Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anaesthetic modulation of synaptic transmission in the mammalian CNS.

Although they affect many different organ systems within the body, general anaesthetics are administered primarily to render patients unconscious during surgical procedures. While unconscious, patients do not experience pain and the events surrounding the surgery are largely forgotten. As the brain and spinal cord are the organs that give rise to our individual and personal perceptions of the world, they are clearly the sites at which general anaesthetics exert their chief actions. Immobility, the other desirable characteristic of anaesthesia, is nowadays usually achieved by the use of muscle relaxants, which block neuromuscular transmission. It is an unfortunate fact that, whereas the pathways that are responsible for many important reflexes are now relatively well understood, those that are involved in the emergent properties of central nervous system (CNS) function (i.e. consciousness and perception) are much less well defined. Although spinal pathways are involved both in reflex behaviour (such as limb flexion in response to a nociceptive stimulus) and in the transmission of information about the state of the body to the brain, it is the brain that is responsible for the formation of perceptions about the world and the setting down of memory. Therefore, to understand fully how general anaesthetics work, it will be necessary to understand the neural mechanisms that underlie consciousness. This is a difficult problem and it may appear from this analysis that any attempt to elucidate the mechanisms involved in general anaesthesia is unlikely to succeed. However, as with many troublesome issues, a reductionist approach provides a useful starting point. The changes that are responsible for the state we call general anaesthesia must ultimately be an expression of the activity of the neurones that make up the nervous system. This activity depends both on the excitability of the constituent neurones and on their synaptic physiology. For this reason, much effort has been devoted to understanding how anaesthetics modulate synaptic transmission in defined neural pathways. This review, which is an update of an earlier one on the same topic, 73 will explore the mechanisms that underlie these effects. It will present evidence that anaesthetics act mainly by modulating synaptic transmission. These effects are the result of actions on a small number of different types of ion channel, notably ligandgated channels.
The impact of timing on outcomes of carotid artery stenting in recently symptomatic patients

Objectives We sought to determine whether the timing of carotid artery stenting (CAS) affects peri-procedural outcomes in recently symptomatic patients. Background Early carotid endarterectomy following a stroke lowers the risk of recurrent ischemic events but has been associated with an increased risk of intracerebral hemorrhage. The optimal timing of CAS following a stroke is unknown. Methods Using a single-center prospective CAS registry, we retrospectively analyzed data on consecutive CAS procedures over an 8-year period. Patients were separated into early (≤4 weeks) and late (>4 weeks) treatment groups based on time to CAS from symptom onset. Post-procedural hypertension was treated. Thirty-day incidence of stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, myocardial infarction and death were recorded. Results A total of 224 patients were treated for symptomatic lesions. The mean age was 71±10 years, and 63% were men. The median time for CAS was 8 days (0.2–30 days) and 90 days (31–180 days) respectively, for the early (n=122) and late (n=102) intervention groups. There were 4 (3.45%) periprocedural strokes in the early and 5 (5.95%) in the late CAS group (p=0.5). There was one hyperperfusion syndrome in each group. The 30-day stroke, myocardial infarction or death rates were similar between the early (6.03%) and late (8.33%) CAS groups, p=0.58. A multivariate analysis showed that age >80 years rather than timing of CAS was associated with adverse events. Conclusions CAS may be performed safely immediately following non-disabling strokes. Octogenarians may be at higher risk of complications.
Cardiac, Neuroadrenergic, and Portal Hemodynamic Effects of Prolonged Aldosterone Blockade in Postviral Child A Cirrhosis

OBJECTIVES:The present study was designed to determine the effects of long-term antialdosterone treatment on cardiac structural and functional alterations, portal and systemic hemodynamic as well as adrenergic dysfunction characterizing Child A cirrhotic patients with F1 esophageal varices.METHODS:Twenty-two Child A postviral preascitic cirrhotic patients were randomly allocated to 200 mg/day K-Canrenoate (13 patients, age 59.6 ± 2.2 yr, mean + SEM) or no-drug treatment (9 patients, age 61.8 ± 2.3) for a 6-month-period. Measurements, which included hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG), left ventricular wall thickness, left ventricular end-diastolic volume and diastolic function (LVWT, LVEDV, and E/A ratio, echocardiography), and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA, microneurography, peroneal nerve), were obtained at baseline and following 6 months of drug or no-drug treatment. Ten healthy age-matched subjects served as controls.RESULTS:Cirrhotic patients were characterized by increased HVPG, LVWT, and MSNA values and by a depressed E/A ratio. K-Canrenoate treatment significantly reduced HVPG (from 15.3 ± 1.0 to 13.8 ± 0.8 mmHg, p < 0.05), LVWT (from 21.8 ± 0.5 to 20.7 ± 0.6 mm, p < 0.02), and LVEDV (from 99.2 ± 7 to 86.4 ± 6 ml, p < 0.01), leaving E/A ratio and MSNA almost unaltered. No significant change was observed in the untreated group of cirrhotic patients followed for 6 months without intervention.CONCLUSIONS:These data provide evidence that aldosterone blockade by long-term K-Canrenoate administration improves hepatic hemodynamics by lowering HVPG and ameliorates cardiac structure and function by favoring a reduction in LVWT and LVEDV as well. They also show, however, that this therapeutic intervention neither improves left ventricular diastolic dysfunction nor exerts sympathoinhibitory effects.
Lower bound on the ergodic capacity of distributed MIMO systems over K fading channels

This paper presents ergodic capacity analysis of distributed multiple-input multiple-out (D-MIMO) systems over non-correlated K fading (Rayleigh/Gamma) channels. With the aid of Minkowski inequality, we first derive the analytical closed-form expression of the lower bound on the ergodic capacity for D-MIMO systems over non-correlated K fading channels. The proposed lower bound becomes tight at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime and when the number of receive antennas grows large. To intuitively reveal the impacts of system and fading parameters on the ergodic capacity, we deduce asymptotic approximations in the high SNR regime. Finally, we pursue the large systems analysis for the lower bound and derive closed-form expressions when the number of antennas at BS grows large, and when the number of antennas at transceiver becomes large with a fixed and finite ratio. It is demonstrated that the proposed expressions on the ergodic capacity accurately match with the theoretical analysis.
Granulocyte‐macrophage‐colony stimulating factor stimulates tumor invasiveness in squamous cell lung carcinoma

Bronchial epithelial cells produce a significant amount of granulocyte‐macrophage‐colony stimulating factor (GM‐CSF), which is believed to mediate both the host defense and inflammation. Recently, GM‐CSF has been demonstrated to be produced by several tumor cells and also to be associated with tumor growth and metastasis. In the current study, the authors investigated the biologic role of GM‐CSF produced by squamous cell lung carcinoma.
[The TP53 and RPS6 alterations at the invasive tumor front, center and stroma of oral squamous cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE To assess the difference of genetic alteration patterns among different areas in the same oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). METHODS Studied the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and microsatellite instability (MI) at chromosomal loci TP53 and RPS6 on the invasive tumor front (ITF), the center/superficial part and stroma cells by combining laser capture microdissection (LCM) and PCR technique. RESULTS There existed a high frequency of LOH and MI on chromosomes loci TP53 and RPS6. The frequency of RPS6 and TP53 aberration at the stroma was 23.5% (4/17) and 43.8% (7/16), respectively. While in epithelial part (both ITF and center), it reached up to 64.7% (11/17) and 70.6% (12/17) respectively, and the difference was significant (P < 0.05). The overall frequency of the two markers was statistically higher at the ITF (20/32) than at the center/superficial part (15/34) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The current study revealed that genetic alterations were different in different areas of the same tumor and there existed a relationship between the histological grading and genotypes of OSCC.
A luminance inspector used for in-line backlight module quality assurance

In this paper, we propose a luminance inspector which uses a CCD camera and neural network models to inspect multiple backlight modules at once. The proposed inspector can display the results at predetermined checked points in real time which is important for in-line quality check. The proposed inspector is more efficient compared to the traditional inspector which examines checked points one by one. Experiments show that the proposed inspector yields satisfactory results.
Impact of high doses of 6% hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.42 and 4% gelatin on renal function in a pediatric animal model

Despite serious renal side effects in critically ill adult patients, artificial colloids are still fundamental components of perioperative fluid therapy in infants and children, although the impact of 6% hydroxyethyl starch (HES) and 4% gelatin (GEL) on renal function during pediatric surgery has not been identified yet.
Terrisporobacter petrolearius sp. nov., isolated from an oilfield petroleum reservoir.

A Gram-staining-positive, spore-forming, strictly anaerobic bacterium, designated strain LAM0A37T, was isolated from enrichment samples collected from a petroleum reservoir in Shengli oilfield. Cells of strain LAM0A37T were rod-shaped and motile by peritrichous flagella. The optimal temperature and pH for growth were 40 °C and 7.0–7.5, respectively. The strain did not require NaCl for growth but tolerated up to 3 % (w/v) NaCl. Strain LAM0A37T was able to utilize glucose, fructose, maltose, xylose, sorbitol, cellobiose, melibiose and melezitose as sole carbon sources. Sulfite was used as an electron acceptor. The main products of glucose fermentation were acetate and CO2. The predominant fatty acid was C16 : 0 (23.6 %). The main polar lipid profile comprised of five glycolipids, six phospholipids and two lipids. No menaquinone was detected. The genomic DNA G+C content was 27.1 ± 0.2 mol% as determined by the T m method. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that the isolate was a member of the genus Terrisporobacter, and was most closely related to Terrisporobacter glycolicus JCM 1401T and Terrisporobacter mayombei DSM 6539T with 98.3 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to both. DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain LAM0A37T and type strains of Terrisporobacter glycolicus and Terrisporobacter mayombei were 45.6 ± 0.3 % and 38.3 ± 0.4 %, respectively. Based on phenotypic, phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain LAM0A37T is suggested to represent a novel species of the genus Terrisporobacter, for which the name Terrisporobacter petrolearius sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LAM0A37T ( = ACCC 00740T = JCM 19845T).
The implementation of a fitness program for children with disabilities: a clinical case report.

PURPOSE The purpose of this report is to describe a community-based fitness program developed and implemented for children with disabilities. Several outcomes are reported for one of the participants, J, an 11-year-old girl with hypotonia and mild mental retardation, to illustrate the strengths and limitations of this program and to help guide clinicians and researchers in developing and critically assessing the effectiveness of similar programs. SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS The fitness program, called "Off the Couch," (OTC) was provided in six-week sessions for one hour per week. Outcomes examined included the energy expenditure index (EEI), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), maximum running velocity, and the overall daily activity level of the child and the number of exercise sessions that the child participated in over a two-week time period. J demonstrated a reduction in EEI and a slight improvement in maximum running velocity. Activity level remained at a relatively high level. The program is discussed with respect to feasibility in a clinical setting, suggestions for similar programs and areas for related research. J's outcomes are discussed in terms of their functional relevance.
Vaccine Beliefs of Parents Who Oppose Compulsory Vaccination

Objectives. Our objectives were the following: (1) to describe the sociodemographic factors, vaccine beliefs, and behaviors that are associated with parental opposition to compulsory vaccination, and (2) to determine if the availability of a philosophical exemption in a parent's state of residence is associated with parental opposition to compulsory vaccination. Methods. Data from the 2002 HealthStyles survey were analyzed. Chi-square analysis was used to identify significant associations between belief and behavior questions and opposition to compulsory vaccination for school entry. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted using significant variables from the bivariate analysis to identify independent predictors of opposition to compulsory vaccination among surveyed parents. Results. Of respondents with at least one child aged ⩽18 years living in the household (n = 1,527), 12% were opposed to compulsory vaccination. Survey results indicate that a parent's belief regarding compulsory vaccination for school entry is significantly associated with beliefs in the safety and utility of vaccines, as well as intention to have the youngest child fully vaccinated. Residence in a state that permits philosophical exemption to vaccination also was significantly associated with a parent's opposition to compulsory vaccination for school entry. Conclusions. Providing basic information to parents regarding vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases may help reduce opposition to compulsory vaccination by reinforcing the safety and importance of routine childhood vaccinations.
Synergistic effect of prostaglandin F2α and cyclic AMP on glucose transport in 3T3‐L1 adipocytes

The combined effect of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) and cAMP on glucose transport in 3T3‐L1 adipocytes was examined. In cells pretreated with PGF2α and 8‐bromo cAMP for 8 h, a synergy between these two agents on glucose uptake was found. Insulin‐stimulated glucose transport, on the other hand, was only slightly affected. The synergistic effect of these two agents was suppressed in the presence of cycloheximide and actinomycin D. In concord, immunoblot and Northern blot analyses revealed that GLUT1 protein and mRNA levels were both increased in cells pretreated with both PGF2α and 8‐bromo cAMP, greater than the additive effect of each agent alone. The synergistic action of PGF2α with 8‐bromo cAMP to enhance glucose transport was inhibited by GF109203X, a selective protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor. In addition, in cells depleted of diacylglycerol‐sensitive PKC by prolonged treatment with 4β‐phorbol 12β‐myristate 13α‐acetate, a PKC activator, the synergistic effects of PGF2α and 8‐bromo cAMP on glucose transport and GLUT1 mRNA accumulation were both abolished. Taken together, these results indicate that PGF2α may act with cAMP in a synergistic way to increase glucose transport, probably through enhanced GLUT1 expression by a PKC‐dependent mechanism. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mitochondrial Metabolism in Hibernation: Metabolic Suppression, Temperature Effects, and Substrate Preferences

We compared liver and skeletal muscle mitochondrial function among activity states to characterize regulated reversible metabolic suppression in the mammalian hibernator Spermophilus tridecemlineatus. At 37°C, succinate oxidation was 70% lower in the liver mitochondria from torpid animals than in those from summer‐active animals or in animals arousing from torpor. Respiration was very sensitive to temperature (Q10 5.8–9.8), and when measured at 25° or 5°C there was no difference among the three states. Liver mitochondria from summer‐active animals oxidized pyruvate and β‐hydroxybutyrate at higher rates than those from torpid animals, and flux through complex 4 of the electron transport chain was about three‐ and fivefold higher than flux through complexes 2–4 and complexes 1–4, respectively. In the hibernating and arousing animals there was no difference in flux through complexes 2–4 and complex 4, suggesting a downregulation of cytochrome c oxidase in liver mitochondria during the hibernation season. Muscle mitochondrial respiration did not differ between the torpid and summer‐active states in any of the parameters measured. The data support a regulated, reversible decrease of liver (but not muscle) mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in hibernating ground squirrels.
SCLERAL AND CHOROIDAL THICKNESS IN SECONDARY HIGH AXIAL MYOPIA

Purpose: To assess differences in scleral and choroidal thickness between eyes with secondary high axial myopia caused by congenital glaucoma, eyes with primary high axial myopia, and nonhighly myopic eyes. Methods: The study consisted of 301 Chinese individuals with a mean age of 23.9 ± 22.6 years and mean axial length of 24.8 ± 4.2 mm. It included the “secondary highly myopic group” (SHMG) because of congenital glaucoma (n = 20 eyes; axial length >26.0 mm), the “primary highly myopic group” (PHMG) (n = 73; axial length >26.0 mm), and the remaining nonhighly myopic group (NHMG). Results: The secondary highly myopic group versus the primary highly myopic group had significantly thinner sclera in the pars plana region (343 ± 71 &mgr;m versus 398 ± 83 &mgr;m; P = 0.006), whereas scleral thickness in other regions did not differ significantly between both highly myopic groups and was significantly thinner in both highly myopic groups than in the NHMG. Mean total scleral volume did not differ significantly (P > 0.20) between any group (SHMG: 659 ± 106 &mgr;m3; PHMG: 667 ± 128 &mgr;m3; NHMG: 626 ± 135 &mgr;m3). Choroidal thickness was significantly thinner in both highly myopic groups than in the NHMG, with no significant differences between both highly myopic groups. Choroidal volume did not differ significantly (P > 0.40) between any of the groups (SHMG: 43 ± 12 &mgr;m3; PHMG: 43 ± 13 &mgr;m3; NHMG: 46 ± 17 &mgr;m3). Conclusion: In secondary high axial myopia, the sclera gets thinner anterior and posterior to the equator; whereas in primary high axial myopia, scleral thinning is predominantly found posterior to the equator. Because volume of sclera and choroid did not differ between any group, scleral and choroidal thinning in myopia may be due to a rearrangement of tissue and not due to the new formation of tissue.
Optimization of transfection of human endothelial cells.

Recently developed transfection methods for mammalian cells provide a powerful means for the study of gene function. Unfortunately, human endothelial cells were relative refractory to the classic transfection techniques. In this study we compared the usability of calcium phosphate, DEAE-dextran transfection, transferrinfection, lipofection, and electroporation for the transfection of early passage HUVECs and for the human endothelial cell lines ECV 304 and EA.hy 926. The classic transfection methods resulted in no or only marginal expression of the reporter gene E. coli beta-galactosidase. For lipofection experiments we compared the commercially available liposome formulations DOTAP and Transfectam with liposomes prepared of dimethyldioctadecylammoniumbromide (DDAB) or 1,2-dimyristyloxypropyl-3-dimethylhydroxyethyl ammonium bromide (DMRIE) as the cationic lipid compound and dioleylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) or Azolectin (a crude fraction of soybean lipids, commercially available as phosphatidylcholine II) as neutral co-lipid. Because the protocol for the chemical synthesis of DMRIE has not been published yet, we developed a protocol for the chemical synthesis of this cationic lipid. With transfection protocols optimized for each cell line, we could achieve transfection efficiencies up to 2%. Compared to the other methods used, the lipofection proved to be a reliable technique for the efficient transfection of the human endothelial cell lines ECV 304 and EA.hy 926. Although we achieved a maximum transfection efficiency of 0.45% for the lipofection of HUVEC, the electroporation seemed to be the better choice for these cells.
Optimization of nucleated red blood cell (NRBC) recovery from maternal blood collected using both layers of a double density gradient

The isolation of fetal nucleated red blood cells (NRBC) from maternal blood represents a promising approach to non‐invasive prenatal diagnosis. However, the number of fetal NRBC in maternal circulation is quite low and therefore difficult to isolate. An enrichment procedure in which both layers from a double density 1.077/1.107 g/ml gradient are collected was optimized, followed by MACS selection using non‐commercial monoclonal antibodies. The influence of the delay in processing maternal blood on the NRBC distribution in both interfaces of the gradient was also studied in cord blood and peripheral maternal blood samples. A significant increase in the number of NRBC isolated from maternal blood was achieved by collecting both layers of the double density gradient compared with the previous protocol in which only the lower layer was recovered. Cord blood samples showed significant differences in the number of NRBC recovered when processed at 24 instead of within 3 h. This effect was also observed in the number of NRBC collected only from the upper layer of peripheral maternal blood samples. Therefore, in order to minimize the target cell losses, it is advisable to process the maternal blood samples as soon as possible. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pyk2 Amplifies Epidermal Growth Factor and c-Src-induced Stat3 Activation*

Signal transducers and activators of transcription factors (STATs) mediate many of the cellular responses that occur following cytokine, growth factor, and hormone signaling. STATs are activated by tyrosine and serine phosphorylation, which normally occurs as a tightly regulated process. Dysregulated STAT activity may facilitate oncogenesis, as constitutively activated STATs have been found in many human tumors as well as in v-abl- and v-src-transformed cell lines. Pyk2 is a member of the focal adhesion kinase family and can be activated by c-Src, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Janus kinase 1, tyrosine kinases, and G-protein-coupled receptor signaling. Although Pyk2 has been implicated in Janus kinase-dependent activation of MAPK and Stat1, no role for Pyk2 in the activation of other STAT proteins has been ascribed. Here, we provide evidence that Pyk2, along with c-Src, facilitates EGFR-mediated Stat3 activation. Pyk2 expression in HeLa cells induces Stat3 reporter gene activation and Stat3 phosphorylation on amino acid residues Tyr-705 and Ser-727. Together Pyk2 and c-Src potently activate Stat3, and Pyk2 enhances Stat3-induced cell proliferation. Moreover, the expression of a dominant negative version of Pyk2 impairs c-Src-induced Stat3 activation and cell proliferation. The treatment of A431 cells with EGF results in the recruitment of c-Src, Pyk2, and Stat3 to the EGFR and the phosphorylation of c-Src, Pyk2, and Stat3. Expression of constructs for dominant negative forms of either Pyk2 or c-Src impair EGF-induced Stat3 phosphorylation. These results indicate that Pyk2 facilitates EGFR- and c-Src-mediated Stat3 activation, thereby implicating Pyk2 activation as a potential co-mediator in triggering Stat3-induced oncogenesis.