Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arterial Disease: No Benefit and Possible Harm'' Response to Letter Regarding Article, ''L-Arginine Supplementation in Peripheral

Supplementation in Peripheral Arterial Disease: No Benefit and Possible Harm” To the Editor: I read with interest the article by Wilson et al1 on the Nitric Oxide in Peripheral Arterial Insufficiency (NO-PAIN) study, which showed that long-term supplementation of L-arginine was less effective than placebo in improving absolute claudication distance in patients with peripheral arterial disease. Most surprising was the finding that flow-mediated vasodilation of the brachial artery decreased after 6 months of L-arginine supplementation, whereas flow-mediated vasodilation in the placebo group increased. The results of this long-term study are discordant with results of previous studies of shorter duration that showed an improvement in vascular reactivity of coronary and peripheral arteries in patients with cardiovascular disease, presumably due to increased NO production. The authors1 speculate that counterregulatory mechanisms induced by prolonged administration of the NO precursor L-arginine may lead to L-arginine tolerance, that is, a paradoxical reduction in NO production. I would like to point out that L-arginine is involved in a plethora of biochemical pathways,2,3 and possibly an alternative explanation should be sought in a metabolic route other than the arginine–NO pathway. Specifically, arginase, the enzyme that splits L-arginine into L-ornithine and urea, may be relevant in this context. Arginase has a very high Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) with respect to arginine, which implies that under physiological conditions, the enzyme is not fully saturated. Accordingly, in the NO-PAIN study, L-arginine supplementation resulted in increased ornithine levels. Most important, ornithine is a precursor of polyamines and proline. Polyamines are required for cell proliferation and proline is an essential component of collagen, a major constituent of extracellular matrix.2,3 Hence, sustained stimulation of ornithine production by induction of cell proliferation and extracellular matrix deposition may induce or accelerate vascular remodeling. The resulting alterations in elastic properties of the vessel wall, that is, increased stiffness and reduced compliance, limit the ability of the vessel to react to any vasodilatory stimulus.4,5 This mechanism offers an explanation for the reduced flow-mediated vasodilation after prolonged L-arginine administration, even if NO production is unaltered or increased. Overall, the beneficial short-term effects and harmful long-term effects of L-arginine supplementation may reflect stimulation of different metabolic pathways in which L-arginine is rate limiting. Stimulation of NO synthesis has an acute beneficial effect on vascular function, whereas in the long run, vascular function may be adversely affected by ornithine-induced stimulation of cell proliferation and matrix formation.
Laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery plus sentinel lymph node navigation surgery for elderly patients with early gastric cancer – phase II trial: Study protocol

Background: When patients are outside the criteria for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) treatment, additional gastrectomy with radical lymph node dissection is generally performed. It is thought, however, that post-gastrectomy syndrome and decline in quality of life occur in elderly patients. In patients with submucosal-invasive gastric cancer who undergo gastrectomy, lymph node metastases (LNM) are very common. LNM in patients with submucosal-invasive gastric cancer after ESD, however, are very rare. In elderly patients who need additional treatment after ESD, partial gastrectomy with regional lymphadenectomy may be feasible in oncological. It is extremely difficult to determine the appropriate incision line in the laparoscopic view because of scarring in the intraluminal stomach after gastric ESD. We plan to perform laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery (LECS) to address this problem. Methods: When performing LECS for patients with early gastric cancer (EGC), sufficient lymph node dissection is required, so we apply sentinel lymph node navigation surgery (SNNS). The purpose of this trial is to test the hypothesis that limited operation using LECS plus SNNS is effective and oncologically safe in the selected group including elderly patients who undergo ESD. Conclusion: This study is a prospective, single arm, single center trial. Patients over 75 years old with EGC who are pathologically diagnosed outside the criteria for ESD treatment are eligible. The primary endpoint is to determine the rate of the postoperative complications. Secondary endpoints include determination of surgical results, postoperative outcomes, and survival rates. Abbreviations: ESD: endoscopic submucosal dissection; LNM: lymph node metastasis; LECS: laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery; EGC: early gastric cancer; SNNS: sentinel lymph node navigation surgery; QOL: quality of life; ICG indocyanine green; OS: overall survival; DSS: disease-specific survival; DFS: disease-free survival; SNs: sentinel lymph nodes; RCT: randomized controlled trial
Growth and Production of Enterotoxins A and D by Staphylococcus aureus in Salad Bar Ingredients and Clam Chowder.

Growth and production of enterotoxins A and D (SEA, SED) by two strains of Staphylococcus aureus were determined in salad bar ingredients and clam chowder. Salad bar ingredients included lettuce, canned black olives, canned green olives, tomato, green pepper, blue cheese salad dressing, blue cheese crumbles, celery, and croutons. Total S. aureus were determined by plate count on Baird-Parker agar. Enterotoxins were quantified by using an ELISA technique. S. aureus did not survive in salad dressing, with pH 4.3. With the exception of olives and blue cheese, S. aureus survived on all ingredients for more than 12 h. After 24 h, the total number of cells decreased on most of the ingredients. S. aureus grew well on green pepper during the first 24 h, reaching 105 CFU/g, but no enterotoxins were detected. S. aureus also increased in moist and dry plain croutons, but there was no detectable production of enterotoxins. S. aureus growth was excellent in clam chowder with cell counts exceeding 108 CFU/g after 12 h at 42°C. Production of SEA and SED began shortly after 3 h. Maximal levels of SEA and SED were 0.29 and 1.6 ng/g, respectively, after 12 h. In brain heart infusion broth, the production of SEA and SED reached 21.9 and 36.3 ng/ml, respectively, after 24 h at 37°C.
Occurrence of phytoplankton bloom and its effect on coastal water quality

An intense bloom of phytoplankton dominated by Asterionella glacialis was observed during the second week of May 1993 in the coastal waters of Kalpakkam. During this period a marked reduction in dissolved oxygen (1,2 mg/l) in the surface water was noticed. A decrease in nitrate and silicate and increase in phosphate levels were also observed. Asterionella glacialis contributed 66% (5.45 x 10 10 cells/m 3 ) of total diatoms. Chlorophyll-a value was as high as 22.7 μg/l. Substantial decrease in total viable count (TVC) was observed (1000 cfu/ml) and this coincided with the Ic west DO value observed during the investigation. Suspended matter (SM) value during the bloom period was as high as 131.5 mg/l. Changes in physico-chemical characteristics of the coastal waters associated with the occurrence of bloom are discussed.
Effectiveness of Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery in Undiagnosed Exudative Pleural Effusions.

OBJECTIVES Undiagnosed pleural effusions mostly require histologic studies for a definite diagnosis. In addition, malignant pleural effusions responsible for a significant part of exudative pleurisy need palliative therapy The purpose of our study is to research the effectiveness of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in definitive diagnosis and palliative treatment of unexplained non-parapneumonic exudative pleural effusions. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study included 263 patients with non-parapneumonic exudative pleurisy, which could not be diagnosed by an initial clinical, radiological, biochemical, microbiological, and cytological investigation in three centers. All patients underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for definitive diagnosis between January 2002 and January 2018. Patients' data were retrospectively analyzed in terms of age, gender, symptoms, previously diagnosed cancers, computerized tomography of chest findings, histopathological diagnosis, cytological diagnosis, morbidity, mortality, and success rates of the procedure. Patient groups from the three centers were divided into three groups according to the center of the patient. The groups were compared statistically in terms of cytologic diagnosis rates. RESULTS The most common complaint was dysnea (66.5%). Of the 263 cases, 83 were previously diagnosed with cancer. The simple pleural effusion (66.5%) was the most frequent radiological finding. The success rate for definitive diagnosis was detected as 97%. Of all the cases, the rate of specific cytological diagnosis was detected to be 34%. The cytologic diagnosis rate was meaningfully lower in Group 1than in Groups2 and 3. The postoperative morbidity rate was detected as 9%. CONCLUSION Video-assisted thoracic surgery is not only a rapid and effective diagnostic method, but also a palliative therapeutic method. We think that it should be used immediately after initial diagnostic thoracentesis in undiagnosed exudative PEin the less experienced centers.
Cellular reproduction and extracellular polymer formation in the development of biofilms

Bacteria exhibit a tendency for attaching to and colonizing surfaces which are submerged in aquatic environments. Attachment is mediated by extracellular polymer material which is formed by the bacteria and extends from the cell to the attachment surface. The attached cells reproduce and form additional extracellular polymer increasing the mass of the deposit. The cellular-extracellular matrix is termed a biofilm. The purpose of this study was to investigate the kinetics and stoichiometry of cellular reproduction and extracellular formation in the development of biofilms. Experiments were conducted using pure cultures of Ps. aeruginosa with glucose and inorganic nutrients providing the necessary requirements for microbial growth. Both attached growth biofilm reactors ' and dispersed growth chemostat reactors were used as experimental systems. Rate and stoichiometric expressions which describe cellular re-' production and extracellular polymer formation in biofilms are presented. These expressions are compared with corresponding expressions describing the same processes in dispersed growth chemostat reactors. Results indicate that the rate and extent of cellular reproduction and extracellular polymer formation depend on Ps. aeruginosa growth rate. At low growth rate, extracellular polymer formation exceeds cellular reproduction, whereas at high growth rate, the rate and extent of cellular reproduction exceed extracellular polymer formation. CELLULAR REPRODUCTION AND EXTRACELLULAR POLYMER FORMATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIOFILMS by Michael Gerald Trulear A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY Bozeman, Montana May 1983
Quality Metrics and Indicators in Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is the preferred method for colorectal cancer screening. However, despite significant advances, the examination remains subject to limitations and variability amongst different practitioners. This calls for the need for objective quality indicators to ensure the optimal use of the modality. Three major priority quality measures have been identified that include adenoma detection rate (ADR), cecal intubation, and adherence to surveillance guidelines. ADR is the best-studied metric correlating with outcomes including post-colonoscopy colon cancer, but has inherent limitations such as the potential for corruptibility. Other important quality indicators include the quality of bowel preparation and colonoscopy withdrawal time. All these quality measures are interrelated and an improvement in any of them would help in increasing the power of colonoscopy as a screening tool, as well as decreasing its economic burden and potentially improving adherence to screening guidelines.
A NEW FAMILY OF LANIATORES FROM NORTHWESTERN SOUTH AMERICA (ARACHNIDA, OPILIONES)

The new family Icaleptidae is described, based on the new genera Icaleptes and Zalmopsylla. Each of the new genera is based on a single species, Icaleptes malkini n. sp. , from northern Colombia and Zalmopsylla platnicki n. sp. from Ecuador. This is the first record of the order Opiliones for the Cesar Department in Colombia. The new family is characterized by genitalic features and by the ventral insertion of legs IV, which gives the animal a flea-like habitus. The closest related families are Zalmoxidae and Fissiphalliidae. Genital structures of Zalmoxidae and related families are discussed.
Comportement alimentaire, quantités ingérées et performances des bovins conduits en groupe

Les éleveurs de bovins allaitants répartissent les vaches du troupeau dans différents lots en fonction de nombreux critères et aussi des contraintes structurelles : main d’œuvre, bâtiments, parcellaire. La composition des lots et le mode d’élevage ont des répercussions sur les performances des animaux, qu’on peut appréhender par leurs effets sur le comportement alimentaire et l’ingestion d’aliments.
A regulated response to mitochondrial dysfunction modulates longevity and rates of living

Aging is a long-standing biological question of tremendous social and cultural importance. Despite this, only in the last 15 years has biology started to make significant progress in understanding the underlying mechanisms that regulate aging. This progress stemmed mainly from the use of model organisms, which allowed the discovery of several genes directly modulating longevity. Interestingly, several of these longevity genes are necessary for normal mitochondrial function, and disruption of their activity delays the aging process. This is somewhat paradoxical, considering the importance of cellular respiration for energy production and viability of eukaryotic organisms. One possible rationalization for this is that by decreasing cellular respiration, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation is also reduced, and in that way, cellular decay and aging are delayed. The mechanism, however, may not be this simple, since it is unclear whether impairing mitochondrial respiration reduces ROS, and also, since not all long-lived mitochondrial mutants tested are resistant to ROS. Besides the long-life phenotype, these mitochondrial mutants also show a significant “slowing down” of rates of living (defecation, moving, eating and development to adulthood). Initial analysis of these phenotypes led to the suggestion that the increased longevity was not a regulated event, and instead was a consequence of a passive “slowing down” of the animals due to less energy availability. However, mitochondrial defects can only increase longevity if present during development, which in itself suggests the existence of a regulatory event. In order to understand the mechanisms by which mitochondrial impairment could be leading to increased longevity, we used the nematode C. elegans and performed gene expression analysis using microarrays, followed by functional analysis of candidate genes using RNAi. These studies suggested that mitochondrial mutations are affecting
Instructivo de manejo dental de pacientes pediátricos en tratamiento de cáncer

La cavidad oral es muy susceptible a los efectos de la quimioterapia y la radioterapia; es la fuente mas frecuente de sepsis en el paciente inmunosuprimido. Amplias medidas de higiene oral y tratamientos dentales de caracter curativo, paliativo o preventivo reducen el riesgo de complicaciones sistemicas. A continuacion, se citan las condiciones orales mas frecuentes que se presentan con la terapia: mucositis, ulceraciones, hemorragias, caries dental, disfuncion del gusto, xerostomia, fibrosis mucosal, osteorradionecrosis, necrosis de tejidos blandos, trismus, candidiasis, herpes, virus e infecciones secundarias [1]. Para todo paciente con diagnostico de cancer, se deben tener en cuenta las siguientes consideraciones al ingreso: examen oral antes del inicio de la terapia oncologica; valoracion del riesgo, educacion e instrucciones de higiene oral al paciente y/o acudiente; estrategias de prevencion, diagnostico, pronostico, tratamiento ideal y rehabilitacion de la enfermedad oral preexistente o concomitante; minimizar las complicaciones orales (caries, focos infecciosos, enfermedad periodontal, mucositis) sobre efectos secundarios de las terapias y secuelas a largo plazo [1]. Se realizo una revision de la literatura con el fin de determinar las complicaciones orales mas frecuentes de la radioterapia y la quimioterapia en pacientes pediatricos, y a fin de establecer una guia para el manejo odontologico de estos pacientes; asi mismo, la intencion es reconocer el papel integral del odontologo pediatra en el manejo del paciente oncologico para contribuir a las mejoras en su calidad de vida. Tipologia: Guia practica
Growth and productivity of cut rose as related to the rootstock

Keywords : Rosa, rose, rootstock, rootstock vigour, carbohydrate, respiration, photosynthesis, pruning, shoot regeneration, water content, water potential, water conductivity, Natal Briar. This research examines various rose rootstock effects and the relationships between them, particularly between the effect on flower productivity (defined as rootstock vigour) and the effects on other growing aspects. 5 to 8 rootstocks, both weak and invigorating, were investigated in a series of related experiments. The rootstocks affected flower production mainly by affecting the number of budbreaks in each flush cycle rather than the duration of cycle. The rootstocks also significantly affected flower qualities. Flower shoots were generally shorter and lighter on weak rootstocks than those on significantly more invigorating rootstocks. However, this observation did not apply to the invigorating rootstocks that have little differences in vigour. This is because that the stem density, which was significantly higher on invigorating rootstocks, has a strong impact on flower qualities, resulting in the relationship between the production (in number of flowers) and the quality parameters to be reversed. The rootstock effects on shoot regeneration in darkness with respect to both the dry weight and the lifespan of the regenerated shoots, though very significant, were not correlated with rootstock vigour. The rootstocks affected the capacity of photoassimilation mainly through leaf area. The same was true for respiration. When the size effect is eliminated, neither photoassimilation nor respiration is (closely) correlated with rootstock vigour. There were little differences between the rootstocks in the concentrations of carbohydrates except for starch (at the marketable flower stage of the primary shoots). The rootstocks showed stronger effects on sucrose and starch than on glucose and fructose. In roots, sucrose and starch were generally lower in weak rootstocks than in invigorating ones. In basal stems, however, the situation is reversed. Rootstocks had significant effects on plant water relations. Shoot water content as well as leaf water potential of invigorating rootstocks was higher than those of weak rootstocks. This is corresponding to a higher water conductivity of the root system. The importance of the rootstock effect on water status in relation to rootstock vigour is addressed and discussed.
The Role of Mate Preference and Personality on Reproductive Performance in an Ex-Situ Conservation Breeding Program for the Giant Panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca )

This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. For more information, please contact pdxscholar@pdx.edu. Recommended Citation Martin, Meghan S. , "The Role of Mate Preference and Personality on Reproductive Performance in an Ex-Situ Conservation Breeding Program for the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)" (2014). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 2096.
Digital Innovation in Outpatient Healthcare Delivery Services: A Common Methodology to Introduce IoT Technologies in Two Use-cases

: The introduction of digital innovation in established healthcare pathways needs collaborative work among technology providers and clinical teams. Further, the involvement of patients is a key-factor as a highly-impact resource in the design of effective services and sustainable innovation in Healthcare. This paper presents two use-cases where a common methodology is being applied in two different hospitals, to digitize outpatient healthcare pathways using IoT technologies for remote monitoring patients at home. The methodology is driven by principles of user-centered design and focused on outpatient outcomes measurement. It is described in three steps: ”as-is” process design, process mapping for the new service and deployment strategy. From context requirements to results evaluation, clinical teams and patients are actively involved in the service design.
Assessment of Lipid Profile among Children: A Hospital Based Prospective Study

Background: Abnormal lipid level in children leads to cardiovascular diseases. There is increase in rate of cardiovascular diseases among children for past few years. There comes the role of diagnosis and treatment. Examination of lipid profile can help to rule out the disease. The aim of the present study was to study lipid profile of children aged between 8 to 16 years. Methods: A cross sectional study was planned . A total of 200 patients were included for the study. Blood samples were collected from each patient in fasting state. Samples were further examined for lipid profile estimation. Results: 200 students were selected for the present study. Of the 200 children 100 were boys i.e. 50% and 100 were girl’s i.e.50%. Total cholesterol for girls was 165.62±30.48 and for boys it was 162.08±30.16. Mean total cholesterol for girls were 94.2±22.80 and for boys were 92.54±21.14. Conclusions: lipid profile plays a very important role in good health of children. Examination of lipid profile should be done at an early age.
The clinical value of D-dimer/fibrinogen ratio and hypersensitive C-reactive protein in patients with acute coronary syndromes

Objective To analyze the correlation between D-dimer/fibrinogen (D/F) ratio, hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level and the severity of coronary stenosis and illness in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and explore the clinical application value of D/F ratio. Methods The case data of 443 patients undergone coronary angiography in the Department of Cardiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University during Jan. 2014 to Dec. 2017 were collected, and then the patients were divided into normal group, stable angina pectoris (SAP) group and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) group. The ACS group was divided into single-vessel disease group, double-vessel disease group and triple-vessel disease group according to the number of coronary lesions and into high Gensini score group and low Gensini score group according to the median of Gensini score. The correlations of D-dimer, fibrinogen, D/F ratio and hs-CRP with ACS were compared respectively, and then analyzing the predictive value for diagnosis of ACS and evaluation of lesion severity. Results The overall trend of D-dimer, fibrinogen and hs- CRP was normal group 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that D/F ratio and hs-CRP were independent risk factors for high Gensini score in ACS patients (OR=1.136, P=0.045; OR=1.197, P<0.001). Conclusion D/F ratio and hs-CRP were significantly associated to the severity of coronary lesion, and were the independent risk factors for high Gensini score in patients with ACS. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn. 0577-7402.2018. 11.07