jimnoneill/paper-to-field-training huggingface dataset:
Assessment of encrustation and physicochemical properties of poly(lactide‐glycolide) <scp>‐</scp> Papaverine hydrochloride coating on ureteral <scp>double‐J</scp> stents after long‐term flow of artificial urine

Abstract Implantation of ureteral stents is associated with inconvenience for the patient, which is related to the natural ability of the ureter to contract. The most frequently used solution is the systemic administration of a diastolic drug, which has a relaxing effect on smooth muscle cells and decreases inconvenience. Current interdisciplinary research aimed at reducing the complications after the implantation of ureteral stents used in the treatment of upper urinary tracts with regard to infection, initiation of encrustation, and fragmentation of stents, and patient pain has not been resolved. This study presents the results of research regarding the impact of a biodegradable coating with the active substance on the physical and chemical properties of ureteral stents used in the treatment of the upper urinary tract. The surface of polyurethane double‐J stents was coated with poly(lactide‐glycolide) (PLGA) 85/15 loaded with papaverine hydrochloride (PAP) with diastolic properties. The coating for ureteral stents has been designed for short‐term implantation. The effect of the coating on the process of encrustation and PAP release by the dynamic in vitro model with artificial urine (AU) up to 30 days was evaluated. The influence of AU on the physical and chemical properties of ureteral stents was determined. As part of the study, surface structure and topography researches; chemical composition analyses using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and wetting; and surface roughness studies of both PUR stents and coated stents were carried out. The proposed biodegradable PLGA+PAP coating is characterized by controlled drug release, while optimal physicochemical properties does not increase the encrustation process.

Topic: Ureteral procedures and complications
Subfield: Obstetrics and Gynecology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
High sensitivity inline fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer bend sensor using a twin core fiber

A novel Mach-Zehnder interferometer based on a multimode fiber combined with a twin-core fiber is proposed. The section of twin-core fiber is spliced between a section of multimode fiber and a single mode fiber. The curvature induced wavelength shifts on the interference fringes is experimentally monitored. A blue shift is observed. This device is simple to fabricate, and is used as a bend sensor with good sensitivity.

Topic: Advanced Fiber Optic Sensors
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Granulopoiesis Associated With the C3HBA Tumor in Mice&lt;xref ref-type="fn" rid="FN2"&gt;2&lt;/xref&gt;&lt;xref ref-type="fn" rid="FN3"&gt;3&lt;/xref&gt;

Female C3H/HeJ mice were inoculated with syngeneic breast adenocarcinoma cells (C3HBA). A progressive neutrophilia developed as the tumors grew. A linear relationship was demonstrated between the tumor diameter and the extent of the neutrophilia. Local tumor excision caused a rapid fall (3 days) in the neutrophil count. Media conditioned with tumor cells, normal mouse kidney, and bone marrow of normal or tumor-bearing mice were prepared. Tumor cell-conditioned medium was found to have marked stimulating activity for granulocytic colony formation of mouse bone marrow cells. Sera from tumor-bearing mice also had colony-stimulating activity. This finding strongly suggested that the neutrophilia was caused by the release of a neutrophil-stimulating factor from the tumor.

Topic: Blood disorders and treatments
Subfield: Genetics
Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
RESEARCH ARTICLE The Orphan Nuclear Receptor TLX Is an Enhancer of STAT1-Mediated Transcription and Immunity to Toxoplasma gondii

The protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma, like many intracellular pathogens, suppresses inter-feron gamma (IFN-γ)-induced signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) activity. We exploited this well-defined host–pathogen interaction as the basis for a high-throughput screen, identifying nine transcription factors that enhance STAT1 function in the nucleus, including the orphan nuclear hormone receptor TLX. Expression profiling revealed that upon IFN-γ treatment TLX enhances the output of a subset of IFN-γ target genes, which we found is dependent on TLX binding at those loci. Moreover, infection of TLX defi-cient mice with the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma results in impaired production of the STAT1-dependent cytokine interleukin-12 by dendritic cells and increased parasite burden in the brain during chronic infection. These results demonstrate a previously unrecognized role for this orphan nuclear hormone receptor in regulating STAT1 signaling and host defense and reveal that STAT1 activity can be modulated in a context-specific manner by such “modifiers.” Author Summary

Topic: Toxoplasma gondii Research Studies
Subfield: Parasitology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Planning in and for a post-growth and post-carbon economy

This chapter examines the distorting and negative sustainability, economic and social impacts of the pro-growth bias within conventional planning thinking and practice and suggests an outline for a post-growth planning system. It outlines what is meant by ‘economic growth’ and identifies some of the main ‘pro-growth’ biases (and carbon energy dependence) within dominant understandings of planning. These include, inter alia, planning’s role in promoting policies and discourses of international competitiveness, the privatisation of public space, support for pro-market urban regeneration and a view of planning as facilitating market-based economic growth. It then proceeds to discuss some features of ‘post-growth’ and ‘post-carbon’ planning. These include the central role of planning in any ‘just transition’ to a low carbon economy; the place of a more proactive state in that planning process, and the integration of social justice ‘floors’ and ecological ‘ceilings’ into any post-carbon, post-growth planning. The chapter concludes that we need new imaginaries and objectives for planning in the 21st century, for conditions very different from those of post-war and late 20th century.<br/><br/>

Topic: Urban Planning and Governance
Subfield: Urban Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Mitochondrial Creatine Kinase Is Not Required For Adp Transport Efficiency During Exercise

It is widely accepted that mitochondrial creatine kinase (Mi-CK) contributes to ~80% of ADP transport into mitochondria. However, this notion is based on calculated algorithms, and direct in vivo evidence to support the assumption that Mi-CK is a major regulator of mitochondrial ADP transport does not exist. PURPOSE: To elucidate the necessity of Mi-CK for in vivo ADP transport at rest and during exercise. METHODS: Mi-CK wild-type (WT) and knockout (KO) mice (n=6-8/group) were randomized to a sedentary (SED) or exercise (EX) group (acute bout; 1 hour, 15m/min, 5% grade). Resting RER and Western blotting of proteins involved in ADP/ATP transport (ANT1, ANT2), as well as cytosolic CK, Mi-CK, OXPHOS, COXIV, and PDHE1 were determined. All mice completed a run test to exhaustion. Muscle metabolites (ATP, phosphocreatine (PCr), creatine (Cr), glycogen, lactate) were determined in SED and EX mice. Permeabilized muscle fibres (PMFs) were used to examine Mi-CK contributions to ADP sensitivity in the presence and absence of Cr (20mM) in both SED and EX mice. RESULTS: The Mi-CK enzyme was not present in the mitochondria of KO mice, and while PMFs displayed an attenuated response to exogenous Cr, this response was not completely absent in KO mice. These data suggest solely analyzing ADP sensitivity in PMFs with Cr is confounded by the cytosolic CK enzyme, and therefore we relied on in vivo assessments of metabolism to determine the biological relevance of Mi-CK. There were no differences in SED VO2, RER, muscle metabolites, or any protein measured between WT and KO mice. Run time to exhaustion was similar between groups. Muscle PCr and glycogen decreased similarly in EX mice (WT and KO) relative to SED mice, along with an increase in Cr and lactate. In PMFs the apparent ADP sensitivity (Km) was not altered by exercise in WT mice, however, exercise decreased the apparent Km to ADP in KO mice. CONCLUSION: In contrast to previous estimates in the heart, the present data provides in vivo evidence that Mi-CK is not required for mitochondrial ADP respiratory sensitivity in resting muscle or during exercise. However, in situ experiments reveal that ADP sensitivity is increased in KO mice to optimize ADP transport and energy provision during exercise, suggesting either ANT or ATP synthase proteins are externally regulated.

Topic: Muscle metabolism and nutrition
Subfield: Cell Biology
Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Methodology for Clinical Trials with Antiarrhythmic Drugs to Prevent Cardiac Death: US Experience

Sudden cardiac death is a massive public health problem that claims almost a half million lives a year in the United States. Several high-risk groups have been identified: survivors of cardiac arrest; patients with recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia; survivors of myocardial infarction (MI) who have more than 10 ventricular premature depolarizations (VPD) per hour or repetitive VPD; and patients with class III or IV congestive heart failure (CHF) and unsustained ventricular tachycardia. The effects of open label drug treatment have been tested in survivors of cardiac arrest or sustained ventricular tachycardia using either electrophysiologic studies or 24-hour ECG recordings and exercise testing. Patients classified as drug responders using these methods have a lower mortality rate during follow-up than do those classified as nonresponders. This result is difficult to interpret. The test procedures may be identifying effective drugs, or alternatively, drug testing may identify high- and low-risk groups even though the drugs have no effect on survival. Recently, study designs have been proposed for conducting controlled trials in patients with malignant arrhythmias. Ventricular arrhythmias after MI have been the subject of intensive study for the past 20 years. About 20% of these patients have ventricular arrhythmias between 6 and 90 days after MI. The presence of ventricular arrhythmias after MI increases the risk of dying two- to fourfold. Arrhythmias predict death independently of left ventricular dysfunction. However, it has not been demonstrated that treatment of ventricular arrhythmias after MI significantly decreases mortality. The goals of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Pilot Study (CAPS) were: to find a therapeutic strategy that could significantly suppress ventricular arrhythmias with an acceptable adverse effect rate; to determine efficient methods for case finding; to identify efficient methods for evaluating the efficacy of antiarrhythmic drug therapy; to demonstrate the feasibility of recruiting patients and maintaining treatment over a 1-year period; and to evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of behavioral studies. The study enrolled 502 patients, randomizing approximately 100 patients each into one of five treatment limbs: one group treated with placebo, and four treated with antiarrhythmic drugs (two with class IC and two with class IA action). Dose adjustment was permitted; patients who failed to satisfy the criteria for drug efficacy were permitted to cross over to a second drug (patients on class IC agents crossed over to class IA agents and vice versa).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Topic: Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias
Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Urban design and planning influences on the share of trips taken by cycling

This study examines the effect of different street pattern, road infrastructure and other physical attributes on the share of bicycle trips in a community area. Using the 2011 census data and the road infrastructure data of Calgary city, the study finds that different street patterns have significant effects on bicycle usage and thus, should be considered in the development of new communities for promoting active transport. Also, increases in the percentage of green space (agricultural and park areas) and semi-detached houses are associated with greater bicycle use, whereas an increase in the number and/or size (area) of road intersections is associated with reduced bicycle use relative to other modes of transport.

Topic: Urban Transport and Accessibility
Subfield: Transportation
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Efficacy and Safety of Upadacitinib in a Phase II Randomised, Double-Blind, Dose-Ranging Study of Adults with Extensive Non-segmental Vitiligo

Vitiligo is an autoimmune skin disorder characterised by acquired distinct white patches of the skin. Currently, limited treatment options are available for vitiligo, and there are no approved systemic therapies. At the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress in Berlin, Germany, 11th–14th October 2023, Thierry Passeron, Professor and Chair of Dermatology at the Côte d’Azur University, Nice, France, and Head of the Laboratory INSERM U1065 Team 12, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire (C3M), Côte d’Azur University, Nice, France, presented an oral presentation summarising data from a Phase IIb study of upadacitinib, an oral selective JAK inhibitor, in patients with non-segmental vitiligo (NSV), during the ‘Free Communications II’ session. Passeron gave an overview of the multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study that evaluated the efficacy and safety of upadacitinib in adults with NSV. This article focuses on the clinical efficacy endpoints and the safety profile outcomes presented at the EADV congress. Overall, the study demonstrated the clinical efficacy of upadacitinib at 24 weeks at different doses versus placebo, with improvements in repigmentation over time, up to Week 52, with a favourable safety profile.

Topic: melanin and skin pigmentation
Subfield: Cell Biology
Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Performance comparison of design alternatives for source policing devices in ATM systems

In ATM networks the usage parameter control function must be defined very carefully to avoid network congestion due to users violating their negotiated traffic contract intentionally or unintentionally. This control function operates on the basis of connection traffic descriptors and is located at the network access. Connection traffic descriptors, which describe the characteristics of a source, are parameters such as the peak cell rate and the cell delay variation tolerance as well as the sustainable cell rate and the burst tolerance. To monitor these cell rates, the generic cell rate algorithm was proposed. Since a user can specify the peak and the sustainable cell rate together, different structural monitoring schemes exist for the enforcement of these rates. The authors present exact analyses of four monitoring schemes. Numerical results show that the structure of the scheme has only a minor influence on the resulting cell rejection probability. However, some general statements about the performance and the practical applicability of the schemes are given.

Topic: Network Traffic and Congestion Control
Subfield: Computer Networks and Communications
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
An automated and fast system to identify <scp>COVID</scp>‐19 from <scp>X‐ray</scp> radiograph of the chest using image processing and machine learning

Abstract A type of coronavirus disease called COVID‐19 is spreading all over the globe. Researchers and scientists are endeavoring to find new and effective methods to diagnose and treat this disease. This article presents an automated and fast system that identifies COVID‐19 from X‐ray radiographs of the chest using image processing and machine learning algorithms. Initially, the system extracts the feature descriptors from the radiographs of both healthy and COVID‐19 affected patients using the speeded up robust features algorithm. Then, visual vocabulary is built by reducing the number of feature descriptors via quantization of feature space using the K‐means clustering algorithm. The visual vocabulary train the support vector machine (SVM) classifier. During testing, an X‐ray radiograph's visual vocabulary is sent to the trained SVM classifier to detect the absence or presence of COVID‐19. The study used the dataset of 340 X‐ray radiographs, 170 images of each Healthy and Positive COVID‐19 class. During simulations, the dataset split into training and testing parts at various ratios. After training, the system does not require any human intervention and can process thousands of images with high precision in a few minutes. The performance of the system is measured using standard parameters of accuracy and confusion matrix. We compared the performance of the proposed SVM‐based classier with the deep‐learning‐based convolutional neural networks (CNN). The SVM yields better results than CNN and achieves a maximum accuracy of up to 94.12%.

Topic: COVID-19 diagnosis using AI
Subfield: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
A novel combinatory paradigm for chronic hepatitis C treatment using liver-targeted carrier erythrocytes co-encapsulated with inter- feron alpha-2b, ribavirin and boceprevir

Despite outstanding developments in medical knowledge and technologies, Hepatitis C virus (HCV) affecting almost 180 million people worldwide, is still described as serious global health crisis and its standard of care (combination therapy with pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin) is just effective in at most 50% of all patients. This suboptimal efficacy and apparent side effects underscore the need for anti-HCV agents, novel strategies and smart delivery systems. As a response to the urgent need for new anti-HCV drugs, specifically targeted antiviral therapy for HCV (STAT-C) has gained many interests these years. Considering the obligation of multidrug therapy in HCV infection and the results of clinical trials, STAT-C will probably supplement interferon/ribavirin combination. Boceprevir as a HCV protease inhibitor is among the most widely studied STAT-C compounds with promising results in clinical trials. Thus, its with current double therapy paradigm would be an alternative strategy in the treatment of hepatitis C. On the other hand, drug carriers has now evoked much attentions as new trends to increase the efficacy of available therapies by protecting the therapeutic from unwanted reactions and/or targeting them directly to their site of action. Carrier erythrocytes are among the most widely studied cellular and particulate carriers suitable for targeted delivery of various drugs to reticuloendothelial system organs like liver, but, with no report about their application for HCV-targeted therapy. Since the majority of recent efforts are focused on new agents' discovery/development and alternative combinations and no reports are available on targeted delivery of double and/or triple drug combinations directly to the liver, an idea has been raised that of all 3 approaches mentioned earlier (a completely combinatory paradigm addressing all 3 mentioned needs by one system i.e. the anti-HCV agents in a novel combination delivered to its site Original article

Topic: Hepatitis C virus research
Subfield: Hepatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Hospital workers’ psychological resilience after the 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak

We assessed the psychological well-being and workplace functioning of hospital workers in South Korea after an infectious disease outbreak by focusing on the effects of risk appraisal, emotional experience, and coping ability. Participants were 280 hospital workers who experienced the 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak. We found that high risk appraisal decreased psychological resilience, whereas coping ability increased psychological resilience. Additionally, emotional disruption was associated with low resilience and also mediated the effect of perceived risk on psychological resilience. Results varied across occupational type (health-care workers vs. non-health-care workers), which implies that different considerations are needed for resilience-building among hospital workers responding to an outbreak. In particular, lowering perceived risk was most beneficial to health-care workers, whereas strengthening coping ability and relieving the intensity of negative emotions experienced were the most effective strategies for non-health-care workers. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Topic: Resilience and Mental Health
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
A Case of Successful Treatment of Refractory Clostridium difficile Colitis With Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in a Critically Ill Patient

Introduction: Stool transplantation has proved to be an effective treatment for recurrent, refractory or severe Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) colitis. As recurrent C. difficile is associated with limited fecal microbial diversity, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is gaining acceptance. Herein, we report a case of successful FMT treatment of refractory C. difficile in a critically ill patient. Case Report: A 72 year-old male nursing home resident with a history of chronic respiratory failure status post tracheostomy and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement, and chronic kidney disease was admitted to an outside hospital ICU for respiratory distress and severe diarrhea. He was found to have bacteremia for which he was treated with broad-spectrum IV antibiotics, fungemia for which he was treated with antifungals, C. difficile colitis for which he was treated with oral vancomycin (250mg QID), and acute kidney injury requiring initiation of hemodialysis. After 10 days, the patient remained critically ill with refractory C. difficile colitis as evidenced by persistent and frequent diarrhea, and was transferred to our hospital for further management. Upon arrival, the patient was somnolent with a soft, mildly distended and non-tender abdomen. Initial testing showed a leukocytosis of 15, metabolic acidosis with respiratory compensation and creatinine of 3.2. On the day of transfer, FMT was performed with two administrations of 50cc of OpenBiome slurry via the patient's PEG tube 20 minutes apart. Oral vancomycin was continued. Forty hours later, FMT was repeated due to continued diarrhea. The patient's diarrhea rapidly resolved following this second FMT treatment (Figure). Repeat C. difficile stool antigen testing, 7 days after the first FMT, was negative. Discussion: We report successful treatment of refractory and severe C. difficile colitis with FMT. Our patient's frequent exposure to antibiotics likely led to disruption of normal colonic flora causing colonization and overgrowth of C. difficile. FMT was indicated after failure of oral vancomycin, and the preexisting PEG tube allowed for low-risk introduction of fecal microbiota into the stomach, leading to rapid resolution of diarrhea and negative repeat testing after the second FMT. Conclusion: In cases of recurrent, refractory, or severe C. difficile colitis, FMT should be an early consideration. FMT should be performed at centers with experience and training.Figure 1

Topic: Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences