Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does Regional Block Improve Outcome after Surgery?

Seventy-five years have elapsed since the first claim that the use of local anaesthetics improved surgical outcome. Despite extensive research, the literature provides contradictory views of the role of regional block in improving outcome. This paper attempts to reconcile these contradictions by examining biological hypotheses underlying the research question and reviewing relevant epidemiological clinical research methodology. The paper concludes with recommendations to prospective investigators for strategies in design, planning and execution of randomised trials to assess the efficacy of regional block in determining outcome after surgery.
Predictors of pregnancy and changes in pregnancy incidence among HIV-positive women accessing HIV clinical care

Objectives:To describe predictors of pregnancy and changes in pregnancy incidence among HIV-positive women accessing HIV clinical care. Methods:Data were obtained through the linkage of two separate studies: the UK Collaborative HIV Cohort study (UK CHIC), a cohort of adults attending 13 large HIV clinics; and the National Study of HIV in Pregnancy and Childhood (NSHPC), a national surveillance study of HIV-positive pregnant women. Pregnancy incidence was measured using the proportion of women in UK CHIC with a pregnancy reported to NSHPC. Generalized estimating equations were used to identify predictors of pregnancy and assess changes in pregnancy incidence in 2000–2009. Results:The number of women accessing care at UK CHIC sites increased as did the number of pregnancies. Older women were less likely to have a pregnancy [adjusted relative rate (aRR) 0.44 per 10 year increment in age, [95% confidence interval (CI) (0.41–0.46)], P < 0.001] as were women with CD4 cell count less than 200 cells/&mgr;l compared with CD4 cell count 200–350 cells/&mgr;l [aRR 0.65 (0.55–0.77), P < 0.001] and women of white ethnicity compared with women of black African ethnicity [aRR 0.67 (0.57–0.80), P < 0.001]. The likelihood that women had a pregnancy increased over the study period [aRR 1.05 (1.03–1.07), P < 0.001). The rate of change did not significantly differ according to age group, antiretroviral therapy use, CD4 group or ethnicity. Conclusion:The pregnancy rate among women accessing HIV clinical care increased in 2000–2009. HIV-positive women with, or planning, a pregnancy require a high level of care and this is likely to continue and increase as more women of older age have pregnancies.
Three Keys to One Door - A New Institutionalist Analysis of the European Border and Coast Guard

In October 2016 the European Border and Coast Guard [EBCG] was installed as the new institutional structure responsible for border management. In contrast to its predecessor Frontex, the EBCG consists not only of an agency but also of the respective national authorities, responsible for border management and coastguard functions. A better understanding of the creation of the EBCG is needed because of the establishment’s particularities: it replaced an existing agency with a new system, was conducted in a rapid manner of only six months and moreover occurred in a highly sensitive area, touching upon nation state sovereignty, usually preventing radical changes. By utilizing the three main branches of the new institutionalism – rational choice, historical and sociological institutionalism – in a complementary manner, their explanatory value was directed towards the establishment of the EBCG. The theories were used to highlight various aspects: historical institutionalism included the assessment of historical and temporal aspects, sociological institutionalism the drive for legitimacy through isomorphism and the role of norms, while rational choice institutionalism was used to highlight the envisioned effect of the new institution to enhance efficiency and the effect of the interinstitutional bargaining. An overarching discussion on conclusions that can be drawn from this establishment emphasized the continuous important role of agencies and that integration in border management remains incremental and heavily constraint by sovereignty-interests. With this, the thesis contributes to gaining a better understanding of the creation of the EBCG, albeit not providing a causal understanding of it. It was moreover shown, that there is merit in using the three branches of new institutionalism in a complementary manner.
On simulation-based adaptive UAS behavior during jamming

We address the issue of autonomously planning a flight path for a remotely controlled surveillance aircraft when control is lost due to jamming. An optimization problem arises where we want the aircraft to continue surveying in the jammed area so that a possible attack does not go unnoticed, but we want the aircraft to leave the jammed area (and report any collected information) while there is still time to respond and take defensive measures. We formulate this as a stochastic approximation problem, involving state parameters and a discrete set of path options (specifying candidate Bezier curves), and train on simulated data from realistic scenarios. The result is a discussion how to acquire a policy which considers both realistic tactical scenarios with varying initial values and simulated sensor characteristic.
Neoclassical Active Learning Approach For Structural Analysis

Most beginning students in an introductory structural analysis course do not appear to have a sound understanding of fundamental concepts, and in general, students lack the ability to visualize the deformed shapes of simple structures. One possible reason for this learning deficiency may be that the classical lecture-mode of teaching by itself may not be sufficient for students to grasp basic concepts, and a more active classroom participation by students may be needed. The objective of this study is to provide an interactive and a collaborative, team-oriented classroom environment for students to explore theoretical concepts through physical experiments and computer modeling. The primary guiding principle in the development of the laboratory modules is constructivism, which was implemented by creating an experiential learning environment through the use of active learning techniques. The laboratory sessions provide an opportunity for students to enquire, explore, collaborate, and have fun while learning. Eleven laboratory modules have been developed, covering topics from static equilibrium to the measurement of displacements and strains for beams, frames and trusses. The laboratory provides an excellent forum for experiential learning, whereby an experience is transformed into knowledge. The final result is a comprehensive teaching approach that efficiently merges theory, computer modeling, and experiments into an exciting learning environment. The use of an active learning approach has proved to be successful in enhancing the ability of students to master the fundamental topics of structural analysis. The development of active learning environments should be considered for other engineering courses where students have difficulty with fundamental concepts or where the ability to visualize physical behaviors is essential in understanding and mastering the course material.
Expression of the transcription factor GADD153 is an indicator of apoptosis for recombinant chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells.

Loss of cell viability, through engagement of apoptotic cell death, represents a limitation to maintenance of high levels of productivity of recombinant animal cells in culture. The ability to monitor the status of recombinant cells, and to define indicators of their "well-being," would present a valuable approach to permit a rational intervention at appropriate times during culture. Growth arrest and DNA damage gene 153 (GADD153) is a member of the CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) family of transcription factors and has been associated with apoptosis. We have examined the expression of GADD153 in conditions associated with apoptosis of recombinant CHO cells in batch culture. GADD153 expression is very low in CHO cells growing in the exponential phase of batch culture but is activated as cells enter the decline phase. Depletion of nutrients (glucose or glutamine) causes activation of GADD153 expression as does the imposition of endoplasmic reticulum stress. In all cases, there is a good relationship between the extent of apoptosis that occurs in response to each stress and the degree of GADD153 expression. In addition, nutrient refeeding or reversal of stress produces a concomitant decrease in expression of GADD153 and the susceptibility to apoptosis. Thus, GADD153 appears to offer a valid indicator of apoptosis and illustrates the potential for definition of monitors of cellular status related to the likelihood of apoptosis of cell populations.
An Improved Trap to Capture Adult Container-Inhabiting Mosquitoes

Abstract Although dengue viruses are thought to be transmitted by Aedes aegypti in Puerto Rico, Aedes mediovittatus, the Caribbean tree hole mosquito, is also a potential vector. This species is native to the Greater Antilles and has been shown to be a competent vector of dengue viruses in the laboratory. Consequently, it has been suggested that Ae. mediovittatus could be acting as a secondary vector or virus reservoir. This study was part of an ongoing investigation into this, and it aimed to determine whether BG-Sentinel traps (BGS traps) could be used to collect adults of this mosquito and could be modified to increase the number of captures of this species in the field. We conducted experiments to test the relative attractiveness of BGS traps to Ae. mediovittatus and Ae. aegypti and explored the effects of chemical lures (BG-Lure, CO2, octenol) and optical properties (color, size) on the capture rates of BGS traps in a large, outdoor cage in San Juan city, Puerto Rico. We also conducted field tests to compare modified BGS traps with the original traps in a rural community in Patillas municipality, Puerto Rico. Results obtained from the large, outdoor cage experiments indicated that trap captures of both mosquito species could be significantly enhanced by using black instead of white BGS traps combined with BG-Lure. Field experiments revealed that the modified traps captured a significantly greater number of Ae. aegypti, Ae. mediovittatus, and Culex quinquefasciatus, with greater sensitivity for the latter 2 species, and also captured a larger number of mosquito species and a smaller ratio of Ae. aegypti to Ae. mediovittatus, with greater than expected species co-occurrences.
Annexin-1 Regulates Macrophage IL-6 and TNF via Glucocorticoid-Induced Leucine Zipper1

Annexin-1 (ANXA1) is a mediator of the anti-inflammatory actions of endogenous and exogenous glucocorticoids (GC). The mechanism of ANXA1 effects on cytokine production in macrophages is unknown and is here investigated in vivo and in vitro. In response to LPS administration, ANXA1−/− mice exhibited significantly increased serum IL-6 and TNF compared with wild-type (WT) controls. Similarly, LPS-induced IL-6 and TNF were significantly greater in ANXA1−/− than in WT peritoneal macrophages in vitro. In addition, deficiency of ANXA1 was associated with impairment of the inhibitory effects of dexamethasone (DEX) on LPS-induced IL-6 and TNF in macrophages. Increased LPS-induced cytokine expression in the absence of ANXA1 was accompanied by significantly increased LPS-induced activation of ERK and JNK MAPK and was abrogated by inhibition of either of these pathways. No differences in GC effects on MAPK or MAPK phosphatase 1 were observed in ANXA1−/− cells. In contrast, GC-induced expression of the regulatory protein GILZ was significantly reduced in ANXA1−/− cells by silencing of ANXA1 in WT cells and in macrophages of ANXA1−/− mice in vivo. GC-induced GILZ expression and GC inhibition of NF-κB activation were restored by expression of ANXA1 in ANXA1−/− cells, and GILZ overexpression in ANXA1−/− macrophages reduced ERK MAPK phosphorylation and restored sensitivity of cytokine expression and NF-κB activation to GC. These data confirm ANXA1 as a key inhibitor of macrophage cytokine expression and identify GILZ as a previously unrecognized mechanism of the anti-inflammatory effects of ANXA1.
The Impact of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine on Rates of Myringotomy With Ventilation Tube Insertion in Australia

Background: In randomized controlled trials and postmarketing studies the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (7vPCV) has been shown to reduce myringotomy with ventilation tube insertion (MVTI) procedures in a 4-dose schedule. In Australia, a 3-dose schedule at 2, 4, and 6 months of age is routinely used in non-Indigenous children. Our aim was to determine if a reduction in MVTI comparable to that documented in the United States occurred in Australia despite the absence of the booster dose. Methods: All episodes of MVTI in Australia from July 1998 to June 2007 among children aged ≤9 years were identified in an electronic database of national hospitalization records, including the public and private sectors. Age-stratified rates of MVTI before and after introduction of 7vPCV into the national immunization program in 2005 were determined, with Poisson regression modeling used to determine the vaccine impact after adjusting for background and seasonal trends. Results: A total of 238,634 hospital separations were identified. In the 2.5 years after routine 7vPCV introduction, there was a significant adjusted reduction in MVTI in children aged <1, 1, and 2 years of 23%, 16%, and 6%, respectively. A nonsignificant reduction was observed in those aged 3 and 4 years, while a significant increase of 5% was observed for the 5- to 9-year age group. Conclusions: Although ecologic data such as this have limitations, the significant differential effects observed by time period and age group are suggestive of a vaccine effect of similar magnitude to that documented by postmarketing surveillance in the United States. The rapid uptake of 7vPCV in Australia, including catch up to 2 years of age, is an important difference to the United States and it is possible that an even greater effect would have been observed with a booster dose in the second year of life. Longer term data will be needed to fully assess the role of a booster dose.
Immunocytochemical description of five bipolar cell types of the mouse retina

With the ever‐growing number of transgenic mice being used in vision research, a precise knowledge of the cellular organization of the mouse retina is required. As with the cat, rabbit, rat, and primate retinae, as many as 10 cone bipolar types and one rod bipolar type can be expected to exist in the mouse retina; however, they still have to be defined. In the current study, several immunocytochemical markers were applied to sections of mouse retina, and the labeling of bipolar cells was studied using confocal microscopy and electron microscopy. By using antibodies against the neurokinin‐3 receptor NK3R; the plasma membrane calcium ATPase1 (PMCA1); and the calcium (Ca)‐binding proteins CaB1, CaB5, caldendrin, and recoverin, three different OFF‐cone bipolar cells could be identified. One type of ON‐cone bipolar cell was identified through its immunoreactivity for CaB5 and PMCA1. Rod bipolar cells, comparable in morphology to those of other mammalian retinae, expressed protein kinase Cα and CaB5. It was also shown that putative OFF‐cone bipolar cells receive light signals through flat contacts at the cone pedicle base, whereas ON‐cone bipolar signaling involves invaginating contacts. The distribution of the kainate receptor subunit GluR5 was studied by confocal and electron microscopy. GluR5 was expressed at flat bipolar cell contacts; however, it appears to be involved with only certain types of OFF‐cone bipolar cells. This suggests that different bipolar cell types receive their light signals through different sets of glutamate receptors. J. Comp. Neurol. 455:463–476, 2003. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Inequality and Instability

Inequality is a charged topic. Measures of income inequality rose in the USA in the 1990s to levels not seen since 1929 and gave rise to a suspicion, not for the first time, of a link between radical inequality and financial instability with a resulting crisis under capitalism. Professional macroeconomists have generally taken little interest in inequality because, within the parameters of traditional economic theory, the economy will stabilize itself at full employment. In addition, enlightened economists could enact stabilizing measures to manage any imbalances. The dominant voices among academic economists were unable to interpret the causal forces at work during both the Great Depression and the recent global financial crisis. In Inequality and Instability, James K. Galbraith argues that since there has been no serious work done on the macroeconomic effects of inequality, new sources of evidence are required. Galbraith offers for the first time a vast expansion of the capacity to calculate measures of inequality both at lower and higher levels of aggregation. Instead of measuring inequality as traditionally done, by country, Galbraith insists that to understand real differences that have real effects, inequality must be examined through both smaller and larger administrative units, like sub-national levels within and between states and provinces, multinational continental economies, and the world. He points out that inequality could be captured by measures across administrative boundaries to capture data on more specific groups to which people belong. For example, in China, economic inequality reflects the difference in average income levels between city and countryside, or between coastal regions and the interior, and a simple ratio averages would be an indicator of trends in inequality over the country as a whole. In a comprehensive presentation of this new method of using data, Inequality and Instability offers an unequaled look at the US economy and various global economies that was not accessible to us before. This provides a more sophisticated and a more accurate picture of inequality around the world, and how inequality is one of the most basic sources of economic instability. Available in OSO:
Asymptotic approach to combustion instability

This paper presents an asymptotic approach to combustion instability in premixed flames under the assumptions of large activation energy and small Mach number. The entire flow consists of four distinct yet fully interactive sub-regions, which accommodate the chemical reaction, heat transport, hydrodynamics and acoustics, respectively. A reduced system was derived to describe the intricate coupling between the flame and acoustics that underlies the combustion instability. The asymptotically reduced system was employed to study the weakly nonlinear interaction between the Darrieus–Landau instability and the longitudinal acoustic mode of the combustion chamber. The general asymptotic formulation includes the influence of enthalpy fluctuation in the oncoming mixture. It is shown that one-dimensional enthalpy fluctuation, through its interaction with flame, produces sound waves, and may cause parametric instability of the flame. The mutual coupling between the sound wave and parametric instability is analysed at the instability thresholds.
The Competitiveness of Social Interactions as a Marketing Variable in Social Gaming

Advances in social networking and mobile technology have significantly increased game developers’ ability to actively initiate and manage social interactions between game players. This paper introduces competitiveness as a new attribute of social interactions. We empirically investigate how providing players the opportunity to pursue competitive (win-lose) vs. cooperative (win-win) social interactions differentially affects both individual spending and social network building. Our analysis of real-time logs of a popular social game uncovers an interesting stage-dependent pattern: in the early stage of a social game, competitive interactions encourage more spending in the game, and cooperative interactions lead to a larger social network through interactions with more players. However, as the social game evolves, the opposite results hold: cooperative interactions become more important in motivating spending, and competitive interactions contribute more to social network expansion. These findings indicate that the competitiveness of social interactions can be used as a strategic marketing variable. This paper contributes to the literature on consumer social interaction in general and the literature on game design in particular.
Analysis of immunoglobulin E VH transcripts in a bronchial biopsy of an asthmatic patient confirms bias towards VH5, and indicates local clonal expansion, somatic mutation and isotype switch events

Immunoglobulin E (IgE)‐dependent mechanisms play a pivotal role in mediating allergic disease. Previously, VH‐Cε transcripts from blood or spleen of atopic asthmatics have been analysed for VH gene usage and patterns of somatic mutation. An over‐representation of the minor VH5 family has been observed, consistent with a superantigen drive. As local mucosal events in IgE production may be more significant in the disease process, we have analysed VH‐Cε transcripts from a bronchial biopsy of a patient with severe asthma. VH5 predominance was confirmed with 10 of 30 unique clones derived from this family. Repeated sequences, some with intraclonal variation, revealed clonal expansion and continuing mutational activity at the site. Unexpectedly, three unmutated VH‐Cε sequences were found, indicating that isotype switching to IgE can occur without mutation. Detection of a sister clone with extensive mutations was again consistent with local mutational activity. Evidence for local isotype switching was obtained by identification of clonally related immunoglobulin M (IgM), immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin E (IgE) sequences. However, in contrast to findings in blood, no IgG4 transcripts clonally related to IgE were detected, suggesting that the balance between synthesis of IgG4 and IgE may differ between systemic and local sites. These data confirm a VH5 bias in IgE, and support the concept that IgE‐synthesizing B cells arise via local differentiation.
Identification of major classes of cholinergic neurons in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) is specifically synthesized by the enzyme choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). Subsequently, it is loaded into synaptic vesicles by a specific vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT). We have generated antibodies that recognize ChAT or VAChT in a model organism, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, in order to examine the subcellular and cellular distributions of these cholinergic proteins. ChAT and VAChT are found in the same neurons, including more than one‐third of the 302 total neurons present in the adult hermaphrodite. VAChT is found in synaptic regions, whereas ChAT appears to exist in two forms in neurons, a synapse‐enriched form and a more evenly distributed possibly cytosolic form. We have used antibodies to identify the cholinergic neurons in the body of larval and adult hermaphrodites. All of the classes of putative excitatory motor neurons in the ventral nerve cord appear to be cholinergic: the DA and DB neurons in the first larval stage and the AS, DA, DB, VA, VB, and VC neurons in the adult. In addition, several interneurons with somas in the tail and processes in the tail or body are cholinergic; sensory neurons are generally not cholinergic. Description of the normal pattern of cholinergic proteins and neurons will improve our understanding of the role of cholinergic neurons in the behavior and development of this model organism. J. Comp. Neurol. 506:398–408, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.