Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-term safety and efficacy of adalimumab for intestinal Behçet's disease in the open label study following a phase 3 clinical trial

Background/Aims Intestinal Behçet's disease (BD) is an immune-mediated inflammatory disorder. We followed up the patients and evaluated safety profile and effectiveness of adalimumab for the treatment of intestinal BD through 100 weeks rolled over from the 52 week clinical trial (NCT01243671). Methods Patients initiated adalimumab therapy at 160 mg at week 0, followed by 80 mg at week 2, followed by 40 mg every other week until the end of the study. Long-term safety and all adverse events (AEs) were examined. The efficacy was assessed on the basis of marked improvement (MI) and complete remission (CR) using a composite efficacy index, which combined global gastrointestinal symptoms and endoscopic assessments. Results Twenty patients were enrolled in this study; 15 patients received adalimumab treatment until study completion. The incidence of AEs through week 100 was 544.4 events/100 person-years, which was comparable to the incidence through week 52 (560.4 events/100 person-years). No unexpected trend was observed and adalimumab was well tolerated. At weeks 52 and 100, 60.0% and 40.0% of patients showed MI, respectively, and 20.0% and 15.0% of patients showed CR, respectively. Conclusions This report demonstrates 2 years safety and effectiveness of adalimumab in intestinal BD patients. Patients with intestinal BD refractory to conventional treatment receiving up to 2 years of adalimumab treatment demonstrated safety outcomes consistent with the known profile of adalimumab, and the treatment led to sustained reduction of clinical and endoscopic disease activity.
Use of a Collagen Matrix as a Substitute for Free Mucosal Grafts in Pre-Prosthetic Surgery: 1 Year Results From a Clinical Prospective Study on 15 Patients

Background: The presence of keratinized tissue around dental implants is more than desirable either from a functional and aesthetic point of view, making soft tissue grafting a common practice in implant rehabilitation. Autogenous soft tissue grafting procedures are usually associated with high morbidity. Aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a xenogeneic collagen matrix as a substitute for soft tissue grafting around dental implants. Methods: 15 consecutive patients underwent a vestibuloplasty and grafting, both in the mandible and the maxilla, with a collagen matrix. Results: The primary endpoint was to evaluate the resorption of the graft along with the re-epithelization grafted area. The percentage of the resorption was 44,4%, with a mean gain in vestibular height of 3 mm. Secondary endpoints evaluated the clinical appearance, the hemostatic effect and the post-operative pain. All subjects referred minimal pain with no bleeding. No adverse reaction nor infection were noted. Conclusion: This study showed that the used collagen matrix can find major interest in those patients who need a greater aesthetic outcome as the matrix has a perfect integration with the surrounding tissues. Furthermore it is strongly recommended for those patients who can bear little pain. Clinical Significance: Post-operative morbidity of autologous grafts is the biggest concern of this type of surgery. The possibility to use a soft tissue substitute is a great achievement as morbidity decreases and bigger areas can be treated in a single surgery. The present study showed the efficacy of a collagen matrix as this kind of substitute.
Oral implant surfaces: Part 1--review focusing on topographic and chemical properties of different surfaces and in vivo responses to them.

PURPOSE This article reviews the topographic and chemical properties of different oral implant surfaces and in vivo responses to them. MATERIALS AND METHODS The article considers detailed mechanical, topographic, and physical characteristics of implant surfaces. Anchorage mechanisms such as biomechanical and biochemical bonding are examined. Osteoattraction and doped surfaces are discussed. RESULTS Surface quality of an oral implant may be subdivided into mechanical, topographic, and physicochemical properties. Topographic properties are evaluated at the micrometer level of resolution. Moderately rough surfaces (Sa between 1.0 and 2.0 microm) show stronger bone responses than smoother or rougher surfaces. The majority of currently marketed implants are moderately rough. Oral implants permit bone ingrowth into minor surface irregularities-biomechanical bonding or osseointegration. Additional biochemical bonding seems possible with certain surfaces. Osteoattraction is a commercial term without precise biologic correspondence. Surfaces doped with biochemical agents such as bone growth factors have been developed. CONCLUSION Moderately roughened surfaces seem to have some clinical advantages over smoother or rougher surfaces, but the differences are small and often not statistically significant. Bioactive implants may offer some promise.
A New Member of the TBC1D15 Family from Chiloscyllium plagiosum: Rab GTPase-Activating Protein Based on Rab7 as a Substrate

APSL (active peptide from shark liver) is a hepatic stimulator cytokine from the liver of Chiloscyllium. It can effectively protect islet cells and improve complications in mice with alloxan-induced diabetes. Here, we demonstrate that the APSL sequence is present in the N-terminus of novel TBC (Tre-2, Bub2 and Cdc16) domain family, member 15 (TBC1D15) from Chiloscyllium plagiosum. This shark TBC1D15 gene, which contains an ORF of 2088 bp, was identified from a cDNA library of regenerating shark liver. Bioinformatic analysis showed that the gene is highly homologous to TBC1D15 genes from other species. Moreover, the N-terminus of shark TBC1D15 contains a motif of unknown function (DUF3548), which encompasses the APSL fragment. Rab-GAP activity analysis showed that shark TBC1D15 is a new member of the TBC1D15 family. These results demonstrated that shark TBC1D15 possesses Rab-GAP activity using Rab7 as a substrate, which is a common property of the TBC1D15 family. The involvement of APSL at the N-terminus of TBC1D15 also demonstrates that this protein might be involved in insulin signaling and may be associated with the development of type 2 diabetes. The current findings pave the way for further functional and clinical studies of these proteins from marine sources.
Parkinson's Disease: From Genetics to Clinical Practice

Breakthroughs in genetics over the last decade have radically advanced our understanding of the etiological basis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Although much research remains to be done, the main genetic causes of this neurodegenerative disorder are now partially unraveled, allowing us to feel more confident that our knowledge about the genetic architecture of PD will continue to increase exponentially. How and when these discoveries will be introduced into general clinical practice, however, remains uncertain. In this review, we provide a general summary of the progress in the genetics of PD and discuss how this knowledge will contribute to the diagnosis and clinical management of patients with, or at risk of this disorder.
Genomic profiling associated with recurrence in patients with rectal cancer treated with chemoradiation.

PURPOSE Stage II and III adenocarcinoma of the rectum has an overall 5-year survival rate of approximately 50%, and tumor recurrence remains a major problem despite an improvement in local control through chemotherapy and radiation. The efficacy of chemoradiation therapy may be significantly compromised as a result of interindividual variations in clinical response and host toxicity. Therefore, it is imperative to identify those patients who will benefit from chemoradiation therapy and those who will develop recurrent disease. In this study, we tested whether a specific pattern of 21 polymorphisms in 18 genes involved in the critical pathways of cancer progression (i.e., drug metabolism, tumor microenvironment, cell cycle regulation, and DNA repair) will predict the risk of tumor recurrence in rectal cancer patients treated with chemoradiation. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 90 patients with Stage II or III rectal cancer treated with chemoradiation were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based techniques for 21 polymorphisms. RESULTS A polymorphism in interleukin (IL)-8 was individually associated with risk of recurrence. Classification and regression tree analysis of all polymorphisms and clinical variables developed a risk tree including the following variables: node status, IL-8, intracellular adhesion molecule-1, transforming growth factor-beta, and fibroblast growth factor receptor 4. CONCLUSION Genomic profiling may help to identify patients who are at high risk for developing tumor recurrence, and those who are more likely to benefit from chemoradiation therapy. A larger prospective study is needed to validate these preliminary data using germline polymorphisms on tumor recurrences in rectal cancer patients treated with chemoradiation.
LMI Conditions for Global Stability of Fractional-Order Neural Networks

Fractional-order neural networks play a vital role in modeling the information processing of neuronal interactions. It is still an open and necessary topic for fractional-order neural networks to investigate their global stability. This paper proposes some simplified linear matrix inequality (LMI) stability conditions for fractional-order linear and nonlinear systems. Then, the global stability analysis of fractional-order neural networks employs the results from the obtained LMI conditions. In the LMI form, the obtained results include the existence and uniqueness of equilibrium point and its global stability, which simplify and extend some previous work on the stability analysis of the fractional-order neural networks. Moreover, a generalized projective synchronization method between such neural systems is given, along with its corresponding LMI condition. Finally, two numerical examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the established LMI conditions.
A DSP based IP set-top box for home entertainment

In this paper, the implementation of a digital signal processor (DSP) based Internet protocol set-top box for home entertainment networks is described. The main functional blocks are the MPEG-2 transport stream demultiplexer, the audio and video decoders and the audio and video display management modules (with on-screen display capabilities). All blocks have been built into a single low-cost DSP to allow multi-format operation in the future. A prototype has been designed and fully tested in a real environment. Currently the set-top box works with a fully optimized MPEG-2 video decoder. A preliminary version of an MPEG-4 video decoder is available now and we are also working in an MPEG-4/AVC (H.264) decoder
Plasma Activated Sintering (PAS) of Tungsten Powders

Abstract Plasma Activated Sintering (PAS) is a short time, high temperature densification process based on three main contributions: resistance sintering, pressure application, and plasma generation. PAS was applied to the densification of untreated tungsten powder at temperatures between 2050 and 2685 K for 2 to 8 minutes in air or vacuum. The density values ranged between 80.2 and 91.5 % of theoretical density. The initial micron grain size was retained after consolidation at temperatures of 2350 and 2400 K. Net shape consolidation of a cutting tool was achieved by PAS densification of WC-Co powders. The clean grain boundary observed by high resolution electron microscopy in some of the PAS consolidated specimens suggests that activation of the powder surfaces may take place to enhance the densification process. This physical surface activation may be responsible for enhanced sintering of tungsten particles with no need for additives. The major benefits from this new non-conventional technique include a.
The Role of Digital Technologies During Relationship Breakdowns

Relationship breakdowns are undoubtedly difficult. Access to and use of technology can exacerbate the situation. In our networked society, shared lives generate vast amounts of shared digital data which can be difficult to untangle, whilst social media can provide an outlet to emotions that can take a public and often persistent form. In this paper, we report on a qualitative study that considered the role of technology in the process of a relationship breaking down. Four main themes emerged in our findings: communicating about the separation, change in social status, shared digital assets, and moving on. Opportunities for design are identified in reducing misunderstandings via CMCs, enhancing social media, supporting intimacy in distributed families, and refining service provision.
High rates of neural tube defects in Ukraine.

BACKGROUND Oral consumption of synthetic folic acid can prevent neural tube defects (NTDs), which are some of the most severe congenital anomalies. The prevalence of NTDs in Ukraine and other countries of the former U.S.S.R. has not been well studied. We determined the prevalence of NTD-affected pregnancies in Northwestern Ukraine as background for policy decisions related to flour fortification in this country. METHODS The Ukrainian-American Birth Defects Program was established in 1999 and conducts population- based surveillance of birth defects in several oblasts (states) of Ukraine. We determined the prevalence of NTDs in the Volyn and Rivne oblasts of Northwestern Ukraine for three years, 2000-2002. RESULTS There were 75,928 births in the two oblasts in 2000-2002. There were 159 cases of NTDs among live births, stillbirths, and induced abortions. The prevalence of NTDs in the two oblasts in Northwestern Ukraine is 2.1 per 1000 births. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of NTD-affected pregnancies we found in Northwestern Ukraine is almost four times what it should be. This prevalence suggests that population folate deficiency is widespread in Ukraine. Universal folic acid fortification of flour milled in Ukraine is urgently needed to end this epidemic of birth defects. Such fortification would be expected to prevent folate deficiency anemia, heart attacks, and strokes.
Potential use of Lentinus squarrosulus mushroom as fermenting agent and source of natural antioxidant additive in livestock feed.

BACKGROUND Fermenting feed has gained a lot of popularity in recent years owing to its renowned benefits to the livestock and feed quality. In the current study, Lentinus squarrosulus mushroom mycelium was tested for its potential as a fermenting agent and source of natural antioxidant in the feed. RESULTS Phenolic content of methanolic and hot water extracts of the mycelium culture and its fermented maize ranged from 94.01 to 386.59 mg gallic acid equivalents g(-1) extract while the DPPH radical scavenging, CUPRAC, reducing power (RPA) and β-carotene bleaching (BCB) antioxidant activity had EC50 values ranged from 15.30 to 120.3, 0.74 to 4.71, 1.86 to 13.5 and 0.01 to 0.21 mg mL(-1) , respectively. At 1.0-20.0 mg mL(-1) , the extracts retarded 21.02-55.35% of lipid deterioration. Pearson correlation analysis revealed the phenolic content of the extracts has moderate correlation with DPPH (r = 0.589) and RPA (r = 0.580), also a high correlation with BCB antioxidant activity (r = 0.872). In principal component analysis, DPPH, CUPRAC and RPA were seen to be clustered tightly together while BCB antioxidant activity was grouped with the phenolic content. CONCLUSION Overall, L. squarrosulus mycelium functioned as antioxidants via several mechanisms, involving either electron transfer or hydrogen transfer-based reactions suggesting it as a promising fermentation agent to enhance feed nutrition and the fermented maize as a valuable feed resource.
Immigration, Growth, and Unemployment: Panel VAR Evidence from OECD Countries

This paper examines empirically the interaction between immigration and host country economic conditions. We employ panel vector autoregression (VAR) techniques for a large annual data set on 22 OECD countries over the period 1987–2009. The VAR approach addresses the endogeneity problem by allowing for endogenous interactions between the variables in the system. Our results provide evidence of migration contribution to host economic prosperity (positive impact on GDP per capita and negative impact on aggregate unemployment, native- and foreign-born unemployment rates). We also find that migration is influenced by host economic conditions (migration responds positively to host GDP per capita and negatively to host total unemployment rate).
Na+ Channel Mutation That Causes Both Brugada and Long-QT Syndrome Phenotypes: A Simulation Study of Mechanism

Background—Complex physiological interactions determine the functional consequences of gene abnormalities and make mechanistic interpretation of phenotypes extremely difficult. A recent example is a single mutation in the C terminus of the cardiac Na+ channel, 1795insD. The mutation causes two distinct clinical syndromes, long QT (LQT) and Brugada, leading to life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias. Coexistence of these syndromes is seemingly paradoxical; LQT is associated with enhanced Na+ channel function, and Brugada with reduced function. Methods and Results—Using a computational approach, we demonstrate that the 1795insD mutation exerts variable effects depending on the myocardial substrate. We develop Markov models of the wild-type and 1795insD cardiac Na+ channels. By incorporating the models into a virtual transgenic cell, we elucidate the mechanism by which 1795insD differentially disrupts cellular electrical behavior in epicardial and midmyocardial cell types. We provide a cellular mechanistic basis for the ECG abnormalities observed in patients carrying the 1795insD gene mutation. Conclusions—We demonstrate that the 1795insD mutation can cause both LQT and Brugada syndromes through interaction with the heterogeneous myocardium in a rate-dependent manner. The results highlight the complexity and multiplicity of genotype-phenotype relationships, and the usefulness of computational approaches in establishing a mechanistic link between genetic defects and functional abnormalities.
Right anterior temporal lobe atrophy and person-based semantic defect: A detailed case study

We report a new case of a right temporal pole variant of frontotemporal dementia (Rtv-FTLD), MD, who presented a slowly progressive deterioration of the recognition of familiar and famous people. We thoroughly investigated MD's face processing and semantic abilities, including a neuroimaging investigation. This analysis revealed a cross-modal person-based deficit together with a more general semantic alteration. However, there was no evidence of impairment in face perception, including holistic processing, or of an abnormal pattern of brain activation in face-sensitive cortical areas. We discuss the nature of face processing in the Rtv-FTLD and the context of a person-based semantic defect.
Transgender Youth

SUMMARY This study used three focus groups to explore factors that affect the experiences of youth (ages 15 to 21) who identify as transgender. The focus groups were designed to probe transgender youths' experiences of vulnerability in the areas of health and mental health. This involved their exposure to risks, discrimination, marginalization, and their access to supportive resources. Three themes emerged from an analysis of the groups' conversations. The themes centered on gender identity and gender presentation, sexuality and sexual orientation, and vulnerability and health issues. Most youth reported feeling they were transgender at puberty, and they experienced negative reactions to their gender atypical behaviors, as well as confusion between their gender identity and sexual orientation. Youth noted four problems related to their vulnerability in health-related areas: the lack of safe environments, poor access to physical health services, inadequate resources to address their mental health concerns, and a lack of continuity of caregiving by their families and communities.
High-Mobility Group Box 1 Promotes Metalloproteinase-9 Upregulation Through Toll-Like Receptor 4 After Cerebral Ischemia

Background and Purpose— HMGB1 is a nuclear protein and an alarmin that signals cell damage in response to injury. It is believed that after release from injured cells, HMGB1 binds to its receptors to stimulate cross-talk among cells and to drive components of the inflammatory cascade. This study was intended to investigate the role of extracellular HMGB1 in ischemic stroke by examining the response of the zymogen matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) to HMGB1 in vivo and in vitro. Methods— Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), TLR4, receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE), and MMP-9 expression was examined using quantitative RT-PCR in primary cultured neurons, astrocytes, and mouse brain after HMGB1 addition. MMP-9 expression/activity was examined using zymography. Middle cerebral artery occlusion was induced for 60 minutes using a filament model. Results— TLR4 is constitutively expressed in neurons, astrocytes, and mouse brain. HMGB1 addition to neuronal and glial cell cultures caused MMP-9 upregulation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Lack of TLR4 function attenuated MMP-9 expression induced by HMGB1 in vitro. After striatal microinjection of HMGB1, MMP-9 was upregulated, and the response was independent of tumor necrosis factor-&agr;. Interestingly, MMP-9 upregulation was reduced in TLR4 missense mutant mice after ischemia compared with wild-type controls, as was infarct volume. Conclusion— Our results suggest that HMGB1 triggers MMP-9 upregulation in neurons and astrocytes predominantly via TLR4 after cerebral ischemia. Hence, targeting HMGB1/TLRs signaling pathway may reduce the acute inflammatory response and reduce tissue damage in cerebral ischemia.
Association of body mass index with the development of methacholine airway hyperresponsiveness in men: the Normative Aging Study

Background: The rising prevalence of asthma in developed nations may be associated with the rising prevalence of obesity in these same nations. The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the development of an objective marker for asthma, methacholine airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), was investigated in adult men. Methods: Sixty one men who had no AHR at initial methacholine challenge testing but who developed AHR about 4 years later and 244 matched controls participated in the study. The effects of initial BMI and change in BMI on development of AHR were examined in conditional logistic regression models. Results: Initial BMI was found to have a non-linear relationship with development of AHR. Compared with men with initial BMI in the middle quintile, men with BMI in the lowest quintile (BMI=19.8–24.3 kg/m2) and those with BMI in the highest quintile (BMI >29.4 kg/m2) were more likely to develop AHR: OR=7.0 (95% CI 1.8 to 27.7) and OR=10.0 (95% CI 2.6 to 37.9), respectively. These results remained significant after controlling for age, smoking, IgE level, and initial FEV1. In addition, there was a positive linear relationship between change in BMI over the period of observation and the subsequent development of AHR. Conclusions: In this cohort of adult men, both a low BMI and a high BMI were associated with the development of AHR. For men with a low initial BMI the increased risk for development of AHR appears to be partly mediated by a gain in weight. The effect of BMI on AHR may suggest mechanisms in the observed associations between obesity and asthma.