Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The JAK inhibitor tofacitinib suppresses synovial JAK1-STAT signalling in rheumatoid arthritis

Objective Tofacitinib is an oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The pathways affected by tofacitinib and the effects on gene expression in situ are unknown. Therefore, tofacitinib effects on synovial pathobiology were investigated. Methods A randomised, double-blind, phase II serial synovial biopsy study (A3921073; NCT00976599) in patients with RA with an inadequate methotrexate response. Patients on background methotrexate received tofacitinib 10 mg twice daily or placebo for 28 days. Synovial biopsies were performed on Days -7 and 28 and analysed by immunoassay or quantitative PCR. Clinical response was determined by disease activity score and European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response on Day 28 in A3921073, and at Month 3 in a long-term extension study (A3921024; NCT00413699). Results Tofacitinib exposure led to EULAR moderate to good responses (11/14 patients), while placebo was ineffective (1/14 patients) on Day 28. Tofacitinib treatment significantly reduced synovial mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 and MMP-3 (p<0.05) and chemokines CCL2, CXCL10 and CXCL13 (p<0.05). No overall changes were observed in synovial inflammation score or the presence of T cells, B cells or macrophages. Changes in synovial phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) and STAT3 strongly correlated with 4-month clinical responses (p<0.002). Tofacitinib significantly decreased plasma CXCL10 (p<0.005) at Day 28 compared with placebo. Conclusions Tofacitinib reduces metalloproteinase and interferon-regulated gene expression in rheumatoid synovium, and clinical improvement correlates with reductions in STAT1 and STAT3 phosphorylation. JAK1-mediated interferon and interleukin-6 signalling likely play a key role in the synovial response. Trial registration number NCT00976599.
Sudden cardiac death.

Sudden cardiac death describes the unexpected natural death from a cardiac cause within a short time period, generally ≤1 hour from the onset of symptoms, in a person without any prior condition that would appear fatal.1 2 Such a rapid death is often attributed to a cardiac arrhythmia, but with the advent of monitoring capabilities from implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), it is now well recognized that classifications based on clinical circumstances can be misleading and often impossible, because 40% of sudden deaths can be unwitnessed.3 Only an ECG or a ventricular electrogram recorded from an implanted device at the time of death can provide definitive information about an arrhythmia. Prodromal symptoms are often nonspecific, and even those taken to indicate ischemia (chest pain), a tachyarrhythmia (palpitations), or congestive heart failure symptoms (dyspnea) can only be considered suggestive. For these reasons, total mortality, rather than classifications of cardiac and arrhythmic mortality, should be used as primary objectives for many outcome studies. Sudden cardiac death accounts for 300 000 to 400 000 deaths annually in the United States, depending on the definition used.1 2 When restricted to death <2 hours from the onset of symptoms, 12% of all natural deaths were classified as sudden in one study, and 88% of those were due to cardiac disease.1 Sudden cardiac death is the most common and often the first manifestation of coronary heart disease and is responsible for ≈50% of the mortality from cardiovascular disease in the United States and other developed countries. In less-developed countries, sudden cardiac death rates parallel the rates of ischemic heart disease as a whole and therefore are lower. Several population-based studies have documented a 15% to 19% decline in the incidence of sudden cardiac deaths caused by coronary heart disease since the early 1980s. However, …
Geochemical lessons from Carsington Dam failure of 1984 and reconstruction

The failure in 1984 of Carsington Dam near the end of its construction led to major advances in several areas of geotechnical engineering. It also led to major advances in understanding the nature and extent of geochemical and mineralogical reactions that can occur in earthworks and how these can be allowed for in design and construction. These aspects had not been considered in the original investigations and design. This resulted in much greater degradation of the fill materials than expected during construction, pollution of surface waters and the tragic deaths of four site personnel. The lessons learned in understanding the impact of geochemistry at Carsington were fundamental in further work by the authors in developing improved test methods for sulphur compounds and protocols for assessing their impact. The relevance of these lessons for civil engineering works remains as great as ever. Seven general principles for dealing with geochemical issues are presented.
Image-Quality Assessment for Several Positron Emitters Using the NEMA NU 4-2008 Standards in the Siemens Inveon Small-Animal PET Scanner

The positron emitters 18F, 68Ga, 124I, and 89Zr are all relevant in small-animal PET. Each of these radionuclides has different positron energies and ranges and a different fraction of single photons emitted. Average positron ranges larger than the intrinsic spatial resolution of the scanner (for 124I and 68Ga) will deteriorate the effective spatial resolution and activity recovery coefficient (RC) for small lesions or phantom structures. The presence of single photons (for 124I and 89Zr) could increase image noise and spillover ratios (SORs). Methods: Image noise, expressed as percentage SD in a uniform region (%SD), RC, and SOR (in air and water) were determined using the NEMA NU 4 small-animal image-quality phantom filled with 3.7 MBq of total activity of 18F, 68Ga, 124I, or 89Zr. Filtered backprojection (FBP), ordered-subset expectation maximization in 2 dimensions, and maximum a posteriori (MAP) reconstructions were compared. In addition to the NEMA NU 4 image-quality parameters, spatial resolutions were determined using small glass capillaries filled with these radionuclides in a water environment. Results: The %SD for 18F, 68Ga, 124I, and 89Zr using FBP was 6.27, 6.40, 6.74, and 5.83, respectively. The respective RCs were 0.21, 0.11, 0.12, and 0.19 for the 1-mm-diameter rod and 0.97, 0.65, 0.64, and 0.88 for the 5-mm-diameter rod. SORs in air were 0.01, 0.03, 0.04, and 0.01, respectively, and in water 0.02, 0.10, 0.13, and 0.02. Other reconstruction algorithms gave similar differences between the radionuclides. MAP produced the highest RCs. For the glass capillaries using FBP, the full widths at half maximum for 18F, 68Ga, 124I, and 89Zr were 1.81, 2.46, 2.38, and 1.99 mm, respectively. The corresponding full widths at tenth maximum were 3.57, 6.52, 5.87, and 4.01 mm. Conclusion: With the intrinsic spatial resolution (≈1.5 mm) of this latest-generation small-animal PET scanner, the finite positron range has become the limiting factor for the overall spatial resolution and activity recovery in small structures imaged with 124I and 68Ga. The presence of single photons had only a limited effect on the image noise. MAP, as compared with the other reconstruction algorithms, increased RC and decreased %SD and SOR.
Some improvements on two autocalibration algorithms based on the fundamental matrix

Autocalibration algorithms based on the fundamental matrix must solve the problem of finding the global minimum of a cost function which has many local minima. We describe a new method of achieving this goal, which uses a stochastic optimization approach taken from the field of evolutionary algorithms. In theory, approaches that use the fundamental matrix for autocalibration are inferior to those based on a projective reconstruction. We argue that in practice if we use this new stochastic optimization approach this is not true. When autocalibrating focal length and aspect ratio both methods achieve comparable results. We demonstrate this experimentally using published image sequences for which the ground truth is known.
High-throughput LDPC decoding using the RHS algorithm

The relaxed half-stochastic (RHS) algorithm is a recently proposed binary message-passing decoding algorithm for low-density parity check codes that can reach the same error rate performance as belief propagation algorithms that exchange LLR messages. Because of its low-complexity interleaver, the RHS algorithm makes it possible to achieve a fully-parallel implementation that can converge to a codeword in only a few clock cycles on average, enabling high throughput and power efficiency. To demonstrate the practicality of the RHS algorithm, we implement a decoder for the popular IEEE 802.3an 10GBASE-T standard. The paper presents details of the hardware implementation, as well as post-layout results for an ASIC implementation in 65nm CMOS technology, which indicate that the decoder can operate at 448 MHz and occupies an area of 4.41 mm2. The results obtained from bit-accurate software simulations show that the decoder meets the latency requirement prescribed by the standard and provides an average throughput of 160 Gbps.
Development and testing of a decision board to help clinicians present treatment options to lupus nephritis patients in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE Decision boards (DBs) help clinicians present options and include patients in the decision-making process. Our objective was to describe the steps to develop a DB to support shared decision making and assess reliability and construct validity. METHODS Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) scenarios were designed with the support of experts for disease severity, potential side effects, and outcomes. The DB comprised clinical information, 2 different treatment options (oral and intravenous), a description of the potential to control SLE within 5 years, and a list of potential side effects. Patients selected what they thought would be the 3 worst side effects and were informed of the probability that these would occur. We presented the DB to 172 patients who were asked to select and justify 1 treatment option. Reliability was assessed by kappa statistics. Construct validity was tested by an a priori hypothesis, analyzing the correlation between treatment decision and side effects selected, self-assessment score, educational level, and clinical aspects. RESULTS Patients favored oral medication, and side effects most often listed were iatrogenic cancer (44.2%), hair loss (21.6%), and severe infection (19.1%). Justifications were risk (48.9%), practicality (36.6%), effectiveness (12.2%), and risk-benefit tradeoff (2.3%). Reliability was similar to that found in the test phase (kappa = 0.689, P < 0.001). Validity was tested by prediction of treatment decision based on the undesirable side effects selected (P = 0.047). DB content was clear and easy for all patients to understand (P = 0.05). Immunosuppressive drugs influenced patient decisions (P = 0.006). CONCLUSION DB is a reliable and valid instrument to assess SLE patient preference.
Biomarker as a Research Tool in Linking Exposure to Air Particles and Respiratory Health

Some of the environmental toxicants from air pollution include particulate matter (PM10), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and ultrafine particles (UFP). Both short- and long-term exposure could result in various degrees of respiratory health outcomes among exposed persons, which rely on the individuals' health status. Methods. In this paper, we highlight a review of the studies that have used biomarkers to understand the association between air particles exposure and the development of respiratory problems resulting from the damage in the respiratory system. Data from previous epidemiological studies relevant to the application of biomarkers in respiratory system damage reported from exposure to air particles are also summarized. Results. Based on these analyses, the findings agree with the hypothesis that biomarkers are relevant in linking harmful air particles concentrations to increased respiratory health effects. Biomarkers are used in epidemiological studies to provide an understanding of the mechanisms that follow airborne particles exposure in the airway. However, application of biomarkers in epidemiological studies of health effects caused by air particles in both environmental and occupational health is inchoate. Conclusion. Biomarkers unravel the complexity of the connection between exposure to air particles and respiratory health.
'This is My Eutopia ...': Narrative as Power

The original comparative mission of JCMS testifies to the propensity of the EU, since its inception, to project its model on to the rest of the world. This article argues that narratives of projection are indeed key to the EU’s global influence and that, in this particular sense, the idea of Europe as a civilian power is more relevant than ever. But such narratives require our engagement with their reflexive nature: what is usually projected is not the EU as is, but an EUtopia. At a time when both the EU and the international trade system are undergoing crises of legitimacy, EU actors can learn a lot from the remedies suggested for the global level by such an EUtopia.
Efficacy and safety of sildenafil in Asian males with erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular risk.

OBJECTIVE Assess the effectiveness of sildenafil in Asian males with erectile dysfunction (ED) and one or more of the co-morbidities, mild-to-moderate hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. MATERIAL AND METHOD A six-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter study was carried out in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. One hundred and fifty five male subjects were randomized (2:1) to sildenafil (n = 104) or placebo (n = 51). Sildenafil was started at 50 mg and increased (100 mg) or decreased (25 mg) at week 2 if necessary. RESULTS On the primary efficacy endpoint, sildenafil-treated subjects had significantly better scores on the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questions 3 and 4 than placebo (p < 0.001, both questions). When accumulated into IIEF domains, all five domains were significant in favor of sildenafil. In addition, sildenafil-treated subjects were more satisfied with treatment and had a higher intercourse success rate. The majority of adverse events were mild in severity; the most commonly reported treatment-related events were dizziness (7.7%) and tinnitus (2.9%). CONCLUSION Sildenafil (25, 50, and 100 mg) was found to be an effective, safe, and well-tolerated treatment for ED in the present study population of Thai, Malaysian, and Singaporean males who also had increased cardiovascular risk
The dimensions of the mandibular incisive canal and its spatial relationship to various anatomical landmarks of the mandible: a study using cone beam computed tomography.

PURPOSE Often during implant surgery in the mandibular symphysis area, little attention is given to the mandibular incisive canal. Although it is true that intraoperative and postoperative complications with implants in the incisive mandibular canal are rare, they are more common when harvesting bone from the chin area. Loss of tooth sensation is a rather frequent consequence. The present study used cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) to identify and measure variations in the dimensions of the incisive canal and its spatial relationship to various anatomical landmarks of the mandible to reduce the number of postoperative complications after selective procedures in the symphysis area. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred two patients scanned for a variety of clinical indications were included in this retrospective study. The dimensions of the incisive mandibular canal were assessed, and the distances from the various mandibular landmarks were measured using the multiplanar capabilities of the CBCT device's software. RESULTS The results show that a mandibular incisive canal was identified by CBCT in 93% of the cases and had a mean length of 8.9 mm (range, 0 to 24.6 mm). The mean distances of the canal from the root tips of the premolars, canines, and incisors were 6.9 mm, 7.3 mm, and 10.4 mm, respectively. The mean distances from the canal to the buccal cortical border in the same tooth positions were 2.8 mm, 4.4 mm, and 4.8 mm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In a large majority of the sample, a mandibular incisive canal was identified by CBCT. The large variation in the spatial relationships of the canal mandates a case-by-case preoperative radiographic evaluation of the canal, and CBCT seems able to fulfill the task.
In search of worker's real effort reciprocity: A field and a laboratory experiment

We present a field experiment to assess the effect of own and peer wage variations on actual work effort of employees with hourly wages. Work effort neither reacts to an increase of the own wage, nor to a positive or negative peer comparison. This result seems at odds with numerous laboratory experiments that show a clear own wage sensitivity on effort. In an additional real-effort laboratory experiment we show that explicit cost and surplus information that enables an exact calculation of an employer's surplus from the work contract is a crucial prerequisite for a positive wage-effort relation. This demonstrates that an employee's reciprocity requires a clear assessment of the surplus at stake. (JEL: C91, C92, J41) (c) 2010 by the European Economic Association.
Circular Semiclassical String solutions on Confining AdS/CFT Backgrounds

We study multiwrapped circular string pulsating in the radial direction of AdS black hole. We compute the energy of this string as a function of a large quantum number n. One then could associate it with energy and a quantum number of states in the dual finite temperature = 4 SYM theory as well as three-dimensional pure gauge theory. We observe that the n dependence of the energy has a universal form. We have also considered pulsating string in the background of the near-extremal D4-brane solution. Circular pulsating membrane in M-theory on AdS7 ? S4 has also been studied.
Detection of red reflex asymmetry by pediatric residents using the Brückner reflex versus the MTI photoscreener.

OBJECTIVE To compare the ability of pediatric residents to differentiate an asymmetric from a symmetric red reflex in patients with anisometropia and microstrabismus using the Brückner reflex and the Medical Technology Innovations (MTI) photoscreener. METHODS A prospective, masked, case-control study was performed. Twelve pediatric residents evaluated 10 study patients and 6 control subjects in a masked manner in 2 separate sessions, using the Brückner reflex or the MTI photoscreener, evaluating for asymmetric (abnormal) or symmetric (normal) red reflexes between the 2 eyes. Each study patient had asymmetric red reflexes and the amblyogenic risk factor of anisometropia or microstrabismus. Each control subject had symmetric red reflexes. RESULTS The pediatric residents had a mean correct score of 82% (69%-100%) using the MTI photoscreener versus a mean correct score of 65% (44%-81%) using the Brückner reflex (McNemar test: alpha < 0.01). The sensitivity of the MTI photoscreener evaluation was 89% in comparison to 61% for the Brückner reflex. The specificities for the MTI photoscreener versus the Brückner reflex were similar at 69% and 71%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Pediatric residents were better at detecting asymmetric red reflexes in patients with anisometropia and microstrabismus when evaluating MTI photoscreener photographs than when evaluating the red reflexes by the Brückner reflex. The MTI photoscreener may be a more sensitive method than the Brückner reflex to screen for the common amblyogenic risk factors of anisometropia and microstrabismus by easier detection of red reflex asymmetry.
Enstatite achondrites as indicators of processes and environments in the early solar system

This thesis investigates the processes and environments of formation of the anomalous enstatite achondrites NWA 4301, Zakłodzie, and NWA 8173 to determine how they relate to other enstatite meteorites (chondrites, impact melt rocks, aubrites, and so-called “primitive enstatite achondrites”). Observations of Zakłodzie and NWA 4301 showed that both meteorites may share a common parent body, but have experienced different metamorphic conditions. Different zonation patterns in plagioclase, silica polymorphs and associations, and sulfide assemblages indicate that Zakłodzie experienced higher metamorphic temperatures and cooled faster than NWA 4301, therefore NWA 4301 was buried deeper in the parent body relative to Zakłodzie. In NWA 8173, mineral assemblages and textures indicate that it formed at high temperatures, and underwent subsolidus annealing. Detailed mineral, chemical and structural classification of fluorophlogopite in NWA 8173 was made, to determine the role of halogens in formation mechanisms of enstatite meteorites. Overall findings showed that incipient partial melting and annealing following impact melting can each form the anomalous enstatite meteorites. However, a model is proposed where halogens can act as a fluxing agent in the melt as represented by NWA 8173 and can cause a thermally metamorphosed rock such as Zakłodzie and NWA 4301 to melt, fractionally crystallize and ultimately differentiate.
Analysis of the shedding of three β‐herpesviruses in urine and saliva of children with renal disease

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV‐6) and 7 (HHV‐7) are important pathogens in immunocompromised patients. To elucidate the kinetics of the three β‐herpesviruses in saliva and urine samples were collected serially from children with renal diseases. Twenty children with renal diseases were enrolled in this study. A total of 240 saliva and urine samples were collected monthly from the patients over a 1‐year period. Viral DNAs loads were measured by real‐time PCR. In 10 CMV seropositive patients CMV DNA was detected rarely in saliva and CMV DNA load was lower than the other two β‐herpesviruses DNA loads. All patients were seropositive for HHV‐6B and the virus was detected frequently in saliva. Two of 20 patients were HHV‐7 seronegative. High copies of viral DNA were detected continuously in saliva of the HHV‐7 seropositive patients. Although neither CMV nor HHV‐6B DNA load was different among the three renal diseases, HHV‐7 DNA load was different among the diseases (P = 0.039). HHV‐6B DNA loads were significantly higher in patients with immunosuppressive treatment compared to those without treatment (P = 0.013). Although CMV DNA was detected in urine samples collected from 5 of 10 CMV seropositive patients, HHV‐6B and HHV‐7 DNA were detected at relatively low frequencies in urine. No remarkable temporal associations between viral DNA excretion and proteinuria or immunosuppressive treatment were demonstrated. The pattern of viral DNA excretion in saliva and urine were different among the three viruses. No temporal correlation was observed between viral infection and renal diseases. J. Med. Virol. 86:505–511, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Projections of the Size and Composition of the U.S. Population: 2014 to 2060. Population Estimates and Projections. Current Population Reports. P25-1143.

Between 2014 and 2060, the U.S. population is projected to increase from 319 million to 417 million, reaching 400 million in 2051. The U.S. population is projected to grow more slowly in future decades than in the recent past, as these projections assume that fertility rates will continue to decline and that there will be a modest decline in the overall rate of net international migration. By 2030, one in five Americans is projected to be 65 and over; by 2044, more than half of all Americans are projected to belong to a minority group (any group other than non-Hispanic White alone); and by 2060, nearly one in five of the nation’s total population is projected to be foreign born.