflation inside porcine arteries. In the first step, experiments were done in a coronary artery of an excised heart. In the second step, experiments were done in a beating heart setup providing conditions very close to in vivo conditions without the complications. A programmable syringe pump was used to inflate a compliant balloon in arteries, while intravascular optical coherence tomography (IVOCT) monitoring was performed. In a feedback loop, IVOCT images were processed to provide the balloon diameter values in real time to control the pump action in order to achieve a target diameter. In different experiments, various flow rates and target diameters were used. In the excised heart experiment, there was good convergence to target diameters resulting in a satisfactory balloon inflation control. In the beating heart experiment, there were oscillations in the diameter values due to cyclic arterial contractions. In these experiments, the control system maintained diameter averages satisfactorily close to predetermined target values. Real-time control of balloon inflation could not only provide a safer outcome for angioplasty procedures, but could also provide additional information for diagnostics since it implicitly provides information about the artery response to the inflation process.
Performance analysis of symmetric High-k Spacer (SHS) Trigate SOI TFET

In this paper, an extensive analysis for the subthreshold swing (SS) and IOFF current in Symmetric High-k Spacer (SHS) Trigate N-TFET (tunnel field effect transistor) is proposed. A TFET (tunnel field effect transistor) can able to achieve subthreshold swing less than 60 mV/decade at room temperature, which facilitates the device for low power applications. In N-TFET source doping has a significant effect on the 0N-current level; therefore tunneling takes place between the source and intrinsic region. In the TFET, ambipolar conduction is possible which leads to the reduction of ION current, Increase in the drain series resistance as well as process complexity. In this model, we are not considering the ambipolar conduction. So, the source and drain regions were doped with different concentrations. The proposed model has been explained by the transfer and output characteristics as well as energy band diagram with simulation results.
Protons in neutron-irradiated and thermochemically reduced MgO crystals doped with lithium impurities.

H{sup {minus}} (hydride) ions have been observed in lithium-doped MgO crystals which have been neutron irradiated or thermochemically reduced (TCR). Infrared-absorption measurements have been used to identify the local modes of the H{sup {minus}} ions in these crystals. The concentration of the H{sup {minus}} ions in the neutron-irradiated crystals is found to be far less than that found in the TCR crystals. The thermal stability of H{sup {minus}} and oxygen vacancies in both oxidizing and reducing atmospheres are investigated. The emergence of sharp structures due to OH{sup {minus}} ions is attributed to the displacements of substitutional Li{sup +} ions, leaving behind unperturbed OH{sup {minus}} ions, via a mechanism of rapid radiation-induced diffusion during irradiation in a reactor. Results of neutron-irradiated MgO:Li, which had previously been oxidized at high temperature, are also presented.
Kluver‐Bucy Syndrome in Pick disease

The clinical and neuropathologic findings of five cases of Pick disease were studied. All had severe anterior temporal atrophy and abnormal neurons with highly argyrophilic cytoplasm of Pick bodies. The amygdala was abnormal in every case and had severe involvement of all nuclear subdivisions. Behaviorally, the patients exhibited elements of Kluver-Bucy syndrome early in the disease. Language abnormalities were also prominent. Memory and spatial orientation were frequently spared until late. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated marked lobar atrophy in one of two patients examined. The early appearance of Kluver-Bucy syndrome and the late occurrence of amnesia and spatial disorientation allow clinical identificaiton of this variant of Pick disease.
A Mutation in the Ebola Virus Envelope Glycoprotein Restricts Viral Entry in a Host Species- and Cell-Type-Specific Manner

ABSTRACT Zaire Ebola virus (EBOV) is a zoonotic pathogen that causes severe hemorrhagic fever in humans. A single viral glycoprotein (GP) mediates viral attachment and entry. Here, virus-like particle (VLP)-based entry assays demonstrate that a GP mutant, GP-F88A, which is defective for entry into a variety of human cell types, including antigen-presenting cells (APCs), such as macrophages and dendritic cells, can mediate viral entry into mouse CD11b+ APCs. Like that of wild-type GP (GP-wt), GP-F88A-mediated entry occurs via a macropinocytosis-related pathway and requires endosomal cysteine proteases and an intact fusion peptide. Several additional hydrophobic residues lie in close proximity to GP-F88, including L111, I113, L122, and F225. GP mutants in which these residues are mutated to alanine displayed preferential and often impaired entry into several cell types, although not in a species-specific manner. Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) protein is an essential filovirus receptor that binds directly to GP. Overexpression of NPC1 was recently demonstrated to rescue GP-F88A-mediated entry. A quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) demonstrated that while the F88A mutation impairs GP binding to human NPC1 by 10-fold, it has little impact on GP binding to mouse NPC1. Interestingly, not all mouse macrophage cell lines permit GP-F88A entry. The IC-21 cell line was permissive, whereas RAW 264.7 cells were not. Quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assays demonstrate higher NPC1 levels in GP-F88A permissive IC-21 cells and mouse peritoneal macrophages than in RAW 264.7 cells. Cumulatively, these studies suggest an important role for NPC1 in the differential entry of GP-F88A into mouse versus human APCs.
Teaching styles of tutors in a problem-based curriculum: students' and tutors' perception

This study compared the self-rated with student-rated teaching styles of PBL tutors. We also examined the relationship between teaching styles of tutors' and students' evaluation of tutor effectiveness in tutorials. The study included 48 tutors and 276 medical students. Tutors, and students' were given a teaching style inventory with a 5-point scale consisting of 21 items that comprise four domains of teaching styles (facilitative, collaborative, suggestive and assertive). In addition, quantitative and qualitative evaluations of tutor effectiveness by students were analyzed. Tutors perceived themselves in the facilitative–collaborative end of the spectrum of styles In contrast, students perceived tutors as less ‘facilitative–collaborative’ and more ‘suggestive–assertive’ than tutors self-ratings (p < 0.001). In addition, the difference in perception between students and tutors ratings in the facilitative–collaborative domains was more evident as students progressed in the PBL curriculum. The students’ ratings of the effectiveness of tutors correlated more strongly with facilitative–collaborative than with suggestive–assertive domains of teaching styles. However, other tutor attributes such as establishing rapport with students, providing academic help for them and having content expertise were considered important criteria of an effective tutor. We conclude that there is a mismatch between students' and tutors' perceptions about teaching styles of tutor. Tutor attributes other than teaching styles are important determinants of an effective tutor.
Generalized Satisfaction Equilibrium for Service-Level Provisioning in Wireless Networks

In this paper, a generalization of the satisfaction equilibrium (SE) for games in satisfaction form (SF) is presented. This new solution concept is referred to as the generalized satisfaction equilibrium (GSE). In games in SF, players choose their actions to satisfy an individual constraint that depends on the actions of all the others. At a GSE, players that are unsatisfied are unable to unilaterally deviate to be satisfied. The concept of GSE generalizes the SE in the sense that it allows mixed-strategy equilibria in which there exist players who are unable to satisfy their individual constraints. The pure-strategy GSE problem is closely related to the constraint satisfaction problem and finding a pure-strategy GSE is proven to be NP-hard. The existence of at least one GSE in mixed strategies is proven for the class of games in which the constraints are defined by a lower limit on the expected utility. A dynamics referred to as the satisfaction response is shown to converge to a GSE in certain classes of games. Finally, Bayesian games in SF and the corresponding Bayesian GSE are introduced. These results provide a theoretical framework for studying service-level provisioning problems in communications networks as shown by several examples.
Hamming SEC-DAED and Extended Hamming SEC-DED-TAED Codes Through Selective Shortening and Bit Placement

Radiation particles can impact registers or memories creating soft errors. These errors can modify more than one bit causing a multiple cell upset (MCU) which consists of errors in registers or memory cells that are physically close. These MCUs can affect a single word, producing adjacent bit errors. Hamming codes are commonly used to protect memories or registers from soft errors. However, when multiple errors occur, a Hamming code may not detect them. In this letter, single-error-correction double adjacent error detection Hamming codes are presented for 16-, 32-, and 64-bit words. Additionally, single-error-correction double-error-detection triple adjacent error detection codes based on extended Hamming are presented as well. The enhanced detection is achieved by performing a selective shortening and reordering of the Hamming matrix so adjacent errors result in a syndrome that does not match that of any single error. These codes will help in the detection of MCUs in SRAM memory designs.
Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis and M. avium subsp. avium Are Independently Evolved Pathogenic Clones of a Much Broader Group of M. avium Organisms

ABSTRACT Mycobacterium avium comprises organisms that share the same species designation despite considerable genomic and phenotypic variability. To determine the degree and nature of variability between subspecies and strains of M. avium, we used multilocus sequencing analysis, studying 56 genetically diverse strains of M. avium that included all described subspecies. In total, 8,064 bp of sequence from 10 gene loci were studied, with 205 (2.5%) representing variable positions. The majority (149/205) of these variations were found among M. avium subsp. hominissuis organisms. Recombination was also evident in this subspecies. In contrast, there was comparatively little variability and no evidence of recombination within the pathogenic subspecies, M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis, M. avium subsp. avium, and M. avium subsp. silvaticum. Phylogenetic analysis showed that M. avium subsp. avium and M. avium subsp. silvaticum strains clustered together on one branch, while a distinct branch defined M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis organisms. Despite the independent origin of these pathogenic subspecies, an analysis of their rates of nonsynonymous (dN) to synonymous (dS) substitutions showed increased dN/dS ratios for both: 0.67 for M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis and 0.50 for M. avium subsp. avium/M. avium subsp. silvaticum, while the value was 0.08 for M. avium subsp. hominissuis organisms. In conclusion, M. avium subsp. hominissuis represents a diverse group of organisms from which two pathogenic clones (M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis and M. avium subsp. avium/M. avium subsp. silvaticum) have evolved independently.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of intravenous dexmedetomidine in healthy Korean subjects

What is known and Objective: Dexmedetomidine is a selective alpha2‐adrenoreceptor agonist used for sedation in critically ill patients. The current study aimed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PKs), pharmacodynamics and tolerability of intravenous dexmedetomidine in healthy Korean subjects.
Use of the Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARATkids) in children and adolescents: Validation in Dutch

Allergic rhinitis and asthma are common and closely related diseases. Recently, a Portuguese questionnaire has been developed ‘The Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test’ (CARATkids) that measures disease control of both diseases in children. This study aims to validate the CARATkids in Dutch children and for the first time in adolescents and, in addition, to calculate the minimal clinically important difference (MCID).
Abnormalities of the left temporal lobe and thought disorder in schizophrenia. A quantitative magnetic resonance imaging study.

BACKGROUND Data from postmortem, CT, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies indicate that patients with schizophrenia may have anatomical abnormalities of the left temporal lobe, but it is unclear whether these abnormalities are related to the thought disorder characteristic of schizophrenia. METHODS We used new MRI neuroimaging techniques to derive (without knowledge of the diagnosis) volume measurements and three-dimensional reconstructions of temporal-lobe structures in vivo in 15 right-handed men with chronic schizophrenia and 15 matched controls. RESULTS As compared with the controls, the patients had significant reductions in the volume of gray matter in the left anterior hippocampus-amygdala (by 19 percent [95 percent confidence interval, 3 to 36 percent]), the left parahippocampal gyrus (by 13 percent [95 percent confidence interval, 3 to 23 percent], vs. 8 percent on the right), and the left superior temporal gyrus (by 15 percent [95 percent confidence interval, 5 to 25 percent]). The volume of the left posterior superior temporal gyrus correlated with the score on the thought-disorder index in the 13 patients evaluated (r = -0.81, P = 0.001). None of these regional volume decreases was accompanied by a decrease in the volume of the overall brain or temporal lobe. The volume of gray matter in a control region (the superior frontal gyrus) was essentially the same in the patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS Schizophrenia involves localized reductions in the gray matter of the left temporal lobe. The degree of thought disorder is related to the size of the reduction in volume of the left posterior superior temporal gyrus.
Priming of neutrophils toward NETosis promotes tumor growth

ABSTRACT Neutrophils play a major role in cancer biology and both pro- and antitumoral functions of tumor-infiltrating neutrophils have been described. We have shown that tumors, by releasing G-CSF into the bloodstream, prime circulating neutrophils to form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and we have detected the presence of NETs within the tumor microenvironment. Here, we report, using PAD4-deficient mice with a defect in neutrophil chromatin decondensation and NET formation, that the priming of neutrophils toward NETosis favors tumor growth. Interestingly, in a tumor model that does not release G-CSF and in which neutrophils are not primed for NETosis, PAD4-deficiency did not reduce tumor growth. However, supplying exogenous G-CSF to the wild-type (WT) host promoted intratumoral NETosis and tumor growth. Taken together, our results suggest that the priming of neutrophils for NETosis by the tumor or its environment leads to the accumulation of intratumoral NETs and a growth advantage to the tumor. Our work unveiled a pro-tumoral role for NETs which strengthens their potential as a new target in the fight against cancer.
Development of flight performance in the brown booby

How do birds acquire flight skills after fledging? This issue is important, as it is closely related to variation in the duration of offspring care, the causes of which remain unknown. In this study, we raised hatchling brown boobies, Sula leucogaster, and attached an acceleration data logger to each bird at fledging to record its movements. This allowed us to quantify precisely the time spent flapping, gliding and resting. The duration of foraging trips and proportion of time spent gliding during flight increased with the number of days since fledging, whereas the proportion of time spent in flight decreased. This indicates that brown boobies gradually acquire efficient flight skills during the post–fledging period, which might be the proximate cause of the long post–fledging care period in this species. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to record precisely the ontogeny of flight behaviour in birds.
Adaptive channel switching for centralized MAC protocols in multihop wireless networks

The centralized medium access control (centralized MAC) protocol, which utilizes an Access Point (AP) to coordinate stations in wireless networks, guarantees the quality of service (QoS) for transmission, and provides good throughput in the highly congested network. However, the centralized MAC protocol cannot be adopted in ad hoc networks, because it provides only single-hop transmission. This paper proposes a multihop mechanism for centralized MAC protocols to operate on various network topologies. The proposed mechanism provides excellent throughput for both inter-subnet and intra-subnet links, and alleviates the hidden terminal problem. Experimental results reveal that the optimal configuration on the proposed mechanism and the comparison between our mechanism and other multihop forwarding mechanisms. The results demonstrate that the proposed mechanism outperforms other multihop forwarding mechanisms in terms of throughput.
[Relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and expressions of tumor suppressor genes in gastric carcinoma and related lesions].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE Helicobacter pylori (Hp) are believed to be a carcinogen of gastric carcinoma. However, its mechanism was yet not clearly understood. p53, p21WAF1, and p16 are main negative regulator genes of cell cycle. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between these 3 genes and Hp infection. METHODS The authors examined the expression of these 3 tumor suppressor genes and Hp infection in 65 cases with chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG), 93 cases with intestinal metaplasia(IM), 94 cases with gastric epithelial dysplasia (GED) and 60 cases with gastric carcinoma (GC) using HID-AB (pH 2.5)-PAS, SP immunohistochemistry staining, and Warthin-Starry staining. RESULTS For CAC, IM stage I-II, IM stage III, GED stage I, GED stage II-III, and GC, the positive expression rates of p53 were 0, 1.64%, 6.25%, 5.45%, 23.08%, and 70.00%, respectively (increased with pathological process); the positive expression rates of p21WAF1 were 100%, 95.08%, 100%, 100%, 71.79%, and 45.00%, respectively; the positive expression rates of p16 were 83.08%, 81.97%, 78.13%, 89.09%, 69.23%, and 40.00%, respectively. All the expression of these 3 genes showed significant difference between GED stage II-III and GED stage I, GC and GED stage II-III. In the same pathological changes, the positive expression rate of these 3 genes was higher in Hp infection group than in no Hp infection group, while there was no significant difference (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION The mutation of p53 and inactivation of p21WAF1 and p16 play an important role in carcinogenesis of stomach. However, Hp infection was not associated with the abnormal expression of these 3 genes.